2.  Improve customer service by assisting county residents effectively, consistently and courteously with questions and applications regarding land use in the unincorporated areas of the county and solicit public input on pending applications, development plans and ordinance amendments.

3.  The purpose of land use regulations in the County is to: ◦ preserve the availability of agricultural land ◦ protect the health and general welfare ◦ encourage efficient urban development patterns ◦ efficiently plan for and provide public facilities and infrastructure  The land use ordinances were developed in accordance with Iowa Code Chapters 18B, 335, 354 and 355 and are based on the Comprehensive Plan for Dubuque County  Regulations are made with reasonable consideration as to: ◦ the character of the area ◦ suitability of an area for a particular use ◦ conserving the value of buildings ◦ encouraging the most appropriate uses of land throughout the County

4.  Zoning Board ◦ Recommending body appointed by Board of Supervisors ◦ Responsible for reviewing plats, rezoning applications, and zoning amendments for Supervisor approval ◦ Updates Comprehensive Plan and recommends future development of the County ◦ Board of Supervisors, as legislative body, has final say on approval of plats, rezoning applications, zoning amendments, and adoption of comprehensive plan ◦ Any appeal of Board of Supervisors decisions must go to district court

5.  Board of Adjustment ◦ Quasi-judicial Board appointed by Board of Supervisors ◦ Responsible for approving variances and special use permits ◦ Hearing appeals to the Zoning Administrator's Decisions ◦ Authority to approve, modify or deny applications ◦ Any appeal of Board of Adjustment decisions must go to district court

6. Full Calendar Year 20072008200920102011201220132014 Board of Adjustment Cases4855534839644745 Zoning Board Cases312414259233015 Zoning Certificates280209220212222277251260 Plats9080738279735451 Complaints2533 2333372439 Flood Plain Permits3747112557 New Addresses115 10610980909685 Minor Erosion Control Permits*----17311311693 Minor Erosion Violations*----891914 Entrance Permit Applications-----855763 Entrance Permit Variances-----252343 Major Erosion Control Permits*412 * As of June 2013, the Zoning Office is also handling all Major Erosion Control Permits with Eric. There has been a 43% average increase in Zoning Department activities since 2010, now that Minor & Major Erosion Control Permits and Entrance Permits became part of the Zoning Office’s Workload. 2015 48 34 214 56 44 5 80 92 6 53 36 11

7. 44 Zoning Complaints and 6 ESC Violations were filed in 2015 with 6 cases still pending County Attorney Action Complaints have increased by over 24% on average Full Calendar Year 20112012201320142015 New Cases Logged3337243944 Cases Completed3336233536 Cases in Progress: Rezoning Process00000 Board of Adjustment00001 In Court00041 Ongoing Investigation0006 Referred to Illegal Dumping----- Pending County Attorney Action-110-

8.  2014 ◦ Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Approved by Board of Supervisors (2 Year Process) ◦ Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance  Ag Exemption (2 Year Process)  SW Arterial Moratorium  2015 ◦ Shooting Range Approved by Board of Adjustment in 2015 and is going to court March 2016

9.  2015 ◦ Customer Service is Improving  New staff is receiving many compliments from the public, surveyors & contractors on their knowledge and helpfulness  Zoning Office is working with surveyors and general public to accommodate their timelines and concerns  Staff is working hard to provide accurate information to the public, improve forms and update the website  Improvement project for on-line permitting should improve customer service and staff efficiency

10.  2016 ◦ Zoning Code Update Project  Two Year Project Scheduled to End in December 2014  Zoning Board Updated Each Month  Staff Worked on Draft Chapters with Consultant  Consultant gave Presentations at 2 Zoning Board Meetings in 2015  Projected Timeline  Consultant Delivers Draft of Ordinance (Jan 2016)  Zoning Board Recommends Changes (Feb-June 2016)  Zoning Board Holds Public Hearings (July-Nov 2016)  Board of Supervisors Adopts Zoning Ordinance (Dec 2016)

11.  2016 ◦ Continue office space planning for Engineer, Health and Zoning Offices ◦ Work on continued clean-up of property violations ◦ Work on Legislative Priorities:  Allow counties (and cities) to collect zoning violation abatement costs through property tax-special assessment process  Remove farm homes from the State exemption to Zoning Codes and Building Codes

12.  2017 ◦ Subdivision and Platting Ordinance Rewrite  Work with County Officials & Surveyors  Write ordinance to address Iowa State Code regulations, county comprehensive plan goals and a streamlined approval process, when appropriate  Address needs of Dubuque County which is an urban county with unique characteristics  Tentative completion date December 2017 ◦ On-line permitting  Will enhance customer service (available 24/7)  Will ensure all departments give approvals & permits meet ordinance regulations

13.  Personnel ◦ Department has two relatively new employees who are still learning the nuances of their jobs ◦ Cross-training is not optimized because Clerk IV job description does not permit working out of classification without pay increase  Department Workload is Increasing ◦ Zoning Cases are increasing due to A-2 Rezoning (5-Jan & 5-Feb) ◦ Additional permits increased workload by 43% over the last 5 years ◦ Limited staff prevents completion of ongoing projects, so some projects are delayed and work piles up  Office Space ◦ Staff made room for 4 4-drawer & 2 2-drawer file cabinets ◦ Maintenance added shelving in all three office areas ◦ Will still need more room for storage in the future

14.  FY16 Revenue re-estimate increasing by $1,100 ◦ Decrease in number of Zoning Certificates Issued ◦ Increase in number of Zoning Cases Processed  FY17 Revenue will be the same as FY16 re- estimate

15.  FY16 Re-estimate increased because: ◦ $20,422 because of adjustment to Insurance ◦ $ 4,707 because of increases in Tort Liability ◦ $ 2,050 because of increases in Custodial Services  FY17 Budget increased $9,210 mostly because of salary increases

16.  On-line Permitting Software ◦ $3000 One time set up fee ◦ $5600 Each year for hosting fee ◦ $2500 Optional Tech Support (20 hours x $125/hr) ◦ $1200 Optional Map Tab Purchase (now provided by Jeff Miller)  Advantages ◦ Access to permits 24/7 will improve customer service ◦ Unlimited users and permits for use by more county offices ◦ 20 templates that we can start customizing immediately ◦ Store all files outside of the office (less office space needed) ◦ More efficient use of staff time ◦ More accurate and timely, can send automatic email reminders ◦ User friendly software ◦ Long term benefits to county

17.  Scanning Old Zoning Files:  FY16 ◦ $10,450 for Scanning all Zoning Case Files  FY17 ◦ $14,500 for Scanning all Board of Adjustment Files  FY18 ◦ $11,025 for Scanning all Building Permits & Plats