TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Jodi Phelps- Assistant City Manager, Dr. Gerald Newton, AICP-Development Services Director
FROM: Alexander Magana, Development Center Manager,
Angela Everage, Development Services Office Supervisor
DATE: September 28, 2026
RE:Title
Site Plan Review and Development Permitting Process by Consultant BerryDunn
Title
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COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
FY26 Supports Goal 2: Economic and Strategic Growth
Through Objective 2.7: To sustain a favorable development and business climate through timely and accurate construction review and building inspection.
FY27 alignment of Priority 2: Enhance economic growth opportunities throughout the City; ties to average development review time and percent on time, number of businesses supported, funding deployed,
Executive Summary:
Berry Dunn’s Current Environment Assessment and subsequent Development Permitting Process Review highlights multiple opportunities to strengthen Development Services operations across permitting, plan review, inspections, customer service, staffing, and technology. Their recommendations aim to create a more consistent, efficient, and predictable process that is easier for both staff and customers to navigate. While many of the proposed improvements offer clear benefits, several recommendations require further evaluation to ensure alignment with North Carolina state law, the City’s Unified Development Ordinance, Human Resources policies, Information Technology requirements, and other established City procedures. Moving forward, Development Services will need to balance modernization and process improvements with compliance and organizational standards to ensure sustainable, legally sound implementation.
Representatives of the consulting firm will be presenting their review to the City Council for acceptance of the report.
Background:
City Council approved the Site Plan Revi...
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