Online Permitting System Boosting Customer Convenience

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A year after launch, the County’s online permitting system has both made it far easier for customers to get access to a variety of services and more efficient for the County to deliver them.

The Land Use & Environment Group’s (LUEG) Accela Citizen Access site now allows you to apply for and pay for certain permits online. You can submit plans, ask to schedule an inspection, and even conduct research on permits and property information.

Planning & Development Services offers some of their most common permits online, which now include roof-mount solar, HVAC and electrical permits.

“Roughly 50 percent of our building permits now come through online,” said Vince Nicoletti of PDS. “The online services not only save our customers time, but increase our efficiency through system automation so we can do more with less.”

Customers and industry members have been extremely satisfied with the new features.  

“San Diego County is one of the fastest and easiest permitting jurisdictions that we deal with,” said California Solar Energy Industry Association member Alexandra Sink of Solar City. “The County is certainly a leader in the effort to streamline permitting and I hope more jurisdictions follow their example.”

Online permitting came about based on customer feedback, when LUEG decided to streamline permit tracking technology across departments and improve customer access to apply for and view permits online.

The first phase of online permitting was launched barely a year ago, and use of the Accela system is now widespread throughout LUEG departments. Inspectors in the Watershed Protection Program in Public Works use it to inspect water quality treatment devices, commercial, industrial, and municipal stormwater facilities. Customers can view inspection data and can submit stormwater complaints through the Accela Citizen Access portal.

In the past, landfills, transfer stations, and franchise waste and recycling collectors used paper forms that were submitted to the recycling division for confirmation. Now, these operators enter their own data in Accela reports, cutting out the paper, and speeding the process.

At the Air Pollution Control District, customers can view their applications, copies of their permits, sites, inspection reports, invoices, and other related documents. They can also pay online for new applications for coating processes to include metal, marine, and wood.

Customers at the Agriculture, Weights and Measure (AWM) portal can request export and import inspections for plant material shipments. Starting in August, AWM customers can also submit payments for the point-of-sale scanner registrations.

The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) also offers online payment for all of their permits. Customers simply go online with their permit number and pay each year without even needing to create an account. DEH has seen a 66 percent increase in their online revenue from FY2012-2013 to FY 2013-2014.

To date, more than 5,500 customers have registered online to submit, apply, and pay for permits. Accela applications have been so successful, the County has won praise not only from Accela, Inc., winning a recent community engagement award, but also a first place award from the National Association of Counties.

And there’s more to come. Services planned for the future include a property summary report that will provide basic property information such as setbacks, animal regulations, service districts, and more.  

3 New Employee Resource Groups Forming

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The network of County employee resources groups (ERG) continues to grow. Three new organizations are in the early stages of forming this summer: groups for veterans, millennials and employees of Middle Eastern heritage.

Joe Cordero, CAO Liaison to ERG, said employee groups not only benefit the membership, but they benefit the county as a whole.

“The ERGs all focus on recruiting and retention, professional development, supporting the County’s initiatives and cultural competency,” Cordero said. “It is a part of diversity and inclusion.”

Interested in joining these groups at the very start? Here’s how to help or stay connected until they launch:

  • The Middle Eastern Employees group is looking for volunteers to help with formation. Interested County employees can contact Sara Agahi at for additional information or to be added to an interested members list. The group’s next planning meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 8 at 5510 Overland Ave., 4th floor large conference room. The group expects to launch this winter.
  • The Millennial group – formally calling itself the Association of Modern Professionals – said its mission will be to “bridge the generational gap through education, enhancement of the work culture, and networking while promoting Countywide initiatives.” Fill out this short form if you are interested in hearing more or joining. The group will reach out closer to launch.
  • The Veterans ERG is in the early planning stages of development. The group’s intent will be “to engage, mobilize, and deploy a Countywide network of passionate colleagues to support County initiatives and foster community relationships.” The group, to be named VALOR, is currently compiling a list of interested members. You do not need to be a veteran to be a member, just a desire to honor and support the men and women who serve our country past and present.

Additional information about the existing ERGs can be found online  at African American Association of County Employees (AAACE), Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees (APACE),
County of San Diego Filipino-American Employees Association (CSDFEA), The LGBT and Allies and the San Diego County Latino Association (SDCLA).

Anthems of Fitness: What Songs Are Moving You?

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Whether you are running outdoors, taking a spin class or lifting at the gym—music can help move you.

We asked a few of our Wellness Champions what tunes are getting them moving this summer.

  • Christina Rosenmeier, an ERP Systems Functional Analyst with the Human Resources Department, has an eclectic playlist from Katy Perry to Poison. Top picks include “Country Grammar” by Nelly, “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira, “Time for Me to Fly” by REO Speedwagon and “Panama” by Van Halen. Rosenmeier’s workout activities include hiking and cardio at the gym.

 

  • Pedro Garcia, an Office Assistant in Child Welfare Services, is working out to electronica music. Garcia said the music motivates him while lifting weights and playing racquetball. His playlist includes “Summer” by Calvin Harris, “Catch Tomorrow” by Afrojack featuring Sting, and Tiesto vs. Twoloud’s remix of Galantis’ “You.”

 

  • Heidi Lowe, the Chief Deputy Registrar with Public Health Services’ Epidemiology and Immunizations Services Branch, is taking Zumba to stay fit. Her top songs are all danceable: “Move Your Body” by Beyoncé, “Pause” by Pitbull and “Prrumm” by Cosculluela.

Are you sweating to the oldies? Running to Rihanna? Or pumping iron to Iron Maiden? Let us know what’s on your summer workout playlist.

Probation Employee Association Awards Two Scholarships

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Lakeeta Collins, AAPOA acting president, hands Alondra M. her scholarship award. At one time in her life, she was on probation and at another was a ward of the court. But she didn’t let either of those challenging situations hinder her aspirations.

Alondra M. is one of two girls the African-American Probation Officers Association (AAPOA) awarded $300 scholarships meant to encourage positive change for youth.

“She uses her past life experiences to push herself through her current situation in order to achieve the goals she has set for herself,” said San Diego County Deputy Probation Officer Tracy Gillum, who nominated Alondra for the scholarship.

Gillum nominated Alondra because as long as she’s known the young woman, she has been an advocate for herself. Besides going to college, Alondra also works as a peer mentor to other foster youth trying to motivate them toward independence.

Alondra is enrolled at two community colleges so she can arrange her classes around her work schedule. She plans to use the scholarship to buy textbooks and pay off some of her student loans.

“I am persevering in my educational goals and keeping a positive mindset,” said Alondra in her application. “I would like to transfer to San Diego State and earn a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Social Work.

“I would like to become a Probation Officer in the future and work with minors and their struggles,” she said. “I feel like I would become a great P.O. (Probation Officer) due to my own experiences with authority.”

Elizabeth Namowicz, AAPOA Member, presented Kiera Lathan with a $300 scholarship for college.Gillum said, “Alondra has the ability and skills to be successful at whatever career she chooses, but if that happens to be with SD Probation, then one day I can see her being the Chief Probation Officer.”

Scholarships are also open to Probation staff family members who meet the qualifications such as Kiera Lathan, the daughter of Deputy Probation Officer Kendra Morris. Kiera said she will use her scholarship to pay for her student housing and meal plan at college.

“I will be attending California Lutheran University and majoring in Biochemistry. After California Lutheran University, I intend on enrolling in graduate school in order to get a Master’s Degree in Biochemistry. I would like to conduct research that will improve human and environmental health,” she said in her application.

AAPOA board members nominated Kiera for continuing to excel in her educational endeavors. One of Kiera’s teachers also recommended her, noting she had excelled in an honors chemistry course.

“She places an immense value on her education as evident by her rigorous course schedule,” the teacher added. “She has a desire to succeed and a willingness to learn; traits which are admired by fellow faculty and peers. She has an outstanding work ethic, and is definitely on her way to becoming one of the great future leaders of tomorrow.”

AAPOA’s goal is to adhere to our department’s vision of enhancing the quality of life for San Diego County residents by creating safer communities.

“We commit ourselves to promoting and supporting the education of underprivileged youth in our community,” said Lakeeta Collins, acting president of AAPOA. “We further commit ourselves to acting as a resource and conduit of information related to African-American history, current affairs, and career enhancements for all Probation staff.” To learn more about AAPOA, contact Collins at (858) 694-4338 or Lakeeta.Collins@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Learn Basic Life-Saving Skills in Just 2 Hours

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Even basic life-saving skills can be critical in a medical emergency. County employees are invited to take a new course to learn how to respond during the first crucial moments.

The two-hour, non-certified Basic Life-Saving Techniques is meant to provide you with basic skills to be used until professional responders arrive.

The Aug. 18 course was developed for those with no previous training and those interested in refreshing their life-saving skills. It consists of lecture, demonstrations and practice exercises. Scenarios to be reviewed include choking, CPR and control of serious bleeding. The cost is $15.

If you can’t make the August class, don’t fret. The course will be offered again on Sept. 15, Oct. 20, Nov. 10 and Dec. 22—depending on enrollment needs.

If you’re interested, sign up for the Basic Life-Savings Techniques course on Learning Management System (LMS). All trainings will be held at the County Operations Center, 5530 Overland Ave., Second Floor, Room 241 (training room), San Diego, CA 92123.

If you want to go beyond basic, you can also sign up for a full-day Heartsaver, CPR, AED and First Aid course through Learning Management System and earn certification. The seven-hour course covers adult, child and infant CPR, AED use, choking and first aid. Cost is $25. A recertification course is also available for $25. Dates for all can be found in LMS.

 

AND IF YOU KNOW CPR...  Register for PulsePoint, a new smartphone app that lets citizens trained in CPR know when their help is needed by someone nearby. It is now available in the San Diego region, thanks to the County and its partners. Learn more

 

Move Your Way (Virtually) Across America

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Lace up those shoes, do a good stretch and get going (figuratively) across the country – Thrive Across America is back for San Diego County employees!

What does this mean for you? More motivation to move, whether it’s jogging, swimming, surfing, rollerblading, or even yoga.

Employees who want to participate in the annual program can sign up individually or in teams. Participants exercise at least 30 minutes a day and then log the activity online. Each bit of exercise will push you farther along the virtual route from Maine to Hawaii.

“The program is great for health and camaraderie,” said William Erese, wellness program coordinator. “Plus, it’s fun, friendly competition.”

Registration for Thrive Across America is now open, and closes Aug. 8, but teams and individuals can start logging their 30-minute daily activity on Aug. 5. The competition ends Sept. 29.

Erese reminded employees that this is one of the activities they must participate in to qualify for the end-of-the-year opportunity drawing for the beach cruiser bikes. All participants will receive prizes. Last year, more than 1,600 employees competed in the program.

For more information, visit Thrive Across America or visit 3rd Quarter Wellness Program site.

Re-building a Tradition

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IB Posse's winning sand sculpture "Back on Track." Photo credit: Sha-Ron Cobb

Leonard Gonzales has spent years knee-deep in the sand – sculpting, priming, perfecting. And recently, the Imperial Beach native dug up tradition for his hometown to keep a sense of community alive.

The Sun & Sea Festival, an annual celebration in IB, has been in place since 1960. It notably was the site for the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition for 32 years, until it ended in 2011. Gonzales, a Sheriff’s Department project manager, remembers the event as a child, where he got his first taste of sculpting.

“In ‘84, my parents took me and my sister and cousins to the beach to see the sandcastles and my dad ran into a friend, Mike, who was competing alone. At the time, it was a free event and anyone could jump in. So my dad just started helping him,” Gonzales said. “The next year, when I was 10 or 11, they decided to put a team together and I helped as much as I could. Every year I got more responsibility and helped a little bit more.”

Gonzales took over the team once he graduated high school and has been digging in every summer with friends and family, including his dad and Mike.IB Posse digs in at the Sun & Sea Festival sandcastle competition. Photo credit: Sha-Ron Cobb

Once the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition ended in IB, Gonzales joined the Sun & Sea Festival planning committee to help bring back the beloved building tradition.

“We were called together by community members and city folks to try to resurrect something, and we had a small sun and sea festival that turned out to be more of a children’s event,” he said. “It really wasn’t a sandcastle competition that drew crowds; it was more of an activity event.”

So Gonzales, who worked nine years for the Environmental Health Department, and the committee decided to bring back a competition more like the U.S. Open, borrowing from its rules and regulations to create a fun, competitive event that coincided with street vendors and live music – to promote family, community and local businesses.

“I looked at what I liked from previous years and put it together with new tweaks,” Gonzales said. “For the most part, it was based off what I’ve seen over the past years.”

IB Posse's winning sand sculpture "Back on Track." Photo credit: Sha-Ron CobbWhile he took a role as an organizer, he’s still a competitor. Gonzales and his team – IB Posse - won first place in the “Masters-A” class for their creation “Back on Track,” a train coming up out of a tunnel with steam. Gonzales said it represents bringing the community of IB back on track with the rebirth of the sandcastle competition.

“All the comments that we’re getting from the community are that ‘it’s back!’ and everyone’s happy for that,” Gonzales said.” I’m so proud of the whole community and the Sun and Sea Festival community for persevering through all the different obstacles in the past couple of years. I’m so proud of the way things turned out – it did feel like a very successful event.”

Four from County Appointed as Judges

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Two public defenders and two prosecutors have been chosen by California Gov. Jerry Brown as judges in the San Diego County Superior Court.

The four newly appointed judges all come from the County: Matthew C. Braner, Enrique E. Camarena, Selena D. Epley and Daniel F. Link.

Braner most recently served as supervisor at the San Diego County Primary Public Defender’s Office, Writs and Appeals Unit, where he was also deputy public defender. The judge-to-be also served as a felony trial deputy and misdemeanor and felony trial deputy at the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office.

Camarena has served as deputy district attorney at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office since 1999. He’s seen here speaking at the peace officers' memorial ceremony about his father, a DEA agent slain while working undercover.

 

Epley most recently served as assistant supervising attorney for a central felony team at the San Diego County Primary Public Defender’s Office. Before that, she was a law clerk at the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office in 1995, where she served in various positions, including deputy public defender and training director at the South Bay Branch Office.

Link, a deputy district attorney, was a law clerk from 2000-01 at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and was former president of the San Diego County Bar Association.

Heroes Recognized for Health, Wellness

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They climbed up stairs, shared healthy meals with co-workers and learned new things about health conditions during lunch. And now, seven of your colleagues are being recognized for their efforts toward a healthier lifestyle.

The newest Quarterly Wellness Heroes were announced this week and they are:

  • Nelia DeGuzman – HHSA
  • Jennifer R. Nelson – Public Works
  • Arnel Encabo – HHSA Behavioral Health
  • Dana Hua – Public Works
  • Azucena Martinez – HHSA Edgemoor
  • Sylvia I. Brown – HHSA East Children Services
  • Claudia J. Castro – HHSA Fiscal Services

Wellness Coordinator William Erese, said that Quarterly Wellness Heroes are selected from County employees who have “actively participated in most of the Wellness Programs for the quarter” – things like Lunch and Learns, the Amazing Race, Stairwell Challenge and most recently, the 5 on 5 Online Nutrition Challenge.

Sylvia Brown, who is an office assistant for the East Region Neighborhood for Kids and active participant in most Wellness programs, said one of her favorite events at East Region involved healthy food.

“We aren’t always able to have cooking demonstrations, but when we did, I learned a new recipe for quinoa and loved it!” she said. “I hope we are able to have more at East Region.”

Brown said she doesn’t consider herself a hero, but if learning to be healthier helps her colleagues to be healthy, she’s OK with the title.

“I think it really encourages me to be a good example and continue to try to excel in this wonderful new way of living,” she said. “I think it is a fun and challenging new way of living. Sometimes when we see others having fun becoming healthy we want to do it, too!”

Erese encourages employees to constantly be active in the various activities offered to help expand hero recognition across the County.

Winners and participants of each challenge receive prizes like cookbooks, gym bags, juicers and more. But for employees like Brown, the programs give much more than tangible rewards.

“It’s about loving yourself enough to give yourself the gift of a healthier life so your families can have you around longer. “

Find out more about the Quarterly Wellness Challenges at the Employee Wellness Program website.