Planning Manager to Leave Post

By Jorge Casuso

Oct. 20 -- Planning manager Jay Trevino, who was charged with making the City's swamped planning department more user friendly, will be leaving his post at the end of the month.

After serving five years as second in command of a department that is often in the heated political spotlight, Trevino has been hired by the City of Santa Ana, where his long commute from Tustin will be greatly shortened.

"We are deeply saddened, but we'll congratulate him on his future and new appointment," Planning Director Suzanne Frick said at the beginning of last Wednesday's Planning Commission meeting.

The short announcement caught those on the dais by surprise. "I'd have run out and got a plaque if I'd have known," said Commissioner Jay Johnson.

"I'm very sorry to see him go," Johnson said after the meeting. "He's a very capable and competent guy. He made strong contributions and has a real handle on his department and his responsibilities.

"He has terrific experience, knowledge and is sensitive to Santa Monica issues, what's good for most of the people most of the time, instead of special interests," Johnson said. "It'll be hard to replace him. We didn't see this coming."

Trevino was hired from the City of Brea, which is known for its "strong customer orientation," to help make Santa Monica's planning process "more transparent and manageable," said City Manager Susan McCarthy.

Two years ago, Trevino was charged with overseeing an overhauled staff that implemented a revamped system to guide applicants through the sometimes daunting permitting process for projects that cannot be approved over the counter.

"We benefit every day from the very good people he recruited," McCarthy said. "We've got a very demanding planning arena, extremely busy, with no lack of viewpoints on all sides, and he has tried to steer a balanced course and provide greater customer service.

"We're certainly going to miss him," McCarthy said. "He's been a terrific leader. During his time here we've made significant gains in turn-around time in the permitting process."

At Wednesday's meeting Trevino summarized the department's accomplishments during his tenure, emphasizing changes in a permitting process developers had long complained was overly complicated and unpredictable.

The new process, Trevino has said, not only helps applicants trying to construct a new building or add to an existing structure, it ensures that the buildings comply to codes and standards, potentially cutting down on complaints from neighbors.

On Wednesday, Trevino emphasized the importance of helping those who are building single family homes because "well-financed applicants have attorneys or other outside help" and " understand the system."

He also stressed the importance of building morale in a department that has seen high turnover, in part due to the stress of implementing new regulations and working in what can sometimes be a charged political environment.

"We're undergoing continued erosion of staff throughout the department," Trevino told the commission. "Santa Monica is a challenging place to work. I won't kid you."