| Dear Neighbors,
I’m pleased to share that the Ventura County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a major initiative to strengthen and modernize our planning, zoning, and permitting systems. I want to express my sincere appreciation for the thoughtful input I received from many of you—your experiences and feedback were instrumental in shaping this effort.
The package that I brought forward with Supervisor Matt LaVere, is designed to make our permitting processes more efficient, transparent, and customer-focused for residents, homeowners, and local businesses.
I’ve heard from community members who shared that navigating our current systems can feel slow, confusing, and inconsistent. This reform effort directly responds to those concerns with meaningful improvements aimed at reducing delays, providing clearer guidance, and creating a more predictable experience across departments.
Under the Board’s direction, the Resource Management Agency and Planning Division will begin implementing a comprehensive set of improvements, including:
- Streamlining permit types, including shifting certain discretionary permits to simpler ministerial reviews where
- Integrating zoning and building reviews to reduce back-and-forth and improve consistency
- Updating zoning standards and administrative procedures from the 1980s
- Clarifying completeness reviews to align with state requirements
- Improving communication and timelines through more customer-centered processes
- Transitioning from County-specific environmental thresholds (ISAGs) to statewide CEQA Appendix G standards
Some improvements will begin immediately. Additional reforms requiring further analysis or ordinance updates will return to the Board in March 2026 as part of a phased implementation aligned with the Planning Division’s FY 2026–2029 Three-Year Work Plan.
I appreciate the hard work of our Resource Management Agency and Planning Division staff in the development of this framework—and I am equally grateful for your ongoing engagement. Together, we are making it easier to do business in our County.
Thank you for your partnership and for helping guide this important work.
Kind regards,
Jeff
Supervisor Jeff Gorell, District 2 County of Ventura |
