The Escambia County Budget
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Development Services
Mission Statement
Provides efficient, responsive services that enhance the quality of life, meet common needs, and promote a safe and healthy community.
Objectives / Priorities
Development Review Division
Reviews/approves site plans/subdivisions, maintaining an initial ten (10) day or less site plan review time for projects, in accordance with the revised Escambia County Land Development Code (LDC), while educating the public/community on the revised LDC to promote economic development, and provides land use information to various governmental agencies/business entities, such as real estate association and banking/lending institutions.
Planning & Zoning Division
Comprised of project management/comprehensive planning/administrative services, this Division provides coordination/oversight of all planning functions and timely/effective planning information for orderly growth within Escambia County and administers and oversees budget/expenditures to ensure conformity with approved resources for long-range planning projects, while monitoring federal/state legislation impacting municipal governmental planning activities.
Promotes implementation of Escambia County Comprehensive Plan 2030, including process evaluation and amendments; provides coordination for long-range planning projects/issues; develops/implements long-range plans as approved by the Escambia Board of County Commissioners (BCC); researches/prepares presentations/reports/recommendations for special planning initiatives directed by the BCC or State Statutes; and drafts land use ordinances for recommendation to Planning Board/final approval from BCC.
Reviews/processes re-zonings/Planned Unit Developments (PUD)/Small and Large Map Amendments, and variance/administrative appeals/conditional use requests; processes/reviews development agreements; monitors development on barrier islands (Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key); provides planning support for long-range planning projects, such as the Perdido Key Master Plan; assists other divisions/departments with creation/processing of land development regulations for special study areas; provides full staff support to Planning Board, Board of Adjustment (BOA), and Design Standard Manual – Professional Advisory Committee (DSM-PAC); and provides planning and zoning information to Escambia County citizens.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Division
Ensures all data is up-to-date and functioning with all County users’ programs including Public Works (Brightly), Building Inspections, Planning & Zoning (My Permit Now), and Public Safety (WebEOC).
Manages easy-to-use damage assessment tools to assist agencies in reducing potential short- and long-term impacts of any disaster; educates users to maintain data determined in their realm of responsibility and need, evaluate those data, and certify as suitable to serve multi-agency purposes/needs; reviews products/methods/materials for use in analyses and ensures analyses results provide comprehensive reports/visible (less paper and more digital products) to improve decision-making process; and initiates outside agency partnerships/programs toward GIS data development/management to reduce costs/expedite future viable programs to coordinate projects.
Goals
Through proper administration and enforcement of federal, state and county adopted laws and Ordinances, the Development Services Department goals are:
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To provide quality/knowledgeable/efficient/helpful service to Escambia County citizens and the community
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To serve the development/planning and zoning/GIS needs of residents/contractors/developers with highest priority and excellent customer service
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To safeguard life/health/property/public welfare by administering/ensuring compliance with Escambia County’s LDC and Comprehensive Plan
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To promote/educate/simplify GIS use/standardized data for seamless operation with all recently implemented spatial data dependent systems/recruit additional personnel who will utilize these systems as standard practice
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To safeguard life/health/property/public welfare by producing teams compatible with federal/state/local disaster readiness programs.
Performance Measures
|
FY 2022/2023 Actual |
FY 2023/2024 Actual |
FY 2024/2025 Estimate |
FY 2025/2026 Estimate |
|
| Development Review Division | ||||
| # Land Use approval for fences, docks, land disturbing permits, site inspections, billboards and alcohol | 3,864 | 3,284 | 3,240 | 3,240 |
|
Development Orders Issued |
103 | 93 | 92 | 92 |
Planning & Zoning Division
| # of Re-zonings, Small- & Large-Scale Amendments, LDC Ordinances & Planning Board Interpretations | 18 | 18 | 25 | 20 |
| Board of Adjustment i.e., variances, conditional use requests and administrative appeals | 15 | 18 | 13 | 15 |
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Division
| # of map requests | 1,324 | 1,151 | 1,100 | 1,100 |
| # of data requests | 323 | 281 | 300 | 300 |
| # of addresses issued | 3,167 | 4,719 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
Benchmarking
Development Review Division -- Initial Review Time --
|
FY 2021/2023 Actual |
FY 2023/2024 Actual |
FY 2024/2025 Actual |
FY 2025/2026 Estimate |
|
| Standard Review - 10 Days | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
|
*Benchmark Sources - Development Review Monthly Recap Reports: FY 2019-20; FY 2020-21; FT 2021-22 (YTD) |
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Division Maps and Data Addresses
| Response Time Frames | Total Days | % Filled Same Day | Total Days | % Filled Same Day | Total Days |
| FY 2019/2020 Actual | 1 - 3 | 95% | 1 - 2 | 95% | 1 - 3 |
| FY 2020/2021 Actual | 1 - 3 | 95% | 1 - 2 | 95% | 1 - 3 |
| FY 2021/2022 (Oct - Mar) | 1 - 3 | 95% | 1 - 2 | 95% | 1 - 3 |
*Benchmark Sources - GIS Recap Reports: FY 2020-21; FY 2021-22; FY 2022-23 (YTD)
Significant Changes for Fiscal Year 2025 / 2026
Development Review Division
Increase efficiency and manage timelines as development is coming back.
Planning & Zoning Division
Fine tuning of updated zoning categories and LDC changes.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Division
The GIS Division is taking a more proactive role in the community by providing online access to GIS. An emphasis will need to be placed on address and street centerline data accuracy and completeness due to the upcoming implementation of the NextGen 911 System at Public Safety. The system will rely more than ever on the County’s GIS data. A more geographic component will be set up in the E911 system allowing better analysis capabilities for calls and emergency response studies. Also, a data collection effort will be underway to map underground infrastructure for the Sunshine811 call system to protect underground utilities before digging takes place. Staff is planning an enhanced merger of forces to provide future capital projects data for the purpose of interagency project coordination which will include traffic/pedestrian improvements, utility installation plans and coordination efforts as development throughout the county has increased substantially.