Approve the Agreement for Planning and Development Review Services with the City of Wildomar on a form approved by the City Attorney and authorize the City Manager to execute all documents necessary to effectuate the transaction.

The City requires planning and development review support following the recent retirement of the City’s contract planner. The proposed agreement with the City of Wildomar would provide as-needed professional planning services to assist with permit processing, zoning review, development application review, project coordination, and related planning functions, while helping maintain continuity of Community Development operations and timely review of applications and development projects.

Under the proposed agreement, Wildomar would provide planning support services through an Associate Planner position assigned to assist Canyon Lake with current and ongoing planning activities. Services would generally include zoning and land use review, development application review, preparation of staff reports and hearing materials, CEQA-related assistance, applicant coordination, and related planning and development review services.

Under the proposed agreement, Wildomar will provide properly trained Associate Planner services necessary to perform a variety of tasks including, but not limited to, the following:

• The agreement would become effective July 1, 2026, and continue until terminated by either party in accordance with the agreement terms;
• Canyon Lake would retain final authority over permit issuance, entitlement approvals, CEQA determinations, appeals, enforcement matters, and other final administrative decisions;
• Wildomar staff would be responsible for completing routine planning reviews, resubmittal reviews, and related planning tasks within established performance goal timelines;
• The agreement authorizes Wildomar staff to communicate directly with applicants, developers, consultants, and members of the public regarding technical planning and zoning matters;
• The scope of services excludes building inspection services, code enforcement, legal services, engineering services, and final land use approvals; and
• The agreement includes provisions for project tracking, recordkeeping, coordination with Canyon Lake staff, and use of electronic permitting and plan review systems.

Compensation is structured as a full cost recovery model based on the fully burdened cost of one full-time Associate Planner position, including salary, benefits, retirement costs, and related employer expenses. The agreement also provides for annual adjustments associated with salary step increases, negotiated compensation changes, benefit cost increases, and CalPERS rate adjustments.

The City Council’s approval of the proposed agreement provides the City of Canyon Lake with a flexible, cost-controlled mechanism to secure qualified planning services when needed and enhances service reliability.  The City Attorney will memorialize the negotiations into a final Agreement for signature by the City Manager.