07 Staff Report.California Automated Permitting Processing
PREPARED BY: Robert Gray
Chief Building Official
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, Finance Director, and
Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 10/17/2023 ITEM NO: 7
DATE: October 5, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Authorize Revenue and Expenditure Budget Adjustments in the Total Amount
of $40,000 to Recognize Receipt and Expenditure of the California Automated
Permit Processing (CalAPP) Grant Administered by the California Energy
Commission.
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize revenue and expenditure budget adjustments in the total amount of $40,000 to
recognize receipt and expenditure of the California Automated Permit Processing (CalAPP)
Grant administered by the California Energy Commission.
REMARKS:
SB 379 was passed in 2022, requiring local jurisdictions to adopt an online permitting platform
that can verify code compliance and issue permits in real time for residential solar energy
systems. Compliance with this law is required by September 30, 2024, for jurisdictions with a
population under 50,000.
To help offset costs, the California Energy Commission (CEC) established the California
Automated Permit Processing (CalAPP) grant program wherein a jurisdiction could qualify for
up to $40,000 reimbursement for subscription costs, training, and necessary staff time to adopt
an online permitting system such as SolarApp+. Staff applied for the grant and were
successfully awarded the full reimbursable amount of $40,000. Staff has begun working with
our IT consultant Tru-Point Solutions, to integrate the SolarApp+ software into our current
permitting platform and expect it to be operational before the end of this calendar year.
PAGE 2 OF 2 SUBJECT: California Automated Permitting Processing (CalAPP) Grant DATE: October 5, 2023
FISCAL IMPACT:
With Council approval to receive the CalAPP grant funds, a budget adjustment is needed to the
General Fund. The budget adjustment recognizes an increase in expenditures in the amount up
to $40,000 that would be offset by grant revenue of an equal amount. The grant will be
recorded to Fiscal Year 2023/24.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
Attachment:
1. CEC Grant Agreement