The City of Santa Monica desires to ensure that all persons having need of City services have equal access to and benefit from those services. Priority status for City services cannot be conferred upon any group or individual unless authority for such priority is first established by resolution of the City Council as prescribed herein.
(Added by Ord. No. 2208CCS § 1, adopted 10/3/06)
The City shall by resolution of the City Council establish project types that will receive priority in the City's provision of services related to the processing, review and issuance of permits and licenses for development activities.
(Added by Ord. No. 2208CCS § 1, adopted 10/3/06)
(a) 
Priority service shall be provided for the complete range of development activities and shall include, but not be limited to, any preliminary project submittals, applications for planning discretionary approvals, building permit applications, and issuance of building permits, construction inspections, permits for work in the public way, final issuance of a certificate of occupancy, and initial business license applications.
(b) 
The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to emergency response services of any City department including, but not limited to, the Police, Fire and Environmental and Public Works Management Departments.
(c) 
Nothing in this Chapter shall prevent authorized employees of the City of Santa Monica from making all necessary efforts to remedy service delays caused by the City and through no fault of any person seeking service.
(Added by Ord. No. 2208CCS § 1, adopted 10/3/06)
Priority service for development activity shall constitute granting the full range of necessary City services as soon as the next available service opening occurs without regard for who is next in the service queue, unless otherwise required by law. Priority service shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) 
Begin formal staff review of complete applications for all related permits or approvals by the next available City employee or agent as soon as that person completes their current assignment;
(b) 
Set hearing date for discretionary reviews at the earliest practical date within thirty days of determining that an application is complete;
(c) 
Inspect all completed and accessible construction at the required stages of construction within one business day of permit holder's request;
(d) 
Review any complete business license application related to initiating the priority activity within one business day.
(Added by Ord. No. 2208CCS § 1, adopted 10/3/06)