Organizing plan submittals
From Cyburbian munibulldog: One of the difficulties with running a planning/zoning department is that occasionally paperwork appears on the counter or in the mailbox with no real clue as to what the paperwork is for. Generally we can sleuth it out but it is annoying to have to be the file monkeys for unorganized developers. I don't think they realize the number of applications and projects that move through this office.
When developers come in with an application, often there are missing documents. Staff does a submittal review, and then notifies the developer what is missing. If there are a lot of shortfalls in the application, in some cases I have sent the entire packet back to the applicant with a letter stating what is needed for a complete application.
I would like to make the developers responsible for either 1. submitting a complete application packet, or 2. responding to a letter outlining submittal deficiencies with a complete packet, or 3. at a very minimum, fill out a submittal form with the address, project name, applicant name and contact info when someone drops off a document.
What I would like to do is to put a 55 gallon drum in the office and throw anything that comes in without an application or submittal form in the drum. When the applicant says "you have that already, I gave it to you", invite him to dive into the barrel and search for the document.
Anyone have any advice on whether a submittal form or something similar works?