Be Effective, Accountable, and Customer-Oriented

Strategy progress

We are updating regulations to ensure permits are completed efficiently and timely by updating permitting regulations, better tracking applications to address bottlenecks and improving internal coordination via new digital dashboards. Furthermore, the establishment of project teams for complex permits and the alignment of resources with our current permit workload ensure our technical capacity matches our goals, allowing us to reduce backlogs and provide greater transparency to the public.

Update Permitting Regulations: We are streamlining permitting by updating policies and regulations for Rule 2-1 (General Requirements) and Rule 2-5 (New Source Review) to improve consistency and efficiency. To reduce delays, we have updated backup generator requirements and are monitoring processing timelines. We are also considering regulatory changes to further streamline the authorization of backup generators.  

Better Track Permit Applications, Reduce Bottlenecks, and Improve Coordination: We are developing internal and external tracking tools to improve permit transparency. Recent updates include standardized status language and applicant-focused reports for our web portal. We are also using dashboards and reports to identify and prioritize permit applications, and developing a plan to reduce late permits related to organics recovery. For risk assessment related permits, we are creating metrics and piloting streamlined reports.

Next, we will build dashboards to track application flow, processing times, and internal inefficiencies and begin incorporating customer relationship management tools into the permitting system to improve tracking, transparency, and customer service. While we are exploring bottleneck analyses, this work is paused due to contracting delays.

Establish Teams for Complex Permits: We have completed a resource needs analysis for processing complex permits, requested new positions, and prepared Air District Board requests for new staffing. We are now forming new teams, including a Backlog Team dedicated to clearing backlogged permit applications, allowing other staff to focus on moving incoming applications through the permit system expeditiously. We have also hired our first Engineering Program Manager to help facilities, as requested, create readily approvable permit applications to speed up review.

Align Resource to Permit Workload: We completed a resource needs analysis for processing all permit types. We are now reducing the number of late permits and aligning our permit resources to meet needs.

Strategy progress

To enhance the transparency of the permitting process, we are modernizing our communication strategies, digital tools, and community outreach efforts. Our focus is on providing real-time updates and more accessible information through three key areas: integrating advanced technology and AI to streamline permit status inquiries, launching user-friendly dashboards and public mapping tools for better data visualization, and simplifying technical language to foster more meaningful engagement with local communities.

Enhance Communication: Since implementing new permit status request procedures in February 2025, we are now redesigning our website and exploring AI solutions to better provide real-time application updates to the public and applicants.

Enhanced Digital Tools: We have launched downloadable application reports and real-time portal tracking for applicants. Development is now underway for a public online map of permitted facilities and emissions, scheduled for release late next year.

Community Engagement: We are simplifying technical language to make the permitting process more understandable for all stakeholders. We are now improving web accessibility, developing community-focused presentations, and seeking direct public input to refine our long-term engagement strategies on permitting issues.

 

Strategy progress

 

To improve the consistency of permitting decisions, we have hired a Permit Consistency Coordinator, who is implementing a comprehensive review of our internal standards and regulatory framework. We are focused on ensuring newly developed regulations are clear and enforceable, standardizing the process for translating those regulations into specific permit conditions, and strictly adhering to civil rights laws throughout the issuance process. Additionally, we are exploring new methods to account for cumulative environmental impacts and establishing formal criteria for when a broad environmental analysis is required for a permit decision.

Review Regulations for Enforceability: We are amending Rule 11-18 (Health Risk Assessment) to improve clarity and are currently incorporating public feedback into the final language. Similar updates are underway for particulate matter (Rules 6-1, 6-6), refinery emissions reporting (Rule 12-15), and metal shredding (Rule 6-4), with a concept paper on updates to Rule 12-15 just released.

Translating Regulations into Permit Conditions: We have launched a staff training program and hired a new "consistency coordinator" to standardize permit applications. Current priorities include updating our permit handbook and technology guidelines and establishing formal review processes for both standard and complex permit conditions.

Ensure Following Civil Rights Laws and Regulations: We have established initial guidelines to identify permits with environmental justice implications and are developing formal civil rights compliance checks. Moving forward, we will refine these criteria through community dialogue and analyze application trends.

Consider Cumulative Impacts in Permitting Process: Following a review of best practices around the country and literature, the Advisory Council adopted a work plan in October 2025 to address cumulative impacts in permitting. Draft recommendations for the Board of Directors are expected by year-end. See Strategy 2.11 Cumulative Impacts for more information.

Determine When to do Environmental Analysis of Permitting Decisions: We created a permit application screening procedure to identify when a permit needs an environmental analysis. We are continuing to identify best practices used at other local air districts and establishing a formal environmental review program for permitting decisions.

Strategy progress

We are enhancing the Air District’s regulatory air monitoring program by focusing on modernizing infrastructure and improving oversight. We are currently upgrading data acquisition systems and laboratory digital solutions to increase operational efficiency. To ensure high data integrity, we are strengthening quality control by addressing audit findings and standardizing our data validation procedures. Finally, we have completed a comprehensive assessment of our monitoring network and are now drafting a plan to implement recommended improvements.

Update Air Monitoring Data Systems: We are executing a plan to upgrade air monitoring data acquisition systems to improve efficiency and reduce errors. Key actions include purchasing new data loggers and testing a new software platform before a network-wide rollout. Simultaneously, we are implementing digital solutions to automate laboratory data handling and reporting.

Strengthen Quality Control: We are addressing findings from the 2021 and 2024 US EPA Technical Systems Audits and completing another independent and external review of the regulatory air monitoring program to update and streamline procedures. We are also accelerating data review for particulate matter and gaseous air monitoring data while refining validation procedures to improve team efficiency and data quality.

Improve Monitoring Network: We have finalized recommendations to modify our long-term regulatory air monitoring network based on comprehensive technical assessments. We are currently drafting an implementation plan that outlines the prioritized sequence and timeline for these structural adjustments.

Strategy progress

This strategy is about increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of our inspection and investigation resources to improve compliance and the impact of our enforcement efforts. Our focus has been on developing initial concepts for a strategic enforcement initiative to strengthen air quality oversight in overburdened communities.

Targeted Inspections: We have developed concepts for a Targeted Inspection Program that would shift from routine inspections to a priority-based model that identifies and inspects facilities with the highest potential to impact public health and air quality. Priority criteria include compliance trends, emissions and health risks, and community input. We presented these concepts to the Air District Board and community committees and are now integrating their feedback into the program.

To support implementation, we are securing additional staff for a new Environmental Justice Inspection Group that will prioritize AB 617 communities. We are also launching new webpages and accessible compliance summaries to increase transparency and public awareness.

Strategy progress

We are launching a comprehensive communications strategy to increase awareness of new building regulations and boost regional engagement through a rebrand, a modernized website, and targeted social media campaigns. These efforts aim to enhance public outreach, particularly among youth, while strengthening partnerships with local media and local governments across the Bay Area.

Develop an Expanded Public Information Campaign: Our current focus is on increasing awareness of our amended building appliance regulations, Rule 9-4 and Rule 9-6. We selected a contractor to develop and implement an advertising and outreach campaign regarding the new regulations and plan to launch it this year.

Increase Social Media Presence Targeting Youth: We have successfully increased our year-over-year TikTok followers and are making strides to increase impressions and engagement on the platform. We are also working to increase youth awareness of our Spare the Air campaign via increased TikTok engagement. 

Expand Local Media Communications: We have developed a local media outreach plan and expanded our local media list. We are now engaging with at least fifteen percent of this local media list.

Increase Advertising: We are increasing digital awareness of Air District activities across all digital platforms through increased engagement rates and impressions. We have seen an increase in impressions and engagement on both our Spare the Air and Air District social media pages, including Facebook, X, Instagram, Nextdoor, and LinkedIn.

Establish an Increased Presence in all Bay Area Counties: We recently rebranded as the Bay Area Air District and launched a modernized website to improve visibility, navigation, and accessibility. To further strengthen regional ties, we are surveying local governments to develop a standardized communication process and tracking system. Future website updates will focus on enhancing usability, translation capabilities, and ADA compliance.

Strategy progress

This strategy focuses on elevating the Air District’s service standards by enhancing employee communication skills and organizational knowledge. We are fostering a "One Air District" culture through new internal media and knowledge platforms while appointing divisional ombudsmen to improve customer service. We are also developing a comprehensive training curriculum for all staff and expanding our "Environmental Justice Navigators" program to increase awareness of Air District resources and strengthen our connections with communities most impacted by air pollution.

Strengthen Internal Organizational Knowledge: To foster a "One Air District" culture, we launched the Air Waves and What do you do? video series to highlight agency and staff successes and cross-divisional roles. We are now expanding these series while developing a centralized internal communications and knowledge platform. Additionally, we are appointing divisional ombudsmen to improve our capacity to respond to community inquiries and enhance customer service.

Develop Organization-Wide Curriculum for Employees: We are developing a communications and conflict management training course with a customer service focus.

Community Liaisons: We have strengthened the capacity of the Air District to serve as community liaisons through a piloted “Environmental Justice Navigators” program. Four employees are dedicated to increasing awareness of Air District resources and strengthening relationships and partnerships with communities most impacted by air pollution. We are now expanding the program through additional hiring so that we can expand its reach across the Bay Area.

 

Strategy progress

This strategy focuses on modernizing the Air District’s incident response through improved emission detection, rapid communication, and direct community partnership. We are evaluating advanced air quality and health assessment tools to better analyze emissions from incidents while launching a regionwide notification system that provides residents with real-time, localized alerts via text and email. To ensure transparency, we have enhanced our digital platforms to provide more accessible, actionable incident information and are now establishing community-partnered particle sampling near refineries.

Improve Incident Emission Detection and Assessment: We are evaluating approaches to characterize emissions from industrial incidents, and the impacts those emissions have on air quality and health. This effort includes identifying current technical tools and limitations by developing case studies to establish more effective and efficient methods to assess impacts from incidents.

Implement Technology Solutions to Notify Communities of Incidents: We have launched a regionwide incident notification system to alert residents of significant air quality events via email, text, social media, and our website. We are now developing an opt-in registration process to allow the public to subscribe to localized or district-wide urgent updates.

Partner with Communities to Provide Enhanced Community-Led Monitoring: In partnership with the Bay Air Center, we launched a community workgroup in September 2025 to develop a particle fallout sampling program, including developing procedures for community volunteers to conduct responsive sampling during or after incidents. We also have deployed eight fixed particle sampling sites in Benicia, Clyde, Martinez, Richmond, Rodeo, and Vallejo, and are in the process of establishing sites at thirteen other locations within refinery communities.

Deliver Clear, Actionable Alerts and Transparent Incident Reporting: We have redesigned our incident response web pages for better navigation and language accessibility. To further public awareness, we executed a social media and outreach campaign through December 2025 to make incident data and investigations more transparent and accessible.

Strategy progress

This strategy is about providing tools and resources to support local governments in considering environmental justice, air quality, public health and climate priorities in local land use plans, policies, projects, and permitting decisions.

Technical Resources and Best Practices: We transitioned to a new quarterly newsletter format to share critical information with local governments. We also launched an improved subscription list for local agencies to ensure critical information is shared in a timely manner.

Land Use Guidance to Prevent Incompatible Development: We are updating Planning Healthy Places, a guidebook for local governments. The update will include recommendations and curated case studies that demonstrate how local governments can better integrate air quality into land use planning. The guidebook will support local agencies in their efforts to prevent incompatible land uses in their land use planning and polices.

Strategy progress

This strategy ensures we have the capacity to honor our commitments by standardizing how we plan, track, and report progress on implementing the Air District’s 2024-2025 Strategic Plan. We are aligning staff performance with organizational goals through detailed operational plans and a real-time executive dashboard. By adopting continuous improvement models, we are optimizing our processes to ensure all initiatives remain effective and adaptable. The efforts under this strategy also advance Strategy 4.12 Report Progress.

Standard Processes to Ensure Implementation Success: We have established standardized processes to plan, track, and report on the implementation of the strategic plan. These systems ensure that new rules, policies, and initiatives related to the strategic plan are launched successfully and that progress is consistently monitored.

Develop Detailed Operational Plans: We have developed initial action plans for each strategic plan strategy. Each quarter, we are evaluating our implementation progress and determining if new initiatives are required to meet strategy commitments. Up next, we will be creating detailed implementation plans for each strategy that define required resources, timelines, and clear responsibilities.

Apply Standard Best Practices Across Organization: We are linking employee performance directly to strategic objectives through new training modules and instructional videos. Strategic objectives are also being integrated into individual performance reviews and monitored via a real-time executive dashboard. Finally, we are adopting organization-wide project management best practices to ensure consistent and successful implementation.

Strategy progress

This strategy aligns Air District resources with community priorities by ensuring the 2024–2029 Strategic Plan is fully funded and successful. We identified funding gaps to ensure all plan commitments are properly resourced and modernized our internal systems to directly link annual budget allocations to specific strategic objectives, beginning with the FYE27 budget cycle. Finally, we are developing a targeted analysis of our spending to ensure that our financial resources are intentionally directed toward reducing local air pollution disparities and achieving measurable community impact.

Strategic Plan Resourcing: We identified all non-resourced commitments in the 2024–2029 Strategic Plan and submitted them to executive leadership for future allocation planning.

Align Budget Process with Strategic Plan: We implemented new software to map Air District program funds to specific strategic goals and strategies, completing the first iteration for the FYE27 budget.

Prioritize High-Impact Spending: We are developing a budget analysis process to ensure resources are specifically directed toward reducing local air pollution disparities.

Strategy progress

To ensure the successful implementation of the 2024–2029 Strategic Plan, we have established a robust framework for monitoring progress, maintaining transparency, and optimizing resource allocation. Our approach relies on a centralized system for tracking implementation actions, supported by an annual review to keep all stakeholders informed. By utilizing a measurable goal-setting framework to define clear objectives, we can effectively analyze performance to identify and address any challenges or resource gaps.

Track Strategic Plan Implementation: We have launched a custom database and software application to monitor plan implementation. Staff are trained, all current actions are logged, and a formal update schedule is in place. Through the second quarter of 2026, teams across the organization successfully updated their progress and added new actions as needed.

Annual Progress Review: We have established templates and a schedule to report annually on the 2024–2029 Strategic Plan. Progress across all strategies has been shared with the Board, staff, stakeholders, and the public via this progress report.

Establish Performance Metrics for Strategies: We have documented objectives and key results (OKRs) for all 2024–2029 Strategic Plan commitments. This framework pairs qualitative goals with specific, measurable results to track progress and ensure organizational alignment. Over the next year, we will be continuously adding new objectives and key results for each strategy commitment.

Identify Challenges and Resource Needs: This year, we are assessing all strategic plan implementation actions, or OKRs, to improve implementation and determine if additional resources are required to meet our goals.