Welcome to RMA

The Resource Management Agency strives to ensure that its customer service standards are consistent with the Agency’s Mission Statement:

The mission of the Resource Management Agency, in cooperation with the public and our partner agencies, is to protect the consumer and community’s health, safety, and environment by carrying out adopted laws and policies, and educating, assisting, and empowering Ventura County residents and businesses to be good stewards of the land and our resources.

Values

In addition, RMA has identified those core values which will guide us in carrying out our mission. These values are directly related to our customer service and include:

  • Honesty, hard work, and ethical behavior

  • Transparency and accountability

  • Equitable treatment and respect of all constituents

  • Excellence in service delivery

Applications related to replacing structures damaged or destroyed by the Wildfires will be given priority by Building and Safety. Every effort will be made to review your plans within two weeks. If you are interested, the Building and Safety Division has developed standardized plans for the construction of homes that do not need to be plan checked.  When possible, applications for these homes will be reviewed by staff on the same day they are submitted.

Existing footings, slabs, and foundation systems in fire-destroyed buildings are not typically permitted to be re-used. Homeowners interested in retaining their foundation are advised to discuss this issue early and in detail with the professional engineer who will be designing their replacement structure.

During the design phase it is important to determine if you can utilize your existing septic system or if you need to bring onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) into compliance with current codes. There are three basic permits for OWTS in Ventura County; construction or repair permits for conventional systems, construction or repair permits for alternative systems, and Certifications of existing systems. The size and design of the OWTS is dependent upon the design and size of the rebuilt home, so it is important to consider the OWTS at the earliest stages of the site layout. Information about Environmental Health Division’s Liquid Waste Program can be found here.

The development standards that pertain to your property are based on the zoning. You can find your zoning at the Planning Division’s What’s My Zoning page. Tables that identify the setback, height, building coverage and related provisions are located in Article 6 of the Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance. It is understood that every property is unique, and you may need to speak with Planning Division staff.

The public counter is open Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM-4:30 PM and is located on the 3rd Floor of the Hall of Administration at the County Government Center Complex at 800 South Victoria Avenue.

The Building and Safety Division has developed standardized plans for the construction of homes that do not need to be plan checked. Utilizing these plans may help expedite your recovery efforts.


Key Activities

  1. Verify the condition of the property’s water well, reverse osmosis filter, and septic system if applicable.
  2. Consult with Liquid Waste Program Staff to discuss your septic system design.
  3. Determine the design standards that apply to your property.
  4. Meet with a design professional* to discuss and develop plans that are compliant with the current building code.
  5. Finalize design and obtain a code compliant set of drawings. The new design does not need to use the floor plan or footprint of the previous building.
  6. Retrieve original plans, utilize standardized plans, or start from scratch.
  7. Finalize design and obtain a code compliant set of drawings. The new design does not need to use the floor plan or footprint of the previous building.

* At a minimum, a simple home design would require the following design professionals: a designer, and a Calgreen and Energy consultant. More complex designs will require an architect, a civil engineer, a geotechnical engineer, and a Calgreen and Energy consultant. Note: The majority of rebuilt homes in the burn areas will require a geotechnical engineer to evaluate the soils. A septic consultant may be required to evaluate the functionality of the existing septic system.

Next Step: Permitting & Review