Wildomar to sell planning review to Canyon Lake at 50% cost recovery, capped near $75K

Wildomar's City Council approved an agreement June 10 to sell planning and development-review services to the City of Canyon Lake, with most of the work done remotely. Canyon Lake pays 50% cost recovery — salary, benefits, retirement, and overhead for one planning position — estimated not to exceed $75,000 for fiscal 2026-27, half the fully burdened cost of an Associate Planner at the city's top step. The council passed it 5-0.

For anyone moving a project through either city, the mechanics matter more than the dollar figure. Canyon Lake had requested help administering land use, zoning, development review, permit processing, and limited environmental review — functions it isn't currently staffed to handle on its own. Wildomar will do the review work, but the agreement leaves every discretionary call — permit issuance, denial, CEQA determinations, enforcement, appeals — with Canyon Lake. Wildomar reviews; Canyon Lake decides.

The staffing move is the part worth watching. Wildomar had already budgeted to fill one Associate Planner position. Rather than fill it solo, the city is making that a shared hire funded half by Canyon Lake, then adding a separate, non-shared Planning Technician. Staff's stated goal: cut the hours Wildomar pays outside consultants for overflow planning work. The Canyon Lake contract effectively subsidizes a planning hire Wildomar wanted anyway.

The term starts July 1, 2026, with provisions for limited extensions and termination by either party on notice. Staff project no general-fund subsidy — the agreement is structured to recover Wildomar's costs.