Pueblo County outlines plan to take over building permits, launches OpenGov workflow and ambassador program

Pueblo County planning and development officials told the Pueblo West Metro District board on Sept. 22 that the county will take over the building-division permitting functions from the regional building department on Jan. 1, 2026, and described a multi-part plan intended to reduce permit delays and improve customer service.

The county’s transition plan calls for a certified building official, four inspectors, a plan reviewer, two permit technicians and an administrative assistant to staff the new division, plus contingencies if staffing gaps appear. Jennifer Wagner, deputy director for planning and development, described a build in OpenGov that integrates zoning authorization into the single residential permit application and said the change eliminates a frequent source of delay when applicants didn’t route separate forms to different agencies.

“One of the streamlining processes that we’re doing within OpenGov is the building permit. You don’t have to now submit a separate zoning authorization for building permit. It’s built into the application,”…