The council approved a contract with HDL (an online permitting and business‑license vendor) to automate business license and cannabis permit processing, a staff recommendation the city said will modernize a mostly manual workflow and free staff time for other duties.

Staff said the current process requires significant manual effort during the renewal season and that an automated platform will allow businesses to update information, print licenses and pay online; staff also said HDL can help the city identify noncompliant businesses. City staff estimated implementation travel costs for vendor training would be modest (staff estimated under $5,000) and said HDL will import data from the city’s Springbrook enterprise system.

Council members asked whether the platform will pay for itself through efficiencies and emphasized the need for a follow‑up report after implementation detailing time saved and revenue collection improvements. Staff agreed to a spring update on the platform’s impact.

The motion to approve the contract passed by roll call with four yes votes and one abstention.

Ending: Staff will implement the platform in time for renewals and return in spring with a report on operational impacts, time savings and collection results.