Honolulu officials say HNL Build stabilizing after Aug. 4 launch; data migration and account setup remain in hypercare

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) officials told the City Council Committee on Government Efficiency and Community Services on Sept. 25 that the new HNL Build permitting platform is functioning but remains in an extended "hypercare" phase after an Aug. 4 go‑live to correct data migration and account setup problems.

The briefing told committee members that HNL Build — a cloud‑based replacement for the city’s 28‑year‑old POSSE system — has processed about 3,716 permits and registered about 3,495 accounts since launch, but that initial weeks produced backlogs and user problems requiring intensive vendor support and continued staff training.

HNL Build replaces an on‑premises system the department characterized as "highly configured Band‑Aid after Band‑Aid" and aims to "improve efficiency, consistency, and customer service" through integrated workflows, a public portal and online payments, DPP Director Dante Apuna said. "HNL Build is a major system overhaul transforming how we deliver services," Apuna said.

Why it matters: The permitting system touches homebuilding, commercial construction, solar installs and other development activity across Honolulu. Council members and the mayor said timely stabilization matters for economic recovery, affordable housing and federally driven permit timelines cited by the solar industry.

What officials told the committee - Mayor Rick Blangiardi said the administration anticipated bumps during transition from a 1998 system and asked the council for patience and support. "This is a transition period right now and we need your support," he said, adding the vendor CEO had committed to intensive assistance. - Director Apuna summarized the procurement and implementation timeline: a Tech Tiger team and steering committee began work prior to vendor selection; the project kicked off Feb. 12, 2024; 17 development sprints followed; and the Aug. 4, 2025 date was selected after user acceptance testing and training. - Apuna identified three principal go‑live issues: data migration errors (caused by mismatched legacy fields), account/registrant setup difficulties and questions about new processes that require change‑management and training.

Numbers and contracts presented - Implementation timeline: kickoff 02/12/2024; go‑live Aug. 4, 2025; the implementation term cited as roughly 18 months. - Cost (as presented): $5,400,000 for the first three years (implementation and initial licensing), funded with FRF (federal relief) funds. The department indicated it will request additional maintenance/licensing funding during the city budget process; a slide referenced a $2,600,000 line item to the vendor for a period but the director said ongoing maintenance will be part of a separate contract. - Permit activity since launch (figures presented by DPP): about 1,539 building permits (plus 301 multi‑building apps), 1,154 quick permits, 77 grading permits, 16 minor SMA permits and a stated total of approximately 3,716 permits processed through HNL Build; account registrants ~3,495.

Issues under correction - Data migration: The department said much of the 28 years of POSSE data required remapping because fields do not align with HNL Build; Apuna said the team was "more than 90%" through data mapping fixes and continues to validate records with staff and the vendor. - Account setup: POSSE previously allowed anonymous submissions; HNL Build requires registrant accounts. Moving existing projects into the correct registrant or setting up accounts created immediate user support needs. - Process and training: DPP said new, stricter upfront application validation has reduced improperly prepared submissions but requires more front‑end work by applicants and training for staff and customers. - Hypercare and vendor support: The vendor (named in the briefing as Speridian alongside a systems integrator, Clarity) is providing an extended hypercare period; the director told the committee the vendor agreed to extend intensive support while fixes are completed and that the extension was not expected to add extra cost in the immediate hypercare phase. The department said a subsequent maintenance contract will be negotiated and presented to council as needed.

Operational controls and traceability - The new system includes audit trails and role‑based access to preserve a footprint of user activity, Apuna said, and DPP’s data specialist is working with the vendor to validate fixes and investigate any remaining anomalies. - POSSE is now read‑only and remains hosted on premise; the department said it will fully retire POSSE after all relevant data has been migrated.

Council questions and public comment - Council Member Cordero said "an update like this is warranted" and pressed for details about stakeholder participation in user acceptance testing and whether external stakeholders beyond reviewing agencies were involved in UAT. - Council Member Wier thanked the mayor and staff and asked whether the system could generate regular reports by council district to improve notice for discretionary permits; Apuna said the platform can produce such reports and DPP would explore providing them on a regular cadence. - Public testimony included three people: one condo resident alleging an ongoing roofing permit problem and requests for council assistance; and two speakers who offered support and patience for DPP’s transition to the new system.

Next steps and department commitments - DPP said it will continue hypercare with the vendor until migration and mapping work is complete, continue staff and public training (videos, FAQs, helpdesk), provide requested contract and invoice documents to council offices on request, and pursue a maintenance/licensing agreement to bring ongoing costs to the council during the budget process.

What the briefing did not resolve - No formal votes or policy approvals occurred; the session was an informational briefing. - Exact final cost for the extended hypercare or the maintenance contract was not finalized; the director said maintenance pricing will be brought to council for approval. - Officials did not provide an exact completion date for all remapping and validation work but characterized the remapping as near complete and said an extension of the hypercare phase of roughly a month was under negotiation.

Ending: The committee kept the item in an oversight posture and asked DPP for additional documentation and performance data; members said they will monitor backlog metrics and remediation progress in the coming months.