Branson to rebuild CitizenServe permitting system; Novice launch set for Oct. 2025, fuller rollout by 2026

City of Branson planning staff told the City Board during a study session that they are rebuilding the CitizenServe permitting platform to correct hundreds of broken workflows, standardize forms and reports, add a business‑licensing module, and improve user and staff workflows, with an initial launch tied to a building valuation update planned for October 2025 and a broader rollout targeted for early 2026.

Nikki Ashmore, project lead in the Planning and Development Department, said the department has undertaken an extensive review of the platform since October 2024 and credited interdepartmental staff for the effort. "Since October 2024, the planning and development department has held about 20 meetings with CitizenServe, 50 overall, and totaling in over a hundred hours of updates and corrections," Ashmore said.

The rebuild will address multiple operational failures the department identified: staff reported submitting and correcting more than 100 vendor correction requests and recreating roughly 89 permit application forms using conditional logic to reduce errors. Staff also said they are standardizing about 189 letters and forms, updating fee schedules and billing codes to match Appendix A requirements, adding internal review checklists and standardized review comments, clarifying inspection titles and checkboxes, and building a public‑facing building valuation calculator for the city website.

Staff described the expected timeline and costs: the first launch—tied to the building permit valuation update—is planned for October 2025; the business licensing module is expected to go live in January 2026. CitizenServe (Online Solutions) will perform most platform updates under the current contract at no additional platform refresh cost; staff said there will be a data migration expense of about $8,000 to transfer historical business‑licensing records and possible additional migration work related to an existing Naviline system.

Board members asked about user testing, builder involvement and security. Staff said they will hold developer/builder roundtables as the rebuild progresses and offer in‑office help for users who need assistance: "We have a customer portal in our office, and we have staff available to help them along the way," said Amanda, a planning office staff member. On security, staff committed to follow up with IT for a security audit of the cloud‑hosted modules and to discuss security language with CitizenServe.

Why it matters: the permitting and licensing platform affects developers, builders, business owners and residents who apply for permits and licenses and determines internal review times. Staff said the rebuild aims to cut review cycles, reduce rework and deliver automatic notifications for renewals and expirations.

The board expressed broad support for the work and for including stakeholders in testing. There was no formal vote recorded on the rebuild in the session; staff said they would continue implementation, coordinate training, preserve historical records and return with migration and security details as needed.