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Lansing to replace iWORKS with GovWell under three-year online permitting contract
Summary
The city authorized a three-year contract with GovWell for its online permitting system, citing usability and reporting problems with the current iWORKS platform. Council approved the contract not to exceed $38,500 in 2026 on a roll call vote.
The Lansing City Council voted to sign a three-year contract for online permitting services with GovWell, authorizing costs not to exceed $38,500 in 2026.
City staff described persistent usability and reporting problems with the city's current permitting vendor, iWORKS, saying routine tasks such as annual business-license renewals require far more staff time than they should. A staff presenter said the current system “is what I would consider to be a budget system” and that “the ability to create reports is opaque at best.”
Staff said GovWell would cover permitting for building permits, business licenses, contractor licenses, planning and zoning applications, code enforcement items and building inspections, and would offer cloud access, improved plan-set collaboration among departments and live chat support included in the price. The presenter said GovWell would send automated case updates to applicants and reviewers.
Council members asked whether support is included and whether the system is cloud-based; staff confirmed both. The presenter also stated an annual cost figure for the current vendor: “IWORKS, I believe, topped out about $2,122,000 this year,” which staff offered while explaining past investments to add features to the existing system.
A motion to sign the GovWell contract passed on a roll call vote. Staff and council did not identify detailed implementation timelines in the meeting; staff said the system would improve cross-department collaboration and reduce staff time on renewals and routine reporting.
