Mount Vernon building department reports faster permit response times, outlines steps to cut backlog

Mount Vernon’s building department told the City Council at a work session May 27 that the department has reduced its average first response time for permit applications and laid out a set of operational changes to address a backlog of applications and inconsistent data entry.

Deputy Commissioner Dawn Asbury told council members that “the initial response to applications was on average about 44 days. In the month of April, it improved to 15 days.” The department said the overall four‑month average (January–April 2025) was about 29 days and that staff are working toward a 10‑day initial response target.

The department attributed much of the improvement to expedited processing for low‑complexity permits (for example, fences, windows, roofs and signs) and to new procedures that move applicants toward submitting requested documentation through OpenGov, the city’s permitting platform. Deputy Commissioner Heidi Nemec reported that the department received 807 applications from January through April 2025 and issued 405 permits in that period.

The presentation also identified several problem areas. The department reported 419 complaints received from January through April 2025, and said inspections and enforcement activity followed those complaints; staff said inspections produced about 155 violations and that applicants filed 45 violation‑dismissal requests, of which 13 were granted. Comptroller’s staff told the…