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Building department readies online permitting with OpenGov; raises helped retain inspectors
Summary
Springfield’s building and housing code leaders said the city will launch OpenGov for online permits and payments; department officials credited recent clerical and inspector pay increases with improved retention and said permitting revenue and enforcement activity have remained strong.
Steve Dessler, code enforcement and building commissioner, told the council on May 21 that the department will implement a new online permitting system (OpenGov) that officials expect will allow 70–80% of basic permits to be applied for and paid online.
Dessler said the City expects the new system to streamline permitting and reduce foot traffic for standard inspections and permits. He described steady permitting revenue — the department reported permitting revenues in the multimillion-dollar range and anticipated continued permit-related income from major projects, including large commercial development — and said proactive enforcement (including Saturday neighborhood sweeps) contributes additional revenue through tickets and fines.
Dessler and councilors discussed staffing: the department had lost clerks and inspectors in prior years, prompting a targeted pay increase for clerks that Dessler said improved retention; he reported no clerk departures since the raise and said the department still has a small number of vacancies. He described ongoing training needs for inspectors tied to code updates and continuing-education requirements.
Dessler said the building department and housing division continue to prioritize public-safety inspections and noted permit fees will be reviewed after OpenGov is in place; he told councilors the department plans to propose an updated fee schedule once online permitting is fully implemented.
No formal votes were taken; councilors supported implementation and asked for future fee and staffing updates to accompany OpenGov rollout.
