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Clayton to stop accepting paper development applications July 1; online system launch delayed to fall
Summary
Deputy Town Manager Courtney Tanner said the town will stop accepting paper development applications on July 1 and implement a kiosk-scanner interim process; the planned July launch of the online portal has been delayed to fall with full implementation expected by summer 2026.
Deputy Town Manager Courtney Tanner told council on May 20 that the town will stop accepting paper development applications beginning July 1 and will implement an interim kiosk-and-scanning process to assist applicants during the transition to an online permitting portal.
Tanner said the town is working with communications and IT to provide a kiosk for walk-in applicants so staff can scan paper forms into the new system; the interim scanning workflow is expected to remain in place for roughly a year while the town phases in the new digital permitting platform.
Tanner also reported the initial go-live for the online system will move from July to the fall of 2025 after testing identified additional tweaks. She said the town expects to complete the full multi-phase implementation by summer 2026, noting the revised timeline will delay some items, such as site-plan final plats, but should create operational efficiencies overall.
Why it matters
The change affects applicants who file planning, permitting or engineering documents with the town. Tanner said staff will not turn away applicants when the paper acceptance ends; instead, the kiosk-and-scan interim will let staff capture paper submissions for processing. Tanner described the delay as a quality-control choice: as testing revealed issues, staff adjusted the timeline to ensure a better public experience when the portal goes live.
Next steps
Tanner said communications materials and kiosk logistics are being finalized and staff will provide updates to stakeholders as the fall launch approaches and as the phased rollout continues into summer 2026.
