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Bedford council OKs $42,851 to implement CloudPermit electronic permitting system
Summary
The council voted unanimously to allocate Invest New Hampshire grant funds to buy CloudPermit software, plus Bluebeam plan-review licenses and Munis data migration support; first-year cost $42,851, with subscription fees expected thereafter.
The Bedford Town Council voted unanimously April 20 to allocate $42,851 from an Invest New Hampshire grant and authorize the town manager to finalize a contract with CloudPermit for an enterprise electronic permitting system covering planning, building, fire and public works.
The move is intended to replace the town’s largely paper-driven permitting workflow and to give inspectors a mobile application tied to the town’s map-and-lot system and GIS. Planning Director Becky Hiebert told the council the town issued an RFP in November 2024, received nine proposals and shortlisted SmartGov, GeoCivics and CloudPermit before recommending CloudPermit as the best fit for Bedford’s needs and budget.
Hiebert said the first-year package includes CloudPermit, Bluebeam for electronic plan review (estimated at about $330 per user per year) and support to migrate historical permit records from the town’s Munis system; she estimated 500–750 files will require transfer. Hiebert said the CloudPermit implementation will be phased by department over roughly nine months and that the company offers customer-facing training videos and on‑going responsiveness for system tweaks.
Core implementation costs for year one were listed at $42,851; Hiebert said subscription fees fall in later years and that CloudPermit estimates a roughly 3% annual uplift. The council was told approximately $206,000 remains in the Invest New Hampshire account applied for by the planning department in August 2024, enough to cover the first-year implementation cost.
Councilor Michael Strand moved the contract authorization; Councilor Kathleen Bemis seconded. The roll call recorded Councilor Bill Carter, Councilor Strand, Councilor Bemis, Councilor Levesque, Councilor Soule and the acting chair voting aye. The motion passed.
Hiebert told the council the town anticipates phasing out most paper mylars over time and retaining a single paper record only where recording requirements (for example, subdivision filings) demand it. She recommended a shorter contract term (three years) with a non‑appropriation clause so the town can stop payments if future budgets do not appropriate funds.
The council directed the town manager to finalize the contract with CloudPermit and proceed with implementation.
