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City plans to move from Accela to iWORKS for permit tracking; staff to return May 22 with contract
Summary
Community Development staff told the council they plan to replace the city’s aging Accela permit-tracking system with iWORKS, citing lower quoted three‑year costs, unlimited users and cloud-based functionality; staff issued a 60‑day termination to Accela and will present a contract for council consideration on May 22.
Lake Forest Park Community Development staff told the City Council on May 8 they intend to replace the city’s aging Accela permit-tracking system with a cloud-based product, iWORKS, and will return at the May 22 meeting with a proposed contract and resolution.
Director Mark Hoffman said the city’s existing Accela build is old and underutilized, and that Accela representatives required a two‑year quote to modernize the system. Hoffman said staff pursued other vendors and narrowed choices to Accela and iWORKS; after demonstrations and cost review staff concluded iWORKS better fit the city’s current permit mix and reported a lower three‑year cost.
Hoffman said the Accela two‑year quote would have annual costs of about $29,928 and $31,424, and the city pays an additional Avicep support contract of roughly $6,000 per year. By contrast, Hoffman said a three‑year iWORKS quote would be about $19,000 in year one and $18,500 annually thereafter (with a maximum 5% escalator). He stated that the combined two‑year Accela/Avicsp costs approach $80,000 while the iWORKS three‑year cost is about $67,000, producing a projected savings.
Hoffman said staff sent a 60‑day termination notice to Accela on April 29 to begin the transition and that Accela’s contract expires June 28. He described a two‑phase migration plan: initial setup and data migration, then a learning and cutover period of one to two months. Hoffman said iWORKS offers unlimited users, cloud storage and integrations with parcel data, Bluebeam and other tools the city uses.
Council members asked about cybersecurity and backup protections in a cloud system, and Director Hoffman agreed to provide further security details before the May 22 decision. No contract was approved at the May 8 meeting; staff will bring the contract, a resolution and supporting materials back for council action on May 22.
Why this matters: The permit-tracking system affects how residents and businesses apply for and track permits, how staff routes reviews, and whether the city can pay contractors and manage grant or inspection records efficiently.
