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Elevate reports faster plan reviews, rising permit activity to Columbiana City Council
Summary
Elevate presented the Columbiana Building Department annual report, reporting rapid plan-review turnaround, increases in permits and construction investment and expanded inspection capacity.
Julie Needs, executive director of Elevate, told the Columbiana City Council on May 6 that the local building-permit program is processing plans far faster than before and that permit volume and construction investment have increased.
The report, presented during the council's reports of commissions and boards segment, showed 96 permits issued in 2024 through the Columbiana building department (82 commercial, 14 residential). Needs said plan-review turnaround has fallen from months to days: "Plan review times, I'm happy to report, are 6 business days." She told the council Elevate took over residential plan review locally in June 2023, and that submissions and tracking are now reported monthly to city hall and to the Ohio Board of Building Standards.
The presentation compared 2023 and 2024 commercial activity: 32 commercial permits issued in 2023 (six months of activity after the department opened in July 2023) versus 82 in 2024. Needs reported inspections and project-cost figures for the period and described the local impact: contractors and business owners are seeing quicker responses and the city is tracking increased private investment.
Needs gave year-to-date figures through April 30, 2025: 78 permits already issued (30 commercial, 48 residential), 21 residential inspections and 35 commercial inspections to date. She also said Elevate recently added an inspector certified for both residential and commercial work to keep inspection timeliness high.
Councilmembers and the mayor praised the improved turnaround and the program's contribution to economic development and code compliance. Mayor Noel and City Manager Lance Willard spoke in recognition of the program's role in attracting and enabling local construction activity.
The council received copies of the annual report, monthly submissions that go to the state, and organizational charts listing inspectors and contact procedures. Needs said the state administrative code requires a 30‑day maximum for plan approval or first comments; the local operation is routinely meeting far faster times.
Councilmembers asked no technical follow-ups during the presentation; several noted the program gives Columbiana an advantage over neighboring communities when developers compare permitting timelines. Needs offered to answer additional questions and to provide staff contact information for follow-up.
The council accepted the report as submitted and moved on to other agenda items.
