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Council authorizes upgrade to permit and code‑enforcement software after review of costs, timeline
Summary
Council approved a purchase order to replace the city’s aging permitting and code‑enforcement systems with a cloud platform; staff said the change will improve GIS integration, inspections workflow and public transparency and estimated a biennium cost within currently budgeted funds.
The Mill Creek City Council on April 22 authorized the city manager to issue a purchase order for a unified permitting and code‑enforcement platform, after staff said the city’s current systems are outdated and unsupported.
Jeff Ryan, Director of Planning and Community Development, told council the city currently relies on multiple, disconnected systems (TrackIt, MyBuildingPermit and a project management tool) that create bottlenecks in development review and limited ability to track code‑enforcement cases at the parcel level. Ryan said the software currently in use is no longer supported and “if something breaks, we literally cannot unbreak it.”
Ryan recommended moving to a cloud platform (OpenGov was discussed at length during the presentation) that would provide GIS integration, mobile inspection capability and a centralized, map‑based code‑enforcement case manager. He said the platform would allow staff to consolidate multiple customer interfaces, provide parcel‑level public access to permit activity and build workflows for inspections and special events permitting.
Cost, budget and timeline - Staff reported existing annual costs of roughly $36,000 for the mix of current software subscriptions. Ryan said the new system’s annual cost (after implementation) was estimated at about $40,000 per year with an installation cost (license, data migration, training and GIS integration) in the first year. He presented a biennial cost estimate of roughly $113,000 against a $141,000 biennium allocation the city had already set aside for permitting‑related software upgrades, producing a near‑term biennium savings estimate of about $27,000. - Council members asked about whether the city should wait for a pending fee study; Ryan responded that the current software is unsupported and poses operational risk and that delaying implementation would create staffing constraints at a later date. Staff noted the city could offset recurring costs through fee changes, more efficient enforcement (which can increase permitting revenue) and by using the existing technology fee that goes into the general fund. - Ryan estimated an implementation and “go‑live” timeline of roughly eight months with a target go‑live in Q1 2026, and said other departments (for example, Public Works and MarCom) could be integrated onto the platform during implementation.
Council action and vote Councilmember (motion not specified) moved to adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager to issue a purchase order to the vendor listed in the packet for an amount not to exceed $155,792.34; the motion passed 6‑0.
What to watch for: staff said they will sunset existing contracts (TrackIt, MyBuildingPermit and other subscriptions) as the new platform activates, and that the city’s fee study and an updated technology fee could be used to offset ongoing subscription costs. Staff also noted the platform will help the city comply with inspection‑reporting requirements under recent state legislation (Senate Bill 5290 was specifically cited).
