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Costa Mesa staff touts faster permitting after TESSA launch; users report unfinished permits and delays
Summary
City staff said the new TESSA permitting system has reduced some review times and improved transparency. Contractors and residents told the commission of hundreds of permits still marked open and long waits for closure.
City staff told the Costa Mesa Planning Commission on Jan. 27 that the city's new permitting platform, TESSA, has accelerated some workflows since its Aug. 21, 2023 launch, but multiple public commenters and applicants reported persistent operational problems.
Economic development administrator Dan Inlowes presented the update, calling TESSA "our totally electronic self-service application" and saying it now serves roughly "over 14,000 customers," supports more than 70 application types and has seen a 30% improvement in building permit review times since launch.
Why it matters: The permitting platform affects projects across the city — from small residential repairs to larger development — and processing speed or system failures can materially affect construction schedules, insurance and project costs.
What staff said
Dan Inlowes summarized the program history and metrics: the system…
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