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New Permitting and Development bureau outlines customer supports and inspectors' consistency work
Summary
City staff described the new Portland Permitting and Development bureau, customer assistance programs and ongoing efforts to address inspection inconsistency and review timelines.
Portland Permitting and Development (PPD), created in July 2024, presented its mission and customer service programs to City Council on Jan. 30 and answered councilors’ questions about inspection consistency and permit timelines.
Interim Director David Koonhausen said PPD combines permitting functions from multiple bureaus—transportation, environmental services, water, urban forestry and the former Bureau of Development Services—into a single bureau with about 350 full‑time equivalents across 10 divisions. Koonhausen said the bureau administers reviews of land use, building and public‑works permits and aims to make services more seamless by assigning single points of contact for complex projects and offering early assistance meetings, paid technical reviews, free 15‑minute appointments and milestone meetings.
Councilor Dan Ryan and others raised long‑standing complaints that inspection results are inconsistent between inspectors and that an initial inspector’s list of required corrections can be contradicted by a subsequent inspector. Koonhausen said inspections are staffed by district teams and that inspectors provide documented reports citing code sections; a different inspector should reference the prior inspector’s details rather than add new requirements. He acknowledged staffing variability due to vacations and turnover and said the bureau is documenting inspection findings and working to improve consistency.
Koonhausen and Deputy City Administrator Donnie Olivera said permit timelines depend on the applicant’s responsiveness to review checklists and the scope of the project; first review timelines range from about seven to 20 business days for many project types, while major projects have negotiated timelines. Olivera and Koonhausen said PPD is running a permit improvement program that includes business systems analysis and automation to reduce manual steps and improve customer access to information.
Councilors pressed for clearer timelines and for more customer navigation assistance so homeowners and small business owners do not need to hire permit professionals to interpret requirements. PPD said it is expanding early‑engagement tools, conditional surveys for single‑family projects and public‑facing web updates as part of a broader effort to reduce surprises and smooth the permitting lifecycle.
