Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Air Permits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Evansville staff says air-permit program behind schedule; 170 permits need review, electronic invoices coming
Summary
City staff told the board the municipal air-permit program has a backlog of about 170 permits after a multi-year vacancy in the office; invoices and permit renewals will move into the city's electronic system and staff expect to issue fees before year-end.
Lauren Norvell and Sarah Pritchett reported Aug. 19 that the city’s air-quality permitting office is understaffed and handling a large backlog of permits and invoices.
Norvell said the environmental position was vacant from 2017 to 2023 and that coverage during that period was handled intermittently by the building commission. As a result, “I inherited all of that, all those expired permits and all of that backlog,” Norvell said. She said the office must reissue or renovate about 170 permits and is transitioning annual invoicing into the city’s electronic billing system.
“We are really behind, and short staffed,” Norvell said. “We are going to not only is it an annual thing, but we have to kind of overhaul this year where instead of issuing paper invoices, they have to go through our city system. So that's part of the delay.”
Norvell told the board staff aim to get invoices issued “well before the end of the year.” She said the city controller’s office will ultimately issue invoices and the program is evaluating whether invoices will be sent electronically.
Board members asked about student internships and coverage; Norvell said an intern, Lucy Swinson, worked over the summer and will extend into the fall but the office is not planning another intern this semester because of timing. She also said the office moved to a new location in the Civic Center (Room 100), which is badge-access only; public visitors should go to Room 104 to meet staff at scheduled times.
Why it matters: A backlog of municipal permits and delayed invoicing can affect regulated businesses and the city's ability to monitor air emissions. Staff said they are prioritizing data entry and permit renovations to return the program to a maintainable level.
Next steps: Staff will continue permit renovations, coordinate with the controller on invoicing format, and use the current intern to support the heat-pump and outreach work planned this fall.
