City staff report significant issues in Accela permit‑tracking end‑to‑end testing

City IT and DBI staff told the Building Inspection Commission on July 17 that the Accela permit‑tracking implementation is encountering significant defects during an end‑to‑end test cycle.

Deputy City Attorney Rob Capla cautioned the commission that, on advice of counsel, the discussion should be limited to factual status and avoid comment on any ongoing or potential contract issues. Henry Bartley, project manager with the Department of Technology, said the team began end‑to‑end testing a week earlier and, as of the morning update, had logged 122 open severity‑1 and severity‑2 items in the project tracker. Bartley said one severity‑1 (critical) issue and roughly 91 severity‑2 (major) issues were identified in the current test round; since the May 15 update, about 170 severity‑1/2 items have been completed and closed.

Bartley said the number and nature of issues at this stage “is concerning” and the project team has asked Accela to present a remediation plan by the end of the current test cycle, roughly one week after the update. He said the focus of end‑to‑end testing is exercising cross‑departmental handoffs (permit intake, plan review, issuance and inspections) and ensuring those processes operate correctly in live‑production‑like conditions.

Commissioners pressed for clarification about severity distinctions; Bartley explained severity‑1 indicates a critical failure that blocks production use, while severity‑2 indicates major problems that still impede processes. The commission expects a follow‑up report after executive‑level discussions and the vendor action plan.

No formal contract action was taken at the meeting; the city attorney flagged that contract and litigation advice will be handled outside the public status update.