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DBI advances permit tracking system; project team says interdepartmental integration will follow
Summary
DBI and vendor representatives reported completion of the Permit Tracking System (PTS) initiation phase, including an Oct. 26 kickoff and portal demo; DBI said Planning is a priority partner now and other departments (DPW, PUC, DPH) will be integrated in later phases.
DBI presented a progress report on the Permit Tracking System at the Nov. 16 Building Inspection Commission meeting, describing a completed initiation phase and demonstrations of a citizen portal and mobile office.
Penny Venable, DBI's PTS project director, said the department finalized an MOU with Planning, completed kickoff activities on Oct. 26, staged the system environment and began initial product training. Vendor representatives (identified in meeting materials as Exela/Accela 21Tech) participated in demonstrations and are conducting intensive onsite sessions to customize workflows and reporting.
Why it matters: DBI and commissioners said a modernized permit-tracking system and online portal could reduce customer wait times and improve cross-department data sharing, but stakeholders pressed DBI to incorporate DPW, Public Utilities Commission and Department of Public Health data so the system reflects interdepartmental workflows tied to blight, inspections and permitting.
Commissioners and staff discussed rollout sequencing. Venable said the immediate focus is completing DBI and Planning integration; other agencies will be included in subsequent phases once the core product meets DBI needs. Commissioners asked that the project regularly report at PAC meetings so stakeholders who fund or rely on the system can monitor progress.
The project team also said the department is planning parallel work on digitizing records and implementing an electronic plan-review system; staff estimated digitizing microfilm/microfiche could take about five years if executed via RFP with external vendors and noted quality-control and security concerns to be addressed in procurement language.
No formal action was taken; commissioners requested a follow-up agenda item on digitization timelines and a proposal that could be considered in next year's budget process.
