Turlock approves enterprise permitting system to move more permits online

Turlock City Council approved purchase and implementation of an enterprise permitting and licensing system meant to consolidate permitting across departments into a single customer portal.

Staff described the purchase as a managed deployment that will migrate historic permit records, provide a public self‑service portal for permit applications, allow online plan and document uploads, enable real‑time tracking of permit status and include AI‑driven agents for pre‑plan checks and resident assistance. The proposal includes project management, configuration, training and an 18‑month implementation timeline. Staff also said the system will be hosted in the vendor’s cloud with standard cybersecurity controls and disaster recovery provisions.

"Residents, developers and businesses will be able to apply for permits and licenses online, upload their plans and documents, track their permit status in real time," staff said, summarizing the intended public benefits. Staff noted the software vendor will perform no‑cost data migration from the city’s ERP for permits, which reduces implementation overhead.

Council members asked about annual volumes (building permits, encroachment permits and other department permits) and whether the project follows recent workflow redesign work; staff replied the city processes hundreds of building permits per year plus thousands of other permit transactions across departments and confirmed process mapping preceded the procurement.

After public comment supporting modernization, council approved appropriation and a three‑year agreement via roll call (4–0). Staff will return with contract execution details and an implementation schedule.