Miami Beach commission directs administration to add mid‑review outreach, aims to halve long permitting reviews

Miami Beach commissioners on Tuesday pressed city staff to reduce delays in the permitting process and directed the administration to implement mid‑review outreach that could prevent applications from being kicked back into a new queue.

City Manager Eric introduced a presentation by Maria Hernandez, who told the commission the city issued about 12,200 permits in fiscal year 2025 and handles roughly 2,300 submittals a month. Hernandez said 68% of reviews are completed in two cycles or less and 84% when three cycles are included, but roughly 1,900 permits remain in a four‑plus review category that she called “unacceptable.” She said staff has cut roughly 40% of permit types through consolidation, launched walk‑throughs and over‑the‑counter permits, and is testing tools such as the Decision Engine/City Services Concierge and AI to reduce…