Consultants outline multi‑year plan to speed Largo permitting, recommend new coordinator and in‑house reviewers

Consultants from Plante Moran presented recommendations to the Largo City Commission on Jan. 13, 2026, proposing a multi‑year plan to streamline the city’s permitting and development‑review services.

The report, described by consultant Chris Blough as “self‑initiated” by the city, said the team used a design‑thinking approach and engaged nearly 60 staff and 15–20 external customers to map touchpoints across planning, building, engineering, fire and IT. The consultants recommended four focus areas: process improvements for development review, targeted staffing changes, clear service‑level metrics and technology updates.

Why it matters: Permit delays and inconsistent guidance have been frequent complaints from residents, contractors and commissioners. The consultant plan seeks to reduce repetitive handoffs, make common permit types easier to apply for online, and give applicants clearer status information.

Key recommendations and details include: - Digital self‑service: simplify the online portal, add decision‑engine logic, create how‑to videos and define service‑level expectations so applicants can anticipate timelines and reduce “where’s my permit?” calls. Consultant materials and staff said a forthcoming portal update and videos are planned. - New roles: the team recommended creating a building division operations manager and a development‑services systems coordinator to oversee the Tyler EPL (enterprise permitting and licensing) platform and coordinate the end‑to‑end process across departments. - Staffing and in‑house work: planners recommended hiring permanent residential plans examiners and inspectors to reduce recurring contract plan‑review and inspection costs when the need is persistent, rather than defaulting to outside contractors for high‑volume work. - Standard operating procedures and call routing: the consultants urged formal SOPs so different staff give consistent answers and recommended shifting routine calls to lower‑level staff while routing complex matters to experienced reviewers.

The city’s building official, Robert Hatton, said the review validated much of the work his team was already doing but identified “lots of places to improve,” and described immediate process work that already allows customers to view permit status online and receive automated notifications for certain milestones.

No formal vote was taken. Staff and consultants told the commission they intended to bring periodic implementation updates—about every three to four months—to track progress and align changes with the budget process.

Quote: Chris Blough (Plante Moran) said, “This project was self‑initiated” to emphasize the city requested the evaluation; Robert Hatton, Largo’s building official, told commissioners the aim is to make “the easy things pretty quick” and to reduce reliance on outside contractors.

Next steps: staff will evaluate recommended positions against the building fund and the budget cycle, pursue phased portal and SOP improvements, and report back to the commission as implementation proceeds.