Winnebago County highway department to move permitting online with RTvision

The Winnebago County highway department told committee members it will move permitting online using RTvision software to streamline permit submission, payment and processing.

Agency staff said the software will allow customers to submit permit applications and payments electronically and will permit staff to approve some requests after hours. The highway official described a one-time setup cost and a modest monthly licensing fee for the service; staff did not provide a final contract price in the meeting. Committee members asked about card-processing fees and workflows; staff reported a processing-fee figure of “about 30%” in spoken remarks and said the department expects the permit applicant or consumer to pay processing fees as part of online payment handling.

The department emphasized safeguards for higher-risk permits. Staff said the system can help verify required insurance for oversized loads and allow staff to block future permits for contractors who fail to complete required restoration following work. Committee members asked whether routine permits could be auto-approved using preset rules; staff said that may be possible for clearly defined cases but noted that certain permit types (for example, oversized loads or work requiring insurance verification) will still require manual checks.

Why it matters: Moving permits online is intended to improve turnaround time for applicants, allow approvals outside normal office hours for emergency or time-sensitive movements, and reduce the manual workload on permitting staff.

Next steps: The bridge and engineering technician will continue implementation work with RTvision and report details of licensing and transaction-fee arrangements once finalized.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are identified by role (as recorded in the transcript): Agency official and Committee member.