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City to launch online permitting and inspections system, officials say
Summary
Staff announced a new permit-and-inspection contract is ready to go active to allow online permit applications, plan uploads, and automated plan comparisons to cut manual review time; staff said in-person service will continue and card-fee arrangements are under negotiation.
City staff told council a new contract for the permit and inspection section is ready to be activated and that the system will allow residents and contractors to apply for building permits, upload plans and pay fees online. The system includes an automated comparison tool intended to detect changes between original and resubmitted plans, reducing the current manual review of lengthy submissions.
Officials said the online service aims to save staff hours and improve efficiency; they also emphasized the change would not eliminate in-person service or result in layoffs. A council member asked whether credit-card processing fees would be borne by customers; staff said they are negotiating fee percentages because the city has been absorbing some processing costs elsewhere.
Why it matters: moving permitting online can speed review cycles and reduce staff workload, but implementation decisions about fees and in-person service affect residents and small contractors.
Next steps: Staff will finalize contract details, continue negotiations on payment processing arrangements and coordinate cross-departmental integration with finance and HR systems.
