Rogers approves cloud permitting platform and DigiPlan review tools to modernize permitting

A staff presenter told the council the city will replace its outdated permitting system with a cloud-based IMS permitting platform integrated with DigiPlan for digital plan review, saying the goal is to “modernize permitting and plan review processes, replace outdated technology and improve efficiency, transparency and service delivery.”

Staff described key benefits: online applications and payments, automated workflows, advanced reporting dashboards, collaborative markup and version control for plan review, a full audit trail to track who touched records and when, and on-demand support. The presenter said IMS is already used by the state of Minnesota and that IMS offered roughly a $30,000 implementation discount while DigiPlan waived its implementation fee.

Council discussed technical limitations for AutoCAD-level detail in public-improvement projects and the need to retain specialized tools (for example Bluebeam) for detailed engineering files. The city attorney reviewed the contracts, requested a small set of revisions to align agreements, and the council approved purchase and contracting subject to those attorney revisions. Staff set a tentative public launch for late Q3 2026 and described training and in-person implementation support included in the agreement.

Why it matters: The change aims to reduce manual steps, speed permit reviews and provide clearer status visibility for applicants and staff, which should reduce processing delays and duplicated review work across departments.

What’s next: Implementation, configuration, staff training and a public launch; staff will bring updates and manage integrations with finance systems and future ERP work.