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Waukesha IT board approves MainStar SaaS for permitting, code enforcement
Summary
The Waukesha City IT Board approved a MainStar SaaS contract to replace the city’s 2014 TrackIt permitting and code-enforcement system, citing improved customer portals, scheduling and integration; the board voted unanimously.
The Waukesha City IT Board voted unanimously to approve a contract with MainStar for a new cloud-based permitting, code‑enforcement and inspection system.
Chris, an IT staff member who led the procurement, said the city’s on‑premises system dates to 2014 and the incumbent vendor signaled an end to support for the on‑prem version, prompting an RFP. "The product had been sold at least 4 times since we've owned it," Chris said, describing repeated vendor turnover and support challenges. After demos and scoring, MainStar surfaced as the top choice.
Maria Pandasi, the deputy community development director, told the board the department handles about "at least 6,000 either permits, projects, or code cases" each year and emphasized the need for a cleaner, more customizable customer portal for contractors and homeowners. Mark Prabuki, the business solutions architect on the project, described technical features the board prioritized, including improved GIS import processes, hourly inspection scheduling and the option for near‑real‑time integrations via APIs or nightly file exchanges.
City staff said the project was approved in the 2025 capital improvement plan and will carry forward into 2026. The contract is presented as a multi‑year SaaS arrangement with licensing and migration costs up front; staff said annual costs will be comparable to a cloud version of the previous system and that contract language guarantees a 3% annual increase after the first two years. Chris said the city is not locked into a long-term commitment and noted the contract includes a 90‑day notice provision for termination.
Chair moved approval, Sean seconded, and the board conducted a roll call. Sean, Dan, Steve, Brandon and Bob all voted yes; the motion passed unanimously.
City staff said implementation work will continue with IT, community development and engineering teams to complete integrations and migration before the system is fully operational later in the year.
