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Chamber urges implementation after audit finds delays and inconsistent code interpretations in development review
Summary
The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce welcomed a public audit of development review and permitting by American StructurePoint, saying it confirms local business frustrations—excessive review time, poor departmental coordination and inconsistent code interpretation—and urged the city to implement the recommendations.
Chris Imge of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce summarized a public audit of the city's development review and permitting services by American StructurePoint and urged the council and city staff to act on the findings.
"The audit confirms those experiences are real," Imge said, listing problems raised by the chamber's members: excessive review time, poor coordination among departments, conflicting comments and inconsistent interpretations of the code. He also said the audit surfaced a cultural issue: applicants described reviewers as "gatekeepers" rather than collaborators. "Implementation will be the real measure of success," Imge said, adding that staffing alone is not the full solution; the chamber wants improved coordination, accountability and project ownership.
Imge urged council to support planning department leadership and to use the audit as a framework for change, noting the burden of excessive review time is especially visible on adaptive reuse projects where relatively modest improvements can trigger expensive cascades of engineering and accessibility requirements. He welcomed the city's public release of the report and called for action to translate audit recommendations into operational reforms.
