Lewis County committee forwards proposed GovWell permitting contract; first‑year cost and recurring fees discussed

Jonathan Rose, director of Building and Fire Code, presented a request to authorize an expanded permitting agreement with GovWell and asked the committee to forward a draft resolution to the full board for action.

Rose said the county's initial move from paper permits to a cloud permitting system in October 2023 was a significant improvement, but that gaps remain. He described GovWell features the county is evaluating: 24‑hour AI assistance for applicants, an offline inspector app, and consolidated county‑level reporting that would reduce manual report runs across municipalities. Rose emphasized that data migration will require a moderate‑to‑high implementation effort and that training and change management will be needed.

Discussion in committee compared cost figures from the presentation and the draft resolution. Rose said the county currently pays roughly $44,000 for the CloudPermit service. The draft resolution considered by the committee specifies a GovWell agreement with a first‑year implementation cost of $56,500 and annual recurring costs of $38,000 thereafter, subject to up to a 5% annual increase after the initial term. The resolution also authorizes a budget transfer within the Fire and Building Codes Department to fund initial implementation costs and proposed moving remaining implementation costs to the 2027 capital budget. Committee members asked about support for residents without internet access; Rose said office assistance would remain available.

The committee moved the draft resolution to the full board for action.