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Contractor says Mission Viejo ADU permitting took five months; council asks staff to follow up
Summary
A local contractor described a five-month ADU permit delay and missing online inspection records since the city adopted a paperless permitting system; council members asked staff to review the process and follow up with the contractor.
Mark Hamilton, a licensed general contractor and Mission Viejo resident, told the council that changes to the city's permit processing have created delays and operational problems for local contractors. Hamilton said an ADU permit he submitted in November 2023 did not issue until April 2024 and that the switch to a paperless system has eliminated job cards and, in one case, led to an inspector not uploading inspection notes to the online portal.
"That permit process took approximately 5 months," Hamilton said, describing lost time when a subsequent inspector found no record of the earlier inspection in the portal. He asked the city to meet with him to discuss process improvements and said the current system is "negatively impacting my business."
Council members responded that staff have already begun outreach. Councilmember Goodell said she spent 45 minutes with Hamilton and connected him with the city manager and director of Community Planning and Development, who followed up within the hour. Mayor and colleagues asked staff to bring the issue back and to make the permitting workflow more efficient for residents, contractors and businesses.
The council did not take formal action that night beyond requesting staff follow-up and inviting Hamilton to a subsequent meeting to discuss fixes.
