Streamlining the Permitting Process Mary Gibbs

1. Horizon Council
November 22, 2013
Prepared by Department of Community Development

2. Regulatory streamlining is a high priority for
the Horizon Council.
“Time and Certainty”

3. OVERVIEW
• What we’ve done and where we’re going
– Customer Service
– Technology (we are really excited about this!)
– Zoning and Development Orders
– Comprehensive Plan
– Future Plans

4. CUSTOMER SERVICE
One Stop Shop is Essential
Customer
Convenience and
Efficiency

5. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Friendly “Superhero” Staff
No they don’t always dress like this!

6. STREAMLINING IDEAS
COME FROM MANY SOURCES
Customers
BCC and
County
Administration
Staff
Other
Committees
Business
Issues Task
Force

7. PERMITTING IS FAST!!
Building Permits

8. A FEW STATISTICS
Building Permits (annual)
36,442
Total building
permits
issued
63,709
Building
inspections
scheduled by
phone
Coming soon
online
35,841
Customers
helped at
counter

9. TECHNOLOGY = EFFICIENCY
• Electronic permitting –
used for building permit
applications for two years;
volume doubled in 1 year
(966 to 2,000+)
• Coming soon – eCheck
payment option (January)
• Now expanding to
development orders and
zoning actions

10. CUSTOMERS LOVE ELECTRONIC OPTIONS!
“I currently do most of my
GOAL:
“We love it!
GOAL:
permitting online“I currently do most of my
with most
Provide all customers
permitting online with
Everyone isis doing a the option customers
to handle I must say thatI must say
most counties. Lee
“We love it! Everyone
Provide all
counties.
transactions
doing a job, you have a
great job, you
that Lee County to me is
greata wonderful and
have
the easiest
the option to handle is theeasiest and most
County
electronically – to me
efficient. Responses are
helpful staff.”
wonderful and
very prompt and the
Go Green!
Go Green!
transactions efficient. Responses
and most
system is great.”
helpful staff.”
Save time and money!
electronically – prompt and the
“It’s the easiest submittal are very
“I love being able to do
system is great.”
process I’ve used, and I Green!
Go
“I love the e-plan permitting. I like
online
“It’s the easiest submittal makes
love it. It Save time and money!
submission; it has
process I’ve used, and I
“I love being able to do
how everything works.
love it. It makes
online permitting. I like
submitting and
submitting and
how everything works.
been“I a God-send, easyvery easy to work andIt's
It's very
to work and
resubmitting our
love the e-plan
resubmitting our submission; it has been easy
application packets so
learn. Thanks!!”
wonderful and a learn. Thanks!!”
simple.”
God-send, wonderful and
easy to use.”
application packets so to use.”
simple.”

11. ZONING & DEVELOPMENT ORDERS
• Some things we do already
– Dedicated phone lines for building and zoning
information
– “Free” informal meetings and custom meetings
– Team reviews with
project managers
– Assigned staff “person
of the day”
These are real
customers, not actors!

12. ZONING & DEVELOPMENT ORDERS
• What we’ve done recently with assistance
from the Business Issues Task Force
– Change code to allow more “administrative
reviews” which eliminates public hearings and
shortens process
– Shortened zoning “sufficiency” review times
– Mandatory meetings to iron out issues with
applicant

13. ZONING & DEVELOPMENT ORDERS
– Revised and reduced
all application
requirements = less
paperwork
– Combined
development order
categories

14. PROCESSES ARE BECOMING SHORTER

15. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
• First major review since 1984
– Assistance from:
• Horizon Council Business Issues Task Force
• Local Planning Agency
• Community Sustainability Advisory Committee
• 80+ meetings held throughout the county

16. SOME PROPOSED CHANGES
• Future vision for the County
– Higher densities in urban areas
– More focus on Economic Development
– Integrate transportation and land use
– Streamline concurrency and other
requirements
– Make redevelopment
easier

17. FUTURE PLANS
• What’s next
– ePlan electronic
review for zoning
and development
orders
– eCheck payment
option
– Continued focus
on shortening
processes

18. FUTURE PLANS
– Finalize the comprehensive plan (Spring 2014)
– Review of codes - “use groups” and “zoning
districts” for consolidation and streamlining
– Work with Hearing Examiner on time frames for
zoning and code enforcement
– Continue to work with Business Issues Task
Force

19. Thank you!
Business Issues Task
Force and Staff
To download the full
report, go to
www.leegov.com/dcd