The New Castle County Department of Land Use has launched a pilot program as it expands the online permit application process.
The New Castle County Department of Land Use has launched a pilot program as it expands the online permit application process.
A release from the office of County Executive Thomas Gordon said the move is being made in order to improve efficiency and foster a more business friendly environment. This comes as the number of permits increased from 11,600 in the recession year of 2009 to more than 15,000 last year.
“People should not have to come in and wait for an hour or more to get a simple permit application processed,” Gordon said. “This is going to streamline the process for both our customers and the county.”
Chief Administrative Officer David A. Grimaldi and Executive Assistant William Shahan met with local contractors who want to see a more efficient application process. After that conversation, Shahan said he then met with Land Use Administrator Joseph Day III.
“I approached Joe and he was already in midstream of doing everything,” Shahan said. “He just opened the doors a little bit wider to bring in more types of permits.”
Since 2009, 40 percent of the 17,862 heating, air conditioning and ventilation permits had been issued by the county Land Use Department online, and 29 percent of the 6,637 plumbing permits had been issued online, Day said.
Day said the opportunity to apply online should be expanded beyond plumbing, heating and air conditioning work in order to minimize the need to come to the office.
“If the customer can electronically send us his submission, we can review it, process it, approve and send it back,” he said. “It saves them time and money. It saves us time and money.”
One of the hidden benefits of moving toward digital records is the gradual elimination of long term storage costs for files kept in perpetuity, Day said. In addition, Land Use staff is spending 50 to 70 hours per week to scan back permits on file to improve response times to Freedom of Information Act requests by making files more easily accessible. For instance, a parcel number can be typed in to find permits related to that property, he added.
In addition, the Land Use Department has added QR codes on permit file boxes to make inventory tracking much easier.
Shahan and Day said no major expenditures were required for the pilot program to expand online permits.
Five contractors have agreed to participate in the county pilot said, Day said. Companies include contractors from the in-ground pool, sign, general contractor and deck building categories.
