Permits Get the Fast Track

Portland’s Inspections Division unveils new permitting initiative to reduce time for common permits
Portland, Maine - Portland’s Planning & Urban Development Department today announced that, beginning in July, the City will implement changes designed to allow permits to be issued for many common types of construction more quickly. This change will be made possible by the implementation of a system called the “two-bin approach.” Under this system, common permit types will be put in a “fast track.” An applicant for these simpler permits will sign a statement affirming that their plans meet building code, fire code, and other applicable building requirements, and, in return, be reviewed within a matter of days.

The fast track option was a recommendation by the University of Southern Maine Muskie School’s review of the city’s Inspection Division’s operations and will apply to common permit requests for items like decks, steps and minor building renovations. This approach has been successfully utilized in other municipalities including Lowell, Massachusetts. Lowell was one of three communities the Muskie Institute study used as a
comparison to Portland and through this comparison, the study suggested several recommended changes to the permitting system based on best practices seen elsewhere.

Today’s announcement builds upon the success of other initiatives unveiled in February, including Predevelopment Office Hours, implementation of electronic plan review, and changes in permitting software. The Department has been tracking changes made within the division’s operations with the recommendations of the Muskie Institute report, as well as those of a more detailed internal audit conducted by Government Consulting Group, and has implemented many of the recommendations made by both groups.

“The computerization of our systems has allowed us, for the first time, to track permit times with reliability,” said Planning & Urban Development Director Jeff Levine. “The results show that there is still work that needs to be done. While the changes implemented to date have improved operations internally, they have not moved the needle in permit times to meet the public’s expectations in customer service.”

Those receiving a building permit through the fast track process will still have to have their work inspected by Code Enforcement Officers to ensure that the work completed meets code. “Instituting this change involves a move towards trusting applicants of smaller projects that they will build to code. We think that most builders can handle this responsibility, and should therefore be subject to minimized review on the front end of their projects,” said Levine.

Other changes are underway in the Inspections Division, include an on-line permit information system that will allow applicants to track their permits and request inspections. This on-line system could eventually result in an entirely electronic filing system, where a building permit application can be filed remotely.

“The city’s management consultant for Inspections recommended that the division become a ‘learning institution’ – and that is exactly what is happening,” said City Manager Mark Rees. “They are trying new things, keeping the ideas that work and moving away from things that don’t. It’s exciting, and most importantly, it should make it easier to do business with the City of Portland.”

The public can learn more by reading the results of the management studies completed on the operations of the Inspections division. The two studies, one by Government Consulting Group and the other by the Muskie School of Public Service, outline a list of recommendations to help improve the division’s operations and are available online, http://www.portlandmaine.gov/planning/buildinsp.asp.