Permit Processes Assessment Presentation to Lynnwood City Council

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Permit Processes Assessment Presentation
toLynnwood City Council
Sorting
Communicating
Customer Service
October 31, 2005
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Assessment Project Highlights

• 122 specific findings
• Financial Management of Permit Revenues
• Stakeholder and Customer Satisfaction
• Permitting Processes
• Management Processes
• Legislative Processes
• Employee Satisfaction
• Leadership
• Findings suggest conclusions about
• Practices
• Performance

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Characteristics of Final Report

• Complex and detailed
• Repetitive
• Crosses over department boundaries
• Recommends cooperation
• No Priorities
• Included findings and conclusions but no
  solutions

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Permits Process Improvement Team

• Executive
• Community Development
• Public Works
• Economic Development
• Fire

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Theme of the Improvement Team Effort Sorting,
Communicating and Customer Service
Sorting Assigning of priority order to permit
process improvements on the basis of which will
have highest impact with achievable results
Communication Process by which information is
exchanged between staff and applicants
Sorting
Communicating
Customer Service
Customer Applicants seeking building and
electrical permits and business licenses
Service Contribution to the customers success
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Team Actions

• Analyzed assessment final report
• Consolidated 122 findings into 47
• Organized findings into groups and priorities
• Selected top three high impact findings for
  action
• One-stop and over-the-counter permitting
• Documents, forms and handouts
• Addressing
• Formed task groups to implement top three
  findings

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The following four slides are excerpts of the
Demarche report analysis process
Reference Demarche Final Report Section II,
Pages 15 - 27
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Organizing and Prioritizing Findings continued
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Sorting Priorities
Sorting Priorities
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Grouping Priorities
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Final Organization of Priorities (partial list)
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Current Status - One-Stop and Over-the-Counter

• One stop used with Permit Coordinator as city
  contact / application person
• When problems arise, meetings can be scheduled
  at applicants request
• All correction letters to applicants go through
  the Permit Coordinator
• Resubmittals are received in complete packages
  by the Permit Coordinator
• Two 1-1/2 hour slots for predevelopment meetings
  available each week
• OTC permit processing is well underway
• New check lists and handouts are being used for
  OTC processing
• Specific times for OTC permit issuance are now
  available
• OTC staffing will always be available on
  Tuesdays 9 to 11 a.m.
• OTC permits will be issued whenever staffing is
  available

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CUSTOMER NOTICE
On Tuesdays, beginning August 16, 2005 from 900
AM 1100 AM, the following permits may be
issued over the counter providing plans comply
with the checklists
FENCES Residential, Commercial, Industrial Home
Occupations SHEDS / ACCESSORY BUILDINGS Single
Family Residential Only 600 Square Feet or
Less MODIFICATION OF EXISTING TENANT
SPACES Non-Residential Only Like-for-Like as
determined by the City of Lynnwood
DECKS Repair or replace only Multi-Family
Residential only CARPORTS, ADDITIONS, INTERIOR
REMODELS Single Family Residential Only DECKS,
SPAS, SAUNAS, UNCOVERED POOLS Single-Family
Residential only WALLSIGN PLAN
REQUIREMENTS Non-Residential only
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Current Status - Documents, Forms

• Established standardized format for forms,
  handouts and check lists
• Revised all predevelopment handouts to new
  format
• Created handouts, checklists, bulletins and
  instructions for OTC permits
• New forms now available on Lynnwood web site
• Over next year plan is to update all permitting
  forms, handouts and check lists to new format

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Current Status - Addressing

• Accomplished
• Addresses and new roads current in GIS and
  Permits Plus
• Suite numbers current in Permits Plus
• New long and short plats be addressed after
  preliminary approval
• Started procedures book for addressing
• Set up share file in L Drive
• Matched where possible addresses and assessor
  numbers
• Drafted new standardized notifications for new
  and changed addresses and suites
• Started training of GIS and permitting staff on
  their input responsibilities

• Remaining
• Complete address procedures book
• Draft a new address ordinance for mayor and
  council review
• Scan address letters into Application Xtender
• Enter number ranges in GIS for search mode
• Finish clean up of unmatched data
• Expand capability for verifying notification
  ranges for planning processes
• Complete training/cross training of Community
  Development, Public Works and Information Services

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Current Status Business Licenses

• Streamlined process allowing for on-line
  Departmental approval
• Eliminated manual routing system
• User Friendly desktop access to all business
  license information
• Business License Applications are scanned in
  system for users reference
• Business License issued more expeditiously
• Turn around time is now 7 to 10 days instead of
  30 days
• Maintains a history of account activity
• Allows for exporting of data to create reports

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Results and Benefits
Report Building and Electrical Permit Process
Time 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001
2000 Number of Permits 1,557 2,315 1,936
1,805 1,621 1,762 Avg Days Apply to
Approve 9.65 11.30 11.63 12.29 14.31
17.22 Avg Days Apply to Issue 13.10 16.19
17.97 17.37 20.95 25.08
2005 numbers as of 10/4/05
Why the significant improvement in processing
time from 2000 to 2005? 1. More over-the-counter
permits being issued 2. Meetings with design
professionals as needed 3. Diligent staff work
(effort, training, organizing, cross-training) No
te Time for both approval and issue is
influenced by staff and applicant. A minimal
amount of time would result when an applicant
submits a complete and accurate application and
staff is able to process the application without
applicant involvement until the permit is issued.
Applicants are notified when their permits are
approved and ready to issue. Once an application
is approved, any further time elapsing is
dependent upon when the applicant picks up the
permit.
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Results and Benefits
Public Works Permit Processing Time Average
turnaround time for first review

• 47 days
• 46 days
• 26 days

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Your questions, comments - please