The why?
In an effort to streamline the permit review process and increase transparency, staff members from the Travis County Department of Development Services have revamped the county’s website and examined the department's existing systems and performance.
The last time fees were increased was nearly a decade ago, in 2016, according to staff. Both small- and large-scale projects are subject to these fees, ranging from home renovations to subdivisions.
About the program
Improvements included a new section of the website that allows users to customize permitting information to only the items relevant to their project. The new website feature guides visitors to a custom checklist of criteria to follow before submitting plans for review.
This helps review staff reduce time reaching out for additional or missing documents.
The development services department has also worked to create a dashboard, visible to the public, that details status and queues being reviewed by staff. Some of the information will include how long an application takes to be assigned to a staff reviewer and how long the total application and review process takes to be fully complete.
Anna Bowlin, the Travis County division director of development services, said this has already helped to increase the amount of applicant reviews completed each week, as reviewer work loads can be moderated and shifted.
Though the dashboard is being tested internally, full access to the public is anticipated within another six months.
Put in perspective
Recent years’ economic climate has made it difficult for the department to hire engineers, a challenge that government agencies across Central Texas are also experiencing, Bowlin told commissioners.
Even with the county’s mid-year funding approval for new full-time employees, the department cannot compete with private sector salaries, County Executive Cynthia McDonald said, adding that oftentimes the department has to outsource for these services—which is costly.
Department staff identified 32 instances where significant routine work was being performed without any associated fees, which included an expedited third-party fee. The overall increase in fees will help to recover an estimated 85% of these costs for the department.
The department will also start evaluating fees annually during the budget process to ensure they remain appropriate.
“I know that it has been a difficult and rocky road, but I think that what has been produced will ultimately not only benefit internal staff but will benefit our constituents as well,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Travillion said. “... It's good to have a database or a foundation of information that clearly tells [people] what they can expect and clearly tells them how they can access the information.”
