Modernizing the City’s Permitting Process

Port Angeles' Commitment to Excellent Customer Service and Enhanced Transparency

There are many challenges to building, and the process of permitting and dealing with municipality staff can add complexity. Identifying that things needed to be improved, the City of Port Angeles has set out on an ambitious path to streamline, simplify, and speed up the process. Having worked (in an admittedly limited fashion) with local government I can attest that making changes is no small task.

In today’s article Deputy City Manager Calvin Goings discusses the challenges they faced and how they are taking proactive steps to make a difference. As with so many things, this is not a silver bullet, and it’s perhaps not a perfect system, but I applaud the City’s efforts to improve and make much needed changes. It takes time to turn the ship, but the City has navigated a course to sail toward better outcomes and processes.

- Danny Steiger

Modernizing the City’s Permitting Process:

Our Commitment to Excellent Customer Service and Enhanced Transparency

By Calvin W. Goings, Port Angeles Deputy City Manager

Permitting services are a critical function of local government. These services protect the safety of residents by ensuring projects comply with local building codes, state laws, and other service standards. Permits help to safeguard property values and prevent future complications when selling or financing a property. They also provide accountability, creating a record that future owners and inspectors can rely on to verify that a project was completed safely and legally.

At the City of Port Angeles, permitting services include zoning, plan reviews, permit processing and inspections, with multiple departments working to review and approve hundreds of permits each year. Unfortunately, the permitting system we rely on today has become outdated and cumbersome. Implemented over 20 years ago, it lacks the modern technologies needed to provide efficient service. This makes it difficult for applicants to navigate the process and for staff to deliver the level of service our community expects.

Recognizing the need for change, permitting staff at the City set an ambitious goal: to become the best permitting agency on the North Olympic Peninsula. To achieve this, we launched a comprehensive improvement effort guided by three pillars:

· Provide an excellent customer service experience

· Strengthen community partnerships and connections

· And support a thriving and inclusive Port Angeles

With these pillars in mind, we have begun a multi-phase effort to modernize our permitting system, with the goal of transforming processes to increase efficiency, enhance transparency, and ultimately provide applicants with a more user-friendly experience. Here’s how we’re making it happen.

Identifying Priorities for Change

In mid-2023, the City engaged with local stakeholders to better understand the challenges of our current permitting system. We met with builders and developers, non-profit organizations, realtors, and others in the community to gain a clearer picture of the inefficiencies and learn more about what our customers needed moving forward.

Through these conversations, we confirmed that the permitting system presents four main challenges:

· It lacks coordination across departments

· Reviews can be lengthy, with inconsistent timelines

· The system is outdated and excludes digital processes and reporting mechanisms

· Greater transparency is needed throughout

This feedback helped our team to develop priorities for improvement that directly address the needs of our community.

Establishing a Cross-Departmental Permit Review Team

Following stakeholder outreach, City staff formed cross-departmental team to improve coordination in the permit review process. Known as the Consolidated Application Review Policies and Procedures (CARPP) Team, this group worked to streamline workflows and routing processes, eliminate duplicative efforts, and establish a better way to monitor applications.

Through this effort, the CARPP team developed a system that helps staff to track the progress of all permit applications submitted to the City, making it easier to identify and resolve bottlenecks, and ensure applications move forward more efficiently. This work also laid the foundation for the implementation of new permitting software, which I’ll share more about shortly.

Implementation of Senate Bill 5290

In accordance with Senate Bill (SB) 5290, we made significant updates to the Port Angeles Municipal Code in 2024. SB 5290, passed in Washington state in 2023, requires municipalities to modify their procedures for land use and permitting applications. While this bill does not specifically address building or developmental permits, we took a proactive approach by incorporated these permit types into our amended procedures.

These code updates have established clear timeframes for permit reviews that increase predictability, allowed concurrent reviews to reduce wait times, and consolidated procedures into a more cohesive system to set clearer expectations for customers and staff.

Service Improvements at the City Permit Counter

To further reduce wait times for simple projects, the City launched an over-the-counter permitting program called “Super Tuesdays With Triston” in January 2025. This program allows eligible permit applications, such as HVAC system installation or roof replacement, to be processed and issued on the same day. We’re proud to share that, since the program’s launch, staff have issued nearly 80 over-the-counter permits to members of the community.

In early 2025, we also consolidated Community & Economic Development and Public Works & Utilities permitting teams into a single location. Now, applicants can access the services and support they need in-person at the first floor City Hall Permit Counter, making the process more convenient.

Digitalizing Our Permitting and Licensing System

One of the most significant improvements we are making through the Enterprise Permitting and Licensing (or EPL) Project, which will introduce a fully digital permitting and licensing software system to the community. This project will improve efficiency by automating tasks, reducing errors, and ensuring that applications are properly tracked from start to finish.

Using this new system, applicants will be able to submit applications online and monitor their status in real time. Additionally, the system will provide accountability reports to the City’s Leadership Team, the City Council, Applicants and Citizens, offering greater insights into overall performance.

Staff are currently working with our software provider to not only replace the existing system, but to rebuild existing services to provide a faster and more user-friendly experience. We expect to launch the new system later this year.

Developing Key Performance Indicators

To evaluate the success of these improvements, staff have collaborated with stakeholders to development ten Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that measure the quality and satisfaction of:

· Customer Service

· Transparency

· Permitting Timelines

· Streamline and Automation Efforts

KPIs will be incorporated as part of the EPL Project launch. Once implemented, these metrics will track performance, identify areas for further improvement, and ensure that we continue to meet customer service-related expectations in the future.

Looking Ahead

Ensuring meaningful, long-term improvements to our permitting process is a complex and ongoing effort. As we implement these changes, there will be some temporary service adjustments and delays, but the long-term benefits will be worth it.

We appreciate your patience as we work through these important improvements. Our team is excited for the future, and we look forward to launching a more efficient, customer-centric, and results-oriented permitting system that will serve our community for years to come.

About the Author:

Calvin W. Goings has 30 years of experience in administrative and executive leadership. He has served as Deputy City Manager for the City of Port Angeles since 2023, where he assists and collaborates with the City Manager, leading strategic initiatives and supporting the City’s daily operations.

Calvin also serves Port Angeles as Director of Community Services. Comprised of the Community & Economic Development and Information Technology departments, Community Services focuses on improving services and strengthening partnerships within the community.

Calvin can be reached via email at cgoings@cityofpa.us.

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