LYNNWOOD — More business and community events, less hoops and hurdles.
Lynnwood officials hope the $100,000 they are spending to renovate the city permitting and licensing process will save time and money in the long run.
This is good news for Patrick Crosby, president of Tri-Star Homes, who does a lot of work in Lynnwood.
Crosby said that while he thinks Lynnwood is always “fair and consistent” and “friendlier to deal with than most other cities/counties,” when it comes to getting permits and more, he said he would appreciate more efficient service.
“The amount of time it takes for me to get a permit reflects on the price of a home and to the consumer,” Crosby said. “The longer it takes to develop and build homes, the more it costs for the contractors and ultimately to the consumer.”
The City Council approved the money to be paid to Demarche Consulting Group of Seattle to take a fast but comprehensive look at permitting and licensing process across the whole city and suggest how to revamp it.
The permitting and licensing process is a challenge everywhere, said Steve Nolan, Lynnwood’s city administrator and project sponsor. But in Lynnwood, Nolan said, they want to be able to streamline the process, making it easier for all users while at the same time following the necessary rules and regulations the city needs to abide by.
“The permits are there for good reason, we need to continue to be sure we’re protecting the environment and following all the rules for permits and events for the public’s safety,” he said. “We won’t please everyone all the time but we want to make sure we’re doing things as well as we can be.”
Lynnwood Mayor Mike McKinnon said this is something the administration and City Council have wanted to do for a while.
“We’re real excited to produce a benefit for all of our residents and businesses,” McKinnon said. “It will make the permitting or licensing process short and friendly for individuals with small projects and for developers with larger projects.”
Time is of the essence.
The consultants are at City Hall and have started the work, Nolan said.
Nolan said one of the things the administration did to encourage the consultants to get the job done in an efficient manner is if they don’t get the job done in a certain amount of time it will cost them money.
“There’s accountability in this contract and the mayor and council both stand behind this,” Nolan said.
Council member Don Gough, the council’s finance committee chair, said the overhaul started because the City Council, years ago, decided to audit each city department to make them more efficient.
The first was the fire department and the second and current department being audited is the Community Development Department.
“I believe that regular and independent, qualified management audits of each city department, and in some cases major city services, are essential to ensuring for our citizens and businesses that our city is efficiently staffed, properly structured and is operating with the best practices available,”Gough said.
Nolan said he knows there will be some apprehension for employees.
“People will worry if there will be negative light shed on them or if there will be changes in the way they do things,” Nolan said. “But there is also a strong interest at the city in doing better and streamlining the permitting process.”
For more information about permits and/or licensing in Lynnwood, call 425-775-1971.
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