Orange County NC Website
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 26, 2003 <br />Action Agend ~ <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Contract for Services - Geo-Base/Land Management & Permit Information Tracking <br />System (`Permits Plus') <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />Environmental Health <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig N. Benedict, ext. 2592 <br />Original "Permits Plus" by the Accela Rosemary Summers, ext. 2412 <br />Software Company contract dated Pam Jones, ext. 2652 <br />12/29/00 <br />Additional Service Estimate 4/4/2003 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Multi-Department Implementation Status Chart Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane (336)227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To contract with Accela Software, for software activity development, enhancement of <br />activities and additional training of the `Permits Plus' system within the Environmental Health and <br />Planning Departments. <br />BACKGROUND: `Permits Plus' was purchased 12/29/00 in order to provide increased intra- and <br />inter- departmental connectivity and tracking in the plan review, permit issuance and land <br />development processes. The program improves customer service by providing quicker inquiry <br />response times, better record keeping provides performance measurement indicators of staff and <br />project activities and including interface with GIS to track location. <br />The original contract included the program development of 14 different multi-departmental <br />identified case/permit activities. However, the workability of the software through Accela assistance <br />with respective staff tended itself to the creation of over 30 activities for the same original cost. The <br />value of the software and the future independent modification by staff will be an important asset to <br />the chosen software package. <br />The implementation of `Permits Plus' began in the summer of 2001, extensive `data scrubbing' was <br />conducted in the Building Inspections Division and the assessors/parcel data was converted into <br />`Permits Plus'. The Building Inspections Division implemented the new program system (`Permits <br />Plus') in late January 2002, Erosion Control `went live' February 2002, Environmental Health July <br />2002 and Current Planning, February 2003. The Fire Marshall's office and the Assessors' Office <br />are also peripheral users and were live early spring 2002. <br />Building and Erosion Control divisions have invested significantly into permits plus and have moved <br />from the implementation stages into automated data transfer, maintenance, auto-email to <br />customers and other county departments, data analysis through ad hoc and standardized report <br />development. <br />