3 Signs Your Municipality is Ready to Upgrade to Community Development Software
September 29, 2022 – OpenGov
Community development is a cornerstone of any municipality. From building permits to code inspections and economic development, community development helps keep cities, towns, and counties safe and allows them to plan for growth in a sustainable way.
The Need for Modern Community Development Software
Due to COVID-19 and the changing landscape of remote work, communities are experiencing unprecedented growth. Now’s the time to welcome this unexpected shift. The first step: Upgrading your processes. Here are three signs that your municipality is ready for a switch to an online community development experience.
Population, jobs, housing, and development growth are on the upswing - with no signs of slowing down
In growing communities, constituents need to access critical government services – in just a few clicks. In the 21st century, online services are the norm for everything from online banking to restaurant takeout to maintenance requests. Government services should be as easy and accessible as anything else you can complete online. By upgrading to online community development software, your growing community can not only offer the convenience of online services but also the ability for applicants to find any permit or license they need in one centralized and accessible location.
Staff is bogged down with a backlog of approvals and inspections
Long lines outside city hall and walk-ins can leave staff overwhelmed and create a huge backlog. With an online community development software solution, you can cut down on the backlog by processing permits faster and both scheduling and completing inspections online. In addition, applicants can check on their status online and receive email updates on application activity. No more waiting for applications to be processed and approved or calls to City Hall to ask about the status of a permit.
Reporting on important data and trends takes a long time and creates stacks of paper
Reporting on data and trends in a community helps to understand what types of permits are being issued, where staff is getting stuck, and which areas are seeing the most development. Clear reporting can also help clarify what new resources are needed by the govt in terms of staff with specific areas of expertise. Creating reports with a few clicks is great not only for reporting to your community but also for stakeholders such as state-level organizations or local elected officials. Analyze different trends by reporting on critical data such as code enforcement resolutions, proposed development, and the number of active contractor licenses in your community.
Make the Upgrade to Online Community Development
No matter your community development needs, there is a platform available to work with them all. To begin your research, request a demo of OpenGov Citizen Services here. OpenGov Citizen Services is cloud permitting software that enables you to say goodbye to piles of paper, messy spreadsheets, and cumbersome, legacy software.
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