On Land Use Approvals, Chatham Can Do Better

Much of what our local government does for us we only notice when something goes wrong. Police, fire, and EMS are there if we have an emergency. When things go smoothly, we don’t really think about thinks like roads, sidewalks, and storm sewers even though we have people working hard in the background to keep them in good shape.

One area where we do interact with our local government, though, is permitting. The incumbent council members and Planning Board member Matt Wagner, who wrote a letter on their behalf, tout all of the work that they have done to improve these processes – and question my assertion that they could be further improved.

I have helped cities and towns make their permitting processes more customer friendly and efficient for almost two decades, and the city where I did my first project – in 2001! – had better programs and systems in place than the Borough does today. This is no criticism of our excellent staff, who work incredibly hard and provide exceptional customer service. However, I think it IS an example of an area where an outside eye and a new perspective can identify – and help put in place – changes to make Chatham a better government.

Permitting processes, by necessity, involve a lot of people and a lot of information. The issues that many need to be considered are too numerous to name, but can include: fire safety, accessibility, how the property will be used, drainage or erosion caused by the construction, connections to water and sewer systems, accessibility for fire trucks, the impact on street trees, structural safety, size and configuration on the lot, energy efficiency, environmental impact, proximity to wetlands … and many more. Neighbors must be notified and their concerns must be heard. In addition to our own departments and boards and commissions, the building department in Madison, the health department in Westfield, and state agencies may also be involved.

That said, the processes can absolutely be made faster, more predictable, and more customer friendly. I know, because I’ve done it. In addition to that first project 17 years ago (for with the City of Bellevue, Washington won an Innovations in Government award), I helped 15 municipalities in Connecticut implement on-line permitting software together. I took over the Land Use department in the City of Milford, Connecticut and helped transform it from one of worst in the state to one of the best. I helped Kissimmee, Florida make their planning approval process more transparent. I helped DeKalb County, Georgia improve coordination between planning, engineering, building, fire, and zoning divisions. I wrote a manual for residents and businesses seeking permits for projects in Concord, Massachusetts, which just like Chatham has a commercial downtown in a historic district. Right now I am helping Provincetown, Massachusetts figure out how to better organize their processes in a town with flood zones, historic districts, numerous non-conforming structures, wetlands, and a very involved residential population.

If our elected and appointed officials are interested in learning more about how to make these processes better for our residents and for businesses seeking to move into the downtown I did a webinar on this subject last year.

http://www.viewpointcloud.com/blog/government-technology/positive-permitting-designing-efficient-customer-friendly-permitting-process/

When our permitting processes are efficient and responsive, people see our government as efficient and responsive. I hope to earn your vote on November 6 so that I can help Chatham Borough meet this goal.