Residential Building Applications to get “Lean”

Sam Gibboney – Contributed photo

As Community Development Director Sam Gibboney prepares to move a new position in County government, she is coordinating a sea change in the application process for residential building permits.

Gibboney estimates that half of the residential building permit applications submitted in San Juan County encounter delays because documentation is incomplete or required information is missing. While applications are on hold and staff spends time seeking needed information, other applications awaiting review can stack up, causing delays that can be costly to both builders and the County.

The department is now testing a new permit process for residential development that Gibboney believes will drastically reduce or even eliminate those delays.

“A complaint we have often heard from developers is that there are too many moving parts – too many departments, divisions, inspectors and reviewers involved – and that there is no one place to find out all the information they should have before they walk in the door and pay their fee. Those complaints have often been justified,” Gibboney said.

The new permitting process, expected to be in place within the first three months of 2016, simplifies the early steps in submitting an application, provides more information based on the scope and location of the project, then brings subject matter experts from the Health Department, Public Works and Community Development to meet with the applicant to make sure that the application is complete before it is submitted.

Health Department Director Mark Tompkins, who helped design the new process, said, “When we dug into this, we discovered that some information was unnecessarily traveling back and forth between departments.” Under the new system such things as septic system plans and water availability certifications will be reviewed and approved directly by experts in the Health Department, instead of involving reviewers from both departments.

“This has been one place where, in the past, missing information and miscommunication has caused frustrating delays for the applicants, and for us as well,” Tompkins said.

The new application process is the result of a program initiated by County Manager Mike Thomas to improve efficiency and eliminate bottlenecks in government services. “Over the years there have been many initiatives to streamline government, with varying degrees of success. The system we’re using is called Lean. Its strength is that that it involves a continuing learning process, not just a one time redo.”

Thomas said that when Sam Gibboney becomes the County’s Deputy Public Works Director at year’s end, her core duties will include working with a five-person “Lean Team” to improve communication between departments and simplify processes throughout county government. “I’m pleased that we’ve been able to create this position. It is something new for the County, and I expect it to benefit everyone who conducts business with the County.”

When Gibboney moves to her new position, Erika Shook, currently the Community Development Director in the City of Enumclaw, will take over the top spot in San Juan County’s Community Development Department.

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