According to the most recent report, Portland is still working to improve its building project permitting procedure. According to a report released yesterday by Portland Permitting & Development, the City of Portland conducted a customer satisfaction survey from June 11 to June 25 in an effort to learn more from those who have dealt with the building permit system since March 2023. The survey, which gathered input from 2,661 building permit customers, found that while efforts to streamline the permitting procedures have improved consumer satisfaction, much more can be done.
The survey, which wasn’t conducted in 2023, is a component of a continuous initiative to improve the city’s communication with permit applicants. Higher satisfaction scores for interacting with city experts over the phone and via email showed improvement in these areas. Customer response in the survey findings indicates that the city reviewers’ responsiveness and helpfulness are appreciated. However, there’s also a strong indication that further work is required to maximize the review cycle. According to the City of Portland, Oregon, one consumer complained about “unnecessarily cumbersome” things in the checksheet comments, calling for uniformity and communication. This feeling was mirrored by others in different ways.
Looking more closely at individual stages of the permitting procedure, poll participants found the “Under review” stage to be particularly difficult, with more than half rating it as “difficult” or “very difficult.” Interacting with the city’s reviewers, adhering to code standards, and handling what some perceive to be bureaucratic redundancies are the main sources of suffering in this situation. A customer who was frustrated with the procedure suggested that the process may be made easier by using checksheet remarks that were presented as conversation rather than stiff, impersonal rules. This recommendation addresses a recurring subject in the survey: the necessity of consistency and transparency.
By establishing more efficient procedures, the July 1 consolidation of the previously independent development bureaus is expected to resolve such problems. The poll offers “helpful guidance to address the pain points,” according to interim director David Kuhnhausen, according to a news release from the City of Portland, Oregon. However, problems still exist, particularly during the preliminary research stage, since consumer feedback highlights the intricacies of navigating the city’s website to find information pertaining to permits. The need for a more approachable and educational web presence was noted by one responder who mentioned having trouble finding clear directions for drawing requirements.
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