Permitting Improvement Task Force

Objectives

The task force is co-chaired by Commissioner Ryan and Commissioner Mingus Mapps. It consists of leaders from most City permitting bureaus and representatives from the development community. The task force met three times in the first half of 2021 and identified two immediate priorities:

1. For the City's permitting bureaus to take measures to improve the quality of permit application submittals
2. For the City's permitting bureaus to improve performance management

The work of the task force is currently focused on the first priority. Once that objective is completed, it will move to the second priority.

The task force identified eight other objectives for the permitting bureaus to take up once the top two priorities are addressed. Future work will focus on:

• Creating a conflict resolution convener among the seven bureaus involved in permitting (Development Services, Environmental Services, Fire and Rescue, Housing, Transportation, Urban Forestry (part of Portland Parks and Recreation), and Water)
• Reducing the number of simultaneous permitting initiatives and prioritizing improvement initiatives
• Expanding the capacity of the Bureau of Development Services' technology team so that there can be faster progress in modernizing services across the seven bureaus involved in permitting, and then supporting all of these new online services
• Creating a holistic, inter-disciplinary team approach to permit review, organizing review teams around project types
• Updating and expanding Code Guides
• Developing separate permitting "tracks" depending on project complexity or type and applicant experience, so that customers who need more help are getting that help, and other customers who know the process and requirements are doing their own quality control of their submittals and their projects are not "in line" behind projects needing more help
• Clarifying roles and responsibilities to reduce redundancy and increase efficiency (for example, Portland Fire and Rescue reviewers review for some of the same requirements as life safety plans examiners in the Bureau of Development Services)
• Completing "Streets 2035," a multi-bureau project to resolve common conflicts and competing policies for improvements in the limited space in the public right-of-way

Members