Mount Vernon buildings department reports longer permit review times, pilot customer survey

The Mount Vernon Buildings Department told the City Council on March 24 that initial permit-review times averaged 26 days in January and February 2025, substantially longer than the 7.4‑day average reported for 2024. Heidi Mamak, first deputy commissioner of the Department of Buildings, said staff losses (two clerks and a plan room coordinator) and an out‑of‑office plan examiner in February contributed to the delay.

The department presented a suite of metrics and said 97 building permit applications were received in January–February and 75 permits were issued; the remainder remain under review. Mamak also said applicants take an average of 46 days to reply to objections, which lengthens the total review process.

Why it matters: Longer review and response times affect homeowners, contractors and developers who rely on predictable permitting windows for project scheduling and financing. Council members pressed staff for near‑term mitigations and clearer public expectations.

Department response and planned fixes: Commissioners and staff said they are recruiting to fill vacancies and expect a recently hired plan reviewer to begin work immediately. The department is implementing an OpenGov integration and an AI‑enabled notification workflow so applicants, contractors and property owners will receive automated pings and text messages when action is needed; staff said this should enable weekly follow‑ups once deployed.

On solar permits: The presentation showed the city received 201 unified solar permit applications since the April 2024 launch, issued 26 permits, and has 74 applications still in review (one on hold for missing payment). Staff said the third‑party plan reviewer La Bella takes about 15 business days for plan examination while current local legislation calls for a 10‑business‑day review; the department said it is preparing amended legislation to align the statutory timeline with operational reality.

Customer survey pilot: Janira Borges, a city fellow working on process improvement, presented results from a four‑week pilot survey launched in February. She said the sample (14 responses, mostly business owners, realtors and homeowners) is not statistically significant but useful: respondents rated staff as courteous and helpful, and most continue to prefer in‑person engagement over OpenGov or email. Borges said the department will phase a broader rollout with QR codes, website links and scripted messaging for front‑desk staff.

Inspection and enforcement trends: The department reported roughly 529 violations issued across the period and said only about 6% met requirements for dismissal. Staff described using iPads to capture inspection objections in real time and said they are working with the fire department and state partners to produce an inspection checklist to reduce piecemeal re‑inspections.

What’s next: Staff said they will return with monthly reports (including a monthly breakdown for unified solar permits starting in May) and with draft legislation to change the plan‑review timeline; they also said they will continue recruitment efforts and complete the inspection checklist for public release.

Quotes: “The Department of Buildings spent 26 days on average to do the initial review,” Heidi Mamak said. Janira Borges said of the survey pilot: “This data is not statistically significant, but it provides a perspective of what our customers are saying.”

Ending: The council asked for follow‑up materials and recommended targeted outreach to solar applicants and faster, clearer public communications about expected review timelines.