Local business owner asks Pocatello council for permitting reforms, cites five‑figure costs

Janelle Romrell, a lifelong Pocatello resident and owner of Smile Makers Dental, told the council the city’s permitting process has been “deeply discouraging” after she purchased and sought to renovate a commercial building on Yellowstone Avenue.

Romrell said she and her husband have invested personal savings to purchase the property with the intent to create a permanent location for their practice. She described being directed from department to department and incurring what she characterized as “well into five figures” in additional costs for architectural drawings, a parking plot map and an extended sidewalk requirement; she also said her review with the fire marshal remained incomplete.

“If we want to grow and have a stronger tax base, the permitting system must be efficient, transparent, and economically realistic,” Romrell said. She urged the council to consider three reforms: designate a single point of contact to guide applicants, establish clear permitting timelines with a target of 60 days, and evaluate cumulative costs to ensure they are proportionate and feasible.

Romrell’s remarks were part of the meeting’s public‑comment period; they did not prompt immediate council action but raised permitting issues that councilmembers and staff could address through policy or administrative changes.