Community Development highlights FastTrack permitting and proposes IMS cloud migration to speed collections

Mike Murray, community development director, presented the department’s FY27 budget to the board on June 12, 2026, and highlighted a recently launched FastTrack permitting program that department staff said has already generated early revenue. Craig D, speaking for the department, said the FastTrack fees have been productive in the program’s first two months.

Murray said the department is conservatively projecting FY27 revenues roughly aligned with FY26 amended levels while noting the FastTrack program’s recent uptake could change projections. Craig D reported the program has returned fees rapidly in its first weeks, saying the department has already added FastTrack revenues and is watching that stream as the fiscal year develops.

A central technical recommendation was to migrate the department’s IMS permitting system to a cloud hosting model at an incremental recurring cost of about $20,000 per year. Murray said the cloud option would improve cybersecurity posture, provide modern workflow and, critically, enable a tighter payments integration that could materially improve cash collection. "We have over $1 million in outstanding fees," Murray said, adding the department conservatively estimates it could have about $350,000 more on hand for permits if the integrated cloud solution is implemented and collections improve.

The department proposed some personnel reclassifications, eliminated a part‑time planning position, and deferred or removed certain capital requests. Murray said the move to cloud hosting is a first‑time one‑time request with lower ongoing maintenance than current arrangements and that the business case relies on improved fee capture and workflow efficiencies.

Next steps: the board will consider the IMS cloud request as part of the FY27 budget process; staff will bring more detailed cost/benefit and integration information if requested.