Airway Heights Planning Department to switch permit software

By AL STOVER

Staff Reporter

One way the Airway Heights Planning Department is working to improve efficiency around its office is by switching its permitting software.

During its Jan. 17 meeting, the Airway Heights City Council approved a service contract for staff to purchase “Permit Trax” permitting system and equipment, and a new server for the department.

Development Services Director Derrick Braaten said his department has been searching for new permitting software for quite some time.

The department had previously used BIAS Permitting and Planning software, however staff had difficulty trying to use it. When staff contacted BIAS about the issue, the company said they were performing updates and for staff to try again in three months.

“After 2-3 years, we decided to pull the plug and look for an alternative,” Braaten said.

He added that senior building inspector, Cindy Redekopp, spoke with Liberty Lake and the city of Cheney planning departments, which both use Permit Trax.

“What surprised us is this program is being used in various locations,” Braaten said. “When we looked into it, the system has some of the elements we’re looking for.”

These elements include tracking of multiple types of permits, licensing and code enforcement, permit and fee automation and a cashier module for applying permit payments.

Permit Trax is a web-based land management solution for government agencies. The system is browser-based, which allows staff to access it in the office on their computers, or from tablets via an aircard, a type of wireless broadband modem used for connecting to cellular networks in the field.

Applicants will also be able to view permit documents as they are being processed in real time.

“Applicants and staff are seeing the process happening at the same time, it clears up a lot of confusion in the process,” Braaten said.

Braaten said the system will take about 4-6 months to implement. Bitco Software, which created the system, will assist the department in converting its documents to digital format.

“There will be a learning curve, but over time customers will be able to follow the process as opposed to calling and asking us,” Braaten said.

Braaten said the department’s new server will be used to mitigate the latency in communication between inspectors and applicants. Several Airway Heights departments currently use a citywide server, which can cause communication delays across the city’s network.

Braaten said the server will have two terabytes for storage with the ability to expand “if we need to grow.”

“The department will host the system in house and allow the department to talk to the server,” Braaten said. “It will help with the connectivity and a lot of other issues.”

Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.