Online system for building, safety permits to go live

Homeowners seeking building and safety permits for construction projects will soon be able to forego print documents and scrolls, once Los Angeles County’s Building and Safety Department rolls out a new electronic system later this month.

Craig Phillips, a civil engineer with the county’s Department of Public Works, explained before the La Cañada Flintridge City Council Monday night how the new online system will not only allow residents to submit plans and applications, but also receive approval notice without having to submit cumbersome documents to county officials.

“Technology is clearly advantageous in numerous respects,” said Phillips, who was given the task of creating the system last year. “My division felt like this was a natural, both from a constituent standpoint and our divisional standpoint.”

City Council members listened as Phillips explained how online submissions will be queued for review and processed electronically through the plan check system. Applicants will receive notifications by email throughout the process and can track the progress of their submission at any time online.

For La Cañada residents, some steps in the process would still have to be done in person, such as making payments, since the city does not currently allow online credit card transactions and actual permit issuance. But Phillips said those too could and potentially would go digital in the near future to maximize efficiency.

“There would be no more storing of hard copies of plans. It will be a huge savings on space as well,” Phillips said, displaying a photo of a district office plan storage room crowded with scrolled and tagged documents.

“This is a picture of an actual Building and Safety district office,” he said to the audience’s amusement. “This is one of the main impetuses for this program.”

Once in operation, the system will not be mandatory, but rather an option for those who wish to submit plans online.

Mayor Mike Davitt asked city staff whether they could explore the option of making online credit card payments possible. City Manager Mark Alexander said talks are already in the works.

“It’s something that I always support and it’s something I’ll have staff look into implementing,” Alexander added. “That will make things a lot easier for our customers.”

In a release issued by the city on Tuesday, Community Development Director Robert Stanley commented on the reduced costs and savings the paperless system will incur.

“Making the plan check process is going to increase efficiency and enhance the overall experience for the end user,” Stanley stated. “We are very excited to see the benefits of the system that the County of Los Angeles is implementing.”

During the transition period, applicants may still submit their plans in person at the city’s Building and Safety Division Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at La Cañada’s City Hall.