Huntington approves $660G in software purchases for building department

Huntington Town officials are taking another step to streamline its building permit approvals after the department last year faced criticism for processing delays.

The town board recently approved spending $660,742 on a three-year contract for software that allows building and other permit applications to be processed online.

Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said Friday the contract with San Jose-California-based OpenGov will help streamline building permit approvals and complement consolidation and other enhanced technologies that have already been implemented. 

“Overhauling the building department has been and will continue to be a priority for the town,” Smyth said. “Introducing the automation provided by OpenGov will be a game-changer for the taxpayers of Huntington."
Smyth and Town Board member Sal Ferro co-sponsored the measure at the May 10 board meeting. It was approved 5-0.

Last year the department came under fire for delays of up to 24 weeks in issuing permits that town officials blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic and a staffing shortage.

“In the past few months, the building permits division has cut the time it takes to issue a permit by two-thirds, with the approval process now taking up to approximately 8 weeks,” Town spokeswoman Lauren Lembo said Friday.

New efficiency measures were put into place including entering new applications into the existing system and assigning it a number within 24 hours of being received; modifying the order in which plans examiners and permit examiners review incoming permit applications; and cross-training personnel to perform the administrative tasks required to issue permits, she said.

There are two factors affecting the permit approval timeline: the time it takes for the department to begin the review process after the application has been received and the time when the applicant submits documents and payment, Lembo said.

Once OpenGov is fully operational, the department expects the review process to be able to begin immediately, cutting the process down by another six weeks, Lembo said.

The OpenGov contract is a service subscription software costing $320,542 for the first year, $170,100 for the second year and $170,100 for the third year. There is an option to extend the contract for two additional years at the same rate for each year.

Town officials said existing and in-process permits must be integrated into the system before it can start accepting new permits using the digital system.

By Deborah S. Morris

deborah.morris@newsday.comdsvmorris

Deborah Morris is a native Long Islander and covers the town of Huntington.