PERMITTING

As if the supply chain issues weren’t bad enough, businesses, contractors and individuals throughout Dallas have complained about the permitting system. Delays were really cramping their style.

But District 9 City Council member Paula Blackmon, who was one of the people tasked with finding solutions to the problem, says things are getting better.

In June, the city hired Andrew Espinoza to lead Development Services. There were 58 new hires in the department last year, which exceeds the 42 lost to attrition, and the department will continue recruiting and onboarding, Blackmon says.

Upgrades have also been made to relevant technology, including the ProjectDox software, an electronic system used to submit and process permits.

But Development Services has also noticed that some of the problems can be traced back to members of the public who fail to complete applications properly. To remedy this, the department is pursuing public education and outreach. Staff have been hosting monthly pop-up events at the Oak Cliff Municipal Center, where people can obtain permits for small projects and repairs. These pop-ups will continue throughout the year, along with a “lunch and learn” series, where staff explain development topics.

Key metrics also show signs of improvement. In the last quarter of 2022, the department was issuing more single-family residential permits than were being submitted, though the number of permit applications was decreasing. Over the same period, Development Services was reviewing applications faster and within its 15-day goal more often, according to Espinoza’s presentation at a recent Government Performance and Financial Management committee meeting.

“I think what’s happening as a whole is that there’s better communication and there’s awareness on the city’s part that we need to fix this at the staff level and not just at the council level,” Blackmon says.

75206

$334

Price by Square Foot

623

Number of Sales

75218

$303

Price by Square Foot

380

Number of Sales

75228

$215

Price by Square Foot

591

75214

$366

Price by Square Foot

576

Number of Sales

75223 Price by Square Foot

$266

106

Number of Sales

Number of Sales