Permit Process Review

[kalakoa]

Today's HTH: Consultant finds numerous flaws in county’s building permit process

https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/202...t-process/

In early December, Tinner submitted his findings, which were presented Wednesday to the County Council at a meeting of its Communications, Reports and Council Oversight Committee.
"There were no terribly big surprises",  Public Works Director Steve Pause said during the meeting.

Highlights

• lack of documentation for matters ranging from basic meeting agendas to policy and procedure manuals.
  
• virtually all structural plan reviews for conventional single-family homes to licensed engineers on staff.
  
• rooftop photovoltaic systems are included in planning requirements (unlike most places)
  
• Energov is notorious throughout the industry as being frustrating to work with and leading to problems that require additional expenditures to resolve.
  
• lack of awareness among staff about certain civil concepts and management practices
  
• lack of participation by department management in the annual updates to the International Building Code
  
• plan review fees are 20% of the building permit fee, but the industry standard is a 65% fee
  
• Public Works Department is understaffed - barely 60% - pay not competitive
  

Nothing they (and everyone else) didn't already know -- but now they'll have to slack off just a little harder to avoid on-the-record opinions of a hired (with our tax dollars) consultant.

The Hawaiian system of "rules and laws for everyone" continues to fascinate.