Study Finds Frustration With Permit Process Ewu Professors Survey Those Who Use Construction Services Department

Complaints from a small group of homeowners surveyed about their pursuit of building permits from the city of Spokane sound a familiar refrain.

Some got lost in the land of phone mail, searching for a “live” person to answer questions. Others heard conflicting information from building inspectors, with different employees offering disparate advice about what would bring a project to code.

The survey was part of a recently published report from two Eastern Washington University professors hired by the city to evaluate the Construction Services Department.

In a typical comment found among the survey results, one man told the professors he spent “several hundred dollars to satisfy one inspector, and another came to inspect the work and said the original work never needed to be done.”

The $7,000 study of the department is part of a citywide push to streamline city services and improve customer relations. City Manager Bill Pupo said he plans to do similar reviews of most city departments.

Dorothy Webster, assistant city manager, said Construction Services was chosen as a test case because its employees interact frequently with the public.

“We get complaints about how the permit system operates,” she said. “Some people love it. Some hate it.

“It’s very customer-intensive.”

The professors spent nearly six months on the study, interviewing employees and department heads, as well as customers who sought permits from August 1997 to February 1998.

The 28-page study offers a variety of recommendations aimed at smoothing the department’s operations.

While many deal with what goes on inside City Hall, others are aimed at improving the way construction services deals with the public. They include increasing employee training opportunities and communication between management and staff, as well as combining some positions and adding others.

Jim Hose, who teaches human resources management at Eastern, and Robert McGinty, who teaches strategic management, talked to nearly all the homeowners who asked for permits during the two-month period.

Comments from the 27 homeowner-customers ranged from “Very satisfied” to “Overall, it was a terrible experience.”

One woman said an employee told her to go home and get her husband because he would better understand the permitting process. Several customers noted “conflicting” or “confusing” information from different inspectors. Still others complained of being put on hold or routed repeatedly to voice mail.

The professors also interviewed 18 contractors who, during the two-month period, took out anywhere from one to 500 permits. Unlike homeowners new to the process, many had memorized phone extensions to avoid landing in phone mail.

“Most stated they had a favorite or knowledgeable staff person they would always call on,” the report said. But contractors, too, complained of inconsistent information.

Construction Services employees complained they didn’t always know about code or policy changes. “One employee said, ‘They say we’re supposed to keep up on what’s going on around here. I do! I read the paper,”’ the study said.

Hose said the lack of communication cited by employees coupled with the survey results showed a clear need to increase staff training so employees are informed of changes.

“There’s a continuous change in the code … and a real need to address training in that regard,” he said.

Webster readily agreed that city employees need more frequent training. “I don’t think we invest enough in our employees,” she said.

Hose and McGinty also recommended the city print handouts that detail what needs to be done to get the most frequently requested permits. The county already does this, Hose said.

Webster said she and the 11-member management assistance team she leads plan to discuss the study’s results with Construction Services department heads later this week and look for ways to resolve the issues raised.

The team is comprised of city employees who are looking for ways to streamline city services, with the goal of saving $1 million in annual spending, Webster said.

John Bjork, who has headed the department since June, said it was “too premature” to comment on the study results but said he welcomed the recommendations.

“If we can do the job better, let’s get to it,” he said.

Both Hose and McGinty said they were impressed by the dedication of managers and employees. The problems they found were in the system - not the people, they said.

“One of the things that was clear is that city government is expected to provide more services to a growing population with less dollars,” Hose said. “Basically, it’s give me more for less and do it now. That’s difficult for anybody.”