City Continues to Overhaul Licensing and Permitting

Customer experience that is easy and reliable for citizens that use or will use the City of Boston’s Licensing and Permitting Systems is the next step in the overhaul of a system that issues 60 different types of permits, totaling approximately 86,000 permits annually, according to a press release issued on December 1.

The City of Boston’s Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) has selected Accela, in partnership with OpenCounter to upgrade the permitting and licensing system to design and deploy a more efficent system that meets the City’s high standards for innovation and usability.

“The City has already made deep improvements to the way the public does business with the City by taking steps to streamline and improve the system, but there’s always more to be done,” Mayor Martin J. Walsh indicated in a prepared statement.

The goal of the partnership is to create a coordinated and seamless experience across departments for residents and business owners seeking permits and licenses, according to City Hall.

In recent months, City Hall has:

Hosted the City’s first-ever Hubbacks Permitting Challenge, to reinvent the Cities online permitting experience.

Announced the creation of a streamlined Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) process for small businesses and 1-2 family owner-occupied residential applications.

Doubled the hearing capacity for ZBA applications through extended hearing hours, and increased capacity with televised ZBA meetings.

Installed digital kiosks at several agencies across the City to connect constituents with Boston’s business deployment specialist.