Information
Type: Deliberation
Department: CD - Community Development
Directors' Update: July 15, 2026
Business Meeting: July 21, 2026
Summary:Authorize the Director of Community Development to apply for the Washington Department of Commerce Permit Review Process Update grant in the amount of $70,385
Publications:
Cover Letter To:
Additional Copies To:
Resolution
AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO APPLY FOR THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PERMIT REVIEW PROCESS UPDATE GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $70,385
WHEREAS, in 2024, Lewis County Community Development was the recipient of a $78,635 Paper to Digital Permitting Grant which funded the new SmartGov online permitting system, launched December 1, 2025, and resulted in a decrease in permit intake times from an average of one hour to an average of 10 minutes; and
WHEREAS, Community Development is under contract with Granicus, the purveyor of SmartGov, to add a new AI agent that will further assist the public in navigating the permitting process; and
WHEREAS, Community Development responds to approximately 50 septic records requests per month, with most of the septic records - dating back to the 1960s - remaining in paper format and property owners requiring that information for residential development permits in Lewis County; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Permit Review Process Update grant is to provide local governments with funding to update their permit review processes with a focus on reducing residential permit review timelines; and
WHEREAS, Community Development is requesting $70,385 in grant funding to pay for the development and launch of the AI agent and to pay for scanning of the paper septic records to Laserfiche, which is searchable by the public through the Community Development webpage; and
WHEREAS, the goal of the two grant-funded improvements is to reduce residential permitting review times.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Board of County Commissioners finds it in the public interest to authorize the Director of Community Development to apply for the Washington Department of Commerce Permit Review Process Update grant in the amount of $70,385.
DONE IN OPEN SESSION this 21st day of July, 2026.