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During the recession, most Portland bureaus were forced to make sacrifices 鈥� but none made more than the , according to its director, Paul Scarlett.

鈥淚 can assure there has never been a bureau in the city of Portland’s history that has had to undergo the level of cuts BDS did,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ther bureaus that are supported by general funding didn’t experience the same layoff impact we did.鈥�

In a one-year span, the bureau had to lay off more than half of its employees. As a result, operating hours were reduced, permit issues were delayed and nearly every BDS department’s services slowed. Plus, permitting and inspection fees were raised 8 percent.

The changes impacted the construction industry significantly, Scarlett said.

However, now that more projects are moving forward, the bureau is slowly regaining its balance, according to both bureau officials and local architects.

鈥淩ight now we’re not necessarily where we want to be,鈥� Scarlett said. 鈥淏ut overall, things are better in terms of providing a level of service people are used to and in terms of what we enjoyed providing.鈥�

The reason why the BDS was hit so hard by the recession is because 90 percent of the bureau’s revenue is fee-based 鈥� permitting fees, inspection fees, etc. 鈥� and few projects brought in few dollars.

To adjust, the bureau began operating only four days a week. And permit services, formerly available all day, were limited to mornings.

The BDS laid off 160 of its 315 employees. Suddenly, permits that previously were issued within two days sometimes required a week. And inspections no longer were completed within 24 hours after a request, but more often within three to four days.

鈥�(When the recession hit) there was obvious chaos,鈥� said Dan Petrescu, a project designer for . 鈥淭he city laid off a lot of employees and limited hours of operation some time after most architecture firms laid off employees.鈥�

But the outlook is better these days. Many more permits are being issued, and project valuation 鈥� dismal during the recession 鈥� is up significantly.

The BDS has responded by bringing back 50 of its employees. Daily operations are slowly returning to where they were, Scarlett said. Bureau operating hours are still limited, but permit services have expanded to become available all day on Tuesdays.

The 24-hour time frame is nearly back for inspections, Scarlett said. He noted that 75 percent of the ones for smaller projects are completed on the day that a request is made.

Meanwhile, permits are being issued more quickly, and their fees have decreased by 3 percent.

鈥淲e know they had to do more with less over the past few years, but in terms of service and meeting timelines they have been terrific to work with,鈥� said Kurt Schultz, a principal at . 鈥淭hey have not caused any delays on our projects and have met or exceeded their review timelines.鈥�

As a result of the layoffs, certain employees had to take on more responsibilities. In some cases, this may have increased efficiency, said David Hyman, a principal at .

鈥淢y sense is that some departments have improved from even pre-recession levels,鈥� he said. 鈥淩eviewers have been easier to get a hold of (and) more responsive, and this has resulted in quicker turnaround times.鈥�

Of course, some departments are still struggling. The BDS’ land-use enforcement department, for example, is still unable to address complaints in a timely manner, Scarlett admitted. Other departments 鈥� like electrical, mechanical and plumbing 鈥� are still operating deficiently.

But as more projects move ahead, the bureau will continue to revive, Scarlett said.

鈥淲e just don’t have enough staff to meet all of the timelines in all the cases, but I want to close the gap between service level goals and what’s happening now,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e’ll gradually build back up to that level of service.鈥�