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An released last week details a lack of consistency and documentation for how the city of Portland’s Bureau of Development Services handles expired building permits.

City auditors found that BDS, which works with developers, builders and homeowners to guide them through the development process, needs to reassess its policies and practices for extending and canceling permits.

The audit found that the bureau’s policies and practices were not always in line with city code, which gives customers 180 days to pass an inspection and another 180 days to pass final inspection. BDS also is often out of step with city code by extending permits that have been inactive for more than six months, according to the audit.

In addition, customer requests often are not well documented, and some notices of expiring permits are not sent out consistently.

“Permits should not have unlimited lives,” auditors noted. “BDS should follow city code and close out permits that have been abandoned past a certain time threshold, and require the project to comply with newer, safer building codes.”

Justin Wood, associate director of government affairs and communications at the Home Builders Association of Metro Portland, would like to see a process in place to ensure all holders of expiring permits get notified.

“They have good processes in place to notify a builder,” Wood said. “But they’ve lacked the staff to fully follow up on those processes.”

The city is in the process of hiring 18 additional employees at BDS, a step that will alleviate some of the issues, said City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who oversees the bureau in her role as public utilities commissioner.

The city approved adding the additional staff, including one person who will be part of a team responsible for processing permit extension reminder letters, according to the city.

“It’s getting more robust, but it’s not where it was,” Fritz said. “Permits are streaming in faster than we would like to take care of them.”

Fritz and BDS Director Paul Scarlett co-wrote a letter to the city auditor that generally agrees with the audit recommendations. The bureau is developing a form that will be required to request an extension, which could remove some of the communications issues reported in the audit, according to the letter.

The bureau also is implementing a new permit management system called Information Technology Advancement Project (ITAP), which Fritz said should roll out by Dec. 2015.

“It will allow applicants to apply remotely online rather than going into permit center,” she said. “The (system) will let us know if permits are outdated. It will improve coordination.”