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Portland puts paperless permitting project on hold

By: Garrett Andrews//November 10, 2016//

Portland puts paperless permitting project on hold

Garrett Andrews//November 10, 2016//

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A project to streamline Portland’s permitting process is on hold indefinitely because of a string of issues.

Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who oversees the Bureau of Development Services, announced at Wednesday’s City Council meeting that the Information Technology Advancement Project () was in 鈥渇ull stop mode.鈥


鈥淲e’ve had an independent assessment, we’re reviewing that, and we will be coming forward with a going-forward strategy in the next couple weeks which we will share with all of you,鈥 he said.

The council accepted the latest quarterly report of the city’s citizen technology project oversight committee. Members have expressed concerns with ITAP’s duration and cost, among other issues.

ITAP was first proposed in 2012 with an initial budget of $8.2 million, including $2.7 million in vendor services and software license costs. A report by the city auditor in 2014 confirmed that the bureau’s policies and practices were not always in line with city code.

The ITAP project began by ordinance in 2012, with completion anticipated for May 2015. officials have claimed subsequent issues with the initial vendor have caused the cost to climb to above $12 million, and the completion date was pushed further and further off.

Commissioner Amanda Fritz was moved away from managing BDS in 2013 when incoming Mayor Charlie Hales reshuffled bureau assignments among the council. She told her replacement, Saltzman, on Wednesday that he was right to scrap the plan that began under her watch.

鈥淚t clearly is now time to say that what you purchased is not working out and cannot be made to work, and I appreciate you making that decision, commissioner, and moving on,鈥 she said.

BDS Director Paul Scarlett said the project proved to be 鈥渦nfeasible.鈥

鈥淚n short, we wish it was further along,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e acknowledge that and we feel that we have a good plan by having an independent assessment and really looking at what makes the most sense moving forward,鈥 he said.



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