Loveland to hike fees for development review, permits

LOVELAND — Fee increases for development review and building permits in Loveland will go into effect June 1 to help pay for the technology behind a new online portal, the city has announced.

The City of Loveland is working to launch the portal to enable contractors, developers and residents to more conveniently apply for land-use applications, permits and contractor licenses. The portal also will allow them to schedule inspections, pay associated fees and track the status of their applications and permits from any desktop or mobile device at any time.

To make this happen, the city has chosen Accela Land Management as its new software provider for online services. The fee increases will help fund the upgrade and implement and maintain the new software.
Beginning in June, a 5% “technology fee” increase will be reflected on all land-use applications,  which include zone changes, site development plans and other pre-construction approvals. A technology fee also will be added to all building permit applications for projects that are ready for or in the process of construction.  The technology fee will be 10% of the building permit fee and 10% of the plan check fee, if included on the permit. Projects submitted on or after June 1 will incur the fee increase. 

“People want to take care of their business online, and our current software isn’t robust enough to meet our community’s needs,” Theresa Campbell, chief building official for the City of Loveland, said in a prepared statement. 

The new tool is designed to  improve the customer experience and boost staff efficiency, shortening the time between application and project closeout. This is particularly important as staff are challenged to respond quickly in an ever-changing environment.

“On the staff side of the new tool, we will be able to automate and streamline critical tasks and provide a central place to manage data, workflows and communication,” Dan Coldiron, the city’s chief information officer, said in a prepared statement. “It’s a win-win. This software makes it easier for the public, our staff and our applicants to work through the permitting process.”

With the new fee, the city anticipates it will take 12  to 18 months to implement the new software. After that, the fee increase will be used to support ongoing maintenance and improvement.

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