City governments don’t naturally enjoy reputations for being effective collaborative partners with the private sector. But the City of Springfield is making “working as a team” with developers and builders a top priority. The City recently launched a new webpage for developers (http://www.springfieldmo.gov/developer) and now offers online permitting, online inspection scheduling, and online permit progress tracking.
Deputy City Manager Fred Marty serves as the primary contact for this process, and describes the changes already underway, and those that are planned for the future in the video below.
The City’s new customer-service emphasis comes in part as a result of feedback sessions with leadership representatives from the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield. The new philosophy is referred to as “Collaborative Community Development,” which is defined as making Springfield “development-friendly and ‘open for business’ by working collaboratively with private developers and designers to ensure high-quality, timely and safe projects become a reality in Springfield, Missouri.” The focus of the city’s CCD philosophy is on communication and accountability in the three key areas of Project Design, Plan Review and Approval, and Project Construction. And, to ensure ongoing success and improvement, the City will seek continual feedback from the private sector on the quality of this process.
Springfield’s Developer Page
Collaborative Community Development