City Receives $500,000 Grant to Develop Digital Portal for Development Applications
KAMLOOPS – The City of Kamloops will receive a half million dollars in grant funding from the Union of BC Municipalities‘ Local Government Development Approvals Program to initiate a process that will allow online applications for development related permits.
Initially, the project will introduce an online portal for building permit applications with the ultimate goal of a full electronic application process for all development application types.
The project is a digital solution for accepting and reviewing applications, drawings and documents, and plan reviews related to the development approvals process.
“An electronic process related to development applications, reviews, and approvals has been a goal for the Development, Engineering, and Sustainability Department for some time now,” said Jason Dixon, the City’s Building and Engineering Development Manager.
Dixon noted that there has been a significant increase in building and development applications in Kamloops in the last five years.
“This will provide a sustainable alternative for individuals submitting applications that will also guide them through a process to ensure all documentation is included.”
The project will also facilitate a digital review process for City staff to coordinate the approvals and integrate with the current electronic inspection capabilities that City staff already use to access digital documents in the field using handheld devices.
Dixon says the project will get underway early in 2022. The initial application types should be available by the end of 2022, and the project will launch for public use by the beginning of 2023.