How the Town of Virgin serves their rural community with better permitting tools

Town of Virgin, UT

POPULATION:

670

Normally, I'd tell the applicant, "I can't accept this. You're going to have to drive 20 minutes down to the fire department and then drive 20 minutes back just to bring the approved receipt."

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Permit Tech

Town of Virgin

Background

Located near Zion National Park, the small town of Virgin, Utah, is home to about 670 people; and is experiencing some development expansion.

Challenges

The beautiful rural setting can make licensing and permitting a little more challenging; as applicants and staff spend additional time and energy on the submission, payment, and review process. A Permit Tech described one common issue in which applicants forget to attach a needed fire inspection receipt. Many of the 3 party reviewers (utility providers, health department, etc..) are located at the other end of the county, which also makes it difficult to have productive communication about specific permits.

Solution

When the town started looking for a solution to their permitting needs, they specifically wanted something that would move the entire process online and could grow with them. They landed on Civic Review. The Building and Zoning department was the first to give it a try, and it wasn't long before Business Licensing and Public Works wanted in on the action, too.

Results

Now, when an applicant forgets to attach that fire inspection receipt, the process is way more streamlined. The Permit Tech can accept the application, message the fire department directly within the system, and they can upload a copy of the receipt right there.

In-app messaging tools make it a lot easier for staff to chat with all applicants and reviewers.

I have all these notes [within the application] with all the [3 party] utility providers, so it's working really well because there's never been this much communication...

With Civic Review, the Town of Virgin has been able to streamline their permitting process. By moving everything online, they've not only cut down on the amount of time and energy residents have to spend driving back and forth, but they've also made it much easier for staff and third-party reviewers to communicate and collaborate. The result is a system that saves everyone time and allows the town to keep up with its growth while maintaining its small-town charm.