Commerce report: 2024 permit timelines exceed statutory goals in first year of reporting

Dave Anderson of the Department of Commerce presented the first annual report compiling 2024 local permit timelines under the Local Project Review Act (the 5290 reporting process) and outlined next steps for improving data and identifying promising reforms.

Anderson said local governments reported 2,723 permit decisions to Commerce for the 2024 calendar year and that many reported review times exceeded statutory goals — for example, subdivisions and final plats showed particularly long averages in the baseline data. He cautioned that 2024 reflects the first year of reporting and predates full implementation of many reforms and grant‑funded changes; Commerce will treat 2024 as baseline data for future comparisons.

The department found inconsistencies in reporting (use of ranges instead of specific days, incomplete deadline fields) and will ask jurisdictions in the 2025 process for details about reforms implemented, electronic‑vs‑paper submittals and other operational factors. Anderson said some high‑volume jurisdictions performed well and that staffing, existing electronic systems and reforms likely explain differences; Commerce will follow up to identify which reforms produced measurable improvements.

Committee members asked about financial penalties tied to missed timelines, outlier jurisdictions, and whether there were obvious reforms to shorten timelines. Anderson said the fee‑refund provisions were designed as incentives for jurisdictions to adopt reforms and that he would study the data further to report on outliers and promising practices. He also noted that some back‑and‑forth time in the process stops the statutory clock when applications return to applicants but still affects overall schedule and costs.