Tulare County Resource Management Agency staff on Dec. 10 presented 'Tulare County Connect', a new online service portal designed to let residents report problems, attach photos, pin locations on a map and track service requests in real time.

Maria Flores and Olivia Forte described the portal as a tool to modernize public reporting workflows, reduce duplicate trips for field crews, and improve transparency and performance tracking. Staff said the portal is presently in a test environment with a soft launch and marketing rollout planned ahead of broader deployment.

Planning Director Aaron Bach delivered the director’s report, summarizing 2025 permitting and enforcement activity. He highlighted progress toward digital permit intake, stronger interagency coordination, improved permit turnaround times for over‑the‑counter projects, and a 95% project approval rate year‑to‑date. Bach also noted an increase in negative declarations and more robust CEQA documentation, and reported that code compliance (notably cannabis enforcement) generated significant fines and collections in 2025.

"Tulare County Connect provides a host of benefits for the community user, staff, and administration," Maria Flores said, describing real‑time status updates and GIS‑enabled routing for field crews.

Staff signaled further digital modernization steps for 2026 including expanded online permitting tools and smart assistance for zoning and permit lookups.

What to expect: staff said they plan a soft testing phase and community outreach before a broader rollout in 2026; the agency will also continue work on long‑range planning documents including a zoning code update expected to return to the commission in early 2026.

Provenance: staff presentation (Tulare County Connect) and director’s report recorded in the Dec. 10 meeting.