Dallas’ Development Services Department has been trudging its way through a jam-packed March.
DSD moved forward with several building permit initiatives and meetings this month. These include a transition to a paperless permitting process and open-records-only process, which started on March 1, an inaugural “Women Who Build Luncheon” on March 8, a proposed roundtable discussion with an AI contractor in mid-March, and more.
At the beginning of the month, DSD started requiring all commercial permit applications to be submitted via ProjectDox, the City’s online permitting portal.
The transition to a paperless permitting process is “a significant leap forward” for the department and “aligns with [its] Service First culture,” claimed DSD Director Andrew Espinoza in a statement.
The department also scheduled four Lunch and Learn sessions as part of its ongoing outreach to builders, stakeholders, and community members. Topics include DSD’s “Affordable Housing Program,” how to submit permit applications electronically, the engineering division review and approval process, and how to navigate the City’s GIS websites.
Another major shift taking place this month is DSD’s transition to an “Open Records Only” process.” According to DSD, the switch will ensure that the department appropriately tracks, documents, and responds to customer and resident requests and that procedures and response times meet the minimum state requirements.
The change “will not only save our customers time but also save them on the printing costs associated with paper copies,” DSD said in its February 27 newsletter.
DSD claims the initiative will save customers countless hours and trips and help “contribute to [a] more sustainable Dallas.”
The Women Who Build Luncheon on March celebrated the 26th Annual Women in Construction Week. The networking conference was held at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters at 1309 Canton St. in Dallas.
“I am thrilled to host the inaugural Women Who Build event,” said Espinosa in a press release. “Women play a vital role in our industry. We’d like to take this opportunity to recognize their hard work, share their inspiring stories, and learn how we can create more opportunities for women in the industry.”
DSD’s events and initiatives were planned under City Manager T.C. Broadnax, who recently announced he would resign in early June after seven years at the helm of City services, during which DSD struggled with substantial permit backlogs and lengthy turnaround times, along with increases in crime, taxes, and City spending.
