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Permitting Services Podcast
Go behind the scenes at the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services and connect with local experts about the permitting process for your commercial and residential projects.
Permitting Services Podcast
Permitting Dashboards
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In this episode of the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) Podcast, host Gail Lucas, DPS Deputy Director Ehsan Motazedi, and DPS Data and Performance Manager Juliana de Souza discuss the permitting dashboards and how they enhance accountability, predictability, and transparency when it comes to plan review and permit issuance turnaround times. They also discuss the latest permitting dashboards for eSolar, residential rooftop solar, and housing. Tune in to learn what permitting data is tracked and reported on the dashboards, how often the dashboards are updated, and what is coming next.
Do you have a question or an idea for a future DPS Podcast episode? Email your ideas and questions to dps.podcast@montgomerycountymd.gov.
The transcript for this episode is available here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2163316/episodes/19913840-permitting-dashboards#transcript
Welcome And Award Recognition
Gail LucasWelcome to the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services podcast. I'm Gail Lucas, your host. I'm also the Division Chief for the Customer Support and Outreach Division here at DPS. Joining us on the podcast today are two guests, one a returning guest and one a new face to the podcast. We have Deputy Director of DPS, Ehsan Motazedi, and DPS Data and Performance Manager Juliana de Souza. In this episode, we're going to discuss the DPS permitting dashboards, a new tool on the DPS website to enhance transparency. Welcome to the podcast, lady and gentlemen. Thank you for having us. Thank you for having us. DPS was recognized recently with a 2026 National Association of Counties Achievement Award for the permitting dashboards.
Why The Dashboards Exist
Gail LucasFor our listeners who are not familiar with our dashboards, let's begin with a description. What does it track? Where is it located? And why does it matter? We'll start with you, Eshan.
Ehsan MotazediOkay, good seeing you again, Gail. So before I start answering your question, I want to take this opportunity to really uh congratulate DPS team to obtaining this award, the NACO award. It's really important. And this lady sitting next to me, she took the lead, but there there are other people that that that assisted her to getting this dashboard on board. The dashboard was created, Gail, to bring accountability, transparency, and predictability to the permitting uh process at DPS. When I'm saying accountability and transparency, it's us for us. And then the predictability is for the developer to have some idea of how long, what is the timeline when they come in here to obtain a building permit. Let me go back a little bit even farther.
Gail LucasOkay.
Ehsan MotazediThe reason for dashboard came about back in 2023. Uh, that's when Montgomery County created a workforce that to look at the land use process in Montgomery County.
Gail LucasOkay.
Ehsan MotazediSo you're a big developer, you want to start a project from the beginning, from the time you come in, you go through the land use prices, you go through the sketch plan, preliminary, and obtain your site plan. How long does it take? As part of that work group, 18 recommendations were given. One of them was for DPS to provide timeline, how long it takes to uh get a building permit. And that's really what when we are talking about dashboards, that's what we are talking about. So, how long does it take for us to issue a building permit? How long does it take for a zoning to review their permit? Or other reviewers. And then that's that's the transparency we are putting out there, but also at the same time, the accountability is we are saying it's taking us five days to do a zoning review. We are taking intake, your group, it's taking them two days to look at something accepted, if not denied. Are we meeting those timelines? The goals that we have set for ourselves, are we meeting it? And that's really on the managers and other people over here to keep track of that.
Gail LucasRight.
Ehsan MotazediAnd the dashboard is also on the website, and I believe it's on the first page. You know, we just updated our website. Okay. So I think when you go to our website, on the first page, you scroll down, you'll be able to see the dashboard and the numbers from beginning to the end. You know, you come in for a new commercial building, you have a good timeline, how long it takes.
Gail LucasOkay.
Ehsan MotazediSo you could take that, those numbers, and work it into your project from beginning to
How Timing Data Gets Tracked
Ehsan Motazediend.
Gail LucasJuliana, can you give us some detail on what we're tracking and how we're tracking that?
Juliana de SouzaSure. So, as I mentioned, you find a dashboard on the very first page on um the DPS website. Um, the dashboard is divided into eight tabs. We're showing our most complex permit types. Okay. Um, the very first tab shows an overview of our permitting process. Okay. So it shows a flowchart from the moment the applicant submits the application to DPS until the permit is issued. And I think it's really important to have the flowchart to really highlight the complexity of the process and to show how much of collaboration is needed, right? Because it's not really up to DPS only. We rely on applicants to submit their corrections on time and we rely on other agencies to um finalize their reviews on time. Um so that's the first tab. And then we have seven other tabs, and each tab shows a different permit type, uh, but they are pretty much the same. So in terms of layout, um, when you are looking at the um the timing, on the left side you have the rolling 30 days, and on the right side, you have the rolling 12 months. So the dashboard is updated every day, every morning. Okay. Um, and you can see you know dynamically how we're performing. Um, there are two different um colors there. You see the gray boxes, they show the number of permits issued for that particular permit type selected and how long it takes to issue that permit type on average. Um the time to issue the permit includes everything. So it includes the time that the applicant takes to submit corrections, um, DPS review, and other agencies review. Um, so below those gray boxes, you'll find some green boxes showing the different times um between DPS, applicant, and other agencies, so showing how long it takes for each um department to review um the plan. And then on the very bottom, you have the uh DPS performance. So that's really about accountability, right? How well are we performing against the targets we established?
Gail LucasOkay.
Juliana de SouzaUm so you can see that as well. Um and we have that performance for each stage of the review process. Um screening, initial review, subsequent reviews, and um zoning reviews.
Gail LucasSo we're not only showing DPS time, we're also showing the time it's with the applicant and the time it's with other agencies. Correct, yes. Yes. How well are we doing?
Ehsan MotazediWe I mean, uh, when you look at the dashboard right now, I mean, our numbers are pretty good. Uh, I think for uh the time it's taking the staff to review uh within the guide, the targeted timeline. We are hitting most of it. We are like in the high 80s or 90% at this time. And again, you mentioned the applicant and the accountability also on the applicant. The sooner they get it back to us, right? The sooner we can do the review and send it back to them.
Gail LucasThis is great information to have access to. We all know time is money, particularly for the development community. Everybody wants the process to be as quick and expeditious as possible. So it's good to have a reasonable expectation, be able to provide a reasonable expectation to our customers about how long their process should take. Since the original dashboard launched, we've added more dashboards to track even more permitting processes. What have we added recently?
Ehsan MotazediTwo new dashboards.
Solar And Housing Dashboards Added
Ehsan MotazediOkay. So the solar app, I mean the solar uh dashboard, which shows if you go to our plan reviewer, or you go to the solar app, which is from outside, and the timeline is captured for that, how long it takes you for a rooftop solar panel that you come in and get your uh solar permit, and also our new brand new housing dashboard that shows the number of housing that are permitted in Montgomery County.
Gail LucasOkay, Juliana, tell us about the new housing dashboard. What's included in that? What kinds of information can customers find?
Juliana de SouzaSure. So the new housing dashboard only includes um new housing units that were authorized for construction. Okay. And by new, we mean um so it does not include demolitions. If something was demolished and rebuilt, that's not going to be included. So we're really talking about new units that are being added to the housing inventory of the county. Okay. Um, because that's the purpose, right? You want to track how many new housing units are being built. Um, and we also in the dashboard you have different types of buildings. So you're able to see not only the total new housing units, but you can see how many um ADUs, how many multifamily units, how many single-family townhouses. Um, and we also have a lot of definitions. So if you have any questions, just make sure to read the FAQs on the uh dashboard.
Gail LucasAnd ADUs or accessory dwelling units are a big thing right now. That's a big topic right now. Okay, so all of that information is included on the housing dashboard.
Juliana de SouzaUh correct, yes. So it's the total new housing units authorized for construction by year.
Gail LucasOkay. And why was this dashboard added? Why was the housing dashboard added?
Juliana de SouzaYeah, there's a lot of um the focus right now is really on you know increasing the number of housing in in the state in general. So that's that's a big um priority for the state, for the county. So we just wanted to be proactive and to be transparent in you know, broadcasting how many permits we're issuing, um, how many, sorry, how many housing units we're authorizing for construction. Okay. You know, reporting at the state level, at the county level. Um, and the housing units dashboard is updated once a month because that data requires a lot of quality checks. So we just want to make sure that whatever we're publishing is correct. So usually by the 10th date of each month, okay, that's when the dashboard is updated.
Housing Data For Targets And Planning
Gail LucasIson, you said the dashboards are about transparency, but they're also more most importantly about accountability. Talk to us about how DPS uses this information for accountability.
Ehsan MotazediWell, the the housing numbers, I mean, it's something that um throughout the state, uh, there is a target for the number of affordable housing and the number of housing that needs to be constructed by year 2030. Okay. So it's important those data are readily available and we can attest to its accuracy. Okay. Because really that's what they base on where is the gap? Okay. Are we where we're supposed to be?
Gail LucasOkay.
Ehsan MotazediIf we are not, why not? What are the elements or the causes of the numbers are dropping? So those are the stuff that they use, you know, our our sister agency uh park and planning. Okay. They they they they want to look at those things. Also, those numbers, you know, the accuracy of it, you know, uh, it's not just uh Maryland or Montgomery County, it's throughout the United States. Okay. You're looking at the US Census, they track these numbers. So the accuracy is so important. And the numbers we are providing, it goes back to 2019 and 19 to present. And uh we had various people approach us about the numbers, the housing numbers. Okay. Uh, it's a very attractive, I guess, topics. Uh, we have planning board wants to see the numbers. We have the county council interested, the county executive office, and also other agencies, the housing, uh, Department of Housing, the state of Maryland is interested because they really track data. It's a lot of data in there, you know, that they want to track and you know how they want to go about really if they need to change any regulation or update anything else.
Expanding Dashboards To More Permits
Gail LucasWhat's next when it comes to sharing data? We share quite a bit of data now. What else are we planning on sharing or putting up on dashboards or just making available to our citizens?
Ehsan MotazediOh, this lady sitting next to me, I keep her pretty much busy. Um, next is right now, she mentioned we have seven categories right now that we are tracking. Eventually, we want to get to a point, Gail, that you come over here for a fence permit, you want to come for a deck permit, you want to come for a swimming pool, you want to build a swimming pool summertime. Okay. We want to be able, we provide, you probably know better than me, what, 60 to 70 different types of building permits? 66. 66. There you go. So 66. So this lady is tasked with being able to have all those readily available.
Gail LucasOkay.
Ehsan MotazediSo that's next for her and have no timeline at this time, but it will be coming soon, hopefully by the end of the year or beginning of next
Where To Find Dashboards And Help
Ehsan Motazediyear.
Gail LucasOkay. Thank you, Ison. Thank you, Juliana, for joining us today. This is all very valuable information. Please remind our viewers and our listeners how we find those dashboards. Tell us where they are again, Juliana. Sure.
Juliana de SouzaSo when you go to the DPS website on the very first page, just scroll down a little bit. It's going to be on the right. Um, I believe the title is DPS dashboards. And you find three links, one link to each dashboard. Okay.
Gail LucasAgain, thank you very much for joining us today. All very valuable information. Thank you. Remember, we are here to help you, our customers, succeed. It's important to know when to get a permit and why you need one. It's also important to know how long that's going to take you so that you can plan your project accordingly. If you have any questions about permitting or permits inspections, you can reach us at our Customer Service Center, MC311 or 240-777-0311. Or you can come by our office at 2425 Reedie Drive. We're on the seventh floor and we're here Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 o'clock p.m. And there's always someone here that you can talk with in person. Our website is another great resource for finding information about permits and licenses and timelines. So please go to our website www.montgumerycountymd.gov forward slash DPS. Got an idea for a topic or a question for an upcoming podcast? We want to hear from you. Email your ideas and questions to dps.podcast at montgomerycountymd.gov. Until next time, I'm Gail Lucas. Remember, DPS is your project partner.
Closing Message And Credits
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