Speech and Testimony
County Executive Leggett’s Remarks at the ePlans and ePermits Announcement
Department of Permitting Services Office, 255 Rockville Pike, Second Floor Lobby
As prepared
Good morning. I am glad to be here to share some good news with you.
Just over two years ago, I made the announcement that our Department of Permitting Services would move to Internet-based services called ePermits and ePlans.
That transition to an electronic system has improved efficiency, reduced red tape and saved our residents and businesses time and money.
Montgomery County recognized the need to reform our permitting process to be more attractive to the current and prospective business community and to provide residents and commercial customers with a progressive, efficient process.
In 2014 we processed 286 permits through ePlans. In 2016 we have processed over 7,000.
In two years we have moved from a cumbersome process to a sharpened system that is easier, efficient and effective.
We have all benefitted from making things simpler.
We have made the permitting process 24 times better. Let me say that again.
That is not doubled, tripled or quadrupled, but it is an improvement of 24 times.
What this means is that we have saved our residents and our businesses money, fuel costs, vehicle miles and precious time.
We made it easier for the more than one million residents and nearly 40,000 businesses to access improved customer service by making our services available 24 hours a day.
Making it easier on businesses will ensure we are able to keep jobs in Montgomery County and makes the County more economically competitive.
Not only good for business, ePlans are good for the environment. An efficient electronic process replaces the need for paper and reduces the number of cars on the road, which cuts down on the emission of carbon monoxide.
I applaud the work of Diane Schwartz Jones and her staff. Her department has made major strides in streamlining operations, improving customer satisfaction and protecting the environment.
While moving to ePlans has been a successful implementation, we are not going to stop there we are going to continue to look for improvements and ways to trim time, costs, and to ensure we are working as efficiently as we can.
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Release ID: 16-073
November 17; 11:15 a.m.