Lake County Gazette

Village of Mundelein issued the following announcement on Dec. 28.

The Village received an honorable mention award from the Lake County Municipal League for its new 1-2-3 Building Permit Program. The 1-2-3 program, which launched in February 2018, was awarded for its streamlined permitting process and simplified fee structure.

The new program aligns permit fees with the size of the project, thus making the permit process easier to understand for the customer and more cost-effective to administer by the Village. For larger remodeling alterations, additions, and new construction, a simple standard per square foot or per unit fee simplifies calculation and facilitates greater permit fee transparency.

The new fee structure is all inclusive, meaning permit calculations for electrical, plumbing, fire, and plan reviews are now all included in one fee per square foot for new construction, alterations and additions. The Building Department also established set fees for smaller projects, now called “minor” and “standard” permits that are either $35 or $70 depending on the size of the project.

A satisfaction survey was conducted for those who applied for a permit under Mundelein’s new 1-2-3 Building Permit Program in 2018. Some of the program's survey success metrics, which contributed to its award, include the following:

• 97% responded that they were satisfied with the 1-2-3 Building Permit Program.
• 95% preferred Mundelein’s new 1-2-3 Build Permit Program to Mundelein’s previous building permit process.
• 85% of respondents perceived Mundelein’s 1-2-3 Program as more convenient than permit programs in other towns.

Additionally, by reducing the number of fees associated with a building permit from 15 to 1, the number of required questions on the application was reduced by 65 percent, and the two applications for major and minor permits were able to be consolidated into a one page application. This reduction in questions and the consolidation of forms provides for more efficient processing for staff and greater convenience for the permit customer.

The Lake County Municipal League Innovation Awards program recognizes municipalities that have developed strategic programs to solve municipal challenges and increase the effectiveness of local government. The awards program also facilitates an exchange of information and experiences to build capacity for municipalities and jointly celebrate successful programs that could benefit other communities.

Original source can be found here.

Source: Village of Mundelein