The one-stop shop will be open during regular business hours for City Hall, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In an effort to simplify the sometimes hair-pulling experience of going to City Hall to apply for a license or permit, the city's new "one-stop shop" on the seventh floor of City Hall will be ready for business on Friday, Mayor Mitch Landrieu's office said Thursday. It will handle many types of land-use and other permits.
The one-stop shop is intended to streamline the process of getting permits and licenses by locating four key agencies -- the City Planning Commission, Historic District Landmarks Commission, Safety and Permits Department and Vieux Carre Commission -- on the same floor. The VCC was the last of the four to move in.
Mayors have talked about creating such an office for decades, but little was done until now. The one-stop shop was identified as a priority by the Customer Service Task Force of Landrieu's transition team after he was elected mayor in 2010. A 2012 survey polled more than 600 residents about their experience as permit and license applicants; the results were used to refine and enhance the new operation's goals.
The city also has launched a new website -- www.nola.gov/onestop -- for applying and paying for building and demolition permits. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new offices will be held in March.
"When we took office, we said that we wanted to modernize and improve city government," Landrieu said. "We are finding ways to be as efficient and effective as possible by focusing on the customer."
Additional enhancements will be rolled out in the coming months, including the expanded ability for customers to track requests, Landrieu said.
New Orleans City Hall
The one-stop shop, based in Room 7W03 at City Hall, will provide a single point of entry for applicants. It also is expected to facilitate greater cross-departmental collaboration. Staff members report that already is occurring.
Permitting and licensing agencies that remain offsite will be able to receive, review and process applications using a recently introduced computer tracking system, and with the benefit of new, updated digital zoning information, the administration said. Applications for other permits and licenses, including occupational licenses, will also be handled in the one-stop shop.
The principal objection to the new arrangement has come from leaders of French Quarter organizations, who wanted the VCC to stay in its offices at 334 Royal St. They said that location was more convenient for the French Quarter residents and business owners who deal with the commission, and that having the staff in the district they regulate has made it easier for them to observe and respond to illegal activities and construction.
The administration said one VCC staff member will be stationed at the Royal Street office on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. for "drop-ins and general questions." That staff member will not accept applications but "will be able to provide information about necessary documents required for certain permits." The administration said the new arrangements will allow for more inspections, an idea disputed by many French Quarter leaders.
In addition to the new joint location and software improvements, the city said, it is introducing other initiatives "to minimize wait times and visits to City Hall, while maximizing access to information for customers." They include:
- A queuing management system that tracks customer flow from arrival to exit in order to reduce wait times and improve communication with customers.
- A website, "One Stop Online," that features centralized, detailed information for every type of permit and license, including fees, required steps to obtain the permit, the issuing agency and renewal information.
- The new "One Stop App," currently in a testing phase with building permits, allows applicants to submit applications, download related documents, request inspections and query the status of their application electronically. This collaboration between the city's technology office and the software vendor, the Davenport Group, will be improved in response to public feedback.
By the end of this summer customers can also expect the following upgrades:
- Front-line permit and licensing staff who regularly participate in customer-service and cross-departmental training to ensure high standards of service.
- The ability to start, track and pay fees for business and special-event permit and license applications remotely through the one stop website.
- Acceptance of Visa, Master Card and Discover credit cards as payment for permits and licenses.
- Online access to zoning maps that will offer accurate information about allowed uses on properties, including approved conditional uses.
- Redesigned permit and license applications that provide clear and concise information about submission requirements.
- Regular customer surveys designed to guide improvements to the permitting and licensing processes.
- Consolidation of permit and license types to simplify the application process along with comprehensive permit and licensing guides for applicants.
The one-stop shop will be open during regular business hours for City Hall, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.nola.gov/onestop or call 504.658.7100 for more information.