LANSING – In June, Michigan will be the first state to implement a completely Web-based permitting process expected to help process 220,000 permits per year.

The web site is the first tangible benefit of a process to streamline the permitting process for businesses, which will begin with the 32 permits and licenses associated with a manufacturing facility.

The news came from a briefing Friday by David Hollister,
Department of Labor and Economic Growth Director David Hollister said Friday.

The new service will provide a single interactive source for 14 Web-based permits and provide links to 32 more at the department and the Department of Environmental Quality.
The goal of the Michigan Timely Application and Permit Service, which Governor Jennifer Granholm announced in January, is to reduce the time it takes to go through the permit and licensing process.

Hollister, in a briefing to business leaders, said the initial Web offering promises to reduce to 183 days, from 465, the time it takes to process permits for manufacturing facilities.

“This single point of entry gains access to legacy systems already in place and provides a central point to bring together licensing and permitting information into a single, comprehensive station rather than the multitude of Web sites in our system,” said Henry Green, director of the program and director of DLEG’s Bureau of Construction Codes and Fire Safety.

The services available through the program this summer are expected to include sections to help determine what permits are necessary, a shopping cart for all permits, on-line payment of permit fees and connectivity to legacy systems.

It will also offer the ability to monitor the status of an application or permit, help manage overall permit/license packages for complex projects, enable businesses to enter data once with the site then directing relevant information to multiple state agencies, the ability to search application and permit information, and link to local permits and licensing information.

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