What's more important for a permit office to have: timely permitting or effective enforcement?

[Eric]

In your experience, which is more critical for ensuring quality permitting administration? Is it timely permitting or effective enforcement? Why do you think so?

 

[Emily C]

Wow!
Excellent question. Effective enforcement is a tough one, because of things like staffing, and prioritizing. What is a top priority for the resident may not necessarily be for the staff (ie it is not a danger to life/safety, it's just an eyesore).
Timely permitting I would say is overall more important because there is state law that governs the timeline so jurisdictions need to follow it.

 

[Eric]

Wow!
Excellent question. Effective enforcement is a tough one, because of things like staffing, and prioritizing. What is a top priority for the resident may not necessarily be for the staff (ie it is not a danger to life/safety, it's just an eyesore).
Timely permitting I would say is overall more important because there is state law that governs the timeline so jurisdictions need to follow it.

I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say "enforcement" is more important. What's the value of the law, after all, if the regulated community doesn't have some sense that it could possibly be enforced? I think you really do need cases periodically popping up in the news where people are getting fined (or worse) for failing to follow the law and get their work properly permitted. Such cautionary tales often serve as the best and most effective form of public education about your permitting program.

Timely permitting is, of course, critical as well. Politicians often make permitting efficiency their main focus, which makes sense b/c permitting delays are so often a source of frustration for businesses and individuals. But at the end of the day, I'd say enforcement is what makes a permit program "real" in the eyes of the regulated public. People have to know that they need to get permitted and follow the law because, if they don't, they could get hit with real financial or criminal consequences.