Permit Processing Assistant

What this assistant does

Find gaps before a permit reaches the review queue

The Permit Processing Assistant supports Planning Department staff at the intake stage. It compares each application with the department-approved document checklist for that permit type and prepares a clear list of missing or uncertain items. It checks administrative completeness; staff still assess planning requirements, technical adequacy and the permit decision.

From application to a staff-ready packet

1. Receive and identify. Read the application and uploaded documents from approved SBS Portals records. Identify the permit type and property reference, then select the applicable checklist. Unclear permit types go to staff.
2. Check the application fields. Flag missing contact details, site information, project descriptions or reference numbers required by your checklist. Highlight inconsistencies between the application and supporting documents.
3. Compare the document list. Check for required plans, forms and supporting records, including conditional documents where the configured rules clearly apply. Requirements come from your department, not from assumptions made by the assistant.
4. Flag document issues. Identify missing attachments, unreadable or password-protected files, and possible missing pages or versions. Finding a plan file does not establish that its contents satisfy technical or code requirements.
5. Prepare a missing-item draft. Produce a requirement-by-requirement checklist with file references and unresolved questions. Draft a request for the missing information for staff to review before it is sent.
6. Recheck and route. When corrections arrive, recheck the packet, retain earlier findings, and route it to the appropriate staff queue in SBS Portals. A packet with no identified gaps is ready for staff review, not automatically accepted or approved.

Example: a required site plan is absent

An application arrives with its form and project description, but the department checklist requires a site plan that was not uploaded. The assistant identifies the missing item, links it to the checklist requirement, and drafts a request for the plan. Staff verify the finding and approve the communication. After the applicant supplies the file, the assistant rechecks its presence and readability; staff evaluate whether the plan is adequate.

How it works with SBS Portals

Configure access to permitted application fields and attachments, attach the completeness checklist, and route missing-item cases through the existing SBS workflow. Staff approve applicant communications and official status changes. The assistant uses only the access and update permissions your department authorizes.

Start with one permit type

Your team supplies the current checklist, conditional document requirements, sample applications, routing rules and escalation contacts. Test complete, incomplete and unusual submissions before launch. Staff approve checklist revisions and resolve requirements that depend on interpretation.

Can be configured to

• Identify permit type and select an approved intake checklist
• Check required application fields and property references
• Compare uploaded files with required and conditional document lists
• Flag missing, unreadable or uncertain attachments
• Prepare a checklist with evidence and missing-item notes
• Draft information requests for staff approval
• Recheck corrected applications and route packets in SBS Portals