Iowa City Launching New Land Management and Permitting Software

On June 23, the City of Iowa City will launch a new software platform aimed at improving customer service, transparency and innovation in land management, licensing and permitting. Called EnerGov, the software will replace the existing system that had been in place for nearly 30 years.

The new platform will improve efficiency by increasing the types of permits people can apply for online. Staff will also be transitioning applications, fee payments, requests for inspections, plan reviews and provide detailed permit status updates online. 

During this transition, customers will experience both short and long-term changes, including a new online self-service portal. This self-service portal is intended to replace paper and electronic application forms previously available on the City’s website for forms associated with Building Inspections, Urban Planning, Rental Housing Inspections, Zoning,   Site Plan review and Public Works. Most future communication with applicants will take place in a live online dashboard or by email. Access to the self-service portal requires a one-time registration process, which will be available on the June 23 launch date.  An email address is required to register. Permit searches and land development activity can also be used by the public without registering by email.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City will not be able to offer in-person training sessions for the customer self-service portal. However, several short tutorial videos will be available on the landing page of the self-service portal to assist users with the registration process and basic navigation of the system.  Anyone experiencing problems may contact the Neighborhood and Development Services Department for assistance at (319) 356-5230.

Currently, the City is migrating data and open permits from the previous system into EnerGov. During this content migration, customers may also see the following changes to available services:

• Processing of new applications may be slightly delayed, including the calculation and acceptance of fees and determination of comment dates.
• Inspections for existing open building permits will be scheduled through the existing call-in procedures during normal business hours until these existing permits are fully setup in the new software. Please continue to call (319) 356-5120.

The new EnerGov system will be available to the public and can be found at www.icgov.org/NDS. Here customers will see changes to payment options, the permit process, inspection scheduling, plan review markups and contractor requirements for permits.