Planning Department & Building Inspections Department Launch Self-Service Portal

Planning Department & Building Inspections Department Online Citizen Self-Service Portal

A recent online service allows residents and businesses to submit all building and trade permit applications and development-related plans online, as well as check the status of submitted items.

The new Citizen Self-Service (CSS) portal went live on April 17, 2020, and is available 24/7. Available to all residential and commercial customers, the service is free to use with no additional charges other than required permit fees.

This online self-service portal allows residents, contractors, and design professionals to apply for all plan reviews and permits administered by ACCGov’s Planning Department and Building Inspections Department without having to visit either department in person.

The Citizen Self-Service Portal allows anyone to apply remotely for all of the approvals needed for every project size from do-it-yourself backyard decks or fences to the largest industrial and commercial projects.

The Building Inspections Department annually processes an average of 3,700 permits, resulting in over 11,000 inspections. The Planning Department annually administers an average of 250 development plan submittals, 200 items heard by appointed review boards, and over 2,000 administrative permits and reviews.

Both departments have operated with limited public contact since mid-March when ACCGov moved to limited and remote operations services. Staff have continued to process applications and plan submittals while using CDC-recommended practices for paper handling. The implementation of the new CSS portal is an immediate solution to ensuring customer and staff safety during the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining a high level of service without sacrificing efficiency.

To use the online service, customers can visit www.accgov.com/planning or www.accgov.com/buildinginspections and click on the Citizen Self-Service Portal button links on the home pages and application portions of the websites.

At the new CSS website, customers will need to create a free account in order to submit and check the status of applications. No sensitive information is required.

Once the customer creates an account, they will have access to the following features:

Applying for plan reviews and zoning-related permits
Applying for building and trade permits
Monitoring the review status of submitted items
Viewing related application and review fees
Communicating with ACCGov staff regarding submittals and review status

Customers with questions or comments about the service can email CSSPortal@accgov.com or call 706-613-3515.

192 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County, 13 Deaths

The state Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) confirms 192 positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County with 13 deaths as of 7:00 p.m. on May 14.

Beginning May 11, the Daily Status Report is updated three times a day at 9:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. This change will enable more consistent reporting while still providing timely and actionable data.

The case tracker has recently been updated to a new format and provides additional county-level information, including the number of cases per 100,000 people (147.9 for Athens-Clarke County).

If you view the data, however, please be sure to check the area showing the definitions of the information presented. Some have different meanings than what you may expect.

The 13 deaths range in age from 60-98. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 and should always consult their healthcare provider if they are sick.

Stopping by instead of calling? Not right now.

Information Sources

The response to COVID-19 involves both rapid and extensive changes and also deliberate measures that take some time to consider.

Once official information is released from the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Northeast Georgia Health District, the State of Georgia government, or other local partners, we will report it on www.accgov.com/coronavirus and social media.

Additionally, this COVID-19 update newsletter will go out most days with new information primarily about the ACCGov response and plans. It may also include some local area information of note as space allows.