Salina County by the Numbers
20,998
Residents
158
Public Records Requests per Month
51
JustFOIA Users Across 59 Departments
$1,120
Estimated Monthly Revenue from Lien Requests
Contents
Hannah Stambaugh, Deputy County Administrator of Saline County, remembers her workday before MCCi Community Development.
“[Building permits] were operating from completely antiquated forms – a clipboard, pencil, and forms from the 1980s. It was all paper and it just wasn’t efficient.”
One time, she and the department’s sanitarians spent hours looking for documentation and researching the history of a septic system. All to answer a single question from a citizen.
That wasn’t an unusual occurrence. The paper system made it difficult and time-consuming to respond to questions and complaints.
And it also created a huge backlog of unbilled and uncollected accounts receivable. That was lost revenue that the County needed during a time of rapid growth.
Making the Switch
Eventually, Hannah and her team decided that enough was enough with these daily detours distracting them from their real work. She worked with IT to decide what permitting and licensing solution would be right for the county. So why did MCCi Community Development stand out to them?
Configurability
A huge factor for Hannah and the IT reps was that MCCi was more adaptable than the others. Competitors’ demos presented their product “as is.” But MCCi demonstrated a great product and a willingness to adapt the platform to Saline County’s specific needs.
“The other software companies seemed like a one-size-fits-all solution, with no flexibility. We had to mold to their platform,” Hannah said. “[MCCi] molded their platform to us and how we operate.”
Communication
Hannah shared that she particularly appreciated MCCi’s style of open communication.
“They really listened to us, to our pain points, and worked with us to alleviate those pain points,” she explained. “Even today, months after the implementation, [MCCi] is still checking in with us to gather feedback and offer support, and they’re always open to making whatever adjustments we need.”
GovBuilt continues to make sure that things are running smoothly and that the system is helping Saline County to operate at optimal efficiency.
Implementation
Transitioning from paper to digital systems was no small feat for Saline County. It required everyone to learn new ways of working: management, administrative staff, and field employees alike.
Throughout implementation, MCCi was committed to making sure everyone was delighted with the system.
“The people at [MCCi] have gone the extra mile to help the entire department with the transition. They helped us to think differently about how we work,” Hannah said.
No More Daily Detours
When she saw MCCi’s demonstration, Hannah’s initial thought was, “There’s no way it can be this easy.”
But she now acknowledges that MCCi did not disappoint, and was in fact, “mind-blowing” in delivering on its promises. Benefits the county has seen include:
90% Fewer Delinquent Payments
That backlog of accounts receivable soon became a thing of the past. The delinquency rate for inspection payments has dropped almost 90%. How? Largely because MCCi bills through an automated workflow that makes the process painless for both staff and contractors. “It’s all but eliminated getting our county counselor involved to send them letters,” Hannah said.
Reduced Data Entry and Manual Tasks
But Hannah isn’t the only one who’s seen benefits from MCCi. Environmental Health Specialist Seth Odette shared that the new system is saving him up to an hour of work per day.
“There can be 4-5 different forms that need to be completed for a single job out in the field. Our old paperwork process required us to write and rewrite the same data — name, address, etc. — on each form separately. With [MCCi], the information is typed in once and auto-populated into all necessary forms,” Seth said.
Other electronic systems he’s worked with required downloading forms, saving them, and attaching them before sending the finished permit. But Seth appreciates how he can instantly provide the customer with a finished product with a few clicks using MCCi’s email functionality.
Transparency and Internal Communication
Hannah has a dashboard that provides an instant overview of what’s going on: outstanding permits, pending jobs, and completed activities. The helpful Notes feature includes documentation that anyone with the right permissions can access.
Administrative Assistant Kathleen Malone-Crouch adds that this level of transparency allows them to see what everyone else has on their plate. “It has encouraged an appreciation for each other that perhaps wasn’t as prevalent before. I think we value each other more because of [MCCi],” she said.
Time for Other Projects
We spoke with Kathleen in a large, organized room with several workspaces, a long counter with coffee service and a sink for employee breaks, and a few filing cabinets lining the walls.
“This entire room used to be filled with boxes and boxes of paperwork,” Kathleen told us. “The MCCi software has saved me so much time that I’ve been able to enter 50 years of paperwork into the system.”
Digitizing these documents didn’t just free up workspace. It also makes their work more efficient. Instead of searching through boxes to find permitting and licensing documentation, County staff can access it all instantly from wherever they are.
Happy Citizens
MCCi Community Development’s search feature has helped streamline working with contractors, who don’t always know the address but can usually provide a name. Even with as little data as the first name, Seth is able to locate the correct job request, saving time and frustration.
Realtors and citizens are also happy with the system. That’s because their requests are fulfilled much faster than before—at a time when real estate is booming in the county.
What About You?
Need to provide better customer service, while drastically reducing your own hands-on time on permitting processes? Find out how much easier community development can be!
Fill out the form below to request a demo today.