The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has introduced a new labour-saving online program that will allow residents to obtain building permits electronically.

The new service makes it easier to accept permit applications and issue approvals, a staff report said.

Chief administrator Marnie Cluckie told The Lake Report in an email that it was too soon to know how many hours of staff labour will be saved, but she was optimistic it would mean “great time savings” to both staff and people applying for permits.

“Applicants save time not just by minimizing travel to town offices but also by reducing back-and-forth communication,” she said. 

She added the system allows people to check the status of their applications.

According to the staff report, the program also will be used to schedule building code inspections and take application payments. 

Cluckie called it a “one-stop shop” for applicants.

The e-permitting software, provided to the town by Cloud Permit, is being funded through a grant under the Ontario Municipal Modernization Program.

The town received a modernization grant of $122,366 in 2022 and budgeted $35,000 of it for the e-permitting program.