Santa Monica, California Launches Accela E-Government Services to Citizens

Public access portal allows citizens and businesses to apply and pay for permits online 24-7

San Ramon, Calif. (March 15, 2007) Accela, Inc., the leading provider of government enterprise management software solutions, announced that Santa Monica, California has implemented Accela Citizen Access™ as the city’s new public access portal for providing contractors, development professionals, and homeowners access to many government services online.

Santa Monica has been using another Accela solution, ‘PERMITS’ Plus®, for several years to centralize and automate its permit management activities. The addition of Accela Citizen Access increases access to the services provided by the Planning and Community Development department, and allows citizens and businesses to apply and pay for permits, check the status of permits, schedule inspections, and check inspection results directly from the Internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The permits offered by the city are typically processed by mail or in-person, so the new online system provides citizens with an option that greatly expedites service to them and streamlines operations for city staff.

“We are excited about expanding our services to our citizens,” said Andy Pong, systems analyst for the city’s IT division. “Making services available online expedites the permitting process for them, and helps us increase efficiency and measurably enhance the level of service we can provide.”

“As citizens are becoming accustomed to doing more business online, they have come to expect the same kinds of services from their government agencies,” stated Maury Blackman, Accela’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Accela Citizen Access allows agencies to communicate and coordinate more effectively with citizens, saving everyone both time and money.”

About Santa Monica
Approximately 100,000 residents make their homes in this 8 1/2-square mile coastal city located in western Los Angeles County. Santa Monica is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles except for the Pacific Ocean to the west. The city joins dozens of other communities in California utilizing Accela solutions, including the cities of Sacramento, Chula Vista, Yorba Linda, Visalia, and Santa Rosa; and counties of Los Angeles, Sacramento, Sonoma, Napa, Contra Costa, and San Bernardino. For more information about Santa Monica, visit http://www.smgov.net/home/index.asp.