We will be installing the newest version of Accela in a test environment in the next couple of weeks. The ePermitting team will be testing extensively and if all goes smoothly we anticipate rolling it out to all of you in production early this spring. This version is reported to fix many issues as well as delivering improved functionality.​

On Dec. 1, 2020, a new feature was introduced to the Onsite module called Onsite Renewals where maintenance providers and property owners can submit annual inspection reports online for ATT systems and pumping records for holding tanks through the ePermitting website.  DEQ and county staff can also record and track the annual inspection reports in the back office.  There are also three new letters that can be generated and sent directly from Accela: 1) Letters to notify all certified maintenance providers across the state of the upcoming annual report due date; 2) Letters to notify to property owners of the upcoming due date for annual pumping records; and 3) Follow-up letters to notify property owners that their annual inspection report has not been submitted by a maintenance provider for the reporting year.
 
The Onsite Renewal feature was developed in partnership between the ePermitting Program and DEQ to create a better way for all participating Onsite agencies to track annual inspection reports.  14 out of our 17 Onsite agencies decided to participate and utilize this new feature.  We are excited to provide an online submittal process for a new community of users across the state and to provide more efficiencies for DEQ and our counties.

We have introduced an enhancement to the Planning Tracking record type in the Planning Module - a Custom Table for Trees that allows agencies to enter detailed information about Trees as well as the addition of some general application specific information related to Trees – see screenshots below.  This information, both Custom Table and ASI, can be used for application tracking only - or it can be further used to issue an actual Tree Permit via the Planning Workflow.   A submittal form is required to configure some custom dropdowns in the Custom Table for Trees.

Note:  an Application Type of "Trees" is highly recommended if you intend on issuing an actual Tree Permit.  This can be easily added through a helpdesk ticket request.

There are standard Tree ASI that are Model (not customizable).

​Then there is the Tree ASIT/Custom Table - in this Custom Table, there are two customizable dropdowns: Tree Application Type and Type of Tree. 

Step-by-step HOW TO instructions and the required submittal are available in the Kayako Knowledgebase.

Two new residential record types have been added to the Oregon Model – Dwelling Fire Sprinkler System (Standalone) which is the structural fire sprinkler system record type and Dwelling Fire Sprinkler System (Multipurpose) which is the plumbing fire sprinkler system record type.

These record types were developed in response to enhancement requests from many of our participating agencies. They are currently installed to Production for all full service Model agencies.  Dwelling Fire Sprinkler System (Standalone) was turned on for all agencies with the structural program and Dwelling Fire Sprinkler System (Multipurpose) was turned on for all agencies with the plumbing program. These record types are available through the back office and through ACA. Records initiated through ACA will come in as application only with the fees in a New status.

​Since the release of the new Oregon Inspector App in January there have been multiple updates to address issues that inspectors have helped to identify. Those updates have been announced via email, but as we all know we can miss those during our busy days. In an effort to ensure that inspectors have the most up to date version of the app we are happy to announce that all updates will now be available within the app on the menu. 

1. To check for updates at anytime touch the “Menu” option from the app  and then touch “Help”. 

​2. The Oregon Inspector App will minimize and your safari browser on your iPad or iPhone will open the Inspector App Help Page where you can find instructions on how to download and install your app along with announcements on app updates. Remember to always read the instructions before loading the newest version. 

A new version of the Oregon ePermitting Inspections Scheduling  app is available for iOS (v. 2.1) and Android (v. 2.4) for contractors and homeowners to download. Please spread the word to your customers to update the app on their devices. There are two new changes your customers will notice:

1. Previously, when inspections were rescheduled on the app, the inspection would auto-assign to “ORMOBILE” instead of the correct inspector in your agency. Now, rescheduling inspections will auto-assign correctly.
2. The Search screen now includes helpful text on how to search for the permit. We also added a link to the Participating Jurisdictions web page where all jurisdictions on the ePermitting System are listed so that users know if they can schedule their inspections using the app.

With so many agencies that have closed their offices to the public and referring customers to the ePermitting website, ePermitting has developed additional informational resources for customers on how to navigate the entire online ePermitting process.

You can provide the following link to your customers with any additional information you normally provide to them when directing them to ACA:
https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/epermitting/howto/Pages/index.aspx

If your agency has any questions about the website or the articles on the website send in a ticket to [email protected] and if any of your customers still need assistance they can still contact the Help Desk at 503-373-7396 and leave a detailed message and one of the ePermitting staff will call them back and walk them through the ACA site. 

Two new records types have been added to the Oregon Model – Master Electrical New [EM] and Master Electrical Renewal [EMR]. These record types were developed in response to enhancement requests from many of our participating agencies. They are currently installed to Production for all full service Model agencies and will be turned on for all agencies with the Electrical Program as the required fees are verified.

Please note, these record types are NOT available in ACA due to the added intake requirements. 

Before using these, please take a moment and read about the setup of these record types and see some other related Master Electrical resources in our Kayako Knowledgebase located at:  http://orepermittinghelp.kayako.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/master-electrical---new-and-renewal.

The La Grande conference has been canceled. We plan to reschedule as soon as we can.

​The Oregon ePermitting Regional Training and User Conferences are designed to enhance the understanding of the ePermitting Accela system and improve processes and services that affect ePermitting in Oregon. The conferences are also designed to connect jurisdictional partners and build an ePermitting community. 

​If you are interested in attending the La Grande Conference please follow this link to provide feedback on what you would be most interested in learning more about and to register.

We will be using your feedback to tailor the training to best meet our agency customer needs, so please take a quick minute to let us know​.

If your agency has or is looking at locally adopting a specific ordinance related to the recent OSSC changes, ePermitting can continue to accommodate those permit types where previously included in the Oregon Model.

A new release of the State Surcharge Backgrounder has just been released with clarification on these changes and how they relate to the State Surcharge .

Please contact Building Codes Structural Program Chief Tony Rocco at 503-373-7529, or our Statewide Services Manager Warren Jackson at 503-373-7755 – for any and all questions related to these recent code changes.  ePermitting can assist with questions related to record types, fees, etc. and other system issues.

We are experiencing some issues with the tool we use to load the data and are unable to load new APO (Address Parcel Owner) files at this time. We are working closely with Accela and will keep you posted.

Download instructions are available here.
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The new iOS Oregon Inspector App will be available for download on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The app will be available for iPhone and iPad devices at launch with an Android version available at a future date. We have worked with CityGovApp to create an alternative to the current Accela Inspector App to allow for Oregon customization, faster bug fixes, and better support. The Accela app will still be available, but you will also have the option to use the Oregon Inspector App. In fact, both apps can be installed on your iOS device at the same time.

Live Online Training Available:
The Oregon Inspector App is similar in functionality to the Accela Inspector App, so the learning curve should not be too great. But for ease of use, Jerod Broadfoot from the ePermitting Program will be providing the following five live online training sessions using GoToMeeting next week:

• Monday, Jan.  13, 2020 (1 – 2:30 p.m.)
• Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020 (8 – 9:30 a.m.)
• Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020 (1 – 2:30 a.m.)
• Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 (8 – 9:30 a.m.)
• Friday, Jan. 17, 2020 (1 – 2:30 p.m.)

There is no need to register. Simply log on using this access information during any of the sessions that work best for you: 

URL: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/340464541
Phone: 872-240-3212
Access Code: 340-464-541

Please keep in mind that there is a GoToMeeting app available on the App Store if you would like to view the training sessions on your mobile device while in the field.

More Training Options:
In addition to the live online training, we have developed short how-to videos to view on your iOS device.  We also have a list of all new fixes and enhancements to the Oregon Inspector App, compared to the Accela Inspector App. This information and the how-to videos can be found on the Oregon Inspector App Help webpage. Lastly, please send us an email at [email protected] if your agency is interested in additional in-person training. 

Download the App:
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Oregon Inspector App cannot be found on the App Store.  Instead, you will download the app from a webpage. Download instructions are available here.

Apple no longer allows apps to be published on the App Store that are considered “internal use only”, like the Oregon Inspector App so you will be using this webpage for downloading the app going forward. There will also be a Mobile Device Management (MDM) file available for those agencies whose security policies require an MDM file.

A new enhancement was just released and available for your use.  Now, you can elect for Commercial Alarm or Suppression System records to be automatically closed out with a status of Finaled once the 8999 Final Fire inspection is positively resulted and there are no outstanding fees or inspections on the permit.  This is an optional feature and is disabled by default.  If your agency is interested in enabling this feature, please submit a helpdesk ticket by emailing [email protected].

The new Oregon ePermitting Inspector App will be released early 2020. This is a list of new features that you will find in the new Oregon ePermitting Inspector App as compared to the existing Accela Inspector App.  The Oregon ePermitting Inspector App will be available for iPhone and iPad devices at launch with an Android version to be available at a future date.  The existing Accela Inspector App will remain available as well.

We will send out an announcement as soon as the app is available for download from the app store and will also have training materials available.  Please send us an email at [email protected] if your agency is interested in in-person training.

Inspection Details:

• Fees. 
• Schedule, Reschedule, Reassign, Cancel, or Delete inspections directly from Inspection Details.
  
  

Record Details:

• Activities.
• Conditions of Approval.
• First Issued Date.
• Expiration Date.
• Related Records.
• Internal Comments – only displays those comments where “Apply to Inspections” checkbox is checked from the back office.
  
  

Inspection Summary Report:

• Pictures taken on the job site will be attached to the end of the report.
• Pictures can be renamed and reordered for the report.
• Enhanced annotation available for pictures.
• Date/time stamp embedded in the upper right corner of each picture attached to the inspection result.
• The email subject and content is more clear.
• Inspection Summary Report will include the date/time stamp and automatically attached to the record when submitting the inspection (doesn’t require multiple steps like the Accela Inspector App).
  
  

Searching:

• Ability to search for Scheduled, Pending, or Completed inspections.
• Ability to search for Records based on Status.
  ​

Other:

• Reference Conditions (Address, Parcel, Owner for example) now display in the app.
• Pending and Scheduled inspections can now be deleted for users with the correct permissions.
• “Remember Me” option on the login screen. 
• Easier to understand screens when Scheduling or Rescheduling inspections. 
• Result, Reschedule, and Reassign one or multiple inspections from the Job List. 
• All inspections from the Job List now plot on the map (this has been an ongoing issue in the Accela Inspector App). 
• Block Out dates on the inspection calendar are honored when Scheduling or Rescheduling inspections (this doesn’t work properly in the Accela Inspector App). 
• Condition banner displays more prominently. 
• Easy to see login information across the top (logged in user, agency, environment, app version). 
• Ability to review inspection details that were submitted to Accela database. 
• See the last inspector to result an inspection on the record. 
• Photos, Combined PDF, and the Inspection Summary Report will now attach to the “Record” instead of the “Inspection” so this allows these files to be available to the customer through Citizen Access. 
• Only a small amount of data can be modified through the app (Inspections, Contacts, Description of Work, Internal Comments, Documents).  This will resolve some of the ongoing issues we have seen with the Accela Inspector App.

A new enhancement to the courtesy expiration letters was just released and available for your use.  Currently, courtesy expiration letters are automatically sent to the Applicant and/or Owner by email first and if none exists, then a physical letter is generated for the agency to send in standard mail.  Now with this new feature, you can elect to send courtesy expiration letter manually in standard mail only. The letters will never be emailed.  This selection is turned OFF by default for all agencies and all modules.  If your agency is interested in enabling this feature for any module, please submit a help desk ticket by emailing [email protected].

On December 4, 2019, we made some minor corrections to the ACA permissions for certain document types for all OSM agencies.  You can find a list of all Document Types and their ACA permissions at this Knowledgebase Article.  The cells highlighted in blue were recently updated.

As a reminder, Super Techs and higher have the ability to override and modify ACA document permissions on a case by case basis.  This Knowledgebase Article describes how to use this override feature.

Sign up for one of our upcoming ePermitting Regional Training and User Conferences before they are full! Registration is required.

They are:
        Nov. 13-14 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., hosted by the City of Happy Valley
        Dec. 4-5 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., hosted by the City of Astoria

Attendees will learn about a wide variety of training and discussion topics related to ePermitting. These include: Creating Custom Filters Locally, Conditions of Approval, Activities, Inspections, Basic Ad-Hoc Reporting, Processing Refunds and Other Financial Transactions, Workflow, Advanced Tips and Tricks, and an open question-and-answer session to get the answers you’ve always wanted to know.

We will also schedule conferences in Eastern Oregon and Southern/Central Oregon this coming Spring.
​
For more information and to register, visit https://www.oregonepermitting.com/conferencestraining.html.

We are considering making some additions to the available record types in the Building Module and have created a short survey to gather agency feedback. The deadline to complete the survey is Nov. 22, 2019.

To participate in the survey, please click the link below or copy and paste the entire website address into your web browser.

http://dcbs.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_byo6wFTA8He9nKt

​Thank you for your participation in this important enhancement consideration!

Our first two conferences will be:
Nov. 13 - 14 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., hosted by the City of Happy Valley
Dec. 4 - 5 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., hosted by the City of Astoria

​We will also schedule conferences in Eastern Oregon and Southern/Central Oregon this coming Spring.

Training and discussion topics include: “My Filters,” Creating Custom Filters locally, basic Ad-Hoc Reporting, processing Refunds and other Financial Transactions, Workflow, Advanced Tips and Tricks, and an open Question and Answer Session to get the answers you’ve always wanted to know.

For more information and how to register, visit the 'Conferences/training' page.

​The code edition dropdowns for residential mechanical and commercial structural record types were updated Oct. 1, including defaulting those values to ‘2019’.

​We announced a new Oregon Inspector App coming soon.  We are continuing to work with our app developer on this project but they have run into technical issues.  We hope that this new app will be available for download by the end of the year.  An announcement will be sent out as soon as it is ready to use.  Stay tuned!

​The following workflow enhancements will go live in production on Tuesday, September 3rd:

1. New adhoc workflow task: ‘Issue New C of O at Completion’ – this adhoc workflow task can be added to notify staff that a new C of O should be issued at completion for addition/alteration records where that would be appropriate.
2. New adhoc workflow task: ‘Septic Authorization Required’
3. New scripting to update the ‘Permit Issuance’ task with a status of ‘Permit Issued’ when the permit has been issued “over the counter” from the ‘Application Intake’ task. Currently, while the Intake task and overall record status is updated to ‘Permit Issued’, the permit task does not get an entry of ‘Permit Issued’. 
4. Addition of ‘Infrastructure Review’ and ‘Site Review’ tasks as parallel tasks to Commercial and Residential Demolition record types.
5. Addition of ‘Completeness’ task with associated statuses to electrical, mechanical and plumbing record types so that agencies have the option to add an additional step for staff to prepare the permit for issuance following a review. A new status of ‘Approved for Completeness’ has been added to the review task which will move the record to the ‘Completeness’ task (and will not change the overall record status to ‘Ready to Issue’). Using the ‘Approved’, ‘Approved with Conditions’ or ‘Not Required’ status in the review task will skip the ‘Completeness’ task and go straight to the Permit Issuance task with a record status of ‘Ready to Issue’.
6. New task status of ‘Investigation Closed’ to ‘Investigation Process’  task in Investigation record types. To close record when agency decides not to or is unable to pursue the investigation.
7. Change to Onsite record type workflows. Replace ‘Construction Permit Site Visit Complete’ and ‘Repair/Alt Permit Site Visit Complete’ statuses with ‘Site Visit Complete’.
8. New task status of ‘Void’ for Inquiry records.
9. Addition of ‘Planning Review’ and ‘Completeness tasks’ to the Driveway Access record type (in the Building Module).

The ePermitting Program is working with an CityGovApps to create our own Oregon Inspector App.  Our goal is to create an alternative to the current Accela Inspector App  to allow for Oregon customization, faster bug fixes, and better support.  The Accela app will still be available, but you will also have the choice to use the Oregon Inspector App. The Oregon Inspector App is similar in functionality to the Accela Inspector App, so the learning curve should not be too great.  We are aiming to have the Oregon Inspector App available to download in early Fall 2019.  The app will only be available for iOS devices at this time.  There is a new feature that we are especially excited about: with the new app, an inspector can take pictures at the job site and add comments.  Then the pictures can be added to the Result Report and emailed directly to the customer.