Merced County’s assistant director of community and economic development, Nicole Ubbink, joins hosts Noam Reininger and Dustin Haisler to share how a rural California county transformed its permitting and land management systems into a unified digital platform. By breaking down silos and embracing modernization, her team cut permit turnaround times by 72% — from 185 days to just 52. Ubbink discusses how collaboration, transparency and a “one team, one dream” mindset reshaped internal operations and customer service. This episode reveals how small counties can use technology to deliver big results for their residents.
SHOW NOTES
Here are the top-five takeaways from this episode:
- Unified Departments on One Platform Combined planning, building and environmental health into a single digital ecosystem, eliminating silos and improving collaboration.
- Digitized Citizen Services
Enabled residents to apply for permits, upload documents and make payments online — reducing manual processes and improving transparency. - Leveraged Data for Smarter Decisions
Used Accela’s reporting tools to track staff time, analyze revenue streams, and inform policy and fee-setting with real metrics. - Built a Culture of Customer Care Implemented “teaching sessions” and one-on-one support to help residents adopt new tools, ensuring no one was left behind.
- Measured Real Results
Reduced average residential permit turnaround time from 185 days to 52 days, dramatically improving service delivery.
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