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The West Virginia Department of Administration is currently developing an online portal to consolidate its business permitting process into a single webpage. Now, it seeks feedback from stakeholders with insight into the process.
On Friday, the department filed a formal request for information (RFI) with the West Virginia Purchasing Division regarding the new portal. This first phase of the project authorizes the department to collect written feedback from potential users before development.
Comments submitted under the RFI will be publicly accessible, according to a Friday press release from the governor’s office. This information “will help shape the technical and functional requirements for the future permitting system,” the press release said.
Nicknamed the “One Stop Shop,” the portal is to be modeled after a similar online tool in Pennsylvania.
The West Virginia Legislature authorized its creation in April with the passage of House Bill 2002, a piece of legislation introduced on behalf of Gov. Patrick Morrisey. Morrisey signed the bill into law on April 30.
“Having a simplified permitting process is going to help businesses move to West Virginia and get started here quickly,” Morrisey said in the press release.
Morrisey has named economic development a key focus of his first year as governor. Friday’s announcement comes on the heels of a new initiative Morrisey announced Thursday to expand job opportunities in the state through “targeted investments” in select companies.
“Speed is a priority in my economic development strategy,” Morrisey said. “The one-stop permitting portal is going to quickly create more jobs and opportunities for West Virginians.”
The new portal will include mechanisms to submit applications and permits, track submissions, process payments, renew permits and communicate with state agencies, according to the governor.
Eric Householder, secretary of the Department of Administration, described the project as “transformative” for the state.
“Our objective is to replace outdated and fragmented systems with a user-friendly platform that simplifies the process for applicants and allows agencies to more effectively manage, track and respond to permit requests,” Householder said in the press release.
The department urged “qualified vendors with experience in enterprise permitting systems” to submit written feedback through the state’s vendor self-service portal.
“By engaging with vendors early through the RFI process, we can gain a clearer understanding of what technologies are available and how they can be tailored to fit West Virginia’s unique permitting environment,” Householder said.