Merced County, CA (October 16, 2025) — Merced County is in the middle of a sweeping modernization of its permitting system that county leaders say is already cutting wait times and making the process more transparent for residents and builders. In a new episode of Government Technology’s “Civic Innovators” podcast, Nicole Ubbink, the county’s assistant director of Community and Economic Development, describes how a unified digital platform and culture change have reduced average permit turnaround by roughly 72%, about 185 days to 52, by breaking down departmental silos and standardizing workflows.
Just a few years ago, the county’s permitting was spread across multiple departments with heavy reliance on paper and manual handoffs. These conditions slowed reviews and left applicants guessing about the status. In 2021, supervisors moved to consolidate permitting activities for Planning, Fire, and Public Works/Building under the Community and Economic Development department, an organizational change that set the stage for a one-stop approach and paved the way for adding Environmental Health processes over time.
In 2023, the county signed a 10-year software and services agreement centered on Accela to digitize permitting and land-management functions, including public-facing services, back-office workflow, and data sharing among departments. Public reporting placed the deal at about $6.2 million across software and professional services, with implementation partners including Granicus (for web experience) and Velosimo (for integrations).
Today, residents and contractors can submit and track applications online through the county’s Accela Citizen Access portal rather than relying on paper packets and in-person status checks. The county’s stated goal is 24/7 access for searches, submissions, and updates, aligning with the “one team” model highlighted in the podcast.
For Merced residents this means fewer trips to county offices, clearer expectations about timelines, and a more predictable path for home projects and commercial development.
County officials describe the overhaul as a long-term project. The early progress, such as faster permit approvals, came from streamlining steps and removing delays. The next goals are to connect more data systems and continue staff training so the improvements last. The main focus remains creating one coordinated process instead of separate departments.
