Governor Sherrill touts permitting progress, debuts dashboard

Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Oct. 28 unveiled for the public the New Jersey Permitting Dashboard Pilot, giving residents a look at how projects move through state review at Permits.NJ.gov.

The dashboard’s debut highlighted progress in her administration’s effort to cut permitting delays, deliver faster reviews, and reduce costs for New Jersey families and businesses, a vow she made during her campaign for governor.

Since January, the Department of Environmental Protection has reduced its Freshwater Wetlands Letter of Interpretation backlog by 74% while the Department of Transportation has cut its Minor Access Permit backlog by 83% – including by resolving 523 stalled permits.

DEP has also reduced its Remedial Action Permit backlog by 25%, and DOT has cut its Major Access Permit backlog by 19%. That progress keeps the housing, energy, and infrastructure projects New Jersey needs moving forward.

“Slow permits mean higher costs for everyone, from families waiting on new homes to businesses ready to hire,” said Sherrill. “In less than a year, we’ve cleared backlogs, changed how agencies work, and moved critical projects forward. And because accountability matters, we’re opening the books so every resident can see the progress for themselves via the New Jersey Permitting Dashboard Pilot.”

New Jersey State agencies have reorganized their permitting offices and created strike teams to increase collaboration and efficiency within their permit processes.

DEP and the New Jersey Innovation Authority are now automating the dashboard to reduce manual data entry and allow significantly more projects to be added in the coming months.

“The new Permitting Dashboard is a significant step forward in Gov. Sherrill’s efforts to make state government more responsive and accountable to taxpayers,” said New Jersey Business & Industry Association President and CEO Michele Siekerka.

DEP is working to reduce its Water Quality Management Program backlog, DOT is continuing to reduce its Major Access Permit backlog, and DCA is mapping the municipal Uniform Construction Code process to identify further improvements. Each agency is in the process of developing shot clock timelines in line with the requirements of Executive Order 5, which will eventually be added to the public view of the permitting dashboard.

“A more efficient, transparent and predictable permitting process is essential to making New Jersey more competitive,” said Tom Bracken, president and CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “The progress made by the Permitting Governing Council, along with the launch of the public Permitting Dashboard, represents an important step toward creating a more business-friendly environment.”

Expanding on the Permitting Dashboard Pilot launched in June, the new public view at Permits.NJ.gov lets anyone follow the 10 pilot projects as they move through review at DEP, DOT, and the Department of Community Affairs.

For each project, the dashboard shows every permit that the project has applied for, the responsible agency, and progress through each step of the review process, from application to completeness review, technical review, and final decision, with dates showing when each milestone was completed.

Read the full story on ROI-NJ here.