Explore every episode of the podcast Civic Innovators

What does it take to go fully paperless overnight?

In 2017, Mesa, Arizona eliminated paper from permitting, planning, and licensing entirely. No phased rollout. No fallback. Just a full commitment to digital transformation.

In this episode, Heather Bassford, Development Services, and Samuel Small, Senior Software Engineer, from the City of Mesa join Accela CEO Noam Reininger and eRepublic's Joe Morris to share how they pulled it off, and what they'd tell every other city still on the fence.

What you'll hear:

• How Mesa built trust with contractors, developers, and mom-and-pop applicants
• How they cut right-of-way permit processing from 15 minutes to 15 seconds
• Why low-code tools let their team respond to new regulations in days
• How data democratization changed the way leadership makes decisions

If your city is weighing a big digital move and wondering how to manage the change, this episode is for you.

Learn more at accela.com.

What does it take to modernize one of America's most complex permitting systems and make it work for residents?In this episode of Civic Innovators, we visit Cleveland, Ohio, where Mayor Justin Bibb's Cleveland Era agenda is transforming how the city delivers services. With nearly $2 billion in annual construction permitting and projects requiring review from up to 16 departments, Cleveland faced a real challenge: too much paper, too little visibility, and a process that left residents and businesses in the dark.Kimberly Roy Wilson, Director of Information Technology, and Sally Martin O'Toole, Director of Building and Housing, share how Cleveland moved its permitting and plan review to the cloud, deployed a citywide electronic plan room, and built real-time KPI dashboards that drive daily decisions, from clearing backlogs to making the case for additional staff capacity.The result? A transparent, data-driven process that holds both government and applicants accountable and keeps Cleveland moving at the speed of business.Learn more at accela.com/podcast.

On this episode of Civic Innovators, we spotlight how Patrick Miner and Butte County are redefining disaster recovery and community resilience by leveraging Accela’s scalability and automation. Patrick shares his firsthand experience rebuilding after catastrophic wildfires, the challenges of operating with minimal resources, and how technology enables small teams to deliver big results for their communities.Learn more at accela.com/podcast.

On this episode of Civic Innovators, we spotlight how Memphis/Shelby County’s Develop901 initiative is transforming development management, connecting departments, and driving efficiency through Accela. Nidia Logan-Robinson shares the story of building a common platform, fostering partnerships, and making it easier to do business in the region.

Learn more at accela.com/podcast

When Eric Landon, Growth Management Director for Citrus County, Florida, faced 90-day permit delays and mounting constituent complaints, he knew something had to change. But instead of rushing into a technology solution, he did something radical: he got in pickup trucks with contractors and asked end users what they actually needed.

In this episode of Civic Innovators, hosts Noam Reininger, CEO of Accela, and Joe Morris, Chief Innovation Officer at Government Technology, sit down with Eric to unpack how Citrus County transformed their permitting operation—processing 20,000 permits and 80,000 inspections annually—into a customer-centric model that launched with barely a complaint.

You'll learn:

• Why Eric believes they're not a building department, but a customer service department
• How involving stakeholders in system selection turned potential adversaries into teammates
• The "soft opening" strategy that lets contractors beta test the new system
• How offering multiple learning paths (YouTube videos, classroom training, and white-glove concierge service) prevented launch chaos
• Why silence from elected officials became the ultimate measure of success
• What's next: expanding service requests across all county departments for true transparency and accountability

This is a masterclass in change management, stakeholder engagement, and putting people before technology. Whether you're facing your own digital transformation or looking to improve constituent services, Eric's practical approach offers a roadmap for making it work.

Learn more at accela.com.

On this episode, we will spotlight how the City of San Diego built a successful IT-business partnership to deliver effective technology solutions. Elyse Lowe and Jonathan Behnke join us to discuss how collaboration, shared leadership, and strategic alignment are driving better outcomes for all stakeholders. 

In this episode of Civic Innovators, we sit down with Nicole Ubbink, Assistant Director of Community and Economic Development for Merced County, California, to explore how the county achieved a 72% improvement in permits processed within just 90 days of launching a new digital platform.

Merced County recently unified its entire permitting and land management operations—moving to 100% online submittals and payments, streamlining internal workflows, and breaking down departmental silos that had existed for years. This transformation didn’t just modernize operations—it reshaped how staff work, how citizens engage, and how departments collaborate.

Learn more at accela.com/podcast.

Cities and builders are collaborating to streamline complex processes, reduce delays, and meet the challenges of modern development head-on.

In this episode, join Accela CEO Noam Reininger and eRepublic President Dustin Haisler as they speak with JC Hudgison, Chief Building Official at the City of Tampa, and Chris Smith, Vice President of Forward Planning at Lennar Homes, about their groundbreaking partnership that has reduced permit review times by 30% and created a scalable model for urban development.

Learn more at accela.com.

What Happens in Vegas… Can Transform Your Agency

Discover how Clark County CIO Bob Leek is transforming government services through strategic vision, platform integration, and a $40M investment in modernization. Learn how Accela helps scale civic innovation to meet the demands of one of the nation’s largest counties—and how any agency can follow the same path to success.