Piloto maintains that Oncor’s rates are the lowest of any investor-owned utility in Texas and will remain so even if the re- quested increase passes. “Even with significant growth in custom- ers and needed infrastructure, we still re- main focused on making efficient and cost-effective investments,” Piloto said. ▼ CITY HALL PAY TO PLAY? to be “the best in the region.” But Hoffman, the founder and CEO of Hoffman Homes, said all that changed when the pandemic hit. Once the pandemic reached Dallas, permit A processing was moved online. Plus, staffing shortages led to a massive backlog of building permits, meaning many projects were delayed and became pricier across the city. Around the same time, the city sus- pended what’s known as the Gold Card Pro- gram. The program was available to builders who had enough experience with the city and the work they needed permits for. Builders in this program could get their per- mits in a matter of hours. “If you did a certain amount of volume and number of builds in the city, you would qual- ify for this training and make sure that you as a builder know how to submit a building per- mit application so it could be rapidly re- viewed and accepted,” Hoffmann explained. It was a good program, he said, but when the pandemic happened, the city said it no longer had the resources to continue imple- menting it. “They just couldn’t do it,” he said. Now, the city is proposing a new initiative called the Rapid Single-Family VIP Pro- gram, which also aims to help speed the per- mitting process along for a select group of people hoping to build single-family homes. What determines if you’re a VIP in the pro- gram? Whether or not you can pay the pro- gram’s fee. If you can pay the fee to be a part of this program, you could potentially get your permit the same day you applied for it. The city “knows the economics,” Hoff- mann said. “They know we’re spending money to keep a project waiting, and they know we’re a captive audience and, you know, they’re going to capitalize on it.” For those who can afford it, the program is an option, Hoffmann said. If it came down to it, Hoffmann explained, he would enroll in the program to move a project along. Still, he hopes the city also has plans for the peo- ple who may not be able to pay the fee, and those whose projects have been stuck in the permitting backlog for weeks or months. “We welcome [the Rapid Single-Family VIP Program],” Hoffmann said. “We’re not ad- verse to it. I would like to see the guys that are stuck in the system who are lost, whose permits are in the process of seven, eight, ten weeks, that they go looking for them and help them. Take care of them first.” Laughing, Hoffmann added: “I think they’re trying to serve us. Maybe they feel like the guys that can afford to pay for the THE CITY IS PROPOSING NEW FEES FOR BUILDERS WHO WANT THEIR SINGLE-FAMILY BUILDING PERMITS IN A TIMELIER MANNER. BY JACOB VAUGHN s far as Alan Hoffmann sees it, when it came to residential projects, the city of Dallas’ permitting office used permit fee are going to be a little more noisy. I don’t know.” Phil Crone, executive director of the Dal- las Builders Association, had similar feelings about the proposed program. “It’s great in theory and will give a few people an oppor- tunity to move to the front of the line and perhaps get their permit done in hours, op- posed to the weeks or months that it’s taken,” he said. “I think that’s going to be helpful for those fortunate enough to use it.” But he isn’t sure it will help the people who really need it. Crone said, “It’s nice if we can kind of pick a few and move them forward, but at the same time, I’d rather give the ones that are stuck a helping hand.” He’s heard the city argue that the Gold Card Program wasn’t equi- table and that the Rapid Single-Family VIP program is a more equitable alternative. He’s not sure how the new program, which he likened to a pay-to-play system, is supposed to be more equitable when there’s a good number of people who can’t pay-to- play. “I love the system that we had and I’m not saying that has to be the only way to do it,” Crone said. But he thinks it should at least be objective, rather than depending on whether you have enough money. Despite whether or not this program is right for Dallas, Hoffmann said there have been improvements in the permitting pro- cess in the last month. This includes the hiring of city’s new chief building official Andrew Espinoza, an up- dated version of the software processing on- line permit applications and pop-up weekend permitting events to help address the backlog of applications. Many of the recent improve- ments, Hoffmann said, can likely be attrib- uted to Espinoza, who was hired to fill the position in June. Reached for comment, Espi- noza said the ability to charge a fee for expe- dited permitting services has been baked into the city’s code for some time now. For exam- ple, the city’s Express Plan Review Service of- fers expedited permitting for commercial projects for a fee. Also part of the city manag- er’s proposed budget, this service could be expanded to include more projects. The Rapid Single-Family VIP Program is essentially a smaller version of the Express Plan Review Service, except that it applies exclusively to single-family homes. While the city has been providing some form of this, Espinoza said they’ve never really ad- vertised it or extended it to more than just commercial developments. “I think by in- cluding [the Rapid Single-Family VIP Pro- gram], we’re specializing our services based on your specific needs,” he said. He said that’s what makes it equitable. “The equity piece fits in nicely because we’re providing services tailored to some- one’s specific project timelines,” he said. “Some folks may say ‘Well, I’m OK with two or three weeks’ or ‘I’m OK with 30 days.’ But someone else may say ‘Hey, I need it today. What services to you have available?’” That person may get what they need out of the Rapid Single-Family VIP Program. But Es- pinoza stressed that this is just one of many ap- proaches he and his team are considering to beef up permitting in Dallas, and make sure things get built in the city in a timely manner. “This is not the only project that we’re trying to roll out,” he said. “We’re actually launching a few initiatives to reduce turnaround time.” Valid thru 8/21/22 and not valid with other offers or promotions. Best of Dallas 2022 Vote For Us Voting Starts 8/1 SunstoneFIT.com/trial-month B E A D I N G D R E A M S seriously unique beads beads • pendants • diamond charms please join us for live sales merchanDise in sTore neW noW! Unique Clothing, Costumes, Lingerie, Rave Wear, Swimwear, Shoes & More! 2152 W. Northwest Highway, Suite 100 972-402-8208 • electriqueboutique.com BEST BEST HAIR SALON DALLAS OBSERVER 17-TIME WINNER EXPERIENCE D MAGAZINE BEST IN THE USA HARPER’S BAZAAR sTop in anD see aLL The neW gooDies! 214.366.1112 • beadingdreams.com 5629 W. 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