The California Department of Transportation has decided to use an off-the-shelf solution instead of building a customized system for its electronic system issuing encroachment permits.
According to a project update, Caltrans this summer was seeking approval of a Special Project Report from the Department of Technology in order to use an existing application from Infor currently in use by Caltrans. The department is re-scoping the project’s schedule because of the new approach.
The project has a long history, having been initiated in 2010 and awarded via a contract in 2012 that is no longer in place. But it goes back even further.
“In 2006, the Caltrans Office of Audits and Investigations completed a statewide audit of the Encroachment Permits program. The published findings documented that there were eight areas of deficiency preventing Caltrans from recovering the actual costs of administering billable permits. The Division of Traffic Operations explored many options to address the audit findings as quickly as possible and concluded that an automated solution would address the majority of the audit findings,” Caltrans said in its 2008 IT capital plan.
A modernized system could enable Caltrans to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars – if not millions – from permit holders who have not paid the fees, the department said.
The Encroachment Permits program “reviews all requests from utility companies, developers, volunteers, nonprofit organizations, etc., wanting to conduct various activities that encroach upon the Caltrans highway right of way,” whether it’s construction, Adopt-a-Highway or hosting a parade. “Encroachments are considered to be any type of structure or special event which is in, under, or over any portion of the highway.”
Caltrans, according to 2008, statistics, issued 14,000 encroachment permits each year and Caltrans must process them within 60 days as prescribed by the California Streets and Highways Code.
“Surveys and interviews with Caltrans’ external customers (applicants and permitees) show that they are not satisfied with the duration of the permit review, the inability to track an application once it has been submitted, or the manual processes associated with completing and submitting an encroachment permit application,” the 2008 Caltrans plan said.
The new system, when built, will replace the legacy Encroachment Permit Management System (EPMS), which does not have automated workflow and uses Lotus Notes.
The project, currently budgeted at $2.8 million, is 30 percent complete, according to state records.
