ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The City of Allentown is introducing a new licensing and permitting system to streamline the process of applying and paying for and submitting licenses, permits and land development reviews online instead of on paper.
In preparation, there will be a service disruption this week, including the three-day closure of the 3rd and 4th floors of City Hall and the 3rd floor of Bridgeworks from April 26 to April 28.
Additionally, city bureaus include Building Safety and Standards, Environmental Health, Planning and Zoning, Engineering, Sweep, Fire and Revenue and Audit (limited to licenses). During this time, cash will not be accepted, and payments can only be made by check or money order.
The system, Energov, is set to go live on May 1 and will be rolled out in phases all month.
The system also offers real-time application tracking, providing applicants with greater transparency on the status of their submissions.
In addition, the system will also expand the city's ability to accept all major debit and credit cards for city-related fees both in-person and online.
Added to the cost of the document, there will be a 2.9% convenience fee and a 25-cent transaction fee for every payment made on a debit or credit card, according to a written release by Genesis Ortega, communications director for the city.
The move to Energov, according to the city, is a significant step forward for the City of Allentown, enabling it to improve efficiency and enhance customer experience.
