MANSFIELD — Steve Risser said Tuesday he wants to make it easier for contractors and residents to interact with the Richland County building department.
That’s the stated goal of a project the Richland County Board of Commissioners approved to implement a contract with OpenGov to create an online permitting process that will help streamline the building process.
“It will offset some of the employees that we’ve lost in the past in the past few years and I think it’s a great step forward for us,” Risser told commissioners Tuesday before the approval.
“It’s going to allow us to respond quicker on processing time. Some workflow components will be automated,” said Risser, the county building department director.
“It will allow better tracking of inspection requests, inspection results (requiring) a little less human interaction. The contractors (and) the public will basically be able to see everything we see.”
Risser, assisted by county administrator Andrew Keller, requested proposals in April from companies to supply the web-based system.
Risser said Tuesday that 13 proposals were received, which were narrowed to two.
He said OpenGov, a national company, offered the best deal in terms of implementation cost, data migration cost, annual cost and implementation time.
“It was a tough decision. Both vendors put really good products together for us … really good proposals. I think OpenGov had a little bit of an advantage with their pricing, and that’s how we’ve proceeded,” Risser said.
(Below is a YouTube video from OpenGov showing a version of its building permitting, licensing and inspection software.)
The contract will cost $34,526 in 2026, which includes a 24-week implementation period. It also offers a series of potential one-year maintenance renewal agreements through 2031 at around $25,000 annually.
Risser said OpenGov could ask for a maximum increase of 5 percent each year. The annual renewals will require approval from commissioners each year.
He said the startup cost can be paid from his department’s 2026 capital budget. Annual costs after 2026 may need departmental budget changes.
When he spoke with commissioners in April, Risser said the software would “modernize our operations, provide some additional customer service, provide some availability of online services, streamline some workflows and help help balance some of the staff that we’ve lost here.”
Risser said the department in the last couple of years has lost a full-time building official, a full-time clerk and a part-time clerk’s position.
“Going farther back, from before my tenure back, in starting in January 2024, there was another full-time plans examiner position, which was a professional level position, as well, an architect’s position that was not backfilled, either,” Risser said.
“We’ve developed some budgetary costs, typically with these these scenarios, there’s an implementation cost, a setup cost and then there is an annual maintenance cost for software.”
He said it would be a cloud-based system that would be accessible through the internet,
“You can access it from anywhere, which also helps our IT staff, as well,” Risser said.
The new online portal will not prevent contractors or residents from conducting in-person or phone contact with the county building department. Though the portal allows for online payments, cash and checks will still be accepted, Risser said.
“The one thing that we will not change is the option to walk into our office and submit something on paper. Even though this is designed to be a paperless process, you can still bring in paper, you can still bring bring in cash, you can still bring in checks.
“We’re not eliminating any telephone service options. You can still call and ask. You can still call to schedule. It’s an additional (online) option. It’s an additional tool in the toolbox. We’re not changing out our our old tools that we have,” Risser said.
“We still deal with with quite a few contractors who like to do things on paper and like to hand us cash. That’s still an option.”
He told commissioners that OpenGov works with governments around the country, including Ohio, and has a proven track record.
“OpenGov has six Ohio cities already that are using it. Stark County, I believe, just signed on with them, as well. The city of Wooster is a big customer of theirs,” Risser said. “We had some conversation with Wooster on their installation, their configuration, and got some good feedback on that.”
WMFD-TV news director accepts Youth & Family Council leadership role
Commissioners on Tuesday approved the hiring of WMFD-TV news director Greg Kahl to head the Richland County Youth & Family Council.
Prior to going to work leading the news operation at the local media outlet in 2020, Kahl spent a decade with Richland County Children Services as a communication supervisor and later as a family team meeting facilitator, working with families with children in the child welfare system.
“I saw this as an opportunity just to use both of my passions — communications and just having a sincere passion for helping families and kids be the best that they can be here in Richland County,” Kahl said.
“I’m excited to accept the position.”
Kahl will be paid $30.99 per hour in his new role.
The Richland County Youth and Family Council serves as a collaborative leader, designed to streamline community services and support for children and families.
The council focuses on improving outcomes for youth through initiatives such as Help Me Grow early intervention services, service coordination, and, often, providing school-focused resources, ensuring families have access to necessary protection, support, and education.
