Tracy Press

Online permit updates and applications are one of the new features soon to be offered by Tracy's engineering department.

Tracy’s engineering department will get a high-tech revamp and customer service training in an attempt to make it more attractive to clients, the city announced this week.

The city is expected to buy new technology that by January would allow customers to check permit status and apply for them online instead of in person or over the phone. Clients could also schedule inspections online, check the city’s Web site for real-time project status and use credit cards to pay for permits.

The Development and Engineering Services Department also plans to conduct an internal review of its policies and practices to find out how it could improve.

The planned upgrades come on the heels of the newly created supervising building inspector position filled by Scott Owens in February this year.

It also comes after the state earlier this year included parts of Tracy in an enterprise zone that qualifies new businesses for tax breaks, department head Andrew Malik explained in a statement.

Officials hope the new enterprise zone will help lure new companies to Tracy.

The department will host a series of public meetings August through September to hear what local businesses have to say.

The first will be Aug. 7 with the city’s northeast industrial developers, according to the statement.

For information: 831-6400.

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