By Scott Sherman | District 7 Dispatch

Recently, Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced the expansion of an online portal that will make the application process for single-family home improvements easier and more efficient.

The new residential feature is an expanded function of an online business website called OpenCounter, an innovative web portal that streamlines the process of locating, expanding, and getting permits for a business in the city.

Now, the program will be expanded to help homeowners, contractors, and builders with information on potential permits required for home-improvements. The program guides users through the permitting process such as building or repairing a secondary structure such as a pool or a deck; installing solar panels or graywater systems; and upgrading building exteriors like replacing a roof or windows.

By moving the permitting process online, the City is providing customized assistance 24 hours a day and giving city officials a new level of insight into economic trends. Since 2017, OpenCounter logged more than 75,000 site visits and launched more than 23,000 business projects, becoming a valuable one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs and residents.

I am proud that the city of San Diego continues to move services online and implement innovative ideas to better serve taxpayers and businesses. To access this new and convenient tool please visit: business.sandiego.gov.

If District 7 residents have other ideas on how the city can better improve services, please contact my office at 619-236-6677 or email at [email protected].

—San Diego City Councilmember Scott Sherman represents the District 7 neighborhoods of Mission Valley, Grantville, Allied Gardens, Del Cerro and San Carlos.