Monikered the epicenter of Florida fun, Polk County has experienced record growth over the past ten years – more than 20% – with no signs of slowing down. The latest census data shows that the Polk County is one of the fastest growing counties between 2019 and 2020. With Florida’s sunny weather, a central location, and an affordable quality of life, it’s no surprise people are flocking to Polk County.
To help navigate this tremendous growth, Polk County is identifying and implementing innovative solutions to provide better government interactions both residents and the business community. To that end, Polk County has selected to work with OpenCounter to develop a streamlined permitting process and solidify its reputation as a top region to conduct business in Florida.
With OpenCounter’s online, self-service portals, users will have a single point of entry to research zoning, learn permitting requirements, and gather fee estimates. This will eliminate the need to visit or contact separate county departments to find answers to permitting questions. Polk County’s new permitting portals will also directly integrate with Accela ACA, giving users a complete, seamless permitting journey from discovery through issuance and compliance.
“Polk County is growing rapidly, and if we are going to capitalize on that momentum we need innovative solutions that make doing business easier,” said Benjamin Dunn, Building Director, Polk County. “We are really excited about how OpenCounter will serve as a wealth of information for the area, a resource to help navigate permitting, and a means of streamlining our business processes. We anticipate that both applicants and staff will see a great improvement in their overall experience and a greater number of businesses who are eager to work here.”
We’re excited to work with Polk County to finalize the portals over the next few months and watch the county accelerate economic development and become an even more attractive hub for businesses.
Read more about our work with Polk County.