January 11, 2010

Agencies Answer Gov. Markell's Challenge with New 60 Day Turnaround Policy for Majority of Permits at DelDOT and DNREC

Office of State Planning will now report up to Governor.

Markell: "A significant step forward to make Delaware a better place to build a business and raise a family"

DOVER, DE - Governor Jack Markell today announced that two key agencies will now provide answers to most permit applications within 60 business days. The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) will be required to meet or beat this new timeframe while maintaining the rigor and responsibility of state regulations.

"Businesses want to create jobs in places with a great standard of living - strong schools, a great environment and responsible, reliable statewide planning. Our new permitting process maintains the same rigor but - whether the answer is yes or no - with faster results," Markell said “We’re making the permit process more responsive because we need to make it easier for our state's businesses to decide how and when to invest. A faster, fairer permitting process enables us to compete more effectively to attract employers to Delaware.”

Permits issued by these agencies are critical for business growth. Other key changes include improvements to the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS) process and the establishment of single points-of-contact for applicants to facilitate communication.  These and other changes are designed to ensure that the government is more responsive, timely, and consistent.  Governor Markell stressed, however, that the changes will not reduce safety or environmental standards.

The Office of State Planning will now report directly to the Governor’s Office to increase their authority to coordinate among state agencies and further improve efficiency.  The office will continue its efforts to advocate good land use practices, ensuring that economic development supports the needs of Delawareans.

Concrete feedback from the community was instrumental to the development of the new rules.

“I have spent a great deal of time visiting businesses up and down the state to understand what we can do to help them thrive. I have attended over 100 town hall meetings and community forums where residents made clear their concerns that our state's growth be responsible and well managed,” said Markell.  “One of the things that I hear consistently is that the state’s permitting processes -- to start or expand a business -- need to be more predictable.  We have been listening. Today, we’re making that change.”