Category Archives: Cloud-based Software

Municipal Business Tax Receipts Software

Watch how citizenserve's software handles municipal business tax receipts in this 70-minute demo.

Citizenserve Community Development Software

Citizenserve includes a licensing module that covers online business tax receipts software. Our integrated software also includes code enforcement, permitting, planning & zoning, and request tracking modules. In addition, citizenserve's cloud-based software offers a citizen-facing portal for application submission and payments.

Citizen Facing Portal


We begin our demo in the configurable citizen portal. Helpful content explains the process, and we can link to supporting documents or other websites. Citizens read and understand your processes before they apply. Then, the citizen registers for a portal account. Each registration type is configured to gather essential data about that contact type. You decide which fields to require. Applicants can submit an online business tax receipt application immediately after they register on the portal.

Highly Configurable Municipal Business Tax Receipt Software

Citizenserve configures your applications using custom fields. This means we can gather any information you need to manage your BTRs. Additionally, each application type can have a unique workflow route Each application type has its own workflow route and requirements documents. Once an applicant submits their business tax receipt application, they can pay their fees through an integrated payment processor. Citizens can also upload documents or send messages from the portal. Staff is notified so no work languishes on the portal.

Citizenserve will load your fee structure so correct fees are calculated based on the data entered on the application. Staff can enter additional fees and apply payments received. Reviewers can select commonly used comments from the comments library. Additionally, citizenserve can configure reviewer specific checklists to track your review process. Reviewers can request additional information or send review comments to the applicant. Next, the reviewer approves the BTR and issues a certificate. The applicant can view all related communications and documents through the citizen portal and citizens only have access to their projects.

Resources

For more information about the business licensing module, please see our Business Licensing Solutions Page.

Read how Citizenserve is helping communities near you.

Audit Remote or Virtual Inspections

With citizenserve's community development software, it's easy to audit remote or virtual inspections. Coronavirus has changed how municipalities offer services. We can help you manage those changes through our cloud-based software. So if you're a current customer, contact us to help you start an audit process. Otherwise, watch the video and request a live demo at the bottom of this form.

Firstly, you need to know which inspections are available. So open the metric 'Pending Remote Inspection Requests'. Metrics are visual reports that display helpful data about your processes. For instance, this metric shows a list of all inspections that could be audited. Customers request new metrics through the Support Center. Our subscription includes unlimited metrics and reports.
Inspection Audit Metric showing different inspection types

Secondly, choose an inspection to audit from the list.
List of Live Remote Inspeciton data

Thirdly, change the inspection type from Virtual or Remote to Field Audit.Inspection type dropdown with Field Audit inspection type highlighted

Fourthly, assign the task to the appropriate inspector.  

Fifthly,  Update the inspection date and time.

Finally, send an email to notify the contractor.

For help starting field audits in your software, send a Support Request in the software. Or, to learn more about how our software can support your community development efforts, keep reading!

About Citizenserve

Citizenserve is cloud-based community development software. We configure our software to meet your needs. We offer solutions forBuilding Permits, Business Licenses, Development Projects, Code Enforcement, and Requests. Explore our site and see how we support community development. Schedule a live demo in the form at the bottom of the screen and we'll help you get started today.

Citizenserve's Highly Configurable Software

We configure your online forms with custom fields. Hence, We gather all the information you need to manage your community development projects. Citizens submit applications, make payments, upload documents or send messages from the portal. The system notifies staff so no work is lost. Staff track review tasks, notify contacts, track payments, and issue permits or licenses. Field staff performs on-site inspections using our cloud-based software. And our integrated system lets you view all files related to an address. We offer comprehensive customer support from the first meeting, through go-live and beyond.

Citizenserve in the news

See how Alachua County, Florida migrated their Building Department to Citizenserve.

Over-the-Counter Permits – Instant Permits – Express Permits

Citizenserve can help you deliver instant over-the-counter permits and licenses to your constituents. Why route for review, when you can just collect fees and deliver the permit online? The process is easy; applicants fill out a simple online form, pay online, and then download their permit.

Did you know citizenserve also supports remote inspections? Check out this video on Remote Video Inspections to see how. Jurisdictions can accept contractor or homeowner-created video recordings, uploaded photographs, or can perform the remote inspection using conferencing software such as Skype. Contact us to see how we can help you implement remote inspections, express permits, or other online solutions to support your municipality.

How We Configure Your Regular and Over-The-Counter Permits

Citizenserve configures your applications, both over-the-counter and those with a review process, with custom fields. This means we gather any information you need to manage your community development projects. Citizenserve software includes modules for Permitting, Licensing, Development Projects, Code Enforcement, Request Tracking, and a Citizens portal. Citizens submit applications, make payments, upload documents or send messages from the portal. The system notifies staff so no work is lost. Staff track review activities, notify applicants, track payments, and issue permits or licenses. License inspectors perform inspections on-site using our cloud-based software. Citizenserve's integrated modules let you view all files related to an address. Your citizenserve subscription also includes unlimited reporting. Metrics, another report type, provide a graphical view of processes to staff and management. Citizenserve's community development software helps you track and manage your projects.

Our Project Implementation Strategy

We begin each project with an agile implementation strategy. The Engagement Manager demonstrates new development work and gathers user feedback during weekly walk-through meetings. Whether we are building an over-the-counter permit or a regular permit with an automatically routed workflow, it's vital that each user test and play in the system after the weekly meeting. During this hands-on time, the user confirms the system works as expected, or uncovers any edge cases that should be addressed. Then the Engagement Manager incorporates user feedback and demonstrates new functionality during the next meeting. This process repeats until the user confirms the system works as desired. Finally, it's time to train system users and go live.

About Citizenserve

Citizenserve is a cloud-based community development software suite. We configure our software to meet your needs. We also offer solutions for online Building Permits, Business Licenses, Development Projects, Code Enforcement, and Requests. Explore our site see how we support community development - beyond an over-the-counter permit. Schedule a live demo, and we'll help get you started today.

Citizenserve in the news

See how Alachua County, Florida migrated their Building Department to Citizenserve.

  • citizenserve-data-center

Community Development Software Infrastructure

Learn more about Citizenserve's Community Development Software Infrastructure. The following questions were included in a formal Permitting and Land Management System Request for Information from a city of about 62,500 residents.  Read our responses below for more information about the infrastructure behind Citizenserve's e-government software solution.

2.2     Infrastructure (Citizenserve is only offered as a Software as a Service solution)

2.2.1. Describe the infrastructure architecture for the network, end user devices (PC / Laptops), server, storage, and operating systems that comprise the solution. Include architectural diagrams.

Citizenserve Response: Citizenserve is a multi-tenant cloud-based Software-as-a-Service solution.  No server hardware or software is required.  End users can use any device and any browser to access the software.

2.2.2. Describe the data centers supporting the solution for the City of Redmond. Include location and the redundancy and high availability architecture design.

Citizenserve Response: The main data center is Iron Mountain in Phoenix. Data and application servers are replicated to an Iron Mountain facility in Edison, New Jersey. Data and application servers are replicated locally in the primary data center, so we don’t have to move to the secondary facility if there is a hardware failure.

If a server fails, we have a backup server. If the facility fails, we have a geographically diverse backup data center.  If our data center provider fails, we have a standby facility capable of restoring operations in less than an hour.

2.2.3. Describe any WAN bandwidth requirements for connectivity between the City of Redmond’s network and the vendor.

Citizenserve Response: Any contemporary internet connection will work.

2.2.4. Describe any unique network requirements (LAN or WAN) for optimal operation of this solution.

Citizenserve Response: Citizenserve is a 100% browser-based software application and can be accessed from any desktop or mobile device.

2.2.5. Describe the network design requirements to ensure there are no latency issues.

Citizenserve Response: Citizenserve is a 100% browser-based software.  Any contemporary data plan is sufficient to use the software.  Performance is continually monitored regarding the software bandwidth and resource requirements to identify areas of improvement or bottlenecks.

2.2.6. Describe your solution’s backup protocol.

Citizenserve Response: Incremental backups or logs are made every 15 minutes and the logs are kept indefinitely so data can be restored to any point in time. Full backups are performed twice weekly and whenever a new version is released. Full backups are always test restored in read-only recovery mode to allow for logs to be restored if necessary to the backup copy. Database consistency checks are performed regularly with offline copies. At least one full copy is maintained per month for historical archiving.

The main data center is Iron Mountain in Phoenix. Data and application servers are replicated to an Iron Mountain facility in Edison, New Jersey. Data and application servers are replicated locally in the primary data center, so we don’t have to move to the secondary facility if there is a hardware failure.

If a server fails, we have a backup server. If the facility fails, we have a geographically diverse backup data center.  If our data center provider fails, we have a standby facility capable of restoring operations in less than an hour.

2.2.7. Describe the RTO/RPO’s for restores.

Citizenserve Response: System Recovery Time Objective (RTO) on production servers for minor failures such as a server failure is less than one hour. RTO on production servers for major failures such as a data center failure is four hours. System Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is 15 minutes on application servers and database servers.

2.2.8. Provide an application and web services diagram illustrating the different components and functions of the solution. Include details on firewall requirements, servers, security, database integration, and software.

Citizenserve Response: Citizenserve is a multi-tenant cloud-based Software-as-a-Service solution.  No server hardware or software is required.  End users can use any device and any browser to access the software.

2.2.9. Provide details on what browsers, browser versions are supported and what Windows operating systems are supported.

Citizenserve Response: Citizenserve is device and browser independent and can be used on any modern browser.

We offer integrated cloud-basedpermitting , licensing, development, code enforcement, and request tracking solutions. Your subscription also includes an online citizen portal. Keep exploring our site to find pricing information, to request your live demo, or to see how we can support your community development needs.

Visit Customer Profiles to see how our customers are putting our permitting software for governments to work for their communities.

Visit Yavapai County Community Development Innovates their Online Services to see how one Arizona County implemented citizenserve. And we hope you've learned more about Citizenserve's Community Development Software Infrastructure.