Longboat rolls out building-permit upgrade

Longboat Key’s building department is winding down its existing permit-processing system this week in favor a new platform expected to fully running by next week, the town said.

Designed to be more connective to the public, the new system, called Accela, is the same system in surrounding counties. A town statement said Accela should activate fully at 8 a.m. April 22, following a ramp up of its operation beginning April 17. The former system, in use since 2017, will be unavailable beginning at the end of business on April 16.

One of the key differences between the two systems is public access. A key feature is Acella’s connection with a GIS map interface will allow a customer to locate their property and start multiple requests using an auto-populating web form. It runs on all major browsers and web interfaces.

Additionally, with its widespread use around the region, contractors and builders should be relatively familiar with the system — and its related West Central Florida Accela User Group, which is available within the platform.

Town leaders began considering the permit-system upgrade while formulating their 2024 fiscal year budget, setting aside $450,000 for its purchase and rollout.

Users can sign up for access here. 

The Accela project is the second major information technology upgrade undertaken by the town in 2025. In March, Longboat leaders made available new public-facing geographic databases for residents and town employers.