For years, people needing construction permits in Bellevue have been able to schedule inspections using VoicePermits, an interactive phone system. Now they will be able to pay fees and get reminders about revision requests and permit expiration dates over the phone too.

“This greatly enhances our service to the public,” said Mike Brennan, director of the Development Services Department.

Selectron VoicePermits was introduced in 2001 to make scheduling an inspection easy. Now calling 425-452-6875 allows customers to:

Schedule an inspection;

Hear an inspection result;

Request a fax of inspection history;

Review permit status; and now

Pay outstanding fees.

With the expanded interactive phone system, customers also will receive phone calls with automatic reminders about permits about to expire, revisions that need to be submitted and permits that are ready to issue.

There are more than 7,000 phone calls a month with 10,000 separate transactions through VoicePermits.

The new enhancements are the first phase of a joint project with the Utilities Department. In early 2009, utilities customers will be able to access information about their accounts and pay their billings using similar technology.