building department application · october 4, 2013 panda: building department application user...

PANDA

Created By:

City of Port St Lucie MIS Department

10/4/2013

Building Department Application User Guide

October 4, 2013 PANDA: BUILDING DEPARTMENT APPLICATION USER GUIDE

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PANDA is a new application created to replace PITS and AIRS. The new application looks different but still follows all of the forms required for building permits. This document has been created to help you understand how to get around PANDA. Each tab within the application will be discussed briefly, along with screenshots to correspond with what is discussed.

After you double-click on the PANDA icon , the login screen should come up:

After logging in you should see a main screen similar to this:

The Username and Password is the username and password you use to log onto your computer.


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The main screen (Home page) is a dashboard showing brief stat information regarding the permits that have been entered to date. Each area of the screen shows the stats in different formats. Clicking on any of the bars in the Permits by Application Type section will change the pie chart in the Permits by Status section. This will also affect the Permits by Building Type and Permits by Sub-Type sections. Click on different bars to see the percentages change. Note: The panda in the upper-left corner of the page will always take you back to the Home page (the dashboard page). Across the top of the page are buttons for data entry of a new permit, to do searches, or to review or edit an existing permit:

Throughout the system there might be rows or individual fields that will display in pink. This means that something is on hold (the contractor, the permit, a location, etc.). Permitting: Clicking the Permitting tab will take you to a screen looking similar to this:

The top area is where a specific permit search can be done. The bottom of the page allows you to go through a list of the existing permits. When you find the permit you need, click on the eye to the left of the row. If you want to see if any notes/comments were entered for the permit, or to add notes on a

permit, click on the paper icon at the end of the row. To add a new permit, click on the plus sign

located just above the existing permit list.


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After clicking on an existing permit, the screen should look similar to this:

The Permit Information tab is the default tab open. Each tab after that shows additional information regarding that permit, based on the label shown on the tab. In the upper-left corner you may see a paw print just under the permit number. That means there is a hold on the property listed on the permit. Clicking on the Property Information tab will give you more details regarding the hold. Another way a hold may be displayed is shown in red next to the permit number above the permit

information: This not only shows there is a hold, but also lets you know why there is a hold. This way you know which tab to click on for more details regarding the hold.

Some permits may also have sub-permits attached to them, but you don’t always have that sub-permit information in front of you. Once you click on the permit there will be a list shown at the bottom of the page. Here you can click on any of the sub-permit numbers listed to take you to that permit information.

If you need to edit any of the information for that permit, click on the Edit button at the bottom of the screen (If you do not have edit rights, this button will be greyed out). This will put the permit in edit mode.


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All of the fields are now available for editing. Also, the Edit button has changed to an Update button, which you click when you have completed your edits.

At the top of the page there are buttons that you can click on to go to other pages related to that permit for viewing or editing:

Print Label: Use this to print a label for the file. Plan Review: This button takes you to the Plan Review Actions page. You can check to see the status and any comments that may have been entered. Plan review actions can also be added here. Initialize Insp: This button takes you to the inspections related to the permit. The ones that are required for that particular permit must be initialized at this point. Any inspections that are mandatory in the list will already have a checkmark in the box. All others are optional, and need the checkmark filled in manually if they will be needed for that particular permit. Once they have all been chosen, click the Initialize button. Notes: This button takes you to any notes/comments that may have already been entered on a permit. Also, you can add new notes/comments to a permit here as well.


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Fees: This button takes you to the Fees page, where you can enter new fees related to a permit. You can also look at the payment history on this page as well. To begin entering the fee information, click on the Fees dropdown in the Calculate Fees tab and choose the correct fee type.

A list of fees related to that type will display. Click the checkbox next to each fee to choose those particular fees for the permit. Click the Add Fees button when you are done. This will update the Total Fees Due and Balance.

Under the Update Fees column, enter the amount being paid for each fee type. If the permit is commercial, click the checkbox next to “Is this Commercial?”. Click the Update button when you are finished. If only partial payments are being made (ex: there are separate payment types for one fee), the Update Fees field will be white. If the payment type has been completely paid it will be green.


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If you are ready to take the payment at this time, you click on the Payments button at the top to begin entering the payment information on the fees just entered. In the Payments tab enter the permit number of the fees being paid and click the Add Permit button. If payments are being made for multiple permits, continue adding permit numbers until you are done. The permit number and fee amount will display on the screen. In the Customer field enter the customer name, and click the Add Payment button. At this point the payment method menu will display. Click the dropdown under Method and choose the payment type. If a check is the payment type, fill in the Check # and Check Date fields. The dollar amount is filled in automatically for you. Click the Pay button when you are done. It will ask to make sure you are ready to submit the payment. Click OK if you are sure.

To get the receipt, click on the Receipts tab and click on the View button.


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A new screen will open with that receipt. From this screen you can print a hard copy or print it to a PDF. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you also have the option to send the receipt via email. Type the person’s name and email address, and then click the Send button. If you have an existing permit and want to review the payment history, click on the Fees button (if not already there), and click on the History tab. A list of the payment history will be displayed. To view any of the receipts, click on the View button of that particular receipt. The print and email capabilities are the same as explained previously. Specs: This button takes you to the Specs page, where additional specifications related to the permit are entered. You can view or add information on this page.

Inspections: The next button to look at is Inspections. This is where inspections can be assigned to a permit, inspectors can view their inspections for the day, permit results and other information can be viewed, and any inspection history of a permit can be viewed. Clicking on this button will take you to other options:

Assign: This is where the inspections for the day will be assigned to the appropriate inspector. Inspect: This is where each inspector can go to enter results and other notes to their inspections. In the Inspector field, type the inspector number. Change the date only if it is other than the current date. Click the Submit button, and the list of inspections will display for that particular inspector. Click on the eye

to view more information.

If you need to add information to the inspection, click on Edit.


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This will change the look of the screen to allow editing. Towards the bottom there are two places where you can add notes. Public Notes is for information that the contractor will see. Private Notes is for additional information that is for internal use ONLY. If there is something that needs to be noted but it is not necessary for the contractor to be informed, that information will be entered here. When you are done, click on Update. If the result was entered during editing, you will now see that result in the inspection list. Follow the same steps for each inspection that needs to be edited.

Wizard: This area is similar to RR Wizard in PITS. Here you can see results of a permit, request or cancel inspections, void inspections not needed, clear any fees on an inspection, re-initialize inspections, or assign inspections. History: Here you can view inspection history of permits. Enter the permit number and click the Submit button. The inspection list will display. To view more information on a particular inspection, click on the eye to the left of the row. Addresses: Clicking this button takes you to the Addressing search. The list includes any apartments, suites, bays, units, etc. All addresses have been verified, and this database is maintained by the Addressing Technician. If there is an address that cannot be found in the database, please contact the Addressing Technician with the addressing information that needs to be added to the system. If there is a specific address you are looking for, begin by using the search criteria section. If not, you can go through the list at the bottom of the page until you find the one you need. Clicking on the eye to the left of the row will take you to details about that location. If you click on the paper

to the right of the row, it will take you to any comments related to that location.


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Contractor Licensing: This button takes you to Contractor Licensing, where you can search for a specific contractor, go through the existing list at the bottom of the page, or you can add a new contractor.

If you see a row displayed in pink, this means that the contractor is on hold. To find out the reason for the hold or any other information, click on the eye

to the left of the row. Misc Services: This button takes you to four different database search options:

Oracle Complaints Database: This takes you to a search of the Complaints database. Criteria such as the case number, address, type, etc., are items that can be used to search for a specific listing. If you want to go through the entire list, click on the Submit button, leaving all the search criteria blank.


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Abandoned Property Database: This takes you to a search of the Abandoned Property database. When you click on the link you should get a screen similar to this:

You can search for a specific location in the top right corner, or you can go through the existing list at the bottom of the page. You can have the address display from the map by clicking on one of the red pushpins. If you want to get more information on a specific location, click on the eye to the left of the row. The map will also zoom to that address, showing where it is located within the city. Garage Sales: This takes you to a search of the permitted garage sales within the city. The page looks similar to the Abandoned Property page (above). Searches and getting more information on a specific location is handled in the same format as the Abandoned Property page. Search Commercial Permit Log: This takes you to a read-only search of the Commercial Permit Tracker, which is data from different departments such as Utilities Engineering, Planning & Zoning, Public Works (formerly Engineering), and Building. You can search for a specific permit by using the Project (‘P’) number, the project name, or the address.

Business Tax: This button takes you to a read-only search of the Business Tax database. Here you can search for a specific item, or go through the entire existing list of entries at the bottom of the page. When you find the item you are looking for and want more information, click on the eye to the left of the row. If you

want to see the licenses for a particular contractor, click on the license to the right of the row. Payments: This button takes you to the payments section. Here you can make miscellaneous payments (copies, for example), pay fees related to a permit (which was discussed previously under the Fees button section, within the Permitting tab), find and print existing receipts, edit or void receipts (for those who have been given rights to do so), and handle deposits.


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Reports: The next button takes you to the reports section. Reports in this section relate to Permitting, Contractor Licensing, Inspections, and cash. Clicking on this main button will take you to those options just discussed:

Clicking on each of these buttons takes you to a drop-down list of reports for each type. They can be printed from the screen or can be saved as one of several other file types, such as the ones shown in the picture below:

At the bottom of the screen there are several items that you can click on: The last one, Legacy, will take you to a read-only list of the permits that were taken in using the old system, PITS. Because there are so many records stored in that database, it may take several minutes to display the list. It is set up similar to other pages, where you can do a search for a specific permit, or go through the list, and click on the eye to the left of that row, when you find the one you are looking for.

building department application · october 4, 2013 panda: building department application user...

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