All combined

Question 1

We don’t have the funding or budget for a system like this at this time.

Answer 1

Ultimately there’s not a lot we can do here. If they don’t have money, they don’t have money. But, it’s very unlikely they can’t find 20k for this project - more often this is a sign that we haven’t done a good enough job selling them. Discount, other departments, grants, intro to Bob Heinrich, worst case go to next year’s budget planning.

Question 2

“IT needs to take a look at this first…”

Answer 2

“Yes of course, IT is always involved but the reason I called you first is because you work with the permit process more closely and would be able to provide feedback on if this is something that can apply to your department. IT is not going to understand the process that you have, can I set up a brief call with you to help you understand if this is a good fit and then I can discuss with IT?”

Question 3

Not enough time to do the implementation.

Answer 3

Don’t do it all at once. The great thing about Camino is it’s easy to build out little pieces at a time. You could launch guides for a few common projects and then add to it later. We’ve invested in building a really easy-to-use configuration engine, and you’d be surprised how much you can get built out in a few hours. We also have implementation staff who can help and do most/all the work if you’d prefer.

Question 4

Want Camino to integrate with their existing system.

Answer 4

Usually the concern is that without an integration there will be duplicate data entry by the applicant. This is misguided, because applicants typically use Camino months before they apply for a permit. Entering the same information twice (months apart) is a small price to pay for saving hours of time on a multi-week process. Plus Camino doesn’t collect the same type of information that lives on a permit application.

If the customer is using Camino as an application portal, this objection makes more sense. But even then, many agencies make it work fine. For example you can point them to the Lewiston Case Study - they collect applications in Camino, then transfer them to their existing permit system. It’s a little extra work, but a lot less work than building an integration and the time saved from the Guide more than makes up for it.

The best practice is to use the guide as a way to get the customer to the point of applying for their permit. We all know that there’s a ton of work that needs to happen before somebody should fill out an application. Our guide will get your customer fully prepared, and then when they’re ready to apply they switch to the permit system and do everything else there.

Question 5

We are swamped with work and our other projects are already behind schedule; I don’t want to burden team with something new

Answer 5

You will have a designated customer success representative, who will handle implementation and gets your projects and workflows into the system. Also see setup note above—with a relatively small upfront investment, you’ll immediately start giving time back to your staff

Question 6

We already do online permitting. Why do we need this?

Answer 6

We are not just offering an online permit portal - no permit portal offers the features that come with our guide. Many of our customers also have an online permit portal, and are actively using the Permit Guide as a launching pad into the application process. Our Guide provides applicants with a customized checklist of everything they need to do to make their project a reality. Our customers tell us that our solution ensures their residents are much more prepared when they actually apply for their permit—leading to a faster time-to-permit issued.

Question 7

The Guide doesn’t seem that valuable. I don’t get how we will benefit.

Answer 7

Customers who use the Guide see a 75% reduction in time spent at the counter, a 30% reduction in calls, and much happier customers. Fewer mistakes are made, meaning permits are issued faster and staff spend less time answering questions. This all leads to greater customer satisfaction and material savings in time and money.

Question 8

We already provide residents with a wealth of information online, such as PDF documents that outline steps for common projects.

Answer 8

Most of the agencies we work with also provided information like this on their website. Even when residents follow these PDF guides, however, we’ve been told many other factors—which are not captured in those documents—may impact their ability to carry out a project. One obvious example is if the resident is located in an area such as a fire or flood zone; our system integrates with your GIS system and therefore would automatically flag if a resident’s specific parcel location presents any impediments to being able to secure a permit. Our customers tell us that transitioning from static PDF documents to our intuitive Permit Guide has drastically cut down on delays in the permitting process.

Question 9

Even if we provide an online Guide like this, most of our residents are “old school” and just prefer to come into city hall anyway. They prefer talking with a real person.

Answer 9

Santa Clarita and other cities actually installed the Guide on iPad kiosks right next to the permit counter. Now, when residents visit city hall, the permit tech assists them through the process using our Guide. Even through this method, cities save time by ensuring residents are provided with one, objective record of every requirement for their project—and they can download and print a copy to take home. There’s no need to meet with any other permit tech to “fish” for new answers, or call back when they forget something.

Question 10

M

Answer 10

Metric - Quantifiable measures of value that our solution can provide

Question 11

E

Answer 11

Economic Buyer - This is the person or department that the money is coming from. Verify that they have overall authority in the buying decision.

Question 12

D (1)

Answer 12

Decision Criteria + Decision Maker -
• Do you have full understanding of the criteria?
• How will the customer decide
• What process they will undergo to come to that decision?
• Who are the person(s) that need to approve.
◦ Ie: City Manager (name) and City Council.

Question 13

D (2)

Answer 13

Decision Process -
How to get the approvals through the department? ie:
• Who are the people /personalities that the process must go through
• What are the buying thresholds?
• Does IT need to sign off?
• Does CM and or City Council need to approve?
• What criteria will be evaluated in making a decision?

Question 14

I

Answer 14

Identify Pain - Needs, challenges and roadblocks. It can be difficult to understand how what we do maps to solving real pain. However, our risk of failure is high if there is no identifiable pain. Therefore, we need to drill down to the root of the problem by getting increasingly specific in our questioning and to the individual personalities we are engaging with.
Questions that we should pose:
• What is going to happen if you don’t deploy an updated system to solve your problem(s)?
• How does the lack of a solution impact you individually?
• Why is this a priority for you and the City Manager?
• What might happen to the department over time if you don’t make this change?
• Why is getting too many phone calls every day a problem?
• What are you not able to do, or that you would like to, if you did not get so many calls, emails or counter visits?
• What happens when this backlog builds up? Do people get upset? Does city council put pressure on the department?

Question 15

C (1)

Answer 15

Champion -
Person(s) that have Camino’s back, will promote us internally and will reach out to us to give us insights into the process. They act like they are part of Camino’s sales team and proactively inform us if there is risk to our deal.

Question 16

C (2)

Answer 16

Competition -
• What do they have in place today?
• What else are they looking at?
• Are they considering doing a competitive process?

Question 17

Applicant Guide - under 30k

Answer 17

ONE YEAR self service 10k | THREE YEAR 8k self / 13k camino

Question 18

Applicant Guide - 30-50k

Answer 18

ONE YEAR self service 15k | THREE YEAR 12k self / 17k camino

Question 19

Applicant Guide - 50-100k

Answer 19

ONE YEAR self service 20k | THREE YEAR 16k self / 21k camino

Question 20

Applicant Guide - 100-250k

Answer 20

ONE YEAR self service 25k | THREE YEAR 21k self / 26k camino

Question 21

Applicant Guide - 250-500k

Answer 21

ONE YEAR self service 35k | THREE YEAR 29k self / 34k camino

Question 22

Applicant Guide - 500k-1m

Answer 22

ONE YEAR self service 50k | THREE YEAR 42k self / 47k camino

Question 23

Applicant Guide - 1m+

Answer 23

ONE YEAR self service 75k | THREE YEAR 63k self / 68k camino

Question 24

Portal - under 30k

Answer 24

ONE YEAR self service 15k | THREE YEAR 12k self / 17k camino

Question 25

Portal - 30-50k

Answer 25

ONE YEAR self service 20k | THREE YEAR 16k self / 21k camino

Question 26

Portal - 50-100k

Answer 26

ONE YEAR self service 30k | THREE YEAR 24k self / 29k camino

Question 27

Portal - 100-250k

Answer 27

ONE YEAR self service 35k | THREE YEAR 28k self / 33k camino

Question 28

Portal - 250-500k

Answer 28

ONE YEAR self service 45k | THREE YEAR 36k self / 41k camino

Question 29

Portal - 500k-1m

Answer 29

ONE YEAR self service 65k | THREE YEAR 52k self / 57k camino

Question 30

Portal - 1m+

Answer 30

ONE YEAR self service 90k | THREE YEAR 78k self / 83k camino

Question 31

Camino Led Implementation Includes

Answer 31

75 hrs Year 1 / 25 hrs future years. In future years the package will provide hours to build out additional functionality, make changes to the existing configuration, and train new staff. For this reason Camino Led implementations require a three year agreement.

Question 32

Needs a custom quote for projects that include:

Answer 32

integrations, System of Record deals, payment processing/fee estimation

Question 33

Self Service Implementation includes

Answer 33

Kick-off meeting, 5 hrs training, 1 hr/wk email/zoom/phone support first 3 months, 1hr/month after first 3 months, Camino assistance with GIS layer import, access to knowledge base

Question 34

Does the Guide provide information on setback requirements?

Answer 34

The guide can provide details about any requirements, including setbacks.

Question 35

Can the Guide provide information on easements, sewer lines, etc.? This information is in our GIS.

Answer 35

Yes, though this may depend on how your GIS is configured. We’re happy to check your layers if you send them.

Question 36

Can the Guide provide information that isn’t in our GIS?

Answer 36

Yes, the Guide doesn’t solely rely on GIS to provide instructions. It also provides other information that applicants need to prepare for and complete their projects such as forms, data collection, fees, etc.

Question 37

Can the Guide be used for commercial projects too, and not just residential?

Answer 37

Yes.

Question 38

Can the Guide handle the volume and workload for a large city?

Answer 38

Yes, this Guide is live in Fairfax County, VA, which has a population of about 1.15 million.

Question 39

Can the Guide provide information that is currently included in our lengthy plan development and conditional use permit files?

Answer 39

Yes, we would break out the different sections so that applicants can see just the specific requirements, tips, and instructions that apply to their projects.

Question 40

Will applicant be able to put in their address and see what is pending, submitted and issued?

Answer 40

Yes.

Question 41

Can members of the public look up permit/submission details?

Answer 41

Not currently. The customer could use data warehousing to build a custom lookup tool.

Question 42

When an application is updated by a staff member, would there be a way to automatically send out a notification to the applicant by email / SMS

Answer 42

Yes, applicants are automatically notified via email when an application is approved.

Question 43

Can multiple applicants/users work on the same Submission?

Answer 43

No, but this is on our roadmap. For now they can share a login.

Question 44

Is it possible to create a notification template for different types of applications/permits?

Answer 44

In addition, there are options for staff members to manually customize the email message. Staff members can also choose to issue a permit at the same time.

Question 45

What happens if an applicant doesn’t have an address yet because it’s a new development?

Answer 45

We support multiple types of address selection, including manually dragging to select a point on the map. You can decide to give applicants that option if a parcel doesn’t exist.

Question 46

For Chat, are questions sent to every tech or to a designated person?

Answer 46

Either, depending on how a project type is set up. You can designate specific people who should be notified for a given project type and users can manually subscribe to a Submission.

Question 47

Where does satellite imagery come from and how often is it updated?

Answer 47

We use google maps imagery which is updated on their schedule.

Question 48

Can the permit department use automatic notifications to get notified from each commenter on the permit review?

Answer 48

Yes, the platform can be configured to send automatic notifications. Some customers can feel this is somewhat overwehlming to get so many updates, therefore most prefer to pull the updates by logging in to check for changes in status updates.

Question 49

Do you have an app for IOS and Android?

Answer 49

No, but the application is useable on mobile browsers.

Question 50

How do you collate site plan review comments into a finished document (the correction letter)? Ie for conditional use zoning permits.

Answer 50

Yes, we can support this request (for most of our customers) using the document issuance functionality in our system.

Question 51

How long does the Camino implementation take?

Answer 51

Answer with high level timeline, about 3 to 4 months. Depends on their time spent on project and how much automation they want to build in (maybe give an example that things like fee estimation can take a little longer to configure). It’s not an Accela or Energov project - won’t take years and millions of dollars

Question 52

How much time per week should staff be spending on implementation?

Answer 52

Don’t give specific hours - too many variables. “A few hours per week for each person involved” for 3 to 4 months. If they want more specific than that, suggest scoping call with Implementation

Question 53

How many people should be involved with the implementation?

Answer 53

“The number of people involved will depend on who knows the process best and needs to give input.” Typically we’ll want a point-person who serves as the project manager and coordinates other staff. It also helps to have one person from each department who can clarify questions about the process, but they don’t need to be involved through the whole process.

Question 54

How much does agency size matter for the timeline? Considerations for planning?

Answer 54

Not that much - scope of the project and their business process are what matters

Question 55

How can support be contacted?

Answer 55

Through zendesk in-app or by contacting support@oncamino.com. We don’t offer phone support. Check our SLA for response times.

Question 56

Can you implement on-site?

Answer 56

Yes, but we charge additional for that.

Question 57

Is Camino ADA compliant?

Answer 57

Not formally, but we should largely be. Here’s how we conform:

Question 58

Can Camino use payment processors other than Stripe?

Answer 58

It’s possible. We’d have to evaluate the capabilities of the system. We currently support integration with InvoiceCloud.

Question 59

Q: Would there be a way to export the payment details such as payment amount, method and authorization number to a financial system ?

Answer 59

A: Yes, you can export payment information directly from the system.

Question 60

Q: Do you support integration with other Payment Gateway Providers such as Bamobora or Moneris ?

Answer 60

A: Yes, we can always explore a custom integration. We highly recommend starting with Stripe during phase one, however, because it allows for a simpler implementation process.

Question 61

Q: Can you associate with General Ledger for a fee?

Answer 61

A: You can put a General Ledger Code on the fee description, but it wouldn’t currently show up in the export.

Question 62

Q: Fee schedule calculation and maintenance: would staff members be able to manage the fee changes such as adding /updating fees once those are setup by Camino consultants ?

Answer 62

A: Yes, during implementation you will be trained on how to configure and manage your fee schedule. This will include adding, removing, and updating fees.

Question 63

Can data be migrated from a legacy system into Camino?

Answer 63

Probably. We’ll need to ask for an extract for engineering to review.

Question 64

Can data be hosted outside the US?

Answer 64

Potentially. We would need a large enough contract to justify the costs of international hosting.

Question 65

Who owns the data stored in Camino?

Answer 65

Most data in Camino is ‘public’ but the Customer controls it. We will not share customer data without their permission.

Question 66

Can customers request a copy of their data?

Answer 66

Yes and we can provide them an export upon request.

Question 67

What happens to user data when the contract ends?

Answer 67

We can provide a full export of their data upon request.

Question 68

Can data be automatically deleted after a certain period of time?

Answer 68

We may be able to support this for specific customers - ask engineering.

Question 69

Would there be a way to archive and export the data ?

Answer 69

Yes, you can archive or delete data and export data in .CSV format.

Question 70

What happens if Camino data is FOIA’d?

Answer 70

Camino will refer any FOIA requests to the agency.

Question 71

How long will you keep the application data?

Answer 71

We keep the application data indefinitely as long as you are a customer.

Question 72

Santa Clarita

Answer 72

Reduced calls to their permit center by 20% and issued permits 35% faster

Question 73

San Rafael

Answer 73

Digitized their cannabis licensing process in under a month

Question 74

Santa Cruz County

Answer 74

Pop 275k / The cannabis licenseing process is extremely complicated, involving dozens of separate forms, approvals, and zoning checks. Staff were spending a significant amount of time educating and assisting applicants and meeting with the same customers over and over when they made mistakes. Ina ddition, staff were burdened with all of the renewal process paperwork and needed more effective tools for communication, renewal submissions and payments. Since launching on Camino, 90% of the questions about cannabis eligibility can be automatically addressed, average time for a cannabis business to become operational decreased from 1-2 years to 2.5 months, and Santa Cruz County doubled their year’s revenue projections ($2m vs 1m)

Question 75

Lewiston

Answer 75

Pop 30k / Before Camino, Lewiston used to spend hours each day answering questions on the phone, printing out long informational packets, and mailing forms to applicants. The process was slow and inefficient. Because applicants couldn’t find information online, they would pick up the phone. And because the permitting process is complex, even simple applications required multiple revisions.Their current vendor didn’t offer an online portal at all, and the alternative was switching permitting systems - a change that was too costly and time-consuming for the city. Results: CUstomers can now access permit information 24/7. Customers make fewer mistakes, and staff spends less time answering questions.

Question 76

Alameda

Answer 76

Pop 78k / In March 2020, Alameda closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, the City transitioned to a hybrid system, using Accela and other channels for permit applications and processing. Although the City had Accela for managing the permit process, Accela did not provide a simple and intuitive way for residents to apply for a permit. Staff found the hybrid system to be overly complicated and unable to keep up with the volume of applications received. Toward the end of the year, permit processing had ground to a halt. The City found itself with a four-week backlog for application review. Staff was spending a considerable amount of time emailing and calling applicants who had submitted incomplete or incorrect applications. Camino’s implementation team got Alameda live in one month, using Camino to enter application details into the Accela system. This saves 15 minutes per application, equating to 3,600 hours and $180,000 of staff time saved. It used to take one month for permit techs to get back to residents to notify them of missing application information; now, residents have access to the information instantly.

Question 77

Conditional Use Permit

Answer 77

Allows a property owner to use a property in a way that does not alter the structure, but is not allowed in the zoning code.

Question 78

CUP Examples

Answer 78

Operating a home based business

Question 79

Variance

Answer 79

One-time waiver to the zoning ordinance if the existing regulations provide an unnecessary hardship. It is not a change in the zoning law. Instead, it is a specific waiver of requirements of the zoning ordinance.

Question 80

Examples of unnecessary hardships that would lead to variances

Answer 80

An irregularly shaped lot that makes it impossible to build a structure with current setback regulations, a power easement that covers half the property making it impossible to build

Question 81

Area variance

Answer 81

An area variance is an exception to a zoning ordinance wherein the property in question may not comply with the standards set in the ordinance due to the unique shape, dimensions or location of the property. Area variances are typically more common than use variances.

Question 82

Use variance

Answer 82

Use variances occur when a property owner utilizes, or ‘uses,’ their property in a fashion that is atypical to the neighborhood or area. An example of a use variance can occur when a small pizzeria restaurant is allowed to be open and run in a neighborhood otherwise filled with family homes.

Question 83

Setbacks

Answer 83

A setback is the distance that a building or structure is set back from another feature, such as roads, streams or rivers, and property lines.

Question 84

Easements

Answer 84

an easement gives a person or entity the right to access real property that’s owned by someone else for a limited and specific purpose. For example, a utility easement grants the power authority the right to put power lines on your property, or an easement by necessity grants your neighbor the right to use the road on your property to access theirs

Question 85

Site Development Plan

Answer 85

A Site Development Plan depicts the general layout and configuration of a site, including building footprints, parking and street layout, conceptual landscaping and lighting, site cross section drawings, and building elevations.

Question 86

Plats/Platting

Answer 86

a map showing how a given parcel of property is to be divided into lots and blocks (or sometimes plots) and identifying streets, easements, and other lands intended to be dedicated to public use

Question 87

Subdivision

Answer 87

the process by which land is divided or combined into parcels appropriate for development

Question 88

Planned Unit Development

Answer 88

Planned unit developments are housing developments that are not subject to the standard zoning requirements, but instead work with the local government to develop criteria that will determine common areas, private areas and building guidelines. PUDs are important for mixed-use or more complex developments. Perhaps the most important aspect of a PUD, however, is that it enables municipalities
and counties wide discretion to negotiate almost every aspect of the proposed development in
return for PUD approval

Question 89

form-based code

Answer 89

Simple definition: Old zoning says commercial has to go in the commercial zone, period. Form-based codes are more flexible and say that as long as you’re not building some ugly polluting monstrosity next to houses, you can put whatever in there. Technical definition: A development regulation that emphasizes an area’s built environment, urban form, environmental and urban design, mixed uses, aesthetics, and public realm compared to emphasis on compatibility of activities and separation of land uses as practiced in conventional zoning.

Question 90

Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)

Answer 90

An ordinance that
contains zoning regulations, subdivision regulations,
urban design guidelines, and accessories (such as
floodplain management, sign regulations, etc.) into one
document.

Question 91

Just reveal

Answer 91

Don’t feature sell. Avoid describing the product and pointing out features. Speak in terms of value proposition and narrative.

Question 92

Just reveal

Answer 92

Always set up next steps before the end of each call. We should never leave a discussion without a clear followup meeting or action on the part of the prospect (unless they’re not interested). If we forgot to set up a next step on the call - do it immediately afterwards.

Question 93

Just reveal

Answer 93

ALWAYS multi-thread each deal. We should maintain separate and genuine relationships with every stakeholder in a sale, not rely on a single point of contact.

Question 94

Just reveal

Answer 94

Research the customer before each demo. It’s worth spending an hour to look up the agency, the call attendees, and most importantly what they’re doing today (permit system, online functionality etc).

Question 95

Just reveal

Answer 95

Only show as much of the product or deck as the prospect needs to see. Don’t be afraid to cut a call in half if the prospect is already sold.

Question 96

Just reveal

Answer 96

Be a consultant - don’t just let the prospect drive the direction of the call. We know our product better than anyone else, so we should be guiding the call towards the outcome we think will be best.

Question 97

Just reveal

Answer 97

Run through the MEDDIC framework at multiple points on each call. If there are gaps in our understanding (what do they need, how do they buy) then ask those questions. Always be qualifying…

Question 98

Just reveal

Answer 98

…but don’t interrogate! Qualifying should happen organically as we move through the call, not be a set of rapid-fire questions at the start. At the same time, ask questions only if they help advance the sale, not just for the sake of asking a question.

Question 99

Just reveal

Answer 99

Don’t (easily) take no for an answer. We can be creative on how we structure contract terms, timing, pricing - be persistent in working around obstacles the prospect throws up.

Question 100

Just reveal

Answer 100

Don’t rely on the customer to drive the sale. We should assume that between calls they will have other priorities, and they may not have any idea how to move the process forward.