What problem was the Town trying to solve?
Planning staff review site plans in the Town’s permitting system. Many applications arrive with missing documents or checklist items. Each rejection costs staff time and delays the application.
The Town’s baseline covers the last 12 months. In that period, 24 of 40 site plans (60%) were rejected at intake. A rejection with comments takes about 90 minutes of staff time, according to the Town’s estimate.
What did Optimizm build?
A pre-check that applicants open from the Town’s website. They upload their site plan packet, and the tool checks it against 82 rules. The rules come from the Town’s own checklists and intake requirements. They cover the site plan, the owner form, the tax certificate, the letter of intent, and the landscape, open space, and tree documents.
Every finding cites the file and page it came from. Items the tool cannot confirm go to Town staff, who also check the remaining items at intake.
How was the checklist adapted to the way the Town reviews?
A checklist lists what a complete application should contain, but staff do not treat every missing item the same way. Optimizm compared the tool’s results with the Town’s own past review outcomes and adjusted the rules to follow them. Each item is now a must-fix item, a missing item staff may accept, or an item that always goes to Town staff.
How does the pre-check reach a result?
The reading step only copies what is on the page. Fixed rules decide the result for each item. Most checks take 1 to 3 minutes, and the applicant keeps the page open while the check runs.
Upload
The applicant uploads the site plan package as PDFs.
Read
Reads each page, including scanned sheets.
Reads onlyCheck
Fixed rules decide each result.
Rules decideReport
Each finding cites its file and page.
Can’t confirm?
It goes to Town staff.
How accurate is the tool?
Optimizm tested the tool on 1,034 checks it had not seen before. In 93% of them, the tool had the same outcome as Town staff.
| Test | Same outcome |
|---|---|
| Blind test, 1,034 checks | 93% |
| Re-run on the same packets after a second round of fixes | 97.8% |
The first row is the blind test. The second row uses the same packets after we made a second round of fixes. Because the fixes were made on those packets, it is not a fresh test. We rechecked every disagreement between the tool and Town staff against the pages of the packet before counting the results.
The tool made no false clearances in either run. A false clearance is a missing item that the tool passed as present, the worst kind of mistake in a pre-check.
Where does the project stand today?
The pre-check is live for applicants, and Optimizm works with the Town of Prosper. Optimizm and the Town track two measures against the baseline: how often staff reject site plans at intake, and how much staff time each rejection takes.
This page reports the baseline and the accuracy tests. It does not report changes in either measure yet.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Prosper pre-check do?
Applicants upload their site plan packet on the Town’s website before they submit. The check tests the packet against 82 rules from the Town’s checklists and intake requirements. Each finding cites the file and page it came from.
Does the pre-check replace Town staff review?
No. Fixed rules decide each result, and items the tool cannot confirm go to Town staff. Town staff also check the remaining items at intake.
How long does a check take?
Most checks take 1 to 3 minutes. The applicant keeps the page open while the check runs.
How was accuracy measured?
Optimizm ran a blind test on 1,034 checks, and the tool had the same outcome as Town staff in 93% of them. After a second round of fixes, the same packets reached 97.8%. That second run is not a fresh test.
What is a false clearance?
A missing item that the tool passed as present. The tool made none in either test run.
How does the pre-check follow the way Town staff review?
A checklist lists what a complete application should contain, but staff do not treat every missing item the same way. Optimizm compared the tool’s results with the Town’s own past review outcomes and adjusted the rules to follow them. Each item is now a must-fix item, a missing item staff may accept, or an item that always goes to Town staff.
Can another jurisdiction use the same approach?
Optimizm builds each check around the intake requirements of the jurisdiction it serves, so every jurisdiction needs its own rules. Book a demo to talk through your checklist.
Want a pre-check for your jurisdiction?
Optimizm builds the check around your permit types, submittal checklists, and required documents. Book a demo to walk through your intake requirements.
Schedule a Demo