Fast Track Permits Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESCOTT, AZ (July 6, 2026) - The City of Prescott Community Development Department is pleased to announce the launch of its new Fast Track Permit Program, designed to make the permitting process faster and more convenient for residents completing eligible residential improvement projects.

The program provides expedited review and same-day permit issuance for qualifying projects when complete applications are submitted in person at the Community Development counter before 3 p.m.

Fast Track Permits are intended for common home improvement projects that can be verified through inspection, including:

HVAC replacements

Water heater replacements

Accessory structure demolition

Non-structural re-roofing

Window and door replacements

Interior plumbing repair or replacement

Electrical panel replacements up to 200 amps

The program helps reduce wait times, simplifies the application process, and provides a lower-cost permit option for qualifying projects.

Residents are encouraged to review eligibility requirements and permit checklists before applying. Information is available on the City's website at https://prescott-az.gov/permit-center/permit-categories/building-permits/. Under Step Two, select "Expedited Fast Track Permit Checklists."

The City of Prescott remains committed to improving customer service and providing efficient, responsive services for residents and businesses.

For additional information, contact the Community Development Department at 928.777.1371 or buildingpermits@prescott-az.gov.

Local news deserts are everywhere. Prescott lost most of its dedicated daily coverage over the last decade as regional papers cut staff and consolidated. City council votes, zoning changes, school board decisions — the stuff that actually affects your property taxes and your kid's school — stopped getting covered in any real depth.

So I started The Prescott Times.

A few things I've learned building this:

1. People will pay for hyperlocal. Not a lot — but enough. $9/month is less than a coffee, and if you actually deliver news people can't get anywhere else (city council recaps same-day, development permit tracking, real event calendars), retention is high because the value is obvious every week.

1. Distribution beats production. I could write the best story in Prescott and it wouldn't matter if it didn't reach anyone. Building a direct community (chat + feed) where readers actually talk back changed everything — tips come in constantly now.

1. Trust is the entire business. In a small town, everyone knows if you got a story wrong. That accountability is a feature, not a bug — it forces rigor that big outlets skip.

If you're building anything hyperlocal — news, a community, a niche publication — the model isn't complicated: cover what nobody else will, make it easy to pay for, and give your readers a way to talk back. That's it.

Happy to answer questions if anyone's thinking about doing something similar in their own town.