Inside Boulder’s Customer-First Approach to Event Permitting
See how the City of Boulder uses Eproval to make customer service a core part of their permitting process.
For communities across the country, special event permitting is about more than applications and approvals.
In Boulder, Colorado, community engagement and customer service go hand in hand. The city’s Engagement Strategic Framework emphasizes clear communication, inclusive participation, consistency, and effective public processes that help residents and community members understand and engage with local government.
For Justin Greenstein, Manager of Special Events for the City of Boulder, those principles are reflected in every permit application, conversation, and community event.
“Our goal is to create positive experiences for residents, event organizers, filmmakers, volunteers, local businesses, and visitors,” says Greenstein. “Every interaction is an opportunity to build trust, strengthen relationships, and demonstrate responsive government service.”
Turning Customer Service Into Reality
Delivering that level of service for special events is not always straightforward.
Every special event, film production, or neighborhood gathering requires coordination across multiple city departments and partner agencies. Applicants need clear guidance and timely communication, while staff must manage reviews, documentation, changing event plans, and questions from organizers throughout the process.
For Boulder’s lean special events team, maintaining a high level of customer service while coordinating increasingly complex reviews can be challenging. Staff need to keep everyone informed, ensure reviewers have the latest information, and provide applicants with confidence that their permit is moving forward.
Without the right processes and technology, much of that effort can be spent tracking emails, answering status requests, and managing information instead of helping organizers plan successful events.
Building a Better Permitting Experience Together
Since 2020, the City of Boulder has partnered with Eproval to support the permitting and coordination of special events, film productions, block parties, and other community activities.
Rather than relying on scattered emails and disconnected systems, all permitting applications, communications, reviews, and supporting documents are managed in one centralized platform. Applicants, reviewers, and administrators all work from the same information throughout the review process, creating greater transparency while reducing confusion and duplicate work.
One of Boulder’s goals is to help people know what to expect when interacting with local government. By providing a clear view of application status, review progress, and communications, Eproval helps support that objective while making the permitting process easier for everyone involved.
Together we’ve created a permitting process that is more transparent, more consistent, and easier for applicants to navigate.
– Justin Greenstein, Manager of Special Events for the City of Boulder
More Time for People, Less Time Managing Process
Centralizing information has done more than streamline administration. It has helped Boulder focus on what matters most: serving the community.
Instead of spending valuable time managing emails, tracking documents, or responding to routine status inquiries, staff can devote more attention to answering questions, guiding applicants through the process, and supporting successful community events.
For Boulder, success is not measured simply by permits issued. It’s measured by helping organizers create safe, successful experiences that bring the community together.
As Greenstein explains, “Keeping everything in one place helps us stay focused on what matters most: helping applicants navigate the permitting process, answering questions, and supporting successful events for the Boulder community. Eproval has helped us create a permitting experience centered on accessibility, communication, and customer service.”
A Partnership Built Around Community Service
Technology is only valuable when it helps people work together.
For Boulder, Eproval supports the city’s broader commitment to responsive government by keeping people, information, and communication connected throughout the permitting process.
The result is a more transparent, collaborative experience for applicants and staff alike—one that reflects the city’s commitment to clear communication, consistency, and community engagement.
