Permit me to complain?

...so I mentioned that I need to pull a new plumbing permit so that we can get an inspector into the house, right?

...and that the city no longer has any weekend hours, right?

...and that only the homeowner or GC can get the permit (in our case, I am both), right?

Luckily, my new gig puts me mere blocks from the locus of power in Chicago. Yup, city hall is where the action is. Fun place.

Last week, I sauntered over to try my luck with the Buildings Department one afternoon. I had all my paperwork together, and since this was part of the city's "Easy Permit" program I hoped against hope that it would live up to the name. Of course, the same person who advised us on the necessary paperwork was the one who told us it could be handled at 95th Street on a Saturday, so the source was suspect.

I found the office easy enough. But had no concept what to do. Lots of very confused looking people milling around (the public, that is). There were no numbers, no lines, no obvious order or process. I caught the eye of one of the city employees who was consulting with an oddly vacant looking woman and asked if there was a sign-in sheet. The employee reached out her hands for my paperwork.

"Oh, you are gonna have to do these all over again," was all she said.

"Why?"

"Blue ink."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, can't you read? Says 'black ink only' on the corner of one of the sheets," she said as she handed me blanks. And to be fair, it did say that...on one of the corners of one of the sheets...

Since I only had a blue pen in my pocket, I had to trade the nice Uniball for a crappy erasable Bic that was just about out of ink (Sorry Steve). It had just enough juice to re-do the paperwork. When I brought it back to the office another city employee took the papers immediately (oddly, despite lots of people milling around, I did not have to wait in any lines which was a great surprise). He looked confused and asked what the scope of work on the project was. When I told him, he shook his head and said that this was not an "Easy Permit" but would instead require an addendum to our larger project paperwork. I think he saw the panic quickly setting in and told me to sit tight for a minute while he got his boss.

I was buzzed into the next room where I talked through the project with a nice middle-aged gentleman with a strong Irish Bridgeport accent. I was relieved to be told exactly what needed doing and how. Shocking! Actual direction and support from the Buildings Department in less than an hour's time. Not only that, but he gave me his name and hours inviting me back to meet with him so that I need not go through the process with someone else. On one hand, I am being told I need something far more involved than originally thought. On the other, someone is actually helping me do it, so I cannot complain more than I already have on this posting.

Stay tuned, I go back Tuesday or Wednesday now that I have drawn up all the docs. I will either be really happy or really pissed...right?