By John Iacofano – Citizen and Current Member of Mount Pleasant Town Council
If you’ve ever built a home, opened a business, or renovated a property in Mount Pleasant, then you know this truth: permitting matters.
The permitting process is where ideas become reality—and where red tape can quickly turn into roadblocks. As a member of Mount Pleasant Town Council, and as a business owner who’s been through it firsthand, I believe it’s time we focus on making the system faster, clearer, and more transparent for everyone.
Why Permitting Efficiency Is So Important
Mount Pleasant residents deserve a permitting process that’s:
- ✅ Efficient – so projects don’t get stuck in limbo
- ✅ Transparent – so the steps and timelines are clear
- ✅ Communicative – so homeowners, landowners, and small business owners aren’t left in the dark
Unfortunately, too many residents tell me the same thing:
“I had no idea where my permit stood or how long it would take.”
And here’s the problem: in many cases, the contractor receives updates—but the property owner, the one paying for it all, gets no communication at all.
That has to change.
The Public Deserves to Be Kept in the Loop
Every homeowner, landowner, and small business should have the option to receive updates on their permit status. With today’s technology, there’s no reason why an owner shouldn’t know:
- Where their permit stands
- What the next step is
- Who to contact for help
If we want to build trust in local government, we must first provide clear, consistent communication to the people who live and invest here.
Government Is the Hospitality Industry
In the private sector, I learned this simple truth:
Service matters.
I believe government should operate the same way. Our job isn’t just to enforce codes or review documents—it’s to serve the people of Mount Pleasant with professionalism, consistency, and respect.
That doesn’t mean skipping safety standards. It means making the process easier to understand, less intimidating, and more predictable.
Our Permitting Team Is Strong—Let’s Help Them Succeed
I want to be clear: our permitting staff in Mount Pleasant are dedicated public servants. They care about public safety and want to do right by residents. I’ve seen it firsthand.
But even the best teams need the right systems. That’s why we should:
- Add optional notifications for homeowners and landowners
- Improve real-time tracking on permits
- Make agendas and historical documents easily accessible
- Use technology like AI-enhanced minutes to streamline information
- Keep improving OPAL (the Town’s online permitting portal) to be more user-friendly
Share Your Experience – Take the Permitting Poll
If you’ve gone through the permitting process in Mount Pleasant—whether good, bad, or somewhere in between—I want to hear from you.
👉 Please take a minute to complete this short, unofficial community survey:
🔗 voteiacofano.com/?ff_landing=4
Your answers will help me advocate for practical improvements, support our staff with the tools they need, and make sure the process works better for you.
Let’s Keep Mount Pleasant Moving Forward
Permitting shouldn’t be a mystery. It should be a well-marked path.
Together, we can build a system that works for contractors and homeowners, for businesses and staff.
Whether you’re building a fence, a restaurant, or a dream home—you deserve to know where you stand.
Let’s keep building a better Mount Pleasant, one permit at a time.
— John Iacofano
There’s Mayor at the Market today at the Mt. P Farmers Market.
I am sure he can explain permitting.
Maybe ask him
Thanks for the heads-up! That’s a great idea—I’ll swing by the Mayor at the Market table and ask about the permitting process directly. Appreciate you pointing me in the right direction.
Please explain citizen Town Council member. Are there different types of Town Council members. Does that mean you are lower ranking for some reason?
Were you demoted? Why?
Thanks for your questions—happy to clarify!
When I said “citizen and Town Council member,” I simply meant that I’m both a resident of Mount Pleasant and an elected official serving on Town Council. All members of Council are citizen representatives—there aren’t different ranks, and no, I wasn’t demoted. We’re all elected by the community to serve equally and represent the interests of our town.
Let me know if there’s anything else I can help explain. Always glad to talk more about how local government works.
I didn’t finish the survey. I believe it forced me into answering in a biased way. It is a very unfair survey and I now am not so sure you know what you are doing.
Morning Jake, Thanks for letting me know—I really appreciate your honesty.
I’m sorry the survey felt unfair or like it was pushing you toward certain answers. That’s definitely not what we intended, and I can see how that would be frustrating. The goal was to get genuine input, not box anyone in.
If you’re up for it, I’d love to hear more about what didn’t sit right or how we could make it better. Your feedback matters, and I want to make sure we’re listening and improving—not just checking boxes.
Thanks again for being real with me.