The city of Bend’s Web-based plan review system — one of just a few of its kind in the U.S. — could become a new revenue source for the city.

The ePlan software system, which allows the city’s Community Development Department to review plans and communicate with architects online, was rolled out in May 2008. City examiners swapped out paper blueprints for new computers that use the system, cutting the plan processing time in half.

Bend’s switch to Web-based planning has attracted the attention of cities around Oregon and the Northwest, including several that have sent delegations to Bend to see the system in action. Now, city officials are hoping to take advantage of the growing interest by offering the system for use by other cities — a move they say could help build up the Community Development Department’s dwindling reserve funds.

Mel Oberst, the department’s director, said the city is working on a Web site that would invite other cities to check out Bend’s ePlan system and consider sending their plans to be reviewed by city of Bend staff for a fee. He’s still working on some specifics, including the rate the city would charge and which staff would work on other cities’ plans.

When Bend implemented the system last year, it cost $143,000 for the software, new computers, 32-inch flat-screen monitors and a large scanner. Since then, Oberst said, the system’s cost has doubled, which means many cash-strapped cities are interested in an ePlan system of their own but can’t afford it.

Oberst said sending some plans to Bend could be a good solution for cities that have had to lay off employees and need some help. Because all Oregon cities use the same statewide building code, he said it wouldn’t be difficult to share the service.

“For those that would pay us to review the plans, they’d benefit by having it done quickly and efficiently,” he said.

Oberst said the city would charge enough to cover staff time and other costs, including system maintenance, so the arrangement would pay for itself and potentially provide additional revenue that could pay for overtime or supplement the department’s reserve funds.

The department, which is largely supported by development fees, has been hit hard by the recession. It now has about 30 employees, less than half the number it had three years ago.

Oberst and Building Manager Robert Mathias said the city would stop taking outside plans if there was too much work to be done on Bend projects.

“It’s a work-flow issue, and of course, Bend applications would get priority,” Oberst said.

Officials said it’s hard to tell how many cities would want to use Bend’s system or how often.

Laurie Wells, a permit services supervisor with the city of Gresham, was part of a group that visited Bend last week to see the ePlan system. She said Gresham officials were impressed but aren’t sure yet if they’ll want to try it out.

“We looked at Bend because we have the same permitting system that they do, so the ePlan review is kind of the next product we’re interested in. … I think with the electronic plan review, anybody would find advantages to that.”

Regardless of what happens with other cities, Mathias said Bend officials are pleased with their investment. Without the hassle of mailing plans back and forth with architects and waiting for changes and corrections in letters, Mathias said the city can complete work in a couple of days that used to take a couple of weeks.

“We’re pretty proud of it,” he said. “I think in five or 10 years, this is going to be a standard in the industry.”