At present, applicants for a Honolulu building permit must include a sworn, notarized affidavit declaring they have no outstanding fines or liens payable to the city before a permit can be issued. But Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) Director Dawn Takeuchi Apuna says new city technology can take care of checking for outstanding fines or liens — and supports a bill to ax the affidavit requirement.

The change would reduce the number of steps permit applicants must take, making the process less humbug — but faster permit reviews are at least a year off, because the improved technology is still being incorporated, Takeuchi said.