HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — After the 2024 hurricanes, Florida communities struggled with permit backlogs, delaying rebuilding for months. Now, a new AI tool is helping counties cut permit turnaround from weeks to days.
Sabrina Dugan, managing partner and co-founder of Swiftbuild.ai, created Swiftgov, an AI that scans regulations and ordinances to quickly process permits.
Dugan told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska that her inspiration to fix the system stemmed from her late friend, Corey Reichenberg. Reichenberg had cerebral palsy and struggled to navigate the University of Florida campus, which motivated Dugan to focus on accessibility.
"Corey Reichenberg was a huge part of my life, and being able to see what he had to experience as a user with cerebral palsy inspired some of my first original patents and accessibility in the built environment," Dugan said.
Dugan said she likely would not have launched the company without him.
After developing Swiftgov, Dugan partnered with Hernando County, making it one of the first government agencies to use the AI software for permit processing. County Administrator Jeff Rogers noted a significant reduction in wait times.
"We were at 30 days, and now it's just a couple of days," Rogers said. "Currently, the technology reviews all that, and it basically provides an AI assist to our employees. Our employees still, at the end, review the output from the technology and make sure that it's correct, and then are able to issue that permit to the homeowner," Rogers said.
Chorvat added that before full implementation, the software was introduced as a pilot program in Hernando County.
"It was a pilot to start off with and a proof of concept, but I can tell you that's not anything what it is anymore. It's just how it is, the reality of what we're going to be doing in Hernando County moving forward," Chorvat said.
Rogers said the automation is changing how the county operates.
"And then also, I strongly believe the long term, as these counties grow to minimize the cost of government, you're going to spend your money on one or two things. Is it more people or more technology? And I believe technology, where it's appropriate, is the better investment,” Rogers said.
In 2025, Paluska reported on the one-year anniversary of hurricanes Helene and Milton, showing how the lengthy permitting process nearly crippled the small beach town of Treasure Island. Homes were destroyed and buried in sand, taking a toll on local leaders. Dozens of city workers walked out, and residents were enraged by the delays.
Agencies across Florida are now adopting Swiftgov for projects ranging from basic plumbing and electrical repairs to master-planned communities and rebuilding homes destroyed by natural disasters.
Dugan said the software can save thousands to millions of dollars in delays if your permits aren’t cleared in the first go-around.
"Then you have to resubmit so you end up in a resubmittal cycle that seems endless, but Hernando, actually, prior to Swift gov, had around three to four rounds of resubmittals per single-family home. And now with Swift gov, 87% of the applicants are having error-free submissions, so getting first round approvals," Dugan said.
Dugan said the AI is verified by humans and serves as a support tool.
"People can support people, but also us AI as a tool used to empower people. It's a support tool. Think of it as an engine powering the supercar. So humans being the supercar and this being their superpower," Dugan said.
This story was reported on-air by Michael Paluska and converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Paluska and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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