Building permits have surprisingly picked up in the city of Townsville, Indiana, forcing the city's planning department to replace its automated telephone response system with an actual human staffer.
The automated system had been in place for two years, effectively serving as the city's entire planning department. It consisted of a message instructing any callers seeking approvals for projects in the city to leave a message. Until very recently, no messages had been received.
"I almost forgot how to deal with this stuff," said the city's former -- and now reinstated -- planning director.
FULL STORY: As Permitting Rebounds, Planning Department Forced to Replace Automated System With Human
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