Jackson County is looking for the public’s help with an ongoing audit of its Permitting and Code Enforcement Department.

The audit, which commissioners ordered in response to questions that surfaced earlier this year about whether the department was carrying out the responsibilities assigned to it, looks particularly at the relationship between permitting and code enforcement and the planning department. The permitting office is a relatively new creation, established in 2012 when it was split off from the planning office. Thus the two offices and their responsibilities are somewhat intertwined. 

Benchmark Planning, the company performing the audit, is using a survey as part of its evaluation and wants input from anybody who has had contact with either the planning or the permitting department. 

In addition to the survey, Benchmark’s audit — for which it will receive a flat $15,350 fee — will include a review of the departments’ structure, workflow, software system, reporting requirements and staff training. 

The survey is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/jacksoncountycustomer or through a link on the county’s homepage, www.jacksonnc.org. All survey responses should be completed by Saturday, Aug. 29.