Building Services Employee Spotlight: Katie Blizzard and Andrea Parrott

Being a Permit Technician is not for the faint of heart. It is an arduous position and takes that special person with a smile on their face and a courteous word on their lips. The Planning and Development Services Department is proud to have Katie Blizzard and Andrea Parrott as Southlake’s permit techs.

Permit techs are our front line of customer service in Building Inspections. They help customers at the counter, on the phone and via email. They also assist in permit submittal online and answer an amazing number of questions on anything from “how to get a permit and long it takes” to “what is a FOG report”? (Fats, oil and grease). Numerous other permit tech duties include records maintenance, public information requests, reports, purchasing of supplies, Zoning Board of Adjustment and Building Boards meeting and minutes, and issuance of certificate of occupancies.

“The City has had a long line of wonderful permit techs and currently have two who have hurdled many challenges” Susan Hernandez, Deputy Building Official, said. “One of the greatest challenges that Katie and Andrea faced was they both started in their positions at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They not only had to learn a new job and manage customer/resident expectations, but they had to do it from home. We are grateful that Katie and Andrea have been here over a year now and continue to overcome many trials and come out smiling.”