When a government agency calls you
a hero, you listen to what got you there
Morris-Jenkins was recognized as a 2025 Code Hero by Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement for our team's partnership during the launch of the county's new Accela permitting portal. I was one of the coordinators on the ground, documenting friction, reporting bugs directly to county developers, and advocating for the improvements that made the system usable for contractors and homeowners alike.
A government agency recognized our team
at an official commission meeting
Each year, Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement commemorates Building Safety Month by recognizing contractors who are vital to their mission, preventing injury and ensuring life safety through building code compliance. In 2025, Morris-Jenkins was named one of three Code Heroes.
2025 Code Hero, Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement
Recognized at the June 17th Building Development Commission meeting for partnership and collaboration during the launch of Mecklenburg County's Accela customer portal.
Presented by Mecklenburg County LUESA Code Enforcement · Building Development Commission · June 17, 2025
This wasn't a participation trophy. It was a public acknowledgment, at an official government meeting, that our team's engagement during the Accela rollout made a measurable difference.
"Morris-Jenkins, for partnership and collaboration during the launch of Mecklenburg County's Accela customer portal launch."
A county-wide platform launch
with real contractors as the test case
In early 2025, Mecklenburg County migrated from its legacy permitting system (Winchester) to Accela, a new customer portal for permit applications, inspection scheduling, and status tracking. For contractors like Morris-Jenkins, who pull dozens of permits a week across multiple trades and jurisdictions, this wasn't an abstract software upgrade. It was a live operational change that affected every permit we touched every day.
Our team was among the first high-volume contractors using the new system in production. That meant we were also the first to encounter, and document, what wasn't working.
Not just reporting bugs,
building a working relationship with the county
My contribution wasn't a one-time feedback session. Over several months, I maintained an active, documented working relationship with Mecklenburg County's Code Enforcement team, including inspectors, permit techs, and the developers behind Accela. Every issue I flagged was specific, documented, and followed up on.
Recurring search & scheduling failures
The Accela search and scheduling functions broke repeatedly, sometimes for days at a time. I documented each instance, reported directly to county contacts, and tracked resolution.
Homeowners missing inspector ETA alerts
Homeowners weren't receiving text notifications when inspectors were en route. I investigated the notification system and worked with county inspectors to clarify the correct mobile number entry process.
AM/PM inspection constraints
Mechanical and electrical inspections couldn't be scheduled simultaneously, requiring separate flows that often resulted in one slot filling before the second could be confirmed.
Missing address and inspector info in results
Inspection result notifications were arriving without homeowner addresses or inspector names. I flagged this to county developers with specific examples and tracked the fix through resolution.
Expiration date showing as submission date
A data bug caused permit expiration dates to display as the same day the application was submitted, creating false urgency and confusion for coordinators.
2-week scheduling limit too restrictive
Inspections could only be scheduled up to two weeks out. I formally requested this be extended to at least four weeks and documented the operational impact of the current limit.
Participating in the county's
On-Demand Live Remote Inspection pilot
Morris-Jenkins was among the contractors selected to participate in Mecklenburg County's On-Demand Live Remote Inspection (OD-LRI) pilot program, allowing contractors to call for a live video inspection immediately after installation, without scheduling in advance.
OD-LRI Pilot Program, Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement
January 21 - March 31, 2025How it worked
Our team's contribution
Our active participation and feedback helped the county measure volume, manage staffing, and refine the process for long-term viability.
What the partnership
actually produced
The work wasn't glamorous. It was email chains, bug reports, follow-up calls, and meticulous documentation of what was broken and what needed to change. That persistence earned the recognition.
Mecklenburg County noted that Morris-Jenkins was the only contractor they were aware of experiencing certain Accela issues at the volume and frequency we were, which is exactly why our feedback was valuable to the county's developers.
What this taught me about
design beyond your own tools
Most of my product thinking at Morris-Jenkins was directed inward, toward Wrench Connect, ServiceTitan, and the tools our team used internally. The Mecklenburg County work was different. Here, I was advocating for improvements to a government platform I had no control over, working through official channels, and building trust with a public agency one documented issue at a time.
What I learned is that user advocacy is the same skill regardless of the context. You observe what's broken. You document it specifically. You communicate it clearly to the people who can fix it. You follow up. You stay professional when the system crashes for the third time in a week.
The county didn't give us that award because we complained. They gave it to us because we showed up as partners, engaged, specific, persistent, and constructive. That's what good UX advocacy looks like from the outside of a system.
A note on this project
The work documented here represents my contributions as an HVAC Install Coordinator at Morris-Jenkins during Mecklenburg County's Accela portal launch in 2025. Supporting documentation, including email correspondence with county inspectors and permit techs, the formal Accela wish list submitted to county developers, and the Code Hero recognition, exists and is available upon request.
The Code Hero award was presented to Morris-Jenkins as a team at the June 17, 2025 Building Development Commission meeting. I was one of the coordinators whose work contributed to that recognition.