AURORA | When Skip Bailey started on a development project for Advanced Circuits in June 2012, he expected it would take about a year to secure building permits from the city, draft city-approved site plans and complete construction.

Instead, the whole process took about six months, and the circuit board manufacturer opened its doors at the Majestic Commerce Center in northeast Aurora in January.

It was one of the quickest and most efficient development projects for Bailey, who is district manager and vice president for California-based Commerce Construction.

“It was a phenomenally fast project. I’ve never seen anything go that fast, and everybody that was involved did a good job,” Bailey said.

Bailey’s positive experience was due to the city’s All 4 Business program, an initiative launched in January 2012 aimed at making the city more business-friendly, improving customer service and eliminating cumbersome development requirements.

“It used to be that when we’d start a site plan process, we’d have to print 23 sets of plans, fold them exactly a certain size and then deliver them with applications. There would be a humongous amount of paper going back and forth,” Bailey said.

Bailey said the development process sped up significantly because Aurora accepted all documents and payments online. The city also made comments on site plans online, and Bailey could track the project through the city’s website to see where it was in the review process.

Vinessa Irvin, division manager for the city’s Office of Development Assistance, said improvements like those have made a difference in the city’s reputation.

“We’ve heard over the past few years before this started about how unfriendly the City of Aurora was to businesses, and we’re not hearing that as much anymore,” Irvin said.

The All 4 Business program started after city staff members surveyed more than 300 small- and large-business owners and developers.

During the past year, city staff members have rolled out about 20 new improvements as part of the All 4 Business initiative, from digitizing paperwork related to development applications, eliminating most fence permits and launching an online Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement Handbook.

Over the next few months, Irvin said city staff will be collecting surveys from developers, business owners and homeowners to see which city processes went well and which didn’t.

“We’re shifting and adjusting with the market and with our customers,” Irvin said.

Deputy City Manager Nancy Freed said the All 4 Business initiative has taught city employees to focus more on the customer service.

“There’s now an acute awareness of how customer service is integral to our business,” Freed said.

Reach reporter Sara Castellanos at 720-449-9036 or sara@aurorasentinel.com.