Simple permit applications shouldn't require hours of staff assistance. Yet residents often need help figuring out whether a permit is required, finding the right form, completing an application, and navigating submission and payment. For agency staff, each step can mean another phone call, email, or request for assistance. Individually, these interactions may seem small, but together they take time away from more complex work that requires staff expertise. Saira Solutions is

Here’s a common scenario: A resident wants to know whether a permit is required for a home renovation. They visit the agency website, find conflicting information, and call the main office. They're directed to another department, where they leave a voicemail. When someone calls back, they learn they need to consult a different resource. What should have been a simple question and response becomes a multistep process. This experience is familiar to residents and agency staff a

Local governments collect data about almost everything they do. How many permits were issued. How many service requests were submitted. How many calls came into a department. How long it took to resolve an issue. But there is another source of information that can be just as valuable: the questions residents are asking. Every question reveals something about what residents need, what they are trying to accomplish, and where they may be encountering friction. When the same que

For many residents, the phone is still the most natural way to get help from their local government. They may not know which department has the information they need, where to find a particular form online, or how to navigate an agency’s website. Often, they simply want to explain what they need in their own words and get an answer. Traditional phone service, however, is limited by staff availability. Residents may have to call during business hours, wait in a queue, navigate

Saira Solutions welcomes Scott Stickel as Chief Revenue Officer. Scott brings more than 25 years of government technology experience, with executive leadership roles in sales and marketing serving SLED (State, Local, and Education) organizations across the United States. Throughout his career, he has helped government and other organizations identify and implement technology solutions that align with their goals and the needs of the communities they serve. Scott brings experi

For the last two years, most conversations about artificial intelligence in local government have focused on chatbots. Can AI answer resident questions? Can it summarize documents? Can it help staff draft responses? Those are valuable capabilities, but they represent only the first generation of AI adoption. The next evolution is agentic AI, which we call Service AI, to do the basic services for the residents. What Is Agentic AI? Traditional AI systems give answers to questio

Local governments receive the same types of questions every day. Do I need a permit for this project? When is the next Council meeting? How do I apply for a business license? Can you check the status of my application? These interactions may seem small individually. At scale, they create a significant operational burden across departments. Phone calls interrupt work. Emails require manual responses. Staff spend hours navigating residents to information that already exists som

Residents Expect Government to Work Like Modern Consumer Technology Resident expectations for digital experiences have changed dramatically over the last decade. People can order groceries, schedule transportation, apply for loans, book travel, and resolve customer service issues from their phones in minutes. Increasingly, they can simply ask a question conversationally and receive an immediate answer. Those experiences shape expectations everywhere else, including local gove

Resident engagement has long been a priority for the City of Burbank. Now, the City is taking another step forward with the launch of Hey Burbank powered by Saira Solutions, a new AI-powered virtual assistant and Voice Agent designed to provide residents with faster, easier access to city information. Available 24/7, Hey Burbank serves as a true virtual City Hall, giving residents a simple way to get answers to questions about city services, permits, meetings, regulations, an

Interacting with a city or county government should be straightforward. In practice, it often is not. Residents and businesses frequently encounter fragmented websites, unclear navigation, and inconsistent information across departments. The result is predictable: more calls, more emails, and more strain on staff resources. A different model is emerging—one centered on a single, simple interaction: ask a question and get a complete answer. A Simpler Front Door The core shift

Visit the Saira Solutions – EdgeSoft Booth # 506 at the California Building Officials (CALBO) 64th Annual Business Meeting. Sunday, April 12 – Thursday, April 16, 2026 Hyatt Regency Santa Clara 5101 Great America Pkwy | Santa Clara, CA 95054

Join the 2026 ICC LABC virtual general membership meeting and training session with guest speaker Shan Sunder. Empowering Local Governments with Technology Thursday, March 19, 10:30am – 12:30pm Pacific Time 1.5 CEU Credits This session will explore how artificial intelligence can support local governments in improving efficiency, customer service, and decision making. The presentation will discuss practical uses of AI in city operations, key implementation considerations, and

The City of Whittier, CA is partnering with Saira Solutions to launch a new Voice Agent, an AI-powered system that understands speech and responds conversationally over the phone. The technology provides a secure and simple way for residents and businesses to access city information. The new voice agent adds to the City's existing AI-powered resource called Ask Whittier, a virtual agent by Saira Solutions. "Ask Whittier has significantly enhanced how the City engages with our