"Well, it's important that we have a certificate of occupancy before we let folks go in there," Harpster said. "That means we can have people in there. We want to make sure the lifeguards are in place. We want to make sure we have our permission from the Ohio Health Department as far as the pool and the chemicals and everything that goes with that. So we want to make sure it's ready. That way we're not opening then closing. We want to be open."

Starting Tuesday, April 1, all permits, licensing applications, and building plan submissions can be completed electronically. The department is transitioning to SmartGov, an online permitting and licensing system. Officials say the new process will reduce the current 29-day turnaround to 14 days or less.