Quick-Start Guide for Chat Assistant (Internal)

How to get started using the Govstream.ai internal Chat Assistant

Written By Safouen Rabah

Last updated 12 months ago

1 — What the Chat Assistant Does

A zoning- and code-aware teammate at your fingertips:

  • Uses parcel lookup + our knowledge base to give cited, regulation-correct answers in seconds.

  • Understands Bellevue’s Land Use Code, Building Code, Critical Areas regs, design guidelines, fee schedules, and vetted website content we ingest and update regularly.

  • Lets frontline staff ask a question, review citations, copy the answer, and get back to the customer—without digging through PDFs and many sources of data.

2 — Who It’s For

Role

How They Use It

Permit Techs & other frontline staff

Clarify code sections, fees, submittal lists while on a call or at the counter

Subject-Matter Experts (Land Use, Building, Utilities, Fire, ROW, etc.)

Double-check citations, confirm hazards, speed up e-mail responses

Supervisors / Trainers

Spot-check consistency, capture FAQs for SOPs

(Chat Assistant lives in the Admin panel—customers in the public domain never see these conversations.)

3 — Prerequisites

  1. Sign in at https://<your-subdomain>.govstream.ai.

  2. Open Chat Assistant in the sidebar.

  3. (Optional but recommended) Have the project address or parcel ID ready.

4 — Step-by-Step

#Action

What You’ll See

4.1

Open Chat Assistant.

Screen 1 (blank chat + Project Context panel).

4.2

Enter an address → Look up.

Screen 2: parcel ID, lot size, zoning (e.g., R-1), land-use category, hazards (steep slopes, ECAs, flood, etc.).

4.3

Type your permitting question.

Message appears in black; AI starts drafting.

4.4

Review the answer.

Screen 3: numbered bullets, citations to LUC/website, sources list.

4.5

Give feedback (👍 / 👎 or detailed note).

Screen 4 modal for comments.

4.6

Copy useful text into e-mail, notes, or PermitGuide tickets.

Hover for copy icon.

4.7

Click Clear Session to wipe chat + parcel context.

Ready for the next customer.

5 — Tips for Great Results

  • Set the parcel first – zoning + hazards power smarter answers.

  • Ask one scenario per message – “What’s the max ADU size on this R-1 lot?” beats multi-layered questions.

  • Check the sources – if a link feels off, flag it; nightly retraining uses your feedback.

  • Work tool, not a general-purpose chatbot – stay on permitting, zoning, and development topics for best accuracy.

  • Link hygiene – when you copy the answer, keep the citation links intact.

6 — Data Behind the Answers

The assistant reasons over a curated stack of Bellevue regulations and reference material, including:

Source

What It Covers

Land Use Code (Title 20)

Zoning districts, dimensional standards, ADUs, critical-area overlays, and all use-specific rules.

Transportation Code (Title 14)

Street standards, access management, traffic impact requirements, frontage improvements.

Development Code (Title 22)

Site-development standards, environmental review procedures, subdivision requirements, and design guidelines.

Building & Construction Code(Title 23)

Building, residential, mechanical, plumbing, and energy codes adopted by the city.

Utilities Code (Title 24)

Water, sewer, and storm-drainage regulations, including connection fees and technical specs.

Revenue & Finance Code (Title 4)

Permit fee schedules, impact fees, and other cost-recovery provisions.

Health & Safety Code (Title 9)

Public-safety, nuisance-abatement, and sanitation standards that sometimes trigger permit conditions.

Development Services Website

All relevant content from the website.

These texts—plus vetted website FAQs, handouts, and parcel GIS layers—are indexed in our retrieval system so the AI can surface the exact section and give you a live citation every time.

7 — Frequently Asked Questions

Question

Answer

Do customers see these chats?

No. Internal only.

Is chat saved?

Yes, for audit and quality review. Use Clear Session to wipe local context.

Can I reuse an answer in Email Assistant or elsewhere?

Yes—copy and paste.

Does feedback really help?

Absolutely. Thumbs + notes feed nightly fine-tunes.

Parcel not found?

Check address format or paste the parcel ID. Still stuck? Flag it in support or via in-app feedback.

8 — Need Help or Have Ideas?

  • Watch the 2-min Loom tour (link coming soon)

  • Log feature requests / bugs in Featurebase ➜ Chat Assistant (Internal)

  • Urgent? E-mail support@govstream.ai

Happy chatting—and thanks for keeping permitting fast, clear, and compliant!