While the total building permits in Nevada County and Nevada City dropped in 2012 from the previous year, Grass Valley saw a slight increase in development from 2011. “We’ve had an uptick in the number of permits,” said Tom Last, Grass Valley’s community development director. “That’s a good thing.” Between January and November of 2012, 553 building permits were issued in Grass Valley compared to only 496 issued during all of 2011, according to Last. “Our economy is so tied into construction,” said Barbara Bashall, executive director of the Nevada County Contractor’s Association. In the rest of the county, though, …