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Department of Development Services outlines building, health inspections and Saturday enforcement efforts
Summary
The city’s Department of Development Services gave the council a progress report on rental certifications, Saturday inspections, and enforcement work, citing increased registration of multi‑family properties and dozens of weekend enforcement actions.
The Lowell Department of Development Services presented an update to the City Council Wednesday on inspections, code enforcement and neighborhood “walks,” reporting growth in property registrations, Saturday enforcement activity and targeted work to bring rental properties into compliance.
Lloyd De Jesus, director of Development Services, told the council the department has increased its inspection staff and outreach. The department has focused on high-density neighborhoods with repeated outreach and “Tuesday walks” through target areas; the team also conducts Saturday building and health inspections to reach property owners who otherwise cannot accommodate weekday appointments.
De Jesus said the city reclaimed about 712 parking placards last year during canvasses and has continued the practice this year. The department reported that it has identified more than 100 properties that proceeded without required building permits in the prior year; so far this year staff have identified about 15 such cases. De Jesus said the city’s certificate-of-inspection effort has raised registration of three-or-more-family buildings: about 650 units were registered in February 2023 and 850 by February 2024, leaving roughly 65 properties still not in compliance of an estimated 1,470 properties in the program’s universe.
Senior Health Inspector Matthew Sheehan said his team — seven cross‑trained inspectors — completed 2,299 rental inspections in 2024 and carried out 5,715 minimum‑maintenance and trash investigations the same year. Sheehan also reported that in the first quarter of 2024 the department logged inspections and enforcement activity that reflected continued high demand for rental oversight.
Councilors praised the department’s expanded staffing and visible enforcement. Councilor Blanchard thanked staff for progress in dense neighborhoods; Councilor Dakota said Saturday inspections were especially effective at catching weekend construction and projects without permits, and noted the city triples permit fees for after‑the‑fact applications. Several councilors urged continued attention to specific problem properties cited in their districts and asked the department to include alleyways downtown and waterways among future inspection priorities.
De Jesus said the department is working with the housing authority and other city divisions to coordinate future capital work and to manage reinspection cycles as certificates come due in years ahead. He told the council that the department will continue monthly reporting to the Board of Health and provide follow-up information requested by council members.
No formal action was taken; the item was presented as an information report (taken out of order from the agenda). The council directed staff to return with requested maintenance logs and more detail on specific problem sites.
