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Building and Safety: cuts to code enforcement would shrink vacant-building and general-complaint teams, department seeks alternatives
Summary
DBS warned proposed deletions would remove most code enforcement inspectors and may raise liability and public-safety risks; department said it is pursuing mitigation proposals and a code-enforcement efficiency study with an outside consultant.
The Department of Building and Safety told the Budget and Finance Committee on May 2 that the mayor's proposed deletions include 24 positions, 22 of them in inspection and code enforcement functions, and that those cuts would sharply reduce the departments ability to address illegal construction, vacant and abandoned buildings, electrical and public-safety violations and general code complaints.
Why this matters: Building and Safety enforces construction and building-safety codes, inspects active projects, manages vacant-building abatement and responds to public-complaint investigations. Reductions in inspection staff can delay construction approvals, increase post-construction risk, and expose the city to state-mandated invoice-timing penalties and liability for delayed enforcement.
What DBS said: General Manager Osamie Yunnan said 24 positions are proposed for deletion and most are in the code enforcement bureau (Vacant Building Abatement and general complaint teams). He said vacant-building abatement would see about a 50% cut and general complaint teams would be reduced by about 25% in the current proposal.
Budget and legal risk: Committee members and the department discussed the potential for increased legal liability under state laws that can deem projects approved if the city does not act on permitting timelines, or that can trigger fines and other penalties when statutory response windows are missed. The department noted it currently has 591 open vacant-building abatement cases and said fewer staff would limit its ability to investigate, abate and monitor those sites.
Efficiency and reforms: DBS said it is preparing a consultant engagement (the Matrix study) to compare the department to peer cities and identify operational efficiencies, staffing models, and technological improvements (virtual inspections, self-certification programs) that can streamline enforcement and permitting; the contract is under review by the city attorney and will proceed to CAO for executive review. The department said it plans to publish self-certification guidelines within weeks under a mayoral order and is using virtual inspections to reduce staff travel for certain inspections.
Committee requests and next steps: Members asked the department to provide memos on alternatives to the proposed code-enforcement deletions (including realigning duties, shifting special-fund positions and other cost-saving measures). The committee also asked that the consultants final recommendations be presented to relevant committees along with estimated implementation costs and savings. DBS said shifting certain AM/Grama-funded positions to the enterprise fund could preserve roughly 14 inspector roles and asked for CAO coordination.
What to watch: Matrix consultant recommendations and CAO analyses of shifting special-fund positions could determine whether DBS preserves inspection capacity for the remainder of the fiscal year. Committee members asked for an inventory of code-enforcement and inspection positions proposed for deletion and a costed plan to preserve 30-day invoice-processing timelines required under state law.
