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Committee debates scope, membership and quorum for proposed Department of Building; postpones charter amendment
Summary
Council members discussed a charter amendment to create a Department of Building, a director position and a building‑codes commission. Concerns focused on commission membership, conflict‑of‑interest risks, quorum size and implementation logistics; committee postponed the bill to Aug. 19 for further amendments.
The committee considered Bill 68, a proposed charter amendment to establish a Department of Building, create a mayor‑appointed director (subject to council confirmation) and form a building‑codes commission to advise the mayor, council and director on building and construction matters. After extended debate and amendments, the committee voted to postpone the bill to its Aug. 19 meeting for further drafting.
Why it matters: The proposed department would reorganize permitting and building oversight functions currently housed in multiple county departments. Advocates said the change could streamline permitting and improve technical oversight; critics warned about potential new conflicts of interest and implementation complexity.
Key discussion points: Authors Council Members Eustace and Kerkowitz presented an amendment (communication 376.2) that clarified the commission’s role in reviewing building, electrical, plumbing and fire codes and defined the types of expertise sought for commission members. Council Member Connie Lee Kleinfelder warned that listing building‑material suppliers as potential members could create conflicts of interest — “If Home Depot was in charge of writing building codes, then I could see that as being problematic,” she said. Several members suggested replacing the phrase “building material supply” with “building material expertise” to allow technical knowledge without privileging vendors.
Other concerns included: the proposed commission’s size (nine public members plus county officials), quorum difficulties experienced on other county commissions, whether the fire chief should be an ex officio member to advise on fire codes, and whether the department of environmental management should be included given wastewater permitting interface. Human Resources staff noted that moving functions to a new department would require bargaining and position reclassification discussions with unions.
Formal actions: The committee adopted an amendment to Bill 68 (communication 376.2). A subsequent motion to postpone the bill to the Aug. 19 committee meeting passed; the clerk recorded eight ayes with one council member excused.
Next steps: Makers said they will draft additional amendments on membership, quorum and code‑interpretation duties, and will consult with department heads on implementation timing and HR impacts so the committee can review a more finalized proposal in August.
Ending note: Committee members emphasized the goal of adding technical expertise while avoiding conflicts of interest and minimizing additional procedural delays for building permits.
