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Streets and Maintenance follow-up finds permit inspection controls improved; code update still pending
Summary
A follow-up audit of the Streets and Maintenance Department’s permitting process found the department has implemented inspection checklists and weekly inspection reports but is still working with consultant AECOM and the city to revise municipal code timing requirements; the committee approved the follow-up report 4–0.
The Financial Oversight and Audit Committee accepted a follow-up audit report on Streets and Maintenance (SAM) permitting practices and voted unanimously to approve the report. The audit found SAM had implemented inspection checklists and weekly inspection-tracking reports but has not yet finalized recommended changes to municipal code and policies with its consultant, AECOM.
The follow-up audit reviewed actions taken since the original Streets and Maintenance permit-review audit dated July 10, 2023. Liz, the audit presenter, said SAM provided draft procedural documents that the department is consolidating into a single manual. The audit also confirmed SAM developed a preconstruction and inspection checklist and a weekly permit-inspection report to track completed inspections, failed inspections and inspector statistics.
The audit noted a standing discrepancy between the municipal code and current operations for certain traffic-control permits. By code, the department had a 24-hour issuance expectation for those permits, but the department reported an average issuance time about four working days longer. Randy Garcia, Streets and Maintenance, told the committee the department and AECOM concluded the 24-hour code standard is not feasible without substantial additional staff or a rework of how traffic-control permits are submitted and processed. He said SAM expects to return with recommended ordinance language and policy changes by December 2025.
Representative Nino asked whether auditors had tested job sites or re-sampled permit files to confirm inspections are being completed. The audit team said the follow-up assessment reviewed the new tracking processes, performed on-site review at the department and determined the checklist and QA/QC steps meant inspectors now complete required verifications before a permit is closed out. Randy Garcia said SAM has added supervisor QA/QC steps to ensure checklists are completed and entered into Acela, the department’s permit tracking system.
Committee members asked that SAM update the reported implementation dates in the audit report to reflect the current December 2025 expectation for code and policy changes. The committee approved the follow-up audit report by unanimous voice vote, 4–0.
