Newark council delays vote to hire third‑party building inspectors, requests staffing and revenue data

Council members postponed consideration of a contract to hire third‑party inspectors for the city’s building inspection unit after requests for additional data and assurances that the contracting would be temporary.

The Department of Engineering presented Legistar item 24‑1688, described by Dolores Martinez Budin, director of the Department of Engineering, as a procurement that “will enable the purchasing and engineering department to be able to go out to bid for third party inspections to supplement the inspecting unit of the UCC.” The proposal would have allowed the city to procure outside inspection services under DCA guidance while the city addresses inspector shortages.

Council members pressed the administration for more detail before voting. Councilman Council told the director, “I really do think that we need to... dive a little deeper into this whole third party, issue,” and asked for a full accounting of fines and penalties collected by the UCC and other financial data. Council members expressed concern that a private vendor could be relied on beyond a short‑term need and that third‑party contractors might earn more from the arrangement than the city recovers in revenue.

Multiple council members said the city should instead address recruitment and compensation for in‑house inspectors. Councilman Silva said the city “doesn’t offer a competitive salary” and warned that outside contractors would “only cost the city more money.” Councilwoman Scott Rountree said she would “not support this with a vote until we’ve gotten all the information we’ve requested” about UCC operations and finances.

Director Martinez Budin and staff said the measure is intended as a temporary fix to clear a backlog while the administration reviews salary and staffing changes. Martinez Budin said the outside inspectors would operate “under the oversight of the building official of the UCC” and that the department is preparing a proposal to update inspector salaries for administrative review.

Following the discussion the council president directed that the item not be added as an "added starter" for the meeting and requested that the administration provide the materials the council asked for; the item was scheduled to return on the next meeting agenda for a formal vote.

The council’s requests included: numbers of vacant inspection positions, historical backlog metrics, amounts assessed and collected in fines/penalties, and a written justification for the proposed temporary contracting. The director said a proposal to adjust UCC salaries had been submitted to the administration in the prior quarter and was under financial review.

The discussion highlighted broader concerns about inspection delays, inspector recruitment and training, and whether the city should rely on contractors for functions historically performed in‑house. The council directed staff to supply the requested documentation before the item returns for a vote next week.