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Codes budget holds steady as staff shortages and GIS upgrade plans surface
Summary
The codes department presented a modest 3% increase but reported staffing declines from seven officers to four over 14 years and urged hiring one or two officers or a part-time office assistant; staff also described plans to consolidate GIS software and explore regionalization to lower costs.
Mister Narre presented the codes department budget and said the proposed 2026 budget rises about 3%, mainly driven by health-insurance and pension costs. He told council that the department has shrunk from seven code officers plus administrative staff to four officers and an office manager over roughly 14 years, creating capacity constraints for enforcement and inspections.
Narre said rental-property inspections are scheduled on a four-year rotation and that this year’s lower revenue reflected the inspection mix (more commercial wards this cycle). He recommended adding part-time office support (midday hours) or one to two code officers to restore operational visibility and responsiveness.
Council members and staff discussed replacing an aging GIS platform with a consolidated citywide system and potentially regionalizing GIS with county partners to reduce per-unit licensing costs. Narre and staff said they would work with Scott, Valerie and DCD to explore options and bring a recommendation back to council.
Next steps include scoping the GIS procurement and returning with options for part-time office support or additional officer positions to be considered in budget adjustments.
