City reports faster electrical inspections and near‑$1 billion construction year; asks for further ward‑level data

The city’s development staff told the committee that recent hiring and training of inspectors has substantially reduced backlog and improved service times.

The planning director reported electrical inspection delays had fallen from roughly nine days when last reported to about three days “as of this morning,” and said all new inspectors are trained and operating in the field. Staff also said the city is on track for a record construction‑value year — just shy of $1 billion — and that permit timelines generally remain steady.

Commissioners sought more granular data, asking how much of the construction value is concentrated by ward (for example, West Side vs. South Side) and why stacked visualizations in the packet might obscure ward‑level contributions. The planning director described the chart as a stacked visualization and committed to providing disaggregated figures on request.

The mayor and commissioners also discussed accessory dwelling units (ADUs); the mayor clarified that 14 ADUs have been permitted year‑to‑date and asked staff to report how many have been approved since the city’s zoning change to allow ADUs.

City staff offered to provide ward‑level permit counts and additional historical benchmarks in a future update. No formal actions or votes were taken on these operational updates.