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DBI flags publisher error, discusses expedited 3R reports and equity concerns
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Summary
DBI staff told the commission an online publisher listed the wrong fee for a 3R record; the legally adopted fee is $160. The department proposed a premium expedited 3R service tied to staffing capacity; commissioners and public warned about equity and the risk of advantaging wealthier applicants.
Bill Strachan, Legislative and Public Affairs, told the Building Inspection Commission that the online publisher had posted a $100 fee for a 3R (residential records) report but that the fee adopted by the Board is $160. Strachan said the department is correcting the published fee and is preparing legislation to address related fee-table corrections.
Strachan also proposed offering a premium expedited 3R service for customers willing to pay to receive a report in a shorter period. He said such a service would be tied to staffing realities and would not be implemented "overnight." Pamela Levin (DBI) said the department's management-by-objective (MBO) target for regular 3R turnaround is five days; the current average is eight days and the department hopes to reduce that with hiring. Levin said the expedited service was proposed in response to short-sale and high-value transactions that sometimes need faster turnaround.
Commissioners stressed equity concerns and warned against a system that would allow wealthier customers to receive faster service at the expense of others. Commissioners asked how the department would prevent expedited requests from overwhelming capacity; Levin and other staff suggested a cap (described in discussion as an initial limit of 10 percent of daily/monthly requests) and first-come, first-served processing for expedited slots while staff monitors use and adjusts thresholds.
Spencer Gosh, a longtime building inspector and public speaker at the meeting, criticized the idea as allowing "rich people to pay more money to go to the front of the pack" and asked whether the city attorney had signed off on the proposal. The commission did not take action on item 5 at this meeting and asked staff to return with staffing and implementation details before any fee change was adopted.
