Building and Safety manager details permitting, inspections and seismic retrofit grant

Ben Galan, the City of West Hollywood's Building and Safety manager, gave a step-by-step account of how the city processes permit applications, performs plan checks and coordinates inspections.

Galan said the department's permit technicians handle application intake and fee collection, plan checkers ensure compliance with California building codes, and inspectors verify in the field that construction matches approved plans. "We provide these services both in person and virtually," he said, and noted the city adopted an online permitting portal to streamline customer interactions.

Galan provided activity numbers for 2025: "In 2025, my team issued over 2,400 building permits. We reviewed over 2,600 projects. And we conducted over 8,000 inspections." He also described the city's seismic retrofit program, noting the City Council passed ordinances in 2019 addressing three building types known to fail in earthquakes, and said a $10,000,000 FEMA grant awarded in 2021 is being used to assist property owners with retrofits.

On enforcement, Galan said building inspectors can issue stop‑work orders for noncompliant construction; projects that cannot be brought into compliance may need modification or demolition consistent with planning approvals and development agreements. He emphasized cross-agency coordination with external reviewers such as the Los Angeles County Fire Department and utility providers during plan-check and inspection stages.

Residents in the audience used the Q&A to ask whether building inspections overlap with code‑enforcement actions; staff clarified these are separate functions. Galan said the department coordinates with code enforcement and other divisions to resolve violations.