DOB commissioner outlines staffing boosts, proactive enforcement and shed rules as plan‑review waits rise

New York — Ahmed Tigani, commissioner of the Department of Buildings, told the New York City Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings on March 24 that DOB is prioritizing proactive enforcement and workforce investment to address rising violations and plan‑review delays.

"We will hold owners accountable for maintaining safe buildings and use every available tool when they fail to meet their legal obligations," Tigani said in his opening testimony.

Tigani outlined the department’s FY27 expense request — roughly $214 million in expense funds — and said about 85% of that is personnel funding to support 1,864 budgeted positions. He said the agency’s current headcount (1,635 as of January) reflects progress but that vacancies remain a constraint for service levels.

The department reported that average DOB Now first‑review times increased from about 3.5 days last year to about 5 days this fiscal year, and that parts of the inspection pipeline have lengthened due to higher resubmission rates and increased demand for complex plan reviews. Tigani said DOB is investing in an examiner training academy, partnering with technical colleges and CUNY to strengthen recruitment pipelines, and piloting private‑sector technology partnerships to speed plan reviews.

On enforcement, DOB said it has expanded proactive inspections under a new strategic enforcement division created by local law. The department said it has conducted about 9,200 proactive inspections since last March that produced roughly 7,000 summonses and now makes up some 30–35% of the agency’s enforcement work. A DOB deputy described a risk‑scoring algorithm that helps target at‑risk buildings for inspections.

The agency also described planned changes to sidewalk‑shed permitting and design. Tigani said the agency moved from annual permit renewals to 90‑day renewals for many sheds, and expects to publish rules and new shed designs this summer to reduce long‑term sheds and increase owner accountability. "We have focused on sheds where no active construction is occurring," Tigani said, adding the city will use both enforcement and outreach to drive compliance.

Council members pressed the department on vacancy and hiring plans for inspector titles — plumbing and elevator inspectors were singled out as high‑need areas — and on how much of the IT transition has been spent. DOB said it ran roughly 25–27 job fairs in recent years, reached candidates through partnerships with DCAS and CUNY, and has 55 candidates in its pipeline awaiting approvals. The department reported about $172.8 million spent to date on the DOB Now transition and described FY26 and FY27 budget lines that include both capital and expense components for IT.

On contractor enforcement, Tigani pointed to a recent suspension of a safety registration after an uncontrolled wall collapse and said the department can revoke registrations and pursue litigation for repeat violators. He said the strategic enforcement work and heightened enforcement streams are focused on recidivist owners and contractors.

The committee asked for follow‑up information on vacancies by inspector type, detailed budget breakdowns for IT capital vs. operating spend, and maps of the risk‑scoring analytics; Tigani’s team said it would provide those materials.

The committee recessed before HPD testimony. The DOB testimony is expected to be followed by written follow‑ups requested by the council.