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Code Enforcement outlines transformation plan after caseload surge; fines raised to $20,000 per violation
Summary
Staff reported increased demand—about 7,800 new cases opened in FY24–25, more than 8,200 units inspected and 8,389 violations resolved—outlined a two‑year transformation plan and said administrative penalties were raised (maximum $20,000 per violation; up to $500,000 total). Councilmembers probed manual workloads and the Codex case‑management timeline.
Rachel Roberts, deputy director for Planning, Building and Code Enforcement, presented the division’s annual report and a multi‑quarter transformation work plan. Roberts said that amid growing demand the division opened about 7,800 new cases and closed roughly 7,300 in FY24–25, inspected more than 1,700 multi‑housing buildings (over 8,200 units) and resolved thousands of violations.
Staff described three core transformation themes—workforce optimization, operational and program performance, and increased customer service and interdepartmental coordination—later expanded to include organizational readiness and leadership. Roberts said efforts include new case‑management tools (Pipeline and Last Action reports), workload rebalancing, a Chronic Offender Resolution pilot launched in March 2026, and expanded use of legal enforcement tools such as receiverships.
Roberts said Codex, the division’s replacement case‑management system, has been delayed and the current go‑live is planned for July 2027 because of resource constraints, technical complexity and competing operational needs. The division implemented Freshdesk for inbox consolidation and reported early service‑level gains in triaging requests.
The report also noted increased enforcement penalties: an ordinance amendment raised maximum administrative penalties from $2,500 to $20,000 per violation, with a total maximum administrative penalty up to $500,000. Roberts said staff have begun applying the updated fines and that collections are processed through Finance, with unpaid amounts referred to attorneys for collection when necessary.
Councilmember Casey asked how much staff time is devoted to manual processes and whether Codex or newer technologies (including AI over time) will reduce that burden. Roberts said Codex will provide dashboards and reporting capability and that the vendor has committed to multi‑year customization; she cautioned that Codex is a platform to build on, not an immediate cure for all workflow issues.
The committee accepted the report and discussed next steps for pilot evaluation, staffing and metrics to reduce backlog and improve response times.
