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Berkeley auditor outlines FY2026 priorities; staff commits to restore restaurant inspection data online
Summary
City Auditor presented the FY2026 audit plan and flagged removal of restaurant inspection data from Berkeley's open-data portal; Health, Housing & Community Services Director Scott Gilman said the old software couldn't meet state standards and promised a new consumer portal with geo-maps by July 2026 and six-month updates to council.
Berkeley's City Auditor presented the office's fiscal year 2026 audit plan to the City Council on July 22, outlining a slate of priorities that will include homelessness, contracts and a rent-stabilization fiscal review.
The auditor reported 65 open recommendations from nine past audits and said the office will continue follow-up work and take community and whistleblower tips into account. The auditor also noted that the Environmental Health Division removed restaurant inspection data from the city's open-data portal after the audit, which decreased public transparency.
Scott Gilman, director of Health, Housing & Community Services, told council the removal followed discovery that the legacy inspection software was at end of life and the way it published data did not meet state requirements. "Fixing the software that posted the results online wasn't feasible," Gilman said, adding that posting incomplete or inaccurate inspection summaries could harm businesses.
As an interim measure, Gilman said Environmental Health added a website link and a telephone option so members of the public may request the most recent inspection report as a full PDF. He said the department has procured new software and expects a phased rollout: a first phase with inspection workflow and a consumer portal is planned for November, and a full implementation with geo-mapped inspection results is expected by July 2026.
Council members pressed Gilman on staffing and sustainment. He said the division has filled two critical positions (a supervisor and an inspector) and currently has two vacancies (a vector control technician and an office assistant) that the department plans to fill once county contracts and funding are secured.
Council asked for a progress update in six months. Gilman agreed to provide a comprehensive status report in January 2026 and said the department will consider a fee study to fund any additional staff needed to meet best-practice inspection frequencies.
Why it matters: restaurant inspection results help consumers make food-safety choices and can prompt timely follow-up when problems are found. Restoring accessible, regularly updated inspection information was framed by council and the auditor as a transparency and public-health priority.
