Auditor: Berkeley failed to inspect 45% of food facilities in 2023; council orders December progress report

The Berkeley City Council on July 30 received a city auditor udit that found significant gaps in the Environmental Health Division—ood safety and inspection program and directed city management to report back in December.

City Auditor Jenny Wong told the council that Berkeley did not inspect 45% of food facilities in 2023 and fell short of the division—aseline of one inspection per year. "Berkeley did not inspect 45% of food facilities last year," Wong said, noting the city performed worse than Alameda County (3% not inspected) and better than San Francisco (51% not inspected). The auditor said restaurants made up the largest share of uninspected facilities.

The audit also identified failures to track program revenues and spending for food inspections from 2019 through 2023, unfilled critical positions (increasing vacancies from one to five of 13 budgeted posts), and incomplete public reporting. "The division did not separately track food inspection program revenues and spending and couldn't provide this information to the audit team for fiscal years 2019 to 2023," Wong said. The report recommended improving inspection coverage and response times for suspected foodborne illness, tracking program finances, addressing staffing shortages and improving online reporting (including consideration of placards once staffing stabilizes).

Scott Gilman, the newly appointed director of Health, Housing & Community Services, told the council he had prioritized corrective actions since taking the interim role and said an offer had been extended for a registered environmental health specialist and recruitment for the supervisor role had begun. He said the division is implementing a temporary tracking workaround while replacing an aging inspection database and is seeking contract inspectors to help clear the backlog.

Council members pressed staff on timelines and metrics. Director Gilman committed to completing backlog inspections for 2023 and 2024 by the end of the year, prioritizing high‑risk facilities by October and reestablishing inspection targets in the first quarter of 2025. City staff also said a comprehensive fee study is underway and expected by the end of the fiscal year to evaluate whether inspection fees should cover program costs.

Public commenters echoed concern about missed inspections and indicated specific operational problems — for example, a restaurant waiting months for a hood inspection — underscoring the public‑safety stakes.

Council action and next steps

Councilors moved to adopt the auditor—indings and directed staff to return with a report on progress in December 2024. The motion carried with no objection. The auditor nd department signed off on a management response that partially agreed with the recommendations and outlined immediate steps including prioritized inspections, recruitment activity and plans for improved public reporting.

Why it matters

Food inspections are a front‑line public‑health function; the auditor framed the work as essential to preventing foodborne illness and ensuring public trust. The council ction sets a clear near‑term deadline for the department to demonstrate progress and for staff to present a plan of correction, staffing updates and a path to more transparent public reporting.