DBI updates commissioners on finances, inspection performance and concrete building safety planning

At the May 15 meeting the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) presented a suite of operational updates, including budget changes tied to fee timing, inspection performance metrics and a stakeholder report on concrete building safety and retrofits.

Director Patrick O'Reordan said the mayor's proposed budget includes general-fund support for community-based organizations of $4,320,000 for the coming year; DBI staff said timing shifts mean fee changes will likely take effect Sept. 1 rather than July 1, costing about $1 million of near-term revenue. Deputy Director for Administration Alex Koskin said the controller's office reduced the city overhead allocation to DBI, yielding about $900,000 in savings to the fund balance.

Deputy Director Matthew Green reported that in April the building, electrical and plumbing divisions conducted 10,814 inspections and completed 97% within two business days, exceeding a 90% target. Housing inspection responded to most non-life-hazard complaints within target windows and abated hundreds of violations; code enforcement referred 52 cases to director's hearings.

On seismic and structural planning, Deputy Director Neville Perera presented a stakeholder report recommending a screening and retrofit program for concrete buildings. DBI indicated an inventory of roughly 3,600 non-ductile concrete buildings and about 850 tilt-up buildings; staff recommended developing financing options, grant programs, a communications plan, tenant-notification processes, and publishing retrofit guidance in the existing building code. The department emphasized the need for coordination with the Office of Resilience and Capital Planning and the Department of Emergency Management and said a tracking/customer-relationship-management system will be needed to manage screening and compliance.