Board reviews proposed updates to abatement appeals procedural rules; staff to update forms and language access

The Abatement Appeals Board reviewed proposed revisions to its procedural rules during the Oct. 21, 2020 meeting and directed the city attorney and DBI staff to coordinate on updating related forms and language-access materials.

Vice President Tam, who led the revision effort, said the draft was intended to formalize practices that evolved from temporary rules used during a prior backlog and to streamline forms. "Some of the forms may be out of date as well," Tam said, urging staff and the city attorney to produce updated, accessible forms to accompany the rules.

City Attorney Zach said the draft distills the board's current practice and fills gaps that had not been memorialized, noting the rules take portions of the building code and clarify processes such as requests for jurisdiction and hearing structure. "These try to distill the process that the board has been using and just kinda memorialize that," he said.

Commissioners discussed specific issues to address before adoption, including the board's election process, how to present track changes versus a fresh start, and where to place instructions on forms so appellants can find information more easily. President Alexander and others emphasized language access: translating forms and posting rules in other languages and ensuring interpretation is available at hearings when needed.

The board asked the city attorney to work with DBI staff to align forms with the rules; the city attorney agreed to follow up. Commissioners indicated they expect to review and possibly adopt the revisions at a future meeting once updated forms and any edits are circulated.