Committee forwards DBI fee increases despite debate over funding for tenant co‑enforcement programs

The Budget and Appropriation Committee voted to forward an ordinance adjusting Department of Building Inspection (DBI) fees to the full Board, amid debate about what the fee revenue should cover and whether a commission secretary position should be upgraded.

DBI said it operates on a cost‑recovery model and that a consultant fee study found the department was underrecovering for many services; as a result, DBI is proposing phased fee increases over three years and to use reserves to smooth the transition. The department told the committee that the fee study did not treat several community-based programs as mandated services and therefore recommended that community co‑enforcement programs be funded from the general fund rather than DBI fees.

Supervisor Melgar and others raised concerns that shifting funding to the general fund could imperil tenant‑support programs that historically have been funded through DBI or transfers (including past DPH work orders). Multiple public commenters — including Prativa Teke (Tenon Housing Clinic), Juan Garcia (Ebro families/Esro families collaborative), and other tenant‑advocate speakers — asked the Board to ensure the programs continue to receive funding and argued that treating successful local programs as "not present in other jurisdictions" should not disqualify them from fee funding.

BLA recommended treating the upward substitution of a 15‑55 commission secretary to a 0922 manager as a policy issue; staff suggested the committee could place the salary delta on reserve while leaving hiring authority unchanged. Chair Chan indicated she was inclined to accept the BLA policy recommendation as written and the committee voted to forward the fee ordinance with a positive recommendation (roll call recorded four ayes with Member Dorsey absent).

The ordinance will go to the full Board; committee members asked staff to continue conversations about the long‑term funding structure for community co‑enforcement programs and the classification of the commission secretary role.