Board discusses DBI fee increase and commission's recommendation to raise fees up to 20%

The Department of Building Inspection attended the June 22 Budget and Appropriations Committee to discuss budget technical items and a pending ordinance to raise building permit fees. DBI staff (Patrick O'Riordan and Alex Koskinen) accepted the BLA's technical recommendations and requested a policy upward substitution converting a Permit Technician 3 to a Manager 1 to eliminate a supervision‑in‑class structural risk.

The committee heard that the Building Inspection Commission recommended approval of the fee ordinance and suggested the Board consider an amount up to 20% rather than the 15% originally proposed by the mayor. Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson advised the committee on charter constraints for mayor‑introduced ordinances: the mayor may request subsequent amendments to rates but the committee does not have unilateral authority to raise a mayor‑introduced rate beyond what the mayor sponsors.

DBI said it is conducting a comprehensive fee study with an outside consultant and expects results in the fall or winter that will inform a more granular fee schedule by line item. Public comment was opened and none were queued for the building fee item during the June 22 hearing; supervisors deferred final action pending further consideration and the fee study.