City staff report mechanical inspection delays, one vacancy and efforts to restore 5-day commercial review target

A Development Services staff member reported that the department’s electrical and plumbing inspections are occurring within one to two days of request, while mechanical inspections remain delayed by approximately two weeks because of staffing and narrow licensing pathways.

"We have 1 vacancy right now, that we've had for about a year," the staff member said, adding that the deputy building official and building official are working with the state and that legislation is being evaluated to expand eligibility for mechanical-inspector licensing. The office said it is also working with contractor SafeBuilt to help address staffing constraints.

Staff displayed a map of active projects (the map uses $1,000,000 as the visual cutoff) and identified several large developments outside the downtown core, including the Horizon Residential Development, Boston Square, West End at Beacon Hill and the EchoStar Amphitheatre and a major soccer venue. The presenter said some large projects on the map were approved in prior years and therefore have construction values assigned to earlier calendar years.

Why it matters: staff warned that persistent mechanical-inspection delays could slow building timelines for projects that support jobs and housing. Commercial-plan-review turnaround has crept toward seven days this year; staff aim to return to a five-day target for commercial reviews and said they are reviewing internal processes to reduce review cycles.

Council members asked whether the licensing bottleneck requires a legislative fix or an administrative change. Staff said they are pursuing both administrative engagement with the state and exploring legislative options. Commissioner Sasse asked Development Services to add rotating qualitative case examples to future reports (small, medium and large project stories) to give elected officials concrete examples of how the office resolved problems or where systemic improvements are needed; staff agreed.

Next steps: staff will continue work with SafeBuilt and state partners on staffing and licensing, provide follow-up details on the licensing options off the dais, and include the requested qualitative stories in future reports.