TO: Sheryl Sculley, City Manager
FROM: Roderick J. Sanchez, AICP, CBO, Development Services Director
COPIES TO: Councilwoman Ivy Taylor, Chair, District 2; Councilman Diego Bernal, District 1; Councilwoman Shirley Gonzalez, District 5; Councilman Joe Krier, District 9; Erik J. Walsh, Deputy City Manager; Michael Shannon, Assistant Development Services Director
SUBJECT: Overview and Status Report on City of San Antonio's Building Standards Board
SUMMARY:
At the November 19, 2013, Quality of Life Committee meeting, former Councilman Carlton Soules requested that an overview of the Building Standards Board (BSB) be presented to the committee to better understand the BSB process and the time commitment required of membership. This report provides an overview of the BSB, current workload and outcome-based statistics, and an overview of implemented and contemplated operational changes to streamline the BSB's processes.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The BSB ordinance 2011-05-05-0354 approved significant changes to the code enforcement process by reconstructing a City-staffed board with appointed citizens and charging them with quasi-judicial power. The BSB hears and rules on issues related to minimum property maintenance violations, appeals to San Antonio Property Maintenance Code (SAPMC) violation notices, dangerous and dilapidated structures and appeals to summary abatements (when the City abates a property without providing the owner prior notice, as allowed by state law and City Code). Most importantly, these changes have allowed for quicker compliance by reducing the amount of time it takes for a case to be heard from an average of 88 to 30 days. These changes also improved transparency and the dynamic of the code enforcement process (citizen judges and a decriminalized process).
The BSB consists of fourteen (14) members: Ten (10) Council District appointees; one (1) Mayoral appointee; and three (3) at-large appointments. The mayor...
Click here for full text