QUESTION
How can the Department of Buildings improve enforcement with staffing challenges?
1:19:00
·
132 sec
Dan Garodnick, Director of the Department of City Planning, explains the proposal aims to simplify zoning texts, which will facilitate easier enforcement by the Department of Buildings despite staffing limitations.
- Council Member Lynn Schulman raises concerns about the Department of Buildings' ability to enforce new proposals with current staff recruitment and retention issues.
- Garodnick asserts that clarifying rules and removing ambiguities in the zoning text will aid enforcement efforts.
- Schulman mentions practical enforcement issues in Queens and the difficulty of inspecting residences without entry access.
- A discussion is suggested between the Council and Administration to address enforcement limitations and improve entry for inspections.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:19:00
So department of of buildings.
1:19:02
And I wanna talk about that.
1:19:04
It's not so much that they don't have the resources to do things, but I've spoken to DOB about a number of things in my community, and they don't have the staff or and it's not about hiring staff.
1:19:16
It's about they they're not able to recruit people to do the things that are ordinary in terms of a community.
1:19:23
So how are they gonna do compliance around this?
Dan Garodnick
1:19:27
It's a it's a great question.
1:19:28
We understand the limitations that they can't be everywhere at once.
1:19:32
The reason why we think that this proposal will actually be an aid as opposed to a hindrance to the Department of Buildings is that by clarifying our rules in a very significant way, we are eliminating
Christopher Leon Johnson/Shaun Abreu
1:19:44
a
Dan Garodnick
1:19:45
lot of the ambiguities out there which make it difficult for them to do their jobs.
1:19:49
So by streamlining the zoning text, and taking out the question marks.
1:19:54
That is a help to enforcers, but I certainly take your point that You know, they they cannot be everywhere at once.
1:20:01
That that's certainly always the case, but this proposal is designed to make it easier for them to read, respond to, and enforce the rules that we're putting on the books.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:20:11
But just so you know, on a practical level in Queens, the Burrow commissioner has issues with enforcement, and we've brought that I brought that to the commissioner as have other of my colleagues.
1:20:22
I wanna make note of that.
1:20:24
So there's a practicality to it, and there's the the, you know, the proposal itself.
1:20:29
So and the other thing I want to mention as well, is that DLB right now, if they go to a residence where there's a complaint and they can't get in, then they don't then they can't do anything.
1:20:40
So there has to be a way that we can enable them to enter a residence if there's a complaint.
1:20:46
So I wanna know what's gonna be done about that.
Dan Garodnick
1:20:49
Thank you.
1:20:49
I I I may not be the the best person to answer that question, but I do understand the concern, and I think that we should talk about that together between the Council Administration think about any of the limitations which make it harder for the Department of Buildings to do its job because we all support them in their to to get in there.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:21:06
I I have a lot more questions, but I'm gonna you know, I know a lot of my colleagues wanna ask, so I'll do second round.
1:21:11
But thank you very much, chair.
