Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Need for more DOB inspectors and use of predictive analytics
0:16:25
ยท
5 min
Council Member Ariola raises concerns about the Department of Buildings' follow-up practices and inspector headcount, while Constadino Sirakis discusses the need for more inspectors and the use of predictive analytics.
- Ariola expresses concern about relying on 311 complaints for follow-ups
- Sirakis acknowledges the need for more inspectors to improve enforcement capabilities
- The department is using predictive analytics and data to prioritize inspections
- Sirakis explains that an expired CO alone may not be the best indicator of safety issues
- The current inspector headcount is 499 out of a budgeted 594 positions
Joann Ariola
0:16:25
And what is the DOB's practice for following up with buildings?
0:16:29
Well I guess you answered that in the first question, right, so we're gonna we're gonna move on from there, but those policies are all those are those practices are also written in where it comes from three eleven.
0:16:42
It really kind of it's sticking in my throat a little bit because, you know, I mean we get we get complaints in our office.
0:16:50
We tell them to, you know, notify 311, then we work with our borough commissioner, and borough commissioners have been very, very, very easy to work with.
0:16:59
I want to tell you, you know, I just want to say that and especially in my case I can speak to ours.
0:17:04
But but you know it's just I think that there needs to be more of a follow-up with your inspectors.
0:17:11
So is it a matter of that you don't have the inspectors to go out to do this?
0:17:16
Because you noted that there were more TCOs that had expired in Manhattan.
0:17:21
Was that because of a lack of inspectors to go out to the five boroughs?
0:17:25
Is that something that we as a body should start to look at to fill lines?
Constadino (Gus) Sirakis
0:17:30
I I think from the standpoint of, you know, does the bigger picture, does DOB need more inspectors?
0:17:37
Would selfishly say absolutely yes because I think we do very important work.
0:17:41
I really believe in the mission and the work of the agency and obviously our colleagues at fire and other the other safety agencies.
0:17:51
I think definitely the more inspectors we have, the more issues we will be able to head off.
0:17:57
I think one of the things that the city council has done from an enforcement standpoint is support our efforts at proactive enforcement where we are looking at predictive analytics and using the data that we have.
0:18:11
So I mentioned that our CFO process is now digital.
0:18:14
That's giving us very good data points that we never had before.
0:18:18
So we've had most of our buildings three quarters of the we have 1,100,000 buildings in the city of New York.
0:18:24
I think three quarters of them were built before 1938.
0:18:27
So that's before the requirement to actually have a CFO.
0:18:30
We issued 15,000 updated CFOs and temporary COs, but it's to a small fraction of the buildings that we deal with on a regular basis.
0:18:39
We have a lot of information from legacy databases that we can leverage and utilize, and I think an expired CO could be one of them.
0:18:46
But I I don't know that if it by itself is a leading indicator of safety matters.
0:18:51
So lack of safety compliance filings.
0:18:54
Are you are you regularly skipping the boiler filings?
0:18:57
Are you regularly skipping the elevator filings?
0:19:00
Do you have a lack of maintenance on your property where there are a number of three one one complaints?
Joann Ariola
0:19:06
Mhmm.
Constadino (Gus) Sirakis
0:19:06
We have the ability to do more.
0:19:09
The more staff you give us and I think a CO, I'm not dismissing that a a CO is important by all means.
0:19:15
I think it is.
0:19:16
But, you know, with 1,100,000 buildings in our purview, I don't know that we'll be able to get everywhere all at once.
0:19:23
And I think an expired CO could be a data point that we look at to see is it an indicator of a future issue as part of this.
0:19:31
You know, I think that that could be something that we we look into obviously from that standpoint.
0:19:37
It's obviously something that we want owners to work through, but and we can definitely write violations if we see folks occupying with an expired CO or contrary to their CO.
0:19:47
The the grounds for a vacate, I think, are much higher.
0:19:50
I think the ability of of the department is spelled out when it comes to vacates as to what are the specific reasons for imminent life and health that we would put people out of the their their building, their home possibly.
0:20:04
But you could see that one of the reasons a CO might expire is because the Ground Floor tenant of a condo building, for instance, who's a commercial tenant has run into issues that have open violations that could prevent the building's CEO from being renewed for the and it would be for the entire structure.
0:20:27
The CO is for the entire building.
0:20:30
We're saying that the building substantially complies with code and zoning at that point in time.
0:20:34
If the ground floor tenant has an open violation, has no relation to any of the residential tenants above, that would keep us from renewing the CO until that is resolved.
0:20:44
Who financially has to pay those fines, which we need to to close that out, who has to file the certificate of compliance, These are all things that property owners struggle with on a regular basis.
0:20:55
They're very important to do, and we won't give them that legal document that they can then turn around and pass off to some other entity and say this building complies with code and zoning until they satisfy us from that end.
Joann Ariola
0:21:06
What is your your actual head count for inspectors for the 1,100,000 buildings?
0:21:12
Okay.
Constadino (Gus) Sirakis
0:21:16
Our inspector budgeted head count, 594.
Joann Ariola
0:21:20
And how do you actually have on?
Constadino (Gus) Sirakis
0:21:22
499 with 9580.
Joann Ariola
0:21:25
4 90?
Constadino (Gus) Sirakis
0:21:25
4 90 9.
Joann Ariola
0:21:27
4 90 9.