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Breakdown of DCWP fines collected and impact of fine reduction initiatives

1:10:50

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Council Member Julie Menin inquires about the breakdown of fines collected by DCWP and the impact of recent fine reduction initiatives. Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga and Assistant Commissioner Carlos Ortiz provide details on fine collection and the effects of reform measures.

DCWP collected approximately $15.2 million in fines in fiscal year 2024
Top categories for fines: tobacco violations ($4.7 million), secondhand automobile dealerships, and e-cigarettes
Businesses saved about $423,000 through curable violations
Small Business Relief Reform Acts incorporated $0 penalties for first-time violations in some cases

Julie Menin

1:10:50

Okay.

1:10:51

Question on fines.

1:10:53

So, in terms of overall fines, our data indicates that the agency has collected nearly $14,000,000 in fines for fiscal year twenty twenty four.

1:11:09

Could you give a breakdown in the types of categories of what types of businesses were fined and do we anticipate a reduction?

1:11:18

I mean, we did do the law last year to reduce fines where there was no consumer harm in certain categories.

1:11:24

How do you feel that the spirit and of that law is being implemented?

Vilda Vera Mayuga

1:11:29

Thank you, chair.

1:11:31

Yes.

1:11:32

So we did collect I think it's actually 15.2 in 2024 in fines across both our worker protection and consumer protection work.

1:11:42

As it relates to consumer protection, always the number one is our tobacco.

1:11:51

Violations yield the most amount.

1:11:54

That was a 4,700,000.0 last year in 2024, and that was followed by our secondhand automobile dealerships and the ecigarettes.

1:12:06

Those are, like, the main the the top three that in terms of the amount of money through through civil penalties that the agency collects.

1:12:15

And, yes, definitely, with the violations that are curable because of the reform that we've done, I'm gonna try to get you the number because I believe we have a number on on what we feel businesses have been able to save through through that.

1:12:33

But I think it's going good.

1:12:35

You know?

1:12:35

I think it's again, is we definitely always want to follow an education first approach anyway.

1:12:40

And our team, especially the enforcement team, when they go out, they're definitely aware and trained of what are those curable violations so that we can address them with the businesses.

1:12:50

And I think that paired with programs like our VAP to make sure that we go and we do a walk through with our inspectors has been really helpful to get the businesses to a good place in terms of compliance.

Carlos Ortiz

1:13:01

Now, in terms of I think we're able to pull the number in terms of money saved on cures.

1:13:06

And that was last year, was about $423,000.

1:13:09

But I would also add that the Small Business Relief Reform Acts that we worked on with the council and with you, of course, they also incorporated a lot of $0 penalties the first time around, which is which I think was very helpful for folks in terms of it was essentially functioned as a warning type system.

1:13:23

So that's not reflected in that number necessarily, but I think they work hand in hand.

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