Chicago City Council July 21,2021
RESOLUTION CALLING ON A REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS
COMPLAINT-BASED INSPECTIONS
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago ("City") is responsible for the safety of its residents and ensuring residential buildings throughout the City are following lifesaving precautions to protect residents; and
WHEREAS, Data from the Better Government Association shows that from 2014 to 2019 there were 140 fatal fires in residential buildings throughout the City; and
WHEREAS, In 42 of the 140 fatal fires, the City had prior knowledge of the safety concerns in existence when such fires occurred; and
WHEREAS, In 2018, The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General ("OIG") completed an audit investigating the Department of Buildings' ("DOB") complaint-based inspections; and
WHEREAS, The OIG's report specifically reviewed whether the DOB met the required deadlines for responding to building complaints, whether the DOB effectively prioritized complaints, and whether the records of building code violations available to the public were complete and accurate; and
WHEREAS, The OIG's report concluded there were not effective strategies for prioritizing complaint-based inspections, and that the records of building code violations available to the public were not complete; and
WHEREAS, The complaint-based inspections are a crucial safegaurd to preventing fatal residential building fires; and
WHEREAS, The City must ensure the DOB is prioritizing complaint-based inspections and that the records of building code violations available to the public are complete; and, now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, call to hold open hearings led by the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards to review the changes made since the 2018 audit and the current effectiveness of the City of Chicago Department of Buildings' complaint-based inspections.
Gilbert Villegas Alderman, 36th Ward
CITy. O.F'CHICA...
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