PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A report by the city’s controller finds a failure to properly track and demolish properties considered “imminently dangerous.” The findings also say Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections is severely understaffed.
The office says it has conducted several investigations of L&I since a building collapse at 22nd and Market streets in 2013 killed six people and injured 14 others.
The latest report, from Controller Christy Brady, highlights several problems with the demolition reporting and monitoring process.
“The role of a controller's office is to promote not only efficiency and accountability in government but also to promote public safety," Brady said.
The audit concludes that the city spent $62 million to tear down nearly 2,000 buildings since 2019, but L&I estimates less than $2 million has been collected from property owners to pay for demolition.
“The average residential demolition costs upward of $30,000. But the city only recovers only about 3% of that cost — leaving taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars spent on managing crumbling and dangerous properties," Brady said.
"When they told us that they only collect 3% of the demolition costs. Obviously they need to have a system in place and they need to be given the resources to do so."
The report also finds too much work throughout the city for the 15 inspectors employed by L&I. Brady says that’s “not enough to keep up with the demand of proper oversight of these properties."
Brady says the property monitoring system L&I uses, called eCLIPSE, lacks the ability to include necessary details about the property. And the report also finds that court processing delays get in the way of L&I's ability to inspect “imminently dangerous” properties every 10 days as required.
The controller's office recommends L&I dedicate resources to collecting payments for demolition costs, create an inspector recruitment plan, and collaborate with the courts to reduce delays.
In response, Basil Merenda, L&I commissioner for inspections, safety and compliance, said the Parker administration welcomes the controller’s report, which “supplements the good work and recommendations that the Joint Task Force on Regulatory Reform (a/k/a The L&I Reform Task Force) proposed and which Mayor Parker is implementing.”
Parker split up L&I into two departments back in February.
Merenda continued in a statement, “Although there were issues and concerns with unsafe properties and demolitions, the task force did not have time then to drill down and investigate that specific aspect of L&I’s mission. We do now. As Mayor Parker has directed, and the Controller recognized, L&I and its leadership team worked cooperatively with the Controller's audit and will continue to do so. The mayor has directed L&I to study the Controller’s report and implement the recommendations as best it can.”