San Antonio Building Standards Board Meeting – 28 May 2026

The Building Standards Board (BSB) met on 28 May 2026 to receive reports on emergency demolitions, performance metrics, housing assistance programs, deconstruction and vacant building initiatives, and to conduct a vote on policy procedures. The meeting included roll call, approval of minutes, staff reports, and multiple presentations from city departments.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of minutes from previous meeting: Approved unanimously.

Staff Report: Emergency Demolitions

• Five emergency demolitions were reported, all due to extensive fires between April 30 and May 12, 2026. Demolitions occurred between May 7 and May 16, 2026. No board action required per City Code 6-175.
  • 3506 West Woodlawn (accessory structure, District 7) – fire Apr 30, demolished May 7.
  • 1608 Minchaka Street (main structure, District 1) – fire May 6, demolished May 12.
  • 325 East Cortland Place (accessory structure, District 1) – fire May 5, demolished May 13.
  • 3926 West Martin Street (main structure, District 5) – fire May 12, demolished May 16.
  • 9248 Toronto Drive (mobile home, District 2) – fire May 11, demolished May 15.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made. The meeting focused on staff presentations and board discussion.

Director's Report: Code Enforcement Performance Measures

• Interim Assistant Director Danny Liguez reported year-to-date statistics through April 2026:
  • Approximately 70,000 property maintenance inspections conducted.
  • Response time for Tier 1 and Tier 2 violations: within 1-2 days (performance goal met).
  • Proactive inspection rate: 81% (target 65%).
  • Compliance rate: 90% overall (struggled earlier in fiscal year but improved since February).
  • Graffiti abatement: 32,000 sites year-to-date; turnaround time 1 day (target 3 days, goal 2 days).
  • Vacancies: average 8-11 vacancies citywide, contributing to a slight dip in proactive cases year-over-year.
• Legal counsel Sabita Rye noted that code enforcement is being pulled in multiple directions due to new ordinances, which may also affect performance.

Presentations

Housing Assistance Programs (Neighborhood & Housing Services Department)

• Rental Assistance: Applications accepted monthly on second Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Covers up to 3 months rent or $3,000 (whichever comes first), plus $500 for disabled households. Applicants must be at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI), show financial hardship and housing instability, and the housing provider must agree to participate.
• Relocation Assistance: Available 24/7; covers security deposits, application fees, utility connections, pet deposits, temporary lodging (with pre-approval), mover costs, and storage. Same income and residency requirements. Maximum assistance $3,000 ($3,500 for disabled). Funds paid directly to housing provider after signed lease.
• Eviction Court Presence: Senior family support workers at Justice of the Peace courts Monday-Friday, 8-5 p.m., connecting tenants to resources.
• Fair Housing Program: HUD-approved agency offering mediation, mortgage counseling, and housing discrimination complaint review.
• Board members questioned the short application window (1 hour/month) and outreach; staff acknowledged capacity constraints but noted partnerships with schools, workforce centers, and community organizations.

Deconstruction Program (Office of Historic Preservation)

• Ordinance adopted September 2022; applies to residential structures built pre-1945 citywide or pre-1960 in historic/neighborhood conservation districts.
• Program includes annual contractor training (next cohort Jan/Feb 2027) and a Material Innovation Center at Port San Antonio where recovered materials are stored and redistributed for affordable housing, trades education, and community impact projects.
• Example: Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s Rinconcito de Esperanza – 70% of materials reused from original structure, 30% from the center.
• Board discussed cost: deconstruction is generally more expensive than demolition, but materials have reuse value and environmental benefits.

Vacant Building Program (Development Services)

• Started as pilot in 2014, made permanent 2015; expanded in 2017 and 2023 (1000-foot buffer around schools). Currently covers about 186 sq miles, less than half of San Antonio, concentrated inside Loop 410.
• Program moved from Office of Historic Preservation to Development Services in March 2026.
• Approximately 1,000 properties in inventory; 60% owned by individuals (not LLCs), mostly single-family residences.
• Registration required with plan of action within 90 days; failure results in citations (Class C, up to $500 per violation, up to 13 violations).
• Since inception, over 1,100 successful cases (renovated, occupied, or sold to new owner).
• Staff connect owners with wills clinics to address probate issues.

Compliance Assistance Fund

• As of April 25, 2026: total fines due $977,365; costs due $170,269.50; grand total $1,147,634.50.
• Current fund balance: $15,390. City working to make the fund easier to use; may seek ordinance modifications.
• Board noted that unspent funds may be lost in budgeting; legal clarified that the fund should carry over but current interpretation treats it as budgeted item.

Senior Assistance Fund

• $100,000 budgeted for FY26. Received 53 applications; 38 abated, 6 canceled, 3 unfunded (referred to other programs).
• Total approved cost: $77,995. Remaining balance: $15,375.
• Work types: hazardous vegetation (19), outside placement (8), overgrown weeds (3), trash/debris (8).
• Median costs varied by district, with higher costs in District 4 ($2,732) and District 7 ($3,038) likely due to tree removal.
• Unfunded cases often involve large, expensive tree removals; one estimate was $30,000.

Discussion Items

BSB Process Overview

• Jenny Ramirez presented a high-level timeline of how cases progress from initial inspection to board hearing, including internal and executive reviews, notice requirements, and post-order monitoring.
• Cases typically take 9-18 months before reaching the board due to extensive documentation, owner outreach, and referrals to assistance programs.
• Emergency demolitions follow a separate 96-hour process with building official affidavit and coordination with utilities and police.

Organizational Chart Update

• Code Enforcement Division realigned to include Vacant Building Program. Kathy Rodriguez assumed oversight of BSB staffing.
• Vacancy rate has decreased; training programs revamped to retain staff.

BSB Orders and Actions (Oct 2025 – Apr 2026)

• Total cases presented: 91 (51 dangerous structures, 34 emergency demolitions, 6 reset orders).
• Panel A: 4 meetings, 38 items. Panel B: 7 meetings, 51 items. One full board meeting.
• Breakdown of dangerous structure orders: 4 repair orders without penalty, 1 remedy without penalty, 1 30-day demo with penalty, 42 30-day demo without penalty, 3 pulled from agenda.
• Most cases in Council District 5 (29 total) and District 2 (17 total); none in Districts 8 and 9.

Board Attendance and Calendar

• Panel A: 100% attendance; Panel B: 87% attendance. No hearings rescheduled due to lack of quorum.
• Calendar for rest of 2026 already established; changes notified in advance.
• No board vacancies; 9 members reappointed, 5 new appointments (3 in April 2026).

Key Outcomes

• Vote on Policies and Procedures: Motion to delete item M (right to cross-examine staff) from Section 8 passed 10-0. Item M had allowed persons with legal property interest to cross-examine staff presenters. The board concluded it was not appropriate given panel composition.
• No actions taken in executive session; board reconvened at 12:27 p.m.
• Two agenda items (ethics code and Robert’s Rules presentation) deferred to individual panel meetings.
• Meeting adjourned at approximately 12:30 p.m.