City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: July 28, 2026
Agenda Item: 4.I
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Dana Brown, Human Resources Director, Human Resources Department Subject: Adoption of a Salary Resolution approving the new Salary's for the revised Clarification Series of Building Inspector I, Building Inspector II, Senior Building Inspector and Inspection Supervisor
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15324 (Class 24 Regulations of Working Conditions) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Adopt the salary resolution (Attachment A).
Summary
The City's current building inspector classification series and compensation structure have become increasingly difficult to sustain due to recruitment and retention challenges in a highly competitive labor market. A review of comparable Southern California public agencies found that Santa Monica's building inspector classifications require qualifications and certifications that are comparable to or, in many cases, exceed those of neighboring jurisdictions while offering salaries that generally fall below the regional market. While the City is currently underway with a citywide classification and compensation study, there are presently exigent conditions among the building inspectors that must be addressed immediately.
To address these challenges, staff recommends restructuring the building inspector classification series by revising existing classification specifications to better align with assigned duties and industry standards and adjusting salaries to position Santa 2 of 5
Monica at or near the top of the regional market. These changes are intended to improve recruitment, support employee retention, establish clearer career progression, and ensure the City remains competitive in attracting highly qualified building inspection professionals.
Discussion
The building inspector classification series currently consists of Combination Building Inspector I, II, and III, Lead Combination Building Inspector, and Inspection Supervisor.
Over time, the City has experienced increasing difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified inspectors due to the limited availability of candidates possessing the required technical experience and International Code Council (ICC) certifications.
Staff also determined that the current classification structure does not provide clear career progression and includes distinctions between classifications that no longer align with operational needs or common industry practice. In addition, the City's classification titles differ from those commonly used by surrounding jurisdictions, which may impact recruitment by making it more difficult for applicants to compare positions across agencies.
Human Resources conducted a compensation and classification review of comparable public agencies, including the cities of Beverly Hills, El Segundo, Inglewood, Manhattan Beach, and West Hollywood. The analysis found that Santa Monica generally requires qualifications equal to or greater than those required by neighboring agencies, particularly with respect to required ICC certifications and inspection experience. However, compensation for Santa Monica's Building Inspector classifications generally falls below the regional market, with the greatest disparities occurring in the senior technical classifications. The review also found that neighboring agencies commonly utilize a simplified classification structure consisting of Building Inspector, Senior Building Inspector, Principal Building Inspector, or supervisory classifications, rather than multiple combination inspector levels. 3 of 5
Based on the market analysis and operational review, staff recommends restructuring the Building Inspector classification series as follows:
Current Classification Proposed Classification Proposed Monthly Salary
Building Inspector Trainee TBD
Combination Building Inspector
I, II
Building Inspector I $11,007
Combination Building Inspector
III
Building Inspector II $12,658
Lead Building Inspector Senior Building Inspector $13,544 Inspector Supervisor No change in class title $14,898 The proposed salaries were developed to accomplish several objectives:
• Position Santa Monica at or near the top of the regional labor market. • Better align compensation with the City's higher qualification and certification requirements.
• Improve recruitment and retention of qualified building inspectors. • Establish meaningful salary progression between classifications while recognizing increasing technical expertise and supervisory responsibilities.
The proposed restructuring modernizes the City's Building Inspector classification series by creating a clear career ladder from trainee through senior while maintaining a distinct supervisory classification. The proposal simplifies the existing classification structure, aligns titles with industry practice, enhances internal promotional opportunities, and supports succession planning by establishing an entry-level classification. The proposed restructuring also requires revision of classification specifications. These revisions are being prepared for submittal to the Personnel Board in the coming month. Lastly, the Building Inspector Trainee classification would establish a new entry point into the career series and facilitate the development of future inspectors through internal training and advancement. This classification, while necessary, is not critical at this time and will be further developed during the budget process.
The current staffing situation in Building and Safety is untenable. There are currently 4 of 5
four vacant building inspector positions that need to be filled immediately. To assist with recruitment, staff recommends a $15,000 signing bonus to be offered to new employees hired at the Building Inspector II or Senior Building Inspector level. Likewise, staff recommends a $5,000 referral free to be offered to employees who successfully refer a new employee at the Building Inspector II or Senior Building Inspector level. It is anticipated that a cash incentive will attract experienced building inspectors to join our team as well as solicit assistance from current City employees to help fill these critical vacancies.
Because the proposed classification and compensation changes affect represented employees, the City has met and conferred with the applicable employee organizations which represent these classifications pursuant to the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act reaching the agreement brought forward here for Council approval.
Environmental Review
The changes to staff wages are categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15324 (Class 24 Regulations of Working Conditions) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. Class 24 consists of actions taken by regulatory agencies to regulate employee wages, hours of work, or working conditions where there will be no demonstrable physical changes outside the place of work.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The exact cost of the recommended action in this report will depend on the recruitment timeline and actual hiring dates. The FY 2026-27 budget includes the funding for the positions and once the vacancies are filled, the additional associated costs will be calculated and incorporated into a future budget process. 5 of 5
Prepared By: Sarah Rebensdorf, Human Resources Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Salary Resolution