By George P. Hassett

A week after a former Somerville building inspector was fined for ethics violations,the city is beginning an effort to overhaul the troubled Inspectional Services Department.

The city paid San Diego-based Zucker Systems $44,000 for the study which included 101 recommendations.

The city’s planning director, Monica Lamboy, said the report is the “first step toward understanding the situation.”

“In the police department and fire department, the mayor has demonstrated an interest in looking in-depth at important departments,” she said.

Lamboy said applications for permits at Inspectional Services have increased and the study is an effort to best prepare the department for an increase in volume with the development of Assembly and Union squares.

City spokesman Michael Meehan said the ethics violations of ex-inspector Gene Covington are not related to the new report. 

Covington was fined $5,000 for ethics violations including inspecting construction work on his own home and recommending his mother-in-law’s contractor to permit applicants.

According to a release from the state ethics commission, contractor Joaquim Correia, Jr., owns JEJ General Contractor, Inc. and performed several home improvement jobs at Covington’s residence between 2005 and 2007, for which he was paid $14,300 by Covington’s wife.

Covington’s residence was owned by his mother-in-law.  In 2006, Covington, as building inspector, conducted the final inspection on one of the roofing work jobs performed by Correia/JEJ at Covington’s residence.  In addition, the agreement states that between 2007 and 2008, Covington engaged in the following conduct:

• on at least five occasions, in violation of ISD policy prohibiting inspectors from recommending contractors, Covington recommended Correia/JEJ to property owners, who then hired Correia for construction work;
• on six occasions, Covington approved building permit applications and issued permits for properties where Correia was listed as the contractor; and
• on four occasions, Covington inspected Correia’s work.

Other problems identified in the report include understaffing, lack of follow-up on code enforcement and delays in checking on reported complaints. The report also recommends that inspectors increase their inspections from eight to 15 a day.

A lack of professionalism in the office was also cited in the report.

“Many of the staff tends to lack a professional approach and demeanor in dealing with the public and dress in a non-professional manner,” according to the report.