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Joint Request to Fund BuildLA Project Year 1

Council File 15-0316

Introduced
2015-03-19
Last changed
2026-05-13
Status
open
Expires
2028-05-12
Mover
MARQUEECE HARRIS-DAWSON
Second
MONICA RODRIGUEZ
Initiated by
Bureau of Engineering Department of Building and Safety Department of City Planning Department of Transportation Los Angeles Fire Department
References
CSC 2014-001City Attorney Report: R16-0038; R25-0589; R26-0115Municipal Codes: 11.12; 19.08; 19.09; 61.03; 61.16; 98.0410; 57.118.4; 61.17Administrative Code: 5.321City Administrative Officer Report: 0220-04851-0003Ordinance 184548Related Council Files: 10-1064; 12-0737; 13-0046; 14-0600-S12; 19-1278; 20-0820

Brief

BuildLA is a joint project by the Bureau of Engineering, Department of Building and Safety, Department of City Planning, Department of Transportation, and LA Fire Department to streamline construction permitting through one-stop permit centers and related reforms. Introduced by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson in March 2015, the initiative required a temporary surcharge on permits and construction fees through a restructured Construction Services Trust Fund. Council adopted the funding request 14-0-1 on May 12, 2026; the file was transmitted to the Mayor on May 13, 2026.

Full summary

BuildLA is a multi-department initiative to modernize the city's construction permitting and development services through a centralized electronic portal and unified workflow spanning Building and Safety, City Planning, the Fire Department, Transportation, and the Bureau of Engineering. The project replaces and upgrades several city permitting applications across those departments, consolidating them into a single, automated system for residents and contractors seeking permits. It is funded through a temporary increase in the One-Stop Permit Center surcharge — a fee added to construction and development permits — with revenues deposited into the Development Services Trust Fund. The original plan called for raising the surcharge from two percent to three percent, then returning it to two percent once full project costs were recovered. The file has a complicated financial history. The 2015 Council action authorized the City Attorney to draft an ordinance raising the surcharge to fund BuildLA based on an outside vendor bid of $21.76 million. That vendor contract fell apart in 2016, and the city pivoted to building the system using internal staff. A 2016 ordinance formalized the surcharge increase and trust fund structure. Between 2016 and 2019, departments worked independently on pieces of the project, but it became clear a coordinated team was needed for the multi-agency components. The BuildLA Executive Steering Committee was reconstituted in April 2019, and a new Project Charter defining scope and governance was adopted in October 2022. Because the project timeline extended significantly beyond original estimates, costs grew beyond the 2016 figure, meaning the three-percent surcharge needed to remain in place longer than initially planned. A 2024 motion by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, seconded by Monica Rodriguez, directed the City Attorney to draft a new ordinance aligning the surcharge duration with the updated project budget and timeline. The City Attorney produced a revised draft ordinance in November 2025 and a further revised version in February 2026. The Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved the revised ordinance on February 24, 2026, and the Budget and Finance Committee concurred unanimously on March 23, 2026. Full Council adopted the ordinance 14-0-1 on May 12, 2026. The file was transmitted to the Mayor on May 13, 2026, with a deadline for mayoral action of May 26, 2026.

Activity (40)

  • 2026-05-13 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is May 26, 2026.
  • 2026-05-12 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-05-08 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 12, 2026.
  • 2026-03-23 Budget and Finance Committee concurred with the Planning and Land Use Management Committee's action of February 24, 2026.
  • 2026-03-19 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 23, 2026.
  • 2026-02-24 Planning and Land Use Management Committee transmitted Council File to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2026-02-24 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2026-02-20 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on February 24, 2026.
  • 2026-02-19 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2026-02-19 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated February 19, 2026.
  • 2026-01-08 Corrected Referral per City Clerk to include Budget and Finance Committee; Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2025-11-20 City Attorney document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2025-11-20 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated November 20, 2025.
  • 2024-08-02 Council action final.
  • 2024-07-31 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2024-07-26 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on July 31, 2024.
  • 2024-07-25 Planning and Land Use Management Committee waived consideration of item .
  • 2024-04-12 Motion referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2016-11-03 Council action final.
  • 2016-10-31 Mayor transmitted file to City Clerk. Ordinance effective date: December 11, 2016.
  • 2016-10-27 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is November 7, 2016.
  • 2016-10-25 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2016-10-07 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on October 25, 2016.
  • 2016-09-27 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2016-09-23 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 27, 2016.
  • 2016-04-05 Planning and Land Use Management Committee continued item to undetermined date.
  • 2016-04-01 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on April 5, 2016.
  • 2016-02-25 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2016-02-24 Document(s) submitted by City Administrative Officer, as follows:City Administrative Officer report 0220-04851-0008, dated February 24, 2016, relative to the Development Services Reform Initiative - Construction Services Trust Fund.
  • 2016-02-01 City Attorney document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2016-02-01 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:City Attorney report R16-0038, dated Febuary 1, 2016, relative to the draft Ordinance amending the Administrative Code and the Municipal Code; deleting code and adding sections to rename the Construction Services Trust Fund; update trust fund procedures update and establish one-stop permit centers surcharge fee provisions, and temporarily increase the surcharge to fund BuildLA.
  • 2015-04-13 Council action final.
  • 2015-04-13 Mayor transmitted Council File to City Clerk.
  • 2015-04-02 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is April 13, 2015.
  • 2015-04-01 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2015-03-25 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on April 1, 2015.
  • 2015-03-24 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved as amended .
  • 2015-03-20 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 24, 2015.
  • 2015-03-19 Department of City Planning; Department of Building and Safety; Department of Transportation; Los Angeles Fire Department; Bureau of Engineering document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 2015-03-19 Document(s) submitted by Department of City Planning; Department of Building and Safety; Department of Transportation; Los Angeles Fire Department; Bureau of Engineering, as follows:Department of Building and Safety, et al. report, dated March 18, 2015, relative to a joint request to fund BuildLA project year one.

Documents (28)

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