Newly-elected Commissioner Rolando Escalona is on a roll.
Fresh off of establishing a business improvement district for Calle Ocho in Little Havana, funding $5 million worth of capital improvements in District 3 — including $550,000 in traffic calming for The Roads, which hasn’t seen a penny since 2017 — and giving a directive to the city manager to look into creating or using artificial intelligence software for zoning verification letters at the last commission meeting, Escalona has a proposal on Thursday’s agenda to create a virtual building inspection system so certain “low-risk” permits can be approved remotely — via video, apps, and whatever Wi-Fi happens to be cooperating that day.
Futuristic. Sleek. Efficient. Or, at least, that’s the idea.
“Permits shouldn’t be a barrier to progress,” Escalona told Political Cortadito Wednesday. “By modernizing our systems with tools like virtual inspections and AI-based zoning verification and prescreening we can shorten timelines, reduce errors, and give residents and busi
nesses clarity up front.
“This isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about doing things better, faster and smarter.”
And it’s not like it wouldn’t be helpful. Miami processed nearly 26,000 building permit applications and handled more than 168,000 inspection and re-inspection requests in the year ending Oct. 1, 2024. So, no, the permitting backlog is not a rumor. Everyone complains that it takes months to do the simplest thing.
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The ambitious and refreshingly assertive Escalona wants the city manager to come back within 60 days with a plan to allow virtual inspections for the simple things like air conditioning and water heater replacements or minor electrical work. Structural projects would still require on-site inspections. So, no, developers can’t FaceTime their way through a 12-story condo.
Not yet, anyway. And how soon before we can do a virtual tour of a remodel?
The state of Florida authorized virtual inspections in 2021. Broward County, Miami-Dade, and the City of Tampa have all experimented with remote inspections. Miami-Dade inspectors have reportedly used apps like WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams to review work in real time. Because nothing says “code compliance” like, “Tilt the camera a little to the left, please.”
Faster approvals. Shorter wait times. Inspectors freed up for bigger jobs. Contractors spared the ritual of sitting around from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. waiting for a knock that never comes. It sounds modern. It sounds smart. It sounds too good to be true.
Escalona, to his credit, has hit the ground running. He’s new. He’s energetic. He’s branding himself as tech-forward. Of course, the bar is low. He’s taken over for former Commissioner Joe Carollo, who was too busy with pet projects and revenge to make any meaningful policy suggestions or even take care of his district.
But Ladra has questions, anyway. Por supuesto, right?
If inspections go virtual, what platform are we using? Is it secure? Is it encrypted? Is it hosted on a server that won’t crash during hurricane season? “Is that the signal breaking up or your drywall?” If your inspector is reviewing an ele
ctrical installation over video and the connection freezes at the exact moment something sparks, who exactly is liable?
And let’s talk cybersecurity. What happens if someone spoofs an inspection feed? A contractor uploads “approved” footage from another job? The system gets hacked and permit approvals get manipulated? Someone uses AI?
Miami can barely keep its public meeting livestreams glitch-free. We’re ready for virtual code compliance oversight?
Even “low-risk” projects can go sideways. Improper electrical work causes fires. Bad water heater installs cause floods. Loose HVAC connections cause, well, sweaty kids.
There’s a reason building inspectors exist in person. They smell things. They hear things. They notice what the camera can conveniently avoid. And if something fails after a remote inspection? Imagine the headline: “City Approved It Over Zoom.”
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Sure, this makes Escalona look busy and innovative. And Ladra is certain that pro-development voices will cheer. Contractors will applaud anything that cuts delay, even if only because it frees up more time for them.
But if this rolls out sloppily? If the tech fails? If a project goes wrong? It’s certainly not unfathomable. Suddenly, “virtual efficiency” becomes “virtual liability.”
Modernizing permitting is overdue. Nobody romanticizes a backlog. But is this a smart leap into 2026? Or are we one glitch away from approving a water heater installed with duct tape and good intentions?
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