Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Administration:strategic Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DBI details strategic-plan moves, PTS replacement and external validation; director reports reforms and loss of veteran inspector
Summary
DBI staff outlined cross-divisional work groups, a plan to replace its 20-year-old permit tracking system (PTS), outreach and QA/QC efforts, and cited outside validation from the state housing department and the controller's public integrity review. Director Patrick O'Riordan also reported the recent death of long-time inspector Ed Donnelly.
San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection on Aug. 21 presented a quarterly update on its strategic plan, described work to modernize permitting and inspections, and highlighted external validation of departmental reforms.
Patrick Hannon, communications director for DBI, said staff launched an implementation phase after adopting a new mission and vision: to protect the community through code-compliant construction, building safety and resilience while supporting economic development. DBI assigned cross-divisional work groups to each strategy, named managers to lead them, and designated executive sponsors to oversee delivery.
Top operational priorities Hannon described include: - Implementing a concrete/building-safety action plan tied to the mayor's earthquake safety directive and drafting related legislation with the city attorney's office. - Addressing a longstanding permitting bottleneck for "addressing" via an interdepartmental MOU and clarified roles for the permit center. - Planning replacement of the two-decade-old permit tracking system (PTS) to modernize permit lifecycle management. - Improving inspection QA/QC, documenting procedures for certificates of occupancy and complaint response, and expanding staff onboarding and ethics/conflict-of-interest training.
Hannon said the plan's implementation teams identified roughly 50 potential revenue opportunities that are being vetted for feasibility and projected revenue.
Director Patrick O'Riordan highlighted two outside reviews: the California Department of Housing and Community Development issued a favorable report acknowledging improvements that make permitting easier, and the controller's 2024 public integrity review found DBI had implemented all recommended reforms.
O'Riordan also reviewed recent project valuations: examples included a 168-unit affordable housing permit at 1515 Van Ness valued at about $60.7 million, a Hope SF Sunnydale 89-unit project at about $45 million, and other high-value permits across the city.
He ended on a somber note, reporting the recent death of longtime senior building inspector Ed Donnelly and offering condolences to staff and family.
From the inspection services briefing: Deputy Director Matthew Green reported that in July the electrical and plumbing divisions conducted 10,376 inspections and met or exceeded response-time targets (91% of those inspections were completed within two business days, surpassing the 90% goal). Housing inspection and code enforcement metrics were also presented.
From finance: Deputy Director Alex Koskinen said the new fee structure went into effect July 19 and the city has collected approximately 9% of the annual budget in early-year revenue, while permit filings and valuations in July were higher than the prior year.
Quotations: "This is actually the work groups that we have...the leader of each group has been bolded." ' Patrick Hannon
"On August 2, the California Department of Housing and Community Development issued a report acknowledging the work DBI and the city has done to improve San Francisco's permitting system." ' Director Patrick O'Riordan
What to watch: DBI will return with further updates on PTS replacement planning, outreach materials and legislation drafted in coordination with the city attorney's office.
