Building Inspection Commission forms subcommittee to study permitting, inspections and automation

The Building Inspection Commission voted unanimously July 21 to form a small subcommittee charged with examining three priority areas at the Department of Building Inspection: permitting and plan review, inspections, and automation.

Commissioner Beto moved to create the working group after describing recommendations from past reports and the need for sustained focus; Vice President Tam seconded. Deputy City Attorney Rob Capla advised that nominations and a formal vote were required to form a subcommittee; the commission then took a roll-call vote and the motion passed without opposition.

Commissioners and staff said a smaller group would be more efficient for digging into implementation steps and that the panel should include 2–3 commissioners initially, plus representatives from related commissions or advisory groups such as the Code Advisory Committee. Interim DBI leaders said department staff will participate and that working-group meetings must be publicly noticed and allow public comment.

The subcommittee’s scope will include reviewing prior Business Process Reengineering recommendations, identifying remaining implementation steps, and monitoring customer-service improvements connected to DBI technology and staffing. Commissioners asked staff to return with a proposed size and membership and to solicit applications from interested community members and professionals.

The motion was made as part of Item 7 on the July 21 agenda; the chair called for nominations and the commission agreed to form the committee and to return with nominees and a proposed structure at a future meeting.