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San Francisco Building Inspection Commission holds farewell, hears public allegations of irregular permit revocations
Summary
Vice President Deborah Walker delivered a farewell and urged improvements to DBI's permit‑tracking system; a public commenter alleged that DBI revoked permits and later approved an over‑the‑counter $300,000 remodel permit after prior denials, and commissioners asked staff to follow up.
Vice President Deborah Walker presided over the Building Inspection Commission meeting on Dec. 18, 2019, and used her final remarks as a commissioner to thank staff for annual training and press for greater transparency in the department’s permit‑tracking system. "This is my final Building Inspection Commission meeting," Walker said, and she urged the commission and staff to maintain equitable, consistent and transparent service delivery.
Why it matters: Walker singled out the permit‑tracking system as a long‑running priority, saying accurate data and public access are central to trust in the Department of Building Inspection (DBI). The commission heard public comment alleging specific lapses in DBI process that commissioners said should be reviewed.
A member of the public who identified himself in the record as Jerry Bradley raised several procedural questions about two construction projects and DBI handling of permits. Bradley asked whether violations rose to public‑safety levels, why DBI revoked rather than suspended permits, and why revocations were issued on the same day as Notices of Violation. He alleged that at 25 Seventeenth Avenue a project manager obtained a $300,000 remodel permit over‑the‑counter after earlier denials, and said denial comments were later removed from the Permit Tracking System (PTS). "You have the facts. It's up to the Building Inspection Commission to decide if DBI senior management acted correctly in both matters," he said.
DBI response and next steps: Walker acknowledged the submission and said she would pass the concerns on to DBI senior management. Commissioners urged the matters be calendared for specific follow‑up early in the next commission term so the facts can be reviewed and any needed policy changes or internal controls around permit revocations and over‑the‑counter approvals can be considered.
Director's report highlights: Deputy Director Tyrus Madison presented November financial figures showing revenues of about $28,700,000 compared with $29,300,000 a year earlier and expenditures of about $27,200,000, driven in part by higher salary and work‑order costs. Deputy Director Ed Sweeney gave code‑enforcement statistics for November, including counts of complaints, notices of violation and cases sent to director’s hearings, and he summarized outreach activity (the Code Enforcement Outreach Program reported reaching 16,636 people with 2,502 program participants and 313 cases resolved).
Formal actions: The commission approved the minutes of Nov. 20, 2019, by voice vote. The body later moved into closed session to continue the director’s annual performance evaluation. After reconvening, commissioners voted unanimously to decline disclosure of closed‑session discussions. The meeting adjourned at 11:06 a.m.
What’s next: Commissioners requested agenda items for the January meeting to include permit‑tracking updates and a presentation from the Code Enforcement Outreach Program and related nonprofit partners; commissioners also recommended scheduling detailed follow‑up on the two projects raised during public comment.
