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DBI projects surplus, outlines hiring plan and permit‑tracking progress
Summary
Deputy Director Pamela Levin told commissioners DBI expects roughly $1.6 million in revenues over budget and a projected $3.6 million fund balance by year‑end; Levin outlined planned hires (clerks and engineers), described limits from civil‑service testing, and said permit‑tracking demonstrations have completed and will be presented to a steering committee in May.
Deputy Director Pamela Levin provided the commission an update on DBI finances and staffing on April 20, reporting that revenues are steady with an upward trend and projecting approximately $1.6 million in revenues over the adopted budget for the fiscal year. Levin said the department expects to place about $3.6 million into the fund balance by the end of the year, while noting some requisitions remain unapproved by mayoral and city offices.
Levin listed upcoming large projects expected to submit permits soon, naming 333 Harrison and a project at 1825 Sutter (the Galaxy Theater housing project), and said staff will provide a fuller list. On staffing, Levin outlined classifications and planned fills including clerical positions (classified as 14‑6 clerks and 14‑8 principal clerks) and engineering hires — she identified two mechanical engineer positions and one civil engineer as priorities and said the department is backfilling electrical inspector retirements.
Commissioners pressed on the civil‑service testing backlog; Levin explained that slow testing and list generation at the Department of Human Resources has delayed permanent hires and that DBI is using full‑time temporary and provisional hires and downgraded classifications to begin filling critical roles while awaiting formal lists and examinations. She said the department has a high vacancy rate in finance and is screening resumes for candidates to fill junior accounting roles.
On information technology, Levin said DBI completed the demonstration phase of a new permit tracking system and expects a steering‑committee presentation in May; some demonstration steps slipped for scheduling reasons but demos occurred the previous week. Staff acknowledged the current system does not reliably capture square footage and that will be remedied in the future permit system.
Public commenters from the San Francisco Coalition for Responsible Growth urged accurate budget figures, increased efficiency, and recommended adding a mechanical engineer to reduce backlog in mechanical plan review. The commission signaled it will monitor hiring and budget projections monthly.
No formal budget action was taken at the meeting.
