Building Inspection Commission backs 180-point reengineering plan, asks director for implementation schedule

The Building Inspection Commission on Dec. 19 directed the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) to move forward with a 180-plus recommendation Business Process Reengineering (BPR) report and return to the commission with a concrete implementation plan.

The vote followed a presentation from Director Esam Hassanen and months of stakeholder work. Hassanen told the commission the BPR was an internal, cross‑departmental effort involving more than 200 staff and industry participants and aimed to “create a simpler, easier to navigate process that will improve turn on times, ensure predictability in the process, and provide accurate, consistent, and timely service.”

The report recommends a citywide automation system to track development review and inspections, defined turnaround times for plan review and inspections (targets of 10 business days for small jobs, 20 for medium, and two business days for most inspections with a long-term goal of one day), expanded over-the-counter services, elimination of duplicate reviews among agencies, and the creation of a permit‑technician classification to streamline intake.

Supporters from industry and labor told the commission the work was long overdue. “We support the reform that the expedited process in which people can utilize both planning and DBI,” said Kevin Hughes, assistant business manager for Electrical Workers Local 6. John Schlesinger, a co‑chair of the plan‑review subcommittee, said the document was a collaborative product meant to become a roadmap for implementation.

Several commissioners pressed for detail on implementation costs, dependency on a new automation platform and how partner departments would provide staff. Hassanen said some recommendations will require additional staffing and fee reanalysis and that DBI plans an implementation plan — including budget and fee proposals — to present to the commission for review. He said the department will pursue incremental changes while evaluating automation procurement through an RFP process.

The commission approved a motion directing the director to proceed with reengineering using the BPR report as a guide and to report back with an implementation schedule and procedures at the next meeting.

Next steps: the director will prepare an implementation plan and associated budget and fee recommendations for the commission’s review; many reforms will require cooperation and financial commitments from other city departments.