San Francisco Building Inspection Commission to ratify three senior hires as director reorganizes DBI

San Francisco — May 30, 2007 — The Building Inspection Commission clarified its limited role in the Department of Building Inspection—s reorganization on Wednesday, saying the charter requires the commission to ratify only three specific appointments even as the director moves to reorganize the department into seven managerial positions.

Director Issam Hassanin presented a memo describing seven proposed managerial slots for fiscal 2007-08: three deputy-director classifications and four manager classifications, all exempt from the city—s civil service process under the director—s plan. The memo said several appointments would be project-based, at-will positions limited to three years.

"In the coming year, there will be 7 positions that [are] exempt from the civil service provisions of the city charter," the director said in the presentation. He told commissioners he planned to advertise the openings widely and to bring the best candidates forward.

John Malamud of the city…