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DBI director outlines four‑month reengineering plan, MIS upgrades and expanded over‑the‑counter services
Summary
Director Esam Hassanan reported a department‑led business process reengineering effort with four subcommittees and an aggressive 4–5 month timeline, an upcoming RFQ for MIS options, plans to expand over‑the‑counter plan checks, office reconfiguration for the permit center, and a financial update showing projected year‑end deficits.
The Department of Building Inspection (DBI) reported progress Wednesday on an internal business process reengineering (BPR) effort, MIS system improvements and a set of customer‑facing changes intended to speed permitting and plan review.
Director Esam Hassanan (spelled variably in the transcript) outlined a department‑led BPR sponsored by the mayor's office with an executive steering committee and four subcommittees focused on plan review/permit issuance, inspection services, performance measures and automation. Hassanan said the department expects a 4–5 month timeline and anticipates bringing a final report and implementation plan to the commission by October.
Staff will begin an RFQ to evaluate off‑the‑shelf automation systems and are making incremental enhancements to the current MIS while the procurement proceeds. The director said the department invited a development‑services team from San Diego to share lessons learned and will consider bringing a facilitator from San Diego to coach the local process‑mapping workshops.
On customer service, DBI launched an expanded over‑the‑counter plan check: any single‑discipline plan review that takes an hour or less qualifies for immediate counter review. The initiative aims to reduce backroom routing and free staff to complete larger, more complex reviews. The director acknowledged multi‑discipline coordination remains a challenge and said the BPR committees will examine options such as scheduled appointments and premium expedited services.
Hassanan also described short‑term office work to improve the First Floor permit center at 1640 Mission, with plans to design the building floor‑by‑floor to reduce the need for customers to travel between levels. The director suggested completing initial permit center changes by year end.
On finance, Hassanan summarized packet figures: year‑to‑date operating expenditures roughly $34.1 million with revenues around $34.3 million, and projected year‑end revenues of about $40.75 million against projected expenses of about $46.96 million, implying a projected $6.2 million draw on fund balance (the adopted budget anticipated an $8.4 million draw). The director said the department will continue to monitor expenses and may examine fee structures for future years.
Commissioners and the public raised record accuracy and turnaround for 3R reports (record searches), and staff said automation would be costly but remains an objective of the automation subcommittee. The director proposed a six‑month check‑in on his goals with a subsequent one‑year evaluation, and commissioners discussed using staff and stakeholder feedback in the appraisal process.
The commission encouraged staff to return with more specifics at future meetings and to solicit customer and stakeholder input as the BPR and automation work proceed.
