San Francisco Building Inspection Commission backs new director’s overhaul and revised budget

San Francisco’s Building Inspection Commission voted to approve an implementation recommendation from newly appointed Department of Building Inspection Director Esam Hassanen and accepted a revised fiscal 2007–2008 budget after a wide-ranging presentation on departmental deficiencies and reforms.

Hassanen told the commission that his initial two-month review found a technically capable staff but systemic problems in management, process and automation that have slowed reviews and inspections. “We perform 11,000 inspections [a month], we issue over 5,000 permits and perform over 3,200 plan checks,” he said, using those volumes to argue for structural and process changes.

The director proposed three main budget-driven initiatives: an internal business-process reengineering (BPR) effort that will be carried out over several months; a pilot premium plan-check service that would charge an extra 50 percent fee and be staffed separately from standard plan-check operations; and targeted hires, including a geotechnical engineer and a fire-protection engineer, to provide in‑house technical expertise for complex projects. He said the reorganization would temporarily add four project-based managerial positions for roughly three years as a test of the new structure.

Why it matters: DBI oversees enforcement of San Francisco building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical codes and handles high volumes of permits and inspections. Commissioners and industry representatives said delays in plan review and inconsistent technical interpretations have economic and safety implications for projects across the city.

Commissioners pressed Hassanen on interagency coordination—particularly with Planning and the Fire Department—and he described ongoing biweekly management meetings with planning and a subcommittee with the fire marshal to develop an early-involvement policy. Hassanen also outlined plans to evaluate the department’s PTS permit-tracking system, pilot electronic submittals, consolidate inspection databases, and move the public-facing permit center to an adjacent building at 1640 to create a one-stop service center.

Mayor Gavin Newsom, who attended part of the meeting, endorsed Hassanen’s approach and pledged support for implementation. “Money should not be an excuse for this commission,” the mayor said, urging the commission to remove barriers that prevent frontline staff from making decisions.

Public commenters from the building and design community largely welcomed the proposed reforms. Francisco De Costa of Environmental Justice Advocacy and representatives of the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects urged attention to training, long-term oversight and cross-departmental coordination. Several builders and industry groups urged patience for the reforms and said they would monitor performance over time.

Budget and staffing: Hassanen presented a proposed operating budget of $48.4 million—a decrease of about $600,000 from the prior year—and projected a net increase of roughly four full‑time‑equivalent positions (to about 293.7). He said previously anticipated deferred payments of about $1.77 million would not be counted as revenue this year and that the department projects a year‑end draw of about $6.3 million from fund balance, down from an earlier $8.4 million projection. Hassanen said he does not plan an immediate fee increase but will propose a fee review as part of next year’s budget if performance improvements warrant it.

Premium plan-check: The proposed premium plan-check service would let customers pay an additional fee for expedited review; Hassanen said the pilot would create a separate staff unit to avoid disadvantaging customers who do not pay for the service. “It’s an extra 50% of your plan check fee,” he said. Commissioners sought assurances that standard turnaround times would remain the priority and that the city would set performance metrics to guard against unintended slowdowns of regular service.

Commission action: On voice votes, the commission approved a motion to endorse the director’s briefing and implementation plan and then accepted the director’s revised budget for FY 2007–2008. The motions were moved, seconded and carried by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded on the transcript.

Other business: The commission received a nine‑month financial update from Manager of Administration and Finance Diane Lin showing annualized revenues near $29.7 million and the $6.3 million year‑end fund balance need. Hassanen also provided brief updates on the CAHPS seismic/tall‑buildings work and the AB 83 Tall Buildings Initiative; outside engineers in the audience urged further use of performance‑based design methods. The commission reviewed a proposed permanent change to its meeting schedule (one meeting per month on the third Wednesday) and discussed forming a subcommittee to study the quality and clarity of ‘‘3‑hour’’ reports.

What’s next: Hassanen said the BPR steering committee would meet immediately and that he will return to the commission with performance standards and periodic reports so commissioners can monitor progress. Public and industry representatives said they will continue to engage with staff as the reforms roll out.