Building Inspection seeks permit‑tracking system and warns against cuts that could revive backlogs

Vivian Day, director of the Department of Building Inspection, told the Budget and Finance Committee DBI has an intent to award a contract for a permanent permit-tracking system with a proposed 24-month delivery schedule and payment tied to interim deliverables.

"We have actually... awarded an intent to award with a contractor for the permit tracking system. It was beginning in June 1, and we're in negotiations right now," Day said, and described expected benefits: enterprise licensing for cross-department access, GIS integration, digital plan checking and field-inspector mobile units.

Supervisors expressed concern about recommended eliminations of several vacant positions. Deputy and DBI staff warned that eliminating positions would force other posts to be held vacant and could re-create last-cycle backlogs. Mr. Rose, the budget analyst, said recommendations were preliminary and he and DBI would negotiate to avoid undermining frontline services.

Day and Controller's Office representatives described contract terms that include deliverable timetables and payment-by-acceptance to provide financial incentives for on-time delivery; the Controller's Office said payment would be based on accepted deliverables during the 24-month period.

The committee asked for follow-up on contractual safeguards, late-payment penalties and whether the controller would certify milestone payments. DBI said it was already scrubbing data and working with the Department of Technology to minimize conversion delays.