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Supervisors approve release of DBI reserve funds for document management; questions remain about PTIS timeline
Summary
The committee approved releasing reserves for the Department of Building Inspectionto buy IT equipment and enhance document management; DBI director described business process re-engineering and said the department plans a comprehensive procurement for a full PTIS replacement while using existing systems to improve accountability in the meantime.
The Board of Supervisors committee approved the release of reserve funds to the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) for IT and document-management work and discussed the longer-term Permit Tracking and Issuance System (PTIS) modernization.
DBI representative Mr. Hassenet told the committee, "I'm here in front of you today to request the release of $509,250 placed on reserve from the FY 'four-'five budget," saying the funds would buy computer equipment and support a document-management module integrated with DBI's permit tracking system. He described an extended business-process re-engineering effort that produced more than 180 recommendations to inform a future comprehensive RFP and avoid problems seen in other cities where systems under-delivered and costs ballooned.
Hassenet said the department is pursuing two tracks: short-term enhancements to the existing PTIS to increase accountability (tracking who is assigned to reviews, turnaround times, ability to see case histories and related permits) and longer-term procurement of an integrated system after a careful cost and requirements analysis. He described measures to increase internal controls and an internal "Guaranteed Second Opinion" practice for dissatisfied applicants, and said he maintains an open-door policy for customer complaints.
Supervisor (unnamed in the transcript) who authored an ordinance referenced in the reports asked whether the new system would address accountability for expediters (permit consultants) and how complaints and whistleblower channels would be used. Hassenet said the enhancements are intended to surface disparate treatment and provide the data needed to investigate.
After discussion and a budget-analyst presentation, Chair Supervisor Aaron Peskin announced, "Without objection, that will be the order," and the committee moved to release reserve funds; the transcript records the announced release amount as $5,099,250. The discrepancy between Hassenet's stated request ($509,250) and the chair's announced release amount ($5,099,250) appears in the hearing record and is noted here for clarity; the committee approved the release as stated on the record.
