Building Inspection Commission Announcement

Pursuant to Section 67.7-1(c) of the San Francisco Administrative Code, members of the public who are unable to attend the public meeting or hearing may submit written comments regarding a calendared item to the BIC Commission Secretary, Sonya Harris, at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94103 or at the place of the scheduled hearing before the proceedings begin. These written comments shall be made a part of the official public record and these comments will be brought to the attention of the members of the Client Services Subcommittee.

Each member of the public may address the Commission once for up to two minutes on any agenda item.

Follow these steps to call in

• Call 415-655-0001 and enter the meeting ID
• Press #
• Press # again to be connected to the meeting (you will hear a beep)

Make a public comment 

• After you've joined the call, listen to the meeting and wait until it's time for public comment
• When the clerk announces it's time for public comment, dial *3 to get added to the speaker line
• You will hear “You have raised your hand to ask a question. Please wait to speak until the host calls on you"
• When you hear "Your line has been unmuted," you can make your public comment

When you call

• Make sure you're in a quiet place
• Speak slowly and clearly
• Turn off any TVs or radios

Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City exist to conduct the people's business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people's review.

For more information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance or to report a violation of the ordinance, contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force:

• By mail at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244, San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
• By phone at 415-554-7854
• By email at sotf@sfgov.org

The meeting will be held at the Department of Building Inspection, located at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Room 511. The closest accessible BART station is the Civic Center Station at 8th (at the United Nations Plaza) and Market Streets.

Accessible MUNI/Metro lines servicing this location are the J-Church, K-Ingleside, L-Taraval, M-Ocean view, and N-Judah at Van Ness and Civic Center Stations; 9-San Bruno, 71-Haight, and 42-Downtown bus lines. For information about MUNI accessible services call (415) 923-6142.

The Commission meeting room is wheelchair accessible. Accessible curbside parking spaces have been designated on the Van Ness Avenue and McAllister Street perimeters of City Hall for mobility-impaired persons. There is accessible parking available within the Civic Center Underground Parking Garage at the corner of McAllister and Polk Streets, and within the Performing Arts Parking Garage at Grove and Franklin Streets.

Accessible seating for persons with disabilities (including those using wheelchairs) will be available. Assistive Listening devices will be available at the meeting. To request a sign language interpreter, reader, materials in alternative formats, or other accommodations for a disability, please contact the Commission Secretary, Sonya Harris (628) 652-3510. Providing 72-hour notice will help to ensure availability.

Individuals with severe allergies, environmental illness, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities should call (628) 652-3510 to discuss meeting accessibility. In order to assist the City’s efforts to accommodate such persons, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City to accommodate these individuals.

The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. Please be advised that the Chair or the Interim Chair may order the removal from the meeting of anyone responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices.

To request an interpreter for a specific item during the meeting, please contact the Commission Secretary, Sonya Harris, at 628-652-3510 or by email at sonya.harris@sfgov.org at least 48 hours in advance of the hearing.

For questions about the Language Access Ordinance, please contact OCEIA at 415-581-2360 and ask for the Executive Director or Language Access Compliance Officer.

Minutes are posted online 10 days after approval by the BIC.

Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance to register and report lobbying activity.

For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, contact the Ethics Commission:

• Mail: 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 220, San Francisco, CA 94102
• Telephone: 415-252-3100
• Fax 415-252- 3112
• Website: sfethics.org

SF Campaign & Governmental Conduct Code section 1.127 prohibits any person with a financial interest in certain land use matters from making a political contribution to any committee controlled by an individual currently holding, or seeking election to, the office of Mayor, Supervisor, or City Attorney.
Solicitation or acceptance of such a contribution is also prohibited.

Be aware that certain matters pending before or acted upon by the Building Inspection Commission may constitute land use matters under section 1.127.

Please visit sfethics.org to learn more about whether your involvement in such matters affects your ability to make political contributions, or contact the Ethics Commission at ethics.commission@sfgov.org or 415-252-3100.

The Building Inspection Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the Ancestors, Elders, and Relatives of the Ramaytush Ohlone community and by affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples.

The Department of Building Inspection located at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, 5th Floor, Room 511 is wheelchair accessible. This meeting will be broadcast and captioned on SFGovTV. Remote public participation is available upon request for individuals who cannot attend in person due to disability. Making a request to participate remotely no later than one (1) hour prior to the start of the meeting helps ensure availability of the meeting link. Sign Language Interpretation is also available upon request.
If requesting remote Sign Language Interpretation, please submit an accommodation request a minimum of 4 business hours prior to the start of the meeting. Allowing a minimum of 48 business hours for all other accommodation requests (for example, for other auxiliary aids and services) helps ensure availability. To request accommodation, please contact Sonya Harris, sonya.harris@sfgov.org or call (628) 652-3510.

As a policy-making and supervisory body mandated by the City Charter, the seven-member citizen Building Inspection Commission will manage the Department of Building Inspection and the bodies subordinate to the Commission by overseeing the effective, efficient, fair and safe enforcement of the City and County’s Building, Housing, Plumbing, Electrical and Mechanical Codes, along with Disability Access Regulations.

CLIENT SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE MISSION STATEMENT

The Client Services Subcommittee focuses on improving the quality, consistency, and predictability of Department of Building Inspection (DBI) services in three key areas: 1. Plan Check and Permitting 2. Inspections 3. Automation/Technology.

Serving the community of San Francisco, building occupants, individual applicants, and the development community, the goal of the subcommittee is to streamline and reduce the approvals process and provide consistent and transparent services to DBI’s clients.