legislative analyst's office, always looks at their process and how many requisitions you have that are vacant, how many have been vacant for a year. we have to justify why we have not been able to hire. the testing issues will be easy to justify. the delays in the mayor's office. we have enough justification to say that we have been trying to fill positions. there is a danger that that could occur. >> i would be very worried about all of this hiring. i do not think that we are out of the doldrums at all. the private sector, especially the construction business, it has been out there for the last

three years, burning gas and rubber and not making any money. just because we got some big checks from downtown, let's not go crazy here. i would hate to bring back a lot of people and then have to lay them off. >> we have been talking for the last meetings about not being able to respond to the public's needs. the department, rightly so, business levels are going up around building and we are responding. this is kind of a mixed message. we asked to have the department get ready for what looks like the economy improving a bit. and that has. and we are responding.

i am confused as to the mixed message. >> i did not mean to confuse you. all that you have ever heard me ask for here is an extra cash years on the fifth floor. but a couple of cases i asked for a mechanical engineer. i have not asked for anything else. look at the minutes. any further questions, commissioners? seeing no one. public comments? seeing no one. >> we can move on to item number four. public comment. the building inspection commission will take public comment on matters within the commission's jurisdiction that are not part of this agenda. >> any public comments? seeing no one. sorry. >> my name is [unintelligible]

and i have lived in the city and county of santa francisco for 30 years. i have been a building inspector for a long time, but i am here as a citizen to ask two questions. i would like to start by asking -- how many directives as the director actually issued,, initial, and be responsible for? i think she may be neglecting that portion of her duties. i have a copy of prop g from 17 or 18 years ago. "the director shall have the power to implement or remove assistant superintendents or deputy directors serviceable under the provisions of the

charter. -- charter." the teams we have gotten further out. i am confused as to how we now have three deputies. i would like to suggest that the person occupying the most recent position, the third deputy position, is occupying that illegally. i think that she should be for it to her salary. those are my two questions. i have an inquiry about a number of written directives. i m at a loss as to how to explain how we got a deputy director. i see that my issue is timely, given the proposed legislation for a fourth deputy director. i would like to remind the commission that the citizens voted against these deputy directors. thank you. >> any further public comments?

seeing no one. >> item #5, report, discussion and possible action to approve the proposed budget of the department of building inspection for the fiscal year 2011-2012. this is a continued item. if any of the commissioners need a copy, i have extra right here. >> pamela lavan, deputy director. we provided additional information on february 24 responding to the questions you had on the budget that you submitted to the commission secretary. so, if you have any questions,

you can address them to meet. i am not giving a presentation on this. >> commissioner? >> i did not have any from the last time. >> i had plenty of questions, and i am not sure that they were all answered, but that is where it is. >> we have no further commissioners? >> i will wait until after public comment. >> any public comment? >> si no one. >> ok. commissioner? >> i would move to approve the budget. >> we have a motion to approve and a second to approve the budget.

we need five votes for the budget to go forward. president murphy? >> no. >> vice-president? >> no. >> commissioner clinton? >> yes. >> commissioner lee? >> yes. >> commissioner mar? >> yes. >> commissioner romero? >> yes. >> commissioner walker. >> yes. >> the motion carries. we can move on to item number six, election of bic president and vice-president. >> i would like to say a few words before the nomination, if i may. for the last 15 years it has become increasingly difficult to do business here in san

francisco. many people have moved out of state, to different parts of the state. because of reasons like they cannot get their children into public school and cannot afford private school. it has been difficult. personally, by have been doing business here for 35 years. san francisco has been very good to me. i love this city and have been delighted to give my time to help the department through what i would call the worst recession since 78. especially in modern times. i was honored, commissioners, to serve as your president for the last two years. i really mean that. when i was asked to become commissioner by the mayor, six

years ago, i knew that the department was dysfunctional at the time. one of my objections and most of the commission at that time was getting the ddi. i happen to like that name. i wanted to get the cost to permit plan review inspection services in line. there are still difficulties in this process. we set about finding a new director. we hired someone with very ambitious plans.

because the skills it reached out, we touch every department. every neighborhood, every homeowner and the tenant. at that time there were 10,000 inspections per month and at least 600 complaints. he brought in a modern management way of doing business. he made changes. and he upset a lot of people. he also saw the writing on the wall. dbi was running out of money and he left for another opportunity. he did pave the way, somewhat, and as easton bowed out we had

to reduce our budget and downsize staff considerably. civil service requirements on how to left staff go meant that we lost a lot of people. we survived those challenges. now there is a building commission. the over-the-counter permit process has moved to the sub for and is making a big difference. there are still some improvements to be made. but we are determined to have it working as a well oiled machine. people that i would like to mention for help in that process worked -- [lists names]

some other highlights, with the help of commissioner walker we have the vacant and abandoned buildings taken care of. an attempt to clean up those buildings in our neighborhoods. once again, the new tracking system. there is no a sense of team at dbi. those who are opposed will feel the chill wind from being left outside. this is not the case in the housing department. there exists a deep division. let me say a few words about our

friends across all. i am delighted to see that our friends on a left appear to be seeing the light with regards to the planning code. recently at a hearing of the small business commission that i attended there was unanimous boat to simplify the planning code by a neighborhood commercial districts. a move in the right direction. i remind our friends at the planning department that the first recommendation by outside auditors in their report from a couple of years ago was to scrap the code and start fresh. perhaps all supervisors from each district could update the code for their particular constituency, greatly reducing

the document that has completely grown out of control. on the issue of the planning department, too often i hear unfavorable words, such as elitist, long delays, lack of courtesy and respect for the customer. you know, the one that pays their salaries. i hope that someday the mindset there will be changed. i am very proud of how far the billing department has come. as evidenced by a number of people that come up to me and speak favorably of the people that work there. earlier on i said about in most construction businesses over the last few years, they have basically been dying.

barely able to make their payments. a lot of them have gone bankrupt. many of the properties from three or four years ago are gone. so, we raised permitting fees, updating the fees for the customers. i am not so sure that they are getting a fair shake. i think that we can help to improve. i would like to thank my wonderful secretary down here. she has helped me greatly over the past couple of years. her able assistants, sonya.

i would also like to say thank- you to someone who is doing a wonderful job, ted sweeney. i rarely get complaints from the field. doing a marvelous job. still get a few complaints from the electric division. people waiting 10 days to get a broad inspection. not good enough. again, i would like to thank you, commissioners. are we open for nominations? >> yes. >> i would like to nominate someone that i got to know over the past few years. my vice-president for the last two years.

a wonderful gentleman who really cares about san francisco and dbi, very giving up his time. someone who will make a great vice-president. commissioner rubieuben hechanov. >> second. >> public comment? >> seeing no one. >> on the nomination for president? >> [takes roll vote] >> the vote is unanimous.

congratulations. we are now open for nomination for vice president. >> being as i am still the president, i would like to nominate also some what i have worked with on the commission for the past shorter period of time, and while we do not agree on everything, we do agree on most issues that involve permits and most small business interests in san francisco, commissioner mar. >> second. >> we have a motion and a second. is there any public comment on that item? >> seeing no one. >> presitake[takes roll vote]

>> unanimous. congratulations. do we have any further public comment on these nominations? would you like to say anything? >> i feel very privileged. as well as proud to serve not only the city of san francisco, but to continue the great mission that the department has been challenged to bring about. not only in the challenges of the economy, but on the operational side.

the idea of keeping it going, making it smoother, bringing in delivering to the public and customers a category of service that will be more elevated, functional, service oriented, and properly serve the citizens of san francisco. i am also very proud to serve with the current commissioners, who i have gotten to know over the years. i look forward to serving with them and challenging them to really bring about a new period of bringing about and delivering what the department brings. thank you very much for not only the nomination, but this privilege to serve not only the

citizens of san francisco, but to have u.s. colleagues in this wonderful city. thank you. >> vice-president mar, would you like to say something? >> as one of the newest members, i would like to thank my colleagues for their confidence in for bringing me up to speed. i have really gotten to appreciate the work of our staff, sometimes under appreciated. before i entered the commission, as a homeowner and landlord i have stood on the other side of the counter. sometimes they did not go as fast as i wanted, but i always got the project done. i think that that is in the family, luckily. i do not have a lot of complaints in terms of the staff. i think that sometimes they

catch a lot of anger from the public because they do not agree with some of the code or they did not do things right. in that sense we have the responsibility to educate and i would really like to help with that. just to make sure that everyone is treated fairly. another great improvement of the department. i am proud that the commissioners are on board with that. in the past if you had a multimillion-dollar project, you not -- you did not necessarily get the attention of people. whoever walks through the door is treated fairly. even if they do not like what they hear all the time. i just want to feel that the

public is moving in the right direction and i do look forward to moving it better. >> we can now move on to item number 7, discussion of possible action regarding the 2011 cost schedule building valuation. >> in your packet we have prepared a memo to the commission. last year the commission voted to keep the increase at the level of 2009 instead of increasing it in 2010, as was called for in the actual report. this year we are proposing to increase by a little over 1%. bringing it up to the current

level of construction costs as proposed by marshall and swift. that is 1% from 2009. >> have you factor this into the budget recommendations or not? >> the increase in valuation about yes, we have. it is only 1%. the budget that was submitted included a slight increase depending on whether or not the commission voted to approve this. it has not been fully integrated into the budget yet. >> any questions? >> you are the president.

>> the issue that has been run by a lot of commissioners, we are just beginning to get our feet under us. i know that we need to uncover the chaos, but i feel we should not increase costs again. until we see how strong and sustaining the increased activity is in the apartment. it is a challenging time for everybody. i am reluctant to make it worse if we are just darling to get going. >> by the same category, given how the proposed budget is

basically based on -- and before the valuation has been drawn down, we can still maintain and sustain. >> yes, we can. >> any further discussion? >> any public comment? >> hello, commissioners. of course we are going to keep up to current valuations and it is important that we do that. i did notice the other day that there was a couple that came in and owned condominiums in the 1970's. they were just changing the cabinets out.

there was a poster on each station for remodeling the bath and kitchen. where there is a young couple, getting up to code without electrical work and minimal plumbing, i would not charge the full whack. from what i sought after that, i think that they sort of gave up. i think that we should keep that in mind. but let's be reasonable about how much we charge. we should not be hitting them up

for the entire evaluation. thank you. >> any further comments? >> and the motion? someone want to make a motion to approve or not approve? >> i will second. >> what, we want to continue this item? until the call of the president? ok. we have a motion to continue this to the call of the president. >> this means that the current fee schedule is in effect? >> the 2009 fee schedule is in

effect. approved in 2009. >> so, but current and applicable the valuation is pre- 2009. >> yes. >> and will continue until the commission approves organize another fee schedule. >> unless you want to put on a timeline to see how the economy is in six months. otherwise your call is bringing it forward again. >> we will simply leave it open for the duration. >> we have a motion to continue this item until the call of the