>> i think that the only other item that i wanted to mention to you is that as panel i just mentioned on the hacto, that is healthy air, clean, vehicles. we are in the process as we have been actually for some time now requesting a waiver, the legislation contains language that enables the department in order to fulfill its duties to be granted a waiver. and it has taken the department of environmental a little time to establish a process, they now have a process so that there is a submission, again, of our request for the waiver. they will make a decision by the 15th of march and so we will know one way or the other. we are hopeful based on the conversations that have been going on that we will get our waiver since reality is that the economy refers and rekeep hiring new inspectors. at the moment we are 22 vehicles short of the total

number of inspectors that are coming on to do the work and that is in demand right now. so with that. i will take any questions if you have any. >> no. thank you, mr. strong. >> item 8 c. update on permit tracking system. >> >> good morning commissioners i'm canty project director of building inspection and i am here to report the permit on the tracking system. several efforts are in progress. several efforts are in progress on the project. the system is being developed and the data enter facing and it is happening and scripting and changes and also the test case scenarios are being developed. and the advisory group meeting occurred on january 30th, and

very positive. a second meeting to be schedule in march. there is also a larger stake holder meeting that is being planned and this is opened to the citizens who wish to see the presentation and also, participate in the services that we have planned for the second week of march. the software for the mobile devices is being reviewed and it is the kick off for that is going to be in march. if there is any other questions? i could answer. >> looking for ward to hearing back for you from march. >> thank you. >> thanks. >> item 8 d, update on major projects?

>> good morning, commissioners, in your packet you were given 56 projects that we are considering calling major projects, but we are calling major projects. the criteria for what a major project in this report was any project that was over $2.5 million. as you can see, we are quite busy in the construction is quite robust in san francisco. before you is three billion dollars in proposed projects that are currently on review by dbi. we hope to have most of these out in the next, four to six months. we have some very well known public projects and we have the cruise terminal. right now that is under construction and what we are reviewing is we are reviewing the last of the addendums and we are also reviewing the special inspections that we are

preparing to sign-off on the special inspections and that is currently being done as we speak. we hope to have that done in a few more days. we also have transbay, high speed transit center that has been digging down for six months and it is down there on probably first and main. and they are putting in their heating systems and as we speak. we just gave them an addendum for their training boxes. and we will see if there is any transit that will go to them. and we just started work on central subway. we just received, yesterday i believe, for the removing the boring system out of the built in a theater in north beach. speaking to the city planning, this trend shows that no sign is slowing down as we probably have just as much as we have. the planning process is some

what slower, but the volume is higher. so what you see is going to continue for the next year or two years. on the private side we have similar projects for 41 stories, 45 lancing that has been up and down for the last six years and finally going to build it. that is 39 stories, 8 washington. and just a lot of discussion going on with that and i don't know if they will build it. we have met with pec last week on that something about a side sewe r that is right next to the project that they are concerned with. we have 38 8th, street and 19 stories, 151 third street. which is the museum. that is a world renowned

designer and that is going to come out story. and we have 781 bridge which is 16 stories and we have 1420 mission which is 8 stories. in the mid market area. and notable tenant improvement, the entire building of 1355 market street which has been taken over. and they just submitted. there has been a lot in the newspaper about 26 tower cranes and my estimation it will be at least 22 tower cranes and it is on the list here. and i will take any questions that you have on the projects. >> are you feeling confident that you are getting what you need to process these permits. i know that it is a loaded

question. but, it is very important to us that you are going to be able to handle this. >> the acting director tom hewy foresaw this and if you remember the first wave of new employees that we got were engineers. and we picked up a believe, five engineers. and we are probably going to request two more. and the building inspecters, which we have not hired, and since, four or five years. the list are there and it is just down to the final interview process. so we hope to have them on the next two-months. we have got electricals inspecters and plumbing inspectors and they are doing more and more as we go on of the planning check process. so that will continue. so to your answer, president mccarthy is i believe that we have enough people in house right now or we are ready to

hire them. so we should be ready. and you may remember that some of these projects are i will not say simple. but they will be out in the next six weeks and as we get more, it should not... it should maintain a certain level. >> and how is the actual plan check which you talked with and i know that you are involved in that. what is the time frame and are the other departments working well? and with regard to getting these plans out in a reasonable time? what is the expectancy time for the project its depends on the size of the project. what? >> there is no rule. it just depends on what is there. i mean, we are still trying for 90 percent over the counter on the fifth floor that is doing well. it is a little slow right now but it is the time of year, yesterday was very slow but we had an elevator down and the weather was bad. we are still averaging probably 110 permits out the door and

over the counter services. and that is not, mentioning the electrical and plumbing permits. they go, they are all on the fifth floor but i don't keep track of them the same way. >> there is a large volume of that going on. that should probably pick up to 140, 150, at the peak in the summer time. as far as in-take, we seem to be just a couple of weeks to get a couple of weeks to get it assigned, and depending on the job size, and complexity, it can be back out anywhere within six weeks to six months. >> okay. for jobs such as the transbay, of course. >> yeah. >> it is going to take a long time. >> yeah. >> that is the addendum process. >> okay, all right. >> okay, is there any further

questions for deputy director sweeny? >> seeing none? >> is there any public comments on items 8 a to 8 d of the director's report? >> seeing none, item 9? commissioners's questions and matters, 9 a, inquiry to staff, at this time, commissioners may make inquiry to staff regarding various documents, policies, practice and procedures, which are of interest to the commission. >> commissioner melgar you go first. >> so, i would like to for a future agenda, see if we could request the staff to come back in put together a real report on what a budget would look like to increase our automobile fleet purchasing electric cars. so since our last meeting in

the report i did look into it a little bit. there are all sorts of incentives right now by the federal government. they just bill built out the auto industry. and there is 0 percent financing for electric vehicles, there is also sorts of states and fedsal incentives for their purchase right now. it seems like it would be great to take advantage of that. and you know, rather than being in the position of requesting waivers from the department of the environment for just maintaining the level of the vehicles that is not even adequate for the size of our inspectors, we could make a little progress on that. it seems to me that that would be a good use of our surplus funds. so in that report, specifically, adding to our vehicle fleet, replacing the ones that are obsolete and if we could also build in the cost of what the permit and we would need to have electric stations to plug in.

that would be really great and then we could take it to the next step and work with the mayor's office and the board of supervisors to help us out and see if we could make that happen. >> okay. let's... sorry commissioner lee. >> i have two questions. it is my understanding that the mandatory seismic retrofit program is going to assign the task of writing the letter and composing the survey to the property owners is going to be assigned to our department. just wondering, may i see a copy of the letter in the survey at some point to see how we are communicating with these property owners? >> and then the second question is, what is our department's policy on requests for continuance and postponement of hearing? i am just wondering do we accept these up to a certain point? or can they come in at the last

minute and then, how do we notify people that are interested on the topic that there has been a request for a postponement? because if they come in on the last minute, how do we do that and so on and so forth? >> you don't have to answer me now, i just like to know what it is. >> commissioner. >> so i know, i may have mentioned this to president mccarthy earlier, an agenda that i wanted to put out was our pass in the housing in terms of tenant complaint. so i would like eye report from staff on just, our nlu, that we have now, what is our 40, because i understand that most of the complaints or most of the housing violations are advisory and so we work with the hud star and we say that this needs to be fixed and i think that we take it by their

word that it is fixed. but if they follow up, for example, would there be a follow up inspection to make sure that was fixed i think that in population because the mayor obviously is going to be making some changes with that housing is i want to just be kind of prepared in terms of any additional work as i mentioned before that would not only fall in our department, but also in our partners in the community. if that then become quasiprivate or non-profit, then it does fall on us to then, to make sure that any complaints are followed up on. >> commissioner walker. >> a couple of things, i think that an aagenda item updating on the notice of violations in the notice of process, and also, maybe a staff report regarding the funding issues that we talked about regarding

code enforcement and maybe some recommended moves forward on that. just a point of clarification there, commissioner walker, would that be something that deputy levan would put together separate from the novs? >> yeah. that would be separate from the report on the novs, right? >> yes. >> the violations. >> yes. >> now is there... commissioner? >> if i could modify that just a little. >> sure. >> it seems that is also starts with this code enforcement so it would be miss levon and miss bosky because there are processes that they have abandoned or have not been followed for a while to make that happen. >> exactly. >> and the key for me i know that the novs we should be able to facilitate. >> the items is what i am hearing. >> there are two separate. i am just hoping is that another time for the deputy levan to put something like that together? i am not saying the next

meeting necessarily, but i think that we need to establish the beginning and we put it out there and if it is ready it is ready it is ready. >> if not... >> and is there anything, any other items commissioners? seeing none. >> item 9 b, future meetings and agendas, at this time the commission may discuss and take action to set the date of a special meeting and or determine those items that could be placed on the ago ahead and answer da of the next meeting and future meetings of the building inspection commission. >> okay. what is the next day? >> the next regularly skeled meet sg march 20th. >> and i probably will not be here. so, i want to ask commissioners, if we could, i would like to be here for the meeting is there another date? >> i really have an issue with moving our regular meeting date. >> okay. >> i guess, one item to consider is that at the next meeting we are going to have the election of officers and we

wanted to try to have everyone here as possible and all commissioners present. >> yeah >> and so that will be the goal. so, could we weigh in this? or maybe the secretary, you know? but by next month we need to have agreed on the new... >> typically we are supposed to hear the item in february or march, you know, according to... i think that it is in our rules that we are supposed to t.

>> if we have the quorum because you will not be here. >> i will not be here. >> if that is amenable we can propose that.

>> we cannot propose anything. >> so i will take it there. >> we will keep it there. >> we will do that. and as far as that days, all of the other commissioners here will have formed and commissioner will be here and chairing us. okay. >> okay. >> all right. >> we will discuss in the next couple of weeks. >> all right. >> is there any public comment on items 9 aor b? >> could i have a point of clarification if we were talking about the next meeting? because we postponed that abatement appeals with that one case today, we will have to meet again as an appeals board on that day, and could i, because it seems that we have a pretty full agenda all right. is it possible for us not to schedule other abatement appeals for that date? >> you mean the other ones in addition to that? >> right. because otherwise, we will be in the majority of the meeting will become the abatement appeals board. that is my concern. >> i am not sure but i will

speak to the staff and the other city attorneys for the abatement *. i will follow up on that for you. >> okay item should be ten. it is the discussion and possible action regarding ongoing litigation. item 11 a. is public comment on all matters pertaining to the closed session. and item, is there any public comment before we go to the vote to go to closed session? >> and seeing none, item b, vote on whether to hold closed session with legal counsel. is there a motion to go to closed session? >> i move. >> second. >> okay. >> >> commissioners in favor? >> aye >> any opposed? >> we are now in closed session. it is 11:54 a.m..

>> item 11 d. reconvene in open session to vote on whether to disclose any or all discussions held in the closed session. >> is there a motion to reconvene in open session. >> move to reconvene and not disclose. >> i second. >> okay. >> all in favor? >> aye. >> aye. >> any opposed? >> are we done with that item? item 12 is adjournment. is there a motion to adjourn? >> move to adjourn.

>> second. >> all in favor? >> aye. >> thank you, commissioners. >> thank you. >> we are now adownedersinger, it is 12:10 p.m.

>> i love teaching. it is such an exhilarating experience when people began to feel their own creativity. >> this really is a place where all people can come and take a class and fill part of the community. this is very enriching as an artist. a lot of folks take these classes and take their digital imagery and turn it into negatives. >> there are not many black and white darkrooms available anymore. that is a really big draw. >> this is a signature piece. this is the bill largest darkroom in the u.s.. >> there are a lot of people that want to get into that dark

room. >> i think it is the heart of this place. you feel it when you come in. >> the people who just started taking pictures, so this is really an intersection for many generations of photographers and this is a great place to learn because if you need people from different areas and also everyone who works here is working in photography.

>> we get to build the community here. this is different. first of all, this is a great location. it is in a less-populated area. >> of lot of people come here just so that they can participate in this program. it is a great opportunity for people who have a little bit of photographic experience. the people have a lot, they can really come together and share a love and a passion. >> we offer everything from traditional black and white darkrooms to learning how to process your first roll of film. we offer classes and workshops in digital camera, digital printing.

we offer classes basically in the shooting, ton the town at night, treasure island. there is a way for the programs exploring everyone who would like to spend the day on this program. >> hello, my name is jennifer. >> my name is simone. we are going on a field trip to take pictures up the hill. >> c'mon, c'mon, c'mon. >> actually, i have been here a lot. i have never looked closely enough to see everything. now, i get to take pictures. >> we want to try to get them to

be more creative with it. we let them to be free with them but at the same time, we give them a little bit of direction. >> you can focus in here. >> that was cool. >> if you see that? >> behind the city, behind the houses, behind those hills. the see any more hills? >> these kids are wonderful. they get to explore, they get to see different things. >> we let them explore a little bit. they get their best. if their parents ever ask, we can learn -- they can say that

they learned about the depth of field or the rule of thirds or that the shadows can give a good contrast. some of the things they come up with are fantastic. that is what we're trying to encourage. these kids can bring up the creativity and also the love for photography. >> a lot of people come into my classes and they don't feel like they really are creative and through the process of working and showing them and giving them some tips and ideas. >> this is kind of the best kept secret. you should come on and take a class. we have orientations on most saturdays. this is a really wonderful location and is the real jewel to the community. >> ready to develop your photography skills? the harvey milk photo center

focuses on adult classes. and saturday workshops expose youth and adults to photography classes.