Nutter plans L&I overhaul

MAYOR NUTTER yesterday shifted oversight for the Department of Licenses and Inspections to the deputy mayor for public safety on the recommendation of a task force created to examine L&I in the aftermath of last year's Market Street building collapse.

Nutter also created a new position of chief safety officer who will report to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Everett Gillison, and enforce L&I's safety standards and regulations for construction and demolition of city buildings.

However, he did not act on a task-force recommendation that L&I be split, saying that he needed more time to consider the implications of the proposal.

"Splitting the department apart is a pretty significant step and requires a lot more discussion than just reading the report," Nutter said at a news conference, during which the findings of the report commissioned more than 10 months ago were released. "There are legal implication, labor implications, certainly financial implications."

Meanwhile, Nutter established the L&I Implementation and Accountability Committee, charged with assessing the practicality and implementation of a series of recommendations put forth by a blue-ribbon commission.

The changes in oversight for L&I will not affect the day-to-day operations, officials said.

The mayor's Special Independent Advisory Commission made 37 recommendations to improve L&I after the building collapse at 22nd and Markets streets last summer, which claimed the lives of six and injured 13 others.

The most significant recommendation involved splitting L &I into two new cabinet-level departments - the Department of Buildings and the Department of Building Compliance. Both would fall under the jurisdiction of the public safety director and require a city charter change.

The commission also suggested doubling the number of building inspectors, bringing the total to 152 and transferring all responsibilities for building fire safety to the Fire Department, where officials say they belong.

Yesterday, City Treasurer Nancy Winkler, a vocal advocate for changes to L&I since the loss of her daughter in the the Market Street collapse, issued a statement with husband Jay Bryan thanking the mayor's Special Independent Advisory Commission.

"We strongly endorse its recommendation to move construction and demolition oversight to a new Cabinet-level department focused on public safety," the statement reads.

"A focused professional and adequately funded building code enforcement program, along with safety first contractors, owners and architects, can prevent disasters such as the one that killed our daughter, Anne."

Meanwhile, Council President Darrell Clarke, unveiled his own plan to fix L &I yesterday.

Under Clarke's plan, a new Department of Planning and Development would be established to oversee the city's planning, zoning, licensing, inspection, enforcement and housing functions.

"This puts in place a very user-friendly process as it relates to the public's interaction, not only with L&I, but also other departments that deal with planning and development," Clarke said.

"Right now, its spread all across the board, in terms of the roles and responsibilities, but also, physically.

"Right now, you have to go to three different buildings in order to get a permit."

If approved by Council, Clarke's proposed amendment to the Home Rule Charter would be put to voters on the May primary ballot.

Nutter said he couldn't comment on Clarke's plan yesterday because he had not seen it.