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Council member raises concerns about scaffolding duration and inspection delays
3:32:42
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111 sec
Council Member Eric Dinowitz expresses concerns about the prolonged presence of scaffolding and sheds in his district, attributing the delays to the Department of Buildings' inspection process. He highlights the financial burden on buildings and the aesthetic issues caused by extended scaffolding periods.
- Dinowitz questions the efficiency of the inspection process, citing repeated visits for minor issues
- He suggests that inspectors might be 'flying by the seat of their pants' without a clear rubric
- The council member emphasizes the frustration of building owners waiting weeks between inspections
Eric Dinowitz
3:32:42
Thank you.
3:32:43
Commissioner, how are you?
3:32:44
And team, like your entire department here.
3:32:47
This is amazing.
3:32:49
I also want to talk about the sheds, the scaffolding.
3:32:52
I think most people agree they're not very nice to look at.
3:32:58
And buildings also want them down as quickly as possible.
3:33:03
I think the disagreement is how quickly they can get them down is not due to the buildings in my district, particularly the coops.
3:33:12
But what they complain about is, to put it nicely, you guys.
3:33:16
That they're doing Local Law 11 work in their building and it takes a very long time for an inspector to come and inspect the building.
3:33:24
An inspector comes and says, oh I've noticed a little crack, it's superficial but you gotta fix it.
3:33:29
They fix it, they wait weeks again for an inspector to come, and they find a different problem, and they fix that.
3:33:37
They wait weeks again for an inspector to come, they find a different superficial problem.
3:33:43
All the while, we have to look at these ugly sheds and it's costing the buildings thousands and thousands of dollars, And of course, this is every five years, this cycle.
3:33:55
And so my question is, do your inspectors use a rubric, right, and sign off on saying, you know, I have certified everything is good except this.
3:34:05
I'm gonna come back.
3:34:06
And it's on the inspector to certify that everything's good.
3:34:10
So it's because it feels like they're flying by the seat of their pants.
3:34:14
That is the feeling of the buildings who are going through this process.
3:34:19
And I'm sure your inspectors are very talented and qualified people, but but what's happening on the ground is they're coming back repeatedly.
3:34:25
They're waiting weeks between times inspectors are coming.
3:34:29
And all the while, these sheds are staying up costing the buildings thousands and thousands of dollars.