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Deputy Commissioner explains Local Law 11 study and inspection process
3:35:46
·
149 sec
Deputy Commissioner Yigal Shamash provides a detailed explanation of the Local Law 11 study and the Facade Inspection Safety Program (FIS) process, addressing concerns about inspections and scaffolding duration.
- Shamash introduces the ongoing study by Thornton Tomasetti to review and potentially improve the Local Law 11 process
- He clarifies that DOB doesn't perform independent inspections unless a building is filed as unsafe
- The deputy commissioner emphasizes the importance of clear documentation from building owners' engineers in their reports
Yigal Shamash
3:35:46
I think maybe let's start with our Local Law 11 study.
3:35:51
So we have hired Thornton Tomasetti to study everything Local Law 11 related or what we refer to as FIS, Facade Inspection Safety Program.
3:36:02
So Sorrent Thomasetti, internationally renowned firm, we've been working with them for the past six plus months on studying everything related to Local eleven from the inspections to the cycle duration to the amount of hands on and how the procedure and the process works.
3:36:25
So we're very excited to continue working with them.
3:36:28
We're hoping that this summer the results of the study will be published and we can make any changes that they recommend and work with them and the council to make any changes necessary.
3:36:42
So I just wanted to mention that the study is ongoing and all of us at the table is very excited about the study.
3:36:49
In terms of the process, the commissioner is right on.
3:36:54
In terms of the repairs on the building, if the building is safe or swamp, the department does not perform an independent inspection.
3:37:04
They can do those repairs, they can do that maintenance work, and complete the repairs and take the shed down.
3:37:12
It's only when the building is filed unsafe by the building owner's engineer after they do their inspection and they file unsafe with us that we do a corresponding inspection.
3:37:25
And what we've outreached, and I've been at the department now eleven years, is to very clearly the owner's engineer in the report that they submit to us have to outline the conditions on the building and very clearly outline those conditions on the building.
3:37:41
It's very clearly articulated they have to have a mapping of all the conditions on the building.
3:37:46
So if our inspector goes to the building and they see a condition that is not on the mapping, then there's something wrong with the report that was submitted to us.
3:37:55
And that's what we're flagging.
3:37:57
And if they do identify the condition and they tell us it's safe or they tell us it's swamp, then we'll accept that.
3:38:03
But the differential comes in on when there's a condition on the building that is not identified in the owner engineer architect's report and that differential is what we're flagging.