Ten Things You Will Want to Know About the New DOB

 

DOB Commissioner Rick Chandler keynoted our Annual Conference and Leadership Breakfast Nov. 12 in a detailed talk covering the myriad of reforms underway at the DOB. He also fielded extensive Q&A, including a vital question from BOMA/NY President Thomas L. Hill, RPA, on how the Association and its members can work with the "new" DOB. 

 "There will be bumps in the road, however, as the program rolls out. We may not get it 100 percent correct the first time," the Commissioner responded. "Please bear with us. But your feedback is important—and we WILL listen to you, our customers."

Safety and Information Access/Streamlined Service are the two key themes of the new DOB, which has received an "unprecedented amount of funding" from the de Blasio administration, Chandler said. That funding will go to work in a number of ways described below, and as the DOB moves forward in its new model, Chandler’s hope is that the 50 percent of his day he spends on deciding enforcement issues, will be dramatically reduced. And he stressed that it is his personal commitment that the DOB will "focus on the safety of every plan and every work site," adding that he sees the DOB as a partner with the real estate community in "our mutual business which is the foundation of the economy of New York."

Here are the Top Ten items of note from Chandler’s talk and Q&A.

1. Don’t cut corners on the job/worksites; follow the approved safety plans (copies must be on-site). 

2. Experience is no substitute for safety; the construction industry must follow the highest level of professional standards and conduct, including the new Code of Conduct.

3. Unprecedented enforcement will be taken as 100 more inspectors will be brought on by the summer of 2016, made possible by the new site safety funding of the de Blasio administration to make sites safer. 

4. On-line portal for filing: will allow for more safety "sweeps"; information will be available in real time directly to all involved on a project; information will not be "owned" by an intermediary, which has led to many misinterpretations in the past.  

5. "Inspection Ready" on-line inspection service starts January; after hours and weekend inspections are available if those times are more convenient. 

6. New DOB website: to launch in December, with information only three clicks or less away, compatible with mobile devices; teaching sessions will be available soon, for the site and "Inspection Ready."

7. Consistency and consolidation: DOB is taking on the age old problem of quality of inspection consistency and will make sure all boroughs following the same high standards. It is also tackling the massive task of consolidating codes for existing building construction into one code for ease of use, quality of information and clarity.

8. Free Advocates: this service will be free to all to help those needing assistance in filing and related processes. 

9. Fees: fees have not been adjusted in 25 years, while service time has multiplied dramatically, so the industry should expect to see an increase in fees.

10. Building News: the DOB issues this publication of updates and other key info on its website. Make sure to visit the website and sign up for this service.