Calling on the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the construction and demolition industry through effective use of technology by reporting on technology improvement opportunities and further reporting annually on the status of 71 recommendations proposed by the Special Investigating Committee on Demolition Practices in Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, The collapse at 2136 Market Street on Monday, June 5, 2013, took six lives and injured thirteen others, and was followed by the collapse of a support beam at a structure under construction on 12th and Berks Streets on Thursday, July 11, 2013, injuring one worker and trapping five others, and a subsequent collapse at 36th Street and Fairmount Avenue on Thursday, August 8, 2013, causing several nearby residents to become displaced from their homes; and

WHEREAS, Public safety hazard incidents in rapid succession at demolition and construction sites have contributed to widespread public anger over the apparent lack of oversight and enforcement over the construction and demolition practices and project sites by the Department of Licenses & Inspections (L&I); and

WHEREAS, L&I is responsible for permitting and inspecting buildings and regulating contractors in the construction and demolition industries to insure public safety is maintained during the performance of inherently dangerous work; and

WHEREAS, Resolution 130546 authorized the Special Investigating Committee on Demolition Practices in Philadelphia to investigate demolition policies and propose recommendations and reforms necessary to enhance public safety through greater transparency, accountability, and enforcement of best practices in demolition; and

WHEREAS, Utilization of technology is a best practice in the building permitting industry for submission permit application materials, including project site photographs which reduce delays in processing, decrease the number of inspector site visits while maintaining public safety; improve transparency at L&I, and diminish public safety hazards by publishing more information about projects on the Department website; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby finds it necessary and expedient that the Department of Licenses & Inspections utilize technology to reduce the number of site visits necessary to satisfactorily perform mandatory inspections while maintaining public safety.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Department of Licenses & Inspections shall provide to a written report complete with cost/benefit analysis evaluating L&I technology needs, further provide a written report by an independent auditor of all Department functions from hiring to Code Enforcement, including every aspect of the permitting to enforcement with emphasis on opportunities to incorporate technology, including publication of license and permit requirements and application materials on the Department's website.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Department of Licenses & Inspections shall provide to the Special Investigating Committee on Demolition Practices a written report on the status, execution, and implementation of construction and demolition reforms contained in the report of the Special Investigating Committee on Demolition Practices in Philadelphia to City Council annually at the Department's budget hearing.

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