Department of Building Inspection

Note:

Public comment is welcome and will be heard during each agenda item.  Reference documents relating to agenda are available for review at the 1660 Mission Street, Suite 6002.  For information, please call Kirk Means at (415) 575-6832.

Present:
Jim Reed
Jerry Cunningham, P.E.
Ira Dorter
Henry Karnilowicz

Others present
Alan Tokugawa, TSD/DBI, Secretary CAC
Rosemary Bosque, Chief Housing Inspector, DBI

Excused:

Absent:


 

1.0

Call to Order and Roll Call
Members: Jim Reed, Chair; Jerry Cunningham; Ira Dorter; Henry Karnilowicz

The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. and a quorum was established with 4 members present.

2.0

Approval of the minutes of the subcommittee meeting of January 7, 2008 and February 11, 2008.

The minutes were approved as written.

3.0

Introduction and discussion regarding the Housing Inspection Services action plan for proposed updates, clarifications, and amendments to the new 2007 San Francisco Housing Code (SFHC).

Alan Tokugawa stated that the Housing Committee at their last meeting had enquired as to whether there was actually an International Housing Code.  There is no such document.  There was discussion regarding the genesis of the current San Francisco Housing Code and how it relates to the State Housing Law.

Rosemary Bosque, Chief Housing Inspector, summarized the following as the primary reasons for revising the current Housing Code:

●          Conforming the Housing Code to the format of the other San Francisco building codes, including the numbering system

●          Clarification of certain existing sections in the Housing Code
−     Sec. 204 Violations, dealing with code enforcement and citations, to make the issuance of code violations easier than is presently done with misdemeanor violations.
−     Chapter 4 Definitions, there is a need for additional term entries.
−     Chapter 5 Space and Occupancy Standards, review and confirm that the references to housing correctly include all of the changes to the International Building Code.
−     Sec. 604 Affidavit Required, change the signing requirements to allow for web-based forms issued by the design professional
−     Chapter 7, revisions to the Security Ordinance requirements and also to the garbage room requirements
−     Chapter 9, clarification of the fire extinguisher requirement location
−     Sec. 1301, include a reference to the Lead Paint Ordinance
−     Sec.1311, provide more specificity as to the requirements for an onsite caretaker

Discussion followed regarding the revision of the Housing Code to more resemble the format of the Building Code, including moving all administrative requirements to Chapter 1 and Definitions to Chapter 2. In view of the large amount of material to be covered, it was suggested that only the first three or four chapters of administrative and procedural requirements be tackled first.

The State Housing Law is also not in conformance with the new code format as it has not been revised in over 30 years.  The California Department of Housing and Community Development is still working on revising the California Building Code and the International Residential Code which may soon be adopted by the State.

There was discussion regarding the need for clarification of the scope of the Housing Code and application and enforcement of the specific sections. The Housing code is a maintenance code with different requirements for different for different times of alteration.

4.0

Subcommittee Members’ and Staff’s identification of new agenda items, as well as current agenda items to be continued to another subcommittee regular meeting or special meeting. Subcommittee discussion and possible action regarding administrative issues related to building codes.

There was a request that the requirements for housekeeping units be revisited.

5.0

Public Comment: Public comment will be heard on items not on this agenda but within the jurisdiction of the Code Advisory Committee.  Comment time is limited to 3 minutes per person or at the call of the Chair.

There was no public comment.

6.0

Adjournment.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m.