Title
Authorizing the Committee on Labor and Civil Service to hold hearings to examine the enforcement of building and construction code requirements, Licenses and Inspections inspector caseload and inspector staffing ratios, and the City's response to worker misclassification, also known as payroll fraud.
Body
WHEREAS, The construction industry is one of the industries with the highest rates of reported workplace injury and fatality. Furthermore, construction worker injuries and illnesses continue to be severely underreported. When construction sites are not safe and work is not being performed to code, the public is at risk of property damage, physical injury, and death; and
WHEREAS, The International Building and Construction Codes, Philadelphia Codes governing construction, excavation, and demolition and the requirements established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are in place to prevent unnecessary damage to property, injuries to workers and the public, and fatalities; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Licenses & Inspections (L&I) is duty-bound to enforce the City's codes for the safe and lawful construction and use of buildings. Building and Construction Code Inspectors are responsible for conducting building inspections for all permitted activities and for patrolling construction activity to ensure that all projects are permitted, and that safety precautions are followed; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, L&I has been given more and more responsibility while facing flat funding. L&I's mission statement is to "enforce the City's codes for the safe and lawful construction and use of buildings." But L&I's enforcement efforts have been expanded greatly beyond its mission statement. L&I needs additional funding so that it can achieve its core mission, but also so that it can address quality-of-life issues such as securing abandoned buildings and addressing nuisance businesses; and
WHEREAS, Experienced construction inspectors are a scarce reso...
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