posted Jul 11, 2010, 3:21 PM by Robert DuPont
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updated Jul 11, 2010, 3:35 PM
]
Law Changes Needed to Improve
the
Safety and Buildings Division
By Regulatory Guidance and Design LLC
Public Involvement
- Create an advisory council for the Wisconsin Building Safety Network, with existing laws of chapters 101, 145 and 560 as evidence of the need for coordination within such a network.
- Require the Division to consult with the WBSN Advisory Council on strategic planning, staff allocations, organizational structure and overall operations of the Division and the Division’s role within the WBSN.
- Require that the WBSN Advisory Council meet at least quarterly to review and react to the quarterly planning and progress reports issued by the Division.
- Require the Commerce Secretary to consult with the WBSN Advisory Council before appointing an S&B Division Administrator.
Transparency
- Require that S&B issue, and post on the internet, a written quarterly planning and progress report, for each program area, within 60 days of the end of each quarter of the fiscal year.
- Require that such reports fully address proposed change initiatives, and actual experiences in revenues, expenditures, staffing levels, workload and work production in a specified standard format for all programs of the Division.
- Require public announcement of significant occurrences such as deaths or other failures of safety programs.
Accountability
- Require that S&B maintain a five year strategic plan for the WBSN, so that the Division can be properly focused with the public aware of its direction.
- Require that the strategic plan be updated annually.
- Require each program of the Division to have an operational plan that is reviewed quarterly and updated as necessary.
- Require that all Division codes be updated on a three year, coordinated cycle.
Certainty
- Stop S&B lapses to the general fund with a law and code change similar to the fire dues program.
- Create the S&B Division by statute, as is the case for the ERS Division.
- Define the Division’s role pertaining to commercial buildings to be the same as for one- and two-family dwellings; where municipal enforcement programs are in place S&B must stay out unless invited in, or unless an audit is underway.
- Require that a hearing be held, and that cause be identified before a municipal program can be taken over by S&B. (Similar to the laws and administrative rules for the POWTS program.)
- Require a statewide enforcement system for commercial buildings; the same as the UDC now.
- Specify that municipalities have the right to enforce state commercial building regulations and that they merely have to notify S&B of their situation and intentions; not ask for delegation.
- Delete the current law that requires cities of the second class to pay money to S&B for state oversight of their plan review operations, because that law places an undue burden on such cities.
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