Permit Application Processing Section 3.400

San Francisco Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code

ARTICLE III CONDUCT OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES

CHAPTER 4: PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESSING

Sec. 3.400. Permit Application Processing.

SEC. 3.400. PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESSING.

(a) EQUAL TREATMENT OF PERMIT APPLICANTS. It shall be the policy of the Department of Building Inspection, the Planning Department, the Department of Public Works and the officers and employees of such departments to treat all permit applicants the same regardless of the relationship of the applicant and/or the applicant's representatives to any officer or employee of the City and County and regardless of whether the applicant hires a permit consultant to provide permit consulting services. Intentional preferential treatment of any permit applicant and/or the applicant's representatives by any officer or employee of the Department of Building Inspection, the Planning Department, or the Department of Public Works shall subject the officer or employee to disciplinary action for official misconduct.
(b) APPLICATION PRIORITY. It shall be the policy of the Department of Building Inspection, the Planning Department, the Department of Public Works and the officers and employees of such departments to review, consider, and process all applications, revisions, corrections and other permit-related material in the order in which that type of material is received unless there is a written finding of a public policy basis for not doing so, such as the involvement of public funds in the project for which the permit is sought, or the response to a delay caused by an earlier procedural error in processing the permit or another permit for the same project. Absent such a finding, any officer or employee of the Department of Building Inspection, the Planning Department, the or Department of Public Works who intentionally fails to review, consider and process all applications, revisions, corrections and other permit-related material in the order in which that type of material is received shall be subject to disciplinary action for official misconduct. The Department of Building Inspection, the Planning Department, and the Department of Public Works shall each adopt written guidelines for determining when there is a public policy basis for processing permit material out of order.
(c) PERMIT PROCESSING CODE OF CONDUCT. No later than 60 days after the effective date of this Article, the Ethics Commission shall adopt a code of conduct for permit processing (the "Permit Processing Code of Conduct") containing ethical guidelines for permit applicants, permit consultants, and officers and employees of the Department of Building Inspection, the Planning Department, the and Department of Public Works. The Permit Processing Code of Conduct shall be posted in a conspicuous place in each department, and a copy shall be distributed to each officer of the City and County who makes or participates in making decisions related to permit applications.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE. The provisions of this Section shall take effect December 15, 2004. (Added by Ord. 115-04, File No. 040907, App. 7/1/2004)