Butkovitz To Probe Deadly Demolition Collapse

The Inquirer reports City Controller Alan Butkovitz is planning to probe how L&I handled demolition procedures that led to the deadly buildig. collapse on Market Street in June.

The Controller’s Office sent a letter Wednesday to the commissioner of licenses and inspections, Carlton Williams, saying it intended to audit “the policies and procedures” used by L&I and other agencies to monitor private and publicly funded demolition projects.

“The objective of this audit will be to evaluate the adequacy of the inspection and enforcement procedures pertaining to building demolitions, including the 300 demolitions the city reportedly inspected after the June 5, 2013, Market Street building collapse,” Deputy City Controller Gerald V. Micciulla told Williams.

The letter said the Controller’s Office intended to interview L&I’s management and staff, look through a variety of documents, and observe L&I operations at active demolition sites.

This is the fourth separate investigation into the collapse.