Department of Buildings Commissioner Should be Licensed, says AIA NY

New York needs a Department of Buildings Commissioner with the knowledge needed to make the tough decisions, says the AIA NY.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 5/14/2008

The New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA NY) has issued a release strongly opposing a change in the job description for the city's Department of Buildings Commissioner. The commissioner should be a duly licensed architect or engineer, says the AIA NY.

"[AIA NY] and its 4,200 members in New York are strongly opposed to Intro 755," says AIA NY executive director, Rick Bell. "The Commissioner of the Department of Buildings must be a registered architect or professional engineer. The current law is logical and necessary." Bell made this statement during his testimony to the New York City Council's Committee on Government Operations.

"There are some who insist that good management skills are more important than knowledge and credentials," he continues. "They are wrong. This is not about tradition or elitism. It is all about professionalism, and the knowledge needed to make the tough decisions when there is nobody else to call, nobody else to consult."

The proposed changes follow the resignation of the former Department of Buildings Commissioner, Patricia Lancaster, after a series of high-profile construction-related fatalities.

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