LTC 050-2005 Building Department Update
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. 050-2005
~
From:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez _ ~
City Manager ~ V"D
BUILDING DEP~TMENT UPDATE
Date: February 17, 2005
To:
Subject:
The purpose of this Letter to the Commission is to share with you details regarding some upcoming
changes within the Building Department. Phil Azan, the Building Department Director, will be retiring
effective March 31, 2005.
Phil has been with the City since 1982 and has been the Building Department Director for the past 9
years. Under Phil's leadership, the Building Department has accomplished a great deal. These
accomplishments include the implementation of the Business Resolution Task Force
recommendations, the launch of an internet-based permitting program to provide 24/7 on-line
access to the public, and the attainment of a Class 2 grade in the Building Code Effectiveness
Grading System of the insurance industry, one of the highest in South Florida.
On February 8, I had a brown bag lunch meeting with the entire Building Department staff to talk
about a number of issues, including the future of the Department once Phil retires. At this meeting, I
stressed the importance of continuing in the direction the Department has been focusing on since
the implementation of the recommendations of the Business Resolution Task Force. I also stressed
the importance of all employees in the Department continuing to provide excellent customer service.
I plan to move aggressively with the recruitment of the new Building Director and will be meeting with
Human Resources to discuss our recruitment strategies. I will be personally involved in this
important recruitment and have asked Tim Hemstreet, Acting Assistant City Manager over the
Building Department, to help lead the recruitment process. Tim has good insight given his
experiences as a customer through our various CIP projects.
As part of the selection process, I plan to create an opportunity for a group of representatives from
the business community to provide some level of input into the selection of the new Building
Director. I will share the details of this process with you as they are developed.
In the interim, Assistant Building Department Director Hamid Dolikhani will serve as the Acting
Building Department Director. Hamid has served as the Assistant Director since 1996 and has been
with the Building Department since 1988. Hamid's resume is attached which details his duties and
accomplishments.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact me.
Cj
JMG\ri
c: Tim Hemstreet, Acting Assistant City Manager
Phil Azan, Building Department Director
Hamid Dolikhani, Assistant Building Department Director
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Hamid Dolikhani, AICP, CBO
PROFILE:
Offer practical and cost-effective solutions with over twenty years of experience in the development
industry, both in the private and the public sectors. Support management by objectives. Able to develop
and promote creative vision of the future. Able to coordinate multidimensional projects. Adept at problem-
solving on interdepartmental issues.
EDUCATION:
April 1995
Master of Urban & Regional Planning (MURP)
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida
Planning Project: The Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida
December 1994
Executive Development Program, Certification
Florida Institute of Government, F.I.U., Miami, Florida
April 1992
Master of Public Administration (MP A)
Florida International University, Miami, Florida
April 1985
Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering
Florida International University, Miami, Florida
EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY:
1996- Present
Assistant Building Director/Official, Building Department
City of Miami Beach, Miami Beach, Florida
1994 - 1996
Development Services Coordinator, Building Department
City of Miami Beach, Miami Beach, Florida
1991 - 1994
Chief Engineering Inspector, Building Department
City of Miami Beach, Miami Beach, Florida
1989 - 1991
Engineering Inspector, Building Department
City of Miami Beach, Miami Beach, Florida
1988 - 1989
Engineering Assistant I, Building Department
City of Miami Beach, Miami Beach, Florida
Hamid Resume
Page 1
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Jul. 96 - Present
Assistant Building Director/Official
Building Department
City of Miami Beach
Duties:
);> Serve as the acting Building Director/Official in the absence of the Building Director / Official.
);> Direct all of the department's inter-departmental activities. Act as the liaison between the
department and all other City agencies.
);> Research, analyze and prepare new or amendments to development -related regulatory ordinances in
compliance with administration's directives. Formulate, implement, revise and monitor new
operational policies as needed.
);> Prepare the department's official correspondents to citizens and elected officials requested through
the City Manager or Assistant City Managers.
);> Interpret and explain regulations, codes and standards and disseminate advice to developers,
architects, contractors, homeowners, other interested parties and other City departments.
);> Monitor expenses and requests for purchases to ensure spending within the approved budget.
Appraise equipment needs and make recommendations regarding selection, acquisition and
utilization.
);> Review and analyze budget, reports, plans and specifications submitted from within the department
or by consultants to ensure compliance with prescribed standards and regulations.
);> Direct the department's accounting procedures for annual revenues and coordinate it with the City's
Financial Management System. Prepare the department's annual budget proposals. Review and
upgrade the department's goals and objectives, and review divisions' performances on quarterly-
basis.
Accomplishments:
);> Successfully launched an internet permitting program providing a 24/7 lon-line access to public for
all property information including permits, and the ability for sub-contractors to obtain permits and
request inspections on-line.
);> Successfully launched hand-held, wireless computers for all field inspectors providing for
instant/real-time upload of inspection data, resulting in significantly-enhanced and coordinated
inspection program.
);> Successfully launched a computerized queuing management program providing for an enhanced,
coordinated and monitored customers flow through the department's permitting and plans review
processes; the first Building Department to deploy such program in the nation.
);> Managed the department's finances fiscally sound by maintaining the annual expenditures under
the approved budget and generated substantial excess revenues for nine consecutive years.
);> Attained a Class 2 (on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the highest) grade in the Building Code
Effectiveness Grading System (BCEGS) of the insurance industry, which is among the highest in
the South Florida region.
Hamid Resume
Page 2 .
Oct. 94 - Jul. 96
Development Services Coordinator
Building Department
City of Miami Beach
Duties:
As the senior professional within the management staff of the Building Department, managed the
development review function of the agency.
~ Executed administrative, supervisory and technical assistance to enforce compliance with national,
state growth management, and local laws, codes, regulations and ordinances.
~ Acted as a liaison between the City of Miami Beach Building Department and federal, state and
local agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and the Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources
Management.
~ Assigned staffto investigate and resolved complaints received by the department from the public or
other departments concerning alleged code violations.
~ Supervised updating, maintenance and troubleshooting of the Land Management Information
System (LMIS).Trained Building Department's personnel on LMIS upgrades.
~ Researched and advised on record management equipment and software selection, evaluated
proposals and implemented recommendations. Identified, located and acquired required data from
various government agencies.
~ Represented the Department and the City in public presentations to various public agencies,
national associations, software users groups and public hearings.
~ Administered the Flood Plain Management Program for the City of Miami Beach. Acted as the
Community Rating System Coordinator for the City of Miami Beach
Accomplishments:
~ Directed the development of an integrated Interactive Voice Response (NR) system and the Land
Management Information System (LMIS) in providing a direct communication access to the
permit-tracking host computer (HP 3000) for the development community and the citizens.
~ Attained a Class 7 rating in the Community Rating System for the City of Miami Beach resulting in
savings of over $7,500,000 on flood insurance premiums paid by the residents of Miami Beach.
Oct. 91 - Sep. 94
Chief Engineering Inspector
Building Department
City of Miami Beach
Duties:
~ Administrative, supervisory and technical work in enforcing compliance with applicable national,
state, and local codes and regulations through review of construction plans and inspection of
development sites and structures.
~ Investigated hazards, possible violations and determined conformity with standards and approved
plans.
Hamid Resull'e
Page 3
~ Reviewed and analyzed submitted engineering correspondence from various development projects
including soil test reports, percolation test reports, pile logs, asbestos test reports and concrete test
reports.
~ Prepared and submitted reports on sewer allocation certification and concurrence compliance to
Department of Environmental Resources Management. Submitted compliance reports to ADA
Barrier Free Committee.
~ Reviewed site plans and evaluated environmental impacts ofthe proposed development projects.
Coordinated City's flood plain management policy issues and plans with county, state and federal
agencIes.
~ Prepared, edited and outlined new items for updating Homeowners / Contractors Permits
Procedures Manual.
~ Supervised 8 engineering and permit-processing employees.
Accomplishments:
~ Created the computerized process for issuance of Certificates of Occupancy with inspection
modules for better interdepartmental communications which resulted in reduction ofC.O. process
time from 3 days to one day.
~ Prepared and presented the City of Miami Beach's Flood Plain Management Ordinance. Recruited,
interviewed and selected voluntary members of the City's first Flood Plain Management Board.
~ hnplemented a computerized inspection monitoring system resulting in improved inspection
servIces.
Jul. 88 - Nov. 89
Engineering Inspector/Assistant I
Building Department
City of Miami Beach
Duties:
~ Enforced the South Florida Building Code, the Federal Emergency Management Agency
regulations and city ordinances through inspection of buildings during various phases of
construction and review of construction plans.
~ Supervised issuance of Certificates of Occupancy, Certificates of Completion, demolition permits,
building recertification procedures and construction records management. Estimated Road and
Parking hnpact Fees.
~ Planned, organized, processed, reviewed and approved recertification of forty years old commercial
structures.
~ Produced computerized construction activity, statistical and financial reports utilizing variety of
software. Produced statistical reports needed for development ofCRAs and application ofCDBGs.
Accomplishments:
~ hnplemented a computerized plans routing! tracking system which prevented loss of plans and
improved productivity. Fully implemented the permit-tracking system in the Building Department
and initiated the implementation of the Land Management Information System in the Planning, Fire
and the Public Works departments.
~ Created a tracking system to improve the efficiency ofletter correspondence resulting in a 371 %
increase of Building Recertification cases and fees collected.
Hamid Resume
Page 4