Report Will Recommend Split-Up of Philadelphia's L & I
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Sources have confirmed to KYW Newsradio that a task force report, created in the wake of last year's fatal Market Street building collapse, recommends splitting Philadelphia's Department of Licenses & Inspections into two separate entities.
A source close to the task force tells KYW Newsradio that a primary recommendation of the draft report is to split L&I in half. The city's oversight of construction and demolition would be handled by one of the new departments, and L&I's other functions -- including permitting -- would be handled by the other.
Any such move would have to be approved by voters, as it would require a change to the city charter.
The recommendation to split L&I was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The final report is expected to be made public next week.
Mayor Nutter created the task force last year to look at how the city oversees construction and demolition. It was a botched demolition that led to the Market Street collapse in June of last year. Six people died when a wall fell onto the adjacent Salvation Army thrift store.