Building Inspection Commission conditions Alliance hire on matching timeline and fee for DBI director search

The San Francisco Building Inspection Commission voted unanimously to move forward with Alliance Consulting to conduct the search for a permanent Department of Building Inspection director, provided Alliance meets the timeline and fee proposed by competing firm M. Oppenheim (Oppenheim).

The motion, introduced by Commissioner Beto and seconded by Vice President Tam, asked the Department of Human Resources to ask Alliance to revise its proposal so that the early outreach and candidate‑identification steps are commensurate with Oppenheim’s schedule and that the fee be equal to or lower than Oppenheim’s. President Angus McCarthy called the roll and recorded unanimous support from the commissioners present.

Commissioners who favored the condition said the key concern was the proposed timeline for developing an adequate candidate pool. Commissioner Beto said the two firms’ proposals appeared “very commensurate,” but that Alliance’s initial outreach timeline appeared too short and could undercut the ability to find executive‑level candidates. Kate Howard of the city’s Department of Human Resources told the commission both firms are qualified and that proposal timelines are adjustable; she said vendors bill by milestones and can extend outreach at the commission’s direction.

The commission debated whether to select a firm immediately or ask staff to seek timeline and price parity. Several commissioners favored asking DHR to request adjustments from both firms so the commission could move forward without repeating the item next month. Commissioner Beto’s motion—approving Alliance conditioned on matching Oppenheim’s schedule and fee—carried unanimously.

What happens next: DHR will request updated timelines and pricing from the vendors. If Alliance accepts the requested changes, DBI can proceed under the city’s existing master contract; if not, the commission will reassess and may choose the alternative firm at a subsequent meeting.