Call It Scarano's Law? Council Cracks Down on Self-Certifiers

The City Council has voted to toughen up on architects and engineers that may take liberties grading their own homework. Engineers and architects had previously been able to certify their own permit applications and building plans as meeting city codes, leading to some well-known accusations of abuse that made the press in the last year. (Architect Robert Scarano settled with the Department of Buildings last year, dropping out of the self-certification program without admitting any wrongdoing.) As reported in the Daily News Council Speaker Christine Quinn said that "sadly," architects and engineers "too frequently" ab use their self-certification provision. The Council pass to bills by unanimous votes yesterday. One requires the Department of Buildings to check the work for architects and enginees put on probation by a state disciplinary and regulatory panel. The other allows suspension and revocation of self-certification for those filing false or noncompliant permits.