Mayor's task force to overhaul DOB.

Claiming that he "should have anticipated doing this six or seven years ago," Mayor Giuliani announced last week the creation of a task force to overhaul the Department of Buildings (DOB). Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau was also present at the press conference last Thursday.

"Serious consideration must be given to dramatically revamping the agency, even possibly shifting certain key functions to a separate new agency or other city agencies," said Giuliani.

The Mayor has criticized the DOB for many years, citing "serious and systemic corruption problem throughout the department.

Morgenthau also announced several indictments against DOB officials and others.

The officials were charged with accepting bribes from private consultants known as expeditors. Expeditors are hired by contractors, property owners and builders to speed tip the bureaucratic process. The prosecutors claim that expeditors rely on a corrupt system of connections and personal ties to help speed the inspections process along. Expeditors' services are in demand thanks to the DOB's backlog of permits.

The DOB-which has a $40 million budget- is no stranger to corruption charges.

And as rumors build that the DOB will be consolidated with the Fire Department, Giuliani's announcement lends more credibility to such speculation.

While past Mayors have reacted to corruption charges by firing the inspectors in question, Giuliani is the first to order a complete overhaul of the DOB. Nick LaPorte, the executive director of the Association of Building Owners, is reserving judgfement on the issue".

"Sure there have been problems at the DOB for years," said LaPorte. "But why not try to fix it instead of maybe breaking it up?" LaPorte added that "if it wasn't so difficult to get a permit, they wouldn't have to bribe anyone".