|
BUILDING
SERVICES BRANCH
2001
Work Program
|
|
Division: Permit Approvals
|
General
Responsibilities:
Plan
Review (Building Code, Zoning, Septic, Signs and Numbering)
Permit
Approvals (coordination of approval of other applicable law)
2nd
Tier Counter Processing and Technical Support
Contract
Management
|
Division: Building
Inspections
|
General
Responsibilities:
Part 3
Inspections
Part 9
Inspections
Plumbing
Inspections
Mechanical
Inspections
Contract
Management
Business
License Inspections
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Division:
Property Standards
|
General Responsibilities:
Property
Standards Inspections
Site Plan
Enforcement
Zoning
Enforcement
Sign and
Numbering Inspections
Contract
Management
License
Coordination
Pro-active
Compliance
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Division: Legal and Service Integration
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General
Responsibilities:
Policy
Development
Interpretation,
By-law Harmonization
Technical
& Administrative Support (2nd Tier processing,complaints, order
processing, inspection)
Legal
Support (POA processing, enforcement actions, prosecutions, litigation
research, response and preparation)
Compliance
Reports/Letters
Coordination
of Training/Certification
Plan/Document
Retrieval
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE
Building Services includes the development, implementation, administration and enforcement
of activities related to the issuance of building permits and field inspections
functions pertinent to the Ontario Building Code, Property Standards By-laws,
Zoning By-laws, Site Plan Control Agreements and all related by-laws and
agreements. Building Permits are issued to various sectors of the
construction and development industry (“process customers”) to ensure conformity
with the Ontario Building Code and other municipal property related by-laws and
standards and local/regional development plans.
SERVICE
INDICATORS AND PROJECTIONS
|
Indicator
|
5 year average
|
10 year average
|
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
|
Building Permits
|
6830
|
7092
|
9000
|
9200
|
9800
|
|
Permit Revenue
|
$7.07M
|
$7.03M
|
$10M
|
$10.6M
|
$12.9M
|
|
Value of Construction
|
$618M
|
$692M
|
$1B
|
$1.01B
|
$1.3B
|
|
Property
Standards/Zoning Complaints
|
8445
|
8500
|
8900
|
9000
|
9000
|
POLICY
DEVELOPMENT
Operational
Policies
Title
|
Division
|
Target Date Approval
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|
Application Process Streams
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Permit Approvals
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January 2001
July 2001 (Rev.)
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|
Conditions Applicable to Construction Demolition Sites
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Permit Approvals
Building Inspection
|
May 2001
DRAFT
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|
Conditional Permits
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Permit Approvals
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September 2001
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|
Costing for Permit Fee Valuation
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Permit Approvals
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December 2000
July 2001 (Rev.)
|
|
Exemptions to Building Permits
|
Permit Approvals
Building Inspection
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December 2000
|
|
Farm Buildings – Permit Costing
|
Permit Approvals
|
December 2000
July 2001 (Rev.)
|
|
Footprint Approvals
|
Permit Approvals
Building Inspection
|
December 2000
July 2001 (Rev.)
|
|
Health Approvals
|
Permit Approvals
|
July 2001
|
|
Plan of Survey
|
Permit Approvals
Building Inspection
|
July 2001
|
|
Private Wells
|
Building Inspection
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January 2001
July 2001 (Rev.)
|
|
Same Day Building Permit Service
|
Permit Approvals
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January 2001
July 2001 (Rev.)
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|
Senior Government Building Permit Applications
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Permit Approvals
Building Inspection
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December 2001
July 2001 (Rev.)
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|
Temporary Car Shelters
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Permit Approvals
Building Inspection
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July 2001
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|
Water Supply for Fire Fighting
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Permit Approvals
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July 2001
|
Target Date Completion: December 2001
Action Plan for Structural Advisory and Inspection Services
1.
Review and validate the former City of Ottawa structural
review policy and guidelines in terms of risk management and the municipality’s
duty of care.
2.
Implement the structural review policy and guidelines
throughout the new City of Ottawa and gain staff buy-in.
3.
Develop a framework for the efficient and consistent delivery
of structural plan examination at all major service centers within existing
resources and the new Buildings Branch organizational structure.
4.
Develop a framework for required staff training.
5.
Introduce structural engineering expertise in the support of
building inspection services and building code advisory services.
6.
Review and validate the effectiveness of the costing policy
and develop a mechanism for annual review.
Target Date Completion: December 2001
Risk Management Strategy
It is the intent of the Branch to review all practices and
procedures to ensure that the legislative mandate and framework, as established
by the province, is met while at the same time evaluating the impact of the
activity given the limited available municipal resources.
Therefore, the review will identify areas of risk and frequency as recommended in the
matrix for evaluation of risk. Special attention will be directed toward those
activities which occur infrequently but should an error occur, would have the
greatest negative impact in terms of loss of financial resources, as well as,
loss of Corporate reputation and at the most extreme cases, issues of life
safety. Activities categorized in the Low Risk sector, regardless of frequency,
are considered to be routine activities where the consequence of error or
omission has a minimal effect on either life safety or impact on resources. The
very nature of the activity is usually routine.
The areas of high risk that must be reviewed are those
activities that cannot be transfered to other areas or agencies, or are
prevented due to the language of the legislation. These activities will be
identified and supported with policy and procedures that would assist in
avoiding negative outcomes. This is particularly important for activities of
High Risk and Low Frequency. These are instances that do not happen routinely
and perhaps only occur on rare occasion. However, the consequences of the event
would be major if not anticipated and properly managed. The objective is to
anticipate those possibilities and to ensure that all activities are assessed
on the basis of those risk areas and that policies and procedures are in place
to minimize, as much as can be reasonably expected, a negative outcome.
Target Date Completion: October 2001
Building Services and By-law Services Protocol
The protocol was developed to ensure the effective
delineation of responsibilities for property standards, signs and zoning
between By-law Enforcement and Building Services
By-law
Enforcement shall be responsible for routine/minor/non-technical issues
regulated under the Municipal Act and Planning Act. Standards are quantifiable with explicit enforcement provisions.
Building
Services shall be responsible for technical issues regulated by the
Planning Act, Building Code Act and Municipal Act. Standards may require consideration of options specific to locale
that requires technical expertise to advise on building conditions and
enforcement options. All policy development will reside in Building Services.
Service
Response: Client complaints will be
forwarded to Building Services where a determination is made to the appropriate
level of response required based on the nature of the complaint (including case
history, repeat offender, etc.)
Both areas will conduct ongoing
reviews of response times, processes and related issues. The Protocol has been
expanded to include a more detailed criterion for distinguishing between minor
versus technical issues for the benefit of the Call Centre and Client Service
Centres. After hours calls will be received by the Call Centre and dispatched
to the appropriate service area within the foregoing defined scope of
responsibility.
Target Date Completion: March 2001 with 6 month reviews
Implementation of BRRAG Recommendations
The Building Regulatory Reform Advisory Group (BRRAG) was
created to review the current system for enforcing building regulations to
improve public safety; streamline the delivery of building-related inspection
and review services; improve the construction liability regime; and streamline
code administration, appeal and dispute resolution mechanisms.
The Key Proposals include:
- Creating
knowledgeable practitioners by recommending that persons undertaking plan
review, inspection and other Code-enforcement services be qualified to
minimum provincially-established standards for Building Code competency.
- Consolidating
and rationalizing the regulations through clearly established performance
benchmarks, allowing accredited and insure private sector agents and other
authorities to be relied upon by municipalities, standardizing application
forms, broader authority for building officials to approve innovative
building designs, consolidating inspection functions, allowing binding
province-wide code interpretations and establishing locally-based appeal
processes.
- Improving
accountability in the building regulatory system by increasing awareness
of the expected roles and responsibilities and the performance practices
of municipalities, more equitable insurance coverage for Practitioners, a
leveling of the period of liability exposure with an ultimate limitation
period and creating a Building Advisory Council as a short-term monitor of
the BRRAG recommendations and long term advice to the government on
policy, technical and administrative issues.
- Establishing
an implementation strategy for the reforms that will include a
certification and registration process, mandatory insurance levels,
restrictions on municipal licensing, an accreditation process, minimum
service levels, limitation reforms for capping liability and other streamlining measure
The work plan for the Building Services Branch will consider
implementation of 60 % of the BRRAG recommendation prior to enactment of the
legislation.
Target Date Completion: December 2001and 2002 Work Program
HARMONIZATION OF BY-LAWS AND FEES
Building By-law and Fees
The harmonization of the Building By-law and associated
building permit fees will establish a single building permit fee system
throughout the municipality. The By-law
confirms the types or classes of building permits and establishes guidelines
for the administration and revocation of those permits. The Building By‑law further supports
the transition to a single permit process through the integration of the
plumbing permit and the occupancy permit into the building permit.
A harmonized fee schedule will eliminate eleven separate fee
schedules and introduce one fee structure thereby immediately streamlining the
building permit process as well as enabling further initiatives such as the use
of the e-portal for selected building permit applications. Other administration
issues established in the By‑law include the definitions of the terms for
issuing refunds, guidelines for requesting inspections, fencing requirements,
and specifications to secure public safety.
Target Date Approval: July 2001 City Council
Pool Enclosure By-law
The Pool Enclosure By-law will blend those elements that
were present in the previous municipalities, as well as includes reflecting
pools that have become a trend in landscaping plans. Previous Swimming Pool By-laws, by implication, limited the
requirement for safety fencing to those water features used for swimming, while
the definition of pool referred to reflecting pools.
Target Date Approval: July 2001 City Council
Exemption of Building
Permit Fees and Planning Application Fees for residential development
The report will recommend the continuing exemption of
building permit and planning application fees for residential construction in
the downtown area, by amending By-laws 85-2000 and 86-2000. This will eliminate
any further fee exemptions for commercial construction. The downtown area will
be expanded for fee exemptions to King Edward Avenue. Consultation with the
industry and agencies is in progress.
Target Date Approval: September 2001 City Council
Duplicate Street Names
Building Services Branch has carriage of the Street Naming
Project that originated as an Ottawa Transition Board initiative. The rationale
for the elimination of duplicate street names hinges on the fact that
pinpointing someone’s location on a street is more difficult when there are
duplicate street names. ‘Hard to find
is hard to help’.
The evaluation criteria for determining which street
location should be renamed will include historical significance and date
created, theme designation, cost of replacing street signs, landmark
significance, connection outside municipal boundary and finally the number of
residential units and businesses.
Wherever factors appear to be equally spread between locations, the
overriding factor will be to direct the name change to the location with the
least impact. The Department is committed to eliminating duplication of street
names in the interest of the community and encouraged by the overwhelming
support of most communities to either accept the suggested street name change
or to provide an acceptable alternate name.
There are two hundred and seventy-three streets with duplicated street
names. The Department’s draft report
recommends Council change 138 street names.
However there are 12 duplicated street names which for one reason or
another, individual residents are either strongly opposed to a change or for
which proposed alternatives failed to obtain majority support.
Target Date Approval: September 2001 City Council
Property Standards By-law
The development of a new Property Standards By-law is in
progress to harmonize the existing 10 by-laws in the former municipalities. The
new by-law will consider the following principles to represent the interests of
the urban, suburban and rural communities.
- All
buildings and dwellings throughout the City will be subject to the same
maintenance and occupancy standards. Includes urban and suburban
residences, farm residences, and seasonal residences.
- All
yards, appurtenant to dwellings, comprising of an area of 2.5 acres or
less, will be subject to the same maintenance and occupancy standards.
Includes all lots with dwellings in the developed areas, whether in the
rural, suburban or urban areas
- Vacant
lands comprising of an area of 2.5 acres or less will be subject to
certain maintenance and occupancy standards.
- Vacant
lands comprising of an area of more than 2.5 acres, abutting a roadway and
located within a certain number of metres will be subject to certain
maintenance and occupancy standards.
- Farm
buildings will be subject to certain maintenance and occupancy standards
consistent with their use in the practice of farming. The National Farm
Building Code imposes specific standards for the construction of new farm
buildings.
- Yards
greater than 2.5 acres will be subject to minimum standards.
Target Date Approval: October 2001 City Council
Policy on Assignment of Street Names
The Street Naming Policy will ensure that all names applied
to new streets or changes to existing streets are subject to a complete and
thorough review to ensure that there is no duplication, and that issues of
dedication of streets are done in a fashion that reflects the Corporation in a
respectful and meaningful way. It is
anticipated that the criteria for the approval of street names will be
developed together with a policy for the dedication of other Corporate property
to ensure that there is a Corporate standard.
Target Date Approval: October 2001 City Council
Compliance Reports By-law
The Compliance Report process will be reviewed to harmonize
those elements which all amalgamated municipalities had in common to ensure
that the new Corporation provides a uniform level of service to the industry
and public. The report will include a
by-law to authorize the activity that will identify the process to be
implemented and the application fees to be applied.
Target Date Approval: December 2001 City Council
ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN AND STAFFING
Completion of the organizational design and staffing of the
Branch is in progress. Through facilitated all staff meetings, the Branch has
completed its Mission Statement, a review of the accomplishments to date and a
‘look ahead’ to the challenges presented by amalgamating 11 municipalities.
Suggestions and requests expressed by Branch staff in response to the six
principal elements currently challenging the successful transition of the
Branch were included under the Challenge headings.
CHALLENGE 1: Willingness to accept and manage risk
CHALLENGE 2: Support
for greater use of technology
CHALLENGE 3: Increased
use to (ASD) Alternate Service Delivery
CHALLENGE 4: Commitment
to performance measurement framework
CHALLENGE 5: Leadership,
teamwork and training
CHALLENGE 6: Complete
recruitment and staffing process
Target Date Completion: December 2001
TECHNOLOGY/MAP
Day One Objectives
·
Create new
development applications from City Hall and each of the satellite centers
·
Create new
permits from City Hall and each of the satellite centers
·
Identify
and calculate appropriate fees payable
·
Issue
receipts for cash transactions
·
Allocate
fees to appropriate general ledger accounts for manual recording and
reconciliation in SAP
·
Track and
inquire on the status of all development applications and permits issued by DSD
from Day 1 forward
·
Track and
inquire on the status of all applications/permits issued from originating
municipality prior to Day 1
Target Date Completion: September 2001
Forecast
·
Establish working committee to address business related
MAP implementation issues. This
committee would primarily be made up of DSD resources with knowledge of new
business processes and would draw on LIS/IT resources as required
·
Review current Building Templates re. Tasks,
instructions, outcomes, duration, offset in the context of the approved
business process; staff feedback about DTS and staffing changes.
·
Integrate other parts of the business process e.g.
Templates/training for use by Building Inspection, Planning, Engineering
Approvals and Compliance Reports as appropriate;
·
Develop performance measures using MAP
·
Develop further training to enhance use and utility of
MAP and on-going follow-up training courses.
·
Continue report development, including
a report which lists all Building Permits that have been issued with an
outstanding outcome(s)
·
Clean up of conversion data, including RVCA septic
permits.
·
Determine historical application data required for
input in MAP.
·
Review/ enhance Signs permit process including
checklist and submissions forms.
·
Consider using “Materials Submitted” tab to track
additional file documentation.
·
Determine best place to flag Illegal Constructions in
MAP.
·
Create short cut to New Home Warranty number population
·
Facilitate the Footprint system with a template to
model status information for approved models and with the ability to reference
a digital file for scanned drawings
·
Provide feedback to LIS regarding improvements required
in MAP to enhance utility and performance re: future patches and upgrades.
·
Implement computer upgrading to enable staff to ‘smart’
use MAP.
Target Date Completion: December 2001 City
TRAINING
AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Technical
and Developmental
The impending launch of a national
objective-based code system in 2003 will give further impetus to the reforms proposed
by BRRAG, particularly in the areas of liability, training and certification.
Objective-based codes will provide the mechanism for the approval authority to
review building designs against stated performance criteria, in addition to the
existing prescriptive elements of the building code, creating a more welcoming
environment for innovative building designs.
This will, however, result in a significant increase in the training
needs for staff to ensure that they are adequately prepared to apply the Code
requirements in an appropriate and consistent manner.
Target
Date Completion: 2001 –2003
Technology
The Building Services area will
benefit greatly from emerging e-business technology, while employing the MAP
applications as they are launched. Internet access for self-service by permit
applicants is only one of the many opportunities that should become available
through the portal. The MAP platform is available at all service locations for
anticipated results to be achieved. In addition, the future would see
inspection staff taking greater advantage of available technologies such as
hand held computers, palm pilots and remote access to information. Continuation
and expansion of existing cross training and generalist programs will allow for
maximum utilization of in-house staff resources and provide greater flexibility
in matching resources to changing service delivery demands.
Target
Date Completion: December 2001
Septic System Approval and Inspection Program
City
Council approved the delegation of authority to the General Manager of
Development Services to enter into an agreement between the City of Ottawa and
the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority for the enforcement of Part 8 of the
Ontario Building Code relating to septic systems, for the period April 30, 2001
to December 31st, 2002.
Conservation
Authorities are recognized in the Building Code Act as alternate service
delivery agents for septic approvals and inspection services. By delegating this service to the
Conservation Authorities, under agreement, the City is exercising a readily
available alternate service delivery option.
The OSSO will be
responsible for staffing the program with properly qualified, certified and
experienced individuals to meet the workload demands, including peak periods. No additional staff or resources will be
required from the City. The provision of the service by the OSSO will be
financed solely from the established user fees. Their office is linked to the
Municipal Autodesk Partnership (MAP) system, the City’s geographical
information system, so that all records relating to a particular installation
will be available to City staff working in the building permit approval
process. The Chief Building Official will have access to this electronic
information for the purposes of regular statistical reporting and monitoring,
including formal quarterly monitoring.
Target Date Approval: April 2001 City
Council
Target Date
Monitoring: Quarterly
