As a CBO of a small urban…

As a CBO of a small urban center outside of the GTA I have a number of concerns and questions regarding the proposal of Administrative authorities. A presentation from Brenda Lewis at the Ontario Building Officials Conference stated that municipalities could opt in to this administrative authority for the building permitting, how long will this be optional? Should a municipality choose to opt in where would the administrative authority be located to service the municipality? In a large city? a few towns away? We have local builders who do not want nor are capable of receiving electronic inspection reports, yet all permitting will be done electronically by administrative authorities? Who would be responsible for ensuring there was not build without permits occurring within a municipality whom opted in? I know weekly we find decks, sheds, additions, ect. Are administrative authorities responsible for all enforcement of the Act if a municipality chooses to utilize them? Will the administrative authority do all property standards within the town's as well, using each property standards by-law or will they enforce the residential tenancies act? What about planning applications (site plan control, plan of subdivision, minor variances, severances, ect) that the CBO comments on? Will the administrative authority provide these comments to municipalities within a reasonable time so as to not delay these applications?
Being in this role for over 15 years and in this industry for over 20, I can assure you that Building Officials and the Building Code are not what is hindering construction and/or development. In 2005 ALL building officials became qualified. Who else did? who else did this impact? We have timelines imposed by the ministry that the majority of us follow. What about the designers? they can take months to get plans to a customer. Or all the applicable law authorities that we are regulated to obtain permission from, what is their regulated time frame to turn around permits and comments? NONE! and yet the building departments are seen as the hold up. I can guarantee that should this go through, you will quickly see that it is not municipal building departments that are the issue or "red tape", but who will be next? Planning departments? MTO? MOE? Conservation Authorities?

Coordinating Professionals! who will regulate them? Recently I had 2 architects working on a project whom made up their own definitions in the code, so they did not have to provide appropriate fire protection under 3.2.2. and decide that because it was to costly and at the moment there is not 1 person in a wheelchair they did not have to have their clients comply with the accessibility requirements of 3.8. (I have attached corresponding documentation)

10 Years ago a colleague and I approached our local community college and our association about doing a post diploma program for becoming a building official. We were laughed at and told that the process from the ministry of education was too cumbersome that it would never happen. In that time since the ministry has scrambled to piece together George brown and humber, neither of which is working. Exams have always stayed the same length and time despite there now being 2 volumes and the wording being open to interpretation.

Someone needs to take a step back and look at the big pictures, this proposal is not going to solve the industry's problems.