2024 Budget - Building Services

Building Services Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Ontario Building Code and various City by-laws. Services include the administration, enforcement, education, and dispersal of information to the public regarding the Building Code Act, Zoning, Minimum Property Standards, Development Charges, Parks Levy, Signs and Fences. The Building Services division is fully funded by the revenue generated by the division from permit fees. Any fees earned in excess of operating costs are retained in the Building Services reserve for use in a future year.

The 2024 budget includes a more moderate inflationary adjustment to the permit fee schedule as compared to 2023, owing to a much slower rise in the CCPI, to ensure that revenues keep pace with inflationary costs.

2024 will see the continued implementation of new Building Code standards and resulting new Building Code Training for those standards. In addition, existing and provincially qualified Building Officials will be required to complete a knowledge maintenance program to continue enforcing the Building Code Act (BCA) and the OBC. Completion of a significant number of online training events will be required in 2024 to address this ongoing requirement for qualification retention and training for new staff.

Increased expenditures in 2024 are due to approved wage and benefit costs, a second one-year contract for a Permit Coordinator position and a new FTE for a Residential Mechanical Inspector position. The Permit Coordinator position was hired on a one-year contract in 2023 to work on implementation of the Plan Build Peterborough Development Support Program. Staff are recommending extending this contract for one more year to continue the implementation. The position will be reviewed in 2024 to determine whether a permanent position is required.

The Residential Mechanical Inspector position is required to keep pace with the growing Residential Permit inspection requirements and allow the current Residential Inspector to assist the Senior Plumbing Inspector in growing commercial workloads. A similar staff position was added on the standard building inspection side in 2022. Record construction activity in 2021 and 2022 is anticipated to continue in future years warrants this position.