Suppose the Shand dam was filled nearly full – and it suddenly burst.
That is an unlikely scenario to be sure, but if township officials were unprepared for the aftermath of such a disaster, people would certainly be asking why they were not ready.
Chief Building Inspector Bob Foster used that spectre of a “mini Katrina” as an example of some of the planning his department is doing as a part of Centre Wellington’s major overhaul of its strategic plans for all of its departments. The plans, once approved, would be set for ten years, but reviewed every five years.
The Wellington Advertiser is doing a series of articles based on that planning exercise, and it starts this week with the Building Department.
Foster has told council the resulting flood from a broken dam would hammer Fergus. Public Works Director Ken Elder said he suspected the water would rise out of Templin Gardens in downtown Fergus and completely surround Groves Hospital.
Foster’s department would have little to do with the first part of the emergency, but it would be under major pressure once the waters receded and people wanted to get back into their buildings. People are not permitted to enter or occupy unsafe buildings, and Foster and his three building inspectors would likely be swamped with requests – all at once.
There is a solution for quicker aid than a single department can supply. Foster said, “We’re trying to enter into a Mutual Aid agreement in Wellington County to share building officials in the event of an emergency.”
He said teams from across Wellington could then come into a stricken area, check structures, order repairs where it is unsafe, and prohibit occupancy until it is safe to enter a building.
Foster said for many people the big thing might simply be trying to get back into buildings to get their possessions, but that could prove a safety hazard.
And, he noted, there would be “issues related to temporary shelters.”
When a new council was elected last year, Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj asked the members if they would be willing to undertake a major planning review, and they were enthusiastic. The work has been going on for several months, and the first reports are now in.
For Foster, a major disaster might be the most compelling scenario, but there are many issues he hopes to get sorted out over the next few months. “It runs across whole gamuts,” was how he termed the planning.
The department is doing an audit of all of the township’s buildings. New provincial legislation states municipalities must account for all their assets. So the building department is determining the value of them, a maintenance schedule, and, as Foster said, it is “item by item.” The depreciation value is included in that audit.
“We’re trying to establish a long term maintenance budget and long term replacement costs,” he said. “If a roof is expected to last ten years, you start saving now.”
His department is also working to get its building permits computerized, and is using a CityView program to do that, even as the Fire Department does for to keep track of burn permits. The computer will also help the township keep track of heritage properties, minor variances, and committee of adjustment rulings.
“We’d like to get away from paper tracking,” he said, adding that computer programs can also “help track efficiency.” They can, for example, determine the average time elapsed between an application for a building permit, and its issuance, and pinpoint where there were delays. That can make the entire department run more smoothly. It can do the same with property standards, tracking the time of a complaint is received until it is resolved.
As well, planning for the department includes pursuing energy efficient buildings. That includes replacing lights, improving heating systems, and, in the end, extending building life and efficiency.
“We hope we can save money,” Foster said. “That’s one of the prime drivers here” behind the strategic planning.
He said the township will also be looking to meet or exceed Green Legacy standards for energy efficient new buildings in order to save on energy costs.
When it comes to transportation, Foster said he wants to consider hybrid vehicles instead of new cars – but only when it is time to replace the current vehicles. The hybrids are cheaper, and cheaper to run. They are a combination of electric and gas vehicles.
“They’re becoming more popular on the market because they save fuel,” he said. “That’s the idea.”
Some of the strategic planning work overlaps with other departments. Community design is mainly being done by the planning department, but Foster noted the sign bylaw has fallen to his area. He said the goal is to set a single standard from six former municipalities. he knows it will not be easy, because sign bylaws are often more contentious (and more detailed) than new zoning bylaws.
Another goal is to provide better service, and Foster said that might include such things as offering some building permits and burn permits online. There are 1,300 to 1,400 burning permits issued each year (at $25 each), and the clerk’s department has recently started selling them, too, because of the demand. Foster said that seems to happen every spring when people drop in to pay their taxes and buy a burning permit, too. He added the lineups are “usually on Friday afternoons.”
His department would also like to get all building records on computer. Normally, his department has schematics of every buildings for which it issued a permit, such as for apartments, but, he said, it should not need to keep the details of, say, kitchen cabinets.
But, he noted, if there is a major fire or a hostage taking incident, authorities will need schematics of buildings, and they would be available much faster on line than in a drawer.
“This will be an ongoing thing over the next couple of year,” Foster said.
Finally, he said he would like to expand the use of the website for the department. Then, he said, he could place annual reports that he makes to council on line and available to the public as well.
He could also post notices for such things as the committed of adjustment, and develop customer information sheets.
As for the exercise as a whole, Foster thinks it is a great idea.
“Really, it’s a chance for staff and council to get on the same page and heading in the same direction.”
