The Regional District of Nanaimo will work toward implementing what it considers practical recommendations to improve its development approval process.
Christopher Sainsbury of KPMG LLP recently presented to the RDN board, on Oct. 11, a report that summarized findings and recommendations of a review of its permitting processes. The goal of the exercise was to identify opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness as well as do an assessment of the digital development application management platforms to support future implementation to determine appropriate fit and value.
The RDN board commissioned the review due to the number of complaints it has received from some developers, who are impacted by the long process to get development permits approved. The RDN received a grant from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities in the amount of $457,000 to cover the project that was divided into Phases 1 and 2 which was completed by the consultant, and Phases 3 and 4, which entail purchases of the software upgrade, wages for an additional staff, who would oversee the implementation of the recommendations, and staff training.
To develop a full picture of the current development approval process, the consultant engaged board of directors, conducted internal and external stakeholder surveys, interviewed staff and representatives from industry, jurisdictional analyses and comparisons, as well as looked at leading practices and policies.
Among the deficiencies revealed by the review includes staffing levels, particularly building inspectors.
“They’re overstretched and find it very difficult to recruit,” said Sainsbury. “This is actually a big challenge not just to the Regional District of Nanaimo but to many other organizations we spoke to.”
It also revealed the RDN’s procedures and guidelines are not formally documented, standardized or applied uniformly, which the study indicated can lead to inconsistencies. It has led to additional steps and tasks that are not always necessary or efficient.
The RDN’s development approval process is also dependent on requirements from provincial ministries and the agricultural land commission that applicants are not fully aware of, the consultant noted. Sainsbury said the province is also understaffed, which contributes to the delays.
READ: RDN: Board aims to deal with slow approval times for building permits
Another problem area is the 2019 digital application technology CityView platform the RDN uses – the consultant said it’s slow, clunky in places and overly onerous with regards to mapping, slowing the process.
Sainsbury indicated at the midway point of the review, KPMG has encountered 40 potential opportunities which he said was “a lot and expensive to cover.” But consultants prioritized their findings and came up with a more consolidated set of practical and implementable recommendations.
The eight recommendations include developing procedures manuals; developing process maps; better communicating submission requirements; updating the RDN website and education materials; reviewing internal governance structures and decision-making; reviewing staff resourcing levels; tracking application times and quality; and designing, testing, and implementing upgrades to the CityView platform.
“We very much see these as foundational to the long-term success of the regional district,” said Sainsbury. “We did identify additional recommendations beyond these but I think a good focus to start with to put the regional district on a very strong footing going forward.”
He added to successfully implement the recommendations, the region will require dedicated resources, an additional investment in time from staff and ongoing support from senior leadership.
The board agreed to move to Phase 2 and 3 of the project in accordance with the recommendations in the development approval process review final report.