Rec #		Recommendation	Management Response	Est Comp Date	Status Updates (In Progress; Pending; Complete; Requires Resolution)
1	That the City execute a comprehensive review of DRP fees (during 2008) to achieve full cost recovery fee structures for the 2009 budget year.		Management agrees with this recommendation. PTE will engage a consultant to undertake a comprehensive review of development review process (DRP) fees at an estimated cost of $100,000, subject to budget approval in the 2009 budget. With the inclusion of compliance issues associated with Planning Act Section 69 (see recommendation 2) in the comprehensive review of DRP fees, a level of effort analysis will be required from the various business units involved in the DRP, for each type of application. This analysis will be undertaken during 2009 for implementation of the full cost recovery structure for the 2010 budget year. It should be noted, that the figures quoted in the cost-recovery analysis table on page 5 of the full report are incorrect. Additional Planning branch revenues attributable to the DRP, and for which expenses are included in Planning Branch expenditures, have not been recognized. As a result, management believes the table should be revised. Since 2006, steps have been taken to improve the cost recovery rate of the Planning Branch. In the 2007 and 2008 budget discussions, Council approved fee increases for planning applications. A subsequent increase to raise an additional $1.3 million in planning fees is scheduled for implementation on April 1, 2008.	Q2 2008	December 2009: In Progress. Launch of the time reporting data capture for DRP staff was delayed until September 2009, however is now in place. Time reporting will be expanded beyond DRP staff in 2010 to other parts of the department. The comprehensive fee review is on schedule to begin in mid-February. June 2009: Funds in the amount of $91,000 were approved through capital close-out. The terms of reference for the proposal call for a comprehensive fee review are being written. A time reporting system to support fee review is well underway in conjunction with IT. Training on time reporting for DRP staff is scheduled for July 2009. December 2008: Implementation of this recommendation is subject to the availability of funds through the close out of capital accounts in the amount of $100,000 to retain a consultant to undertake the review. Information on the availability of these funds is expected by April or May 2009.
2	That the comprehensive review of DRP fees should also address compliance issues associated with Planning Act Section 69 fee rate structure design (in order to reduce OMB challenge risk).		Management agrees with this recommendation. This work will be undertaken during 2009, for implementation of the full cost recovery structure for the 2010 budget year (see recommendation 1).	Q4 2009	December 2009: In Progress. See response to Recommendation 1.
3 3	That Planning and Infrastructure Approvals Branch management team improve intake of development applications through a ‘one window team’ that takes ownership of an application immediately at the moment of intake at the Client Service Centres. The ‘one window team’ needs to have knowledgeable intake staff dedicated to DRP, Planning staff, and Infrastructure Approvals staff working side-by-side so an application can be shepherded (or turned away) as soon as it enters the system.		Management agrees with this recommendation. PTE will work with staff in the Client Service Centres to ensure the review of all applications at the time of intake, confirming that all submission requirements have been satisfied. Management agrees with this recommendation. PTE will work with staff in the Client Service Centres to ensure the review of all applications at the time of intake, confirming that all submission requirements have been satisfied.		December 2009: In Progress. New electronic user-friendly and interactive development application review forms are on schedule for launch on February 10, 2010 with the goal of assisting the applicant towards submitting a complete application. Mandatory pre-application consultation for most development applications is also on target for February 10, 2010. This will also contribute to the quality of applications received. All DRP staff, Development Information Officers (at Client Service Centres), and development industry professionals are receiving training on the new forms and consultation process. June 2009: One Stop Service with multi-disciplinary teams was launched in June 2009. Pre-consultation checklist (see Recommendation 19) will contribute to quality of applications received. Discussions underway to change application intake. December 2008: To be implemented as part of the One Stop Service model, targeted for implementation in Q1 2009.
8 8	That the City implement and enforce new development agreement timing / compliance targets for streetlights, sidewalks and parks. The City should also impose park provision timing/compliance targets upon itself, as was the case when developers were responsible for supplying parks as per past development agreements.		Management agrees with this recommendation. Management will work with all internal and external stakeholders to develop and reaffirm timing and compliance targets for streetlights and sidewalks. Management will establish a system for enforcing compliance with targets, in conjunction with the review of the subdivision/site plan standard agreements and conditions, scheduled for Q1 2009. It should be noted that aggressive monitoring will be required during the inspection phase to ensure compliance. Due to the relationship between recommendations 8, 9, and 10, and the internal/external stakeholders involved, PTE will undertake work on these recommendations simultaneously. Timing and compliance targets for parks development have been implemented for all new subdivision agreements since 2007. The City does not currently complete all park development. There are subdivision agreements on file that predate the 2004 Council decision to bring park development to the City. Requests for “Front Ending Agreements” for park development are still received and handled on a case-by-case basis as requested by the developer and the local Councillor. To consistently manage these requests for Front Ending Agreements, Parks and Recreation Branch are preparing a policy report to Committee and Council for consideration in Q3 2008.	Q1 2009	December 2009: In Progress. The necessary conditions will be reflected in the new standard Plan of Subdivision Agreement and Standard Conditions of Draft Plan Approval to be before Council in April 2010. A revised Parks Front-Ending policy is currently under review and will be before Planning and Environment Committee in Q2 2010. June 2009: PGM has undertaken best practice research with municipalities of similar size and based on discussions with internal stakeholders, has developed conditions best suited to the circumstances in Ottawa. These conditions will be rolled into the standard subdivision agreement and conditions for final consultation with external stakeholders. The review of the Parks-related Front-Ending Agreements policy report was delayed due to the potential transfer of staff from City Operations to ISCS to implement One Stop Service. The revised target for completion is Q3 2009. December 2008: ISCS will undertake this work following the completion of the review of standard agreements and conditions in Q1 2009. The review of the Parks-related Front-Ending Agreements policy report was delayed due to potential transfer of staff from City Operations to ISCS to implement One Stop Service. The revised target for completion is Q3 2009.
9 9	That the City design development agreement absorption targets for sidewalks, streetlights and parks that move forward in stages within a given subdivision – for instance, once 50% of lots are sold then all sidewalks in blocks featuring five or more sold units must be installed within a certain amount of time.		a) Management agrees with this recommendation in relation to streetlights and sidewalks. Management will work with internal/external stakeholders to design development agreement absorption targets based upon constructed works (not units sold as suggested in the example provided) by Q1 2009. Targets based on units sold are problematic due to construction staging. General practice is to install sidewalks after units are constructed and rough graded to avoid damaging the sidewalk during construction of the home. This also ensures that the sidewalk is constructed at the proper elevation to avoid drainage problems. It follows that a sidewalk should be installed when the need arises, not based on sales. That way, the City is not responsible for maintaining a sidewalk that is not required. Streetlights must also be staged such that they are coordinated with the construction of other utilities to avoid constructor issues. The same would generally apply to home sales and placement of streetlights. It could be possible, however, to pick a defined point in time where a streetlight must be installed, such as prior to issuance of a specified number of building permits, or prior to first occupancy. Due to the relationship between recommendations 8, 9, and 10, and the internal/external stakeholders involved, PTE will undertake work on these recommendations simultaneously. b) Management disagrees with this recommendation in relation to parks. City policy states that a deficit cannot be incurred for “soft services”, such as the construction of parks (Ref No: ACS2006-CRS-FIN-0011). Park development is 90% funded from development charges (DC) and 10% from the tax base. DC money is collected at the time of building permit issuance. Therefore, the funds required to develop the park are not in place until the subdivision, or phase of a subdivision, is substantially complete.	Q1 2009	December 2009: In Progress. a) A best practice review has been undertaken and consultation has been undertaken with the development industry. Further discussion and consultation will be undertaken in Q1 2010 for inclusion by Q2 2010 in new conditions in the new Standard Plan of Subdivision Agreement and Standard Conditions of Draft Plan Approval. b) A revised Parks Front-Ending policy is currently under review and will be before Planning and Environment Committee in Q2 2010. This policy will provide for an opportunity to accelerate the construction of local parks. 9b) - June 2009: Requires Resolution. PGM is consulting with the representative from the Auditor General's office on appropriate steps to resolve this issue, including reviewing alternate targets for parks completion.
10 10	That the City design and implement small/medium/large subdivision bundles of development agreement timing targets for amenities like sidewalks, streetlights, parks and sod. This will avoid an arbitrary “one size fits all” single set of targets being applied to differing servicing and amenities realities across diverse subdivisions.		a) Management agrees with this recommendation in relation to streetlights and sidewalks. PTE will work with internal/external stakeholders to design and implement small/medium/large subdivision bundles of development agreement timing targets for amenities like sidewalks, streetlights, and sod for Q1 2009. Due to the relationship between recommendations 8, 9, and 10, and the internal/external stakeholders involved, PTE will undertake work on these recommendations simultaneously. b) Management disagrees with this recommendation in relation to parks. City policy states that a deficit cannot be incurred for “soft services”, such as the construction of parks (Ref No: ACS2006-CRS-FIN-0011). Park development is 90% funded from development charges (DC) and 10% from the tax base. DC money is collected at the time of building permit issuance. Therefore, the funds required to develop the park are not in place until the subdivision, or phase of a subdivision, is substantially complete.	Q1 2010	December 2009: In Progress. See status update for Recommendation #9. June 2009: Requires Resolution. PGM has undertaken best practice research with municipalities of similar size and based on discussions with internal stakeholders has developed conditions best suited to the circumstances in Ottawa. These conditions will be rolled into the standard subdivision agreement and conditions for final consultation with external stakeholders. PGM is consulting with the representative from the Auditor General's office on appropriate steps to resolve this issue, including reviewing alternate targets for parks completion. December 2008: ISCS will undertake this work following the completion of the review of standard agreements and conditions in Q1 2009. Implementation of this recommendation is also linked to recommendations 8 and 9 and the review of the Parks-related Front-Ending Agreements policy report. Review of the report was delayed due to potential transfer of staff from City Operations to ISCS to implement One Stop Service the revised target for completion is Q3 2009.
12	That the Chief Building Official, in exercising his/her legal discretion to issue conditional building permits and conduct required statutory inspections, should establish an on-going business rule that building permits not be issued prior to legal lot creation/registration.		Management agrees with this recommendation. The current policy and procedure will be revisited, in Q1 2009, upon completion of the review and revision to the early servicing agreement system (see recommendation 23), and will be amended as necessary.	Q1 2009	December 2009: In Progress. This recommendation is tied to Recommendation 23 for which staff have developed a draft Early Servicing protocol for consultation with external stakeholders. This protocol is currently under consultation with the development industry and a report will be brought to Committee on this matter by Q2 2010. June 2009: This recommendation is tied to Recommendation 23 for which staff have developed a draft Early Servicing protocol for consultation with external stakeholders. PGM is also consulting with the representative from the Auditor General's office on appropriate steps to generate compliance with the recommendation. December 2008: Management will undertake a policy review in Q2 2009.
13 13	That the Chief Building Official and Legal Services Branch should jointly respond to the audit by demonstrating that Ontario Building Code Act (OBCA) residential conditional permits (issued under the ESA regime) meet the Section 34 zoning applicable law review obligations of the City at the time of permit issuance.		Management agrees with this recommendation. The current policy and procedure will be revisited, in Q1 2009, upon completion of the review and revision to the early servicing agreement system (see recommendation 23), and will be amended as necessary.	Q1 2009	December 2009: In Progress. This recommendation is tied to Recommendation 23 for which staff have developed a draft Early Servicing protocol for consultation with external stakeholders. This protocol is currently under consultation with the development industry and a report will be brought to Committee on this matter by Q2 2010. June 2009: Policy review will be undertaken following review/revisions to early servicing agreement system (see Recommendation 23) that took longer to complete than anticipated. Consultation with stakeholders on early servicing protocols is scheduled for Q3 2009. December 2008: Management will undertake a policy review in Q2 2009.
14	That the City consider the impact of geographic location of key staff when creating a “One Window Team” for DRP. For the “One Window” to be effective, geographic barriers may need to be removed where they have posed a hindrance to the timely sharing workload and data across the entire City portfolio of DRP files.		Management agrees with this recommendation. PTE understands ‘One Window’ in this recommendation to be above and beyond the intake of development applications as identified in recommendation 3, and to mean co-locating all DRP staff in one location. It is also understood that recommendation 25 has a bearing on this recommendation. Depending on the ultimate service delivery model selected for the DRP, costs will be associated with the accommodation of the ‘One Stop Service’. These costs will range from nominal if staff moves are involved within existing work areas, to substantial if leasing new space and renovations are required to accommodate staff locating in one area. A detailed analysis will need to be undertaken in 2008 with implementation occurring in 2009, subject to budget approval in the 2009 Budget.	Q4 2009	December 2009: Pending. Accommodation for DRP staff is approximately 50% complete and was delayed by the redeployment of staff required as part of the City’s response to the H1N1 pandemic. The revised accommodations completion date is March 2010. June 2009: Implementation of accommodations plan is currently scheduled for October 2009. December 2008: This will be completed as part of the One Stop Service model. The branch is working on implementation which is to be completed by Q1 2009.
17 17	That Planning and Infrastructure Approvals Branch provide improved feedback and advice during pre-consultation by using a detailed pre-consultation form/checklist.		Management agrees with this recommendation. Management is currently preparing pre-consultation guidelines and associated documents, including a detailed form/checklist. PTE will consult with CSPI and ITS in order to post this information on ottawa.ca. This project is scheduled for completion by Q4 2008. The pre-consultation guidelines are linked to recommendations 4 and 18.	Q4 2008	December 2009: In Progress. Mandatory pre-application consultation is on schedule to be launched February 10, 2010. An interactive and user-friendly form will be released to potential applicants and following the pre-consultation session, the potential applicant will receive a Study and Plan Identification List, detailing the supporting information that will be required to support the application as well as a preliminary ranking of the development proposal related to the City’s Official Plan policies. June 2009: Mandatory pre-consultation was approved by Council for major development applications in January 2009. The external/applicant process is completed, web pages are ready, and new forms are being finalized into a user friendly format. Internal/staff procedures under development. Target completion date is July 1, 2009. December 2008: Consultation was held in the Fall of 2008. The process for pre-application consultation and a request for an OPA to implement recent changes to the Planning Act regarding complete applications and pre-application consultation were carried by ARAC on January 8, 2009 and PEC on January 13, 2009. Report scheduled for City Council review on January 28, 2009.
18 18	That Planning and Infrastructure Approvals Branch publicly issue its Development Manual, by making it available on the City’s Website and making hard copies available for purchase at all Client Service Centres. If portions of the manual cannot be issued publicly because certain criteria are those of other agencies, the manual should be issued with the City-only criteria immediately; a full manual with agency criteria should be issued within a specified timeframe.		Management agrees with this recommendation. PTE agrees that providing all potential proponents with access to the Matrix of Required Studies and Assessments will provide up-front guidance on the City’s expectations. PTE will consult with CSPI and ITS to make documents more prominent on ottawa.ca. Due to ongoing changes to these documents, and the need to ensure updated information is available on ottawa.ca, additional staff resources will be required. Resources are estimated to cost $70,000 and are subject to budget approval in the 2009 Budget. This is tied to recommendations 4 and 17.	Q1 2009	December 2009: In Progress. Mandatory pre-application consultation is on target to be launched on February10, 2010. An interactive and user-friendly form will be released to potential applicants and following the pre-consultation session the potential applicant will receive a Study and Plan Identification List, detailing the supporting information that will be required to support the application as well as a preliminary ranking of the development proposal related to the City’s Official Plan policies. As of November 2009 all terms of reference for special studies are available on-line at Ottawa.ca. June 2009: Mandatory pre-consultation was approved by Council for major development applications in January 2009. An external/applicant process is completed, web pages are ready, and new forms are being finalized into a user friendly format. Internal/staff procedures are under development. Target completion date is July 1, 2009. December 2008: Completed terms of reference will be posted shortly and others are in development. Management is working with Translation Services to ensure appropriate technical translations are provided as some terms of reference are the property of other levels of governments/agencies and are not provided in bilingual format. The estimated timeline for completion is Q1 2009.
19 19	That Planning and Infrastructure Approvals Branch implement mandatory pre-consultation requirements through Planning Act provisions.		Management agrees in principle with this recommendation. The implementation of mandatory pre-consultation requires an Official Plan amendment. PTE will review the concept of mandatory pre-consultation in the context of the Official Plan review and will bring recommendations forward for Committee and Council consideration in Q4 2008.	Q4 2008	December 2009: In Progress. Mandatory pre-application consultation is on target to be launched on February 10, 2010. An interactive and user-friendly form will be released to potential applicants and following the pre-consultation session, the potential applicant will receive a Study and Plan Identification List, detailing the supporting information that will be required to support the application as well as a preliminary ranking of the development proposal related to the City’s Official Plan policies. June 2009: Mandatory pre-consultation was approved by Council for major development applications in January 2009. An external/applicant process is completed, web pages are ready, and new forms are being finalized into a user-friendly format. Internal/staff procedures are under development. Target completion is July 1, 2009. December 2008: Mandatory pre-consultation is being recommended to Council for major development applications. A staff report was carried by ARAC on January 8, 2009 and PEC on January 13, 2009. Report scheduled for City Council review on January 28, 2009. Target date for implementation is Q1 2009.
20	That City staff conduct a DRP workshop with Hydro Ottawa to identify turnaround time reduction and process re-engineering opportunities.		Management agrees with this recommendation. Consultation between Hydro Ottawa, Hydro One and the development industry has been identified on the PTE work plan for 2008. Through this consultation, turnaround times and process engineering opportunities will be reviewed. This consultation and any related changes are targeted for completion by Q4 2008.	Q4 2008	December 2009: In Progress. Staff continues to work with Hydro Ottawa on establishing revised protocols and anticipate that this work will be complete by Q3 2010. June 2009: PGM staff met with Ottawa Hydro representatives and an action plan was developed for resolving outstanding issues. A draft set of protocols have been prepared that focus on identifying, early in the planning process, any major issues, concerns, or constraints relating to the provision of Hydro service related to Community Design Plans, Official Plan Amendments, Zoning By-law Amendments, Site plan and Subdivision applications, and Committee of Adjustment applications. Staff is working with Hydro representatives to finalize the protocols by August 31, 2009. December 2008: The City/Development Industry Engineering Sub-Committee, development review managers, and developers have met with Hydro Ottawa. The issue will be escalated to the General Manager level in Q1 2009.
22	That Planning and Infrastructure Approvals Branch and the Legal Services Branch review and if appropriate, consider amending the Site Plan By-law to exempt conversions to restaurant from Site Plan control.		Management agrees with this recommendation. Planning and Legal Services will review and consider amending the Site Plan Control By-law to exempt conversions to restaurant from site plan control, and if appropriate, will bring forward a report to Committee and Council to change the Site Plan By-law by Q4 2008.	Q4 2008	December 2009: In Progress. This report was delayed and will now be before Committee and Council in Q3 2010. June 2009: PGM and Legal Services were to prepare a report to Committee and Council by Q4 2008. The report was delayed due to implementation of One Stop Service. Revised target is Q3 2009. December 2008: ISCS and Legal Services were to prepare a report to Committee and Council by Q4 2008. The report was delayed due to implementation of One Stop Service. Revised target Q1 2009.
23 23	That the City restructure the Early Servicing Agreement regime as directed in the audit, in order to mitigate financial risk while retaining legally compliant timeframe efficiencies.		Management agrees with this recommendation. A review of the Early Servicing Agreements process (ESA) will be initiated with all internal/external stakeholders in conjunction with the review of the subdivision standard development agreements and conditions (see recommendations 8, 9, and 10). Any resulting changes will be brought to Committee and Council for consideration in Q1 2009.	Q1 2009	December 2009: In Progress. Staff have developed a draft Early Servicing protocol for consultation with external stakeholders. This protocol is currently under consultation with the development industry and a report will be brought to Committee on this matter by Q2 2010. June 2009: Staff have completed the research, including 'best practice' research with other municipalities of similar size in Ontario. Staff have developed a draft Early Servicing protocol for consultation with external stakeholders during Q3 2009. December 2008: Staff have completed the initial stage of work which involves 'best practice' research with other municipalities of similar size in Ontario. ISCS will undertake a review of the ESAs following consultation on the subdivision standard agreements and conditions, scheduled for Q3 2009.
25	That cross-disciplinary staff teams should be created to manage applications from “cradle to grave” across both its Planning Act and development agreement condition compliance (i.e., servicing and amenities) stages.		Management agrees with this recommendation. Management will create cross-disciplinary staff teams to manage applications from “cradle to grave”, for implementation by Q4 2008.	Q4 2008	December 2009: In Progress. One Stop Service is almost fully implemented with cross-disciplinary teams in place through organizational restructuring and extensive staff training. Outstanding deliverables relate to incomplete accommodations (see Recommendation 14) and mandatory pre-application consultation on schedule to be rolled out in February 2010 (see Recommendation 17). June 2009: Implementation of accommodations plan is currently scheduled for October 2009. December 2008: Work to date includes the completion of a functional model (aligning the multi-disciplinary functions together), a draft organizational structure, as well as the development of a training program on multi-disciplinary teams that is ready for delivery initially to the management levels, and subsequently to all staff. The remainder will be completed as part of One Stop Service. The implementation of One Stop Service is tied to Wave 3 of the corporate realignment. By March 31, 2009, the Manager and Program Manager levels will be finalized and with key staff in place, implementation of the One Stop Service delivery model will follow. Target date for implementation is Q1 2009.