HomeMy WebLinkAboutDSD-19-245 - Digital Plan Review for Planning ApplicationsREPORT TO: Community & InfrastructureServices Committee
DATE OF MEETING:December 9, 2019
SUBMITTED BY: Alain Pinard,Director, Planning,519-741-2200 x 7319
PREPARED BY: Janine Oosterveld,Manager, Site Development & Customer Service,
519-741-2200 x 7076
WARD (S) INVOLVED:All Wards
DATE OF REPORT:November 28, 2019
REPORT NO.:DSD-19-245
SUBJECT:Digital Plan Review for Planning Applications
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RECOMMENDATION: That staff be directed to transfer $250,000 from 2019 planning
operating revenues to a new Digital Plan Review Capital account for the purpose of
funding the hardware, software and other capital needs to support the digital
transformation of processing planning applications.
BACKGROUND:
Staff and applicants of planning applications have an interest in transitioning to digital application
submissions and review, particularly for site plan applications. This would reduce some of the
administrative time and expense by both the City and development industry in producing,
circulating, filing and storage of paper submission material, correspondence and approval
documentsand would aligninternal comments through digital shared mark-ups,significantly
improving the customer experience.It was identified as a process improvement through the
Development Services Review (DSR) of the site plan process.This transition requires hardware
and software upgrades.
REPORT:
The City has been fortunate in 2019 to experience high volumes of site plan applications. Based
on current projections this has led to high site plan revenueswhich are projected to be $1.6
million for 2019 (aprojected surplus from budget of approximately $452,000). Concurrently,
many of the site planprocess improvements identified by staff and the development industry
through the DSR are associated with digital submissions and digital reviewincluding:
Digital submission package (avoiding print costs and delivery costs for applicants);
Digital circulations to save time moving drawings to various staff and agencies;
Digital review for all staff toreview/comment on the same plans to be able to see and
resolve conflicts and to provide clear direction to applicants;
The ability to redlineminor corrections, rather than sending the drawingback to the
applicant for revision and resubmission; and,
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994for assistance.
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Digital approval sets to reduce paperwork at the end of the process and to get applicants
their approved plans quickly.
Staff are in the early stages of working with Technology Innovation and Services to evaluate the
software and hardware options and needs associated with a transition away from paper. While
a firm direction on solutions and their full costing has not been determined, staff is of the opinion
that usingthe surplus insite plan revenues provides an opportunity to create a funding source
forthis process improvement.The transferwill secure funding for initial expenditures to start the
transformation.Futurefunding may be required to further expand digital review.
Anticipated costs are expected toinclude:
Hardware: Drafting-sized monitors and power desktop computers that allow for review of
large scale plans, tablets for site visits and inspections, and other associated computer
accessories, potential network or cloud-based storage capacity to address large sized
digital drawing files and secure file transfer
Software: Plan review softwareto allow all staff to review and comment on the same
drawing, file management softwareto organize plan revisions and meet our file retention
policies
Other potential costs: workspace adjustments to accommodate drafting sized monitors,
staff training, on-going licensing, storage, lifecycle costs
Associated projects that will tie into this transformation:
AMANDA public portalto allow applicants to submit and track the status of their
applications
Payment optionsper Strategic Plan great customer service goal allowing online financial
transactions
At full integration, digital plan review will include staff from various divisions across the City
including: planning, development engineering, transportation services, building, parks &
cemeteries, operations, and utilities.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
This report relates tothe objectives of the Great Customer Service Goal: Enhance customer
experience online by delivering customized information, providing easy access to services, and
allowing financial transactions by 2021.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
While it is unconventionalto bring forward a budget request of this nature outside of the budget
process the implementation of this would make significant headway in improvingcoordination
and workflow in the site plan process. Ifcouncil wishes to defer this until a future budget process
then it would delay the implementation of this by approximately one year.
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Should Council choose to proceed, it is anticipated that the majority of the workassociated with
scoping and initial roll-outcould be completed in 2020with some of the initial capital
expenditures to extend into 2021. Subsequent phases would be necessary to transition other
components of the site plan process (such as site inspections) andothertypes of planning
applications.Digital transformation of planning applications will take a similar approach and learn
from the Building division’s digital building permit process. Given the costs incurred by Building,
it is estimated that the $250,000 transfer from operating would be sufficient to cover the majority
of anticipated set-up costs for an initial, scoped,roll-out phase. Ongoing maintenance costs
are expected to be minimal and allocated withinthe division’s operating budget.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
CONSULT &COLLABORATE – Digital submissions and review were ideas generated by both
staff and the development industry through the extensive engagement that has taken place
through the Development Services Review for the site plan process.
CONCLUSION:
Digital transformation of the site plan process along with other planning applications will have a
positive impact on both the City and ourcustomers, supporting great customer service as well
as resource efficiencies.
REVIEWED BY:
Ruth-Anne Goetz, Senior Financial Analyst
Sarah-Beth Bianchi, Manager, Digital Transformation and Strategy
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services
Department
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