Quarterly Progress Report - Q2 (Feb-April 2024)

The Quarter in Review

We are incredibly proud of the work that has been done in Q2 2024. We’ve had one of our busiest training seasons to date and the team at RSM has continued to grow as we look forward to a successful rest of the year.

New and Returning Faces

We are thrilled to announce several internal promotions and welcome new team members who have joined our company this quarter. Their expertise and dedication are invaluable to our mission of providing top-notch services across Ontario.

Maggie Lawson - Promoted to Technical Liaison 

Maggie has been with us for over 2 years and has consistently demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication in her role. As Technical Liaison, she will serve as the vital link between applicants, municipalities, and our plans examiners, providing help and advice with technical questions. Her promotion is a testament to her hard work and commitment to excellence. 

Shawnee Kramer - Permit Coordinator 

Shawnee joins us from North Perth and brings a wealth of experience in permit coordination. Her attention to detail and organizational skills will be instrumental in streamlining our permit processes and ensuring timely approvals. We are confident that these talented individuals will help us continue to deliver exceptional services to our municipal clients. Please join us in congratulating Maggie on her promotion and welcoming Shawnee to the company.

Conferences and Builder’s Forums

This quarter, our company had the privilege of participating in key conferences and builder's forums, furthering our commitment to staying at the forefront of industry developments and fostering valuable connections within the community.

NOMA Conference (Northern Ontario Municipal Association)

We were excited to participate as an exhibitor at the NOMA conference. This event provided an excellent opportunity to showcase our services, engage with municipal leaders, and discuss the latest trends and challenges in municipal building department services. Our team had meaningful interactions with attendees, sharing insights and learning from other industry experts.

Builder‘s Forums

This quarter, RSM was invited to attend the St. Mary's, Bluewater Chapter, and Tillsonburg builder's forums. These forums allowed us to connect with local builders, share best practices, and stay updated on regional developments and challenges. Engaging with the builder community at these events reinforces our commitment to supporting the construction industry.

OBOA Chapter Presentations

The City of Windsor, the OBOA Sunset Chapter and the OBOA Liftlock Chapter's invited RSM to fine tune building officials skill sets in the issuance of unsafe and emergency orders. Facilitated by RSM's CEO Gerald Moore, chief building officials and inspectors spent the day discussing legal procedures and scenarios to best prepare themselves for emergencies in the future.

Greenstone

The small municipality of Greenstone, just north of Thunder Bay has contracted RSM to provide building department services to their residents. This includes plan review, issuance, inspections and enforcement of the building code act. In addition to this, RSM has worked closely with the Cloudpermit building permit software to integrate their system to ensure proper operations of the building permit processes. Our Cloudpermit integration services offer municipalities support from implementation to full adpotion of the Cloudpermit software. We provide templates that reduce implementation time, and base training garnered specifically towards utilizing the software in Ontario. We also offer ongoing support to ensure municipalities feel confident that are providing high quality services.

Building By-law and Fee Review Studies

This quarter, we have been actively collaborating with North Perth to conduct a comprehensive review of their building by-laws and fee structures. Our goal is to ensure that North Perth’s building regulations and fees are up-to-date, equitable, and supportive of sustainable development. Our study involves a thorough analysis of current by-laws and fees, benchmarking against similar municipalities, and gathering feedback from stakeholders. By working closely with the North Perth municipal staff and community, we aim to identify areas for improvement and recommend changes that enhance efficiency and transparency. Based on our findings, we are developing a set of recommendations aimed at improving the building approval process, ensuring fair and reasonable fees, and promoting sustainable building practices. Our recommendations will be designed to support North Perth’s growth and development goals while maintaining high standards of safety and compliance. We are proud to partner with North Perth in this important initiative and look forward to presenting our final report and recommendations in the coming months.

Similarly, we worked with the Town of Bonfield to review their building fee structures. This study aimed to ensure that Bonfield’s fees are fair, transparent, and conducive to encouraging development while covering the costs associated with building services.

An Emphasis on Plan Review

This quarter, we are excited to showcase our comprehensive Plan Review Services. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that all plans meet the highest standards of compliance and safety, providing peace of mind to municipalities and developers alike. Below, we highlight some of the lesser known aspects of our plan review offerings:

Our Growing Capabilities

Our plan review team now consists of 8 head office and 27 contract plans examiners on staff. We continue to expand our expertise and capabilities. From residential developments to commercial buildings, we are well equipped to manage complex and large-scale plans. Our investment in continuous training ensures we are able to assist customers with every project they bring to the table. We are committed to delivering top-notch services, whether you need ongoing support, or a qualified examiner to provide review for a single project.

Third Party Reviews

We offer independent third-party plan review services, providing an objective assessment of building plans. This service is particularly valuable for municipalities and developers looking to validate compliance and identify potential issues before construction begins. Our thorough reviews help mitigate risks and ensure that all projects adhere to relevant codes and regulations.

Brampton SDUs (Secondary Dwelling Units)

With the increasing demand for affordable housing, Brampton has seen a surge in applications for Secondary Dwelling Units (SDUs). Our team has been at the forefront of reviewing these plans, ensuring they comply with all zoning and safety regulations. We work closely with the City of Brampton to streamline the approval process, facilitating the creation of safe and legal SDUs to meet community needs with rapid turnaround times. Since our partnership began in 2021, RSM has reviewed 1,286 SDU’s for Brampton, 47 of which were reviewed in Q2 2024.

Certified Models

To streamline the approval process, we provide certified model reviews for frequently used building designs. By pre-certifying these models, we help reduce the time and effort required for plan approvals, benefiting both municipalities and developers. Our certified models undergo a thorough review to ensure they meet all necessary building codes and standards. Once pre-certified, these models can be used repeatedly for similar projects, significantly speeding up the approval process and reducing administrative burdens. RSM is also able to assign a plans examiner to hold “ownership” over specific pre-certified models. They do the initial model review, and the review for all future submissions of that model. Knowing what to look for and the common problems that arise, these model experts further expedite the review process. The town of Erin has made great use of our certified models for their large development projects. By leveraging our pre-certified designs, developers are able to get shovels in the ground sooner and the municipality is able to easier support the rapid growth seen in their community.