Development Approvals Process Review
We’re exploring ways to make our building and development application process more efficient, flexible, and easier to navigate.
Our Development Approvals Process Review (DAPR) will involve Council, staff, the community, and other key stakeholders in better understanding challenges and identifying opportunities for improvement.
This will help to ensure we continue to meet the changing needs of the community and Official Community Plan (OCP) objectives, and provide excellent customer service.
We started this review in October 2023 and expect it to take approximately one year. Once completed, staff will prepare recommendations based on input received and identified solutions and a road map to implementing improvements.
Share your thoughts
Contact us to learn more about the Development Approvals Process Review and provide your input.
Graeme Budge
Project Coordinator
604-990-2356
process@dnv.org
Details
Development Approvals Process Review
As part of the in-depth review, we will look at all construction-related permit, inspection, and planning approvals processes from initial inquiry to building construction and post-occupancy.
Engagement with internal and external stakeholders will help us to understand current challenges and identify opportunities for improvement. The review will take place in four phases:
Phase 1: We determined the DAPR project’s essential tasks, schedule and objectives.
Phase 2: We will gather information to understand current core strengths, challenges and improvement opportunities for our development application process.
Phase 3: We will identify improvement opportunities for processes, procedures and technology and design future-focused solutions.
Phase 4: We will prepare and deliver a final report and implementation road map.
Guiding principles for DAPR
- Delivering excellent customer service
- Supporting economic development in the municipality
- Facilitating the delivery of housing, facilities, and services to meet community needs
- Demonstrating innovation and creativity through forward-thinking systems and processes
Key objectives for DAPR
- Streamlined development approval processes with increased timelines and effectiveness, improved predictability, and transparency regarding time and costs
- Improved staff collaboration and accountability
- Enhanced customer communication and customer satisfaction
Four focus areas for DAPR
- Systems Innovation — We will look at digital systems and services enhancements to streamline permitting application process, access to information, data collection, and customer communication
- Process Redesign — We will look at existing practices and requirements across all building and planning permits and inspections to identify opportunities to address timelines, and information and cost clarity and consistency.
- Regulatory Streamlining — We will look at existing regulations that may be challenging to the delivery of housing and services, and identify opportunities for more clarity, flexibility, and streamlining of District bylaws and policies.
- Sustainable Resourcing Strategies — We will look at opportunities to maintain staffing levels to meet service delivery needs, as well as the ongoing sustained effort of on-boarding, mentoring and succession planning.