Representatives from the Chamber and Cayman Contractors Association recently met with the Deputy Governor and the Director of Planning to discuss a strategy to improve plan review and inspection service delivery. The Chamber and the Cayman Contractors Association had requested the meeting which was a follow-up to a meeting earlier in the year. The Chamber and Contractors Association had received complaints from members regarding delays with inspections and plan reviews and the impact that the slowdown was having on the construction and development sectors.
Director of Planning Haroon Pandohie outlined a series of steps that are being taken by his department to address staff shortages, codes and technical standards, third party inspectors, professional registration and workflow improvements.
Mr. Pandohie confirmed that his Department has received approximately $400,000 in additional funding for fiscal year 2016-17 to hire additional staffing between now and the first quarter of 2017. Positions to be filled include a combination plans examiner (commercial), three combination plans inspectors (commercial) and a Deputy Director for the Building Control Unit.
Mr. Pandohie also confirmed that inspection firms can apply to be approved as Special Inspector once they meet the IAS and ISO requirements. AMR Consulting Engineering has been approved as Special Inspector for the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa and the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort and Spa.
He also confirmed that the Building Control Unit had introduced electronic submission of inspections and payments and are currently testing full implementation of electronic submissions for projects and permits for plan review.
He said the Builders’ Board has been appointed and are in the process of establishing licensing procedures to commence in November. He said the Board plans to register engineers in the second quarter of 2017. A date is yet to be confirmed for the registration of architects.
Amendments to the Building Code Regulations were approved during the October sitting of the Legislative Assembly. This includes the adoption of the 2009 ICC Family of Building Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code.
Mr. Pandohie reported that during fiscal year 2015/16 the Planning Department with a 32 member staff performed 9,372 inspections, issued 852 permits, conducted 5,400 plan reviews and issued 304 certificates of occupancy.
The Chamber has written to the Deputy Governor in late October requesting a meeting in early 2017 as a follow-up to provide the DG and the Director of Planning with a progress report as to how this strategy is impacting the construction and development industries and whether further actions need to be taken.
“We are pleased that the Department has taken the necessary steps to address the challenges that the construction industry has faced. The Planning Department has faced staff shortages due to the increased construction activity over the past year,” said Chamber President Paul Pearson. “However, whilst we are pleased with the positive steps taken by the Department, there is remedial work to be completed immediately in resolving other issues. We are anticipating continued construction activity and growth in 2017 so it will be important that systems are put in place immediately to manage this growth which creates jobs and economic activity.”