STANDATA Process in Alberta
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the AUMA request that Alberta Municipal Affairs and the Safety Codes Council determine a more effective means of advising municipalities of matters being evaluated by the Sub-Councils; and
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED THAT the AUMA requests that Alberta Municipal Affairs and the Safety Codes Council consider changes to the way upon which Sub-Council membership is selected to ensure representation from varying size of municipalities.
WHEREAS Alberta Municipal Affairs issues STANDATA regarding information bulletins, interpretations or variances to clarify Code and Regulations in Alberta;
WHEREAS the Safety Codes Council, its Technical Coordinating Committee and Sub-Councils (Amusement Rides, Barrier Free, Building, Electrical, Elevators Fire, Gas, Passenger Ropeways, Plumbing, and Pressure Equipment) to vet proposed STANDATA and make recommendations to Alberta Municipal Affairs;
WHEREAS the Sub-Councils include representatives from different industry segments such as home builders, Architects, Contractors, fire and building officials Large Municipalities (2), Urban Municipalities (1) and Rural municipality (1);
WHEREAS representation on some Sub-Councils such as the Building Sub-Council are often represented by professionals that are residents of Calgary and Edmonton;
WHEREAS mid-sized Cities are classified as a large municipality the issues and context of issues in Calgary and Edmonton are often not the experience of other jurisdictions and can lead to unintended consequences; and
WHEREAS information flowing from some Sub-Councils to jurisdictions not represented on a Sub-Council is not always communicated in advance of the issuance of a STANDATA.
Established by the Government of Alberta in 1993, the Safety Codes Council is responsible to the Minister of Municipal Affairs to administer portions of the safety system, including accrediting municipalities that issue permits and inspect the work carried out under these permits, certifying and training safety codes officers who do the inspections, administering the Alberta Master Electrician Program, and working with industry through sub-councils to recommend codes and standards.
The Council is governed by a Board of Directors which is made up of members appointed from experts in the areas of governance, finance, risk management, human resources, and business.
The Technical Coordinating Committee and the ten sub-councils are made up of stakeholders representing a variety of industry groups with expertise in various fields.
The Council’s staff provide for the administration of the Council’s core business functions: accreditation, certification, education and training, appeals, Master Electrician Program, Codes and Standards. Staff also supports the activities of the Board of Directors, the Technical Coordinating Committee, and the ten sub-councils.
Safety Codes Council sub-council members are volunteers who actively review, formulate, and recommend safety codes, standards, and principles within their respective disciplines. This includes developing standards and compliance monitoring criteria for accredited organizations, as well as hearing and deciding appeals of orders and written notices.
Members of sub-councils are selected by the Council upon review of applications and resumes and are expected to act on behalf of industry on a province wide basis.
At this time the vast majority of membership on the sub-councils are selected from industry stakeholders resident in the Cities of Edmonton and Calgary. The current selection process for participation on the sub-councils does not enable the perspectives of industry stakeholders from mid-sized cities, or smaller jurisdictions, to be heard before changes to standards are determined. In addition, changes that are made, and the reasoning behind the changes, are not well communicated to all Alberta jurisdictions.
STANDATA is a province wide variance, interpretation or information bulletin related to safety codes and standards, issued by the Public Safety Division of Municipal Affairs. To view STANDATA, refer to the various disciplines listed on the ministry’s Codes and Permits webpage: http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/cp_building_standata
As noted in the SCC’s response, the SCC met with AUMA in early 2018 to discuss how municipal representation could be improved. While there could be better representation of smaller municipalities, these municipalities often lack the capacity to participate on external committees, particularly those that involve regular travel.
With respect to communication, all Sub-Council meeting minutes are posted publically on the Alberta Safety Codes Council website. Accordingly, municipal safety codes staff can monitor the matters up for discussion at all Sub-Councils, and bring any concerns to either an AUMA SCC representative or the Sub-Council itself. The SCC also issues a regular newsletter, to which anyone can subscribe, for updates and news related to the safety codes system. As the City of Lethbridge is currently represented on one of the SCC’s Sub-Councils, it is possible that any issues around communicating potential changes to building codes could be addressed by improving internal communication processes between municipal staff and senior administrators/elected officials.
Safety Codes Council Board of Directors
Mayor Charlene Smylie, Village of Wabamun and AUMA Vice President of Villages and Summer Villages.
Technical Coordinating Committee
Elgin Mann, Manager of Safety Codes Services - Planning & Development Services, City of Medicine Hat
Building Technical Council
Darin Sceviour, Inspections, Compliance, and Building Supervisor, City of Red Deer
Electrical Sub-Council
Lori Monaghan, Safety Codes Officer, City of Red Deer
Fire Sub-Council
Marc Royer, Fire and Emergency Services, City of Lethbridge
Plumbing Sub-Council
Tim Kosolofski, Safety Codes Officer, City of Red Deer
At its February 21, 2019 meeting, the AUMA Board voted to accept the SCC's response to the resolution.