The town's newest senior staffer is stepping up to the challenge of making sure Collingwood's growth is safe.
Greg Miller was appointed the new Chief Building Officer (CBO) for the town after Bill Plewes, the former CBO, retired.
Miller comes from a position as CBO at The Blue Mountains and before that worked as a building inspector in Barrie. He is the president of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) and he knows the Ontario Building Code inside and out.
"The CBO plays an important role in protecting the health and safety of the public by making sure the buildings in which they live, work and play are safe," said Miller.
He said building inspectors and CBOs are "experts" in the Ontario building code, and therefore also play an important customer service role by helping local developers and builders move forward with projects that are safe and fill the needs of Collingwood's growth.
"We have a very high volume of permits and inspections [in Collingwood]," said Miller. "It's exciting the number of developments coming into Collingwood."
In addition to hiring another full-time building inspector by next month, Miller will be moving the town's building permit application process online. Builders will be able to submit their plans electronically at all hours of the day, which should make the permit process more accessible.
Currently, plans have to be submitted as hard copies during normal business hours.
"The turnaround should be faster," said Miller. "Any delays in projects cost money."
Miller said he will be doing some building inspections personally, and one of his first major tasks is to get to know the builders and developers in the area. He said Plewes left behind a legacy of strong customer service and he plans to continue that legacy and grow from there.
"Keeping up with the high volume will be the toughest point," said Miller. "We still want to maintain quality control on our side and on the builder side too. Things get so busy for both sides and you don't want to see errors happen."
Miller has lived in Collingwood with his wife and two daughters for 12 years. When he's not working or travelling for OACETT, he likes to golf and play hockey. His favourite buildings in Collingwood are the Tremont and the restored shipyards development.
