July 2020
Creating new ways to access building plans
One of the key ways MPAC is supporting municipalities during COVID-19 is by working to capture new assessment in spite of closures and restrictions, and we continue to collaborate with municipalities on how to get the information we need.

Where required, we are now conducting curbside pickups of paper building plans from municipalities, with an additional option to book designated times for viewing of paper plans in municipal offices.

This program offers an alternative for municipalities that don’t have electronic plans or are unable to securely submit them through WorkSight in Municipal Connect . That process, launched in May, has been taken up by over 130 municipalities that are seeing new assessment quickly added to their rolls as a result.

It is important that we have the ability to access building plans to support our exterior inspections, which we have resumed across Ontario. Together these actions help us complete timely and accurate assessments for new construction and/or renovations. Our sincere thanks to the municipal staff who are working with us to make this happen.
MPAC @ AMO 2020 conference
The COVID-19 pandemic tested and strengthened MPAC’s partnership with municipalities and our commitment to supporting you. During our update at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference next month, we’ll share how we’re charting our path forward and reaffirming our business model to continue to support you.

Our ‘Valuing Ontario Together’ update is scheduled for Monday, August 17 from 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. and features remarks by:
 
  • Al Spacek, Chair, MPAC Board of Directors
  • Nicole McNeill, President and Chief Administrative Officer, MPAC
  • Carmelo Lipsi, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, MPAC
  • Chris Broughton, Assistant Deputy Minister (Acting), Ministry of Finance
 
Our session includes a question and answer period and we welcome your questions in advance, sent to julia.lipman@mpac.ca , and live during our session. We encourage your questions so we can talk about the items that matter most to you!

If you are attending AMO, please be sure to visit us at our virtual exhibitor booth during the conference to talk with MPAC staff and learn about how we’re supporting municipalities and property owners.
 
Unable to attend? We will share a recording of our session with all municipalities after the conference. 
Upcoming webinar: WorkSight
Overview, key enhancements and updates

WorkSight, part of MPAC’s Municipal Connect application, provides municipal staff a channel for two-way communication with MPAC as well as information sharing, including: submitting enquiries, building plans, municipal tax and vacancy applications and reviewing building permit details.

Join subject matter experts Heather Colquhoun, Regional Manager, and Lynne Cunningham, Account Manager for a current and future look at MPAC’s WorkSight. Learn how it was built to improve assessment reporting capabilities, tracking and exchanging information, streamlining processes and creating efficiencies to meet our Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Time will be dedicated to answering your questions throughout the webinar.
Date: Wednesday, August 5
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 P.M. EDT
You can find a recording of last month’s webinar on Municipal Connect, along with all our monthly municipal webinars, on our  YouTube channel .
Latest WorkSight enhancement
Municipal staff can now submit and track the status of Vacancy Rebate Applications through WorkSight in Municipal Connect . While many municipalities have phased out the Vacancy Rebate Program, some areas may reinstate a program due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This enhancement provides an efficient exchange of information between MPAC and municipalities to support those programs
As an early adopter of MPAC’s new process for submitting digital building plans through WorkSight in Municipal Connect, the City of Guelph has been able to achieve a sizeable portion of its forecasted new assessment for 2020 despite the pandemic.

MPAC introduced the new digital submission process in May and Guelph was not only one of the first municipalities to try it out, but with over 140 plans submitted has one of the highest counts of over 130 participating municipalities.

“We took advantage of MPAC’s new digital submission process during the pandemic, and as a result we’re seeing more of our new assessment processed than we would have expected if MPAC hadn’t had access to the information during COVID-19,” says James Krauter, Deputy Treasurer at the City of Guelph. “As requested, we’ll continue to submit digital plans even as we move to Stage 3 and property inspections resume; its an efficient and safer way for MPAC to get the information they need for accurate assessments and allows for tracking of the plan submissions by both MPAC and the municipality.”

Do you have a great story about our partnerships in action?  Share it with us .