When the City plans maintenance or construction work in a particular street or neighborhood, it’s crucial to keep residents and homeowners informed about the process.
To ensure that residents and homeowners are well-informed about upcoming maintenance work that may affect their properties, the City follows a notification process. Notices are distributed via hand-delivered letters, and here’s how it works:
Hand-Delivered Letters: The City prepares notification letters detailing the planned maintenance work and its potential impact. These letters are hand-delivered to the residents and homeowners. In some cases, when work affects businesses, staff will personally enter the premises to drop off the notices.
Timeline: The City strives to deliver these notices at least one week before the commencement of the work. This advanced notice allows residents and homeowners to make necessary preparations or adjustments to accommodate the upcoming construction.
Extenuating Circumstances: While the City aims for timely communication, there can be extenuating circumstances. For instance, if the scope of work expands after the crew has started, staff will make efforts to notify residents on-site about the changes. The goal is to keep everyone informed and minimize disruptions.
Before any construction work begins, it’s essential to ensure that underground utilities and infrastructure are marked to prevent accidental damage. Here’s how the City handles locates:
Contractor Responsibility: The responsibility for obtaining locates falls on the contractor hired to perform the construction or maintenance work. They must request locates from the Ontario One Call service, which acts as a central point of contact for locating underground utilities.
Utility Locates: Once contacted, each utility company is obliged to locate their underground infrastructure within the specified work area. This step is crucial for the safety of both the construction crew and the existing utilities.
Timing: Contractors usually request locates well in advance of the scheduled work. This practice is based on past experiences where delays in obtaining locates have occurred. This proactive approach ensures that locates are ready when construction work is scheduled to start.
The City is committed to keeping residents and homeowners informed about upcoming maintenance and construction work that may impact their properties. While there may be instances of long-term delays, these are often part of the preparation process to ensure the work is completed efficiently and safely.