Because these decisions can severely impact our industry, rule changes can be expensive and difficult to administer, six years ago the PPMA approached the City to have one of it's members sit on the Commission on a permanent basis in order to provide industry input.
Once City Council agreed to appoint a member of the Professional Property Managers Association, I have had the honor of sitting on the Commission on behalf of the association. In that time I have attempted to temper the views of the Commission and bring Home the point that the decisions they make, impact our industry regarding costs and practicality for tenants.
Over the years we have tried to send the message that tenant safety is the most important issue and that preservation of the buildings is a cost benefit issue, balancing insurance rates, renovation costs and practicality.
The members of the Commission are drawn from the architectural and engineering profession along with the Chief of the City of Winnipeg Fire Department, the Homebuilders Association and senior administrators from the City of Winnipeg. Now that we have been represented on the commission for a number of years, our philosophy of life safety being paramount with the cost of protecting property having to be balanced by cost benefit analysis and reason, is finally taking hold. Generally there has been a tempering of the commission and the city bureaucracy in dealing with matters before us. With our continued presence, I hope that this will continue.
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