Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To oversee and coordinate Corridor Management activities as the ministry's "One Window" representative for permit issuance (e.g. Entrance, Building and Land Use, Sign, Encroachment) to property owners and other stakeholders (e.g. utility companies, municipalities, land developers, etc.).

To oversee and coordinate the utility component of ministry capital construction contracts. To review, assess, investigate, evaluate and coordinate proposals as submitted by property owners, municipalities, utility companies, developers, internal ministry offices, the general public, etc. in order to uniformly apply and promote compliance with the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, Public Service Works on Highways Act, Drainage Act and other applicable legislation, corridor management procedures, policies, regulations and to protect the long term viability and integrity of the highway network within the region.

Duties / Responsibilities :

A Corridor Management Officer may be assigned to all or a selection of the corridor management functions (e.g. building and land use, entrance, sign, encroachment, utility co-ordination) and perform a range of related duties within the region. As such, the position involves the following duties and responsibilities:

Building and Land Use/Entrance/Sign and Encroachment:
1. Reviews, assesses and determines the acceptability of land development proposals and utility proposals adjacent to, or on, present and future highway rights-of-way by assembling and studying all data relative to the particular permit application, including pertinent policies, directives and legislation.
2. Conducts on site field inspections and meetings as required with applicants, their representatives, etc. to review proposals, clarify and answer inquiries relative to the ministry's position or procedural requirements, resolve discrepancies and/or suggest alternatives. Refers permit applications that fall outside legislation or ministry standards/policies to Section Head or other ministry officials including senior management for resolution as required.
3. Organizes, coordinates, assesses and evaluates activities resulting in a recommendation for permit approval by: ensuring development proposals and permit applications adjacent to existing and future highway right-of-ways meet ministry safety and operational concerns and ministry policies and standards; and reviewing and recommending appropriateness of existing access control criteria, entrance alternatives, site plans, site servicing plans and associated permit submission documentation. Coordinates and assesses the results of permit application reviews and conveys appropriate concerns to the applicant
4. Inspects, on a regular basis, the highway system within the region ensuring compliance by the public within the area of permit control under the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, other applicable Acts (e.g. the Drainage Act), ministry standards, policies, and procedures. Inspects and coordinates inspection of entrances, development driven highway improvements and encroachments for permit compliance and release of financial securities. Corrects infractions by utilizing progressive measures up to and including legal action. Liaises with ministry maintenance staff to assist in reporting on non-compliance matters on and adjacent to the highway system.
5. Responds to general inquiries from and provides advice to permit applicants. their solicitors and/or real estate agents, federal and provincial ministries. elected municipal representatives. municipal employees, civil servants.
MPP·s. utility companies, consultants. contractors. maintenance staff and the public on a range of permit. legislative and regulatory matters and to explain ministry policies and decisions.
6. Ensures any permit applications for new installations encroaching on the highway right-of-way are properly
completed by: reviewing application submission documentation. reviewing on-site conditions. negotiating and
preparing terms/conditions/security amounts for permit conditions (and possibly associated legal agreements).
attending meetings to ensure compliance with ministry policy and guidelines, reviewing potential problem areas.
recommending alternative solutions and recommending approval to the Section Head. Prepares documentation to support ministry attendance at the OMB and/or legal proceedings.
7. Within the limit of the ministry's capital construction contract, ensures that access management and other corridor management activities are in compliance with current ministry policies and guidelines. Identifies entrance removals within ministry Work Projects and negotiates with property owners for their removal. Inspects work to ensure compliance with permit conditions and requirements, agreed location and design of entrances, attends final acceptance meetings, recommends approval or additional work and assists in preparing required legal agreements. Coordinates work with Operations Office to minimize impacts on ongoing and future ministry contracts.

Utility Co-ordination:
8. Organizes and coordinates the utility component of ministry capital construction contracts by attending and representing the ministry at utility meetings, preparing status information, ensuring that environmental and property clearance has been given prior to relocation, initiating and monitoring the progress of relocations, maintaining liaison with ministry Project Teams, determining and arranging for the ministry's share of costs, initiating and carrying out permit searches to verify costs commitments and issuing utility Move Orders and Encroachment Permits for approval and participating with Property Section on the status on acquisitions, deletions and additions affecting utility moves.
9. Provides the ministry Project Team with Utility Terms of Reference indicating the requirements for relocation procedures. Authorizes the issuance of utility Move Orders for varying amounts of money. Receives, reviews and recommends for approval invoices for payment from the utility relocation companies. Records payments made and matches the payments with the original utility moving order for future investigation by the Provincial Auditor.
10. Ensures that utility relocations prompted by ministry projects are carried out by deciding which utilities will be relocated, involving reviewing plans with engineering staff for possible conflicts with design proposals and/or design changes and conducting on site inspections, reviewing and recommending for approval estimates to determine accuracy of ministry cost sharing agreements and ensuring completed work by utility companies is acceptable to the ministry. Receives, reviews, negotiates, coordinates and recommends approval of utility relocations by issuing letters of agreement, legal agreements and Move Orders together with the financial breakdown.
11. Initiates, organizes and coordinates a variety of meetings and represents the ministry with municipalities, utility companies, contractors, consultants, developers and other agencies and the private sector to explain ministry policies and multi-year program and assess submissions to ensure they adhere to ministry policies and regulations. As part of the ministry Project Team provides technical advice and expertise to ministry Consultants to ensure proper policies and guidelines are followed.
12. Reviews and assesses utility relocation conflicts that arise during ministry construction contracts. Inspects, supervises and allows any changes to construction and records these changes to the Move Order and Encroachment Permit documents.
13. Alters/changes terms and conditions and locations of previously approved Encroachment Permits, as required. Reviews, assesses and allows modifications to plans on-site through discussions with ministry Project Managers, utility companies, and municipalities. Accepts cost increase revisions of existing Move Orders and requests revised cost estimates.
14. Issues Move Orders for utility relocation work required for the ministry Capital Construction Program and analyzes cost estimate to determine if it conforms to ministry po/icy. Determines whether or not the cost estimate reflects the actual costs prior to forwarding for approval and signature to the Section Head.

General
15. Within a professional work environment provides a range of administrative and technical duties including: participating in the development of ministry policies, guidelines and directives; maintaining records, plans and filing systems using the Corridor Management Permit System database and other computerized recording systems as well as associated files for all permit applications; collects fees and ensures appropriate accounting and invoicing of payments; maintaining accurate field records/diaries of all applications, phone conversations, legal agreements, financial securities, permit payments, etc., preparing documentation to support recommendations/discussions and written and graphic materials for senior management tours and meetings as required.

Staffing and Licensing :

Valid Class G driver's licence to drive to various sites and meetings at locations that are remote for public transit. Meetings are potentially in early morning and evenings and are usually attended by the incumbent only.

Knowledge :

Job requires thorough knowledge of the theory, principals and practices of land use planning. ministry corridor management policies, procedures, directives and applicable provincial acts and regulations (e.g. Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act, Public Service Works on Highways Act, Drainage Act and other applicable legislation) to interpret, apply and provide explanations of ministry policies and procedures regarding the issuance of various types of permits (e.g. Building and Land Use, Encroachment, Sign and Entrance) and review and recommend approval of permit applications for development within and adjacent to highway corridors.
Job requires knowledge of highway engineering principles, concepts and practices and ability to read/interpret plans, profiles, engineering studies/reports, official documents, memoranda and legal agreements (e.g. surveying, design, traffic, construction, foundations, geotechnical, contracts, site plans, site servicing plans, drainage reports/plans and engineering terminology, standards, specifications and policies) for technical applicability and the preparation of permit conditions, monitor contractors/consultants during construction phase of permit conditions and review utility plans and submissions for possible conflicts with design proposals and/or design Change Orders. Job requires knowledge of permit application processes to conduct on site inspections, ensure completed work by permit applicants is acceptable to the ministry and monitor the progress of related works. Job requires knowledge of computer applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint to prepare correspondence and reports and assess and analyze data. Job requires knowledge of planning and contract drawing software and database software to review and recommend alternative proposals and utilize the Corridor Management Permit System database.

Skills :

Job requires analytical, decision making, problem solving and judgement skills to review, assess and determine the acceptability or rejection of permit applications (e.g. Building and Land Use, Entrance, Sign, Encroachment) and utility relocation proposals for ministry capital construction contracts adjacent to and or on present and future highway rights-of-way, resolve discrepancies and/or suggest alternatives and provide uniform interpretation and application of provincial and ministry regulations, policies and standards. Job requires well developed organizational skills in order to coordinate internal review with other sections (e.g. Traffic, Planning & Design, Operations, etc.) for permit applications (e.g. Building and Land Use, Entrance, Sign, Encroachment) in order to evaluate the impacts on highway safety and operations to ensure conformance with ministry policies, standards and legislation. Job requires well developed facilitation and communication skills to organize meetings and confer with stakeholders and internal offices to resolve multiple issues in order to achieve conformity with ministry policy, standards and legislative requirements.
Job requires analytical skills to review site plans, site servicing plans and associated permit submission
documentation for technical applicability, on regulatory and legislative provisions and review utility plans and
submissions for possible conflicts with ministry design proposals and/or design changes. Job requires planning,
coordination and organizational skills to prioritize work to meet established deadlines, coordinate activities resulting in a recommendation for permit approval, schedule utility relocation, organize meetings with various parties and maintain manual and computerized records, plans and files. Job requires oral communication, consultation and interpersonal skills and tact to discuss permit applications, plans and utility proposals with, other technical sections, make recommendations to senior staff regarding proposals and maintain liaison with applicants, such as their consultants, solicitors and/or real estate agents, federal and provincial representative, local municipalities, contractors, consultants, utility companies and the public to explain ministry policies. Job requires written communication skills with tact and diplomacy to prepare correspondence and documentation related to applications and draft legal agreements and briefing materials. Job requires computer skill and aptitude in planning and contract drawing software to apply computer technology and recommend alternative proposals. Job requires the ability to work independently or in a team environment and provide training support to peers.

Freedom of Action :

Work is performed independently within applicable ministry and provincial legislation, regulations, standards, policies, procedures and directives related to highway engineering and corridor management. Position requires determining whether proposals require further supporting information and making recommendations to proponents for changes to development proposals. Considerable latitude for making decisions exists in: determining the acceptability of proposed permit applications adjacent to present and future highway rights-of-way; resolving application discrepancies and/or suggesting alternatives; resolving deviation from permit conditions during construction; determining the accuracy of ministry cost sharing MOU (Moving of Utility) dollar amounts approved for utility relocations; review/approve utility plans and submissions for possible conflicts; recognizing sensitive and confidential issues and the extent to which information can be provided to others; and providing explanation of ministry policies and decisions to a wide range of internal and external clients and stakeholders. Job proactively identifies and refers contentious issues to the Section Head. Job is responsible for acting as the ministry's representative in discussions with external stakeholders regarding land development, highway access, signs, capital work projects, utility relocations and permit applications. Job reports to the Section Head and/or a supervisor for matters of competing priorities, issues where no precedent exists and situations outside policy or not covered by established methods and practical procedures.