Builders say no to call for ombudsman

It’s “impossible” for the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association to police the development industry and there’s no way the organization would pay an ombudsman to do that, the executive director says.

“Not going to happen,” John Herbert said Monday after receiving a letter from a councillor who wants to explore the ombudsman idea with the industry.

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper has been compiling a list of complaints from residents about infill construction in his central-west ward. He’s frustrated that the city has little recourse against rude contractors who start too early in the morning, who are disrespectful of neighbouring properties, who park illegally and who forgo washrooms to relieve themselves.

Complaining to government or filing a lawsuit isn’t good enough, Leiper said, so he’s pitching the idea of an industry-funded ombudsman to collect complaints and penalize boorish builders. “There is no week that goes by that we’re not hearing from residents about a whole host of problems on infill construction,” Leiper said.

A constituent’s text message exchange with a builder, which ended with the builder writing, “You’re an idiot,” was the last straw for Leiper.

Leiper said there was also a time when another builder told one of his office staffers to “mind your own f—ing business.”

Some builders are “tarnishing the reputation of the entire industry,” Leiper said.

Herbert said GOHBA represents about 400 member companies, not the entire construction industry in Ottawa. If a complaint comes in about a non-member, there’s nothing the organization can do, he said. GOHBA collects complaints about its own members and contacts the companies to let them know.

“We do not have a policing function, per se, but we do hold them to account,” Herbert said.

GOHBA will contact the head of the offending company to discuss complaints when they come in, he said.

Leiper said an ombudsman with GOHBA could ask members to use a non-legally binding dispute mechanism, which would earn them an advertised “trust seal” of approval.

As for the potential cost of an ombudsman, Leiper said it would be a “paltry ask” compared to the money the industry pulls in.

Herbert said the industry takes complaints seriously, but he believes the city already does a good job to making sure infill construction isn’t bothersome for neighbours through various policies.

Herbert acknowledged the sensitivities with infill construction since construction brings dramatic changes for neighbours.

“It’s a challenge, there’s no question about that,” Herbert said.

“This is a process of continuous improvement.”