At their meeting on December 6, 2022, Council for the Municipality of Port Hope authorized a By-law to enter into an agreement with Northumberland County to carry out plumbing inspections in the Municipality of Port Hope.
The Municipality of Port Hope was the only remaining Member Municipality of the County of Northumberland not under an agreement to carry out plumbing inspections and enforcement by County staff. Previously, a staff member within the Building Services Division for the Municipality carried out plumbing inspections for the Municipality.
Plumbing inspections throughout the Province of Ontario are regularly carried out by the upper-tier municipal government, and as noted all other municipalities within the County of Northumberland entered into this agreement upon its creation. Northumberland County had previously conducted plumbing inspections for the Municipality until early 2020.
Recently, the Building Services division experienced staff turnover and a staff transition period. This agreement meets the legislated requirements under the Ontario Building Code and ensures continuity of plumbing services in the Municipality. There is no change to the fees for plumbing services.
The agreement will remain in effect until December 31, 2026, and, per the terms of the agreement, a Member Municipality may request to terminate their involvement in the agreement after December 31, 2022, by giving one year written notice to all involved parties.