The District of Squamish is trying to battle the perception that it is not open for business with a two-day turnaround on completed residential development permits, says the municipality's chief administrative officer.
On Tuesday (Feb. 14), the district unveiled its Planning, Building, Environment and Trails Services Core Service Review, the sixth department to receive the in-depth examination. Over the past year, officials interviewed more than 100 key stakeholders before compiling the report, which doesn't paint a pretty picture, CAO Kevin Ramsay acknowledged.
The municipality's reputation for attracting, facilitating and sustaining development is critically low, he said. The report indicates that the current perceptions have existed, to different degrees, for more than 50 years. Complaints include building and planning application processing time delays, poor communication about changes in policy and a lack of transparency in the communication process.
In a push to turn things around, the district has implemented a three-year plan. Recent actions include the hiring of a chief building inspector and the restructuring of the department. Within the next two weeks, the Ramsay said he expects the district will have online application forms.
The district will also assemble a task force, made up of builders and developers, to ensure the municipality is making the right steps, Ramsay said. All in all, the district aims to create a one-stop shopping experience for those who come into the building and planning department, he said, noting 95 per cent of questions and processes will be able to be addressed by the front-desk clerks.
"To get there we need to make sure our employees are trained and engaged," he said.
The district plans to hold 101 courses for specific interest groups, such as homeowners looking to renovate their properties, to educate the public about the municipality's processes. The district wants to implement a system that can track and approve one's development applications online, Ramsay added.
It's essential to the district that its reputation in the construction industry is improved as soon as possible, Coun. Ron Sander said. If a report was to be done on his work performance, which included statements such as "legendary mismanagement" and "inconsistent professionalism," Sander said he wouldn't be given the opportunity to fix such issues. The department may require a shakeup if things don't change, he said.
"This is really a cornerstone for us," Sander said. "This has to be fixed and it has to be fixed in shorter than three years."
