Communication between planning staff and developers is strongly needed if Halifax is to properly manage and encourage growth in the city, a new report by the city’s auditor general warns.
Halifax Auditor General Evangeline Colman-Saad provided the report to the Audit and Finance Committee Wednesday morning.
Significant improvement to the management of the development approval process is the key take-away from the report. But the need to revamp their procedure isn’t coming as news to officials.
“This reinforces the view a lot of us have had that there’s issues,” explained Mayor Mike Savage. “We’ve had great growth in Halifax, we’re one of the fastest growing cities in the country, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t inefficiencies.”
READ MORE: Coming to Halifax council: Football stadium, cannabis bylaw, panel on Edward Cornwallis
The quality of data collection was called into question in the report, which indicated that in some cases entire fields had been left blank.
The report also estimates the Strategic Plan, which runs from 2015-2019, is behind by about a year.
Savage believes the lagging results are partly due to staffing issues and the departure of key personnel.
“A new director has been appointed now,” he explained. “I think she’s doing a really good job and she’s ahead of some of these recommendations.”
Colman-Saad’s report outlines 10 recommendations which were all accepted by the city.
The recommendations largely indicate guidelines need to be established and stuck to.
The audit period spanned 2016-2017 and was carried out during the winter/spring of 2018.
Colman-Saad is hopeful that city officials address the recommendations given to them particularly in establishing timelines and improving communication between parties.
“There aren’t clear deadlines,” she explained.
“We also found inconsistencies and inefficiencies where, for example, staff don’t necessarily all deem an application complete at the same time. So when you have a lengthy process and everyone isn’t on the same page in terms of when is something complete and ready to go to the next stage, that causes issues as well.”
Savage believes when the auditor general reviews the implementation of her recommendations in 18 months time, she will see that processes are in place and being followed along with established timelines being met.
Still, Savage says he is keen on ensuring the right developers are attracted to the city.
“We don’t just want development, we want good development.”
- ‘Shock and disbelief’ after Manitoba school trustee’s Indigenous comments
- Canadian man dies during Texas Ironman event. His widow wants answers as to why
- Several baby products have been recalled by Health Canada. Here’s the list
- ‘Sciatica was gone’: hospital performs robot-assisted spinal surgery in Canadian first
Comments