Director Barrie presented the Development Services budget, which is comprised of budgets from the Building and Septic division, Economic Development, and the Planning Division.
CBO Murchison provided an overview of the Building and Septic Division, which is responsible for ensuring all construction and demolition projects are in compliance with the Building Code; they issue permits, oversee the Building Inspectors, conduct investigations for infractions and keep staff up-to-date with any code changes. This year there is a significant set of changes (2000+) to the building code in order to begin harmonizing it with the federal code and there will be significant training involved to update staff.
Manager Mustard provided an overview of the Economic Development Division, which supports the local economy, business community and various sectors including agriculture, heritage, culture, tourism, manufacturing and innovation. They provide programming such as the Million Dollar Makeover, Summer Company and Starter Company, and many other programs to support business growth.
Manager Connolly provided an overview of the Planning Division, which has oversight for land use development through the Official Plan, Secondary Plans, Urban and Rural Zoning By-Laws and other policy plans. Planning is still looking to fill three vacancies to have a full complement of staff; they are supported by three contracted consultants (WSP, Dillon, and Stickney) to help manage the backlog and anticipated growth of planning projects and applications.
Some of the accomplishments for the department include the creation of the Coboconk Building and Septic Hub, which will allow residents to access the entirety of those services every day at a second location; the management of the upcoming International Plowing Match and Rural Expo, which will see up to 80,000 visitors over a five-day span; and the completion and passage of the Rural Zoning By-Law, which was years in the making. In 2025, the department aims to launch a permitting software in Cityworks to enable (eventually) paperless building applications; implement a refreshed Economic Development strategy and update Council on the Cultural Centre Feasibility Study; and commence the Urban Zoning By-Law review process.
Some of the pressures being felt across the department include continued reliance on consultant and contracted services, with associated rising costs, and frequent policy statement changes. These changes affect current work and have an impact on many different Plans and Strategies. The increase for 2025 is $605,204 for a total budget of $4,387,680.