Council Calls for Improved By-Law Report

JASON SETNYK
Council Calls for Improved By-Law Report
Councillor Dean Hollingsworth wants to compare Cornwall's performance with other communities. (Photo : Photo: Jason Setnyk)

During its January 27, 2025, meeting, Cornwall City Council reviewed the Building and By-Law Annual Report for 2024. While the report detailed construction and by-law enforcement activity, Councillors expressed concerns about data clarity and the need for actionable insights.

Councillor Sarah Good noted gaps in the narrative accompanying the data. “The report contains a lot of information but lacks context and answers,” she said. “We need clear summaries and detailed trends to identify challenges and successes within the department.”

Chief Building Official Charles Bray confirmed that permit issuance met statutory timelines but highlighted a decline in permit numbers. “This decrease is likely due to higher interest rates, though we hope for a rebound in 2025,” Bray explained. He also acknowledged backlogs in property standards cases, attributing delays to staffing shortages.

Councillor Dean Hollingsworth advocated for benchmarking Cornwall’s performance against comparable municipalities. “If other cities issue permits faster, we need to understand why. If staffing is the issue, we should be prepared to address it,” Hollingsworth emphasized.

Councillor Denis Sabourin expressed the need to revisit previous motions to ensure the report aligns with Council’s original requests. “This data should help us identify community concerns, but right now, it doesn’t address the underlying issues we’re hearing about.”

Councillor Fred Ngoundjo echoed these sentiments, stating, “Permits are a recurring complaint in our community. We need to deeply analyze this data and determine what adjustments—whether staffing or processes—are necessary to improve.”

Council ultimately approved a motion to revisit the report within six months, requesting additional narrative and actionable recommendations. Councillors stressed the importance of addressing ongoing community concerns about permit delays and property standards enforcement.

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