At the January 21, 2019, Chatham-Kent Council Meeting, Council approved the motion to endorse the Chatham-Kent Community Development Continuous Improvement and “Red Tape” Reduction Project.
The motion to endorse was made following an informative presentation on the overall goals of the project from John Norton, General Manager, Community Development.
The Continuous Improvement and “Red Tape” Reduction Project was launched in June of 2018 and has included an internal review of existing activities.
The project is focused on identifying new opportunities for improving Community Development’s processes and allow for easier investment and growth across Chatham-Kent.
“Continuous improvement is a priority for the Community Development staff and they have really stepped forward to find ways to improve processes,” Norton stated in a press release.
“We have been able to allocate dedicated staff time to the project thanks to available funds from existing vacant roles, and already we have seen a positive shift in our philosophy and a renewed culture for improvement.”
Norton went on to say that he is asking staff to question why things are done the way they are done.
“I’ve been challenging everyone to change their language from ‘this is the way we do it’ to the more proactive question of ‘how do we do it better?’”
As part of the presentation, Norton took the opportunity to inform Council that as they begin to conclude the internal review with staff, they are now beginning public and external stakeholder consultations.
“We’re inviting people to be part of the discussion of making Chatham-Kent an even easier community for businesses to invest, grow, create jobs, and innovate,” said John Norton. “The community is invited to engage with us through a variety of tools including a client satisfaction survey available online and in paper version at municipal centres, and also several public engagement sessions.”
In addition to the community engagement activities, developers, business associations, and construction and trades professional will be invited to one-on-one meetings.
The meetings will allow for expanded insights from those who have been actively working with Community Development and have a deeper understanding of opportunities for improvement.
“Reducing red tape is an important initiative and something that I believe in strongly,” stated Darrin Canniff, Chatham-Kent Mayor, in a press release.
“I’ve been meeting with groups across the community and one thing I hear time and time again is that one of the best ways that the Municipality can be a better partner is to streamline the way that we are doing things.”
Through consultations with external and internal stakeholders, the Community Development department will produce a report to Council that identifies barriers and provides suggested solutions to remove and eliminate unnecessary red tape in Chatham-Kent.
“My goal is to have a report that will provide the Chatham-Kent Council and Senior Administration with helpful recommendations to remove red tape and make Chatham-Kent more prosperous and progressive,” added Norton.
To complete the online survey or for more information on the Continuous Improvement and “Red Tape” Reduction Project, visit www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca.
