Halifax planning department takes up to a year to review development requests: AG

Halifax's auditor general says "significant improvements" are needed within the planning department to speed up the development application process.

Under Halifax's charter, development applications should be reviewed by planners within 60 days. 

The auditor general's office looked at six files between January 2016 and December 2017. Those files took between 109 and 347 days.

"Changes are needed," said Evangeline Colman-Sadd, HRM's auditor general, "There are inefficiencies in the system."

A report with 10 recommendations was presented to the city's audit and finance committee on Wednesday, including one for a standard policy manual.

"There's no common idea of when a site-plan application is considered complete — no policy on which HRM divisions should be involved in a review and no standard times to complete their reviews," said Paul Flinn, the audit director.

Councillors on the audit and finance committee were not surprised by the news because they have heard complaints from the development community.

"Very disappointing, but not shocking," said Coun. Matt Whitman.

"It's not that we don't have good people," said Mayor Mike Savage. "I hear we have very good people. But we have to streamline the process."

Jacque Dubé, Halifax CAO, said the time period when the auditor general did the review of the planning department was particularly challenging. There were more than 40 vacancies at a time when there were a large number of complex applications.

"There was a lack of resources and we've taken measures to address it," said Dubé.

The new head of the planning department said all 10 recommendations should be implemented within 12 months.

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