City Staff Seek More Money For Unsightly Premises

A city program which tackles unsightly premises and zoning infractions is seeking additional money from council.

City staff are requesting $30,000 from the growth reserve fund to keep the enhanced Community Standards Program running for the rest of the year.

Jacqueline Hamilton, the commissioner of growth and community development, said the program has been very successful so far this year.

“Over 95 cases resolved to date, and with additional resources, we’ll leverage an additional 40 cases throughout the remainder of 2019,” Hamilton told the city’s growth committee this week.

The program was established as a pilot project in 2017. A total of 82 unsightly premises cases were resolved in 2017 and 75 more in 2018.

Coun. John MacKenzie said he thinks the program is one of the best in the city.

“I think of it in terms of being an investment because the $30,000 that we’re using to enhance the community standards program is money that we spend now but we get back from the provincial government later,” he said.

Mayor Don Darling, who chairs the city’s growth committee, said the team is doing exceptional work.

“It is something that, again, we regularly hear from the community and it’s really wonderful to be able to say ‘this is our program, this is what we’re doing, this is why we’re investing,'” Darling said.

Committee members voted to send staff’s request off to Common Council for approval.