Chamber of Commerce deliver a damning report to Norwich council

Jennifer Wild, Post Correspondent

Township of Norwich council heard a sobering report about business support in the township at the Nov. 26 meeting.

Norwich Chamber of Commerce appeared before township council to present a survey that presented the opinions of businesses operating within the town of Norwich. The Chamber of Commerce had received numerous complaints from businesses over the process of obtaining building permits, site plan approvals and the time it takes to receive approval. Andrew Malcolm and Tim Thompson submitted a 25-page presentation, including graphs showing the results of the survey. The survey is available through the township website, under the agenda for Nov. 26th meeting.

The survey, completed by 85 local businesses, contained questions about the complexity and consistency of the application process, their experience with township staff, and their familiarity with the relationship between the town council, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Business Improvement Association. The survey also touched on experiences with other townships when applying for permits.

A clear majority, or 80 per cent of respondents reported a poor or bad experience with staff while 68.2 per cent reported their concerns had not been addressed by township staff. The picture wasn’t great for council with 37.7 per cent of respondents stated that when they approached council members regarding concerns, these concerns were not addressed, with 43.5 per cent feeling that the council is not growth-oriented. Only 10.8 per cent of responses indicated that the turnaround time for building permits was good.

When responding to the delegation, Councillor Sean Gear called this report extremely alarming, disappointing, unacceptable, and embarrassing.

Councillor Karl Toews declared it a disappointing report, agreeing with the recommendation for change and a review of procedures.

All members of the town council voiced their support for the formation of an advocacy committee, passing a motion requiring staff prepare a report regarding the creation of an Economic Development Advisory Committee unanimously.