Press Release - January 5, 2010
2010 Economic Scorecard Report sneak peek: construction decision times
January 5, 2010 - Halifax, NS – After a year of economic ups and downs, the Halifax Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Economic Strategy Scorecard Report is a mixed story. The Chamber’s annual Scorecard measures 28 targets stemming from Halifax’s Economic Strategy.
“Given the approval of HRMbyDesign this year, everyone wants to know if there has been improvement in the measure that tracks decision times for construction projects,” says Chamber president Valerie Payn. “Two years ago, this Scorecard measure received the lowest possible score – two red lights. Last year, things improved and the city earned a yellow light, due to hiring new planners and establishing a pre-application process. This year, I’m pleased to report that the city has finally earned a green light on this one.”
“The reason for the positive score is that 70 per cent of development applications that have been submitted to the city in 2009 have been processed within the targeted time frames,” says Payn. “However, we still have a ways to go before we reach the 100 per cent target”.
Progress is still being made. The city has reported to the Chamber that steps have been taken this year towards meeting their goal, including:
- Approval of HRMbyDesign, with defined timelines of 2 months for pre-application and 2 months for processing;
- City Council is working on streamlining the committee process; and
- Case management software is in place, which allows for better tracking of development applications.
“The real test of HRMbyDesign will be the first project approved by the new development rules from start to finish,” continues Payn, “this is something the Chamber will be watching with great interest this year.”
As an independent observer of the Economic Strategy the Chamber’s scorecard was designed to measure the outcomes and targets set in Halifax’s Economic Strategy: Strategies for Success. The Halifax Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its 4th annual Economic Strategy Scorecard Event on January 13th 2010 at Neptune Theatre.
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For more information contact:
Janet Creamer
Communications Manager
Halifax Chamber of Commerce
902-481-1240
Cell: 902-499-6494
janet@halifaxchamber.com


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