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THE NEW TANNERTHURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018 7THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 20186 By: Vivien Fleisher Development Review Manager Adam Farr gave a summary of a report submitted late November to Council regarding updates to the town's continuous improvements initia- tives. Back in 2005, PROD, a bus iness - based "process review of development" was launched, shortly after Mayor Rick Bonnette was elected. Bonnette himself defined the in- itiative as "a way to get people out of their silos" when it came to dealing with all aspects of the development process. At the time of PROD's inception, opportunities for lake-based servicing along the 401 corridor were coming up, and the Town wanted to be best positioned to take advan- tage. The result has been a lot less complaining by applicants, and even some compliments ac- cording to Councillor Moya Johnson. Farr himself described the goals and results as the product of a "multi- department team effort" b e t w e e n To w n d e - partments--planning, zoning, etc.--and ex- ternal partners at all levels--Niagara Es- carpment Commission, Conservation author- ities, etc.--Ultimately, applicants are spared the "not my department" culture of the past, and getting there has been a complex effort, span- ning everything from retooling front counter service, to the adop- tion of plain language, to a massive rethink in all areas of communi- cation--taking PROD from an abstract jar- gon-filled concept to a tangible, user-friendly reality. Wo r k i n g w i t h i n Ontar io's "complex regulatory regime" is a dominant challenge, which now includes the mandate to intensify urban areas while the greenbelt is expanded. The outward growth from the Toronto Region has put a lot of pressure on areas like Halton Hills, making the cur- rent environment one of "historically significant change" and the need for continuous improve- men t even g r ea t e r. Among the objectives in his report, Farr cited the need to make good use of limited staff resour- ces, improve the quality of projects, provide a su- perior customer-service experience, strength- en public engagement, and build a strong team. When all this was being identified and brain- stormed, the way people communicate underwent a digital revolution in- cluding social media, along with other sig- nificant changes like population increases, rising real estate values and increased density. Next steps will in- clude the Mayor's Task Force on Public Engage- ment and introducing the Province's "Build- ing Better Communities and Conserving Water- sheds Act", Bill 139, which changes the On- tario Municipal Board process dramatically, effectively replacing the OMB with a new tribu- nal more local in nature within which the role of conservation authorities will include more pub- lic involvement while strengthening their hand in other areas. 38 recommendations came out of PRODs, and most were imple- mented in the following years launching a cultur- al shift while fostering the Town's objective to be a "great place to live, work and play". Continuous improvement in Halton Hills: Status update CHILLY: The weather has be ideal for the formation of icicles on the old mill in Eden Mills. - Les Schmidt photo