Sudbury contruction loose ends prompt working group

The city of Greater Sudbury is working with its contractors to find a way to make sure that when jobs are completed, crews put neighbourhoods back the way they found them.

Sudbury’s General Manager of Infrastructure Services Tony Cecutti says that every construction season, dozens of upset residents complain to city hall about things like ripped-up lawns and displaced driveway bricks being left behind at the end of projects.

I still can't understand why the city can't force these guys to get things done right.- Sudbury resident Bernie Marois

"It's a very small percentage of a project, very low in dollar value, but it can be very disturbing and frustrating for everybody involved," Cecutti said.

In response, the city has formed a working group with local construction companies to try to find a solution to this long-standing problem.

One resident says he believes the city shouldn’t pay contractors until the work is completely finished — which includes restoring properties to the way they were found.

Bernie Marois says his brick driveway was dug up when the street he lives on in New Sudbury was re-paved. He and his neighbours complained to the city for months before he finally decided to contact his councillor.

"I still can't understand why the city can't force these guys to get things done right," Marois said.

But Cecutti says the issue is “more complex than that.”

He says the city and a contractor have a give-and-take relationship over the course of a project, and sometimes the restoration work to homes and businesses gets lost in the shuffle.