Windsor set to hire four new staffers in building department
CBC News | Posted: January 25, 2017 10:47 PM | Last Updated: January 25, 2017
City council approved the new positions to help with new construction projects
Windsor's building department was one of the biggest winners during Monday's budget deliberations, with city council approving four new positions to help shepherd in new construction projects.
The new hires will help meet the needs of an increasing number of new construction projects throughout the city, according to officials.
Not a single councillor questioned the building department's request, which is a sign politicians understand the demand for the department after it was nearly gutted during the economic recession, said John Revell, the city's chief building official.
"Building division had a lot of big asks," he told CBC News. "We got those asks and it wasn't questioned by council at all. They have the confidence to give us what we need."
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The city has seen a surge in construction in the past several years, with the number of building permits climbing from 1,200 in 2014 to nearly 1,450 last year.
The rise in new construction made hiring new staff in the building department one of the most important decisions in the 2017 budget for Coun. Irek Kusmierczyk.
"This was one of those things in the budget that may not be flashy, but to me, it's bread and butter," he said.
The building department was hit hard as new construction dwindled in Windsor. Since 2003, more than 20 positions were eliminated and not much changed as council pushed through eight consecutive years of tax freezes.
But with construction rebounding in the city, the building department has seen a rise in new hires starting in 2010.
Keeping up with that demand helps fuel the city's economy, Revell said. Last year's new construction amounted to an estimated $335 million spent in the region.
"That $335 million of construction is almost $1 billion in economic activity and we don't want to present any barriers or hindrances to that," Revell said.
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