A City Hall That Listens, Explains & Delivers

Krishna Raisinghani

Sep 27

3 min read

Updated: Oct 2

City Hall deals with complicated projects:

Budgets
Development
Utilities
Roads
Permits
Major projects

While the work may be complicated, the experience residents have with it doesn't need to be.

That's the idea behind my third priority:

A City Hall That Listens, Explains & Delivers.

For me, those three words each mean something specific.

Listen Earlier

I want residents involved while there's still something to shape.

Most planning and development-permit applications already begin with a formal pre-consultation between the applicant and City staff.

Major planning applications can also have early Developer Information Sessions.

I'd bring basic public information closer to the beginning too.

For major proposals:

What's the basic concept?
What constraints already exist?
What choices are still open?

Then, when engagement is finished:

What did we hear?
What changed?
What didn't?
Why?

People won't always agree with the decision.

They should be able to understand how it was reached.

Explain the Numbers

This part comes directly from my professional background.

I've spent nearly two decades working in finance, strategy and planning and I know that budgets and forecasts are built on assumptions.

Good financial management means testing those assumptions and explaining when reality turns out differently.

I'd bring the same approach to major City decisions.

For significant projects, show:

Original budget
Current forecast
Original timeline
Current timeline
What changed, Why, and What happens next

The City's Financial Plan already brings together its operating, capital and utility budgets.

Residents shouldn't need a finance background to understand the major decisions inside those numbers.

Show the Work

I'd establish a quarterly public scorecard for a small number of important commitments:

Housing and approvals.
Street safety.
Major capital projects.
Selected City service standards.

Green if it's on track.

Amber if there's a risk.

Red if it's off track.

And when something is amber or red, explain why. This is about finding problems early enough to fix them.

Make City Hall Easier to Deal With

This is where residents and small businesses often experience government most directly.

The City currently publishes average processing times of four to five months for home improvements, six months for business-space renovations and 11 to 12 months for new construction.

Some applications are genuinely complicated, while others aren't. I'd like the process to reflect that difference, and I'd like to improve our permitting process.

For qualifying simple, low-risk applications:

Five business days to confirm completeness.

30-day target for a decision.

For complex applications:

One file. One answer. One clock.

One accountable City contact helping coordinate the application.
One coordinated response from departments wherever possible.
One visible service clock showing when the City is reviewing the application, when the applicant needs to respond, and when the next step is expected.

And if a file goes beyond its target, it shouldn't simply keep aging.

Trigger a review, identify what's holding it up, and set the next action.

Make It Easier to Open and Grow a Business

This one is personal for me, since my parents ran a small business near Lonsdale and 15th.

A small business owner doesn't have a planning department or permitting team.

Every extra month matters when you're paying rent and trying to open the doors.

Clear requirements, predictable timelines, and one coordinated answer instead of conflicting answers make a huge difference.

Make Commitments Easy to Check

I'd hold myself to the same standard: Regular community office hours, a clear record of the commitments I've made, and updates on what moved, what didn't and why.

I'd rather put a specific idea on the record that people can check later than rely on language nobody can measure.

That's what Listens, Explains & Delivers means to me.