The community is expressing its opposition to Muskoka Lakes new proposed municipal contractor licensing system.
During a Jan. 15 planning meeting, a local resident formally complained about illegal construction work and property damage.
“The number of the variations and violations are significant and have a very negative impact on our property,” said Erin Rooney, who addressed council on behalf of her mother, Mary Armstrong.
The complaint included significant damage, including work performed beyond property lines, trees damaged or buried under soil, and a storage shed destroyed by landscaping erosion. Additionally, unauthorized roads were allegedly carved into the property using heavy equipment.
Rooney called on council to hold the contractor and local trades workers accountable for abiding by the laws designed to protect both neighbours and the Muskoka environment.
The complaint prompted council to discuss ways to avoid similar violations in the future.
“It’s been a long time, I think, since we’ve seen one quite this egregious come before us,” said Mayor Peter Kelley. “We need to consider things like licensing or otherwise patrolling who gets to work here.”
As a result, council is considering a new municipal contractor licensing system to ensure contractors do not build without permits or ignore bylaws regarding property development and redevelopment.
“The last thing we need to do is leave the impression that if you’re fast enough to the action, and if you can find the right person to disregard our rules and bylaws, you can get away with stuff,” said Mayor Peter Kelley.
Following the meeting, on Jan. 19, the Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce, the Muskoka Builders’ Association, and the Our Muskoka Stakeholders Association sent a joint letter to Mayor Kelley and council expressing their collective opposition to the proposed municipal contractor licensing system.
“We believe responsible construction activity, an objective supported by the Township and the business community alike, is best achieved through clear rules and consistent enforcement,” states the letter. “Municipal contractor licensing does not advance this goal and risks diverting attention from the Township’s core responsibilities of permits, inspections, and code compliance already in place.”
The letter states contractors operating legally are already subject to extensive regulation and oversight.
According to the letter, the proposed system would duplicate existing regulations and create inconsistent standards across municipalities. The associations argue that this would add an unnecessary administrative burden without guaranteeing better results.
“It would also boost costs for contractors that would ultimately be passed on to consumers,” states the letter.
The letter also states that the majority of the contractors in town are responsible, compliant, professional and care deeply about environmental protection.
“Broad regulatory responses based on isolated or anecdotal examples can unfairly undermine local businesses and erode trust between council and the business community,” states the letter.
Council will bring back the topic for further discussion at a future meeting.
