Curry: Residents hardly ever informed of complaint resolutions

When it comes to complaints filed by residents, often the perception is that township staff has done nothing to address them.

That was the message councillors Mike Downey and Jim Curry brought to Mapleton staff members recently.

On July 19, Downey started the council discussion by asking how the township handles complaints lodged with officials at the municipal office. He wondered how those grievances are passed on or resolved.

Clerk Patty Sinnamon said complaints are sent to the appropriate department head and they are required to fill out a form explaining how they addressed the complaint.

Curry said part of the problem is the perception of those filing the complaints.

Often, he explained, the complainant never gets informed that anything has been done, so they understandably assume nothing has been done.

They then bring the complaint to councillors, who do not know anything about the issue.

Public Works Director Larry Lynch said in his department, if the complaint is operational, he gets a manager to deal with the issue as soon as possible.

But Curry stressed the main issue is communicating the resolution to the person who filed the complaint in the first place.

“Ninety percent of the time, the complainant never hears anything,” he said.

Sinnamon replied there is a policy in place and staff members follow it.

Mayor Bruce Whale said perhaps the township can review the process to refresh councillors.