Complaint Policy
The purpose of the Municipal Complaint Policy is to provide a consistent and uniform process to respond to program and service delivery concerns raised by members of the public. The policy will assist the Town of Renfrew in continuing to provide excellent service to the public and will contribute to the continuous improvement of operations.
The Municipal Complaint Policy establishes guidelines and standards for the efficient handling and resolution of complaints made toward the Municipality in order to address concerns raised and improve services.
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction related to a municipal program, service, facility or staff member.
This policy does not address the following:
- Inquiries
- Request for service
- Feedback
- Compliments
- Request for accommodation
- Criticisms or anonymous complaints
- Issues addressed by legislation, or an existing municipal by-law, policy or procedure
- A decision by Council or a Board/Committee
- Internal employee complaints
- Matters that are handled by tribunals, courts of law, quasi-judicial boards, etc.
For example, a request made to the Town of Renfrew for a specific service such as repair to street surface, by-law or parking infractions, damage to municipal property, or garbage pick-up do not qualify as a complaint under this policy.
This policy does not apply to outside boards, such as the Renfrew Public Library Board, closed meeting investigations, complaints made by employees, contractors, or volunteers working on behalf of the Town, or complaints about members of Council.
Types of Complaints
Informal Complaints
Individuals are encouraged to work with municipal staff to resolve issues or concerns before they become formal complaints. Informal complaints may be made in person, by phone, letter, email or fax. It is the responsibiltiy of Town staff to attempt to resolve issues or concerns before they become formal complaints and identify opportunities to improve programs and services.
Formal Complaints
A formal complaint is generated when an informal resolution cannot be successfully achieved. This will result in a file generated, investigation and decision. Please find the Formal Complaint Form at the bottom of this page.
Filing a Complaint
The complainant must fill out a complaint form which shall include the following information:
- Contact details of complainant
- Type of complaint
- Details of the complaint (location, employee involved, resolution requested, date of complaint)
- Signature and date
Anonymous complaints will not be accepted.
For Code of Conduct / Conflict of Interest Complaint Information, please click here.
Ombudsman Ontario
Contact the Ombudsman if you have a problem that you have been unable to resolve with an Ontario government body, municipality, university, or school board. You can also contact us for information about our work or our processes.
The Ombudsman is an Officer of the Ontario Legislative Assembly who is independent of government and political parties. The office promotes fairness, accountability and transparency in the public sector by resolving and investigating public complaints and systemic issues within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. The Ombudsman is appointed for a five-year renewable term and his powers and authorities are set out in the Ombudman Act.
The Ombudsman can investigate complaints about Ontario government ministries, corporations, agencies, boards, commissions and tribunals, with some exceptions. The Ombudsman can also investigate complaints about all of Ontario’s municipalities, publicly funded universities and school boards.
The Ombudsman cannot investigate individuals, private businesses, the courts, politicians, local police, or the federal government – and some matters within the mandate of other officers (e.g., hospitals, long-term care facilities and children’s aid societies).