HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-14-044 - Council Input to 2015 Business PlanKIT(,'H , -Ni.,R
Staff Report
CA0 Office www.kitchener ca
REPORT TO:
Council
DATE OF MEETING: November 12, 2014
SUBMITTED BY:
Laurie Majcher, Manager of Strategy and Business Planning,
519- 741 -2200 ext. 7817
PREPARED BY:
Laurie Majcher, Manager of Strategy and Business Planning,
519- 741 -2200 ext. 7817
WARD (S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: November 6, 2014
REPORT NO.:
CAO -14 -044
SUBJECT:
Council Input to the 2015 Business Plan
RECOMMENDATION:
For Discussion
BACKGROUND:
The process of engaging the community, city staff and members of council in setting the
direction of the City for 2015 — 2018 is well underway in preparation for the next term of
Council. This process is expected to result in an innovative and practical strategic plan for the
City of Kitchener that is valued by the community, achievable by the organization, and relevant
for City Council. To date, the Community Assessment has been completed, with the report on
Community Priorities and Strategic Directions presented to Council by Compass Kitchener
Citizens Advisory Committee on September 15, 2014. The environmental scan is in progress
and the process for developing strategic options is in the planning stages. Council will be
presented with recommended goals and strategies in the spring of 2015 with final approval
expected in June.
Once the strategic plan is approved by Council, work will begin to ensure the business plans
across the organization fully support the achievement of the strategic goals, and progress will
continue to be monitored and reported to the public three times per year. Between June and
November of 2015, Council will be consulted on initiatives that align with the approved
strategy, and work will begin to allocate available resources to specific projects for 2016 to
2019 that will put the city's strategic plan into action. The city's business plan for 2016 to 2019
will be presented to Council in December 2015 for approval with the 2016 budget.
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The city's business plan is a unified blueprint for the work that will be done by the organization
to support each term of Council. The plan includes profiles for 47 core services, including: key
functions; the resources that are available to support service delivery; trends and future
challenges; indicators for the volume of work that is managed through these services on a
regular basis; and, an estimate of the percentage of full capacity that is required to consistently
meet existing service levels. On average, an estimated 94% of capacity of the organization is
dedicated to the day -to -day operation and management of the city's core services.
The remaining capacity, when available, is allocated to critical projects required to sustain the
organization, initiatives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of city services, and
projects to respond to strategic priorities as well as other Council directives with recent
examples such as: The Boat House change of occupant and resulting renovations, the Centre
in the Square Mandate Review, and the Management of Termite Infestations. On average, the
organization has been able to complete 10 -12 Corporate Projects and 50 -60 Divisional
Projects annually within the available capacity.
Working within existing budget constraints, there is always more work to be done than what
the organization has resources and capacity to take on. Given that we can't do everything,
prioritizing potential projects to identify those initiatives that will make the most difference
within the constraints of available resources is critical. As a result, some important initiatives
get deferred every year to allow the most important ones to move forward.
REPORT:
Staff are currently in the process of facilitating the development of a new strategic plan for the
City that includes goals and strategies for the next four years. The community priorities are
known but the goals and strategic actions are still being developed. Council will be consulted
on options and asked for their input into the plan as that process moves forward over the next
several months.
With Council approval of the new strategic plan expected in June of 2015, a new business plan
will follow that allocates resources to specific projects to put the strategic plan into action for
2016 -2019. Council will be consulted and asked for input into that business plan in September
and October of 2015.
Recognizing there may be some priority initiatives Council believes should begin even before
the new strategic plan and business plan are approved in 2015, staff are looking for Council
input on potential initiatives that may be resourced in the 2015 business plan to give us a head
start on the most urgent and important community issues.
At the November 12th session, Council will receive a brief overview of the strategic and
business planning processes, and will be requested to provide input on potential initiatives for
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2015 only. At a later date, Council will be provided with additional opportunities for more in-
depth discussion on issues, opportunities and longer term strategies for future years of their
term in office. The Community Priorities received by Council on September 15, 2014 will be
used as the framework for gathering input from Council.
Next Steps
Ideas received from Council on November 12th will be compiled into a single list of potential
initiatives for the 2015 business plan. As follow -up to the session, an electronic survey will be
distributed to members of Council to rank the items on the list in order of priority for inclusion in
the 2015 business plan. Responses will be required by November 21St so that results can be
summarized and the available capacity to address the top priorities and the associated impact
on other planned projects can be assessed at a high level. A summary report with the results
will be prepared for discussion at Finance and Corporate Services Committee on December 8th
with recommendations for moving forward.
Staff will prepare a comprehensive business plan for 2015 based on the direction received
from Council on December 8, which will be presented to Finance and Corporate Services
Committee on January 19, 2015 for approval in principle. The 2015 Business plan will be
scheduled for final approval with the budget on February 23, incorporating any necessary
adjustments.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The development of the City of Kitchener 2015 Business Plan aligns to the following areas of
the city's current strategic plan: Community Priorities: Leadership and Community
Engagement; Effective & Efficient Government: Organizational Governance; People Plan: A
Culture of Accountability and A Culture of Learning.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None at this time.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, Chief Administrative Officer
Attachments:
1. Community Priorities for Action: 2015 -2018
Community Priorities for Action: 2015 -2018
#1 GOVERNMENT - transparent, accountable and responsive government that
genuinely engages citizens in dialogue and collaborates on key decisions.
Priorities for action in 2015 -2018:
1. Provide more information on city spending, explain why spending decisions are made and
communicate in a way that is easy to understand.
2. Have more open and transparent decision making, explain how decisions are made and the
rational for key decisions.
3. Develop processes that ensure everyone can be engaged, represented and respected in the
city's decision making.
4. Show that the city is listening and taking what they hear into account, follow -up and follow
through.
5. Measure and evaluate performance, deliver on results, continuously improve.
#2 ECONOMY — resilient and prosperous local economy that provides a good standard
of living for all citizens.
Priorities for action in 2015 -2018:
6. Cultivate a local economy that is diverse and resilient.
7. Support the development of an employment base that fully engages the local workforce in jobs
where citizens can use their skills and experience.
8. Attract local businesses and industries that offer decent pay for reasonable hours of work, and
are both environmentally and socially responsible.
9. Increase the number of people that live downtown, bring more people into the downtown on
weekends and in the evenings and generate more activity on the streets.
10. Work with other orders of government and community agencies to influence policy and
resource allocation decisions that reduce the number of people that are homeless and living in
poverty in the city.
#3 ENVIRONMENT — ecologically sound environment with access to natural areas and
integration of natural features into urban areas.
Priorities for action in 2015 -2018:
11. Develop and implement an effective natural area conservation program; reintroduce, enhance
and maintain the natural environment in the urban area; and promote a culture of stewardship
throughout the community and with all of our partners.
12. Plant more trees on city streets and in parks and open spaces to increase the city's tree
canopy and maintain and /or replace existing trees.
13. Introduce green energy initiatives and reduce the environmental footprint of city operations.
14. Increase the number of community gardens and support local food production.
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Community Priorities for Action: 2015 -2018
#4 TRANSPORTATION — environmentally sustainable, safe and affordable options for
getting around the city.
Priorities for action in 2015 -2018:
15. Improve the condition of the city's roads and sidewalks.
16. Implement policies, programs, services and products that reduce the use of single occupancy
vehicle travel, develop and encourage the use of clean and green transportation options, and
increase the use of active transportation modes such as biking and walking.
17. Develop more safe and comfortable bikeways that offer riders an array of route choices and
reduce potential conflicts between people cycling and people driving.
18. Work collaboratively with community partners to better manage and enforce safe driving
behaviour.
19. Advocate for policy and resource allocation decisions at the Region and other orders of
government that improve the quality, availability and affordability of transit service.
#5 DEVELOPMENT — distinctive, attractive, walkable development with a strong sense
of place, mixed land use, compact urban areas and a range of housing choices.
Priorities for action in 2015 -2018:
20. Manage growth, curb urban sprawl, and foster more mixed -use development, intensification
and transit friendly neighbourhoods.
21. Work with other orders of government, community agencies and developers to
develop /influence policy and resource allocation decisions that will increase the range of
housing options in the city that support different lifestyles and income levels.
22. Effectively engage neighbourhoods in the design and approval of infill development to ensure it
is well integrated within the surrounding neighbourhood.
23. Improve the way opportunities to participate in the planning process are communicated,
engage the community in more effective ways using multiple methods to gather input, and
explain to people how their input made a difference.
#6 NEIGHBOURHOODS — facilities, amenities, services, programs and initiatives that
create quality of life, foster inclusion and community well- being.
Priorities for action in 2015 -2018:
24. Keep city facilities well maintained, accessible to all, clean and safe.
25. Keep neighbourhood trees, parks, playgrounds and trails clean, safe, and well maintained and
add more neighbourhood amenities where possible.
26. Facilitate and promote low or no -cost neighbourhood events and initiatives that encourage
inclusion, fellowship and neighbourhood identity.
27. Improve the enforcement of city by -laws, particularly property maintenance standards.
28. Advocate for the Region, the Police and community support agencies to address
neighbourhood safety concerns and put measures in place that reduce criminal activity and
aggressive, intimidating or disrespectful public behaviour, particularly downtown.
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