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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-15-005 - 2015-2018 Strategic Plan REPORT TO: Planning and Strategic Initiatives Meeting DATE OF MEETING: May 4, 2015 SUBMITTED BY: Laurie Majcher, Manager Strategy & Business Planning, 519-741-2200 ext. 7817 PREPARED BY: Laurie Majcher, Manager Strategy & Business Planning, 519-741-2200 ext. 7817 WARD (S) INVOLVED: ALL DATE OF REPORT: April 23, 2015 REPORT NO.: CAO-15-005 SUBJECT:Council Input to the 2015-2018 Strategic Plan _________________________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: For Discussion BACKGROUND: In September 2014, Compass Kitchener presented Council with the results of phase one of the strategic planning process, Community Priorities for Action: 2015-2018, based on input received from extensive public consultation. City staff have since completed phase two, the environmental scan. This research helped to identify recent accomplishments, existing commitments and areas of potential future focus for the city, looking at trends and leading practices in municipalities across Canada. In addition, ideas generated at the council strategy session held on November 12, 2014 were also taken into account. Building on this research, the corporate leadership team has established nine strategy teams to develop potential strategic actions for the next strategic plan that will respond to community priorities and other emerging issues and opportunities. The strategy teams are comprised of city staff from all departments and all levels of the organization, with more than 50 staff participating in this work. Each strategy team has been assigned a strategic theme and were asked to recommend progressive and achievable strategic options that will drive the work of the organization over the next four years. This work is expected to come to a close over the next few weeks with a final list of recommendations presented to senior management in mid-May. REPORT: Staff will provide a presentation on May 4th and seek to engage Council in a discussion on the work that has been completed to date by the strategy teams. The strategic options presented in Appendix A continues to be a work in progress, and captures the initial thoughts and ideas from staff on possible future directions and strategic actions for the city for this term of Council. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 1 - 1 City staff will be looking to Council for input and direction in response to their preliminary ideas at the Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee meeting to be held on May 4, 2015. At that meeting, the committee will receive a presentation on the highlights of this document and will be requested to provide comment in response to the following questions: Question 1: What do you believe the city should take action on in the next four years? What are the most pressing priorities? Question 2: Are there specific projects or actions you would like to see move forward to make progress in these areas? What results are you expecting in the next four years? Question 3: Overall, how effective do you think these strategies will be in driving the results that are most important to you and the citizens of Kitchener? What might we be missing? Next Steps Input received from the Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee on May 4th will be taken into consideration as these ideas continue to be improved. The corporate leadership team will consider all of the options that are developed, consult with their management teams and key staff to select those strategies that best meet the expectations of the community and reflect the priorities of Council given the budget constraints. Final recommendations for the City of Kitchener 2015-2018 Strategic Plan will be presented to the committee on June 15th for review and discussion prior to Council approval. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The development of the City of Kitchener Strategic Plan for 2015-2018 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 Accountablity, and A Culture of Learning FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: There are no financial implications associated with this body of work at this time. Strategic options that involve the introduction of new programs and services, or involve substantial increases in service levels will require future operating resources to be sustainable. For this reason, it may not be possible to make meaningful progress on all of the ideas presented in Appendix A given existing budget constraints. It may be necessary to explore new funding sources in future budgets or consider options to reallocate resources from existing programs and services to address Council’s strategic priorities. 1 - 2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. CONSULT – Almost 3,000 citizens participated in the community engagement process, including the Environics survey in November and December of 2013, and the Your Kitchener, Your Say! community engagement campaign during the months of May and June 2014. The results of the community engagement process are included in Appendix B – Community Priorities for Action: 2015-2018. This document has been used as the basis for the ideas included in Appendix A, and all of the community priorities have been cross referenced to the list of Strategic Options to show how they have been incorporated into the proposed ideas. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapman, DCAO Finance and Corporate Services Attachments: Appendix A: The City of Kitchener 2015-2018 Strategic Options Appendix B: Community Priorities for Action 2015-2018 Appendix C: Council Ideas for the 2015 Business Plan Deferred to the Strategic Planning Process 1 - 3 The City of Kitchener 2015-2018 STRATEGIC OPTIONS For discussion purposes only Planning&StrategicInitiativesCommittee May4,2015 1 - 4 Appendix A Ï City of Kitchener 2015-2018 Strategic Options LEGEND: Strategies that have this symbol beside them represent areas where city staff anticipate that a new or innovate approach is required to realize the results expected by the community. The city will need to do some research, explore cost effective options and develop action plans before ideas can be implemented to deliver benefit to the community. Strategies that have this symbol beside them represent strategic directions that already have some momentum in the organization. In order to move forward with implementation to make the expected progress, these strategies will continue to need Council and senior management support over the next four years. The Kitchener Economic Development Strategy is currently under development. While the broad areas of focus are generally defined, the degree to which a new or innovative approach is required is yet to be determined. The recommendations for the next strategic plan will be updated as the priorities for KEDS become more evident over the next few months. For Discussion Purposes Only 1 - 5 Appendix A Ï City of Kitchener 2015-2018 Strategic Options Strategic Theme #1: Open government Objectives: 1. Accountability - strengthen external communication on issues of public concern to explain how decisions are made and the rationale for key decisions. 2. Participation - facilitate community dialogue on issues of public interest and actively invite community participation in the city’s decision-making processes. 3. Transparency - Provide accessible and understandable information to the public on what the city does and how it operates, including where tax dollars are spent and how they are used to serve the community Strategic Theme #2: Strong & resilient economy **Objectives: (will evolve as KEDS is developed) 1. Innovation – foster a business environment that stimulates local innovation, building on local strengths in tech and manufacturing to boost local competitiveness on the global stage. 2. Talent – develop and nurture a high quality of life in the city so that talented people want to live here. 3. Culture - encourage investment in the cultural sector as a key driver of a creative city and creative economy. 4. Regional Networks - strengthen Kitchener’s connections within the GTA- Waterloo Region corridor to support the development of a globally-significant regional innovation economy. 5. Communication - develop a distinct and effective communications strategy that supports the City’s evolving identity as a destination for investment and talented, creative people. For Discussion Purposes Only 1 - 6 Appendix A Ï City of Kitchener 2015-2018 Strategic Options Strategic Theme #3: Environmental stewardship Objectives 1. Urban Forest – develop and implement a program to manage and maintain the city’s tree inventory to support a sustainable urban forest ecosystem. 2. Energy – continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption in all areas of city operations. 3. Storm Water – continue to develop and implement a Storm Water Master Plan taking an integrated approach to water quality, water quantity, erosion control, the natural environment and source water protection. 4. Transportation – continue to provide and encourage active transportation options that reduce the dependence on the automobile as a way of getting around. 5. Natural Areas – continue to develop and maintain an ecologically diverse open space network Strategic Theme #4: A healthy and complete community Objectives: 1. Choice - foster development that gives people options that suit a variety of lifestyles and income levels. 2. Participation - keep residents informed, encourage participation and give them a meaningful role in how their community changes as it grows. 3. Sustainability –continue to encourage new development that incorporates energy management principles. 4. Growth – continue to establish priorities for future intensification and manage growth to support the city’s development goals. 5. Placemaking – continue to encourage the development of vibrant and active public places and spaces within the city. For Discussion Purposes Only 1 - 7 Appendix A Ï City of Kitchener 2015-2018 Strategic Options Strategic Theme #5: Active transportation options Objectives: 1. Maintenance – evaluate the feasibility of a program for year-round maintenance for the city’s pedestrian and cycling network in high priority areas.. 2. Safety - develop and implement measures to improve safety for the users of the city’s transportation network. 3. Connections - continue to develop a network of safe, comfortable and linked pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. 4. Promotion – continue to encourage and support active transportation options as a lifestyle choice for citizens. 5. Development – continue to integrate transportation demand management strategies into the zoning by-law, site plan review and the development approval process. Strategic Theme #6: Safe and thriving neighbourhoods. Objectives: 1. Placemaking - create a network of public parks, trails and gathering places that bring neighbours together. 2. Participation - give citizens tools and opportunities to play a leadership role in creating great neighbourhoods. 3. Relationships - foster a sense of belonging in neighbourhoods where people know and respect each other and value the diversity within their neighbourhood. 4. Recreation – continue to provide recreational opportunities that support neighbourhood needs. 5. Connections – continue to develop a network of active transportation options that build more connection between neighbours. For Discussion Purposes Only 1 - 8 Appendix A Ï City of Kitchener 2015-2018 Strategic Options Strategic Theme #7: Sustainable assets and infrastructure Objectives: 1.Funding Programs - improve the city’s ability to take advantage of funding programs for infrastructure and assets and advocate for greater investment by other orders of government. 2.Climate Change - assess the risks and potential impacts associated with anticipated climate change in Waterloo Region, develop an action plan and implement strategies to improve the resiliency of the city’s infrastructure and assets. 3. Total Cost of Ownership – continue to develop asset management plans for all of the city’s asset categories to minimize total cost of ownership with a financially sustainable long-range funding program that reflect the city’s priorities. 4. Maintenance Plans – continue to improve maintenance programs that support expected service levels for the city’s buildings, roads, sidewalks, underground pipes and pumping stations and other assets. Strategic Theme #8: Effective & Efficient City Services Objectives: 1. Accountability - strengthen employee engagement, performance management processes and a culture of accountability for results. 2. Community Safety - Develop and roll-out plans for emergency management and business continuity to protect citizens, and help enable critical services to be continually delivered in an emergency or business disruption. 3. Continuous Improvement - continue to improve the design and delivery of city services through service reviews and audits, continuous improvement initiatives and service innovation across all city services. 4. Technology – continue to establish clear priorities for future investment in technology and implement systems that promote better collaboration within the organization, support more efficient work processes and deliver greater citizen satisfaction with city services. 5. Financial Management – continue to develop and implement a plan for the long-term financial sustainability of the city and establish related financial policies to guide decision making. For Discussion Purposes Only 1 - 9 Appendix A Ï City of Kitchener 2015-2018 Strategic Options 6.Government Advocacy – Work collaboratively with the Region, neighbouring municipalities and other orders of government, and advocate on issues of public concern, such as: transit, housing, poverty, policing and infrastructure investment. Strategic Theme #9: Excellent Customer Service Objectives: 1. Service Quality - improve processes to deliver service that is fast, efficient and convenient. 2. Citizen-centered Service - strengthen a citizen-centered approach to service delivery and an organizational culture that puts the citizen first. 3.First Contact – continue to make progress on developing convenient and effective channels for citizens to access city information and services. For Discussion Purposes Only 1 - 10 Appendix B - 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: Strategic Options 1.3 Provide more information on city spending, explain why spending decisions are 1. made and communicate in a way that is easy to understand. 1.1 Have more open and transparent decision making, explain how decisions are 2. made and the rational for key decisions. 1.2 Develop processes that ensure everyone can be engaged, represented and 3. respected in the city’s decision making. 1.2 Show that the city is listening and taking what they hear into account, follow- 4. up and follow through. 8.1, 8.3, Measure and evaluate performance, deliver on results, continuously improve. 5. 8.4 #2 ECONOMY – resilient and prosperous local economy that provides a good standard of living for all citizens. Priorities for action in 2015-2018: Strategic Options 2.1 Cultivate a local economy that is diverse and resilient. 6. 2.1, 2.4 Support the development of an employment base that fully engages the local 7. workforce in jobs where citizens can use their skills and experience. 2.1 Attract local businesses and industries that offer decent pay for reasonable 8. hours of work, and are both environmentally and socially responsible. 2.2, 2.3 Increase the number of people that live downtown, bring more people into the 9. downtown on weekends and in the evenings and generate more activity on the streets. 8.6 Work with other orders of government and community agencies to influence 10. policy and resource allocation decisions that reduce the number of people that are homeless and living in poverty in the city. 1 - 11 Appendix B - Community Priorities for Action: 2015-2018 #3 ENVIRONMENT – ecologically sound environment with access to natural areas and integration of natural features into urban areas. Priorities for action in 2015-2018: Strategic Options Develop and implement an effective natural area conservation program; 11. 3.3 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. Plant more trees on city streets and in parks and open spaces to increase the 12. 3.1 city’s tree canopy and maintain and/or replace existing trees. Introduce green energy initiatives and reduce the environmental footprint of 13. 3.2 city operations. Increase the number of community gardens and support local food production. 14. 6.1 #4 TRANSPORTATION – environmentally sustainable, safe and affordable options for getting around the city. Priorities for action in 2015-2018: Strategic Options Improve the condition of the city’s roads and sidewalks. 15. 7.4 Implement policies, programs, services and products that reduce the use of 16. 5.1, 5.3, single occupancy vehicle travel, develop and encourage the use of clean and 5.5 green transportation options, and increase the use of active transportation modes such as biking and walking. Develop more safe and comfortable bikeways that offer riders an array of 17. 3.5, 5.2 route choices and reduce potential conflicts between people cycling and people driving. Work collaboratively with community partners to better manage and enforce 18. 5.4 safe driving behaviour. Advocate for policy and resource allocation decisions at the Region and other 19. 8.6 orders of government that improve the quality, availability and affordability of transit service. 1 - 12 Appendix B - Community Priorities for Action: 2015-2018 #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: Strategic Options Manage growth, curb urban sprawl, and foster more mixed-use development, 20. 4.3 intensification and transit friendly neighbourhoods. Work with other orders of government, community agencies and developers 21. 4.1 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. Effectively engage neighbourhoods in the design and approval of infill 22. 4.2 development to ensure it is well integrated within the surrounding neighbourhood. Improve the way opportunities to participate in the planning process are 23. 4.2 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: Strategic Options Keep city facilities well maintained, accessible to all, clean and safe. 24. 7.4 Keep neighbourhood trees, parks, playgrounds and trails clean, safe, and well 25. 6.4 maintained and add more neighbourhood amenities where possible. Facilitate and promote low or no-cost neighbourhood events and initiatives 26. 6.3 that encourage inclusion, fellowship and neighbourhood identity. Improve the enforcement of city by-laws, particularly property maintenance 27. 6.3 standards. Advocate for the region, police and community support agencies to address 28. 8.6 neighbourhood safety concerns and put measures in place to reduce criminal activity and aggressive, intimidating or disrespectful public behaviour, particularly downtown. Strategic Options: These reference numbers identify the specific strategies included in APPENDIX A: Strategic Options that respond to each of the community priorities for action. 1 - 13 AppendixC‘IdeasReferredtotheStrategicPlanningProcess stst Rank115+ Total NewIdea ChoicePicks Points InArea ComprehensivereviewoftheCity'scommunity 1313 engagementpracticesandrecommendimprovements Findmoreeffectivewaysofcommunicatingwithcitizens 1411 aboutthebreakdownoftheirtaxdollars Lookatestablishinganadvancedmanufacturing 1511 incubator Lookatthepotentialtoincreasethenumberof 1611 neighbourhoodmarketsinthecity Assesstheresourcerequirementstoincreaseproactive 1711 enforcementofthecity'sbylaws Assessthepossibilityofcitywideincentivesto 189 attract/retainretail 19Developastrategyforalternativeenergy9 Developaw/š’¦Œ;·;StreetstšŒz-äx9 20 Exploreopportunitiesforrevenuesharingbetween 9 21 neighbourhoodassociations Explorethepotentialforafreshfoodtruck(mobile 8 22 market)inpartnershipwiththeKitchenerMarket Assessthepotentialforalargescaledogparkinthecity 8 23 andmicrodogparks DevelopapolicythatrequirestheMayor&City 248 Councillorstoposttheirexpensesonline,astheyoccur Lookintoincentivesforenvironmentallysustainable 8 25 development/buildings/design. Lookatdevelopingaprogramtocreateactivityinvacant 267 commercialspaceinboththedowntownandsuburbs Extendthecity'scurrentschoolzonespeedreduction 7 27 programtootherareas Developacitywideneighbourhooddaycelebration‘ 7 28 2016Implementation 1 - 14 AppendixC‘IdeasReferredtotheStrategicPlanningProcess stst Rank115+ Total NewIdea ChoicePicks Points InArea Developashadepolicyforparksandpublicspacesthat 29dealswithbothtreecoverandothermethodsfor7 creatingshade Extendparkingstandardsaroundschoolsprogramcity 307 wide Investinthedevelopmentofthedowntownbeyond 7 31 KingStreet Evaluatethepotentialforaddinglighting(motion sensor)inneighbourhoodsbeyonddowntownto7 32 improvesafety LookintoputtingasidewalkonJubileeDrive7 33 Bettercommunicationtocitizensonservicelevelsto 346 manageexpectations Evaluateadequacyofbudgetforroadrepairsand 6 35 maintenance Provideeasytofind,easytouseandunderstand informationtocitizensregardingdevelopment6 36 applicationsonline DevelopapolicythatrequirestheMayor&City 37Councillorstopreparepubliclyaccessibletripreportson6 alltaxfundedtravel Lookintopartnershipswithnewenvironmentalgroups, 38strengthenexistingpartnershipsandworkwith6 volunteerstoestablisha{D©;;“IÒ,| Conductacomprehensivereviewofthe/z·äx­real 4 39 estateassets Evaluatetheoptionofallowingchickencoopsin 4 40 backyardsinthecity 41Developastrategyforurbanfarming3 Regularcommunicationtothepublicontheprogress, 423 impactandbenefitsoftheLRT Lookintoincentivestoencourage{Œ“7’©‰|building 3 43 designandarchitecture Prepareforthecelebrationof/“7x­150thin20172 44 1 - 15 AppendixC‘IdeasReferredtotheStrategicPlanningProcess stst Rank115+ Total NewIdea ChoicePicks Points InArea InstallelectronicInformationsignsatrailwaycrossings 2 45 toletpeopleknowhowlongthetrainwilltaketopass DevelopaCommunityPrideCampaign2 46 Providecitizenswithsimpleandeasytounderstand 471 reportsonthebenefitsofinvestinginthedowntown Getabetterunderstandingofthecriteriatheregion usestodecidewhenandwherenoisebarrierswillbe1 48 constructed ExplorethepotentialforadditionalsupportforBelmont 490 VillageBIA 50 RemovaloftrafficcalmingonGreenbrook0 Legend: st 1CommunityPriority‘Anideawiththemosttotalpointsineachofthe6communitypriorityareas st 1Choice‘L7;­thatwereallocatedthemostpointsbyanindividualcouncillor 5+Picks‘Ideaswhereatleast5councillorsallocatedpoints 1 - 16