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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCompass Kitchener - 2018-04-04 COMPASS KITCHENER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES APRIL 4, 2018 CITY OF KITCHENER The Compass Kitchener Advisory Committee met this date, commencing at 4:05 p.m. Present: Mr. L. Collins, Chair Ms. L. Trumper, Ms. A. Sare, Ms. L. Gazzola and Mr. J. Brown Staff: L. Majcher, Manager of Strategy & Business Planning K. Dever, Director of Strategy & Corporate Performance J. MacDonald, Community Engagement Consultant L. Korabo, Executive Assistant to the CAO / Committee Administrator Ms. L. Majcher introduced Ms. Kathryn Dever, the City’s newly appointed Director of Strategy & Corporate Performance. As Ms. Dever’s portfolio will include the work of this Committee, she was in attendance to observe. 1. ENVIRONICS SURVEY - UPDATE Ms. L. Majcher provided the following update on the Environics Research Group’s survey to gather citizen input on community priorities for the next four years: survey has been completed and data collected; reports and summary conclusions will be generated and shared with the Community th Survey Sub-committee at their April 17 meeting; nd survey results will be shared with the full committee at their May 2 meeting; Environics will present survey results to Council during a special Strategy session on May th 7. Infographics will be used to assist with communicating. Ms. Majcher suggested the sub-committee could provide direction on the type of information to be publicly shared via infographics and confirmed that all will be posted on the City’s website (www.kitchener.ca) in advance as part of the staff report. 2. REPORT CARD PRESENTATION - DEBRIEF th Mr. J. Brown provided an overview of the Report Card Sub-committee’s April 19 presentation to City Council. Mr. Brown noted the presentation and subsequent question/answer period lasted approximately 1.5 hours and he shared feedback provided on the following priority areas: Safe & Thriving Neighbourhoods – inquired if Compass Kitchener was able to identify areas of the city where a mixture of housing, office, retail and other amenities will advocate for more walkable neighbourhoods and act as a catalyst to get people out of cars. Strong & Resilient Economy – some members of Council indicated surprise with the grade assigned. Open Government – not much feedback was provided on this priority. The Committee was also advised that Mayor Vrbanovic had suggested that senior staff be invited to attend meetings to provide updates on corporate projects and solicit member feedback on initiatives as opportunities arise. This type of early interaction on projects and initiatives would provide Committee members with valuable insight into the processes within City Hall. Ms. L. Majcher suggested the sub-committee de-brief on the report card process and share their thoughts with the full Committee at a future meeting. 3. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN - UPDATE Ms. J. MacDonald advised the Community Engagement Sub-committee has met and reviewed overall process timelines for the next 5 month period. She circulated a timeline matrix showing dates for future Compass Kitchener meetings, major process deadlines as well as sub- committee work timelines, all leading to the presentation of finalized community priorities for the next four-year period to City Council on September 24, 2018. It was noted that within the next month, several different sub-committees have work that needs to be completed in order to meet deadlines. COMPASS KITCHENER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES APRIL 4, 2018 - 9 - CITY OF KITCHENER 3. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN – UPDATE (CONT’D) In order to finalize the draft Community Engagement Plan, members were advised it would be circulated and input gathered via email as the deadline to submit the staff report and Plan is nd May 2 (the same date as the next Compass Kitchener meeting). At the Committee’s May nd 2, meeting, approval of the Community Engagement Plan will be requested; however, there will be no opportunity for additional changes at that time. Members were reminded the th Environics survey results will be presented on Monday, May 7, the same day as the Community Engagement Plan report. With regard to the upcoming All Committees meeting, Ms. MacDonald stated the survey results are needed in order for the Engagement Sub-committee to begin planning the meeting content (e.g. questions, facilitation methods); however, the Sub-committee tasked with developing the meeting details (e.g. date, location, timing, room setup) could begin discussions as meeting ‘Hold the Date’ notifications should be sent in the near future to all advisory committee members. A general discussion occurred regarding possible dates for the All Committee meeting. It was noted the City Hall Rotunda space has been put on hold for two June dates, with a final decision needed in the near future. Input from this community engagement opportunity would be compiled with information gathered via other tactics. Ms. MacDonald referred to the timeline matrix and pointed out that early analytical results on identified themes could be shared at Compass Kitchener’s August meeting. This would allow th for a discussion on emerging priorities which could then be finalized at the September 5 meeting in time for review by the Corporate Leadership Team and subsequent report submission and presentation to City Council. Several members expressed concern regarding attendance at the August Committee meeting due to its proximity to the Civic Holiday weekend. Ms. L. Majcher stressed the importance of the meeting content due to submission timelines and suggested that consideration be given to moving the meeting date, allowing for better attendance. Ms. Majcher agreed to circulate a poll containing alternates dates in August. 4. ALL-COMMITTEES MEETING – SUB COMMITTEE UPDATE & DISCUSSION Tied to the previous discussion regarding the Community Engagement Plan, Compass Kitchener noted the importance of setting a date for the All-Committee Meeting and inviting all advisory committee members to participate. Compass Kitchener agreed on the importance of communicating that the purpose of the meeting was to gather feedback on the community’s priorities for the next four-year period. As the All-Committee meeting is tentatively proposed for mid-June (exact date TBC), Ms. L. Majcher recommended the planning sub-committee connect over the next two-week period to flush out meeting requirements, set-up, etc. She suggested the attendance of the City’s Communications staff could assist with brainstorming ideas and would also ensure the use of branding is included in all outreach. Mr. L. Collins agreed to schedule the meetings. Once the sub-committee has finalized its plans, they will be shared with the full Committee. It was generally agreed that a ‘Hold the Date’ email should be sent to all advisory committees as soon as a date is finalized. Ms. J. MacDonald shared high level details of the planning sub-committee brainstorming, including: the use of table activities to gather input; sharing of emerging patterns/themes from the Environics survey to drive discussion; the use of shared facilitators to ensure conversations stay on track and also appropriately communicate the value of the input being gathered and how it will be used. Members then discussed outreach considerations in order to ensure strong attendance at the All Committees meeting, including an agreed-upon suggestion that each Compass Kitchener member attend an advisory committee meeting and share an overview and invitation to the event. A scripted message could be developed to ensure consistent messaging by all members. Ms. Majcher noted that presentation times for each advisory committee’s May meeting would need to be requested. She agreed to do so and also circulate a poll for members to sign up and attend/present. COMPASS KITCHENER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES APRIL 4, 2018 - 10 - CITY OF KITCHENER 4. ALL-COMMITTEES MEETING – SUB COMMITTEE UPDATE & DISCUSSION – (CONT’D) Finally, it was suggested it would be helpful for the All Committees planning, if the Community Engagement Sub-committee shared their ideas/suggestions. Ms. MacDonald agreed to share feedback to assist with discussions on meeting setup and logistics. 5. STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN – UDPATE Ms. L. Majcher shared a first-quarter update on the City’s Strategic Action Plan 2015-2018, as follows: Open Government – Closing the Loop with Citizens initiative will be piloted for a six-month period with an expectation to expend to more city services after one year; Strong & Resilient Economy – Federal Supercluster Funding will help to build next- generation manufacturing capabilities by focusing on training and technology adoption. More than 130 private sector partners have qualified for up to $230M; Safe & Thriving Neighbourhoods – Neighbourhood Markets will begin appearing around the community as a ‘market kit’ has been developed to help residents run markets in their neighbourhoods; Sustainable Environment & Infrastructure – Improvements of $1.7M will be undertaken along the busiest stretch of the Iron Horse Trail; and, Effective & Efficient City Services – the 2018 budget approved a 1.6% property tax increase for residents as well as a 6.5% increase in utility fees. 6.ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m. L. Korabo Committee Administrator