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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance & Admin - 1997-02-24 SFAC\1997 -02 -24-S P E FEBRUARY 24, 1997 FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MINUTES CITY OF KITCHENER The Finance and Administration Committee met this date in special session commencing at 7:00 p.m. under the Chairmanship of Councillor J. Ziegler with the following members present: Mayor R. Christy, Councillors T. Galloway, G. Lorentz, K. Redman, Jake Smola, John Smola, M. Wagner, C. Weylie and M. Yantzi. Others present: Messrs. J. Gazzola, J. Hancock, O den Ouden, T. McCabe, J. Shivas, D. Paterson, R. Arnot, E. Kovacs and G. Sosnoski. The purpose of the meeting was to receive input from the public concerning the corporate action plan jointly developed by City Council and Senior management and appended hereto and forming part of these minutes. Notice of the special meeting was provided to the public through a newspaper advertisement. The Committee was previously in receipt of written submissions from Ms. Trudy Beaulne, Mr. Phil Bluck and Ms. JoAnne Goure. CORPORATE ACTION PLAN Councillor Ziegler advised that Mr. Phil Bluck, General Manager, Waterloo Regional Airport is in attendance this date to give a verbal presentation, and in addition has left a video casette on airport services. Rather than show the video this evening, Councillor Ziegler asked that staff arrange for equipment to be placed in the Councillor's Lounge so that they can view the video as time allows. Mr. Phil Bluck referred to his previously circulated information package and the relationship between economic development initiatives and the local airport, and read from a written submission dated February 24, 1997. Mr. Bluck referred to changes in the airline industry which have resulted in increased activity, and conversations with people in the area business community who are anticipating increased activity and services from the Waterloo Regional Airport. Mr. Bluck suggested that a successful Regional airport could be the primary economic catalyst for growth over the next 20 years, and consequently a close relationship between economic development departments and the Airport are as important as ever. He asked that Council take his comments into consideration when reorganizing the Economic Development Department as outlined in Objective 1.5 of the action plan. In response to questions, Mr. Bluck advised that in 1996 there were 80,000 airport movements at the Waterloo Regional Airport, and 60 per cent of these involved corporate and business aviation. He suggested that the companies utilizing this type of service are the ones we should be attracting to the Region. Mr. Bluck advised that the Regional Airport is in an ideal location to accommodate direct international service and noted that there is ample land adjacent to the site for expansion. He suggested that Pearson International Airport will be tapped out between the years 2005 - 2007 and that Hamilton and Waterloo are the only existing alternatives. He suggested that the Regional Airport is in a good position to absorb additional traffic and is better situated geographically than Hamilton. Mr. Bluck advised that at present a project team is in place and that a business plan is expected by July of this year. He further noted that one of the components of the business plan will involve road infrastructure in and around the Airport. Councillor Weylie invited Mr. Bluck to attend the next meeting to the Regional Transportation Committee scheduled for March 20, 1997. Ms. Trudy Beaulne appeared and spoke to her previously circulated written submission. She indicated that she was pleased that the Action Plan had been published in the local newspaper, but was not clear on the timelines for implementation. Councillor Jake Smola provided her with a more detailed copy of the Plan which outlines responsibilities and timelines. Ms. Beaulne pointed out that the Action Plan does not define "responsible citizenship", and suggested that ratepayers should be active participants in municipal government and not just customers. She encouraged Kitchener to adopt a Healthy Communities Model as a basic template for determining corporate goals, noting that such a model would incorporate economic and environmental goals along with social and community development. The combined influence of these components influences the health of a city and the quality of life of its FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 24, 1997 - 49 - CITY OF KITCHENER CORPORATE ACTION PLAN - CONT'D citizens. She urged Council to consider an expansion of its measurement of corporate success to include environmental and community indicators, as well as the more traditional budget and economic indicators. This would allow the use of cost-benefit models based on more than monetary measures alone. Ms. Beaulne suggested that the term "safe" in the mission statement be replaced with "livable" and suggested a further expansion of the statement to define the role of the responsible citizen as follows "...whose citizens are active, concerned and responsible neighbours within the neighbourhoods where they live, in their workplaces and through community and civic opportunities." Ms. Beulne then went on to suggest a number of other changes to specific goals and objectives as outlined in her written presentation. Councillor Ziegler advised that Council would discuss the changes suggested by Ms. Beaulne. Councillor Galloway pointed out that the process followed by Council and senior management in developing the Action Plan was more internally, as opposed to externally focused. He suggested that the points raised by Ms. Beaulne are legitimate and that Council should consider more qualitative elements such as community development. Mr. Boleslaw Czernewcan appeared in his capacity as a citizen and a bus operator for Kitchener Transit. He also circulated a written submission containing numerous suggestions for improvement of the City's Transit System. Mr. Czernewcan advised that he has been a transit driver for 25 years and has some knowledge of other transit systems around the world. He suggested that a transit system should be viewed as a service to the public and not be considered as a source of revenue alone. However, notwithstanding this, it should be run in a businesslike fashion and provide an effective alternative form of transportation. Mr. Czernewcan then referred to some of the suggested improvements in his written submission, noting that at present the system is inconvenient for users. He suggested that the amount of travel time is inappropriate, and referred to the 45 minute sequencing of buses and the need to revise the ticket and fare structure. Mr. Czernewcan pointed out that a good road system is essential to the provision of good transit service, and that the current roads make this difficult. He noted that changing the one-way streets on the ring road to two-way is not a good idea and will have a negative impact on transit. He also suggested improvements in the area of parking enforcement along bus routes, the timing of traffic signals to facilitate transit movement, and other improvements which would shorten the time for travel through the Downtown. Mr. Czernewcan suggested that there is also a need to evaluate access to the Downtown Transit Terminal, as at present between 5 and 10 minutes of travel time are lost through entering and exiting the terminal. He suggested that a more radical change would be to bypass the Downtown Terminal altogether and only stop briefly to pick up passengers. He also made the following suggestions; changing the road system to a grid system, so that roads cross each other but do not overlap; reducing travel time to distant locations such as Conestoga and Fairview Malls through the use of expressway routes; re-evaluate the location of bus stops and provide additional protection against vandalism; insure that sub-terminals are safe; put the Telerider Sytem on local computer and T.V. networks; and, develop a mainline connection with Cambridge and extend service to Guelph and the Regional Airport. Mr. Czernewcan suggested that the latter would be incremental steps towards the formation of a Regional transit system. In closing, Mr. Czernewcan suggested that a good transit system is essential in attracting business to the community. Councillor Zielger asked that the Clerk provide a copy of Mr. Czernewcan written submission to Council and relevant staff. Mr. Gazzola advised that a process is currently under way to discuss transit improvements, and that Mr. Czernewcan's suggestions will be passed be along to the General Manager of Public Works, who is responsible for Transit. Mr. Czernewcan advised that he had missed the previously scheduled workshop, but pointed out that at present there is still the lack of a unifying transit concept to draw together individual ideas. Councillor Galloway referred to the comments made by Mr. Czernewcan concerning a Regional transit system and asked whether he was referring to linkages or a fully integrated system, and he replied that he would see the development as a stage by stage movement toward a fully integrated system. Councillor 1. CORPORATE ACTION PLAN - CONT'D FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 24, 1997 - 50 - CITY OF KITCHENER Wagner stressed the need to attract riders who are presently not using the system, and indicated his personal interest in hearing any new ideas transit drivers may have for improving the service. Mr. Czernewcan suggested that it is not necessary to hire a consultant to review the transit operation, but as an alternative Council could set up a competition for redesigning the system which could be accessed by area schools. Mr. Rudy Grosz appeared in his capacity as President of the Canadian Auto Workers Union Local #4304. He indicated that the Union supports the restructuring of the transit system, and is presently looking into such areas as fare structure, alternate vehicle types, internal costs and use of existing facilties, generation of new income as well as route structure. He pointed out that all of these things take time to develop and indicated that he hoped Council was prepared to give staff the time necesssary to improve the system. Mr. Grosz also pointed out that over the past two years the number of transit drivers has decreased from 197 to 177, and that these drivers are still servicing the same system. He advised that the Union is prepared to help in the process of change, but expressed concern over objectives 5.1 and 5.2 dealing with partnerships. He suggested that the use of school buses and taxis is not a form of partnership the Union is interested in, and stressed that it is ultimately drivers which make the system work. He noted that in bad weather, school buses are the first vehicles taken off the road, while Kitchener Transit buses are the last. He stated that the Union is not interested in partnership deals, and stressed that it takes a great deal of dedication to run a transit system and that Kitchener should be proud that it has one of the best systems for its size, in large part due to its drivers and maintenance personnel. Mr. Grosz stated that his Union's objective is to become more cost effective without layoffs and while maintaining a wage employees can live on. In closing, he expressed his belief that staff can make the system work better. Councillor Lorentz agreed that it will take time to improve the system, and that Council is committed to allowing the time needed. He expressed concern over comments that the Union is not interested in talking about partnerships, noting that he could see Kitchener Transit being responsible for busing all students to local schools. He cautioned against the danger of saying "no" before all the details are available. Mr. Grosz clarified that he is objecting to school buses being used to do the job of Kitchener Transit. Mayor Christy responded that the partnership goal includes listening to worker's suggestions, and indicated that Kitchener Transit can put its own name on that goal. Mayor Christy offered the view that it is Transit workers who have made the system as good as it is, and that Council is now seeking their help in making it better. Mayor Christy acknowledged the presence of Mr. Wayne Hussey, who acted as a facilitator with Council and Senior management in developing the draft Action Plan. He asked Mr. Hussey to comment on the changes suggested this evening. Mr. Hussey stressed the importance of Mr. Grosz's comments as they relate to how to make things better. He suggested that the exercise presently under way is very important and is a sincere attempt by stakeholders to sustain and improve service. He suggested that the patience of all stakeholders is required and that Council needs to answer the fundamental question of whether transit is an enterprise or a service. Mr. Hussey suggested that all input should be listened to and incorporated into the Action Plan, and that all of the suggestions put forward by Mr. Czernewcan should be directed to the current transit evaluation process. Mr. Hussey applauded Council, noting that it is one of the few in the Province to undertake a written Corporate Action Plan. Mr. Hussey advised that the next step is for department heads, union leaders and volunteers to identify areas where work is required, and noted that Kitchener Transit has already begun this process. He also encouraged Council to regularly enquire on the progress with respect to particular items in the Plan. Councillor Ziegler referred to the suggestions made by Ms. Beaulne this evening concerning citizen involvement, and Mr. Hussey cautioned that if a mission statement cannot be memorized it is too long, and that the proposed change may involve too many words. He also commented that in the areas of goals and services, her statements are very relevant. Councillor Lorentz suggested that the Plan be referred to Mr. Gazzola to begin a process of implementation through senior staff, with any areas requiring further clarification being directed back to Council. Councillor Galloway pointed out that Council must first finalize the document, and CORPORATE ACTION PLAN - CONT'D further suggested that it should be updated on an annual basis. He also suggested amending goals #2 and #3 and per the comments made by Ms. Beaulne, noting that the term "progressive community leadership" was intended to address some of these. He also suggested that the FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 24, 1997 -51 - CITY OF KITCHENER mission statement should be changed to substitute the word "livable" for the word "safe". Mr. Gazzola encouraged Council to adopt the Action Plan at its March 3, 1997 meeting, noting that it can be subsequently reworked as it is expected that the Plan will change from time to time. Councillor Ziegler suggested that the Committee accept the Action Plan as submitted, with staff to incorporate the changes suggested tonight. Moved by Councillor M. Wagner, "That subject to review by Management Committee, and where appropriate changes to reflect input as a result of the February 24, 1997 public meeting, Council adopt, as amended, the Corporate Action Plan jointly developed by City Council and Senior Management." Councillor Wagner suggested that the document should be passed to Mr. Gazzola for consideration by Management Committee, but that the mission statement stay in its present form. Councillor Redman suggested that any changes to the Action Plan as a result of input received this evening should be highlighted for ease of reference. The Committee then voted on the motion to adopt the Corporate Action Plan, with amendements, and it was Carried. Councillor Galloway stressed the importance of assigning responsibility for specific components to the appropriate staff, and for regular reporting as to progress. Councillor Ziegler suggested that Mr. Gazzola take the comments of Councillor Galloway under advisement and suggest an appropriate method of reporting and a timeline for same. ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m. G. Sosnoski Manager of Corporate Records/Assistant City Clerk