HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-19-016 - K-W Joint Services Initiative Committee 2019 UpdateREPORT TO: Committee of the Whole
DATE OF MEETING:December 16, 2019
SUBMITTED BY: Kathryn Dever,Director Strategy & Corporate Performance,
519-741-2200 ext. 7370
PREPARED BY:Kathryn Dever, Director Strategy & Corporate Performance,
519-741-2200 ext. 7370
WARD (S) INVOLVED:All Ward(s)
DATE OF REPORT:November 29, 2019
REPORT NO.:CAO-19-016
SUBJECT:K-W Joint Services Initiative Committee 2019 Update
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RECOMMENDATION:
Forinformation.
BACKGROUND:
The Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo have an established history of collaboration and
cooperation. A formalized approach to joint initiatives through the Kitchener-Waterloo Joint
Services Initiatives Committee (JSIC) has been in place for over 10 years.Through this initiative
the two cities worktogether to identify common servicesand ways to streamline them to benefit
residents in both cities. The initiative seeks to maximize effectiveness and efficiency of resources
and service delivery, complete strategic joint initiatives,and learn from each city’s best practices.
Over 70 joint initiatives have been undertaken, some project-specific and formally completed,
and many others remaining active practice today. The JSIC also supports collaboration
opportunities that arise throughout the year and are not formally planned, as long as they provide
mutual benefit and efficient use of collective resources.
An annual program of joint projects are identified which align to three basic principles:
Accessibility:Citizen-focused, withresidents able to understand the purpose of the
project and its benefits.
Accountability:Clear areas of responsibility representing the needs of both
communities.
Affordability:Maximize cost efficiencies where possible, without sacrificing benefits to
residents.
This report providesCouncil with an update on recent and upcoming joint initiatives between
Kitchener and Waterloo.
REPORT:
Annual initiatives are identified in June of each year, to span through to the following June. Input
is sought from both municipalities on opportunities, which are scoped with preliminary activities
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994for assistance.
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prior to review by the JSIC. Opportunities are reviewed and priorities setat the annual meeting
of the JSIC,which is made up of the CAOs and senior leadership teams for each city.The JSIC
considers the following criteria in setting the annualjoint initiatives:
Enhances the ability of either city to deliver or develop a service or program outside of
its resources,
Creates service-level improvements, while either maintaining costs or producing future
savings,
Provides operational and/or capital opportunities, and/or
Features best practices of both organizations.
2018-2019 Joint ServicesInitiative Accomplishments
Two initiatives were successfully completed last year; key accomplishments are highlighted
below:
Corporate Fleet Training & Best Practice Information Sharing: This initiative at sharing practices
from Kitchener’s award-winning fleet operation (top mid-sized fleet in North America, 2018
Government Fleet Expo), toward consistencyin corporate fleet training programs, including a
potential “train the trainer” approach.
Waterloo staff attended Kitchener’s Defensive Driving in-class course and to identify
content to incorporate into a course for Waterloo staff.
Commercial Vehicle Operators Registration (CVOR) 101 training was provided by
Kitchener for Waterloo staff.
Identified additional fleet opportunities to explore and learn from, including use of solar
panels on trucks, and information management systems.
Joint Promotion of Stormwater Management ‘Bloom in a Box’ Program: This initiative focused
on promotion of a$45 grant to homeowners toward purchase of a naturalization kit from Reep
Green Solutions for landscape improvements that reduce runoff to municipal systems.
Increased resident awareness of stormwater management issues and solutions through
sales of close to 90 kits of various types within the two cities, accompanied by a high level
of satisfaction with the program.
Potential indirect cost savings to the Cities through investment in the program and
reduction of runoff from private properties.
Further advanced Kitchener and Waterloo’s leadership role in stormwater management,
and a partnership with Reep Green solutions.
2019-2020Joint Services InitiativesUnderway
A total of 10 initiatives are underway this year, many reflecting a high level of ambition,
complexityand collaboration.
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Fiveinitiatives are continuing from last year; progress updates are highlighted below:
Speed Limit Review:BothCities, along with other regional partners are undertaking a review of
the uniform speed limit of 50km/hour. This review willevaluate benefitand feasibility of
reducing theuniform speed limit to 40km/hourin an effort to enhance roadway safety.
Region-wide project team established and research conducted to determine best
practices in other municipalities.
Pilot neighbourhoods to test and review 40 km/h identified for Kitchenerincluding
testing30 km/h speedlimit in school zones.
Education campaign to be carried out prior to pilots commencing in November 2019
(Kitchener) and 2020 (Waterloo).
Investigation of New Stormwater Grant Program – Private Stormwater Enhancement:
Investigate the potential for a new stormwater grant for private property owners. The potential
grant would enable private property owners to enhance stormwater management on their
properties, reducingrunoff to municipal systems.
Partnership expanded to include City of Cambridge; all 3 Cities participated in Greening
Your Neighbourhood workshops to engage local residents and stakeholders to reduce
stormwater runoff throughnature-based solutions such as rain gardens.
Workshops identified drainage issues in several residential neighbourhoods, sportsfield
and industrial park locations, and recommendednaturalization opportunities including
tree-planting, rain gardens, or bioswale.
Private property demonstration rain garden project identified; identified candidates and
volunteers to commence installation in spring 2020.
Inclusionary Zoning – Affordable Housing: Assess the impact of Provincial legislation requiring
the inclusion of affordable housing units in new residential development projects, and the option
for municipalities to implement such zoning. The assessment will include exploringopportunities
to combine resources to conduct a study and implement Inclusionary Zoning, sincebased on
staff’s understanding of the enactedlegislation, significant staff capacity isrequired to generate
dataand prepare a municipal assessment report as a precursor to implementing Inclusionary
Zoning. Pending possible changes to the legislation, long-term resource/cost sharing may be
requiredto develop, implement and report on new zoning provisions.
Collaboration expanded to include City of Cambridge and Region of Waterloo.
Review of Toronto, Mississauga and other municipal experiences undertaken to a
assess feasibility.
Sharing detailed housing and demographic data for each municipality and regional
market area to complete provincially required Municipal Housing Assessment
component.
Joint consultant selection and funding contributions to complete required financial impact
analysis, facilitated through the City of Kitchener procurement process
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Sidewalk and Road Inspection Programs: Develop a shared program for annual inspections
programs for sidewalks and road right-of-ways. Based on changes to maintenance standards,
the need for enhanced inspection programs is increasing above the current pavement condition
inspection program conducted every other year. More frequent inspections will identify condition
issues sooner, establish resource requirements to address, and minimize risks.
Kitcheneradopted an internal program using temporary staff to inspect sidewalks and
capture condition data, which will result in savings of approximately $5,000 annually.
Cost and quality metrics were captured and will be further assessed to determine value
in sharing staff resources between both Cities, and to expand into other assets such as
trails.
Processes, experiences and successes from Kitchener’s program are being shared with
Waterloo.
‘Getting Around’ App (previously known as ‘Where's My Plow?’: Explore the cost and risks to
implement an app providing residents real-time access to information including knowing where
City plows are and when their street has beenplowed. It also includes investigating the
opportunity to leverage the Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab / Communitech’s Data Hub in
Uptown Waterloo.
Evaluated Cambridge’s solution and determined best technical solution, which is
Kitchener’s Automation Vehicle Location provider’s ‘out of the box’ solution, combined
with a routing solution to create the basis of the app.
Solution has been piloted internally with road patrollers to develop understanding and
confidence in the system; internal pilot will be expanded to select winter operations for
2019/2020 to further develop processes, ensure data quality.
Communication and data management plan to be developed prior to the app being
released to the public for the next winter season.
Five new initiatives have begun this year; updates will provided in the next annual report:
Fleet and Inventory Software Sharing:Investigate the opportunity to support continuous
improvement of fleet and inventory management by assessing potential use by Waterloo of
Kitchener’s in-house built and highly regarded FLINT system.
Stormwater Management (SWM) Facilities Risk Assessment:Undertakea SWM facilities risk
assessment to mitigate chlorides entering drinking water, through a partnership between the
Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, and the Region of Waterloo.
Specialized Fire Rescue Training:Explore the opportunity for both Fire Services to conduct
joint training on high angle rescue and trench rescue.
Winter Control – Collaborative Advertising:Enhance current winter control advertising,
ensuring citizens in both communities continue to receive consistent messages, and evolve
communications to be more social media and web-based, to better inform residents and
provide greater level of customer service.
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Formalize Enforcement of Special Events:Formalize the Cities’ efforts regarding enforcement
of significant special events including LaurierHomecoming and St Patrick’s Day in Waterloo.
Broader Collaboration
Recognizing the merits of broader collaborationthe JSIC is committed to including other area
municipalities as project partners, pursuing“local-regional” initiatives that overlap lower tier
and upper tier jurisdiction, and to recognizing municipal collaboration outside the formal annual
JSIC program. Recent examples of successful local and local-regional initiatives include:
Joint Fire dispatch: Kitchener now provides dispatch services to all area municipalities
for an annual fee.
A common Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS)to move adjudication of
parking tickets, now known as penalty notices, out of the provincial court system;
municipal enforcement officers in both cities now have discretion to resolve parking
ticket issues.
Launch of Alert Waterloo Region, a region-wide service that provides residents
important public safety messages in the event of a large scale emergency such as a
flood, severe weather, or other emergency situations.
Participation in the Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy (WRIDS), to make
Waterloo Region safer and healthier, by preventing, reducing or eliminating problematic
substance use and its consequences.
A review to streamline planning approvalsis underway between the Region of
Waterloo and local municipalities.
Area municipal CAOs continue to discuss and identify broader collaboration opportunities to
improve service effectiveness and efficiency for citizens with an emphasis on enhanced
collaboration between the Region of Waterloo and local municipalities.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city’s strategicvision through
the delivery of core service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
Both Cities maintain current information about active shared service initiatives and upcoming
joint projects at: www.kitchener.ca/jointservicesand www.waterloo.ca/jointservices
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapman, Chief Administrative Officer
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