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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil - 2005-11-07 S SPECIAL COUNCIL MINUTES NOVEMBER 7, 2005 CITY OF KITCHENER A special meeting of City Council was held at 4:26 p.m. this date, Chaired by Mayor C. Zehr and with all members present. Notice of this special meeting had been previously given to all members of Council by the City Clerk pursuant to Chapter 25 (Council Procedure) of the Municipal Code. C. Ladd, Chief Administrative Officer, advised that this special Council meeting is part of a series of strategic planning sessions that have been held to allow discussion on various strategic initiatives and directions taken by the City. A. Pappert, General Manager of Community Services, requested clarification from Council on Council's direction with respect to the Community Cleanliness Program and specifically what that program should be targeting. Ms. Pappert advised that staff have undertaken steps to remove litter but there is a question whether the program should also include beautification. Mayor C. Zehr advised that when the Community Cleanliness Program was first discussed it was envisioned that the target would be visible litter and unsightly properties that would include litter removal and possibly property standards enforcement. Councillor B. Vrbanovic added that the program did intend for the removal of litter but should also include things like grass cutting at the entrance to the City, Adopt-a- road Program and Communities in Bloom which are all part of a cleanliness and beautification program for the City. Mayor Zehr added that currently the Region has its own program which is predominantly educational and that the City must go beyond that in order to achieve a reduction in litter and make improvements with respect to beautification. Councillor B. Vrbanovic advised that one of the areas where litter is an issue are the walkways located throughout the City and that these walkways also pose a potential safety issue and as such the Safe & Healthy Community Advisory Committee is currently conducting an inventory of all the walkways located in the City. Councillor Vrbanovic requested that Operations staff provide any information to him with respect to problem walkways whether it be from a litter perspective or a safety issue. C. Ladd advised that the strategic planning session of this meeting would consist of a Year in Review update and discussion regarding Council's expectations of staff with respect to the strategic direction being taken. The General Managers then provided an update on their respective departments regarding the issues, strategic changes and achievements that have taken place over the past year. C. Ladd briefly reviewed the Corporate Plan providing an update on the direction set by Council to shift the Corporate culture to meet the needs of a new way of providing government service noting that a recognized key ingredient required in order to achieve the necessary cultural shift was strong leadership. Ms. Ladd then reviewed the Leadership Principles being: Act with Integrity; Together We are Better; Inspire Creativity, Change and Success; Always Present and at our Best; and, Results Matters. Ms. Ladd concluded the presentation asking Council if the administration is meeting their expectations for organizational, cultural change and in order to foster the changing community. Mayor Zehr advised that in reviewing the Leadership Principles in his opinion there are lessons that Council could learn and in that vein he expressed Council's gratitude and appreciation to staff for their efforts and the excellent jobs they performed. He also noted that whereas staff are asking if they currently meet Council's expectations; perhaps Council should also ask the same question of the administration. Councillor M. Galloway advised that for the most part he is happy with the direction being taken by staff and the administration in general but would like to point out an area of concern. Councillor Galloway expressed his concern regarding the reports that are submitted to the Committees and Council some of which contain insufficient information making it difficult for Council to render a decision. He added that another concern is reports being submitted late which does not provide enough time for members of Council to read and digest the information in order to make their decisions. Councillor Galloway suggested that perhaps this area could be reviewed and changes implemented to rectify the situation. G. Sosnoski, General Manager of Corporate Services, advised that in some cases Council has requested information without providing a deadline or not allowing sufficient time for the report to be submitted to Council. C. Ladd further advised that a review is currently being undertaken by staff with respect to reports and when they are to be submitted adding there is now a process in place whereby all reports are vetted through the Corporate Management Team to ensure they are submitted to Council at the appropriate time. SPECIAL COUNCIL MINUTES NOVEMBER 7, 2005 - 316 - CITY OF KITCHENER Councillor Galloway raised a concern regarding the reports for tenders and RFPs suggesting that certain format and criteria should be used in creating the reports so that all the pertinent information is being provided to Council including financial and account information. P. Houston, General Manager of Financial Services, advised that staff have been reviewing the tender reports making some improvements but that not all tenders and / or RFPs are the same making it difficult to use one template but staff will continue to look into this matter. Councillor J. Smola raised a concern regarding communication with respect to road and infrastructure improvements such as signs and notices, as he has received many complaints regarding the lack of notice for many construction projects within his Ward. Mayor Zehr then asked if Council has met the expectations of the administrative staff and what more Council can do to assist in moving forward with the strategic direction. C. Ladd advised on the importance that Council understand the Leadership Principles and in particular the principle of creativity and change and the need to take a risk on occasion. Ms. Ladd added that staff need to understand Council's comfort with taking such risks. G. Sosnoski reviewed changes to the Capital Project process such as establishing a staff team, developing a business case and community involvement; and he asked for Council's comments with respect to these changes. Councillor Vrbanovic advised that the creation of a business case speaks to the question of risk taking and reminded Council and staff that unlike the private sector, the City is dealing with taxpayers money and it is important to have checks and balances. Mayor Zehr commented that public involvement with capital projects has seen a positive impact in that public involvement at the beginning of a project will save time in the end. In conclusion, Mayor Zehr thanked staff for the information and their feedback and requested that information be provided to Council at the December 5, 2005 Finance and Corporate Services Committee meeting regarding the issue with respect to reports and information being submitted to Council/Committees. On motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:47 p.m. MAYOR CLERK NOVEMBER 7, 2005 SPECIAL COUNCIL MINUTES - 317 - CITY OF KITCHENER