HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-01-16AUDIT COMMITTEE MINUTES
JANUARY 16, 2006 CITY OF KITCHENER
The Audit Committee met this date commencing at 3.16 p.m.
Present: Mayor C. Zehr -Chair, and Councillors M. Galloway, J. Gazzola, G. Lorentz, J. Smola,
B. Vrbanovic and C. Weylie.
Staff: C. Ladd, Chief Administrative Officer
P. Houston, General Manager, Financial Services & City Treasurer
A. Pappert, General Manager, Community Services
S. Adams, Director of Community & Corporate Planning
R. Browning, Acting General Manager, Development & Technical Services
C. Tasker, Internal Auditor & Performance Measurement
K. Dever, Organizational Change Facilitator
M. May, Senior Public Affairs Officer
T. Marr, Manager of Marketing/Creative Services
D. Gilchrist, Committee Administrator
1. APPROVAL OF 2006 WORK PLAN
Ms. C. Tasker reviewed the Performance Measurement and Performance Review Work Plan
for 2006 as attached to the agenda. Mayor Zehr was advised by staff that the review of the
City's grant process will coincide with the development of the Community Investment Strategy.
On a motion by Councillor V. Vrbanovic -
it was resolved:
"That the 2006 work plan for Performance Measurement and Performance Review, as
outlined in the attachment to the January 16, 2006 Audit Committee Agenda, be
approved."
2. PRESENTATION OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF
RECOMMENDATIONS
Ms. C. Tasker reviewed the "Comprehensive Review of the City of Kitchener Corporate
Communications and Marketing Division -Final Report", dated January 2006, copies of which
had been provided to Committee members prior to this meeting.
This comprehensive review of the Corporate Communications and Marketing Division contains
the following key recommendations:
1. maintain a centralized Corporate Communications and Marketing function;
2. create and communicate a Division mandate focused on:
• informing public, staff and Council of services provided, key decisions, and how
public funds are being spent;
• managing communications issues as they arise, providing correct and clear
information in a timely manner; and maintaining the corporate identity and
consistency across all external City communications and publications;
3. remove support to individuals Councillors for individual projects not tied to shared
Council decisions and Corporate positions, from the Division's mandate;
4. reduce the scope of work by removing tasks which do not add value or do not fit within
the mandate;
5. maintain the current staffing levels and monitor appropriateness in future given narrower
Division mandate and scope; and,
6. make no changes to the proposed 2006 budget and monitor in the future given narrower
Division mandate and scope.
Ms. Tasker also put forward some additional recommendations with respect to role clarification
and staff development, as well as the following:
AUDIT COMMITTEE MINUTES
JANUARY 16, 2006 - 2 - CITY OF KITCHENER
2. PRESENTATION OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF
RECOMMENDATIONS, CONT'D
• implement the planned media training program for appropriate staff;
• engage the City's Enterprise units such as Golf Courses and Utilities to examine
relationship of their brands with the City of Kitchener brand; as they are currently
perceived as disconnected; and,
• re-focus energies to close gaps in priorities between customers and staff, and
improve performance in specified areas.
Several members of the Committee spoke in support of the report findings and
recommendations, excluding recommendation #3. The general feeling being that individual
members of Council need the support they have been receiving from the Communications and
Marketing Division.
One aspect that members of the Committee stated was missing from this report is the Tourism
component of the role this Division plays, which has a very large budget. Ms. C. Ladd
responded there are a number of initiatives with respect to tourism that will be coming forward
to Council in the near future. She noted this Committee's direction was to compare the original
mandate of this Division with the one they have now, and tourism was not part of the original
mandate.
With respect to licence merchandise, Ms. Ladd advised uniforms for City staff are included in
the budget amount. Mayor Zehr directed that staff provide the dollar figure for staff uniforms
by Budget Day.
With respect to defining the two components of this Division, Ms. Ladd advised:
communications is the responsibility of keeping the public, staff and members of Council
apprised of corporate issues, and marketing involves promoting the City's businesses and
enterprises.
Several members of the Committee thanked the staff of the Communications and Marketing
Division for their hard work. They noted their constituents believe they are now much better
informed.
Some further issues discussed included marketing the City's Enterprises and Utilities. Ms.
Ladd advised discussions must take place with the departments who continue to contract out
their marketing. There needs to be an understanding that these businesses are part of the
City of Kitchener. Also the question was raised as to whether every household in the City gets
copies of "Your Kitchener" and whether this newsletter should be distributed in the current
manner. Another issue discussed was required public notices on Planning matters, and
whether City of Kitchener notices published in The Record can be located on the same page
every week, so the public knows where to look for them.
Following a further discussion on recommendation #3, Ms. Ladd suggested it be changed to
the following, which was acceptable to Committee members:
"That the mandate of the Communications and Marketing Division be examined in
relation to support for council and individual Councillors and opportunities be
investigated to provide appropriate support."
It was also noted that most of the recommendations require further reports which will be
presented to this Committee.
On a motion by Councillor V. Vrbanovic -
it was resolved:
"That Chief Administrator's Office report CAO-06-004, dated January 3, 2006 and the
attached summary report on the comprehensive review of the City's Corporate
Communications and Marketing Division, dated January 2006, be received for
information; and further,
AUDIT COMMITTEE MINUTES
JANUARY 16, 2006 - 3 - CITY OF KITCHENER
2. PRESENTATION OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF
RECOMMENDATIONS, CONT'D
That the following key recommendations contained in the Chief Administrator's Office
report be approved:
a) Maintain a centralized Corporate Communications & Marketing function.
b) Create and communicate the exact wording of the Division mandate which focuses
on informing the public, staff and Council of the Corporation's services, key
decisions, how public funds are being spent, and to manage communications issues
as they arise, providing correct and clear information in a timely manner. The
mandate should also include responsibility to maintain the corporate identity and
help maintain consistency across all external City communications and publications.
c) That the mandate of the Communications and Marketing Division be examined in
relation to support for Council and individual Councillors and opportunities be
investigated to provide appropriate support.
d) Reduce the scope of work performed by removing tasks which either do not add
value or do not fit within the mandate, and communicate services available to the
Corporation.
e) Maintain the current staff complement and organizational structure and monitor
appropriateness in the future given narrower Division mandate and scope."
3. ADJOURNMENT
On motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:20 p.m.
uianne uiicnnst
Committee Administrator