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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Agenda - 2020-10-19 SCHRISTINE TARLING Director of Legislated Services & City Clerk Corporate Services Department nd Kitchener City Hall, 2 Floor 200 King Street West, P.O. Box 1118 Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7 Phone: 519-741-2200 x 7809 Fax: 519-741-2705 Christine.tarling@kitchener.ca Due to COVID-19 and recommendations by Waterloo Region Public Health to exercise physical distancing, City Hall is open for select services. Members of public are invited to participate in this meeting electronically by accessing the meeting live-stream video at kitchener.ca/watchnow. While in-person delegation requests are not feasible at this time, members of the public are invited to submit written comments or participate electronically in the meeting by contacting Jeff Bunn, Manager, Council and Committee Services/Deputy City Clerk at jeff.bunn@kitchener.ca. Delegates must register by 8:30 a.m. on October 19, 2020 in order to participate electronically. Written comments will be circulated prior to the meeting and will form part of the public record. October 16, 2020 Mayor B. Vrbanovic and Members of Council Re: Special Council Meeting Monday, October 19, 2020 Notice is hereby given that Mayor B. Vrbanovic has called a special meeting of City Council to be held electronically on Monday, October 19, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. to consider the following: 1. Strategic Session a. Second Wave Pandemic Planning J. Readman (60 mins) Development Services Department report DSD-20-158. (Staff will provide a 5-minute presentation on this matter) 2. In-camera Meeting Authorization Council is asked to enact the following resolution to authorize an in-camera meeting: "That an in-camera meeting of City Council be held immediately following the special council meeting this date to consider a labour relations matter, and a matter subject to solicitor-client privilege as authorized by Sections 238 (2) (d) and (f) of the Municipal Act, 2001, respectively. Yours truly, C. Tarling Director of Legislated Services & City Clerk Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you require assistance to take part in a city meeting or event, please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994. CHRISTINE TARLING Director of Legislated Services & City Clerk Corporate Services Department nd Kitchener City Hall, 2 Floor 200 King Street West, P.O. Box 1118 Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7 Phone: 519-741-2200 x 7809 Fax: 519-741-2705 Christine.tarling@kitchener.ca c: Corporate Leadership Team J. Bunn D. Saunderson S. Goldrup Records Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you require assistance to take part in a city meeting or event, please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994. CITY OF KITCHENER COUNCIL IN-CAMERA AGENDA DATE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 TIME: FOLLOWING SPECIAL COUNCIL AT APPROXIMATLEY 11:00 A.M. LOCATION: ELECTRONICALLY Note: Any member of Council may question the appropriateness of a listed in-camera item. This may be done during the special Council meeting or at the beginning of the in- camera session. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION 1. Collective Bargaining Staff Resources (Labour Relations Section 238 (2) (d)) Staff will provide an update and seek direction with respect to this matter (20 min) 2. Legal Advice Regarding Municipal Hiring Practices (Solicitor-Client Privilege Section 238 (2) (f)) Solicitor advice will provide information with respect to this item. (20 min) C. TARLING CITY CLERK REPORT TO:Strategic Session of Council DATE OF MEETING:October 19, 2020 SUBMITTED BY:Justin Readman,General Manager, Development Services,519-741- 2200, extension 7646 PREPARED BY:Justin Readman,General Manager, Development Services,519-741- 2200, extension 7646 Jason Winter, Director, Asset Management and Business Solutions, 519-741-2200, extension 4630 WARD (S) INVOLVED:All DATE OF REPORT:October 12, 2020 REPORT NO.:DSD-20-158 SUBJECT:Kitchener Second Wave Pandemic Planning ___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: That the decision-makingcriteria, outlined on page 3 of staff report DSD-20-158, be used to guide decision making for programs and services that may need to be scaled back during the second and potential future waves of COVID-19 transmission; andfurther, That the COVID-19action plans as outlined in Appendix A andB of report DSD-20-158be approved wellbeing. BACKGROUND: OnJune 8, 2020 Councilendorsed report DSD-20-072,City of Kitchener Recovery Plan, Reopening Framework and Post Pandemic Opportunities. On August 24, 2020 Council endorsed stage 3B, which further opened programs and services. This framework has allowed the City to re-open many of the200 services operatingout of more than 70 facilities while ensuring that the safety of employees and residents is not compromised.Emergency Operations Centre Planning Section led the development ofreopening plans for facilities, programs and services so that they could reopenfollowing the best available public health advice and guidance. These plans were designed to be agile and adaptive to changes in provincial direction to ensure the safest possible delivery of programs and services. recoveryresponse,theplanhascontinued tofocus on: meeting the needs of the community by providing valued programs and services to businessesand residents, *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 1 - 1 ensuring the health and safety of City employees and members of the community, contributing to community and global efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, and The Province hassignaled that Ontario will be in Stage 3 of the pandemic response for quite some time and to mitigate further spread, that physical distancing will continue to form a significant part of theresponse. The Province of Ontario, and much of Canada, is-19 transmissions.The Province of Ontario is currently taking a regional approach to scaling back and has announced a modified Stage 2 in three hotspots, which prohibitsthe operation of gyms, cinemas, casinos, performing arts and racing venues, as well as indoor dining (Ottawa, Toronto and Peel Region). At the time of authoring this report the Region of Waterloo remains inStage 3 oftheframework.However, direction may change quickly if localized transmission continues to trend in the wrong direction. The long duration that the pandemic response requires is having a toll on the community. Some may feel increasingly isolated, some may feel complacent and beginto let their guard down,and as less daylight and colder weather sets in people may feel that they havelimited options for stimulatingmental and physicalactivities. The purpose of this report is to outline the criteriafor when public programs and services may be scaled back, additional measures to ensure safety compliance, COVID-19action teams to support community and staff well being,and to share high-level business continuityinformation. REPORT: Second Wave Program/Service Decision Criteria and Enhanced Measures The City has invested considerable thought into the reopening of programs and services. This included building program and facility plans, the addition of protective equipment, physical distancing practices, health screening,and staff training.These measures have allowed a variety of programs and services to be delivered safely and effectively, including thousands of camp participants, sport training and team play, access to computers, food programs and other recreation activities, to name a few.Community and recreation centres are open at various times of the day to ensure that facilities are broadly accessible to the community. As the city of Kitchener enters a second wave of COVID-19transmission this combination of measures will continue to be used so that a variety of recreational and sports programs and services can be offered by staffand neighbourhood associationsfor as long as it is possible to safely do so. A guidideliveras many programs and services as possible and in a safe manner so that community wellbeing, mental health and physical fitnesscan be supported in a variety of ways. In recognition thatthe Province is taking a regional approach to scaling back andlocalized case transmissionrates can changequickly staff have identified fivecriteria for determining whenCity 1 - 2 and Neighbourhood Association runprograms and servicesmay be scaled back. Note that any one of these criteria could result in a specific program being scaled backand that each program and service will be evaluated using a risk-based approach.These are: a.Public health/provincial recommendations b.COVID-19infection rates & outbreaks increasesignificantlyin elementary and high schools (related toyouth programming, a target demographic for programming) c.Community spread of COVID-19 continues to increase and thatmost of the COVID-19 transmission is not traceable to a type of activity d.Lack of enrollment or participationinindividualprograms/services e.Increased staff absenteeism(due to illness, self-isolation or caregiving responsibilities) to support/deliverindividual programs services The combination of recovery plans, physical distancing, mask wearing, good hygiene practices, minimizing cohort sizes/mixing and health screening, when used together can be an effective means to minimize the risk of COVID-19transmissionand will continue to form the foundation . However, the best safety plansand protocolscan only be as good as the compliance achieved. Staff at community centres and recreational facilities havebegunto document, on a daily basis, publiccompliance ofsafety protocols to determine if they are being followed consistently (e.g. congregating in parking lots, staggered entry times, etc.), and this data willbe used to determine if spot checks,warningsand even cancellation of offeringsare required.Future actions like a more formalizedrandomized inspection program may occur, if required. In addition,consistent messaging around adherence and enforcement of safety protocols will beshared through a regional community messaging campaign. COVID-19Action TeamsCommunity and Staff Wellbeing The response to the pandemic has often been described as a marathon, not a sprint. As colder weather and shorter days set in the community may feel more isolated. The fall and winter season are also host to severalcelebrations and gatheringsthat will tempt community members to gather and possibly increase COVID-19transmission. With restrictions in place there is a need to reimage this time of yearand to think differently about how we, as a collective community,can stay connected and support each other. The Reimagine Togetherprogram, which focuses on supporting the Kitchener community, will deliver alternatives to regular community events. This is inrecognitionthat many festivals, events and holidays/celebrations are cancelled due to COVID-19restrictions.The program will createopportunities for people to be connected and to enhance community spirit, while actively reinforcing public health protocols (e.g., physical distancing, mask wearing).The main goal of this program is to reduce depression, anxiety and social isolation for members of the Kitchener community. See appendix A for more details. 1 - 3 Theprolonged duration of the pandemic will also take a toll on staff, who are delivering services in different ways and continue to work hard to deliver valued services that our community relies on.AStaff Wellbeing & Resilienceprogram was created to determine employee needs and develop a program that supports employees through the next phase of the pandemic. The high-levelobjectives of the Staff Wellbeing & Resilience action team are detailed in appendix B and is summarized as follows: 1.Identify key social-emotional staff needs, including those unique to the pandemic period, and develop a comprehensive program to provide appropriate response and supports. 2.Enable teams tosustainmeaningfulconnections while working remotely or from different work locations. 3.Coordinate current mental health and wellness work underway and effectively share results and supports with staff; also identify gaps and work that needs to be accelerated and address as required. 4.Ensure senior management visibility and communications, including recognition for efforts of staff. Critical Services Critical services are defined as vital business processesthat if not provided putlivesat risk and/orthe City will lose the capability to effectively achieve legislative and/or business objectives.To maintain a continuity ofoperation the City of Kitchener, in partnership with other local municipalities,has developed a list of prioritized critical services.Continuity of operation can generally be defined as mitigation and planning strategies that create resilience and allow critical services to continue to be provided in the face ofemergencies such as this on-going pandemic. have been aligned to the objectives set out for Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), which also align to standardized provincial emergency response objectives (listed in Appendix C).These objectives provide a consistent approach to ensuring thatthe most important services are maintainedif there are shortages to staffing or other resources. AppendixDoutlines the prioritized critical service categories by department,based on the current pandemic,and assuming there are no other issues the City is responding to. For example, if a flood occurs during the pandemic response then services would need to be reprioritized to respond to that issue.Each categoryincludes several specific core services that may becrucial to maintain a continuity of operations at the expected level of minimum service.In addition, there are interrelated services that are needed to support each other. As an example, the customer contact centre is needed to assist forestry to identify downed trees and branches during and immediately following a windstorm. Business continuity plans have beendevelopedfor each identified critical service.The goal for business continuity plans is to ensure that the City maintains the most critical services with 1 - 4 appropriate staffing levels to meet community expectations.Should staffing resources become constrained, due to illness and associated staff shortages, priorities will be given to services based on the objectives in appendix C. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The recommendation of this report supp the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: During thissecond wavesome programs and facilities may need tocloseagain, and this may result in additional costs being incurred without the benefit of receiving expected user fee financial projections, highlighting the need to be somewhat cautious with our approach. It highlights the balancing act that municipalities face related to bringing services back online. Should staffing levels become significantly impacted there may be a need to provide overtime premiums or contract out some aspects of service delivery, which would negatively impact the For the Reimagine Togetherprogram, special events budgets, typically earmarked for larger events and gatherings will be repurposed to deliver the program. Work continues to scope the financialimpact of the Wellbeing and Resilience Action Team and staff will work within existing budgets (e.g., corporate training, etc.) where possible. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM advance of the council / committee meeting. ACKNOWLEDGED BY:Dan Chapman,Chief Administrative Officer 1 - 5 Reimagine Together Appendix A 1 - 6 Staff Wellbeing and Resilience Appendix B 1 - 7 Appendix C: Emergency Operations Centre Objectives 1.Safety & health of responders The well-being of responders must be effectively addressed, or they may be unable to respond to the needs of those at risk. 2.Save lives The importance of human life is paramount over all other considerations.When lives are at risk, all reasonable efforts must be made to eliminate the risk. 3.Reduce suffering Physical and psychological injury can cause significant short-and long-term impact on individuals, families, and communities.Response measures should take into consideration all reasonable measures to reduce or eliminate human suffering. 4.Protect public health Public health measures essential to the well-being of communities should be maintained or implemented.Enhancing surveillance and detection, eliminating health hazards, minimizing exposure, and implementing programs such as widespread immunization may need to be considered. 5.Protect critical infrastructure Refers to processes, systems, facilities, technologies, networks, assets, and services essential to the health, safety, security or economic well-being of the municipality and the effective functioning of the government. Critical infrastructure can be stand-alone or interconnected and interdependent within and across municipal boarders. 6.Protect property Property can be essential to the livelihood of communities.When determining priorities, response personnel should evaluate the importance of protecting private and community property. 7.Protect the environment The environment is essential to communities.When determining priorities, response personnel should evaluate the importance of protecting the environment and implement protective strategies that in the best interest of the broader community. 8.Reduce economic & social losses The loss of economic generators can have short-and long-term impact on communities, including social losses related to the loss of community support networks and reduced employment, investment, and development.Response measures may be necessary to reduce these losses, and psychosocial interventions may be required for those impacted by the disaster. 1 - 8 Appendix D:Prioritized Critical Services Categories (by Department) Community Services Fire Services Emergency Management By-Law Accessibility & Inclusion Services Recreation & Programming Customer Service Financial Services Financial Accounting Procurement Financial Planning Asset Management Revenue Development Services Engineering Building Services Economic Development Land Use Planning Development Approvals Transportation Services Corporate Services Communication Information Technology Human Resources Legal Services Governance & Clerks Risk & Compliance Infrastructure Services GasServices Roads Sanitary Services Water Services Parks Stormwater Services Facilities Security Cemeteries FleetManagement 1 - 9 Forestry WasteManagement 1 - 10