city hallAs business moves forward at City Hall, staff and Council are committed to keeping residents updated on the implementation of the various opportunities identified in KPGM’s Service Delivery and Operational Review.

An updated Implementation Plan can be found on the City’s website, allowing members of the public to view its progress.

The plan identifies 32 opportunities which are being considered – pertaining to all staff, Mayor and Council, Financial Services, Fire Service, Building Inspection, Transit, Parks and Rec, Solid Waste, Information Technology, Administration, Roads, and Water and Waste Services.

With each opportunity, the plan indicates the respective departments, opportunity type and category, staff responsible, timeline for completion and current status.

To date, 11 of these items have either been implemented, are in the process of being implemented, or have been approved by Council. These include:

  • Review travel, training and conference budget;
  • Implement requirement for monthly budget to actual variance reporting for all Department Heads;
  • Implement charges for false alarms and other fire services;
  • Increase focus on issuance of occupancy permits during non-peak periods to ensure all taxable assessment is identified and reported;
  • Establish consistent user fee recovery percentage across recreational facilities of same/similar type;
  • Address process inefficiencies;
  • Structure building inspection service fees to provide for full cost recovery base on a typical operating year;
  • Re-introduce maintenance management system for public works and establish requirement for variance reporting;
  • Establish consolidated vehicle scheduling system to maximize utilization of municipal fleet;
  • Increase user fees for water main breaks, septic receiving and other services; and
  • Introduce electrical efficiency measures, including LED lighting, motion sensors and more efficient electrical equipment.

The recommendation for a Transit fee increase has been approved, with the negotiation of automatic student pass program and Northern College currently under review.

Other items are awaiting review and are contingent on Council’s decision. Thus far, Council has rejected only one of the opportunities presented – to reduce residential exemption for tipping fees and Deloro landfill site operating hours.

The full Implementation Plan can be found on the City’s website by clicking HERE.

Note: the cost savings indicated in the plan were taken from the KPGM Service Delivery and Operational Review. The figures are cost savings estimates and the true value of the savings will not be realized until the recommendations have been fully implemented and in place for a sufficient amount of time.