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Home My WebLink AboutPD-141-95 r ' oN CLOCA GPnTHE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON REPORT Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee File # ,�} Date: Monday, December 4, 1995 Res. Report #- PD-141-95File #: PLN 17.2.2 By-law # Subject: CENTRAL LAKE ONTARIO CONSERVATION AUTHORITY CORPORATE STRATEGIC PLAN FILE: PLN 17.2.2 Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PD-141-95 be received. 2. THAT the Director of Planning and Development or his designate be the Municipal contact person for Phase 2 of the CLOCA Corporate Strategic Plan. 3. THAT a copy of this report and Council's decision be forwarded to Mr. Iry Harrell, Chairman of the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority and to the Region of Durham 1. INTRODUCTION 1.2 In a letter dated October 25, 1995 the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority requested Council to provide comments on a document entitled. "Report to the CLOCA Board of Directors on the Findings of the Operations Review." The correspondence was referred to the Planning and Development Department for review and report. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority retained Allan W. Foster and Associates to undertake a corporate strategic planning process to determine what 567 REPORT NO.: PD-141-95 PAGE 2 changes are necessary to effectively achieve its mandate. The Plan is being prepared in two phases. Phase 1 discusses: • CLOCA's current operations, • where the Authority should be, • obstacles which may hinder the creation of an Strategic Plan, and • if key pre-requisites for strategic plan are in place at the Board and Staff levels. Phase 2 assumes that essential components are in place to design a strategic planning workshop which brings the Board and the Staff together to develop a Corporate Strategic Plan. Phase 1 has been completed and is the subject of this report. 3. OVERVIEW OF THE CONSULTANT'S REPORT 3.1 In order to review CLOCA's current operations, the consultants conducted interviews with senior management at CLOCA, interest groups, MNR, developers/builders, engineering firms and staff from the Region of Durham and three lakeshore municipalities. The interviews concluded the Board and Senior Management do not function as a team. The Authority lacks clear direction and vision. It has a negative effect on its operational functions and is the cause inconsistencies in the decision-making process. In addition, CLOCA is not effective in communicating with the public and as a result the organization is missing major opportunities to utilize community resources. 3.2. The consultants have predicted that Conservation Authorities in Ontario will require a shift from being development oriented to being "Stewards of Conservation". 568 REPORT NO.: PD-141-95 PAGE 3 The report suggests that CLOCA should be watershed managers and stewards of watershed resources. This shift will require more resources being committed to resource planning and co-ordinating efforts throughout the region in resource management and conservation rather than being recreation oriented. In order to achieve this, key shift in CLOCA's operations and organization are required. The Consultant's suggested that long term goals, a clear mandate and growth oriented directions are required for the Authority to successfully fulfil its mandate. 3.3 The consultant found that the CLOCA Board was too political and parochial, there is not enough discussion of conservation matters and it was isolated from public input. Key recommendations for a more active and balanced Board are: • consider reducing the size of the Board; • at least 5 people be appointed to the Board as citizens with an interest in conservation; • the executive committee be abolished in favour of three committees: Administration, Finance and Personnel; Planning and Operations; and Audit. 3.4 The consultant found that the four senior staff must play too support a stewardship approach with a "hands-on" manager who is active in community relations and resource management Key recommendations are: • realigning the responsibilities of the CAO and senior managers to job descriptions contained in the report, • move the Secretary-Treasurer function to a manager freeing up the CAO to play an active role in policy development with staff and interest groups; • allocate more resources to resource management, education and community relations and less to recreation. 35 The consultants recommended reorganization of CLOCA's Board and Staff The organizational charts are noted on Attachment #1. 569 REPORT NO.: PD-141-95 PAGE 4 3.6 The consultant recommended that CLOCA proceed with a strategic planning process to develop a corporate plan. This includes a process of public consultation. 4. STAFF COMMENTS 4.1 The first phase of the consultant's is only intended to observe CLOCA's weaknesses and suggest some changes that would assist the Authority in defining their role in resource management. The Consultant's report suggests that a fundamental change in the Authority's focus from being recreation oriented to resource management and conservation is required in order for it to achieve its mandate. The Report also suggests changes that would harmonize directions of the Board and Staff. We generally agree with the directions in the consultant's Report. Currently, the official plans of the Region and Clarington have set the policy stronger framework for resource management. The Authority must update their own policy framework which allows their active participation in co-ordinating watershed stewardship and conservation in the planning process across the Region. A clear direction for the Authority would eliminating inconsistencies in decision-making process. The Authority may also gain the confidence and support of the development industry, community and interest groups. 4.2 The Report does not detail the responsibility of recreation once the CLOCA shifts away from regional recreation to watershed management and stewardship The area municipalities may be requested to assume managing recreational areas currently owned by CLOCA and may also assume ownership of those lands Alternately, the Region of Durham Act allows the Region to take a more active role in recreation. This should be addressed in the creation of the Authority's Strategic Plan. 570 i REPORT NO,: PD-141-95 PAGE 5 S. SUMMARY 5.1 CLOCA's review of their organization and recognizing that a move toward resource management is positive. Staff support the Authority's initiative, The Strategic Plan will be prepared in Phase 2 of this process, The Authority has requested a contact person from the Municipality be available for follow up communications. The Planning and Development Department will ensure a staff person is available to the Authority for the following Phase. Respectfully submitted, Reviewed by, P Franklin Wu, M.0 I.P., R.P.P. W.H. Stockwell Director of Planning Chief Administrative and Development Officer CS*DC*FW*df 27 November 1995 571 ATTACHMENT #1 RECOMMENDED BOARD ORGANIZATION BOARD OF AUDIT DIRECTORS CONUW=E ADNUNISTRATION, PLANNING FINANCE& AND PERSONNEL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ADMINSTRATIVE OFFICER RECOMMENDED CLOCA STAFF ORGANIZATION CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER I .MANAGER. MANAGER. ADMINISTRATION, MANAGER, RESOURCE FINA`CE& MANAGEMENT OPERATIOPiS ADMINISTRATION • SYSTEMS AtANAGEb1EtiT • RESOURCE PLANNING • EDUCATION • ACCOUNTING&FI.rANCE • PLANREWEW • CONSL'NOPNS • PERSONNEL ADMLN • DATA 1, NAGEMENT • COMPLIANCE • SCIENCE I.TECIU�OLOGY • CO.WvIUNITY RELATIONS t 572