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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-12-09 Special MeetingSpecial General Government Committee Minutes December 9, 2016 - 1 - Minutes of a special meeting of the General Government Committee held on Friday, December 9, 2016 at 9:00 AM in the Meeting Room at the Clarington Public Library, Newcastle Branch. Present Were: Mayor A. Foster, Councillor S. Cooke, Councillor R. Hooper, Councillor J. Neal, Councillor W. Woo Regrets: Councillor C. Traill Councillor W. Partner Staff Present: C. Clifford, A. Allison, T. Cannella, J. Caruana, F. Horvath, M. Marano, N. Taylor, G. Weir, A. Greentree The special meeting of the General Government Committee was convened to receive a verbal report from the Interim CAO concerning change status update, the Strategic Business Plan update, customer service feedback update, and staffing request analysis and presentation. 1 Call to Order Mayor Foster called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM. 2 Declaration of Interest There were no declarations of interest stated at this meeting. 3 Staff Report 3.1 CAO Verbal Report -Strategic Plan Update The Interim CAO provided introductory comments regarding today’s meeting Agenda and expressed the identified need for four critical plans, being: Business and Performance Plan, IT Plan, Talent Management Plan, and Office Needs Accommodation. 3.1.1 Change Status Update The Interim CAO provided an update on the status of the changes sought in the Administration’s attention to building prosperity, customer service, staff engagement, efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery and clear policy analysis. These elements are critical to success in achieving the goals. Each of these changes were explained and the approach which is being taken to achieve change. He highlighted the five key elements of successful change including vision, skills, incentives, resources, and action plan. Councillor Neal left the meeting at 9:19 AM. General Government Committee Minutes December 9, 2016 - 2 - A service Delivery review will be initiated in March 2017. Mr. Clifford provided a list of questions to be answered pertaining to the services which will be reviewed. Funding for this review has been included in the 2017 Draft Budget. Councillor Neal returned to the meeting at 9:27 AM. In building prosperity, aligning resources and focus is imperative as is the building of necessary relationships. 3.1.2 Strategic Plan Status Update Mr. Clifford reviewed the status of the 32 Strategic Plan commitments for this Term of Council and highlighted key focus areas for each commitment where the Action Item has not yet been completed. Item 1.6, Collaborate with local organizations to enable arts and culture to make a strong contribution, directly and indirectly, to business expansion in the community requires Council direction. There has been no allocation provided the 2016 Budget. The Interim CAO advised that Council will need to decide whether it wishes to maintain this objective and if so, provide an allocation in 2018 budget of $5000 to $7000 for this purpose. Item 2.3, Review opportunities for joint capital and/or operations with School Boards, Regional Government and other public agencies, has a new proposed completion date of 2017. Item 6.6, Investigate putting in place a “Trails Council” or similar body as a means of community engagement on promotion, location and maintenance of trails, requires Council direction. The Interim CAO advised that the Development of an Active Transportation Committee could incorporate the responsibilities of a Trail Council and should be undertaken in 2017. Members of Council provided feedback to the CAO regarding the Plan. Generally, Council appreciates the regular updates regarding the Plan and priorities. Resolution #GG-595-16 Moved by Councillor Woo, seconded by Councillor Cooke That Committee recess for 10 minutes. Carried The meeting reconvened at 10:57 AM General Government Committee Minutes December 9, 2016 - 3 - 3.1.3 Customer Service Feedback The Interim CAO continued with his update report to Committee by reporting on the views of the customers we serve about their satisfaction with our service and how they experience their interaction with us, the limitations with the data on this matter and the intended administrative action in response to these findings. The action plan includes: • Get better data to continuously be aware of customer’s concerns and efficiently respond – using a Customer Response Management System • Review Development Approval Process by organizing form outside-in, rather than inside-out • Review key business processes – let improvements on the 6 drivers drive the review and focus efforts on: information management; how work is designed, staff training • Understand and address misperceptions 3.1.4 Staffing Requests The Interim CAO reminded members of Committee of the big picture view as presented to Council at the November 4th Budget Workshop and stated that per his commitment on November 4th, he is reporting on the staffing requests that were briefly introduced at the workshop. Mr. Clifford explained his approach to considering staffing needs. There were 26 positions requested at a cost of $1,774,700 of which 12 did not pass through the CAO’s filters or were deemed not to create significant risks if not addressed in 2017. Therefore, there are 14 positions recommended at a net cost of $618,700. Members of Committee were provided a hardcopy of the Staff Requests – Analysis and Recommendations of Interim CAO which detailed: Department and Position, Salary and Benefits, Key Business Results, Risks if Not Resourced and Explanatory Notes. Members of Council and staff discussed the merits, risks and alternatives regarding the requested positions. Mr. Clifford concluded his verbal report regarding staffing requests by stating that after a thorough analysis of the requests, it is his recommendation that the 14 staffing positions are required resources to realize the results expected in commitments, goals and action items as presented in today’s meeting. He thanked Council for their accessibility and continued support. Councillor Neal left the meeting at 12:31 PM. Mayor Foster thanked staff for their input and Mr. Clifford for his presentation and update.