KW Joint Initiative Committee
REPORT TO: Council
DATE OF MEETING: December 17, 2018
SUBMITTED BY:Kathryn Dever, Director Strategy & Corporate Performance,
519-741-2200 ext. 7370
PREPARED BY: Kathryn Dever, Director Strategy & Corporate Performance,
519-741-2200 ext. 7370
WARD (S) INVOLVED: All Ward(s)
DATE OF REPORT: October 25, 2018
REPORT NO.:CAO-18-019
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RECOMMENDATION:
For information.
BACKGROUND:
The cities of Kitchener and Waterloo have an established history of undertaking cooperative initiatives on an ad hoc basis. A formalized approach to joint initiatives was put in place and named the Kitchener-Waterloo Joint Services Initiatives Committee (JSIC) in 2006.
Since then the two cities have worked closely to identify common service sand look at ways to streamline them to benefit residents in both cities; maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of resources and service delivery; identify and complete strategic joint initiatives; and learn from best practices.
An annual program of joint projects are identified which align to three basic principles:
Accessibility: Each service and program must be citizen-focused; residents in both cities must be able to understand the purpose of the project -and the benefits provided.
Accountability: Each project must represent the needs of both communities and clearly identify areas of responsibility.
Affordability: Each project must maximize cost efficiencies where possible, without sacrificing the benefits to residents.
This report provides Council with an update on recent and upcoming initiatives.
REPORT:
Annual initiatives are identified in June of each year, to span through to the following June. Input is sought from both municipalities on project opportunities, which are scoped with preliminary activities for the 12-month period. Opportunities are reviewed and discussed at the annual
meeting of the JSIC,which is made up of the CAOs and senior leadership teams for each city.
***This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994for assistance.
5.b. – 1
Assessment Management: This initiative focused on identifying methods to review and inspect vacancy applications, and seek ways to improve the flow of information from Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC)to ensure property assessments are accurate and fairly captured in our growing communities.
It was determined there was sufficient assessment-related work in Kitchener to require dedicated positions;2positions have been established.
Waterloo has contracted with an external company to assist with assessment
management, including access to specialized software and to represent their interests at Assessment Review Board hearings.
Both municipalities will discuss and share practices on an ongoing basis, and propose formal shared assessment management initiatives in the future should an opportunity arise.
2018-2019Joint Services Initiatives Underway
Speed Limit Review: Both Cities, along with other regional partners are undertaking a review of the uniform speed limit of 50km/hour. This review will evaluate benefit and feasibility of reducing the uniform speed limit to 40km/ hour in an effort to enhance roadway safety.
Investigation of New Stormwater Grant Program Private Stormwater Enhancement:
Investigate the potential for a new stormwater grant for private property owners. The potential grant would enable private property owners to enhance stormwater management on their properties, reducing runoff to municipal systems.
Joint :This program provides a $40 grant to homeowners toward their purchase of a naturalization kit for a landscaped area, with the goal of reducing stormwater runoff to municipal systems. Along with the potential grant
management, dating back to the 2011 creation of our respective utilities.
Inclusionary Zoning Affordable Housing: Assess the impact of Provincial legislation requiring the inclusion of affordable housing units in new residential development projects, and the option
for municipalities to implement such zoning. The assessment will include exploring opportunities to combine resources to conduct a study and implement Inclusionary Zoning, since based on enacted legislation, significant staff capacity is required to generate data and prepare a municipal assessment report as a precursor to implementing Inclusionary Zoning pending possible changes to the legislation, long-term resource/cost sharing may be
required to develop, implement and report on new zoning provisions.
Corporate Fleet Training & Best Practice Information Sharing: was
awarded the top mid-sized fleet in North America by the 2018 Government Fleet Expo. Sharing best practices between the two cities will be done with the goal to ensure consistency in corporate fleet training programs, including
Sidewalk and Road Inspection
Programs: Develop a shared program for annual inspections programs for sidewalks and road right-of-ways. Based on changes to maintenance standards,
the need for enhanced inspection programs is increasing above the current pavement condition inspection program conducted every other year. More frequent inspections will identify condition issues sooner, establish resource requirements to address, and minimize risks.
There is a growing desire by residents for real-time access to information including knowing where the plows are and when their street will be plowed. This initiative will explore the cost and risks to implement a My Plow app and investigate the opportunity to leverage the Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab/
Opportunities for Broader Collaboration
Recognizing the merits of broader collaboration the JSIC is committed to including other area municipalities as project partners, where applicable.
While the work of the JSIC focuses
–Waterloo initiatives (initiatives within the jurisdiction for
lower tier municipalities), there is also-
lower tier and upper tier jurisdiction. The JSIC has identified that the most appropriate channel to pursue these opportunities is in collaboration with the areas CAOs, who discuss region-wide
opportunities as part of their regular meetings. Recent examples of local-regional initiatives include:
Smart Cities Phase 1 Expression of Interest: Earlier this year, the Region and local municipalities submitted a Phase 1 Expression of Interest to Infrastructure Canada Cities Challenge, which encourages new technology or data opportunities can improve local quality of life. With a combined population of over 500,000 Waterloo Region was eligible to compete for a $50 million prize; our submission focused on healthy children and youth was
successful. identifying a solution(s) to this challenge statement will be the focus of the phase 2 application later in 2018/early 2019.
WREP Net Network Upgrade: The Waterloo Region Education and Public Network(WREP Net) is a long-standing partnership providing a shared high-speed fibre optic network to local municipalities, the Region of Waterloo, school boards, public libraries, Conestoga College and other local organizations. Over the summer, equipment supporting this valued network was
upgraded with minimal impact to users. This upgrade positions the partnership to continue to enjoy reliable, fast and affordable network connectivity into the next decade.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
the delivery of core service.
5.b. – 4
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
Both Cities maintain current information about active shared service initiatives and upcoming
joint projects at: www.kitchener.ca/jointservicesand www.waterloo.ca/jointservices
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapman, Chief Administrative Officer