The Corporation of the City of Vernon
Core Services Review
Final Report
April 29, 2013
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Contents
1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................... 1
2. Background ............................................................................................................ 8
3. Understanding this Report ..................................................................................... 9
4. Project Approach ................................................................................................. 10
5. Infrastructure and Asset Management ................................................................ 14
6. Water and Sewer Systems .................................................................................. 18
7. Transit Services ................................................................................................... 23
8. Emergency Response Staffing and Fire Dispatch ................................................ 28
9. Organization and Staffing ..................................................................................... 32
10. Permissive Tax Exemptions and Grants .............................................................. 33
11. Governance ......................................................................................................... 36
12. Arenas ................................................................................................................. 41
13. Other Opportunities ............................................................................................. 43
14. Next Steps ........................................................................................................... 51
Appendix 1 Service Profiles........................................................................................ 52
Appendix 2 Suggested Opportunities to Inform the Consultative Process ................ 53
Appendix 3 Suggested Opportunities ........................................................................ 54
Disclaimer
This report has been prepared by KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) for the Corporation of the City of Vernon (“Client”) pursuant to the terms of our engagement agreement with Client dated October 4, 2012 the “Engagement Agreement”). KPMG neither warrants nor represents that the information contained in this report is accurate, complete, sufficient or appropriate for use by any person or entity other than Client or for any purpose other than set out in the Engagement Agreement.
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The information contained herein has been compiled for the City of Vernon Core Services Review. Although we endeavour to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.
This report may not be relied upon by any person or entity other than Client, and KPMG hereby expressly disclaims any and all responsibility or liability to any person or entity other than Client in connection with their use of this report.
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1. Executive Summary
This chapter provides a summary overview of the Core Services Review for the Corporation of the City of Vernon (the City). It includes information on background, understanding this report, project approach, opportunities for consideration by Council and next steps.
Background In October 2012, the City contracted KPMG LLP (KPMG) through a competitive bid process to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements.
The City is the oldest incorporated city in the Okanagan Valley – it was incorporated on December 31, 1892. The population expanded over time as people were attracted to the City’s economic and cultural diversity and easy access to key business hubs in BC, Alberta, and USA. Now with a population of more than 38,000 people, the City is a commercial centre of North Okanagan and serves as a year-round tourist destination for people in BC and Alberta.
As described in the City’s Request for Proposal ADM-12-76 2012 Core Services Review issued on July 27, 2012,
“The Corporation of the City of Vernon has experienced significant changes in recent years with respect to range of services and programs, service delivery models, regional partnerships and responsibilities, staffing, assumption of downloaded responsibilities and boundary extensions over the past 19 years. While contemporary responsive municipal corporations must evolve within the changing business environment, rapid and at times quite dramatic shifts tend to create an unstable environment in which it is difficult to implement sound, consistent processes that focus on core customer services. Further, it is difficult to build a relatively stable, efficient learning organization, recruit and retain skilled personnel and establish sound management practices. Reasonable stability and clear focus are the foundation blocks to a high performance, cost effective business model.
Modern, forward thinking municipalities and the residents, rate-payers and businesses they serve, are tending to pursue long-term sustainable practices. For the community this means a focus on economic diversity leading to resiliency and value added employment opportunities, thoughtful development leading to minimizing the environmental footprint and protection of key natural attributes; and the assurance of a responsible, caring social fabric that embraces cultural values and ties the community together.
For the municipal corporation this requires a clear vision determined by Council and responsive to community expectations. The business of the corporation must be well defined and limited. A sound multi-year financial plan based on establishing a stable, predictable tax environment that does not unduly burden future generations will give rate-payers and investors a needed level of surety. The corporation must be appropriately resourced and structured to deliver expected services and programs in an efficient, creative and customer centric approach. Periodic Core Service Reviews are a necessary and positive means to check, confirm and reorient (as necessary) the range of services to be delivered, as well as the means of delivery. Core Service Reviews are one method to: ensure what is delivered is of the highest value to the community, shed lower values services, apply best modern practices to cost effective delivery, and direct valuable, limited resources to the delivery of community valued programs and services.”
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Understanding this Report
Scope
KPMG LLP (KPMG) was contracted to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements.
Purpose of this Report
The purpose of this report is to summarize the work completed, the findings, and the opportunities for change identified for consideration by City Council. This document in its entirety including Appendices 1 and 2 constitutes the final deliverable prepared for City Council as described in the KPMG contract dated October 4, 2012.
Procedures
KPMG’s procedures consisted solely of inquiry, observation, comparison, and analysis of City-provided information and publicly available data from other jurisdictions. We relied on information provided by the City and project participants. The resulting suggested opportunities for change considered in the preparation of this document were provided from a number of sources that include interviews with City Councillors, a workshop with City Senior Management held on January 29, 2013, a public workshop held on January 29, 2013, emails received by KPMG from the community, and analysis conducted by KPMG. The information contained in this document does not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services, presented data, organization and governance structure, or user fees. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters.
The opportunities for Council’s consideration outlined in this report have been prepared for the purposes of the Core Services Review to subsequently inform decision making by Council. No one should act on such information without considering the need for additional analysis. Council is responsible for decisions:
• To implement any opportunities for change as outlined below and for considering their impact
• To determine how to use the savings realized, whether for reduced taxes and fees, or to implement any improved services or increased spending, or to reinvest into other activities.
Implementation of opportunities for change will require the City to plan and test any changes to help make certain that the City will realize any intended outcome. Final benefits realized from implementing any changes will be based on future events and Council decisions and will vary from the estimates included in this document. These variances may be material.
Project Approach The Core Services Review process undertaken by KPMG was developed in collaboration with the City, and agreed to by City Council. The project was conducted in four phases between October 2012 and March 2013 with the following key work steps.
Phase 1 – Project Initiation • Kick-off meeting with the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the City Project Team, and KPMG on
October 10, 2012.
• Agreement on stakeholder engagement strategy.
• Selection of jurisdiction comparators.
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Phase 2 – Information Gathering • Development of a service profile data collection template.
• Completion of 26 service profile summaries by the City.
• Organization of 26 service profile summaries into five Service Profile Summary documents.
• Completion of jurisdictional comparison.
• Development of an opportunity log.
Phase 3 – Evaluation of Opportunities • Preliminary evaluation, based on agreed criteria, of a total of 113 suggested opportunities for change.
• Facilitation of consultation workshops with the Council, Senior Management Team, and Community.
• Further analysis of opportunities based on the feedback collected at the workshops.
Phase 4 – Final Report • Delivery of draft final report to City Council on April 4, 2013
• Presentation of draft final report to the Committee of the Whole of City Council on April 22, 2013
• Delivery of final report to City Council on April 29, 2013.
Opportunities for Council’s Consideration
Themed Opportunities
During the Core Service Review a total of 113 suggested opportunities for change were provided through a number of sources including Council, Senior Management Team, the Community, and KPMG analysis.
The list of 113 suggested opportunities was evaluated based on criteria agreed with Council during Phase 1, and used to inform the consultative process in December 2012 and January 2013 during which feedback on this preliminary evaluation of the suggested opportunities was received via Council, staff and community workshops. Through this process, groups of opportunities emerged.
In total, 28 opportunities for Council’s consideration were grouped and are presented in themed chapters in this report. The opportunities are summarized by theme in the table below. Eight opportunities for Council’s consideration relating to labour relations or other employee relations, as described in section 90(1)(c) of the Community Charter, are provided in a separate confidential document.
5. Asset Management Plan
Ref Title Opportunity for Council’s Consideration
Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Plan
5.1.1 Infrastructure requirements
Develop a thorough understanding of infrastructure requirements, funding options and ensure stakeholder agreement on the figures. Include asset age, condition, service levels and risk/priority in a long-term model.
5.1.2 Proactive infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation
Consider moving towards proactive infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation, prioritizing consistently and transparently across asset groups and implementing life cycle costing and risk management to inform decision making.
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5.1.3 Asset inventory Consider reviewing the current asset inventory including identifying potential redundant assets and identifying potential assets for sale.
5.1.4 Asset investment and funding
Identify the increased investment in asset rehabilitation and replacement that will be required, and the options available to increase funding in this area.
5.1.5 Long term financial planning
Identify the long term financial impacts of planning decisions and ensure they are considered in the planning process.
5.2 Asset Management Network
Consider becoming a member of the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM), an organization founded by municipalities, or a similar organization to gain access to leading practices and exchange practices with peer organizations.
6. Water
Ref Title Opportunity for Council’s Consideration
6.1 Cost allocation between urban and rural water systems
Request that Greater Vernon Water base its cost allocation between urban and rural water systems rather than domestic and irrigation, and that rates be adjusted accordingly.
6.2 Evaluation of options for water treatment
Request that the evaluation of options for improved treatment of Greater Vernon Water be based on separate allocation of costs to urban and rural systems, and include options that do not provide treated water to rural customers when it cannot be achieved on an economic basis.
6.3 Separate water system for Vernon
In the event opportunities 1 and 2 are unsuccessful, consider establishing a separate urban or Vernon water supply system.
6.4 Return of surplus recovered water to the surface water system
Consider ending the practice of spreading recovered water on lands where it is not required for irrigation, and return surplus recovered water to the surface water system. This will involve discussion/negotiation with the Province of BC on current restrictions.
6.5 Irrigation alternatives
Consider other options for the irrigation of golf courses and other dependent recovered water users to determine if the spray irrigation program can be eliminated or substantially reduced economically by converting users to the water supply or other water sources.
7. Transit
Ref Title Opportunity for Council’s Consideration
7.1 handyDART registration process
Tighten the application review process for handyDART registrants. Require proper documentation for all current registrants who have not already provided it as registrations are renewed, or within a three year period.
7.2 Conventional transit policy
Establish a policy direction that conventional transit service is intended to provide service for residents without access to vehicles and in circumstances where reductions in greenhouse gases will be achieved that warrant the net costs involved. Given the level of provincial support of conventional transit, it should be possible to do this with much less City tax support. That would suggest changes in service such as:
• Increase the zone fare increment for the 90 Okanagan Connector to $2 (e.g. increase the total fare from $2 to $4). The U-Pass could be accepted for the base fare, but the $2 incremental zone fare would need to be paid for each trip
• Reduce the level of conventional transit service, retaining just select routes
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that could be expected to recover at least 50% of their costs from fare revenues (likely one or two routes in downtown area as well as the 90)
• Consider expanding the Taxi Saver program (subject to acceptance for provincial subsidy) to low income individuals without access to cars to provide an alternative approach to public transit for those not adequately served by the reduced fixed route structure.
7.3 Areas of focus for Transportation Demand Management
Recognize that planning decisions related to the location and density of development will have the strongest impact on the potential for viable transit services in the long term. In the shorter term, the City’s Transportation Demand Management activities should focus on bicycling and walking options.
8. Emergency Response Staffing and Fire Dispatch
Ref Title Opportunity for Council’s Consideration
8.1 Predator Ridge fire hall
Consider modest options for the Predator Ridge fire hall, such as integrating with other existing buildings and keeping it to a one bay facility.
8.2 Volunteer recruitment and deployment strategy
Develop a new volunteer recruitment and deployment strategy consistent with the concepts of:
• Recruitment focused on employees and residents in the Okanagan Landing and Predator Ridge areas and among the health care community. Include appropriate employers in the recruitment process
• Recognize more than one type of volunteer, based on their training (medical, fire response, truck operator, combinations of skills)
• Provide volunteers (and participating career fire fighters for off duty times) with appropriate equipment to allow direct report to the site of incidents for as wide a range of incidents as possible (including particularly defibrillators)
• Equip fire trucks at the satellite fire halls to support volunteers reporting directly to the site of a call
• Establish a system to allow volunteers to identify when or whether they are available and to allow the dispatch to know where the volunteers are when available for deployment.
8.3 Vernon Fire Department dispatch
Continue the Vernon Fire Department dispatch operation for a two year period to determine if it can develop the more sophisticated volunteer deployment approaches, and the customer base that will improve economy.
8.4 First responder role
Review the first responder situation with the BC Ambulance Service to align with the changing role of volunteer fire fighters.
10. Permissive Tax Exemptions & Grants
Ref Title Opportunity for Council’s Consideration
10.1 Reduction of permissive tax exemptions
Reduce permissive tax exemptions. At over 2% of tax revenue the annual value of exemptions provided by Vernon is larger than many other municipalities. Many cities provide 1% or less.
10.2 Heritage Grant Program
Review the heritage grant program for its alignment with Council’s priorities and consider the amount of funding to be provided through the program in future years.
10.3 O’Keefe Ranch Reduce City funding of O’Keefe Ranch to $10,000 per year to align with the lease between the City and the O’Keefe Ranch & Interior Heritage Society.
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11. Governance
Ref Title Opportunity for Council’s Consideration
11.1 Governance options
• Promote an amalgamation of the GVA into a single municipality, or
• Seek to have the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO), acting for GV Water and Greater Vernon Parks Recreation & Culture take on full responsibility for the services and transfer the related staff to the RDNO, or
• Seek to end the RDNO role in Recreation and Parks and have the City of Vernon operate the Recreation and Parks program independently, and initiate an independent City of Vernon water utility.
11.2 Review of Select Committees
Conduct a review of the Select Committees; for each Committee consider purpose and effectiveness, duplication of effort among the Committees, and requirements for staff support and associated expenses
12. Arenas
Ref Title Opportunity for Council’s Consideration
12.1 Ice rental rates Increase ice rental rates to reduce the deficit and encourage some users to find other facilities. Part of the increased revenue from minor rate increases can be allocated to provide support for low income participants.
12.2 Civic Arena Keep the Civic Arena open until the spring of 2014 if safety and an adequate service level can be guaranteed at reasonable cost.
12.3 Collaboration with other communities
Work with neighbouring communities to accommodate as many users as possible in Vernon or neighbouring rinks, using the next year to transition as many users as possible.
12.4 Wesbild Centre Continue work to investigate opportunities to expand the Wesbild Centre and develop a concept for the expansion.
12.5 Construction of new facility
Do not proceed with construction of a new facility until demand grows – likely as a result on an increase in child and youth aged population.
Other Opportunities
In addition to the 28 themed opportunities for Council’s consideration presented in chapters 5 to 12 of this report, 41 other opportunities for Council’s consideration are provided in chapter 13. These other opportunities are presented in priority order based on potential timing of impact for the City – Short Term, Staff to Implement, Medium to Long Term, Investigate Further, and Suggest to RDNO.
Council’s responsibilities for Decision Making The opportunities for Council’s consideration outlined in this document have been prepared for the purposes of the Core Services Review to subsequently inform decision making by Council. No one should act on such information without considering the need for additional analysis. Council is responsible for decisions:
• To implement any opportunities for change as outlined below and for considering their impact
• To determine how to use the savings realized, whether for reduced taxes and fees, or to implement any improved services or increased spending, or to reinvest into other activities.
Implementation of opportunities for change will require the City to plan and test any changes to help make certain that the City will realize any intended outcome. Final benefits realized from implementing any changes
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will be based on future events and Council decisions and will vary from the estimates included in this document. These variances may be material.
Next Steps Council should read this report in its entirety including appendices and consider the opportunities contained herein. Council is responsible for directing City staff to conduct further research and analysis and for decision making on opportunities for change. Consideration should be given to dedication of City resources to project managing the process of considering and implementing opportunities for change arising from the Core Services Review.
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2. Background
In October 2012, the Corporation of the City of Vernon contracted KPMG LLP through a competitive bid process to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements.
The City is the oldest incorporated city in the Okanagan Valley – it was incorporated on December 31, 1892. The population expanded over time as people were attracted to the City’s economic and cultural diversity and easy access to key business hubs in BC, Alberta, and USA. Now with a population of more than 38,000 people, the City is a commercial centre of North Okanagan and serves as a year-round tourist destination for people in BC and Alberta.
As described in the City’s Request for Proposal ADM-12-76 2012 Core Services Review issued on July 27, 2012,
“The Corporation of the City of Vernon has experienced significant changes in recent years with respect to range of services and programs, service delivery models, regional partnerships and responsibilities, staffing, assumption of downloaded responsibilities and boundary extensions over the past 19 years. While contemporary responsive municipal corporations must evolve within the changing business environment, rapid and at times quite dramatic shifts tend to create an unstable environment in which it is difficult to implement sound, consistent processes that focus on core customer services. Further, it is difficult to build a relatively stable, efficient learning organization, recruit and retain skilled personnel and establish sound management practices. Reasonable stability and clear focus are the foundation blocks to a high performance, cost effective business model.
Modern, forward thinking municipalities and the residents, rate-payers and businesses they serve, are tending to pursue long-term sustainable practices. For the community this means a focus on economic diversity leading to resiliency and value added employment opportunities, thoughtful development leading to minimizing the environmental footprint and protection of key natural attributes; and the assurance of a responsible, caring social fabric that embraces cultural values and ties the community together.
For the municipal corporation this requires a clear vision determined by Council and responsive to community expectations. The business of the corporation must be well defined and limited. A sound multi-year financial plan based on establishing a stable, predictable tax environment that does not unduly burden future generations will give rate-payers and investors a needed level of surety. The corporation must be appropriately resourced and structured to deliver expected services and programs in an efficient, creative and customer centric approach.
Periodic Core Service Reviews are a necessary and positive means to check, confirm and reorient (as necessary) the range of services to be delivered, as well as the means of delivery. Core Service Reviews are one method to: ensure what is delivered is of the highest value to the community, shed lower values services, apply best modern practices to cost effective delivery, and direct valuable, limited resources to the delivery of community valued programs and services.”
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3. Understanding this Report
This chapter provides information on the scope of the Core Services Review for the City, the purpose of this report, procedures, and Council’s responsibilities for decision making.
Scope KPMG was contracted to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements.
Purpose of this Report The purpose of this report is to summarize the work completed, the findings, and the opportunities for change identified for consideration by City Council. This report in its entirety including Appendices 1 and 2 constitutes the final deliverable prepared for City Council as described in the KPMG contract dated October 4, 2012.
Procedures KPMG’s procedures consisted solely of inquiry, observation, comparison, and analysis of City-provided information and publicly available data from other jurisdictions. We relied on information provided by project participants. The resulting suggested opportunities for change considered in the preparation of this document were provided from a number of sources that include interviews with City Councillors, a workshop with City Senior Management held on January 29, 2013, a public workshop held on January 29, 2013, emails received by KPMG from the community, and analysis conducted by KPMG. The information contained in this document does not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services, presented data, organization and governance structure, or user fees. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters.
Council’s Responsibilities for Decision Making The opportunities for Council’s consideration outlined in this document have been prepared for the purposes of the Core Services Review to subsequently inform decision making by Council. No one should act on such information without considering the need for additional analysis. Council is responsible for decisions:
• To implement any opportunities for change as outlined below and for considering their impact
• To determine how to use the savings realized, whether for reduced taxes and fees, or to implement any improved services or increased spending, or to reinvest into other activities.
Implementation of opportunities for change will require the City to plan and test any changes to help make certain that the City will realize any intended outcome. Final benefits realized from implementing any changes will be based on future events and Council decisions and will vary from the estimates included in this document. These variances may be material.
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4. Project Approach
This chapter describes the project phases and the key work products developed in each phase. It includes summary analysis of the total of 113 suggested opportunities received from City Council, City senior management, the community, and KPMG analysis.
Project Phases
The Core Services Review process undertaken by KPMG was developed in collaboration with the City, and agreed to by City Council. The project was conducted in four phases between October 2012 and March 2013. The four phases are shown below.
Phases Oct Nov Dec
2012
Jan
2013 Feb Mar
1 – Project Initiation
2 – Information Gathering
3 – Evaluation of Opportunities
4 – Final Report
Key Work Products The key work products completed during each of the four phases are described below.
Phase 1 – Project Initiation
An initiation meeting was held with Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the City Project Team , and KPMG on October 10, 2012 to confirm the project objectives and governance, discuss the stakeholder engagement strategy, and identify a list of comparable jurisdictions to be used during the project.
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
It was agreed with the City Project Team (Senior Committee) that the stakeholder engagement strategy would include the following activities:
• One-on-one interviews with Councillors
• Facilitating two workshops with the Senior Management Team to discuss services/opportunities (November 2012) and evaluate opportunities (January 2013)
• Collaborating with City management and staff on collecting data and completing service profiles
• Facilitating a public workshop on opportunities for improvement
• Inviting stakeholder groups to the public workshop
• Establishing a project email address.
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Jurisdictional Comparison
City Council agreed on five municipalities to be used for jurisdictional comparison during the project based on population size and geography:
• City of Campbell River
• City of Kelowna
• District of Mission
• City of Penticton
• City of Port Moody.
Phase 2 – Information Gathering
Service Profiles
A service profile data collection template was developed by KPMG and provided to the City to collect performance and financial information on City services. KPMG also supplied examples of a service hierarchy and data items to be captured by the City.
Using the example provided by KPMG, the City developed 26 service profile summaries which were subsequently organized by KPMG into five Service Profile Summary Documents. The Service Profile Summaries were posted on the City website on January 16, 2013.
Jurisdictional Comparison
KPMG conducted research using publicly available information on the five municipalities identified as comparators to the City agreed by City Council. This information was used to identify similarities and differences between costs and services provided by the City and other jurisdictions, as well as to review staffing. At times, this information was imperfect in terms of the comparability of the municipalities given the way individual municipalities record and report information. The information from the five municipalities should not be considered conclusive. A template was also developed to collect staffing and other information from the comparators.
Opportunity Log
An opportunity log was populated using information collected from City Council, City Senior Management Team, and the community by email. The suggested opportunities for change contained in the log were categorized by type of change:
• Change Service Level
• Change Structure and Staffing
• Service Change
• Increase Revenue
• Insource/Outsource
• Re-engineer
• Investment
To inform the consultative process to be conducted through the consultation workshops in Phase Three, the suggested opportunities were evaluated against the assessment criteria approved by City Council. Based on this preliminary evaluation, each suggested opportunity was also assigned to a priority category. The preliminary evaluation was conducted based on information provided by the City and comparable jurisdictions.
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Phase 3 – Evaluation of Opportunities
Suggested Opportunities by Program and Priority Category
During the first two phases of the Core Services Review, a total of 113 suggested opportunities for change were collated by KPMG, shown in Appendix 2. To inform the consultative process to be conducted in Phase Three, the suggested opportunities were evaluated against the assessment criteria approved by City Council. Based on this preliminary evaluation, each suggested opportunity was also assigned to one of seven implementation priority categories.
Rank Category Description
A Approved Council has approved as part of the Budget process
1 Strategic Opportunities for larger potential cost savings or revenue generation and related smaller items have been incorporated in the themed chapter discussions in chapters 5 through 12
2 Short Term Consider for 2014 budget or earlier, relatively low client impact, lower barriers to implementation, potential cost savings or revenue generation
3 Staff to Implement Short term, staff directed to implement by Council, relatively low client impact, lower barriers to implementation, minimal budget implication, may already be in progress
4 Medium to Long Term Could take more than a year to realize first benefits, acceptable client/customer impact, may have higher barriers to implementation
5 Investigate Further Uncertain whether to proceed based on current data given client/ customer impact, barriers to implementation, and/or benefits to be realized
6 Suggest to RDNO Area of RDNO jurisdiction, but action could reduce costs passed on to City taxpayers
7 Not Worth Pursuing Unacceptable client/customer impact, uncertainty over the benefits to be realized
The preliminary evaluation was conducted based on information provided by the City and comparable jurisdictions. Many of the suggested opportunities were classed as “Investigate Further”, pending input from Council, City senior management, and the community.
The number of suggested opportunities used to inform the consultative process grouped by program and priority category is shown in the following table.
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Program of Service A.
App
rove
d
1.
Str
ateg
ic
2.
Sh
ort
Ter
m
3.
Sta
ff t
o
Imp
lem
ent
4.
Med
ium
to
Lo
ng
Ter
m
5.
Inve
stig
ate
Furt
her
6.
Su
gges
t to
R
DN
O
7.
No
t W
ort
h
Pu
rsu
ing
To
tal
Transportation and Infrastructure
1 15 5 3 2 3 - 3 32
Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
9 10- 1 2 2 2 - 2 28
Planning and Development
5 4 1 1 1 2 - 3 17
Parks, Recreation, and Culture
1 8 1 2 2 - 2 - 16
Governance and Support Services
9 10 1 2 1 4 1 1 20
Total 16 47 9 10 8 11 3 9 113
Consultation Workshops
To gather ideas and comments on the preliminary evaluation of the suggested opportunities for change, during the week beginning January 28, 2013,KPMG facilitated three separate workshop discussions with City Council, with the City Senior Management Team, and with the community.
Workshops were held as follows:
• Committee of the Whole of City Council workshop (January 28, 2013)
• City management workshop (January 29, 2013)
• Community workshop (January 29, 2013)
Opportunity Log
The opportunity log of suggested opportunities was refined further after the consultation workshops based on the criteria agreed by Council and input received during the consultation workshops, and used as one of the inputs to the final report.
Phase 4 – Final Report
Final Report
Analysis and assessment of suggested opportunities for change was completed. A draft final report containing opportunities for Council’s consideration was delivered to City Council on April 4, 2013 and presented to the Committee of the Whole of City Council on April 22, 2013. This final report was delivered to City Council on April 29, 2013.
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5. Infrastructure and Asset Management
This chapter examines practices relating to infrastructure and asset management in the City.
Context Like most cities, the City owns and maintains a diverse set of assets, including roads, facilities and lighting. Currently, the City is experiencing a shortfall in funding compared to projected capital expenditure requirements. However, some initiatives have been started to address this situation.
Funding
In 2009 the City commissioned independent engineers to build the Complete Infrastructure Long Term Financial Plan (CILTFP). This plan indicated an annual infrastructure funding requirement of $10.8 million for linear infrastructure, which was later updated by the City engineering staff (City memorandum file 1700-50). The table below shows the annual needs as identified by the CILTFP, and as updated by staff analysis in comparison to the actual spending in 2012 by the City on infrastructure improvement.
$ million CILTFP Staff Update 2012 Actual
15 Year Needs Annual Lifecycle Growth
Buildings 32.7 2.2 2.2 - 0
Linear Assets
Sanitary 26.7 1.8 1.8 0.9 1.5
Storm 23.5 1.6 1.0 0.6 0.5
Spray Irrigation 0.0 0.0
0
Roads 85.7 5.7 3.9 2.0 3.8
Overlay 34.7 2.3 3.4
0.5
Total City Cost 194.9 13.0 12.3 3.5 6.3
Subdivisions (Developer funded) 47.1 3.1 - 3.5 0.5
Total Required 239.4 16.0 12.3 7.0 6.8
The total of general reserve funds available at the end of fiscal year 2011 was $18.8 million, with $14.7 million in sewer reserve funds. The funds have decreased by $3.1 million (9.8%) over the period 2006-2012 although infrastructure investment was below the annual required estimate. The chart below shows, at the current expenditure level that reserves are being drawn down – particularly general reserves used to fund roads and buildings.
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In 2012, the City commissioned independent consultants to assist in the development of the Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Plan (SIIP), aimed at creating a more detailed asset management plan and developing a financial model to determine the infrastructure funding requirements for future years, assessing currently available funding and identifying measures to close the gap. The City reports that the SIIP is in progress and expected to be completed in 2013.
Asset Management Practices
The City has implemented a policy on asset management that allocates responsibilities to departments, defines roles and outlines the general principles to be adhered to. Master plans for each type of infrastructure are in place to support this, which provide the City with a foundation to further develop asset management practices.
Observations and Analysis
Funding
The current spending levels are approximately half of the amount estimated by the City required to maintain current city assets in a stable and usable condition – indicating that asset deterioration is occuring over time, and the City is building an “infrastructure deficit” (unmet rehabilitation and replacement needs) at the rate of approximately $6 million per year. In addition, the City is not building the new infrastructure required to facilitate growth near the rate described in the CILTFP or staff analysis. This may be less serious as the growth rate has declined; however, it could become more of a problem if the market improves.
The nature of development that occurs in a community has a substantial impact on the long term capital requirements to maintain infrastructure. While it may seem relatively inexpensive to allow dispersed low density subdivisions to develop as the initial infrastructure costs will be borne by the developer (the Subdivisions Developer funded amounts in the table above), that infrastructure will have to be maintained by the City and the costs of lifecycle capital improvements will fall on the City at various points in the future. As a result low density development can result in relatively high infrastructure costs relative to tax revenues. New development is expected to pay development charges towards the infrastructure the City must provide
M
5 M
10 M
15 M
20 M
25 M
30 M
35 M
40 M
45 M
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 (est.)
Mill
ion
dolla
rs
Reserves and deferred revenue
General Funds Sewer Fund Total
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to service the lands developed, including roads, water, and sewer but in the past the City has allowed some of these funds to be applied to the development of roads within subdivisions, leaving the City to bear the off-site costs elsewhere.
These policies have been changed in recent years with the current emphasis on development within the existing urban areas and intensifying the use of existing assets rather than continuing to build more. This is an important direction if the infrastructure deficit is to be contained in the future.
The process used to develop the previous estimates of infrastructure requirements could also be improved. It seems that the application of a current value factor is absent in these documents. This may imply that the time value of money would not have been taken into account, thereby assuming no inflation or interest charges over the period of the analysis. In the CILTFP the funding requirement for underground linear infrastructure such as sewers was calculated based on the total replacement value prorated over the estimated average life span of the asset. Although such a calculation may be acceptable over the full lifecycle, the age of the current infrastructure was not taken into account for the calculation over the next 15 years. To the extent a historic “investment boom” period is present (a period of rapid growth in assets which would predict a large number of asset rehabilitation or re-placement will be required at a certain future time), such a bulge will become due for replacement during a relatively short timeframe. The SIIP should consider these factors.
Asset Prioritization
Further development is needed in the capital prioritization process, building on the simple framework that currently exists. The current framework prioritizes according to the importance of the assets, but is mainly reactive, i.e. infrastructure is repaired once it has failed. The current maturity level does not allow for comparison and prioritization across different asset groups, nor does it support proactive allocation to prevent failures.This is not effective in efficiently allocating funding across asset groups and prioritizing for cheaper rehabilitation rather than failure. This issue should also be considered in the SIIP.
Leading Practices
A number of international standards have been published and are actively promoted by Canadian organizations. Accepted practices in the municipal sphere have been built based on these standards and are showcased by a number of cities across Canada. Overall, infrastructure asset management includes decision making, risk management, organizational capabilities and consitent asset information.
The City has implemented a high level policy, taking an important first step towards full asset management practices. Beyond that, there was no evidence to show comprehensive asset management practices currently being deployed at the City.
Opportunities for Council’s Consideration
5.1 As part of developing the SIIP:
5.1.1 Develop a thorough understanding of infrastructure requirements, funding options and ensure stakeholder agreement on the figures. Include asset age, condition, service levels and risk/priority in a long-term model.
5.1.2 Consider moving towards proactive infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation, prioritizing consistently and transparently across asset groups and implementing life cycle costing and risk management to inform decision making.
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5.1.3 Consider reviewing the current asset inventory including identifying potential redundant assets and identifying potential assets for sale.
5.1.4 Identify the increased investment in asset rehabilitation and replacement that will be required, and the options available to increase funding in this area.
5.1.5 Identify the long-term financial impacts of planning decisions and ensure they are considered in the planning process.
5.2 Consider becoming a member of the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM), an organization founded by municipalities, or a similar organization to gain access to leading practices and exchange practices with peer organizations.
Implementation The initial step, which the City has committed to, is to establish a solid long-term framework to identify infrastructure funding requirements, taking into account asset condition, age and expected future needs. This should be accomplshed as part of the SIIP process currently underway. Once created, the City should look to use the framework as a basis to develop the capability for scenario planning and financial analysis as components of a long term financial planning process for the City.
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6. Water and Sewer Systems
This chapter examines the delivery of water and sewage systems in the City.
Context The City has a relatively unique water and sewer system which has evolved based on the history of the region, the relatively dry climactic conditions and the municipal governance structures in place.
Water
The Regional District of North Okanagan - Greater Vernon Water (GVW) supplies and delivers water to customers in the City, the District of Coldstream, and Electoral Areas “B” and “C”. GVW also supplies and delivers water to customers in Electoral Area “D”, and bulk water to the Township of Spallumcheen. GVW's primary goal is to ensure the economical supply and distribution of a sufficient quantity and quality of water in the interests of both agricultural and non-agricultural users in the Greater Vernon Community. (source: Regional District of North Okanagan - http://www.rdno.ca/index.php/services/engineering/water/greater-vernon-water)
While the City sits on some large lakes, the fresh supply of water from precipitation is less than demand, and the taking of water from waterways is strictly regulated. The earliest water systems developed before the City, and were focused on irrigation of farmland in the Greater Vernon Area (GVA). As the City grew, its water supply system was integrated with the GVA irrigation system. This allowed access to more distant water supplies making use of the delivery lines to service the agricultural land en route, and provided the economies of one water system rather than two, but it also took the water system in a different policy direction. It was decided that it would be cheaper to treat all water in the system at the source, rather than treat the water for domestic consumption as it entered the urban areas. This also had the advantage of delivering treated water to all farms on the irrigation system, eliminating the need for individual wells on the farms. The agricultural users take the bulk of the water, but all in a relatively short period over the summer months.
Sewer
The City operates its own sewer system, unlike the water system. It is relatively unusual in that the sewer system does not return any treated effluent (recovered water) to the surface water systems (except in the event of unusually high flows). Instead the recovered water is used to irrigate three golf courses, limited agricultural uses and some land purchased for the purpose of receiving the effluent. This approach was developed out of concern for the environment, particularly the impact of depositing the recovered water into a surface water system, such as Okanagan Lake, and recognizing that some of these uses would require fresh irrigation water if not supplied with recovered water.
Observations and Analysis
Water
The allocation of costs between agricultural and domestic water users has become an issue. Related to this issue is the question of the governance approach to dealing with the system and the appropriate balance of influence of agricultural and urban users.
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In many communities urban water systems generally do not provide treated water to rural or agricultural residents; they are expected to use wells. In the City, farm houses are included as domestic water users, as the irrigation water system was extended to their farms. The cost of servicing rural domestic users is included in the costs charged to all domestic water users. The “incremental” costs of the irrigation system are charged to irrigation users, with the costs calculated on the assumption that the service to farm houses is part of the domestic system, not the irrigation system.
The GVA water system has decided that all domestic users have the right to sufficient volume to support fire service – generally a 6-inch water main. As such, this is the minimum size service built into new subdivisions in order to support fire hydrants and give adequate on site supply to fight fires. Most communities do not have fire hydrants for individual rural houses as local fire departments have tanker trucks and bring water to a fire. Thus, the entire cost of providing a 6-inch pipe to a farm (which can be used for fire service, irrigation and domestic use) that is perhaps used largely for irrigation and perhaps less for domestic use is charged to the domestic system, and shared by all domestic water users. The result as shown below is that, while comparator jurisdictions use a variety of billing approaches (fixed rate, variable rate, fixed plus variable), City domestic water users generally pay higher water rates than residents in the comparator jurisdictions.
2013 Domestic Water Service Costs
(information compiled from municipal websites and bylaw documents)
Greater Vernon1
Campbell River2
District of Mission3
Port Moody4 Kelowna5 Penticton6
Fixed $312.48/year $228.00/year $465.48/year $356.00/year (non-metered)
$111.00/year (15mm)
$365.40/year
PLUS OR OR OR PLUS OR
Variable
$0.98/cu m for 21-40 cu m;
$1.20/cu m for 41-80 cu m; $1.74/cu m
over 80 cu m
$0.40/cu m (only large users are metered)
0-300 cu m: $1.0134/cu m; 301-600 cu m:
$0.83/cu m; 601-900 cu m:
$0.75/cu m; with minimum
charge of $110.47/quarter
$0.80/cu m for large
users ($313/quarter
minimum)
0-30 cu m: $0.322
$0.433 for 30-80 cu m $0.657 for
80-125 cu m; $1.314 for
balance
$217.20/year plus
$1.53/ 100 cu ft ($0.433/cu m)
Household cost (100 cu. m
consumption) $332 $228 $442 $356 $155 $261
Household cost (200 cu. m
consumption) $589 $228 $442 $356 $270 $304
Household cost (300 cu. m
consumption) $763 $228 $442 $356 $401 $347
1 http://www.rdno.ca/bylaws/Bylaw_2590.pdf 2 http://www.campbellriver.ca/CityHall/Departments/Utilities/Water/FAQ/Pages/WaterRates.aspx 3 http://www.mission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013-Utilities-User-Rates1.pdf 4 https://portmoody.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentDisplay.aspx?ID=7185 5 http://www.kelowna.ca/CityPage/Docs/PDFs//Bylaws/Water%20Regulation%20Bylaw%20No.%2010480.pdf 6 http://www.penticton.ca/assets/City~Hall/Bylaws/Finance/Fees%20and%20Charges%20Bylaw%202000-25.pdf
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There are some rights the City held to withdraw water from Kalamalka Lake and other smaller surface water sources, but the City reports the Government of BC has not allowed the City to create its own, independent water utility. As a result of the current arrangement, the City believes city residents and businesses are subsidizing the agricultural use of water by about $3 million per year. As noted below, the cost of irrigation water is lower in GVA than it is elsewhere as a result of this subsidy. While there is concern for the health of agriculture, it does exist in these nearby locations with higher rates.
There are other locations in the Okanagan that have both domestic and irrigation water systems.
Other Locations with Irrigation Water Systems
(information compiled from municipal websites and bylaw documents)
Greater Vernon
Osoyoos Kaleden Irrigation District
Oliver1 Lake Country
Population 58, 585 5,210 1,200 8,4782 11,708
Approach (residential/agricultural) Combined Combined Combined Combined Combined
Irrigation Charge (per acre per annum)
$64.24 (agricultural) $147.56 $150.80 - $83.00
Domestic Charges
$312.48 plus meter (see table 2013 Domestic
Water Service Costs)
$244.00 per unit
$367.15 per unit based on ¼ acre lot
$249.00 per unit
$506.00 per year plus $0.44 per cubic metre over 130 cubic
metres consumed
1 Although the rural and municipal water systems do run somewhat independently, their costs and expenses are pooled in a single fund 2 Includes Town of Oliver (4,478 people) and the surrounding rural area (4,000 people)
Kelowna also supplies irrigation water at a charge of $110 per acre and Penticton charges $133 per acre. Thus, the GVA charge for irrigation is substantially less than those in other jurisdictions, and the domestic water rates are much higher.
These issues will likely take on even more importance as the GVA deals with the requirement for upgraded water treatment and considers a range of options that each may have substantial capital costs. The options include upgrading water treatment over the entire system and distributing water treatment in various smaller plants, including potentially at the household level in rural areas. The approach to evaluating these options will have substantial impact on the outcome. For example, the standard expectation in many communities is that each rural household will be responsible for their own water treatment, either finding a clean well, or treating whatever water they can find locally. This is actually one of the reasons urban areas have formed – to gain the benefits of a safe water supply at reasonable cost. Because many rural properties are receiving water now as a result of the irrigation program, the temptation is to consider the cost of treating water for these “domestic” users as part of the costs of treating water for all domestic users, and share those costs among all domestic users. This expectation that urban water users will subsidize rural residential water supply will have a substantial influence on the option evaluation and could result in much more expensive water supply system. The decisions made in this current process will influence the costs of water supply in Vernon for decades to come.
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Sewer
The decision to use all recovered water for spray irrigation is unusual and reflects local attitudes. All other major sewer systems on Lake Okanagan return fully treated recovered water to the lake, in fact most cities in Canada return their treated water to the surface water systems. Generally the concern is whether the level of treatment is sufficient, but in Vernon this does not appear to be a concern – the City indicates the treatment meets or exceeds provincial standards. It is a particular anomaly in an area where the water supply is limited. The golf courses would likely use water from the water system for irrigation if not supplied with recovered water, but much of the recovered water is spread on low value lands bought for the purpose and not requiring irrigation. If these waters were returned to the surface water system it would increase the supply of water available for use in the greater community, whether for domestic or agricultural purposes.
The City reports that the current approach adds approximately $1 million per year to the cost of sewage treatment in Vernon, and, as noted, reduces the volume of water available for other uses. While charges to the users of recovered water could be increased, they currently pay about 80% of the cost of treated water, and some have access to both treated and recovered water, so substantial fee increases would not be viable. The cost is simply the result of the need for more piping to distribute the recovered water (in some cases duplicating piping that distributed treated water) and the extra energy costs of distributing the recovered water. The spray irrigation program also ties up lands that might more appropriately be used for development, reducing the pressures for urban sprawl on the fringes of the City boundaries.
Cost of Sewage Treatment and Disposal
(information collected from municipalities and Local Government Statistics)
Vernon Campbell
River District of Mission
Port Moody
Kelowna Penticton
Population 38,990 30,383 34,505 34,000 108,859 33,318
Total Cost $2,115,000 $693,164 $533,411 $2,265,9781 $2,468,276 $1,508,250
Cost / Capita $54.25 $22.81 $15.46 $66.65 $22.67 $45.27
Kms of Sewer 444 484 287 228 946 252
Cost/ Km of Sewer $4,764 $1,432 $1,859 $18,411 $2,609 $5,985
1Metro Vancouver Greater Vancouver Sewer (GVS) & Drainage District (DD) levy amount which covers the sewage
treatment and disposal for Port Moody
Opportunities for Council’s Consideration 6.1 Request that Greater Vernon Water base its cost allocation between urban and rural water systems rather
than domestic and irrigation, and that rates be adjusted accordingly.
6.2 Request that the evaluation of options for improved treatment of Greater Vernon Water be based on separate allocation of costs to urban and rural systems, and include options that do not provide treated water to rural customers when it cannot be achieved on an economic basis.
6.3 In the event opportunities 6.1 and 6.2 are unsuccessful, consider establishing a separate urban or City of Vernon water supply system.
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6.4 End the practice of spreading recovered water on lands where it is not required for irrigation, and return surplus recovered water to the surface water system. This will involve discussion/negotiation with the Government of BC on current restrictions.
6.5 Consider other options for the irrigation of golf courses and other dependent recovered water users to determine if the spray irrigation program can be eliminated or substantially reduced economically by converting users to the water supply or other water sources.
Implementation The City representatives on the GVW system, with the support of City engineering staff will have to pursue the alternative approaches to costing the current and proposed water systems. If it becomes clear that approach will not change, the City engineering staff should develop a report to Council that clearly articulates and identifies the extent to which City domestic water users are subsidizing agricultural water uses, identifying the impact of the assumptions and evaluation approach on the findings (or if not concluded, likely findings) of the current studies, and identifying the opportunities and barriers to establishment of an urban, or City of Vernon water system as an alternative. Council would use this information to determine how to approach the barriers to implementation.
The initial step will require applications to the Government of BC to permit return of recovered water to the lake system, followed by a technical evaluation to determine whether the spray irrigation system can be eliminated, or whether it should continue to serve some users for which it is a cost efficient approach to providing service.
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7. Transit Services
This chapter examines the delivery of transit services in the City – both conventional transit (buses) and custom transit (handyDART and Taxi Saver).
Context
Conventional Transit
Conventional transit service is provided by BC Transit under contract from the City, and from the Regional District. The City supports $3.1 million in annual bus service total costs with a net cost to the City of $1.2 million, or 39.2% of total costs. Passengers pay 22.5% of the cost of the service and the Government of BC contributes 37.9% of the costs. 0.4% of the costs are covered by other local governments. Some services, such as the North Okanagan Connector running from Vernon to The University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) and the routes to Lumby and Salmon Arm are supported by RDNO.
Custom Transit
Two approaches to custom transit are provided – handyDART and Taxi Saver – for individuals with mobility limitations. Nine custom wheel chair accessible vehicles can be booked in advance, or users can purchase taxi vouchers at half price and order taxi service directly (the Taxi Saver program). The custom transit system is paid for in partnership by BC Transit, the City of Vernon, the District of Coldstream and Electoral Area B & C. The service costs approximately $1.06 million per year, with 10.9% paid by user fees, 66.1% by the province, 9.0% paid by other local governments and 13.9% by the City.
Observations and Analysis
Conventional Transit
The table below, using data from the City-prepared Service Profile, shows that the Vernon Regional transit service is consistent with other similar sized communities in BC. On the key efficiency measure, passengers per service hour, it is significantly below the leading comparators, but also well ahead of the worst comparators.
Population
Total Revenue Hours of Service
Hours per Capita
Revenue Passengers
Passengers per Service
Hour
Campbell River 30,900 21,378 0.7 558,885 26.1
Chilliwack 53,100 21,414 0.4 491,358 22.9
Comox Valley 45,700 25,599 0.6 600,128 23.4
Cowichan Valley 38,500 23,226 0.6 318,506 13.7
Cowichan Valley Commuter - 4,669 n/a 62,119 13.3
Penticton 29,200 22,842 0.8 413,257 18.1
Vernon Regional 37,600 23,110 0.6 405,271 17.5
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Transit Performance by Route
Based on the 2011 data in the City-prepared Service Profile, the performance varies significantly by route, as shown in the table below.
Route Annual
In-Service Hours
Annual Total Cost per
Route
Annual Revenue
per Route
Cost Recovery
Total Cost per Ride per
Route
1-Coldstream 2,286 $254,490 $58,599 23% $7.17
2-Pleasant Valley 3,600 400,798 95,598 24% $6.98
3-Alexis Park 3,813 424,568 193,150 45% $3.60
4-East Hill 2,046 227,755 43,732 19% $8.61
5-South Vernon 3,355 373,525 90,746 24% $6.76
6-College 3,591 399,868 53,234 13% $10.41
7-Okanagan Landing 3,679 409,621 92,163 22% $7.30
14-Coldstream-East Hill 142 15,755 1,404 9% $18.20
24-Pleasant Valley-East Hill 167 18,538 2,861 15% $10.61
57-South Vernon- OK Landing 167 18,538 2,608 14% $11.92
90-North OK Connector 3,696 441,908 65,782 15% $8.92
There is only one route that costs less than $4.00 per rider on average. Most are in the $7-$9 range and the Sunday services (14, 24, 57) are all over $10 per rider. It costs approximately $111 per hour to put a bus on the road according to the data in the Service Profile and it is difficult in a small community where density is relativley low, to get enough riders on a bus to make it an efficient use of resources.
The City’s Official Community Plan aims to concentrate growth in the downtown area over the coming years, but it can take decades to achieve a substantial change in the character of a community. There is a desire to reduce the use of private cars in and around Vernon and the use of bus service is part of that effort. However, it should be noted that any roadway savings are well in the future. A ringroad diversion of the highway around Vernon will be required if the community continues to grow and there is no reduction in car use – but this need is seen as being 50 years out according to our discussions with the City. Whether car use can be reduced over that timeframe will be far more dependent upon the changes in the built form of the community over that period – how dense and concentrated the community becomes – than it will on how many people use public transit today. Efforts to expand the use of public transit in smaller cities is relatively recent, typically reflective of concerns about the environment and reducing greenhouse gases. It can be argued however that driving relatively empty buses will not address such concerns.
There are two categories of users that are most dependent upon transit service – students and low income individuals who cannot afford to operate a car. There are two services that are specifically directed to students, the route 6 to Okanagan College and route 90, the Okanagan Connector that serves UBCO. The route 6 has relatively poor performance, costing over $10 per rider and only recovering 13% of its operating costs as fare revenue. The fare levels are quite low – the $2 fare for service within Vernon is reasonable, but the zone fare concept, which only adds fifty cents to the fare for trips from Vernon to other communities like Kelowna provides no reflection of the costs involved. Additionally, the acceptance of the UPass at a cost of $50 for a four month semester makes the actual average fare recovery per trip very low for UBCO students, the prime users. The route 90 has relativley good performance in terms of ridership, but because it travels
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so far (it is essentially an inter-city service, not an urban transit service) and because the fares are so low, it only recovers 15% of costs even though the cost is under $9 for a 40 km trip.
The routes with the highest cost recovery are the ones that stay within the urban area, with the number 3 recovering 45% of its costs from users, a reflection of relatively high usage for a route within the denser urban core.
Custom Transit
handyDART
The table below, using data from the City-prepared Service Profile, shows that the handyDART service in the City compared to other cities has a higher percent of the population registered as users than any other city except Prince George. This may in part reflect the community demographics, but it may also reflect the weakness of the registration process, which according to the Service Profile and our discussions with City staff does not involve an effective process to verify that the client meets the criteria. The City is currently participating in an initiative to review new applications more closely through the BC Transit Provincial Custom Transit Pilot Project.
Service Hours per Ridership per
Population
Users as Percentage
of Population
Capita User Capita User Percentage
by Taxi
789,300 Tier 1 1.70% 0.19 11.03 0.86 50.5 17%
Central Fraser Valley 176,900 1.98% 0.13 6.46 0.56 28.4 13%
Chilliwack 78,700 2.03% 0.11 5.25 0.63 31.2 31%
Kamloops 86,800 2.88% 0.30 10.37 1.22 42.4 15%
Kelowna Regional 186,700 0.00% 0.20 n/a 1.03 n/a 19%
Nanaimo Regional 135,800 0.98% 0.17 17.20 0.50 51.0 5%
Prince George 74,000 3.92% 0.24 6.11 1.25 31.9 22%
Vernon Regional 50,400 3.12% 0.26 8.37 1.38 44.4 14%
73,000 Tier 2 1.13% 0.10 9.09 0.58 51.7 41%
Campbell River 38,200 1.04% 0.14 13.73 0.61 58.5 12%
Penticton 34,800 1.22% 0.06 4.76 0.55 45.2 76%
89,500 Tier 3 1.37% 0.16 11.68 0.48 35.3 4%
Alberni-Clayoquot 25,500 1.76% 0.21 12.01 0.75 42.6 2%
Cranbrook 20,000 2.20% 0.18 8.24 0.41 18.5 11%
Kitimat 10,100 0.99% 0.00 0.00 0.58 58.7 0%
Kootenay Boundary 20,700 0.53% 0.17 31.86 0.25 47.7 5%
Prince Rupert 13,200 0.95% 0.13 14.17 0.36 38.3 8%
The table also shows that the City provides a high level of service (hours of service and ridership) relative to the population, but much more modest levels per user. In other words, the high registration is leading to higher costs, but registered users are each receiving less service than they do elsewhere. We understand that this is leading to complaints that it is not easy to book service, leaving some registrants unable to book the service they require. Some participants in the Core Services Review public consultation process suggested
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that no new registrants be accepted, but over time that could deny service to some very needy persons. The City also has a relatively low per cent of service provided by taxis using the Taxi Saver program.
There are two approaches that could be used to improve service for the most needy. Improving the registration process would help make certain only qualified applicants receive service. Allowing registrants who require wheelchairs a first opportunity to book the wheelchair accessible vehicles (likely by opening reservation lines to wheelchair applicants an hour earlier) would give them first access to the limited resource. Use of the Taxi Saver program should be encouraged and provides a fail safe alternative for non-wheelchair registrants who need to travel at a specific time.
Convergence
One opportunity identified was to limit handyDART to bringing passengers to the regular transit routes. As all the regular buses are kneeling and have ramps, users could be expected to transfer to the regular buses if they are brought to a bus stop – and this approach would overcome their challenges in getting to the bus stop. This would not be a solution for all users, as some have challenges standing and waiting and/or do not have the strength or energy to handle multi-stage travel. Further, it would only be useful for long trips as the load/unload process could consume a significant part of the total travel time, and any trip that required transfer from handyDART to bus and back to handyDART at the other end would cost more to provide that way.
However, there is another approach that could combine the two services. If the bus service was clearly targeted at those without cars (given City parking rates and bus frequency it really isn’t much of a competitive choice for car owners for any trip except the run to UBCO), the level of service provided could be reduced and the Taxi Saver concept extended to low income residents. Bus service could then be limited to services that could recover half the operating costs (a couple of routes in the core area) along with the route 90 for students. Taxis would provide the remaining service more efficiently and the Taxi Saver program would provide accessibility for low income residents.
Opportunities for Council’s Consideration 7.1 Tighten the application review process for handyDART registrants. Require proper documentation for all
current registrants who have not already provided it as registrations are renewed, or within a three year period.
7.2 Establish a policy direction that conventional transit service is intended to provide service for residents without access to vehicles and in circumstances where reductions in greenhouse gases will be achieved (taking into account actual bus loading levels and emissions) that warrant the net costs involved. Given the level of provincial support of conventional transit, it should be possible to do this with much less City tax support. That would suggest changes in service such as:
• Increase the zone fare increment for the 90 Okanagan Connector to $2 (for example increase the total fare from $2 to $4). The U-Pass could be accepted for the base fare, but the $2 incremental zone fare would need to be paid for each trip.
• Reduce the level of conventional transit service, retaining just select routes that could be expected to recover at least 50% of their costs from fare revenues (likely one or two routes in downtown area as well as the 90).
• Consider expanding the Taxi Saver program (subject to acceptance for provincial subsidy) to low income individuals without access to cars to provide an alternative approach to public transit for those not adequately served by the reduced fixed route structure.
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7.3 Recognize that planning decisions related to the location and density of development will have the strongest impact on the potential for viable transit services in the long term. In the shorter term, the City’s Transportation Demand Management activities should focus on bicycling and walking options.
Implementation There is currently a review of the handyDART eligibility and registration process underway through the BC Transit Provincial Custom Transit Pilot Project in which the City is participating as a “pilot community”. The directions approved by Council under opportunity 7.1 above should be provided to that process for development of a detailed implementation process.
A detailed examination of the transit changes will be required to estimate the financial impact of expanding Taxi Saver access and the development of a process and criteria for the expanded program. This process could be combined with the handyDART application process review noted above.
There will also need to be a review of the bus routes in detail to identify the highest level of service that can be provided with a higher cost recovery criteria (such as 40%). This could be undertaken by City planning and engineering resources in concert with BC Transit.
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8. Emergency Response Staffing and Fire Dispatch
This chapter examines opportunities related to emergency response staffing and fire dispatch within the delivery of fire and rescue services in the City.
Context
Emergency Response Staffing
The City has a composite fire force. There are four shifts of seven career (full-time) firefighters to ensure that there will always be five on-duty firefighters, one to handle the dispatch and four to respond to a call (in addition to the Chief, Deputy Chiefs and fire inspection staff). There are also “volunteer” firefighters (actually part-time firefighters who are paid per call) who assist by responding to active fires or other major incidents, and some of whom stay at the station and help fill in when there are fewer than 5 career firefighters available for a shift due to vacation, illness or other absence.
The City has two fire halls. The career firefighters operate from the main fire hall in downtown Vernon at 3401 30 St. An Okanagan Landing fire hall was operated by an independent group of volunteer firefighters under contract to the City, but as of January 31, 2013 this arrangement was not renewed by the City. There is also a proposal to construct a new fire hall at Predator Ridge. If constructed, this would provide the City with three fire halls, two of which service relatively small communities, and some choices on how to provide fire and rescue services.
Fire Dispatch
The Vernon Fire Department (VFD) staffs a dispatch operation 24/7/365. It handles approximatley 5,400 calls per year (average of 15 per day) at a cost of approximately $500,000 per year. This volume includes calls it takes for other City departments after regular service hours.
Observations and Analysis
Emergency Response Staffing
The table below, based on information provided by VFD, shows the total calls for service to the Fire Department in 2012. It is clear the areas covered by the Okanagan Landing fire hall and by the proposed Predator Ridge fire hall are very small compared to the calls served by the main fire hall.
Zone Number of
Calls Percentage
Okanagan Landing (Zone 2) 272 5%
Predator Ridge (Zone 3) 53 1%
Rest of Vernon 2,645 49%
Not Emergency - Dispatch for others 2,425 45%
Total 5,395 100%
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However, it does take about 9 minutes at the speed limit to get from the main fire hall to the Okanagan Landing fire hall and about 20 minutes to get to Predator Ridge (per Google maps) – both beyond the target timeframes for emergency response, whether for a fire or serious medical emergency. Hence, the desire to provide response from the Okanagan Landing fire hall and to have a local response based at Predator Ridge.
Providing fully manned stations 24/7/365 at the two satellite locations (Okanagan Landing and Predator Ridge) would essentially triple the budget of the VFD, while improving response times to very few incidents as can be seen by the incident frequency.
The department recently lost volunteer firefighting resources based at the Okanagan Landing station with the non renewal of a contract, but the concept of volunteer firefighters is used by many medium sized cities to reduce costs, especially when serving small or low density communities. The challenge is that volunteers are not consistently available, and not consistently available in the same location (they go to work, go on vacation, see a movie, etc.). It is also getting more difficult to recruit and retain volunteers as part of a fire department, as the training requirements have increased, and the departments have made the role less integral to their operations and their emergency responses.
The time required for a volunteer response is part of the issue. For example a fully manned fire hall will generally have a truck with four firefighters leaving the hall within one minute of the station receiving the alarm call. For a volunteer hall, the volunteers may leave their work, home or other location within a minute, but may then travel to the fire hall to prepare and dispatch with the truck. The time taken to leave the fire hall can vary greatly depending upon where the volunteers are at the time of the alarm. The result in Vernon has sometimes been that the main hall fire truck can arrive at an incident near the volunteer hall more quickly than the volunteers.
It is also important to realize that fire fighters are more likely to be responding to a medical call than they are to be responding to a fire. Medical calls require a different set of skills than fire calls, and require different equipment – and do not require a large truck that needs to be retrieved before attending a call.
Call type Number Percentage
Medical 2,178 40%
Fire 466 9%
Other emergency 326 6%
Not Emergency - Dispatch for others 2,425 45%
5,395 100%
The information in the table above for 2012, provided by the VFD, suggests that the VFD could look to improve its response to emergency incidents at modest cost, both within the Okanagan Landing and Predator Ridge areas, and in the City itself, by establishing a new approach to the role of the volunteer. To date, volunteers have been involved in responding with the career firefighters if volunteers were in the fire hall when the call came, being called out for large fires (off-duty fire fighters likely called first), and working on community events promoting fire prevention. The Okanagan Landing volunteers did respond to fire calls in their area, although they were called less and less as the trucks from the main station also responded, and sometimes arrived first.
The new role of the volunteer could employ volunteers whenever they are the most appropriate responders to the particular call received. It should also allow for volunteers to have specializations – particularly medical and/or fire (but not necessarily fire), and it should operate with real time information concerning the location and availability of volunteers (and perhaps off-duty career firefighters if they choose). The approach could also
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involve directing response by volunteers directly to the scene, rather than to a fire hall first. It would likely require some refinement of the response protocols coordinating BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) and VFD response to promote the mixed use of volunteer – and career – resources without unnecessary responses by the VFD, particularly in areas with primarily volunteer coverage. The last criteria could be selective recruitment. For example, recruiting from the staff who regularly work at Predator Ridge, along with any potential recruitment among residents, will be crucial to providing a volunteer emergency response on the ridge. Gaining the participation of employers, who do have a vested interest in the success of the program, will be a key element of recruiting. Recruiting among health care workers could also be key to building an inexpensive response capability for medical calls, which could be very valuable in all parts of the City.
One advantage of retaining a VFD dispatch operation would be the ability to develop a more sophisticated approach to dispatching response to calls received. Volunteers (and participating off-duty fire fighters) would carry GPS identifiers allowing dispatch to know where they are – whenever they are available to take calls (the GPS identifier could be turned off when not accepting calls). The dispatch would also know the training of all volunteers, and when needed, could identify the right resource to respond for various activities. All qualified volunteers would carry a basic medical kit, including defibrillator with them, allowing direct response to the scene of medical calls, remembering the purpose of the response is to manage the case until an ambulance arrives. For fire dispatch in Okanagan Landing and Predator Ridge, the closest qualified volunteer(s) to the fire hall could be dispatched with the truck and other volunteers could join them at the scene. Dispatch from the main fire hall would continue as back up whenever the nature of the call – and the availability of resources suggested it was warranted.
At Predator Ridge it should be noted that all buildings, with the exception of the clubhouse, are equipped with sprinklers, and the number of actual fire calls is very modest (10 -15 per year including false alarms). The requirements, in terms of fire vehicles, could be modest and should be co-ordinated with the local sources of volunteers to deploy them.
It could also be possible to split the existing crew at the main fire hall and have two firefighters at Okanagan Landing to deploy the fire truck and meet the volunteers on site of a call. While this could have little or no cost in the short run, it could set a precedent for the Predator Ridge fire hall and lead to suggestions to staff the main hall – and later the satellite halls – up to the usual complement of at least four fire fighters, continuing the budgetary pressure for years to come. It would also take half of the available career forces off to respond to about 10% of the calls for service, not a worthwhile use of available resources.
Fire Dispatch
It is becoming increasingly rare for fire departments the size of Vernon to have their own dedicated dispatch system. It is an expensive undertaking that benefits from economies of scale (e.g. dispatching more events / departments). Further, the need to staff with only one dispatcher at a time (given the scale and cost of the operation) provides a limited capacity to deal with significant emergency conditions. There could potentially be savings of $200,000 to $300,000 per year if the fire department was to purchase dispatch services from another fire department, even considering the cost of alarm monitoring and dispatch for other city departments.
However, the fire department has been looking for other fire departments interested in purchasing dispatch services and reports that it has some potential customers it may attract in the near term. While these revenues may not be certain or produce as large a savings, the operation of an independent dispatch does provide more flexibility to introduce new concepts of operation as discussed above.
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Opportunities for Council’s Consideration 8.1 Consider modest options for the Predator Ridge fire hall, such as integrating with other existing buildings
and keeping it to a one bay facility.
8.2 Develop a new volunteer recruitment and deployment strategy consistent with the concepts of:
• Recruitment focused on employees and residents in the Okanagan Landing and Predator Ridge areas and among the health care community – include appropriate employers in the recruitment process
• Recognize more than one type of volunteer, based on their training (medical, fire response, truck operator, combinations of skills)
• Provide volunteers (and participating career fire fighters for off duty times) with appropriate equipment to allow direct report to the site of incidents for as wide a range of incidents as possible (including particularly defibrillators)
• Equip fire trucks at the satellite fire halls to support volunteers reporting directly to the site of a call
• Establish a system to allow volunteers to identify when or whether they are available and to allow the dispatch to know where the volunteers are when available for deployment.
8.3 Continue the Vernon Fire Department dispatch operation for a two year period to determine if it can develop the more sophisticated volunteer deployment approaches, and the customer base that will improve economy.
8.4 Review the first responder situation with the BC Ambulance Service to align with the changing role of volunteer fire fighters.
Implementation The VFD should be responsible to implement the approach, which could put it among the leaders in emergency response in Canada. They will require the support of Council and may require some specialized resources to assist, particularly in the development of the technological solution for GPS and dispatch coordination.
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9. Organization and Staffing
This chapter provides context to the City’s organizational structure and staffing. Opportunities for Council’s consideration related to the City’s labour relations or other employee relations, as described in section 90(1)(c) of the Community Charter, are provided in a separate confidential document.
Context In 2011 the City paid for the equivalent of 320 FTE (full time equivalent) positions. The 2012 organization chart shows that there are eight divisions reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and indicates that between 2011 and 2012 the City implemented a structural change that resulted in inclusion of the departments in Protective Services in the Corporate Services Division.
Recreation services are provided by City staff and costs are recovered from RDNO. The costs for water services delivered by the City are shared by the five participant jurisdictions in Greater Vernon Water (see Chapter 6).
The City calculates and reports in its Annual Report, the actual number of hours worked by all employees which includes full time, part time and temporary staff as well as overtime. The 2011 Annual Report shows that in the five years from 2007 to 2011 the City had an overall FTE (including overtime hours) increase of 33%. In 2011the City paid for 15,385 hours in overtime, 37% of which were allocated to Fire and Rescue division, 12% to Water, 11% to Utilities, and 10% to Public Works departments.
During 2011, 59% of FTE were allocated to the provision of core municipal services in three areas (Operations, Fire and Rescue Services, and Recreation) as shown in the graphic below. This allocation shows that the City dedicates a majority of its resources to areas that provide front line services to citizens. The 21% total for staff in Corporate Services seems high for overhead functions, and is influenced by the inclusion of Bylaw and Civilian Police staff (not overhead functions) in this division.
35%
21%
12% 12%
6% 5% 5% 2% 1%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Operations Corporate Services
Fire and Rescue Services
Recreation Community Development
Finance Engineering Services
Human Resources
Administration
FTE Distribution
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10. Permissive Tax Exemptions and Grants
This chapter considers the City’s support of community based organizations through the provision of permissive tax exemptions and grants.
Context
Permissive Tax Exemptions
“The City of Vernon recognizes the significant value of volunteers and volunteer groups and agencies to the social, spiritual, cultural, educational and physical well-being of the community, and deems it appropriate that they be assisted through reductions in property taxation.” (City of Vernon, Tax Exemptions – Permissive, Policy).
The City of Vernon supports qualifying organizations within the community by providing tax exemptions that are permitted under the provisions of the Community Charter. While not obligated, the City may tax-exempt properties owned by places of public worship, non-profit organizations and tenants of publicly owned property. Tax exemption applications are sorted into three categories – Social service facilities, Cultural and educational facilities, Recreational facilities. Tax exemptions are for one year and the must be reapplied-for annually. In 2013, based on information in the City-prepared Service Profile, the estimated value of City taxes forgone is $600,350.
Grants
In addition, the City supports community based non-profit organizations or registered societies by providing grants where the organization is providing a service which is not provided by any other group or organization within the City or which is provided in another municipality and is used by residents.
The awarding of grants is solely within Council’s discretion and is governed by the City’s Discretionary Grants Policy. To be eligible for grant funding from the City, an organization must not have already received a grant in the current fiscal year. Organizations may only submit one grant application per fiscal year. Unspent funds in one fiscal year are automatically rolled over to the following year. Organizations receiving $25,000 in a single year or $50,000 over a five year period must submit, at their expense, audited financial statements to the City for each year were such conditions apply.
Observations and Analysis
Permissive Tax Exemptions
Amongst the five comparable jurisdictions, the City of Vernon issued the greatest number of permissive tax exemptions in 2011 (based on information provided in the jurisdictions’ annual reports) and had the second highest value of exemptions, as a percentage of tax revenue, after Penticton. These results are illustrated in the graphic below.
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It should be noted that the City’s 2013 budget included a 10% reduction in permissive tax exemptions.
Grants
Total grant payments provided by the City in 2012 were $282,000. Based on data collected from the five comparable jurisdictions the City had the second lowest value of grants provided in 2012 after Port Moody and the lowest grant value per capita (subject to the point regarding Port Moody noted below).
Grants awarded in 2012
Vernon Mission Penticton Campbell River
Kelowna Port Moody
Total value $282,132 $401,500 $642,000 $782,079 $2,648,650 $273,680
Grants value per capita $7.32 $10.74 $19.40 $24.61 $21.74 $7.93
Port Moody’s reported figures include two instances of the City providing a Fee for Service. One is for the Art Centre (a City owned building with Art programs run by a separate society) in the amount of $188,700 – the other is a Fee for Service to a Museum in the amount of $77,700. Removing these from the figures presented above would show Port Moody providing two grants in 2012 for a total value of $7,280. Port Moody reports that it discontinued provision of community grants in 2013.
It should be noted that for the City’s 2013 Budget Council approved a reduction in Heritage grants of $5,000 on a $60,000 program and Council reduced the discretionary grants budget by $42,000 from a program budget of $100,000 to bring the 2013 total grant award value in line with 2012 grants actually awarded of $54,000.
O’Keefe Ranch
Founded in 1867, O’Keefe Ranch is located on Highway 97N in the Spallumcheen Valley, 12km from the City of Vernon. It was once one of the largest cattle ranches in BC and is now set up as a tourist attraction consisting of historic buildings, museum, restaurant and other activities for visitors.
The ranch is a designated BC Heritage Site, operated by the O’Keefe Ranch & Interior Heritage Society (“Society”) under a thirty year lease between the City and the Society signed in 1997. Under the terms of the lease, amongst other things the City is committed to establishing a reserve fund of $10,000 for future capital works requested by the Society during each year of the lease, and paying for property insurance.
0.35%
0.93%
1.26%
1.26%
2.28%
2.82%
0.00% 1.00% 2.00% 3.00%
Port Moody
Kelowna
Campbell River
Mission
Vernon
Penticton
Permissive Tax Exemptions as a Percentage of Tax Revenue (2011)
Number of Permissive Tax Exemptions granted (2011)
66
103
40
92
74
18
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City records show that from 1997 to 2012 inclusive, the City has provided a total of $1,883,000 in financial assistance to the Society. Of this amount, $93,000 was in the form of operating assistance and other funding (for example insurance payments), and $1,790,000 was provided in the form of grant funding. Relating these payments to the lease requirement for the City to provide $10,000 per year for capital projects, the City has provided an additional $1,640,000 in funding to the Society since the inception of the lease.
The City’s 2013-2017 financial plan recommends eliminating payments and subsidies to O’Keefe Ranch however the Council Task Force (July 9, 2012) noted that any further reductions in funding will result in cancellations to ranch tours and further maintenance cutbacks. With the ranch actually located outside the City and the heritage and economic development impacts clearly regional rather than related to the City itself, some process participants suggested the City support of the ranch should be terminated.
Opportunities for Council’s Consideration 10.1 Reduce permissive tax exemptions. At over 2% of tax revenue the annual value of exemptions provided
by the City is larger than many other municipalities. Many cities provide 1% or less.
10.2 Review the heritage grant program for its alignment with Council’s priorities and consider the amount of funding to be provided through the program in future years.
10.3 Reduce City funding for O’Keefe Ranch to $10,000 per year to align with the terms of the lease between the City and the O’Keefe Ranch & Interior Heritage Society.
Implementation To effect a reduction in permissive tax exemptions the City could consider two approaches - Establishing tighter criteria to reduce the range of organizations that qualify for permissive tax exemptions, or setting a permissive tax exemption budget at Council (which could decline over a number of years to around 1% of tax revenue) for the advisory committee to allocate among applicants based on their contribution to the community.
If the City were to eliminate additional funding for the O’Keefe Ranch (ie reduce funding to the stipulated amount of $10,000 per year per the lease) it needs to be prepared to accept the potential consequences of reduced services provided at the property and potential issues with decreased maintenance on the property. Legal advice for the City should be sought to inform Council of any legal considerations before embarking on such a strategy.
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11. Governance
This chapter examines options to improve governance in Vernon.
Context
Multiple Entities
The City of Vernon is part of a complex web of local government institutions. The City is part of the Regional Disrict of North Okanagan (RDNO), which provides some local government services such as solid waste management for the entire regional disrict, generally north and east of Vernon. The majority of the RDNO is rural, but the urban area extends into Coldstream and “Greater Vernon Parks Recreation & Culture” is reponsible for all parks and crecreation facilities in Vernon, Coldstream and RDNO Electoral Districts “B” and “C”. A General Manager, Parks Planner and Community Development Coordinator oversees the operation of Grerater Vernon parks and recreation services, but the majority of these services are actually delivered by City of Vernon staff under contract to the RDNO.
Adding to the complexity is Greater Vernon Water (GVW) which is responsible for the delivery of water services in an area that includes the same Greater Vernon area, although it also sells bulk water to other parts of the RDNO. GVW as an entity within the RDNO relies on the RDNO engineering staff, but like Parks Recreation & Culture, purchases most of its operations from the City of Vernon which employs the bulk of the staff involved.
City Council
City Council operates on a Committee of the Whole system, meaning there is only one Council committee that considers all items in detail, making a final recommendation to Council itself. However, the City also has 17 different advisory committees, generally made up of one or two members of Council and a number of residents of the city concerned with the topics in the committee mandate.
Observations and Analysis
Multiple Entities
The different roles for each of the local government organizations reflect the history of the region and attempt to reflect the various interests in local government services, but they do not provide for efficient service delivery. As an example, recreation services are a Greater Vernon service. This makes sense as residents form the whole urban area use the services, and there would be no advantage to duplicating the facilities located in Vernon for the other residents, in Coldstream for example. The Greater Vernon approach allows all the residents who benefit from the parks and recreation services to contribute to those services and benefit from them. However, the service delivery arrangements are very convoluted as shown in the illustration on the following page.
Recreation and Parks services are governed by a special agency made up of the four areas (Vernon, Coldstream, “B” and “C”). The senior management are RDNO employees providing direction to service delivery and support to the governance (the green areas on the chart). The RDNO has a contract with the
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City of Vernon to deliver the parks and recreation services. The senior City staff person delivering recreation services must be responsive to the RDNO direction, but also must report to the City of Vernon senior management and follow City of Vernon policies, for employment as an example.
What the chart doesn’t accurately show is that the programming staff are actually RDNO staff, so there is a City employee overseeing both City and RDNO employees while taking direction from both the City and the RDNO and applying two sets of policies. Interestingly, the City staff use the RDNO accounting system to manage and monitor their operations, even though the payroll and accounts payable are handled by the City central services and the information is available immediately on the City system but may not be reflected in the RDNO system for some period of time, reportedly an increasing period of time as the RDNO has constrained its staffing. Adding to this complexity is the work City staff do on parks maintenance, also part of the Greater Vernon Parks, Recreation and Culture regime.
Recognizing the complexity, recent discussions, including the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of a sub-regional parks service between Vernon, Coldstream, Electoral Area B, and Electoral Area C, have moved towards reducing the RDNO role and having each municipality (e.g. Vernon and Coldstream) exercise more control over their own parks. This may have the reverse of the desired effect, moving from two organizations (RDNO and Vernon) with parks and recreation staffing and expertise, to at least three, with Coldstream adding some capacity.
Community Development CoordinatorParks PlannerFacilities Manager
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There are very similar issues with respect to the water system. RDNO staff manage and direct the system under guidance of the Greater Vernon Water committee – but City staff delivery most of the operations and both organizations have engineering staff with conflicting visions for the future of the system. Many cities have water and sewer systems linked organizationally. In Vernon there is some relationship as City resources conduct much of the work on both, but the management is distinct and the two services are governed by different organizations. Both organizations also have roles in planning, and take different perspectives on many issues.
The result is duplication of skills effort and resources at the senior management level, complication of operations, and even misalignment of priorities and policies between the entities.
There are three alternative approaches that could result in clear policy alignment and reduced operating costs.
• Amalgamation of the City, the District of Coldstream, and electoral areas B and C to create a new municipality with exclusive responsibility for all of these service areas would be the most effective approach, allowing reduction of senior management positions, alignment of operations and consistent policy direction.
OR
• Assign full responsibility for each service exclusively to one government agency and have it deliver the services as appropriate. Given the reliance of the entire Greater Vernon Area on most of the services involved, this would suggest transferring responsibilities and staff from the City to the RDNO. For example, all staff involved in delivering Recreation and Parks services would be transferred to the RDNO and the City would get out of the business. The same approach could be taken with respect to the water system and planning responsibilities. It may require revision of the governance process to help make certain governance is more closely related to the distribution of population to help ensure City residents have adequate influence.
OR
• Given that the City already pays for the vast majority of “Greater Vernon” recreation and parks costs (generally over 80%), have the City take exclusive responsibility for recreation and parks and give up the opportunity to recover costs from residents outside the City. This would remove some duplication of effort, but could lead to “non-resident” charges, the related collection costs and potentially duplicated facilities/programs as the other areas introduced their own.
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City Council
The extensive advisory committee structure offers the opportunity to involve many citizens in the policy development process. The City Council Committee Structure is comprised of Standing Committees (3), Statutory Committee (1), and Select Committees (10)
Mayor and Council
Standing Committees Statutory Committees Select Committees
• Advisory Planning Committee
• Audit Committee • Finance Committee
• Board of Variance
• Accessibility Advisory Committee • Affordable Housing Committee • Biosolids Advisory Committee • Economic Development Advisory Committee • Environmental Advisory Committee • Heritage Advisory Committee • Parking Advisory Committee • Sister Cities Committee • Tourism Advisory Committee • Transportation Demand Management Committee • Athletic Commission
The City’s Corporate Policy1
• Statutory Committees are boards, commissions, or committees established pursuant to a specific enabling statute.
provides the following descriptions of the Council Committees:
• Standing Committees are established for matters the Mayor considers would be better dealt with by Committee. At least half of the members of a Standing Committee must be members of Council.
• Select Committees are established to consider or inquire into any matter and to report its findings and opinion to the Council. At least one member of a select Committee must be a Council member.
Some of the Committees require significant support from City staff which may include preparing materials, attending meetings and taking minutes. From January 1 to October 31 2012, a total of 511 hours or 33% of the City Clerk’s time was dedicated to supporting Select Committees and additional time was used to support Statutory and Standing Committees. In addition, various levels of City employees – from clerical to director - attended committee meetings as staff liaisons. During this time period, 155 hours of additional staff time was spent supporting Select Committees.There is also the time of Councillors to attend the meetings and the per meeting pay of Councillors.
There are times when the responsibility for particular issues is not clear – where committees have overlapping mandates, leading to some matters being considered by more than one committee, leading to differing perspectives, conclusions and recommendations. The committees have also made recommendations directly to Council without the benefit of staff analysis and comment. This can leave Council making decisions without a proper understanding of the implications or potential unintended consequences.
A review of Committee processes showed that in 2012 instead of meeting monthly (as described in the terms of reference) some Committees met infrequently, examples include Parking Committee (one meeting),
1 http://www.vernon.ca/council/Council_Committee_Structure_Policy.pdf
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Environmental Advisory Committee (3 meetings), Athletic Commission (three meetings), Economic Development (four meetings). This outcome indicates that there may be an opportunity to review the Terms of Reference for these committees to make sure that they continue to be relevant in the governance structure. Committees that met regularly, such as Tourism, appear to address operational matters that may more appropriately be within the purview of City Administration – for example, reviewing quotes for event signage, and discussing the new visitor’s guide.
Opportunities for Council’s Consideration 11.1 Council consider which approach it wishes to pursue with respect to the larger governance issue.
The options are listed in order of priority – with the first having the highest potential to improve efficiency and reduce costs – but also listed in reverse order of the ease of implementation.
• Promote an amalgamation of the GVA into a single municipality, or
• Seek to have the RDNO, acting for GV Water and Greater Vernon Parks Recreation & Culture take on full responsibility for the services and transfer the related staff to the RDNO, or
• Seek to end the RDNO role in Recreation and Parks and have the City of Vernon operate the Recreation and Parks program independently, and initiate an independent City of Vernon water utility.
11.2 Consider revising the approach to advisory committees by:
• Maintaining the committees that have a legislative mandate
• Focusing on task forces – committees established with a specific mandate and a defined timeframe to accomplish it
• Consolidating the remaining committees into two or three permanent advisory committees in areas where continuing policy development is required.
Implementation The steps required to resolve the larger governance issue will depend upon the approach selected by Council. A task force could be appointed to review and possibly design a new advisory committee structure, with implementation planned following the next municipal election. The review will need to involve consultation with committee members, the City’s community, and staff liaison to these committees using a combination of approaches including focus groups, surveys, dedicated email inbox, and individual interviews. Terms of reference for each of the Committees should be examined to determine the relevance of the Committee to the Council priorities. Once the information is collected and analyzed, the range of recommendations for reforming Select Committees may include: revision of the terms of reference, discontinuation, combining Committees, and change in membership composition.
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12. Arenas
This chapter examines recreational ice arenas in the City.
Context The City has four artificial ice surfaces. Although they are operated by the RDNO, the majority of costs are borne by the City. The Centennial Outdoor Rink and the Priest Valley Arena are located at the Recreation Complex, the Wesbild Centre is a major 3,000 seat arena and home to the Vernon Vipers Junior Hockey Team. The Civic Arena was built in 1937 and is now 75 years old, showing signs of structural problems and not expected to be available for long without major repairs, or replacement by a new arena.
As a group, the four arenas recover approximately 59% of their operating costs from user fees, with the Civic Arena lowest of the indoor facilities, at 53%, largely because of the subsidy of arena rental rates for minor (child and youth) use of the arenas. The use of arenas has been declining in recent years, with minor usage declining from 5,300 hours per year in 2008 to 4,600 in 2012, largely as a result of the decline in the child and youth population. Both hockey and figure skating have declined. Adult use has remained fairly stable.
Observations and Analysis A variety of approaches to changing the cost of arenas to the City were considered. An increase in ice rental rates would reduce the annual deficit. The rates are lower than some cities reported in the Service Profile – but higher than others. There is a substantial subsidy to minor use of areas – but concern that an increase in rental rates, particularly adult rental rates, could lead some adult groups to use facilitites in nearby communities, particularly the Armstrong Spallumcheen Sports Centre Ice Skating Rink in Armstrong.
Current thinking is that the Civic Arena could be closed and an additional ice surface added to the Wesbild Centre. Multi-pad arenas are widely considered more efficient to operate due to shared staffing and equipment and may provide opportunities for additional revenue from a potentially more attractive facility for events such as tournaments, conventions and trade shows; however, the City does not control the land adjacent to the Westbild Centre where a new ice pad could be added.
During the Core Services Review there was also concern expressed that some City users are already going to facilitites outside the City as they are newer, nicer, no more expensive and offer more convenient hours. The challenge being raised - should the City not get on with building a new facility to bring these people back.
However with arena use already declining based on the decrease in minor aged populations, the question arises as to whether it makes sense to replace the Civic Arena with a new facility that could be underused and leave arenas in neighbouring communities also under-used. With current population trends, ice time demands may continue to decline for some years before the youth and child aged population starts to grow again. However if the Civic Arena were closed without a replacement today, the City would not be able to accommodate all current users in the remaining two indoor rinks.
Given the state of deterioration of the Civic Arena and the barriers to expanding the Wesbild Centre (including the time requried to plan and build a major project), there will almost certainly be a gap between the closure of the Civic Arena and the construction of a new facility. An effective approach combining
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a number of opportunities could reduce the annual costs of arena services and postpone the cost of a major new capital facility.
Opportunities for Council’s Consideration 12.1 Increase ice rental rates to reduce the deficit and encourage some users to find other facilities. Part of
the increased revenues from minor rate increases could be allocated to provide support for low income participants.
12.2 Keep the Civic Arena open until the spring of 2014 if safety and an adequate service level can be guaranteed at reasonable cost.
12.3 Work with neighbouring communities to accommodate as many users as possible in the City or neighbouring rinks, using the next year to transition as many users as possible.
12.4 Continue work to investigate opportunities to expand the Wesbild Centre and develop a concept for the expansion.
12.5 Do not proceed with construction of the new facility until demand grows – likely as a result of an increase in child and youth aged population.
Implementation If arena ice rental rates are to be increased, the new rates should be implemented in September 2013, which will require a timely decision as users will be planning next year’s activities soon. A second increase could be planned for September 2014 when there will be fewer facilities available to help facilitate the transition.
As City staff work with users to plan ice allocations for 2013, they should discuss the challenge of operating without the Civic Arena in 2014 and begin moving users to the other facilities where capacity exists. One goal should be to minimize the hours at the Civic Arena, for example phasing out weekday use when other facilities can accommodate all users.
While it is easy to view other facilitites as rivals or competitors for limited users, staff should work with the other nearby facilitites to move users or programs where it is viable, recognizing that the City’s facilitites will be very well used once the Civic Arena closes, and that the overall goal is to meet people’s recreation needs.
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13. Other Opportunities
This chapter presents opportunities for Council’s consideration grouped in the categories of – Short Term, Staff to Implement, Medium to Long Term, Investigate Further, and Suggest to RDNO.
In addition to the 28 themed opportunities for Council’s consideration presented in chapters 5 to 12 in this report, a further 41 other opportunities for Council’s consideration are provided in this chapter. The opportunities in this chapter have been grouped based on potential timing of impact for the City, complexity of implementation and certainty of value – as Short Term, Staff to Implement, Medium to Long Term, Investigate Further, and Suggest to RDNO.
Additional opportunities suggested during the Core Services Review are included in Appendix 3 as “Approved” if Council has approved the action as part of the 2013 budget process or as “Not Worth Pursuing” if the assessment suggests there could be an unacceptable impact on current and/or future clients and/or there could be uncertainty over any potential benefits to be realized by the City if the opportunities were implemented.
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Short Term – Opportunities for Council’s Consideration
The nine opportunities for Council’s consideration summarized in the table below could have a short-term impact (cost savings or revenue generation) on the City if implemented. They could be considered by Council for the 2014 budget or earlier as they could have relatively low client impact and may involve lower barriers to implement.Council should consider if further analysis is required and direct staff accordingly.
Ref Suggested Opportunity Description Program Service Comments Opp ID
13.1 Sell RDNO "Out of Area Fire Protection Service" as requested
Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Fire-Rescue Budget proposal (requested twice by RDNO) $34,000 annually (@1.30 rate).
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13.2 Advisory committee recommendations need staff/finance review before they are considered by Council
Governance and Support Services
Administration Committees and Councillors find it expedient to process recommendations quickly, but can have high risk if full implications not identified.
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13.3 Adopt budget proposals to reduce arena costs
Parks, Recreation, and Culture
Recreation Services Budget proposals to reduce clerical staffing, advertising, training, tools purchases and use more efficient lighting.
155
13.4 Carbon tax, carbon neutrality - use $267K of Carbon Tax Reserve Funds for local projects
Planning and Development
Planning Liability requires clarification, and projects should have a positive Return on Investment.
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13.5 Reduce Summer Sweeping Transportation and
Infrastructure Roads 122
13.6 Double the crack sealing program to cover 20% of roads per year
Transportation and Infrastructure
Roads Important preventative maintenance to extend the life of the asphalt surface and protect the road bed.
new
13.7 Eliminate roadside spring chipping - Require drop off for items that don’t fit clear bags
Transportation and Infrastructure
Solid Waste and Recycling
Roadside chipping is a very high service level. Allowing bundles of twigs to be included with leaf pick-up should be sufficient.
84
13.8 Move to garbage collection every two weeks
Transportation and Infrastructure
Solid Waste and Recycling
Many residents recycle most of their garbage. Could initiate in the fall when odours less of an issue. Could be combined with opportunity to drop off organics for residents with concerns.
83
13.9 Capital Infrastructure Levy ‐ Split the capital infrastructure portion of the tax levy onto a separate line on the tax notice. Overall increase in fees and charges but creates room in tax levy and matches fee for service.
Transportation and Infrastructure
Some municipalities have used this as an approach to help generate understanding of the need for increased investment.
162
45
Staff to Implement – Opportunities for Council’s Consideration
The ten opportunities for Council’s consideration summarized in the table below could have a minimal financial impact (cost savings or revenue generation) on the City and could be implemented with relative ease by City staff. If implemented, these opportunities could have a relatively low impact on current and/or future clients and may have low barriers to implement. Since most of these opportunities could have a minmial impact on the 2014 budget but offer opportunities for improvement at the City, Council should consider whether it can direct staff to proceed with implementation of these items, or whether further analysis is required and direct staff to implement these opportunities accordingly.
Ref Suggested Opportunity Description
Program Service Comments Opp ID
13.10 Seek reduction in hydrant charges to Fire Department
Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Fire-Rescue Rate went from $135 to $205 and service level decreased. Kelowna pays $59. Requires discussion with GVW. Transfers from property tax to water rate.
41
13.11 Review emergency response protocols to reduce the number of times response exceeds requirements
Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Fire-Rescue May be difficult to achieve with different responders part of different governments, and with multiple dispatch entities, but worth reviewing every few years.
-
13.12 Expand and promote on-line services to reduce the number of transactions handled manually
Governance and Support Services
Corporate Services Implement as cost:benefit ratio warrants. 86
13.13 Develop a formal performance measurement system with identified key metrics for each relevant department and publish results in the Annual Report
Governance and Support Services
Finance Many services are measured today. Identifying a consistent set of KPIs and providing regular reporting would help Council and public assess City performance.
-
13.14 Outsource concession operations at Wesbild Centre
Parks, Recreation, and Culture
Recreation Services Could reduce costs and maintain service level. Concessionaire could be a community group.
78
13.15 Continue Job Evaluation process in Recreation
Parks, Recreation, and Culture
Recreation Services Resulting in some cost reductions - partially completed.
152
13.16 Increase advertiser involvement with tourism promotion
Planning and Development
Economic Development
Soliciting more advertiser support can reduce costs, but shift to newer media can make ad/partnership involvement more difficult.
47
13.17 Continue to build hangars at airport on a self-sustaining basis
Transportation and Infrastructure
Airport Recent legislative changes impacted the development, but business case believed still valid.
33
46
Ref Suggested Opportunity Description
Program Service Comments Opp ID
13.18 Require contractors building City infrastructure to either provide as built drawings signed by an engineer without disclaimers - or pay for a City staff member to supervise construction on-site throughout construction
Transportation and Infrastructure
Engineering Engineers have started inserting disclaimers, meaning the City cannot rely on the quality of the assets built. May have significant cost impact in future if assets are poorly built.
89
13.19 Conduct inspection after road cuts Transportation and
Infrastructure Roads Require deficiencies to be corrected to
improve life of roads. 67
47
Medium to Long Term – Opportunities for Council’s Consideration
The eight opportunities for Council’s consideration summarized in the table below could have a financial impact (cost savings or revenue generation) on the City’s budget but will require more than a year to achieve the benefits.These opportunities could have a relatively acceptable impact on current and/or future clients and may involve higher barriers to implement.Council should consider directing relevant City staff to begin actions to address barriers and report back to Council periodically. As projects will take more than one year to accomplish if work to address the barriers begins now, deferring decisions to begin work may further defer implementation and achievement of potential benefits.
Ref Suggested Opportunity Description
Program Service Comments Opp ID
13.20 Increase parking fines ($5 if paid within 14 days) up to at least $15 - like Kelowna
Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Bylaw and Parking Enforcement
Council approved increase from $5 to $10. Further increases in subsequent years would increase revenues and improve compliance with City bylaws. It currently costs more to issue and collect than the fine value.
56
13.21 Use Pay & Display machines at off-street lots
Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Bylaw and Parking Enforcement
Accepts payment by credit card, reduces operating costs, particularly when large number of spaces served.
58
13.22 Consolidate corporate facilities and leave rental facilities
Governance and Support Services
Facilities Could be examined further. 71
13.23 Offer registration services for recreation programs on-line
Parks, Recreation, and Culture
Recreation Services Improved level of service, but 10% convenience fee charged by CLASS does not make it attractive.
74
13.24 Implement an "Adopt a Tree" program giving residents the option to pay for the planting and maintenance of a tree on a City right-of-way.
Parks, Recreation, and Culture
Trees Requires a pilot project to establish the costs and test the level of interest.
new
13.25 Consolidate the North, South and mobile Visitor Information Centres with a single location, ideally downtown.
Planning and Development
Economic Development
Could save $60,000 per year although likely to be some capital cost. Appropriate site would need to be identified - in the meantime one of the sites (likely North) could be closed relying on the other site.
108
13.26 Increase road cut fees particularly on "good" roads to reflect loss of value that results
Transportation and Infrastructure
Roads Similar initiatives underway in other cities. Would encourage better joint planning.
19
13.27 Create a Storm Water Utility with charges to benefiting properties - Increase fees to cover full costs of asset management and renewal
Transportation and Infrastructure
Water and Sewer Ties funding to properties receiving benefits, removes from property tax, consistent with user pay principals.
69
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Investigate Further – Opportunities for Council’s Consideration
For the 11 opportunities for Council’s consideration summarized in the table below, it is uncertain whether these opportunities should be implemented because of uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, likelihood and timing of any financial impact (cost savings or revenue generation) to the City. In addition, there is uncertainty as to the potential impact of these opportunities on current and/or future clients, barriers to implementation, and/or potential benefits to be realized. Council should direct City staff to further examine the viability and feasibility of these opportunities and report back to Council.
Ref Suggested Opportunity Description
Program Service Comments Opp ID
13.28 Outsource bylaw enforcement staffing
Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Bylaw and Parking Enforcement
Integration of wide range of tasks within Bylaw services would make outsourcing more difficult. Commissionaires as contracting agent getting more expensive. Contract services may not be as flexible in terms of the range of duties and hours.
22
13.29 Rent Fire Station 2 (OK Landing) on a shared use basis to BC Ambulance Service
Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Fire-Rescue Presented as budget proposal. 135
13.30 Build a central electronic filing system
Governance and Support Services
Corporate Services Requires cost: benefit review. 62
13.31 Wrap up Hesperia development plans and sell land on the public market
Governance and Support Services
Facilities Original plans for City led development not proving feasible.
18
13.32 Integrate work order system, service request system and payroll
Governance and Support Services
Finance Benefits clear, but implementation cost unknown at this time
70
13.33 Reduce scope/cost of annual report Governance and
Support Services Finance Current document is very informative. 87
13.34 Contract economic development and/or tourism to Chamber of Commerce
Planning and Development
Economic Development
Chamber was involved in tourism program in the past. Not clear if currently interested or what implications would be.
13
13.35 Develop a service culture in Planning
Planning and Development
Planning Planning seems to have made substantial progress in improving response times, however public report differing experiences.
28
13.36 Eliminate irrigation and reduce mowing frequency on City maintained boulevards and linear trails
Transportation and Infrastructure
Roads Consistent with water conservation and tax management objectives. Some boulevards will lose the grass altogether. Conscious transfer to gravel or other finish may be required to maintain aesthetics.
82
49
Ref Suggested Opportunity Description
Program Service Comments Opp ID
13.37 Snow clearing Utility ‐ Overall increase in fees and charges but creates room in tax levy and matches fee for service
Transportation and Infrastructure
Roads Could be difficult to allocate costs appropriately. Costs on major street benefit all, not just local residents, while on residential street, benefits are almost entirely local.
160
13.38 Conduct Pilot Project to test "beet Juice" as a road de-icing agent, as used by Merritt
Transportation and Infrastructure
Roads Requires more information to determine if pilot project worthwhile.
new
50
Suggest to RDNO – Opportunities for Council’s Consideration
The three opportunities for Council’s consideration summarized in the table below relate to areas of where RDNO has jurisdiction but where implementation could result in reduced costs being passed on to City taxpayers. Council should consider if further analysis is required and initiate a dialogue with RDNO to raise awareness of the opportunities.
Ref Suggested Opportunity Description
Program Service Comments Opp ID
13.39 Stop supporting Caetani Property Governance and
Support Services Finance Project has not received City support since
2010 - RDNO provides support. However funding requests are anticipated. The core services review consultation process did not identify widespread support for public funding of this property.
21
13.40 Seek RD permission for designated staff to use Facebook and other social media to promote recreational programs
Parks, Recreation, and Culture
Recreation Services Modern marketing uses social media extensively. Can be limited to specific staff to limit time spent.
80
13.41 Increasing the ‘loonie swim’ to a ‘twonie swim’ will generate an additional $8,000.
Parks, Recreation, and Culture
Recreation Services Still inexpensive, but some concern that some client participation will be discouraged.
151
51
14. Next Steps
This chapter describes the responsibilities of Council for decision making related to opportunities for change and implementation considerations.
Council’s responsibilities for Decision Making Council should read this report in its entirety including appendices and consider the opportunities contained herein. Council is responsible for directing City staff to conduct further research and analysis and for decision making on opportunities for change.
The opportunities for Council’s consideration outlined in this report have been prepared for the purposes of the Core Services Review to subsequently inform decision making by Council. No one should act on such information without considering the need for additional analysis. Council is responsible for decisions:
• To implement any opportunities for change as outlined below and for considering their impact
• To determine how to use the savings realized, whether for reduced taxes and fees, or to implement any improved services or increased spending, or to reinvest into other activities.
Implementation of opportunities for change will require the City to plan and test any changes to help make certain that the City will realize any intended outcome. Final benefits realized from implementing any changes will be based on future events and Council decisions and will vary from the estimates included in this document. These variances may be material.
Implementation Considerations While considering which opportunities for change to act upon, Council should also give consideration to the structure or structures the City could set up to oversee and manage the implementation process.
For Council this could mean continuing to manage the process through the Committee of the Whole, or adding this accountability to the mandate of an existing committee of Council. For City staff this could mean establishing a Working Group or assigning responsibility to appropriate staff through the CAO and Senior Management Team.
No matter what structure Council establishes to manage the implementation of opportunities for change, among the critical success factors will be:
• Stakeholder identification and engagement
• Clear communication with stakeholders, between Council and City staff, and with the community where appropriate
• Selection and application of effective change management tactics.
The following steps should be considered by Council regarding the implementation of opportunities for change arising from the Core Services Review:
1. Assign responsibility for implementation of Council approved opportunities arising from the Core Services Review to the CAO
2. Direct the CAO to provide regular progress reports on implementation status to City Council.
52
Appendix 1 Service Profiles
During Phase 2 of the project, service profiles were created to present key information on the services that the City currently provides. These service profiles were consolidated into five Service Profile Summary documents and posted on the City’s website.
The information in the Service Profile Summary documents was compiled by the City based on a template provided by KPMG. The intent of the Service Profile Summary documents is to present key information on the services that the City currently provides to inform discussions with City Council, City management and the community on the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements during the Core Services Review project.
Any performance related information is based on City provided information or statements. No opinion is expressed with respect to the validity of the underlying performance data. The Service Profile Summary documents do not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters.
Service Profile Planning and Development
City of Vernon Core Services Review Service Profiles Program: Planning and Development January 15, 2013
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Community Development General ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 3. Planning ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 4. Building Inspections ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 5. Economic Development ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose of this Document Background
In 2012, the City of Vernon (City) contracted KPMG LLP (KPMG) through a competitive bid process to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements. The City sees periodic Core Service Reviews as a necessary and positive means to check, confirm and review the range of services to be delivered by the City and recommendations to prioritize those services. The City considers Core Service Reviews as one method to ensure what is delivered is of the highest value to the community, to shed lower value services, to apply best modern practices to cost effective delivery, and to direct valuable, limited resources to the delivery of community valued programs and services. The Core Service Review project commenced on October 10, 2012 and is being conducted in four phases with a draft final report to be delivered by March 31, 2013.
Service Profile Summaries
During Phase 2 of the project, service profiles were created to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides. These service profiles were consolidated into five Service Profile Summary documents, of which this document is one, and posted on the City website.
The information in the Service Profile Summary documents was compiled by the City based on a template provided by KPMG. The intent of the Service Profile Summary documents is to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides to inform discussions with City Council, City management and the community on the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements during the Core Services Review project.
Any performance related information is based on City of Vernon provided information or statements. No opinion is expressed with respect to the validity of the underlying performance data. The Service Profile Summary documents do not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
1.2 Providing Input to the Core Services Review Project Public Consultation
During Phase 3 of the Core Services Review project, the City is seeking input from the community on current services through a public workshop on January 29, 2013. Input could include suggestions of opportunities for cost reduction, areas where current service levels could be reduced or are already too low, or any other suggestions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of City services. It is intended that City staff and members of the community including those representing any specific stakeholder groups will read the information contained in the Service Profile Summary documents before attending the workshop. Written comments/suggestions will also be welcome, either presented at the meeting, or submitted to the project email address.
Project Email address
A dedicated project email address has been set up to enable any stakeholder to provide information directly to KPMG on a confidential basis. The email address is [email protected]
3
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
1.3 How to Read this Document The information in this document is presented in six sections:
Service Description – briefly describes the overall purpose or objective of the City service.
Service Hierarchy – lists the sub-services or activities within the Service, and describes the service provided.
Service Delivery – provides information on service delivery for the sub-services or activities within the Service including service level, client impact and number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff involved.
Finance – provides key financial metrics showing the level of expenditures on the sub-services and the extent to which the sub-services are funded through user fees, grants and/or property tax levy.
Recent Reviews – describes any recent studies or reviews of these services/sub-services, the results and what has been done with the results.
Municipal Comparisons – provides conclusions from previous reports or other data the City has on the delivery of the services/sub-services, the unit cost for services/sub-services, the fees charged for services/sub-service in comparison with other municipalities.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
1.4 Glossary
Term Definition
Service Type Public – exist to provide value added service to an external client / customer Internal – exists to support delivery of other services, provides no value added service to public Mandatory – mandated or required by legislation from the federal or provincial government Essential – critical to the operation of the City. Without the service, the City would stop functioning Traditional – municipal service, provided by virtually all municipalities for many years Other Discretionary – service provided by the City to respond to particular community needs, based on a positive business case, or other specialized purposes
Service Standard A = Above standard S = At standard S + : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are higher S – : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are lower B = Below standard
Service level “At Standard” is consistent with: • the level required by legislation, or … • industry standards and practices, or… • business case analysis justification, … • service levels in other municipalities, … • reasonable expectations
Finances (Operating Budget)
COSTS: Salaries – includes employee total compensation (fully loaded including salaries, wages and benefits) Other Direct – all other expenditure related to the sub-service Allocations – costs transferred from other services / sub-services REVENUES: Income – rates, fees, fares and any other user fees, and any grants / subsidies / funds from provincial or federal governments (comment
should indicate if user fees or grants) Recoveries – opposite of allocations; charges to other services, capital projects or perhaps other municipalities Tax Levy – residual costs covered by the property tax levy (negative amount implies sub-service generates revenue that reduces the tax
levy). Amount should be the total sub-service costs minus total sub-service revenues
5
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
2. Community Development General 2.1 Service Description Community Development General provides Standard administration function for the Community Development Service.
2.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided within Community Development General Service.
Service Sub-Service Type Description
Community Development Management
Internal Traditional
This provides the management of Community Development.
2.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Community Development General Service.
Sub-Service Activities Description Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Community Development General
Standard administration function All public mailings related to Public Hearings, DVPs, other done through this area (also does Engineering) Manager is Deputy Approving Officer
Administration for 19.0 FTE
Complete projects on time and on budget
S Public mailings required for DVP and Rezoning applications by legislation/ bylaw SPC works with businesses and agencies; considered very important – numerous community problems addressed
Year Round 1 Manager .50 Executive Assistant 1 Secretary
Division Manager ensures coordination between all services in the division, which has been particularly effective between Ec Dev and Planning. Combined reception/secretarial/ administration has been very efficient. Manager also supports staff in completion of priority projects to meet deadlines. Coordinated Planning and Ec Dev model is regarded by the Province as “best is show” in service provision. Other jurisdictions are currently examining this model. Division Manager coordinates/undertakes significant corporate projects, which can typically occupy 30%-50% standard working hours.
6
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
Sub-Service Activities Description Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Administers Social Planning Contract (SPC)
with this function Administration and support function important to division staff/other divisions
Manager has been overseeing implementation of one stop shopping for all development applications and other recommendations of February 2011 service review (attached); full implementation April 8, 2013.
2.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of Community Development General Service.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Community Development – General
Salaries CUPE A 56
Non-Union 180
Other Direct 12
Allocation 28 Taxes 276
Total 276 Total 276
2.5 Recent Reviews See services below.
2.6 Municipal Comparisons See services below.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
3. Planning 3.1 Service Description The Planning Service is within Community Development and provides Community, Environmental and Transportation Demand Management planning services.
3.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Planning Service.
Sub-Service Type Description
Community Planning
Mandatory Traditional Public
Planning is responsible for the implementation of municipal bylaws and policies related to the planning and sustainable growth of the community. Planning actively engages all sectors of the community in the development of neighbourhood plans and other growth management initiatives. The primary responsibilities of the Department include land use planning and related policy development, subdivision, rezoning and development permit applications, variance applications, neighbourhood planning, affordable housing, heritage planning, social planning (through a contract with the Social Planning Council) and community outreach. The Department works with all City divisions and regional partners in the delivery of these services.
Environmental Planning
Public Traditional
Environmental Planning is part of the Community Development Division, in the Planning Department. As in previous years the 2010 Environmental Planning budget is separated from the Planning Division budget to outline the costs of projects and programs which are distinct to the work program and Council direction to Environmental Planning staff. This group provides the following services to Community Development, Planning and the City as a whole: development application review for environmental protection, ecosystem services (e.g.: water quality), environmental impact assessment and riparian assessment reviews, community sustainability consideration in planning, development of the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, policy and program development, integration of environmental considerations in the projects undertaken across City Departments and collaboration on City sustainability across Departments.
Transportation Demand MGMT
Public Traditional (newly)
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is the use of policies, programs and services to help guide how people travel. The City’s Transportation Plan 2008 identifies the goal of shifting 20% of all commuting trips to alternate modes of travel, including walking, cycling, public transit and carpooling. TDM collaborates and communicates extensively with both internal and external stakeholders, including City Divisions, businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools and community members.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
3.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Planning Service.
Sub-Service Activities Description Service Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Community Planning
Development Permit Development Variance Permit Rezoning Subdivision Affordable housing Heritage planning/ permits OCP and amendments Neighbourhood Plans Building Permit and License review
See data under Recent Studies for number of applications processed annually from 1991 to present
As per Section 85(1) of the Land Title Act, must be processed within two months of application Development applications take priority over other planning initiatives 1neighbourhood plan per year
S+ (see review in Recent Studies)
Developers, builders, real estate agents, Provincial ministries, non-profit groups, residents: timely processing is extremely important to client group
Year Round 1 City Planner .50 Planning Assistant 1 Planning Assistant 1 Long Range Planner 1 temp planning assistant (expires June 30/12)
February 2011 report (attached) indicates service speed is faster than 11 comparable municipalities for DPs, Subdivision Approvals and Rezonings Staff several committees of Council. Undertake OCP and review every five years; update/initiate one neighbourhood plan per year to implement growth strategy
Environmental Planning
Development application review Policy and program development, including development of the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan Tree Cutting permits
Review Riparian Area Regulation reports, environ-mental impact assessments Agricultural Land Reserve Exclusion applications Neighbourhood plans, OCP, ICSP Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program Reporting
RAR as required by legislation Tree Cutting permits 1 week or less ALR exclusion applications 3 weeks from application to report to Council
S Important to clients with properties on waterbodies and seeking ALR exclusions Important component in Planning department long range initiatives
Year Round 1 Planner .50 Planning Assistant
Planner also does long range planning for neighbourhood plans, OCP, staffs several Council Committees, and supervises Environmental Planning Assistant and TDM Coordinator
Transportation Demand
Development of School Travel
Two school travel plans undertaken
Service levels in other
S School Travel Plans for
Year Round 1 TDM
This position was created in 2009 resulting from the adopted
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
Sub-Service Activities Description Service Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Management Plans and staff travel plans Participation in development application review Public events
per year Staff travel planning for local businesses, as required Pilot neighbourhood active travel planning underway 4-6 public events undertaken per year Promotion of cycling, transit and carpooling
municipalities approx. 2,300 students; families strongly support this initiative Public events engage several hundred residents annually Modal split shift for 2011 part of Census data not yet released Transit ridership has increased from 270,000 (2005/06 baseline) to 440,000 (2011)
Coordinator Transportation Plan 2008. According to the EMME modelling done, the elimination of the Highway Bypass route resulted in a network failure in approximately 30 years. Various options were examined. Reducing trend vehicle usage negated the system failure. Goal of shifting 20% of all commuting trips to alternate modes of travel Vernon has been recognized nationally for school travel plan development and implementation. Where parking variances are conditions of development, TDM Coordinator works with the applicant on vehicle reduction programs
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
3.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Planning Service.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Community Planning
Salaries CUPE A 164 Income 87
Income is from application fees Non-Union 231
Other Direct 230 Taxes 538
Total 625 Total 625
Environmental Planning
Salaries CUPE A 47
Non-Union 105
Other Direct 34 Taxes 186
Total 186 Total 186
Transportation Demand Management
Salaries CUPE A 96
Other Direct 34 Taxes 130
Total 130 Total 130
Total Service
Salaries CUPE A 307 Income 87 Non-Union 336 Taxes 854
Other Direct 298
Total 941 941
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
3.5 Recent Reviews Planning and Building Services Department Review completed by Acton Consulting (Final Report February 2011). This study found Vernon had better than average building permit and planning approval timeframes than comparable cities for most application types, except for the issuance of building permits for large commercial projects, which take longer than the comparable cities to process. It provided a number of recommendations for improvement, which are currently being implemented. Implementation timeframes for some key recommendations are discussed below.
The Division Manager has been overseeing the implementation of one stop shopping for all development applications. This has been a multi stage process, and includes recommendations from the February 2011 report entitled Planning and Building Services Department Review completed by Acton Consulting. The following summarizes the stages of that process:
Fall 2010 Reconfiguration of staff responsibilities and implementation of project managers. This provided a single point of contact for the customer for all stages of their development application, including those applications that had several stages (such as rezoning, DVP and BP applications).
2010 to 2012 Redesign and reconfiguration of all development applications to:
• correspond with Official Community Plan 2008 growth strategy (e.g. preferential processing for City Centre applications and inclusion of EMA Strategy requirements)
• reflect current development requirements and processes (forms had not been updated for several years) • enhance user friendliness of applications
Creation of a “user’s guide” to go with the application forms. Creation of a Development Scorecard to replace the Smart Growth Checklist. Development of a Customer Satisfaction Survey to be completed at the end of every application process. Redesign of Planning and Building web pages. Creation of FAQ sheets (and corresponding web versions) for Planning and Building. All of the above items are now ready to “go live”. The application forms, user’s guide, Development Scorecard and Customer Satisfaction Survey will go through a “test drive” process from January 2013 to April 2013, so that any issues can be identified and corrected prior to replacing the current application process on May 1, 2013. The draft process will run side by side the existing process and applicants will be requested to try it and provide comments. The website and FAQs will also “go live” during this period.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
February 2011 Planning and Building Services Department Review completed by Acton Consulting to identify strengths and areas where efficiencies could be improved.
2011 Comprehensive review of all standard operating procedures (Planning, Building and Engineering).
March 2011 Implemented MyCity for Building Permit applications so that customers can track their application on-line 24/7.
Fall 2012 Relocation of all development related divisions into the new Community Services Building. Up to this point, Building was located in City Hall and Planning and Engineering were located across the street in the Development Services Building. This precluded the ability of Planning and Engineering to go to the counter to address quick questions, added time in application processing as well as in staff quickly coming together to discuss and resolve issues.
The new building was designed with two customer “stations” that allow customers to sit with staff and work on their application. Each station has a computer with access to City maps, forms, bylaws, etc.
Jan – Apr 2013 “Test drive” new application process.
May 1, 2013 Implement new application process.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
3.6 Municipal Comparisons As noted in Comments column above
Type of Application
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 YTD
Rezoning 52 50 41 19 32 29 35 22 19 18 11 10 32 25 37 23 18 18 21 22 15 18
O.C.P. Amendment 17 19 20 5 4 9 10 9 7 12 5 5 6 8 13 6 6 4 1 7 5 8
Development/Dev Variance Permit 64 74 58 69 62 71 84 49 42 57 39 47 61 94 75 74 69 75 81 102 50 80
Board of Variance 36 26 28 27 26 14 20 15 15 11 13 15 24 27 8 4 3 2 0 5 1 2
ALR Applications 1 1 0 1 2 3 5 3 2 3 0 1 2 3 8 1 1 2 0 2 0 3
Subdivision Applications 38 65 76 43 62 55 56 51 32 29 32 58 64 64 57 68 63 62 33 62 27 31
Total Applications 208 235 223 164 188 181 210 149 117 130 100 136 189 221 198 176 160 163 136 200 98 142
175 171 169 162 161
SFD Lots Registered 112 243 364 209 200 390 261 193 63 23 79 340 365 230 163 351 270 244 11 56 31 10
BLS Lots Registered 65 83 7 - 60 64 115 176 25 22 41 76 - 56 73 144 66 42 12 0 6 11
Duplex Lots Registered 1 4 3 30 26 11 5 34 0 0 0 0 - 1 0 0 0 6 15 0 0 0
Party Wall Fee Simple Lots Registered 0 0 0 0 1 10 9 2 1 1 1 3 - 0 2 6 0 10 2 0 12 2
Multi-Family Lots Registered 2 26 26 14 5 29 17 1 0 10 3 0 - 1 3 5 6 3 3 64 15 15
Commercial/Industrial Lots Registered 2 1 5 3 0 4 2 1 41 17 1 6 - 4 2 5 6 1 2 7 15 3
Total Lots Registered 182 357 405 256 292 508 409 407 130 73 125 425 365 292 243 505 348 306 45 127 79 41
313 305 292 274 262
2012 Subdivisions
SFD Lots
BLS Lots
Duplex Lots
Party Wall Fee Simple Lots
Multi-Family Lots
Commercial/Industrial Lots
Total Lots
2011SubdivisionsSFD LotsBLS Lots D l L t
41119
3 3
0 2
0 15
Number of Lots Granted PLA Number of Lots Registered
110 10
Average To-Date
Average To-Date
Land Use Applications Processed (1991-2008)
Number of Applications Processed Yearly
6 11
0 0
Number of Lots Granted PLA Number of Lots Registered13 3148 60 0
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
4. Building Inspections 4.1 Service Description The Building and Inspections Service within Community Development Services is responsible for review and issuance of building permits, and field review and inspections of construction projects.
4.2 Service Hierarchy The following describes the sub-services provided by Building Inspection Service.
Service Sub-Service Type Description Building and Inspections Building
Permits Bylaw Screening / Adjudication Building Inspection Business Licensing
Public Mandatory
Building and Inspections is a section of the Community Development Division and is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the B.C. Building Regulations and other applicable development regulations. The section is primarily responsible for review and issuance of building permits, field review and inspections of construction projects, and general assistance to the citizens of Vernon. The regulatory framework is contained in Building and Plumbing Bylaw #4900. This section is also responsible for Business Licensing.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
4.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within Building and Inspections.
Sub-Service Activities Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Building Permits
Permit types issued include building, demolition, foundation, plumbing, swimming pool, sign, moving
303 BP in 2012YTD ($57m) 327 BP in 2011 ($121.4m)
Three weeks from application to issuance target met 40% of time
S- in total building permits S+ in single family permits
Builders; time is usually critical to the clients
Year Round 1 Manager 1 Counter Clerks .75 Counter Clerk ll
February 2011 review (attached) indicates total BP issuance level processing time below 11 comparable municipalities, although BP issuance for single family dwellings is faster than comparables; receiving incomplete applications and applications pending DVP or rezoning contribute to overall slow processing average
Bylaw Screening/ Adjudication System
Receive ticket appeals, enter into database, follow up with issuing officer, determine validity of ticket and process accordingly (cancel or maintain); prepare for and appear at monthly adjudication hearings
471 disputes processed 2011 (March to December) 650 processed 2012 year to date
Two weeks from initial appeal to completion of process
S Residents disputing municipal tickets
Year Round .25 FTE Counter Clerk II
These duties commenced March 4, 2011. Approximately 9 hours per week; Counter Clerk II has this in job description, but all counter clerks are trained to provide coverage/backup Service level is comparable to other jurisdiction (North Van) that does similar process: North Van’s average processing time per appeal is 45 minutes; Vernon’s time last year was 47 minutes; this year approximately 41 minutes per appeal (actual hands on time) Monitoring of particular types of tickets/reasons for appeal making up a lot of disputes – is conducted on an ongoing basis to see if there are systemic changes that may be required. None identified to date.
Building Inspections
See “comments” for required inspections as per the bylaw: footing, plumbing, framing, insulation and final
2760 inspections in 2011 2259 inspections in 2012 year to date
Inspections performed day after request received goal achieved 99% of time
S Builders; critically important to conduct inspections when required to keep projects on schedule
Year Round* 3 Building Inspectors (*1 inspector on leave of absence from June 2012 to
As per Building and Plumbing Bylaw #4900, the following require inspections prior to enclosing: 15.4.1 the foundation and footing forms prior to placing of any concrete therein, provided that after concrete is poured, a British Columbia Land Surveyor certificate is received prior to any other inspections other than inspection 15.4.2 being performed; 15.4.2 installation of perimeter drain tiles and damp-proofing, sanitary sewer, storm sewer
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
Sub-Service Activities Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
June 2013, resulting in 2 FTE from June 2012 to June 2013)
and water services, prior to backfilling; 15.4.3 plumbing under-slab rough-in during a required test phase prior to cover; 15.4.4 the preparation of ground, including ground cover, hydronic heating system when installed, prior to the placing of a concrete slab; 15.4.5 rough-in of chimneys and fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances; 15.4.6 plumbing above slab rough-in during a required test prior to cover; 15.4.7 the framing and sheathing when complete, including fire stopping, bracing, chimney, duct work, plumbing, gas venting, wiring, but before any insulation, lath or other interior or exterior finish is applied which would conceal such work; 15.4.8 insulation and vapour barrier, but prior to installation of interior finish; 15.4.9 the health and safety aspects of the work when the building or structure is complete and ready for occupancy.
Business Licensing
Total number of all licences for 2012YTD is 3,328 New licences 2012YTD 559
2-3 days for straight forward applications; 1-2 weeks where BP, IHA or other approval required
S All business operators in the city, including mobile vendors (intermunicipal licensing program); required for business operation
Year Round 1 Counter Clerk
Municipal Comparisons: Kelowna 1-2 weeks Spallumcheen 1-2 weeks Kamloops 15 – 19 business days Coldstream 1 – 3 days Armstrong 1-2 weeks Lumby 2-3 days Salmon Arm 1 week
4.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the Buildings and Inspections.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Building and Inspections
Salaries CUPE A 433 Income 1,177
Income is from building permits and business licences Non-Union 117
Other Direct 38 Taxes (589)
Total 588 Total 588
4.5 Recent Reviews Building Permit Fee Review (Final Report May 2009), found that building permit fees were generally appropriate and comparable to other municipalities although a little lower for small permits and a little higher than some for large projects. The report also identified process issues that needed to be resolved.
Planning and Building Services Department Review (Final Report February 2011). This study found Vernon had better than average building permit and planning approval timeframes than comparable cities for most application types, except for the issuance of building permits for large commercial projects, which take longer than the comparable cities to process. It provided a number of recommendations for improvement, which are currently being implemented. Implementation timeframes for some key recommendations are discussed below.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
4.6 Municipal Comparisons The tables below, taken from the 2009 Building Permit Fee Review Final Report by Acton, show how building permit fees in Vernon compared to those in other municipalities. As the fees are set as a percentage of project value, the data is likely to still be valid in most cases.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
5. Economic Development 5.1 Service Description Economic Development Service is responsible for managing, coordinating and promoting economic development activities in the City of Vernon.
5.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Economic Development Service.
Service Sub-Service Type Description
Economic Development Public Traditional
The Economic Development Department was created in 2009 when the Regional District eliminated the economic development function and is situated within the Community Development Division. Economic Development is responsible for managing, coordinating and promoting economic development activities within the City of Vernon.
Tourism - AHRT Traditional Public
The Additional Hotel Room Tax (AHRT) was implemented in March 2010. AHRT funds collected must be used to market Vernon and its visitor experiences with the cumulative goal of increasing overnight stays in Vernon. Expenditure of funds are overseen by the Tourism Advisory Committee who approve the annual marketing plan and identify projects and programs which promote Vernon as a tourist destination and support local tourism providers. A portion of the AHRT annual revenue is allocated to a tourism infrastructure/program/project reserve.
Tourism - City Other Discretionary Public
Tourism Services are responsible for marketing, advertising and promotion; assisting tourism businesses; working with the media and performing community outreach. Tourism Services oversees the operation of the year round Visitor Centre and all of its activities, as well as satellite facilities including the seasonal North End Tourism Booth and the mobile Visitor’s Centre. Periodically, Tourism Services assists with the organization of major community initiatives such as sporting events.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
5.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Economic Development Service.
Sub-Service Activities Description Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Economic Development
Business retention and expansion Client and investor enquiries Liaison between business community and Planning and Engineering Provides input into Planning initiatives, current and long range Seeks and administers grants
Business Retention & Expansion 255 BR&E interviews from the Fall of 2010 through Summer 2012. Client/Investor Enquiries average 8 -10 enquiries a month or approximately 100 per year. Presentations to business groups and investors, both in the community and outside. The goal is 12 per year. Actuals: 2012: 16 2011: 20 2010: 12
Service levels in other Cities
S Important service to businesses and developers, as well as client and investor enquiries (this service not provided without this function) Has improved planning processes and initiatives
Year Round 1 Manager .50 Planning Assistant
Ec Dev has fewer FTEs than comparable communities (which would typically have at least two FTEs). Grants secured by Ec Dev: 2010 Total – $92,574 Intermodal Feasibility Study (Western Economic Diversification $59,639 and Community Futures $7,800) Business Retention & Expansion Program (Province of BC $25,135) 2011 Total – $69,788.80 Business Retention & Expansion (Province of BC $51,564) Public Market Feasibility (Community Futures $15,000) Miscellaneous Revenue $3,224.80 2012(YTD) Total – $78,321.80 Business Retention & Expansion (Province of BC $62,679.80) Invest Canada Community Initiatives $14,642 Miscellaneous Revenue $1,000
Tourism AHRT
Implements Tourism Strategy Manages contract for two visitor centres and mobile booth
AHRT has risen consistently since implementation: 2010 $286,994.22 2011 $348,129.74 2012 (to Sept) $335,525.75
Service levels in other municipalities
S 22,000+ visitors served annually at visitor centres Promotes local businesses and attractions – function is considered
Year Round .50 Manager
Position is funded 50% by AHRT and 50% by City. AHRT up for renewal February 2015.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
Sub-Service Activities Description Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
valuable Tourism City
Implements Tourism Strategy Manages contract for two visitor centres and mobile booth
16,173 visitors to Visitor Information Centre (south location) 2012 6,283 visitors to north booth in 2012 51,354 website visits to December 12, 2012 23 events attended by the Mobile booth in 2012
Service levels in other municipalities
S 22,000+ visitors served annually at visitor centres Promotes local businesses and attractions – function is considered valuable
Year Round .50 Manager
Position is funded 50% by AHRT and 50% by City.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
5.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Economic Development Service.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Economic Development
Salaries CUPE A 42
No grant revenues are expected in 2013. Non-Union 116
Other Direct 101 Taxes 259
Total 259 Total 259
Tourism - AHRT
Salaries Non-Union 51 AHRT 385
The major Contract expenditure items are dependent on the AHRT Revenues and relate to marketing campaigns, promotions and events.
Contracts 309 Reserve
transfer 25
Total 385 Total 385
Tourism - City
Salaries Non-Union 51 Income 40
Income is from Racking fees and Marketing revenue. Grant revenue is from Tourism BC.
Other Direct 148 Grants 25
Taxes 134
Total 199 Total 199
Total Service
CUPE A 42 Taxes 393
Non-Union 527 Income 40
Other Direct 249 AHRT 385
Reserve transfer 25 Grants 25
Total 843 Total 843
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Planning and Development
5.5 Recent Reviews As noted in Comments column above.
5.6 Municipal Comparisons As noted in Comments column above.
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Service Profile Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
City of Vernon Core Services Review Service Profiles Program: Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety January 15, 2013
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Policing Services .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 3. Fire/Rescue Services ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 4. Bylaw and Parking Enforcement ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 26 5. Safe Communities .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 32
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose of this Document Background
In 2012, the City of Vernon (City) contracted KPMG LLP (KPMG) through a competitive bid process to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements. The City sees periodic Core Service Reviews as a necessary and positive means to check, confirm and review the range of services to be delivered by the City and recommendations to prioritize those services. The City considers Core Service Reviews as one method to ensure what is delivered is of the highest value to the community, to shed lower value services, to apply best modern practices to cost effective delivery, and to direct valuable, limited resources to the delivery of community valued programs and services. The Core Service Review project commenced on October 10, 2012 and is being conducted in four phases with a draft final report to be delivered by March 31, 2013.
Service Profile Summaries
During Phase 2 of the project, service profiles were created to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides. These service profiles were consolidated into five Service Profile Summary documents, of which this document is one, and posted on the City website.
The information in the Service Profile Summary documents was compiled by the City based on a template provided by KPMG. The intent of the Service Profile Summary documents is to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides to inform discussions with City Council, City management and the community on the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements during the Core Services Review project.
Any performance related information is based on City of Vernon provided information or statements. No opinion is expressed with respect to the validity of the underlying performance data. The Service Profile Summary documents do not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
1.2 Providing Input to the Core Services Review Project Public Consultation
During Phase 3 of the Core Services Review project, the City is seeking input from the community on current services through a public workshop on January 29, 2013. Input could include suggestions of opportunities for cost reduction, areas where current service levels could be reduced or are already too low, or any other suggestions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of City services. It is intended that City staff and members of the community including those representing any specific stakeholder groups will read the information contained in the Service Profile Summary documents before attending the workshop. Written comments and suggestions will also be welcome, either presented at the meeting, or submitted to the project email address.
Project Email address
A dedicated project email address has been set up to enable any stakeholder to provide information directly to KPMG on a confidential basis. The email address is [email protected]
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
1.3 How to Read this Document The information in this document is presented in six sections:
Service Description – briefly describes the overall purpose or objective of the City service.
Service Hierarchy – lists the sub-services or activities within the Service, and describes the service provided.
Service Delivery – provides information on service delivery for the sub-services or activities within the Service including service level, client impact and number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff involved.
Finance – provides key financial metrics showing the level of expenditures on the sub-services and the extent to which the sub-services are funded through user fees, grants and/or property tax levy.
Recent Reviews – describes any recent studies or reviews of these services/sub-services, the results and what has been done with the results.
Municipal Comparisons – provides conclusions from previous reports or other data the City has on the delivery of the services/sub-services, the unit cost for services/sub-services, the fees charged for services/sub-service in comparison with other municipalities.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
1.4 Glossary
Term Definition
Service Type Public – exist to provide value added service to an external client / customer Internal – exists to support delivery of other services, provides no value added service to public Mandatory – mandated or required by legislation from the federal or provincial government Essential – critical to the operation of the City. Without the service, the City would stop functioning Traditional – municipal service, provided by virtually all municipalities for many years Other Discretionary – service provided by the City to respond to particular community needs, based on a positive business case, or other specialized purposes
Service Standard A = Above standard S = At standard S + : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are higher S – : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are lower B = Below standard
Service level “At Standard” is consistent with: • the level required by legislation, or … • industry standards and practices, or… • business case analysis justification, … • service levels in other municipalities, … • reasonable expectations
Finances (Operating Budget)
COSTS: Salaries – includes employee total compensation (fully loaded including salaries, wages and benefits) Other Direct – all other expenditure related to the sub-service Allocations – costs transferred from other services / sub-services REVENUES: Income – rates, fees, fares and any other user fees, and any grants / subsidies / funds from provincial or federal governments (comment
should indicate if user fees or grants) Recoveries – opposite of allocations; charges to other services, capital projects or perhaps other municipalities Tax Levy – residual costs covered by the property tax levy (negative amount implies sub-service generates revenue that reduces the tax
levy). Amount should be the total sub-service costs minus total sub-service revenues
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
2. Policing Services 2.1 Service Description Policing Services are provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police under contract to the City of Vernon. The Vernon North Okanagan Detachment of the RCMP provides policing services in 6 distinct policing jurisdictions encompassing Armstrong (including the Township of Spallumcheen), Enderby (including the Spallumcheen First Nations Lands), Falkland, Lumby, Vernon Rural (including Okanagan First Nations Lands) and the City of Vernon (including the Municipal contract for the District of Coldstream).
The City provides municipal employees to provide support services to the RCMP police officers.
The employees of the RCMP are committed to their communities through:
• Unbiased and respectful treatment of all people • Accountability • Mutual problem solving • Cultural sensitivity • Enhancement of public safety • Partnerships and consultation • Open & honest communication • Effective and efficient use of resources • Quality and timely service
Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP are committed to providing World-Class Policing Services guided by our core values of honesty, integrity, professionalism, compassion, accountability & respect. Our dedication to these core values and steadfast pursuit of our Core Policing Activities of service, prevention, protection, enforcement and intelligence is enhancing public safety and helping to build “A Safe and Secure Canada”.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
2.2 Service Hierarchy The Officer in Charge (OIC), reports directly to the Chief Administrative Officer and is responsible for the delivery/provision of Policing for the City of Vernon under the contract to the RCMP
Sub-service Type Description Police Officers Public -
Mandatory Vernon North Okanagan RCMP Detachment provides integrated policing services for an area that consists of Vernon, Armstrong, Enderby, Falkland, Lumby, Coldstream and the North Okanagan Regional District. The City of Vernon is responsible for the costs that relate to policing Vernon.
Civilian Staff Public Essential
Civilian staff support administrative functions within the detachment. (Records Clerks, Media, Police Information Retrieval System (PIRS) Readers, Switchboard, Transcriptionists, Asset Finance Clerks, Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) Operators, Front Counter, Court Liaisons, Forensic, IT systems, Admin Assistant to OIC). This support is provided by Municipal Support Staff (not RCMP employees).
Detention Center Internal Essential
Ensures the safety and security of all incarcerated individuals brought into the Vernon Detachment cells. This includes persons arrested and detained by the Vernon RCMP, the court system, as well as handling municipal, provincial and federal inmates. The Detention Facility staff (municipal employees) also look after routine facility maintenance, assist in the booking, fingerprinting and photographs of charged individuals and civilians and process all subjects required for court and escort. • Projected number of prisoners for 2012: 2000 - 2200 (prisoners) • Daily average: 5-6 inmates • Criminal prints processed: 950 • Civilian prints processed: 600
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
2.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the policing services.
Sub Service Activities Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Management Integrated Detachment Management
Superintendent Officer in Charge Inspector Operations Officer (Insp. is Prov)
Vernon North Okanagan Detachment is integrated consisting of 106 RM, 60 are COV. (note that 10 COV positions are vacant or paid by the province)
General Duty Policing City of Vernon and Coldstream
Front line response to call and complaint investigation.
Four Watch System 24 hr
4 Seargents, 4 Corporals (Cpls), 40 Constables (Csts), (2 Cpls are Coldstream, 5 Csts are Coldstream, 4 Csts are Provincial)
General Duty Policing Rural (Municipalities and Districts outside COV)
Front line response to call and complaint investigation.
One unit 9 hr shift system 22hr+oc
2 Seargents, 4 Corporals 20 Constables (1 Cpl and 2 Csts are Spalumcheen, 2 Csts are FNP, all others provincial )
General Investigative Services
Serious Crime Serious crime & Sexual Crime investigations
1 Staff Seargent, 1 Seargent, 4 Corporals 14 constables (1 Cpl and 1 Cst are provincial)
Community Response Unit
Property Crime Drugs Prostitution
Downtown Enforcement Unit
Uniform Downtown Patrol
Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence Investigation Partner liaison
Operation and Administrative Support Services (Uniform)
Management
1 Staff Seargent Vernon North Okanagan Detachment is integrated consisting of 50 support staff, 34.5 are COV Municipal Employees.
Administrative Support
Strategic Planning Quality Control Communications
1 Corporal,
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub Service Activities Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Admin Support Police Service
Dogs 1 Corporal, 2 Constables
(1 Cst is Prov)
Forensic Identification Services
1 Seargent, 2 Corporals (1 Cpt is Prov)
School Liaison School Liaison Youth Programs
2 Constables (1 position vacant)
Professional Standards
Internal & Public Complaint Investigations
1 Seargent
Non- COV Civilian support staff
Integrated administrative services
9.5 Public Servants, 3 RDEs
Civilian Staff (Municipal Staff who support above sub-services)
The titles of the various position provide a fairly clear description of their role.
Administrative Support - positions approved at the discretion of council to enhance or supplement additional programs, etc. Staff are located within the Corporate Services Department of COV.
S+ Supports efficient policing
1 Admin Asst - RCMP 1 Prime Coordinator - RCMP 1 Media CPTED & Crime Stopper Coordinator 1 Crime Analyst 1 Reader/Analyst/PIRS Coordinator 1 RCMP Administrative Officer 1 Manager, RCMP Records 1 Transcriptionist 1 RCMP Switchboard Operator .50 Asset/RCMP Clerk 2 CPIC Operators 1 Front Counter Team Leader 1 Exhibit Custodian 3 Court Liaisons - RCMP 1 Records Reviewer - RCMP 1 Records Reviewer l 1 Forensic Identification Assistant 1 Operations Support Clerk 1.5 Systems Analyst
City provides clerical duties as listed in the positions. Many positions were once delivered by Federal Government as public servants and several new positions in the last 4 years. Assist RCMP Federal Staff with record keeping and court liaison processing. Manage and maintain evidence locker, storage and property, Research and analysis for Criminal trends and future strategic plans. Process, maintain and manage all RCMP records, read, score, validate records for the RCMP federal staff and Canada's litigation system.
Policing Detention Centre - Municipal Staff (Division within Corporate
Staff are located within the Corporate Services Department of
Year Round 1 Manager, Detention Facility 4 FT Municipal Guards 5 PT Municipal Guards
Detention facilities within the RCMP detachment.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub Service Activities Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Services) COV.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
2.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Corporate Services Department.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
RCMP Detachment
Salaries CUPE A 954 Recoveries -
Property Rental 150
Non-Union 705 Recoveries - Fine Revenue 394
RCMP Contract 7,497 Income Search fees 65
Other Direct 57 Taxes 8,604
Total 9,213 Total 9,213
RCMP Detention Center
Salaries Non-Union 437 Recoveries 200
Other Detail 33 Taxes 270
Total 470 Total 470
Total Service
Salaries CUPE A 954 Recoveries 744
Non-Union 1,142 Income Search fees 65
RCMP Contract 7,497 Taxes 8,874
Other Direct 90
Total 9,683 Total 9,683
2.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
2.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
3. Fire/Rescue Services 3.1 Service Description Vernon Fire/Rescue - Rescue is responsible for community safety in many ways. Responding to and mitigating emergency situations to protect life and property, minimize damage, injury or loss, and do so in a fiscally responsible manner and as quickly, effectively and as well prepared as possible is the primary goal of fire and rescue services.
Vernon Fire/Rescue – Rescue provides emergency services to the entire municipality as well as maintaining service agreements for Hazardous Materials Incidents, Fire Investigations, Fire Inspections, Regional Road Rescue, North Okanagan Emergency Management and some Dispatching functions outside the municipal limits. More specifically, the composite (Career and Paid-per-Call) model of service delivery within the municipal limits includes:
• Fire or Threat of Fire suppression and emergency response • First Medical Responder Program and BCAS Assist (lifts) • Motor Vehicle Incident Response including Rescue /Extrication and Fuel Leaks or Spills • Hazardous Materials Response and Confined Space Rescue • Annual Fire Inspections • Fire Investigations • Fire and Life Safety Public Education including Tours and Classes, Fire Prevention Week, Smoke Alarm Program, Juvenile Fire Setter
Program • Assisting General Public – Needle Pick Up, Child Car Seat Safety Checks, Lock Boxes • Fire Dispatch including Alarm Monitoring and After Hours Public Works and Utility dispatch • Operation of the Regional Fire Training Centre (Jan. 1, 2013) • Emergency Program Management and E.S.S.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
3.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are contained within the Fire/Rescue Department.
Service Sub-service Type Description
Fire Department Administration
This section is responsible for overall management and direction of the municipal fire service.
Fire Department Management
• Internal • Essential
The Chief Officers are responsible for guiding service delivery for all components of the municipal fire service. Responding to and mitigating emergency situations to protect life and property, minimize damage, injury or loss, and do so in a fiscally responsible manner and as quickly, effectively and as well prepared as possible is the primary goal of fire and rescue services. Chief Officers rotate on call requirements to provide off duty Incident Command if needed.
Fire Prevention • Public • Mandatory • and Traditional
Fire Inspections and Investigations to meet legislative and industry standard compliance, Public Education and Fire and Life Safety Awareness programs follow provincial protocols.
Firefighting Operations
In Vernon the composite model of deploying firefighting forces made up of career and paid-per-call firefighters, operating out of Station 1 Downtown and Station 2 Okanagan Landing, provides emergency response in 3 Deployment Zones. Training Plans are established annually to meet accredited and recognized guidelines and standards.
Emergency Response
• Public • Essential • Traditional
Vernon Fire – Rescue responds to all types of emergency incidents that are identified in 41 different incident types, but that can be categorized as suppression of fire or threat of fire, motor vehicle incidents, hazardous materials response, confined space rescue, first medical response, and assistance to the general public.
Fire Dispatch Centre • Public • Essential
The Fire Dispatch Centre manages calls indentified in 54 different incident types and dispatches apparatus, manpower and other resources as required 24/7/365.
Training • Internal • Essential
Training requirements at Vernon Fire – Rescue follow industry standard guidelines and training occurs on and off duty, in the form of certification maintenance, task and drill, theory and hands on, in individual and group settings.
Fire Training Center
• Internal • Other Discretionary
Effective January 1, 2013 Vernon Fire – Rescue will be managing the new model of operation for the Regional Fire Training Centre (FTC). The FTC is an Intermunicipal Partnership that provides standardized, accredited training to firefighters in the North Okanagan and to outside customers. The shared funding and resources ensures economy of scale for fire training costs for all the partners and provides opportunity to off set costs by accommodating outside users for fees.
Emergency Program Management
North Okanagan Emergency Management is an Intermunicipal Partnership with shared funding and shared resources and wherein overall management of the Emergency Program and the Emergency Social Services (E.S.S.) function for the
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Service Sub-service Type Description
and E.S.S. region is provided by the City of Vernon. The function operates in accordance with Emergency Management B.C. and is a requirement for every municipality or regional district in B.C. The program operates 24/7/365. http://www.embc.gov.bc.ca/index.htm
Program Management • Mandatory • Public
The Emergency Program Coordinator is responsible for overall management of the program and emergency response coordination on behalf of all the regional partners.
Emergency Social Services (E.S.S.)
• Internal • Other Discretionary
The Deputy Emergency Program Coordinator is responsible for provision of Emergency Social Services and management, coordination and response of the 130 E.S.S. volunteers in the North Okanagan.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
3.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Fire/Rescue Department.
Service Sub Service Activity Description Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Fire Department/ Administration • Administration
/Management
Standards generally derived from Provincial and Municipal Legislation • NFPA • City Policy • Fire
Insurance Underwriters
Specifics are provided below
S+ S-
City 38,990
Year Round 1 Fire Chief - Fire Rescue Services 1 Deputy Fire Chief - Operations & Training 1 Administrative Assistant - Fire Rescue Services
City of Vernon does not currently have a response time Policy guideline
• Fire Prevention Provincial and Municipal
S City 38,990
1 Deputy Fire Chief - Fire Prevention & Public Education
Fire Prevention program is under the Management of the Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention
Fire Inspections
Annual Inspections and Re-inspections of ± 2096 properties accordance with the BC Fire Code. The City of Vernon has 2165 active business licenses.
Provincial (Fire Services Act) and Municipal Legislation The BC Fire Code determines the inspection requirements for the various types of occupancies and building uses
S+ City 38,990
Included Above + 1 Fire Inspector, Captain 10th year as well as on duty firefighters
Fire Inspections completed annually and often require several re-inspections for compliance. No Charge for re-inspections unless authorized by Council, and has not historically been deemed palatable by the public and business sector. Generally all are completed every year. Number of properties varies slightly over the course of year due to changes in property
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Service Sub Service Activity Description Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
status (i.e. vacancy etc) Goal is compliance.
Fire Investigations
• Vehicle Fires 16
• Structure Fires 38
• Grass Fires 16 • Plane Crash 1 • Outdoor Fires
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Provincial B.C.Fire Services Act requires all fires to be investigated. Office of the Fire Commissioner qualifies, designates and authorizes fire service personnel as Local Assistants to the Fire Commissioner
S City 38,990
Included Above as well as on duty firefighters
Public Education
• Tours • Classes • Fire
Extinguisher Training 60
• Fire Drill Monitoring
• Senior Fire Safety
• Fire Prevention Week
• Burn Awareness Week
• Smoke Alarm Program (mobile home parks)
• Monthly Newspaper
Provincial “Getting to Know Fire” curriculum or otherwise endorsed by BC Fire Prevention Offices Assoc or BC Chiefs Assoc or Office of the Fire Commissioner
S- City 38,990
Included Above as well as on duty firefighters Note: paid-per-call firefighters and off duty career firefighters participate (unpaid time) for some events when available i.e. Smoke Alarm Program
No Charge The Fire Prevention goals are set out annually and the plan is based on private sponsorship of some initiatives, budget allocations, and resources. Some components of Public Education are by request only and public education is generally provided within other duties and only when it can be accommodated. Fire Prevention Week includes visits to every elementary school inside the City
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Service Sub Service Activity Description Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Column • Drivers Ed.
Safety Presentations
Smoke Alarm Program to date has reached 200 households
Juvenile Fire Setter Program
• Youth Fire Setting Consequence sessions
Provincial “Getting to Know Fire” and the Juvenile Fire Setter Curriculum
S City 38,990
Sessions are provided by the Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention or Fire Inspector
No Charge Participants in the program have been referred by other agencies, Restorative Justice or School District Referral. On occasion parents will request. Qualification to provide is certified by the Justice Institute of BC.
Internal City Services
• Development Services Reviews
• Bylaw Inquiries 258
• Bylaw Complaints 79
City Development Services procedures and processes. Investigation of bylaw inquiries or complaints re: Good Neighbour Bylaw (nuisance smoke) and Fire Prevention Bylaw
S City 38,990
Included Above Reviews of Preliminary Layout Approvals, Variance Permits, Building Plans, etc in compliance with the BC Fire Code.
Fire Prevention External
• Service Agreements for
• Fire Inspection and Investigation
• Lumby and Coldstream
• 126
Service Agreements and Provincial and Municipal Legislation
A Coldstream and Lumby
completed by Fire Inspector or Deputy Chief Prevention
Service Agreement Revenue generated annually for base cost of capacity to respond + mileage and per hour charge
17
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Service Sub Service Activity Description Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Inspectable Properties in Lumby
• Investigations • Lumby and
Coldstream Structure Fires 5
• Fuel Modification with Ministry of Forests for Becker Park
Permit Issue • Outdoor Burn Permits 40
• Fire Works 2
Federal (Fire Works, Provincial and Municipal Legislation
S City 38,990
Completed by Fire Inspector or Deputy Chief Prevention
Majority of Open Burning Permits are issued to Agricultural land owners on properties of 5 acres or more. No charge for permits unless authorized by Council, and has not historically been deemed palatable in the Bylaws.
• Firefighting Operations
Fire Station #1 Downtown Deployment model includes 4 shifts of 7, including a Communication Operator, working 2 days on, 2 nights on and 4 off to provide 24/7/365 response. When required, career firefighters are called back to provide manpower. Fire Inspector and Training Officer may be called out to structure fires. Shifts are under the command of a Captain and minimum shift manning is 5, including the Communication Operator but excluding Paid-per-Call “live-out”. Paid-per-Call firefighters supplement on duty resources for significant fire suppression events. Paid-per-Call firefighters who participate in the “live-out” program will respond to all calls when on duty in the station. Fire Station #2 Okanagan Landing Deployment model includes Paid-per-Call firefighters. Paid-per-Call firefighters supplement on duty resources from Fire Station #1 for significant fire suppression events.
City of Vernon does not currently have a response time Policy guideline
• Emergency Response
• Mitigation of emergency incidents
Provincial and Municipal Legislation • NFPA
S+ S-
City 38,990
Year Round 4 Captains (Shift Captains) 20 Firefighters: 1 probation
18
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Service Sub Service Activity Description Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
• City Policy • Operational
Guidelines • Fire
Insurance Underwriters
2 2nd year 3 10th year 14 4th year
Fire or Threat of Fire Response and Suppression
• Mitigation of emergency fire incidents using composite model (career and paid-per-call Firefighters).
Provincial and Municipal Legislation • NFPA • City Policy • Operational
Guidelines • Fire
Insurance Underwriters
S+ S-
City 38,990
Included Above Effective Feb. 1, 2013, updated Operational Guidelines for emergency response in Zone 2 (formerly included contracted fire suppression services) will be implemented as per Council resolutions 2012
Fire Suppression (Contracted)
• Service Agreement for OKIB IR#6 Locatee
Service Agreement
S
Residents of OKIB IR #6
Included Above Vernon Fire – Rescue provides fire suppression services from existing stations using existing resources, including manpower
IR #6 is geographically surrounded by the City of Vernon
Road Rescue and MVI response
• Extrication • Fuel Leaks • Patient Care • Traffic Control • Fire
Suppression
• NFPA • Operational
Guidelines
S+
City 38,990
Included Above High level of Inter-Agency Cooperation with BC Ambulance Service and RCMP
Regional Road Rescue Outside City
• Extrication
• Provincial Emergency Program
S
+ North Okanagan visitors and residents
Included Above Cost recoverable under Regional Road Rescue Program in accordance with the Provincial Emergency Program
Confined Space Rescue
• Confined Space Rescue
NFPA and Operational Guidelines
S City 38,990
Included Above Anticipate that Confined Space Rescue will be offered outside the City in 2013 similar to HazMat
19
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Service Sub Service Activity Description Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
HazMat • Hazardous Materials Response
• Inside the City
NFPA and Operational Guidelines
S City 38,990
Included Above
Hazmat (contracted)
• 12 Service Agreements for Ammonia/Chlorine
• Sulphur Dioxide Responses
NFPA and Operational Guidelines + Requirements of the Service Agreements
AS City 38,990 RDNO 83,052
Included Above Council authorized renewals of these 5 year Agreements in Nov. 2012
Assist General Public and Code 2 or Non Emergency Assistance Community Relations
• Needle Pick Up • Car Seat
Safety Checks 102 YTD
• Residential Access (locked out)
• Pet Rescue • Lift Assist • Lock Box
change out • Community
Event Fire Safety
• Fire Works • Public
Relations • Mass CPR
Instruction
Past Practice Public Expectation
AS 38,990 + any customers from any area for car seat checks and Mass CPR Fire Works and Community Events Inside the City limits
Included Above off duty career and paid—per-call Firefighters participate (unpaid time) for some community events i.e. Fire Works, Mass CPR
No Charge for these services
• Fire Dispatch Centre
• Emergency Fire Dispatch 24/7/365
Meets call taking and apparatus deployment criteria
S City 38,990
4 Communication Operators *Firefighters cover Dispatch when Communication Operators are on vacation, sick leave, scheduled breaks
Fire Dispatch Centre upgraded in 2010-2011 as per Council authorization and in anticipation of positioning City to provide external services
20
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Service Sub Service Activity Description Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Fire Dispatch Internal Public Works and Utility Emergencies
• After Hours Public Works and Utility
• Emergencies
City Procedures
AS City 38,990
Included Above YTD 2012 calls 215 public works 554 utility No “internal” charge
Fire Dispatch External
• SCADA Alarm Monitoring
• Monitor utility alarm system
Regional Water Utility Agreements
AS All users of the regional water utility
Included Above Revenue for monitoring sites is $50 per month per site (35 sites)
NOEM Dispatch
• Emergency Fire Dispatch 24/7/365
Service Agreements
AS City 38,990 RDNO 83,052 + Armstrong Spallumcheen Enderby Coldstream Lumby
Included Above Annual revenue
OKIB • Dispatch for IR #1 for Fire Emergencies
Service Agreement NEW for 2013
S OKIB IR #1 (Westside)
Included Above OKIB currently uses an private answering service
Call Transfer to Fraser Valley or Other
• Emergency Fire Dispatch 24/7/365
Courtesy and Public Safety
AS RDNO 83,052 + Armstrong Spallumcheen Enderby Coldstream Lumby
Included Above Due to boundary issues call transfers required to Fraser Valley Dispatch (for bordering communities) YTD 86 No Charge
• Training Fire Training • On and off duty training for certification and re-certifications, skill maintenance,
Standards: • NFPA • IFSAC • Pro Board • College of
the Rockies
S City 38,990
1 Training Officer, Captain 10th year Some Firefighters are also qualified instructors.
The Deputy Chief of Operations approves an annual training plan for career and paid-per-call firefighters. The approved training plan is implemented and
21
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Service Sub Service Activity Description Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Fire Officer program, Train the Trainer functions, and other required training.
• Training is completed in individual and group settings for both career and paid-per-call firefighters.
• JIBC Vernon Fire utilizes “Target Solutions” online training platform to deliver standardized lesson plans and track training completions http://targetsolutions.com/
coordinated by the Training Officer.
Fire Training Center New 2013 • Intermunicipal
Partnership
• Shared regional function to provide standardized training to all North Okanagan firefighters (career and paid-per-call)
Standards: • NFPA • IFSAC • Pro Board • College of
the Rockies • JIBC
S City 38,990 RDNO 83,052 + Armstrong Spallumcheen Enderby Coldstream Lumby = 9 Fire Departments
No FTE’s are assigned to this function. It will be managed by the Deputy Chief of Operations and the Administrative Assistant
Fire Training Centre technicians will be “part-time” employees of the City of Vernon on an as needed basis. Administrative functions will be absorbed within current capacity.
External Customers Training Facility
Instruction or Facility only use
• Several outside clients will continue utilize the facility, including Terasen Gas, and non-partner Fire Depts
Outside Customer Service Agreement
AS North and Central Okanagan Valley wide
No FTE’s are assigned to this function. It will be managed by the Deputy Chief of Operations and the Administrative Assistant
The Fire Training Centre realizes revenue from outside users in the form of facility rental and user fees
Emergency Program Management and Emergency Social Services
• Management of Provincial Emergency Program Requirements
Emergency Program Act Provincial Emergency
S City 38,990 RDNO 83,052 +
Year Round 1 EP/ESS Coordinator 1 Deputy EP/ESS Coordinator .50 Secretary l - Safety
Activations of Emergency Operations Centre utilize existing capacity (municipal staff or all partners)
22
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Service Sub Service Activity Description Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
(North Okanagan Emergency Management) (ESS)
and services 24/7/365
• Emergency Operations Centre activations as needed
• Training and Preparation
Program Intermunicipal Bylaw
Armstrong Spallumcheen Enderby Coldstream Lumby
& Emergency
• E.S.S. • Management of
• E.S.S. for region
• All levels of call outs and site support for victims of emergency situations
Provincial Emergency Program & Intermunicipal Bylaw
S City 38,990 RDNO 83,052 + Armstrong Spallumcheen Enderby Coldstream Lumby
Included Above Service is 24/7/365 There is approximately 130 active ESS volunteers in the North Okanagan program.
• E.S.S. E.S.S. Training
• Coordinate Training for all Volunteers in NOEM
Provincial Emergency Program Training Curriculum + Justice Institute of B.C.
S City 38,990 RDNO 83,052 + Armstrong Spallumcheen Enderby Coldstream Lumby
Included Above utilizing outside instructors as needed
23
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
3.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Fire/Rescue Department.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Fire Department - Administration
Salaries Non-Union 480 Income 46 Revenues From:
Dispatching Services for North Okanagan Emergency Management, Fire Suppression IR # 6 (OKIB Locatee), Fire Investigation and Fire Inspection Agreements (Coldstream and Lumby), SCADA (utility) alarm monitoring
Other Direct 363 Taxes 797
Total 843 Total 843
Fire Fighting – Operations
Salaries IAFF 3,221 Income 17
Revenue from firefighting Contractsfor Hazardous Materials (Chlorine Ammonia, and Sulphur Dioxide) Service Agreements with neighbouring jurisdictions
Non-Union 93 Fire tax 19
Other Direct 561 Taxes 3,869
Allocations 30 Total 3,905 Total 3,905
Fire Training Center
Salaries Non-Union 46 Recoveries 49 Intermunicipal Partnership, self sustaining through shared
revenue and expenses, economy of scale, revenue from outside customers and user fees. Managed through existing capacity for VFRS and employment of fire training centre technicians (casual).
Other Direct 120 Income 89
Taxes 28
Total 166 Total 166
Emergency Management Salaries
CUPE A 28 Income 272 Intermunicipal Partnership, self sustaining through shared revenue and expenses, economy of scale and successful grant applications. Revenues are based on a contractual agreement and Emergency Management dispatching fees
Non-Union 170 Other Direct 74 Total 272 Total 272
Total Service
Non-Union 789 Income 424
Union 3,249 Recoveries 49 Other Direct 1,118 Taxes 4,713 Allocations 30 Total 5,186 Total 5,186
24
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
3.5 Recent Reviews
1. City or Vernon Fire – Rescue Services, Strategic Plan 2008-2017, Results Management Services (Rick Taylor), Jan. 2008 2. Vernon Fire/Rescue Department Communications Centre Review, Dave Mitchell and Associates Ltd., Dec. 2008 3. Vernon Fire – Rescue Service Review 2009-2013 Business Plan 4. City initiated Services Reviews of Regional Functions for Fire Training Centre, Regional Road Rescue Program, Fire Dispatch
3.6 Municipal Comparisons None provided.
25
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
4. Bylaw and Parking Enforcement 4.1 Service Description Bylaw and Parking Enforcement Service is responsible for the administration and enforcement of Council resolutions, bylaws and policies within the City of Vernon. It is also responsible for operation of City paid parking program.
4.2 Service Hierarchy The following Parking and Enforcement services are provided:
Sub-service Type Description
Bylaw & Parking Enforcement
Public Essential and Mandatory and Traditional
This Department is responsible for the administration and enforcement of approximately 39 Regulatory Bylaws, Council resolutions and policies within the City of Vernon. Education encouraging voluntary compliance is a priority. Enforcement of the business licensing bylaw, sign bylaw, zoning bylaw, etc. are conducted for other Divisions. This department patrols and maintains approximately 950 parking meters, five City owned parking lots and several private/public partnership parking lots, the Parkade, Residential permit zones and signed restricted parking areas. In addition the department provides security and enforcement services to the downtown core, regional parks and lake access sites and provides a community safety initiative through enforcement of the Parks and Public Places bylaw, provisions within the Motor Vehicle Act including restricted parking, abandoned vehicles, and enforcement of City's Safe Premises bylaw.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
4.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the Bylaw Enforcement and Parking sub-services.
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Bylaw Enforcement
Administer and Enforce • Animal Regulation and Animal
Pound Bylaw • Bee Keeping Bylaw • Clean Indoor Air and Smoking
Bylaw • Commercial Vehicle Licensing
Bylaw • Firearms and Weapons Bylaw • False Alarm Bylaw • Fetal Alcohol Bylaw • Fire Works Bylaw • Good Neighbour Bylaw • Panhandling • Noise • Property Maintenance • Campfires and Smoke • Fight or Confrontation causing
Noise • Boat Noise • Snow/Rubbish on Sidewalks • Boulevard and Lane
Maintenance • Graffiti Bylaw • Horse Drawn Carriage Bylaw • Landscape Maintenance Bylaw • Landscape Standards Bylaw • Lodging and Rooming House
bylaw • Parking Facility Bylaw
S High 1 Manager, Bylaw 1 Bylaw Enforcement Clerk .20 Secretary IS 1.8 Assistant Bylaw Officers 6.6 Bylaw Officers Total 10.6 FTEs
Bylaw Enforcement is conducted from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm 7 days a week in order to provide both night time enforcement for traffic, noise and public behaviour complaints, as well as providing a public safety component patrolling in the downtown core, and other Parks and Public Places. Assistance to RCMP is provided for Traffic Control, BOLO and other duties such as perimeter control around crime scenes allowing RCMP Officers to attend other high priority calls. IS Secretary provides lunch and break coverage for Bylaw Enf. Clerk. Asst. enforcement in the downtown core area. Contract to provide Regional Park Security and Bylaw Enforcement during summer months allows for seasonal increases in staffing and ability to conduct enforcement in Regional Parks within City limits, such as Polson Park, Paddlewheel and Kin Beaches. BEO’s provide the majority of the parking control, meter maintenance and minor sidewalk regulation (sign and snow)
27
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
• Parks and Public Places bylaw • Refuse Collection bylaw • Sanitation Bylaw • Second Hand Dealers bylaw • Sign Bylaw • Traffic Bylaw • Tree Protection Bylaw • Waterworks Regulation Bylaw Provide Full or Partial Enforcement for other Divisions • Business Licence Bylaw • Building and Plumbing Bylaw • Fire Prevention Bylaw • Rental Standard of Maintenance
Bylaw • Sanitary Sewer Use Bylaw • Safe Premises Bylaw • Grow Ops • Meth Labs • Mould
• Soil Removal and Deposition Bylaw
• Zoning Bylaw • Illegal Suites • Fence/Hedge Height • Illegal Property Use • Storage Containers
RCMP Assistance • Traffic Control at Accident
Scenes • Perimeter Control at Crime
Scenes • Officer Assistance or Emergency
28
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Assistance as requested • Dual Patrolling of Public Spaces • Dual Bike Patrol • Assist in determining individual
and/or vehicle locations • Attend Watch and Division Head
Meetings • Bear Evidence for Criminal or
Bylaw Court proceedings • Dispatched by RCMP through
agreement with RCMP for Radio Use
Security • Provide Security related services
informing RCMP as required of criminal activity or where public drunkenness requires their attendance
• Foot and Vehicle patrolling Downtown Core and Parks
• Crowd Control and Assistance for Events
Other • Assist Social Agencies through
provision of information to new clientele or visitors
• Participate as part of the Homeless response (COOL) team
• Participate as part of the North Okanagan Poverty Outreach Team
• Work with Outside Agencies (ALC Enforcement, CN Police, RCMP, Natural Resource Operations Officers,
29
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Conservation Officers, SPCA Special Constables)
Parking Equipment • Conduct maintenance and repair
of parking meters, permit dispensers.
• Install, Remove meter housings, mechanisms
• Remove graffiti vandalism • Patrol
30
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
4.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the Corporate Services sub-services and activities:
Sub-service
Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Bylaw & Parking
Salaries
CUPE A 797 Income 52
CUPE B 4 Non-Union 98
Other Direct 156 Income - Fines 211
Allocations
Other Allocations 2 Income -
Parking 764
Amortization of TCA 22 Taxes 52
Total 1,079 Total 1,079
4.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
4.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
31
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
5. Safe Communities 5.1 Service Description Safe Communities Services are managed by the Corporate Services Division.
5.2 Service Hierarchy The following Safe Communities services are provided.
Sub-service Type Description Safe Communities - Community Policing Office
Public Traditional/Other Discretionary
The Community Policing Office (CPO) continues to be the flagship operation of the Safe Communities Unit, housing information for over 50 programs and multiple crime prevention/reduction programs, projects and community initiatives. Staffed by 30 volunteers, the purpose of the CPO is to allow community members a place to access core unit programs such as the Citizens on Patrol, Speed Watch, Block Watch as well as gain access to information pertaining to drug awareness, bully awareness, cyber bullying prevention, personal, home and business safety, to name a few. Further, citizens can be directed to community agencies that meet their immediate needs. The CPO also partners with the RCMP to process volunteer Criminal Record checks and serve witness subpoenas. The CPO is also home to the rest of the Safe Communities Unit paid staff.
Safe Communities - Business & Seniors
Public Other Discretionary
Responsible for the development, promotion and implementation of Seniors Crime Prevention Programs and Business Crime Prevention Programs within the City of Vernon with the intention of educating and assisting the client base in effectively reducing the fear and incidents of criminal activity. Originally staffed in 2004, this position is a fast paced environment that results in countless invitations to host or present information sessions and/or otherwise liaise with the seniors and business community.
Safe Communities - Crime Prevention
Public Other Discretionary
Crime Prevention is responsible for programs that create, through education, a safer environment for the citizens of Vernon. Specifically: • Vernon Citizens on Patrol • Vernon Speed Watch Operations • Lock Out Auto Crime • Vernon Block Watches • Crime Free Multi-Housing
Safe Communities - Regional Program
Public Other Discretionary
Responsible for the development, promotion and implementation of crime prevention and community safety programs within the Regional District North Okanagan with the purpose of educating the client base in effectively reducing the fear and incidents of crime. • Serves as liaison with the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP. • Establishes and maintains effective liaison with all members of the general community. • Schedules and delivers crime prevention presentations with local school districts and alternative school
32
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-service Type Description programs.
• Conducts training, seminars, workshops, and individual educational sessions on crime prevention and community safety programs as required.
• Prepares monthly/quarterly reports as directed. • Responds to public inquiries on current and emerging crime prevention related topics. • Serves as a Block Watch coordinator, trainer and facilitator for the Regional District. • Conducts security audits on residential and commercial properties as required.
Safe Communities - Rural Program
Public Traditional/Other Discretionary
The Rural Programs Coordinator provides community policing services to the District of Coldstream, City of Armstrong, the Township of Spallumcheen, the City of Enderby, and the Village of Lumby. • Reduce occurrence of crime through proven crime prevention methods and the development of new
programs suited to actual needs. • Reduce the fear of crime by establishing good communications between residents, businesses and
community groups. • Increase public awareness of crime issues through effective use of media and other available means. • Assist the community in accessibility to the Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP and to act as a liaison. • Increase community involvement in the development and delivery of crime prevention programs and
services. • Provide program delivery and services to the communities as a whole including businesses, schools,
residence, community groups and events. • Increase citizen involvement in crime prevention activities through the use of trained and dedicated
volunteers. • Expand services of the Restorative Justice Society –North Okanagan throughout the Vernon/North
Okanagan RCMP area of service. • Provide quarterly reports to 5 service communities, mayors and councils. • The Rural Program Coordinator sits on the Board of Directors for the Restorative Justice Society-North
Okanagan, Chair the Enderby and District Youth Action Team and is a member of the Enderby RCMP Detachment Community Consultive Group.
33
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
5.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within Safe Communities.
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Safe Communities - Community Policing Office
The Community Policing Office and related volunteers conduct these activities: • Citizens on Patrol • Speed Watch • Block Watch • Drug house Awareness &
Reporting • Crimestoppers • Fraud, Cons and Scams • Restorative Justice Program • Lake Watch • River Watch • Business Property Reference
Program • W.I.T.S • Operation Identification/Ski Watch • C.E.P.T.E.D • Operation Cat’s Paw (Pawnshop
tracking) • Cyber bulling, sexing and internet
safety • Personal & home safety • Crime prevention • Pedestrian and bike safety • Scooter safety • Provides Volunteer Criminal
Record Checks (CRC) • Serves processed CRC’s • Serve Witness Subpoenas The Coordinator develops and
S+ High Year Round 1 Community Policing Office Coordinator Plus 4 Community Crime Prevention Coordinators listed below
Volunteer staffed storefront operation, managed by the Community Policing Coordinator, houses information on a variety of crime prevention programs, projects and initiatives. Refers clients to available resources, services and programs within the community, provides information on current crime prevention programs and initiatives. Office statistics to date (November 2012) Active volunteers - 27 Donated hours – 4215.5 Clients Served Counter - 3941 Phone calls** 1755 Reports generated for the RCMP 189 Subpoenas - 431 Pawn slips Entered 13850 CRC's sent to RCMP 392 CRC's received from RCMP 1782 CPO Coordinator Coordinates the Storefront Community Policing Office. -Hires, trains and manages volunteer staff (currently 30) -Hire, develop training and manage 4 person Vernon Safety Patrol (paid staff) -Development, promotion and implementation of crime prevention, drug awareness, cyber, bike , personal, residential and community safety programs within
34
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
presents Workshops include (but are not limited to) • Sexing & Cyber bullying • Adult/Youth Internet Safety • Bike Safety/Rodeos • Bullying; Child, Youth and
workplace • Dealing with hostile client/persons • Home/Office Security • Crime Prevention Through Social
Development • Crystal Meth/Drug Awareness • Stay Alert Stay Safe - Child Safety • Workplace Safety • Personal Safety (all ages) • Keeping our Children Safe -
Toddler Safety • Tagging & Unwanted Graffiti Participation in community and City initiatives: • Partners in Action • The Centerville ( Gateway)
Neighbourhood Council • The Camp Okanagan Outreach
Liaison Team (COOL Team) • Children in Care Committee • Harm Reduction Action Team • Harwood Neighboured Council • North Okanagan Children, Youth
and Families Services Committee • Extreme Weather Response
Network • North Okanagan Poverty Outreach
Team • Crystal Meth Task Force (at hoc) • Sexual Exploitation of Youth
City of Vernon- -The Community Policing Coordinator participates in a variety of community based initiatives under the auspices of Crime Prention through Social Development -Liaison with the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP. -Establishes and maintains effective liaison with all members of the general community. -Schedules and delivers crime prevention presentations with local schools, daycares and social service agencies. -Conducts training, seminars, workshops, and individual educational sessions on crime prevention and community safety programs as required. -Responds to public inquiries on current and emerging crime prevention related topics. -Conducts security audits on residential and commercial properties as required. - Development of new programs suited to actual needs. -Establish good communications between residents, businesses and community groups. -Assist the community in accessibility to the Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP and to act as a liaison. -Increase community involvement in the development and delivery of crime prevention programs and services. -Provide program delivery and services to the communities as a whole including businesses,
35
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Advisory Committee (at hoc) • City Centre Plan Quality of Life
working group • Municipal School Transportation
Plan (MSTP) • Evaluation and Updating
Homelessness Strategy ~ Evaluation Tool Action Team
• North Okanagan Poverty Out/Inreach Team (NOPOT)
• Vernon Emergency Operation Centre
• The Restorative Justice Community Advisory Committee
• Supporting Sex Trade Workers Action Team
• Community Network
schools, residence, community groups and events. -Increase citizen involvement in crime prevention activities through the use of trained and dedicated volunteers.
Safe Communities - Business & Seniors
• Crime prevention/reduction for businesses and seniors
• Scooter Safety • Seniors Frauds, Cons and Scams • Business Frauds, Cons and
Scams • Bomb Threat Procedures • Counterfeit Detection - Business • Robbery Prevention - Business • Theft/Fraud Prevention - Business • Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design - Business • Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design Individual Senior Residences and Multi Unit Senior Residences
• Defusing People - Business • Drugs in the Workplace - Business • Identity Theft • BCAA Mature Driver Program
S+ High 1 Crime Prevention Coordinator (included above)
An expanded scooter safety course held in late spring which included partnerships with the Schubert Centre, Southward Mobility, Nurse Next Door and the local Detachment of the RCMP that resulted in a higher than average attendance by those that are about to use, or are family members of mobility aid users. This year the mobility aids included the common four wheeled scooter, mobility chairs and e-bikes which received a lot of media attention. Communities large and small across Canada have corresponded with the Safe Communities Unit and now offer a similar course modelled after the one provided. We hosted numerous presentations in partnership with the BCAA Mature Drivers Program, partnered with BCAA, the Vernon Secondary PAC on a Parents of Young Drivers
36
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
• Operation Boost - Business Interactive Anti-Theft Program
• Block Captain Program - Business - Information Circular
• Personal Home Security - Seniors • Personal Safety in Car on the
Street - Seniors • Safe Communities Unit - Overview
and Organization • Presentation to Business • Stolen Auto Locate and Identify • Talking to the Old Folk -
Presenting to Seniors • Driveable - Seniors Driver
Evaluations • BCAA - Parents of Young Drivers • Vandalism • Money Laundering - Business *
2013*
presentation. A workshop took place in the spring on the latest frauds, cons and scams that affect this demographic. Partnered with Southeast District RCMP Commercial/Crime Section, the Bank of Canada, CPO, DVA and the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, a meeting with guest speakers was held at the Village Green Centre for their information and guidance on counterfeit detection. A group of CPO and Safe Communities Unit volunteers received a 'train the trainers' presentation, new information on counterfeit detection can now be offered to our business community as requested. *2013 - Money Laundering - Business in partnership with Southeast District Commercial Crime RCMP specialists and the local Downtown Vernon Assoc. and the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, marihuana grow-operations in concert with organized crime is high-lighted. The associations of legitimate business and those wishing to move 'dirty' money through those businesses.
Safe Communities - Crime Prevention group conducts these activities: • Vernon Citizens on Patrol • Lock Out Auto Crime • Vernon Block Watches • Crime Free - Multi-Housing
S S+ High 1 Crime Prevention Coordinator (included above)
The first Crime Free apartment complex has been established with the potential of seven more in the coming year – Vernon is the first City in the BC Interior to offer this program. With the completion of reviews on the older Block Watches this program will service approximately 2500 residents of
37
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
• Apartment/Strata Complex Crime Prevention Reviews
Vernon. With the completion of November’s training class the Citizens on Patrol volunteers remain at 50+ .This Program includes the Speed Watch Operations from April through the end of October and the Lock out Auto Crime Program. All three Programs are designed to reduce crime and the fear of crime in the City of Vernon. The Coordinator is also a sitting Director of the BC Crime Prevention Association which enables Vernon to be on the leading edge of any new Crime Prevention initiatives from around the Province.
Safe Communities - Regional Program conducts these activities: • Speed Watch • Block Watch • Drug Awareness • Citizens on Patrol • Personal Safety Talks • Crime Prevention • Cycling Safety • Homeless Strategies • Others
S+ High CONTRACTED SERVICE 1 Crime Prevention Coordinator (included above)
Contracted to the Regional District of the North Okanagan to provide programs to the Electoral Areas which promote safe communities and crime prevention. Reports monthly to the Regional Board on the delivery of services. Conduct Crime Prevention activities in all 5 Electoral areas. Liaise with RCMP
Safe Communities - Rural Program conducts these activities: • Crime Prevention support for
Businesses, Seniors, Children, Youth and Residents.
• CPTED Crime through environmental design security audits. Business and Residential
S+ High CONTRACTED SERVICE 1 Rural Programs Coordinator (included above)
Contracted to the communities of Armstrong, Enderby, Spallumcheen, Lumby and Coldstream for the provisions of programs, through public meetings, schools and groups. reports quarterly to each communities Council on the delivery of the services. Liaise with RCMP
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
• Anti- Bullying strategies (W.I.T.S) • Auto Crime Prevention Lock Out
Auto Crime • Frauds, Cons and Scams
Prevention • River and Lake Watch • Small Vessel Checks • D.A.R.E • Speed Watch • Block Watch • Drug Awareness • Citizens on Patrol • Personal Safety Talks • Crime Prevention • Cycling Safety • Homeless Strategies • Others
Reduce occurrence of crime through proven crime prevention methods and the development of new programs suited to actual needs. Reduce the fear of crime by establishing good communications between the RCMP, residents, businesses and community groups. Increase public awareness of crime issues through effective use of media and other available means. To increase community accessibility to police services. To increase community involvement in the development and delivery of crime prevention. To increase program delivery and services to the elderly. To increase citizen involvement in crime prevention activities through the use of trained and dedicated volunteers. Stands as President of the Restorative Justice Society-North Okanagan. Sits as Chair of the Enderby and District Youth Action Team and the Enderby and District RCMP Community Consultive Group. Provides support and programs on Anti- Bullying strategies including the WITS program with focuses on Cyberbullying and being the Bystander. Implemented new programs “Thank You for NOT speeding” session. Drivers that are driving safely and on or below the speed limit at stopped and thanked for not speeding. A ticket colored by kindergarten students is issued to the driver. Implemented “The Birthday Party”. The program focuses on grade nine students who are lead through a scenario where there is a party, a friend
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-Service Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
drinks and drives and gets in an accident. Students then debate who is responsible for what takes place. Ownership on all individuals is realized and the final outcome is that they can all play a role in prevention. Provided the Mature Drivers program for the first time to the communities of Lumby, Enderby and Armstrong in partnership with BCAA. The Living Well, Driving Well workshop helps participants to learn about the changes that can occur as we age, review their own driving skills and habits, discover how to use their vehicle's safety features, and brush up on their driving knowledge. Participants conduct a self assessment of their driving skills and determine any areas that may need some review.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
5.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the Corporate Services sub-services and activities:
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Safe Communities - Community Policing Office
Salaries Non-Union 112
Other Direct 57 Taxes 169
Total 169 Total 169
Safe Communities - Business & Seniors
Salaries Non-Union 76
Other 12 Taxes 88
Total 88 Total 88
Safe Communities - Crime Prevention
Salaries CUPE B 0
Non-Union 78
Other Direct 18 Taxes 96
Total 96 Total 96
Safe Communities - Regional Program
Salaries Non-Union 72 Income 98
Other Direct 26
Total 98 Total 98
Safe Communities - Rural Program
Salaries Non-Union 73 Income 92
Other Direct 19
Total 92 Total 92
Non-Union 411 Taxes
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Other Direct 132
Total 543 Total 543
5.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
5.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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Service Profile Governance and Internal Support Services
City of Vernon Core Services Review Service Profiles Program: Governance and Support Services January 15, 2013
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Administration ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 3. Corporate Services .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 4. Finance .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17 5. Human Resources ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 31 6. Facilities ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38 7. Fleet ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose of this Document Background
In 2012, the City of Vernon (City) contracted KPMG LLP (KPMG) through a competitive bid process to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements. The City sees periodic Core Service Reviews as a necessary and positive means to check, confirm and review the range of services to be delivered by the City and recommendations to prioritize those services. The City considers Core Service Reviews as one method to ensure what is delivered is of the highest value to the community, to shed lower value services, to apply best modern practices to cost effective delivery, and to direct valuable, limited resources to the delivery of community valued programs and services. The Core Service Review project commenced on October 10, 2012 and is being conducted in four phases with a draft final report to be delivered by March 31, 2013.
Service Profile Summaries
During Phase 2 of the project, service profiles were created to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides. These service profiles were consolidated into five Service Profile Summary documents, of which this document is one, and posted on the City website.
The information in the Service Profile Summary documents was compiled by the City based on a template provided by KPMG. The intent of the Service Profile Summary documents is to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides to inform discussions with City Council, City management and the community on the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements during the Core Services Review project.
Any performance related information is based on City of Vernon provided information or statements. No opinion is expressed with respect to the validity of the underlying performance data. The Service Profile Summary documents do not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
1.2 Providing Input to the Core Services Review Project Public Consultation
During Phase 3 of the Core Services Review project, the City is seeking input from the community on current services through a public workshop on January 29, 2013. Input could include suggestions of opportunities for cost reduction, areas where current service levels could be reduced or are already too low, or any other suggestions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of City services. It is intended that City staff and members of the community including those representing any specific stakeholder groups will read the information contained in the Service Profile Summary documents before attending the workshop. Written comments and suggestions will also be welcome, either presented at the meeting, or submitted to the project email address.
Project Email address
A dedicated project email address has been set up to enable any stakeholder to provide information directly to KPMG on a confidential basis. The email address is [email protected]
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
1.3 How to Read this Document The information in this document is presented in six sections:
Service Description – briefly describes the overall purpose or objective of the City service.
Service Hierarchy – lists the sub-services or activities within the Service, and describes the service provided.
Service Delivery – provides information on service delivery for the sub-services or activities within the Service including service level, client impact and number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff involved.
Finance – provides key financial metrics showing the level of expenditures on the sub-services and the extent to which the sub-services are funded through user fees, grants and/or property tax levy.
Recent Reviews – describes any recent studies or reviews of these services/sub-services, the results and what has been done with the results.
Municipal Comparisons – provides conclusions from previous reports or other data the City has on the delivery of the services/sub-services, the unit cost for services/sub-services, the fees charged for services/sub-service in comparison with other municipalities.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
1.4 Glossary
Term Definition
Service Type Public – exist to provide value added service to an external client / customer Internal – exists to support delivery of other services, provides no value added service to public Mandatory – mandated or required by legislation from the federal or provincial government Essential – critical to the operation of the City. Without the service, the City would stop functioning Traditional – municipal service, provided by virtually all municipalities for many years Other Discretionary – service provided by the City to respond to particular community needs, based on a positive business case, or other specialized purposes
Service Standard A = Above standard S = At standard
• S + : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are higher • S – : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are lower
B = Below standard
Service level “At Standard” is consistent with: • the level required by legislation, or … • industry standards and practices, or… • business case analysis justification, … • service levels in other municipalities, … • reasonable expectations
Finances (Operating Budget)
COSTS: Salaries – includes employee total compensation (fully loaded including salaries, wages and benefits) Other Direct – all other expenditure related to the sub-service Allocations – costs transferred from other services / sub-services REVENUES: Income – rates, fees, fares and any other user fees, and any grants / subsidies / funds from provincial or federal governments
(comment should indicate if user fees or grants) Recoveries – opposite of allocations; charges to other services, capital projects or perhaps other municipalities Tax Levy – residual costs covered by the property tax levy (negative amount implies sub-service generates revenue that reduces
the tax levy). Amount should be the total sub-service costs minus total sub-service revenues
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
2. Administration 2.1 Service Description This service provides for the governance and management of the City organization as a whole.
2.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by Administrative Services.
Sub-service Type Description
Council Mandatory City Council consists of six Councillors and one Mayor elected for a term of three years. The organizational purpose of an elected Councillor is to provide leadership through policy and bylaws for delivery of City services.
City Administration Essential The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) directs and coordinates the general management of business affairs of the corporation, in accordance with the Bylaws, policies and plans approved by Council; to ensure the delivery of high quality services and facilities which preserve or enhance the social, economic and physical wellbeing of the community. The CAO is responsible to ensure that innovative programs and services are developed and implemented to meet the ever changing needs of the community, while ensuring fiscal responsibility.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
2.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Administrative Services Department.
Sub Service Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Council Mayor and 6 Councillors serve the community of 38,990 on a non-ward basis. Designated members also serve on numerous boards and committees of council. Council meets in accordance with the procedure bylaws (generally twice per month) and is widely covered by multiple media.
S 1 Mayor 6 Councillors
.50 Senior Executive Assistant
.50 Committee Clerk
City Administration
As per S.147 of Community Charter S The CAO is the one direct reporting staff position to Council (7 Clients)
1 Chief Administrative Officer
.50 Senior Executive Assistant
Numerous changes have recently been made to increase traditional service standards.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
2.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Administrative Services Department.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
City Administration
Salaries Non-Union 250 Income 6
Other Direct 180 Taxes 424
Total 430 Total 430
Council
Salaries CUPE A 30
Non-Union 246
Other Direct 65 Taxes 341
Total 341 Total 341
Total Service
Salaries CUPE A 30
Non-Union 496 Income 6 Other Direct 245 Taxes 765 Total 771 Total 771
2.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
2.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
3. Corporate Services 3.1 Service Description The Corporate Services Division is comprised of the Communications, Information Services, Land Services, Legislative Services, and GIS.
It is also responsible for managing the Policing Contract with the RCMP and the Municipal Staff which supports operation of the RCMP, which is described under a separate Service Profile.
3.2 Service Hierarchy The following Corporate Services Sub services are provided.
Sub-service Type Description
Communications
Public This area manages all aspects of media relations, grant coordination and program research. The Communications Officer works with senior administration and elected officials to enhance and maintain the Corporate image. Grant coordination includes maintaining positive relationships with Provincial and Federal elected officials and grant program staff, as well as advising staff and local community organizations. This position's job description was rewritten after the retirement of the incumbent in August 2012. Responsible for all Press Release, and advertising in the Morning Star. Is the communication link between the public, media, staff and Council.
Information Services
Public , Internal
Information Services provides strategic planning, management, technical and administrative support for the City of Vernon’s network infrastructure. An updated inventory has Information Services supporting 52 Servers, 25 Enterprise software products, 395 stations, 209 mobile devices, Cisco IP based telephony solution with 252 sets, 2 PBX systems, 42 switches, and manages 40 contracts with a value of $300,000 annually. In 2012 Information Services attended 3640 Service calls, up 53.9% from 2011's totals of 2364 service calls. Information Services Core Services: 1) Provide a stable, reliable network environment 2) Provide flexible, expandable and innovative solutions to our clients 3) Provide a proactive service to minimize downtime and maximize efficiency 4) Provide technical support and training for staff, administration and the City’s elected officials 5) Manage the City of Vernon's attribute data and layers RDNO Shared Services: 1) Fractional PRI shared with RDNO for communication redundancy 2) Shared Unity and Call Manager servers for communication redundancy 3) Shared Spatial database with RDNO, replicating data to reduce duplication, City and RDNO won the National ESRI
Award of Excellence for that partnership 4) Interactive website map utilizing a collaborative service with RDNO data and City of Vernon data
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-service Type Description
5) Agreement to share redundant equipment for emergency coverage (switches, firewalls, phones) 6) Emergency staffing coverage agreement between both organizations. 7) Shared Barracuda spam filter 8) Shared Cisco firewall, and web application firewall 9) Shared 30 mg fibre pipe 10) Joint municipal fibre initiative (City Hall, NORD, Rec Complex, Multi Use, VWRC, Operations, CPO, CSB, Fire Training
Center.) City Information Services current manpower situation is 1 Manager, 0.8 Clerical, 1.5 Systems Analysts, 1.7 Hardware Technical, 2 Software Technical, and 1 Web/Land Administrator. There is another 1.5 System Analyst position(s) reporting and attached to the Vernon RCMP.
Land Services
Internal and Public
Land Services provides management of City owned lands, including leases of spray irrigation lands, crown leases, airport property and tie-downs and responsibility for negotiating the acquisition and sale of property on behalf of the City.
Legislative Services
Public Essential
The Legislative Services Department is responsible for the statutory duties of the Corporate Officer (Director of Corporate Services) including the preparation and preservation of all minute books and records of Council business, custody of City bylaws, administrative support to Council and its Committees, preparation of Council and Committee agendas and conduct of local government elections. The primary function of the Legislative Services Department is supporting the legislative matters and decisions of Council. Retention of agreements, Land Title documents and items requiring secure storage in the vault. The Legislative Services Department is the communications link between Council and other City Departments and the general public, providing assistance and advice to citizens with respect to Council/Committee processes, reporting procedures and decisions. Legislative Services consists of the Deputy Corporate Officer, Committee Clerk, Records Coordinator, Receptionist and Secretary/Receptionist.
GIS Public and Internal Discretionary
The GIS Department maintains and provides spatial based information on, land, sanitary, storm, transportation, fire, and emergency management assets for use by City staff, consultants, government and public organizations as well as the public to assist them in making informed decisions. The GIS Department also provides development and support of the Cityworks Maintenance Management System, a software application used to generate and process service requests and work orders for the Operations Department. The GIS Department will be a major component of developing the Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Program (SIIP). GIS will also support the Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Plan by continually integrating asset condition information into the completed program, adding new infrastructure and deleting assets as they are upgraded or replaced. Having an accurate inventory of all of our linear and nonlinear assets through GIS is the foundation for a Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Plan. RDNO-GVS provides their own GIS services.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
3.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within Corporate Services.
Sub-Service Activity Service
Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Corporate Services - General
S 1 Manager 0.85 Executive
Assistant
Position responsible for overall Leadership of the Division. Appointed Corporate Officer under section 148 of the Community Charter.
Communications • Social Media Policy • Communications Plan • Media Releases and
Scrums • Intranet updates • Grant applications • Advertising • Emergency Operations • Graphic Standards
S Required to advise
citizens of news
releases, newspaper advertising,
etc.
1 Communi-cations Officer
Provides the communications link between council and the public; all City advertising through the "working for the community"; updating the City's Intranet for information is current; Information Officer for emergency operation; processes and monitors grants;
Information Services
• Network infrastructure • Enterprise software
products (FDM, Vadim, Tempest, Geocortex, etc.)
• Orthophoto’s, Firewall replacements, RCMP CCVE project, Terminal Servers, VmWare installations,
• 2011 Core staff review, library retrofit, RCMP retrofit, CPO retrofit, FDM development
• Website development and maintenance
• Attribute and land data maintenance and management.
• SQL Database administration, management and
S High All 9 City sites
rely on IT support - manages
website/intranet and shared services with
RDNO
1 IS Manager 0.8 Clerical 1.5 Systems
Analyst 1.7 Harware
Technical 2 Software Technical
1 Web/Land Administrator 1.5 System
Analyst position
reporting to the Vernon RCMP
• Administration, security, maintenance and Management of the Network infrastructure (servers, routers, switches, firmware upgrades)
• Maintenance and Management of the Enterprise software products (FDM, Vadim, Tempest, Geocortex, etc.)
• Development, management and implementation of all Information Services projects (orthophoto’s, firewall replacements, RCMP CCVE project, Terminal Servers, VmWare installations, Mail upgrades, Phone upgrades etc)
• Development, management and implementation of Non-Information Services projects (2011 Core staff review, library retrofit, RCMP retrofit, CPO retrofit, FDM development)
• Website development and maintenance • Attribute and land data maintenance
and management.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activity Service
Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
development • North Okanagan Map,
Spatial GIS sharing, Shared municipal network, shared emergency services infrastructure and equipment, shared fractional pri for redundancy, shared firewall, and spam filter
• IP telephone and all cellular communication devices
• RCMP network and file infrastructure
• IS purchasing • IS clerical functions
• SQL Database administration, management and development
• Technical support for all City users. • Strategic planning and development
with other local municipalities for the delivery of services to all residents, North Okanagan Map, Spatial GIS sharing, Shared municipal network, shared emergency services infrastructure and equipment, shared fractional pri for redundancy, shared firewall, and spam filter
• IP telephony and all cellular communication devices
• Support and maintenance of the RCMP network and file infrastructure
• Enforcement for staff compliance to City policies and restrictions
• Stored data management and purging • Research and development of future IS
needs and wants for other divisions. • Consulting, training and education for IS
relate products Land Services • City Real Estate Holdings
• Acquisition/ Disposition of Property
• Road Closures • Easements • Statutory Rights of Ways • Leases • Rental Agreements • Lake Access Sites • Spray Irrigation • Airport • Liaise with Developers
S Expertise required for all land dealings of Council and public negotiations of lands and properties
Year round .75 Real Estate Manager 0.15 Executive Assistant
Responsible for the management and development of the City’s real estate assets, and acquisition of property and rights of way related to City projects. Provides professional real estate advice to City Council, the Land Committee, senior administration, other City divisions and outside agencies. Relies on a commitment to professional appraisal principles, a good knowledge of real estate values and trends, paralegal experience, the Local Government Act, the Community Charter, the Land Title Act, the Land Registry Act and City bylaws and policies.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activity Service
Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Legislative Services
• Elections/Referendums/Alternate Approvals
• Committees of Council • Bylaws • Records Management • FOIPPA Legislation • Council support • City Hall Reception
S High - required for Council to function
1 Deputy Corporate
officer 0.5 Committee
Clerk 1 Records
Coordinator 1 Receptionist 1 Secretary/
Recep.
Guided by section 148 of the Community Charter and Local Government Act including preparation of Council and Committee agendas and minutes ensuring access is provided to records of Council and committees. Responsible for 18 Committees of Council involving 120+ volunteers, Processed 50 FOI requests Manages all City Records through RMS and LGMA paper records All meeting Agendas and minutes of Council Commissioner of Oaths
GIS • Data
Management
Industry Standards and as required by legislation
S 0.1 Director Eng & GIS
0.1 Exec Asst
0.1 Secretary I
1 CAD
Technician l
0.6 GIS/Asset Management
Analyst
Transportation Network S
Service Request System Industry Standards
S Service requests are captured by this program providing a data base for service provision and permitting analysis and support for asset management and level of service analysis
• Data Analysis S Examples of analysis – transit ridership start/destination, accident location/severity, addresses for emergency services, analyse various surveys based on attributes including location
• Asset Management
Plan Creation Industry Standard and expected to be a requirement for grant funding
B 0.1 Infrastructure
Engineer
.4 GIS Asset Management
Analyst
Resources do not currently exist within the engineering department for this service. The transferred funding in 2013 from Operations for this service will facilitate the create of the SIIP.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activity Service
Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Ongoing Plan Support Industry Standard
B 0.2 Finance
Tech III
Requested transfer of position
funding from Operations to Engineering
1 Asset Management Technician
The SIIP will require continual updates based on asset condition assessments and refinements to planned infrastructure. The SIIP will provide the foundation of the Capital Reinvestment.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
3.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the Corporate Services sub-services and activities:
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Communications
Salaries Non-Union 82
Other Direct 4
Projects 2 Taxes 88
Total 88 Total 88
Corporate Services General
Salaries Non-Union 224
Other Direct 79 Taxes 303
Total 303 Total 303
Information Services
Salaries CUPE A 390
Non Union 288
Other Direct 492
Amortization of TCA
209
Allocations 207 Taxes 1,586
Total 1,586 Total 1,586
Land Services
Salaries Non-Union 90 Income - 102
Income is from Parkade rental
Other Direct 113 Income - Property Rentals
170
Taxes (69)
Total 203 Total 203
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Legislative Services
Salaries CUPE A 222
Non - Union 94
Other Direct 21
Allocations 20 Taxes 357
Total 357 Total 357
GIS
Salaries CUPE A 137
Other Direct 35 Tax Levy 172
Total 172 Total 172
Total Service
Salaries CUPE A 749
Non - Union 778
Other Direct 746
Amortization of TCA
209 Income 272
Allocations 227 Taxes 2,437
Total 2,709 Total 2,709
3.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
3.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
4. Finance 4.1 Service Description Financial Services is responsible for all matters of financial administration for the City in accordance with the Community Charter, the Local Government and the Financial Administration Act.
4.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by Financial Services.
Sub-service Type Description Collections To/From Others
Public Mandatory
This involves the collection of taxes for other taxing authorities from our jurisdiction, and the remittance of the collected taxes to the other taxing authorities according to the terms of the requisition. Other taxing authorities include: • Provincial School Tax • Regional District Taxes • Regional Hospital District • Okanagan Regional Library • Municipal Finance Authority • BC Assessment This funds are in effect a flow through.
Accounting Public /Internal Mandatory /Essential
The Financial Services - Accounting Department is responsible for all matters of financial administration for the City of Vernon, specifically: • Billing and revenue collection of City services and revenue sources • Payment for goods and services • Cemetery administration • Safekeeping of securities • Investments of reserved funds • Risk management claims administration • Grants in aid funding • Grant claim administration • Government transfer reporting • Financial planning • Financial Reporting
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-service Type Description
• Debt administration • Payroll Review • Statistical Reporting • Policies • Asset Mgmt/inventory in conjunction with Engineering • Bylaw Preparation & Administration • Letters of Credit & Bonds Administration • Cash Securities • Recoverable Work Order Administration
Purchasing Internal / Public
Purchasing is a subdivision of Financial Services. This Department provides centralized procurement services relating to acquisition of goods and services, asset investment recovery as well as managing the operation of central stores, in a professional, responsible and cost-effective manner. Purchasing is a service group providing procurement services to all user groups encompassing: • Standard maintenance, repairs and operation’s products (MRO) • Detailed engineered designed products/projects • Contracts - construction contracts, consulting services, annual supply agreements • Expediting services • Surplus disposal • Vendor Development
Fiscal Services Internal
This is a group of financial accounts that relate to financing transactions and capital transactions. Revenues and debt transactions relating to the BC Gas LILO agreement, as well as interest payments on short term borrowing and interest payments on prepayments of tax and interest paid on security deposits relating to development. Foreign exchange gains and losses when incurred, and losses on disposal of capital assets are recorded in this group of accounts for non utility transactions.
Grants Public Other Discretionary
The City has a grant function governed by a Council Discretionary Grants policy with provides funding to Community Groups. The annual funding allotment is $ 100,000 under this program. An additional $162,403 is provided as an operating grant to the O'Keefe Ranch Society. A further $82,000 is split between Heritage grants, downtown Beautification, Winter Carnival and Canada week grants make up the balance. The City also grants permissive exemptions of tax to community groups and Churches. The grants are for one year and the grants must be reapplied-for annually. In 2013 the estimated value of City taxes forgone is $600,350.
Taxation Internal
Taxation is the non service fee, and grant revenue requirement to fund the City services authorized by Council. • Calculation of Tax Rates • Bylaw Preparation & Administration • Calculating Local Improvements
Procurement / Inventory Control
Internal
Subdivision of Financial Services. Provides centralized integrated procurement services relating to acquisition of goods / services, inventory control and asset investment recovery in a professional, responsible & cost effective manner.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-service Type Description Provides an overall value add to the City through strategic opportunity maximization: • analyze corporate requirements & identify consolidation, standardization opportunities among internal
customers • work with internal clients to improve specifications, collaboration for problem prevention / seek successful
resolution • work with external vendor community to promote relationship building, how to do business with the City, • collaborate with neighbouring municipalities for group buying , sourcing development strategies, share
resources • train & educate internal customers on integrated financial software system Ensure open transparent, accountable procurement through best practices procurement within legislative regulation & City policy
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
4.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within Financial Services.
Sub-Service Activity Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Collections To/From Others
Bill Collection Remittance S High
All FTE's are charged to accounting
Accounting
Taxation Billing/Collection
S
High
Year Round Total of 13 FTEs
1 Director, Financial Services
1 Accounting Supervisor 1 Senior Accountant
1 Revenue Supervisor 1 Administrative Assistant
1 AR/ECom Clerk 1 Cashier
1 Utility Clerk l 1 Utility Clerk ll
1 Accounts Payable Clerk ll
1 Accounts Payable Clerk l
1 Property Tax Clerk 2 .50 Data Entry Clerks
.50 Asset Clerk
Utility Fee Billing/ Collection
S
High
Meter Reading is contracted. On average there are 14,197 utility bills calculated quarterly.
Online Services
• Processing online payments & EFT Bank Files
S High
In 2011, processed over 46,000 transactions for value of $32.8 Million
• My City - Online services available to customers 24/7/365
S Mod
Customer demand is increasing for enhanced online services.
Accounts Receivable & Recoverable work orders
Ongoing invoicing and administration of records S Mod
2011-1,795 invoices, Nov YTD- 1,613 invoices
Administration of Tax Sale S High
Administration of HOG program
Provincial Home Owner Grant Program S Mod
Administration of Tax Exemptions Permissive Tax Exemptions S Mod
Administration of GIL & 1% (Taxation)
S Mod
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activity Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Cemetery records administration
Daily updating cemetery records S Mod
Most activity with funeral homes, some front counteractivity
Debt Administration
Ongoing administration of debt issues S Mod
Financial Planning (Budgeting)
Annual financial planning and ongoing amendments A High
Annual budget prepared to international standards
Financial Reporting A High
Annual reports prepared to international standards
Financial system maintenance
Ongoing maintenance of chart of accounts S High
Account code maintenance and journal vouchers
Grant Administration Ongoing claim processing S High
Submit claims to agencies on behalf of the City
Investment Safe Keeping S Mod
As required for letters of credit & cash securities for development agreement & development cost charges
Payroll Review Bi-Weekly review and authorization of payroll register
S Mod Review allocations,
pay amounts and reasonability.
Policies and Bylaws
Ongoing preparation and administration of financial policies and bylaws
S High
Risk management administration
Ongoing administration of insurance claims and purchase of all insurances
S Mod
Ongoing communication with Municipal Insurance Authority
Securities Ongoing tracking and safe-keeping securities S High
All securities kept in vault and tracked in Finance
Statistical reporting
Ongoing reporting to Stats Canada S Mod
Reports are quarterly or annual.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activity Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Vendor invoice processing Daily input of vendor invoices S High
2011-11,074 invoices processed, Nov YTD-10,300 invoices
Vendor payment processing
Weekly process of vendor payments S High
2011- 6,250 cheques issued, Nov YTD- 5,281 cheques issued
Fiscal Services - General
Debt Administration All FTE's are charged to accounting
Grants Discretionary Council authorized grant program
Procurement Purchasing: Meet ever growing demand of sourcing & securing supply of materials & services in a dynamic supply chain environment.
Tendering, Bidding, Pre-qualification, sourcing, award, expedite orders Work to achieve lowest total cost Streamline processes, reduce administrative & supply chain inefficiencies
S High Year Round 1 P Agent
1 ICC/ Buyer 1 Storekeeper
Procurement services 2010 - $22,366,000- 1614 POs 2011 - $25,345,000 - 1389 POs • Ensure legislative
regulation & City policy is adhered to
• Manage supply costs through competitive long term priced supply contracts
Liaise with AP, Project Managers or delegates
Follow through and assist with payment facilitation for dynamic Contracts/PO's
S High
Construction & Prof Services Contracts: Develop & administer Construction & Prof Services Contracts through to full execution
Develop, administer &/or negotiate various construction & professional services contract ranging from simple services to complex design build contracts. Responsible to mitigate risk to the City, ensure contractors / consultants meet minimum pre-qualification requirements (insurance, WorkSafe coverage, business licence)
S High Ensure appropriate contract document and or law / language is applied to awarded services.
Administer Asset Investment
Provide centralized coordination and administration of investment
S High • Disposal of City assets / salvage
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activity Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Recovery recovery. Environmentally & fiscally responsible disposal.
- $71,000 - 2010 - $43,600 - 2011
Contractor / Vendor development
Locate, develop suppliers / contractors analyzing capabilities & working toward continuous improvement to achieve desired product / service.
S Mod • Actively engage over 400 vendors / contractors for sourcing requirements
• Ensure fair, consistent, open opportunity
Administer & Audit City Purchase Card
Administer Purchase Card Program in accordance with policy and protocol. Perform compliance audits to preserve integrity & mitigate risk
S Mod • Manage & Audit 89 cards
• Annual spend between $500,000 -$550,000
• Work with BMO with card cancellation & renewals
Manage Inventory Control & warehouse
Provide materials planning & management to meet internal customer needs. Physically control, safeguard & maintain goods. Includes: quality control, contract pricing, expediting, staging, preserve integrity and audit.
S High • Manage $370,000 Inventory warehouse containing 2,370 active items in 3,900 sqf warehouse & 16,200 sqft secured yard
• Meet demand over 1,050 issues /mo ($59,000 /mo)
• House & safeguard Nat'l Emergency 200 bed hospital
• Hazardous Waste Holding Area
• Staging & Disposal for surplus & recycled waste
• Staging for Capital
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activity Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
projects • First Aid &
Pandemic supplies
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
4.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services within Financial Services.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Collections To/From Others
Distribute to other jurisdictions
35,048 Tax for other jurisdictions 35,048
Collection of Property Tax levies for other Governments
Total 35,048 Total 35,048
Accounting Salaries
CUPE A 547 Income-Grants 35
Non-Union 525 Income- Fees 1,596 Other Direct 449 Taxes (110)
Total 1,521 Total 1,521
Purchasing Salaries
CUPE A 77 Income- Fees 58
Income is from Purchasing rebates, recycling recoveries and scrap and surplus equipment sales
CUPE B 92 Non-Union 99
Other Direct 64 Taxes 274
Total 332 Total 332
Fiscal Services - General
Salaries IAFF 145 Income-Grants 2,017
Wages recorded under fiscal services are related to retroactive settlement obligations for unionized staff. In 2013 these will be funded from salary reserve.
Other Direct 5,151 Income-Fees 2,742
Allocations (562) Reserves 145
Taxes (170)
Total 4,734 Total 4,734
Grants
Salaries Reserves 83 In addition, the City gives permissive tax exemptions at a cost of $600,350
Other Direct 372 Taxes 289
Total 372 Total 372
Taxation 1% Utility Tax 600 The Utility tax is based on a revenue earned in
jurisdiction formula. The Grants in Lieu of Taxation are from the Federal and
Grants in Lieu of Taxation 602
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Taxation of Specified Areas
773 Provincial governments based on their own valuations. Taxation of specified areas relates to funding of debt covering infrastructure upgrades for local defined areas, as well as funding for the downtown Business Improvement Areas. General Levy Taxation is the portion of revenues not generated from service revenues, necessary to fund the service levels authorized by Council each year in the Financial Plan
Tax for other Departments 27,819 General Tax
Levy 25,844
Total 27,819 Total 27,819
Finance Totals
Salaries
CUPE A 624 Income - Grants 2,052
CUPE B 92 Income - Fees 4,396
Non-Union 624 Income -Tax Levy for other Departments
27,819
IAFF 145 Income -Tax for other jurisdictions
35,048
Other Direct 6,036 Reserves 228 Allocations (562) General
Contracts
Tax for other Departments 27,819
Tax for other jurisdictions 35,048 Taxes 283
Total 69,826 Total 69,826
Additional Information/Statistics
1. Finance Cashier (s) processed in 2011, 58,164 transactions for a value of $57.4 M. 2. Back Office transactions processed in 2011, during tax season, 6,245 transactions for
a value of $17,71 M. 3. In 2011, Home Owner Grants claimed and processed. 4. In 2011, Web Customer Revenue (Tax Certificates) was $ 36,400. 5. In 2011, online Visa & Mastercard transactions were 9,012 for a value of $193,452.60. These transactions are specific to Business Licence &
parking ticket payments made through the Cities website. 6. Property Tax Auto Withdrawal System (PAWS) - on average there is 2,393 withdrawals per month for a value of $519,355 collected monthly,
except June.
# Transactions % E-Hogs 3,325 30.5 Paper Hogs 7,585 69.5 Total 10,910 100
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
7. Utility Auto-Withdrawal Program (Auto-Debit) - on average there is 1,950 withdrawals per quarter for a value of $775,290 collected quarterly.
4.5 Recent Reviews None Available
4.6 Municipal Comparisons 2011 Benchmark Community Analysis - Ranked by Municipal Tax/Captia -
including RD
2011 Tax/Capita
Community Population Municipal Reg Dist Total Chilliwack 77,936 731 19 750
Mission 36,426 742 18 760
Maple Ridge 76,052 762 12 773
Pitt Meadows 17,736 768 13 781
New Westminster 65,976 835 13 848
West Kelowna 30,892 775 79 854
Penticton 32,877 828 41 869
Port Coquitlam 56,342 874 14 888 Vernon 38,150 659 233 892
Port Moody 32,975 884 15 900
North Vancouver District 84,412 908 21 928
North Vancouver City 48,796 943 21 964
Kelowna 117,312 885 78 964
White Rock 19,339 972 17 989
Campbell River 31,186 893 107 1,000
Kamloops 85,678 982 61 1,043
Delta 99,863 1,065 18 1,083
Cranbrook 19,319 1,124 23 1,147
West Vancouver 42,694 1,247 40 1,286
Victoria 80,017 1,381 83 1,464
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Averages 54,699 913 46 959
2011 Benchmark Community Analysis - Ranked by Municipal Sales and User Charges per Capita - including RD
2011 Tax/Capita Sales and Total
Community
Population Municipal Reg Dist Total User
Charges Revenue West Kelowna 30,892 775 79 854 338 1,192
Chilliwack 77,936 731 19 750 358 1,108
Maple Ridge 76,052 762 12 773 410 1,183
Port Coquitlam 56,342 874 14 888 465 1,353
Campbell River 31,186 893 107 1,000 466 1,466
Port Moody 32,975 884 15 900 509 1,408
Pitt Meadows 17,736 768 13 781 512 1,293
North Vancouver City 48,796 943 21 964 571 1,534
Mission 36,426 742 18 760 581 1,341
Vernon 38,150 659 233 892 585 1,477
Delta 99,863 1,065 18 1,083 597 1,680
White Rock 19,339 972 17 989 598 1,587
Kamloops 85,678 982 61 1,043 624 1,667
Cranbrook 19,319 1,124 23 1,147 645 1,792
North Vancouver District 84,412 908 21 928 713 1,641
Victoria 80,017 1,381 83 1,464 761 2,225
New Westminster 65,976 835 13 848 1,049 1,897
Kelowna 117,312 885 78 964 1,076 2,040
West Vancouver 42,694 1,247 40 1,286 1,081 2,368
Penticton 32,877 828 41 869 1,481 2,350
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Averages 54,699 913 46 959 671 1,630
2011 Benchmark Community Analysis - Ranked by Expenses per Capita - including RD Showing Surplus or Gap from Operations
2011 Tax/Capita Sales and Total Expenses Surplus/Gap
Community
Population Municipal Reg Dist Total User
Charges Revenue Per Capita from Operations Chilliwack 77,936 731 19 750 358 1,108 1,112 -4
Kamloops 85,678 982 61 1,043 624 1,667 1,128 539
Kelowna 117,312 885 78 964 1,076 2,040 1,241 799
West Kelowna 30,892 775 79 854 338 1,192 1,251 -59
Maple Ridge 76,052 762 12 773 410 1,183 1,271 -88
Mission 36,426 742 18 760 581 1,341 1,290 50
Port Coquitlam 56,342 874 14 888 465 1,353 1,294 59
Pitt Meadows 17,736 768 13 781 512 1,293 1,366 -73
White Rock 19,339 972 17 989 598 1,587 1,375 212
Vernon 38,150 659 233 892 585 1,477 1,466 10
Port Moody 32,975 884 15 900 509 1,408 1,481 -73
Campbell River 31,186 893 107 1,000 466 1,466 1,502 -37
North Vancouver District 84,412 908 21 928 713 1,641 1,612 29
North Vancouver City 48,796 943 21 964 571 1,534 1,705 -170
Cranbrook 19,319 1,124 23 1,147 645 1,792 1,755 37
New Westminster 65,976 835 13 848 1,049 1,897 1,972 -74
Victoria 80,017 1,381 83 1,464 761 2,225 2,026 199
Delta 99,863 1,065 18 1,083 597 1,680 2,446 -766
Penticton 32,877 828 41 869 1,481 2,350 2,549 -199
West Vancouver 42,694 1,247 40 1,286 1,081 2,368 2,708 -340
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Averages 54,699 913 46 959 671 1,630 1,627 3
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
5. Human Resources 5.1 Service Description The Human Resources Division is responsible for Citywide internal and external staff recruitment and retention, organizational training and development, payroll and benefits administration; occupational health and safety; employee and labour relations services including collective bargaining; managing exempt and union compensation plans; and maintaining awareness of and compliance with local, provincial and federal labour laws.
5.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Human Resources Department.
Service Sub-service Type Description Human Resources (includes General and Corporate budgets)
Internal The Human Resources Division is responsible for Citywide internal and external staff recruitment and retention, organizational training and development, payroll and benefits administration; employee and labour relations services including collective bargaining; managing exempt and union compensation plans; and maintaining awareness of and compliance with local, provincial and federal labour laws. There are currently 387 employees at the City of Vernon.
Labour Management Internal Negotiation of collective agreements with CUPE and IAFF bargaining units. Advise on the interpretation and administration of the 2 Collective agreements. Ensure the City meets the legal obligations governing the employment of exempt staff not governed by a collective agreement Grievance/issues management
Recruitment and Selection Internal Coordinate recruitment and selection activities for all levels of the organization Training and
Development/Succession Planning
Internal Advise and coordinate training and development opportunities to maintain a highly skilled workforce and to ensure safety standards are met.
Organizational Effectiveness Internal Compensation: provides job design and sets compensation levels for all staff in the organization; internal and external market relativity -maintain 2 job evaluation plans -market/internal job analysis -job description maintenance, revision and development -developing policies and procedures -employee orientation -leave management -performance management -conflict resolution- return to work and duty to accommodate obligations
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Service Sub-service Type Description Payroll Internal Processes payroll for all staff in accordance with accounting principles. Pension and benefits
administration- Internal Administers these pension and benefit plans for all employee groups.
Manages short term and Long term disability claims and coordinates return to work initiatives.
HR - OH&S Internal The focus of the Occupational Health and Safety function is to ensure the City is in compliance with WorkSafe BC Regulation and Industry best practices. This includes developing, maintaining and improving the City Safety Management System which encompasses safety programs such as Confined Space Entry, De-energization & Lockout, Workplace Inspection, Working Alone, Electrical Safety and Excavation Safety. It also includes the management of WorkSafe BC workplace injury claims as well as the disability management of nonoccupational injuries which involves implementation of modified graduated return to work (MGRTW) plans. These plans benefit the organization by reducing WSBC insurance premiums and sick time benefit usage.
Administer OH&S program Internal Administer OH&S program Manage Stay at Work/Return to
work Programs. Internal These plans benefit the organization by reducing WSBC insurance premiums and sick
time benefit usage.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
5.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Human Resources Department.
Service Sub Service
Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Human Resources
Client Departments/ Managers could not meet their service delivery responsibilities without HR support in hiring and managing employees
1 Director of Human
Resources 1 HR Officer
1 HR Coordinator
Legislation that affects HR service delivery: -BC Employment Standards Act -Labour Relations Code -BC Human Rights Code -Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
• Labour Management:
As required S Human Resources provides advice to 61 management/exempt staff responsible for the employment conditions of 253 CUPE staff and 30 IAFF Staff as well as 52 casual Arenas staff and 25 Paid per Call (Volunteer) Fire fighters
(included above)
Grievance levels are at a minimum
• Recruitment and Selection
As required S In 2011: there were 78 vacant positions posted, 47 were external new hires. Only 3 of the positions were newly created City positions and 2 positions were RDNO funded positions. In 2012: The HR department received and processed 2160 applications. The department has filled 101 vacant positions this year to date, with 6 more positions to be filled by the end of 2012. 70 of these positions were filled by external hires.
(included above)
There were no new positions created at the City in 2012, however, Recreation Services was asked to assume the contract to operate the outdoor pools from the Regional District, as a result, the City was required to hire 15 new Seasonal Student Lifeguard/Instructor positions and one (1) Temporary Part-time Aquatic Leader
• Training and Development/Succession Planning
Meet statutory requirements for safety training
S 2011 Training: -25 Safety training courses given -320 employees attended safety training -5 Corporate Training workshops 2012 Training: -26 safety training courses given -368 employees attended training -9 webinars and 2 corporate training workshops
(included above)
Currently, 26.6% of our employees are at retirement age and 20.9% are within 5 years of early retirement. HR is implementing a formal succession planning program to address upcoming retirements.
• Organizational Effectiveness
Review classification and compensation review requests
S Respond to and request approx 20 – 30 information requests related to job evaluation/compensation each year; Participate in 1 to 2 provincial market salary reviews per year; Review exempt compensation plan every 3 years; Review approx.15 – 30 jobs each year
(included above)
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Service Sub Service
Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
dependent upon organizational changes, requests from union, mgt requests, etc.
• Payroll
Revenue Canada Employee Standards Act Payroll on time 100% of the time
S Payroll staff are responsible for processing payroll for 387 staff every 2 weeks. This includes 61 management/exempt staff responsible for the employment conditions of 253 CUPE staff; 30 IAFF Staff; as well as 52 casual Arenas staff; 25 Paid per Call Fire fighters, and 7 members of Council
1 Payroll & Benefits
Administrator
0.7 FTE Payroll Clerk
Direct Deposit Timesheets entered by Payroll staff. City Payroll system is integrated with Finance System
• Pension and benefits administration-
Process benefit changes within 1-2 days of receipt
S 302 employees are currently enrolled in benefits Municipal Pension plans with 2 groups Benefit Plans for 5 groups
included in Payroll
staffing above
Biweekly Payroll Vadim Payroll system. We have recently issued a RFP to ensure our benefit plan costs are competitive. Employees submit their own extended health claims on line. LTD claims are submitted to the carrier upon receipt from the employee within the week.
Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S)
Legislation that impacts service delivery: Workers Compensation Act BC Safety Authority
• Administer OH&S program.
Meet legislative requirements
S 2011 –OH&S Coordinator attended 50 safety meetings -29 first aid reports -9 WorkSafe claims and 292 days lost - 33 WorkSafe BC medical aid claims 2012 to date–OH&S Coordinator attended 70 safety meetings - 16 first aid reports -2 WorkSafe claims and 22 days lost - 41 WorkSafe BC medical aid claims
Year Round 1 Health &
Safety Coordinator 0.43 FTE
Secretary - Safety &
Emergency Preparedness
Successfully completed the Certificate of Recognition audit which generated $32000 in revenue for 2011, 2012, 2013 (three year cycle).
• Manage Stay at Work/Return to work Programs.
S 2011 Claims Costs:$67,498.55 2012 Claims Costs: $9,381.40
(included above)
Manage injuries (both occupational and Non-occupational) to ensure individuals Stay at Work where possible and, where time off is required, attempt to reduce the length of time by implementing Return to Work plans. A successful audit of the SAW/RTW program in 2013 will generate another $15,000 in
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Service Sub Service
Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
revenue for the next 3 years.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
5.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Human Resources Department.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Human Resources – (Corporate Budget)
Salaries CUPE B 2
This budget encompasses recruitment costs, mandatory safety training, staff development as well as retiring allowances and severance payments.
Non-Union 260 Other Direct 266 Tax Levy 528
Total 528 Total 528
Human Resources – (General Budget)
Salaries CUPE A 37
This component of the budget covers Citywide internal and external staff recruitment and retention, organizational training and development, payroll and benefits administration; employee and labour relations services including collective bargaining; managing exempt and union compensation plans; and maintaining awareness of and compliance with local, provincial and federal labour laws.
Non-Union 399 Other Direct 28 Tax Levy 464
Total 464 Total 464
Occupational Health & Safety
Salaries CUPE A 35 Income 32
The City of Vernon was one of only 22 employers in its cohort who received the Certificate of Recognition through WorkSafe BC and the BC Municipal Safety Association. This certification generated $32,000 in revenue.
CUPE B 48 Other Direct 191 Allocations 4 Tax Levy 246
Total 278 Total 278
Total Service
Salaries
CUPE A 72 Income 32
The City of Vernon was one of only 22 employers in its cohort who received the Certificate of Recognition through WorkSafe BC and the BC Municipal Safety Association. This certification generated $32,000 in revenue.
CUPE B 50 Non-Union 659
Other Direct 485 Allocations 4 Tax Levy 1,238
Total 1,270 Total 1,270
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
5.5 Recent Reviews A compensation review was completed in 2011 however due to management changes at the time, there was no implementation. Another evaluation will be taking place in 2013.
5.6 Municipal Comparisons None provided.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
6. Facilities 6.1 Service Description The Facilities Department, within the Operations Services Division, oversees the management of the City’s civic facility assets, which involves maintenance, capital improvements (construction or development) and energy management. The Facilities Department ensures clean, safe and secure facility operations.
6.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Facilities Service.
Sub-service Type Description City Hall Building Internal This category covers the operation and maintenance of the City Hall Building. City Hall RCMP Annex Internal This category deals with the maintenance of the section of City Hall occupied by the RCMP. Civic Plaza Internal/Public
Traditional This category covers the operation and maintenance of the City Hall grounds encompassing the RCMP, Museum, Library, Fire Hall Buildings and old Medical Clinic site.
RCMP Detachment Building Internal This category covers the operation and maintenance of the RCMP Building. Facilities - General Internal This sub-service includes the Departments management, including the Building Services Manager and
oversees the energy management for the City of Vernon facilities with the goal to have all City facilities meet the requirements for carbon neutrality by 2012 as initiated by the Province The Building Services Department is responsible for ensuring that the City of Vernon takes a lead role in supporting the mandate of sustainability, including educating staff, promoting energy conservation and ensuring that City facilities are operated and maintained as efficiently as possible.
Fire Hall Internal This category covers the operation and maintenance of the City of Vernon Fire Hall. Laker's Clubhouse Internal/Public
Traditional This category covers the operation and maintenance of the Lakers Clubhouse Building.
Community Services Building Internal This category covers the operation and maintenance of the former Library Building. Parkade Internal/Public
Traditional This category covers the operation and maintenance of the Parkade building, which includes doctor's offices and the Vernon Art Gallery.
Visitor Center North Internal/Public Traditional
This category covers the operation and maintenance of the North Visitor Center building.
Visitor Center South Internal/Public Traditional
This category covers the maintenance of the leased interior spaces in the South Visitor Center building.
Water Reclamation Plant Internal This category covers the operation and maintenance of the Vernon Water Reclamation Center. Yards Internal This costing center covers the operation and maintenance of the Operations Services building located at
1900 48th Avenue.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
6.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Facilities Department.
Sub-Service Activities Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
City Hall Building City Hall Building Maintenance and Utilities City Hall Building Janitorial City Hall Building Telephone System City Hall Building Security/Alarm City Hall Building Garbage Collection
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S 43 Staff. If not maintained could negatively effect the health and comfort of staff. Central server not maintained could shut down all City operations.
0.9, Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Building Area 1860 m2
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Janitorial, snow removal and grounds maintenance services are contracted out.
City Hall RCMP Annex
City Hall RCMP Annex Maintenance and Utilities City Hall RCMP Annex Janitorial City Hall RCMP Annex Security/Alarm City Hall RCMP Annex Garbage Collection
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S 12 Police Officers. If not maintained could effect the health and comfort of occupants. If Building systems not maintained could negatively effect police operations and public safety.
0.1 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Building Area 280 m2
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Janitorial services are contracted out.
Civic Plaza Civic Plaza Flume, Fountain and Pond Maintenance Civic Plaza Grounds Maintenance Civic Plaza Security Civic Plaza Garbage Collection Civic Plaza Snow Removal
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S All City Staff and the General Public. If not adequately maintained, could impact public safety.
0.4 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors and summer students. Snow removal and grounds maintenance services are contracted out. The PW gardener oversees the planting and maintenance of the flower beds.
Community Services Building
CSB Maintenance and Utilities CSB Janitorial CSB Telephone System CSB Security/Alarm CSB Garbage Collection
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S 61 Staff. If not maintained, could effect the health, comfort and safety of staff. If Building systems not maintained could negatively effect City operations and the
0.5 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Building Area 1020 m2
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Janitorial, snow removal and grounds maintenance services are contracted out.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activities Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
general public. RCMP Detachment Building
RCMP Detachment Building Maintenance and Utilities RCMP Detachment Building Janitorial RCMP Detachment Building Garbage Collection
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S 33 City Staff 36 Police Officers. If not maintained could effect the health and comfort of staff. If Building systems not maintained could negatively effect police operations and public safety.
0.6 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Building Area 3860 m2
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Janitorial, snow removal and grounds maintenance services are contracted out
Facilities General Civic Buildings Capital Construction Rental Properties Maintenance Staff Cell Phones Staff Development and Training Parking Lot Repair and Maintenance
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S All City Staff. If not maintained could effect the health and comfort of staff. If Buildings and systems not properly maintained could negatively effect all City operations and public safety.
Year Round. Time divided between Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant, Supervisor and Manager.
Facilities General oversees the administration, maintenance and energy management of City owned facilities and the Civic Grounds. This section is also responsible for the administration and management of facilities capital projects and involves all Building Services staff supplemented by contractors.
Fire Hall Fire Hall Maintenance and Utilities Fire Hall Garbage Collection
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S 33 Paid Fire Fighters 20 Volunteers 1 Admin Assistant. If not maintained could effect the health and comfort of staff. If Building systems not maintained could negatively effect Fire operations and public safety.
0.2 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Building Area 1650 m2
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Snow removal and grounds maintenance services are contracted out. Janitorial and minor maintenance performed by fire fighters.
Laker’s Clubhouse
Laker’s Clubhouse Maintenance and Utilities Laker’s Clubhouse Janitorial Laker’s Clubhouse Telephone System Laker’s Clubhouse Security/Alarm Laker’s Clubhouse Garbage Collection
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S Rec Center Users and Recreation Staff. If not adequately maintained, could negatively effect the health, comfort and safety of both staff and the general public.
0.1 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Building Area 232 m2
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Snow removal and grounds maintenance services are contracted out.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activities Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Lakers Clubhouse Snow Removal
Parkade Parkade Maintenance and Utilities Parkade Janitorial Parkade Telephone System for Elevator and HVAC DDC Parkade Security Parkade Garbage Collection Parkade Snow Removal
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S General Public, Tenants and Staff. If not adequately maintained, could effect the health and comfort of the tenants and their clients. If Additionally if surfaces are not maintained, it could negatively impact public safety.
0.3 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Building Area 830 m2
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Janitorial, snow removal and services are contracted out.
Visitor Center North
Visitor Center North Maintenance and Utilities
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S General Public and Tourism Staff. If not adequately maintained, could effect the health and comfort of both staff and the general public as well as leave a negative impression of Vernon with visitors.
0.1 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Janitorial and grounds maintenance services are contracted out.
Visitor Center South
Visitor Center South Maintenance and Utilities
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S General Public and Tourism Staff. If not adequately maintained, could effect the health and comfort of both staff and the general public as well as leave a negative impression of Vernon with visitors.
0.1 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Janitorial and grounds maintenance services are contracted out.
Water Reclamation Plant
VWRC Offices Maintenance and Utilities VWRC Offices Janitorial VWRC Offices Garbage Collection VWRC Offices Snow Removal
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S 14 Staff. If not maintained, could effect the health and comfort of staff. If Building systems not maintained could
0.2 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician,
Building Area 2260 m2
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Janitorial, snow removal and
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-Service Activities Service Level
Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
negatively effect plant and City operations and have a negative impact on public health and safety.
Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
grounds maintenance services are contracted out.
Yards Building Yards Building Maintenance and Utilities Yards Building Janitorial Yards Building Security/Alarm Yards Building Garbage Collection
Building Services maintained at or above Industry Standard
S 109 Staff. If not maintained, could negatively impact the health and comfort of staff and negatively effect all City operations including public safety.
0.6 Time divided between the Serviceman, Carpenter, Technician, Trades Assistant and Supervisor.
Building Area 3300 m2
Work is performed using Building Services staff supplemented by contractors. Janitorial and grounds maintenance services are contracted out. Snow removal is by PW staff.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
6.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Facilities Department.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
City Hall Building
Salaries CUPE B 65
Other Detail 129
Amortization of TCA 7 Taxes 201
Total 201 Total 201
City Hall Annex
Salaries CUPE B 11
Other Detail 10 Taxes 21
Total 21 Total 21
Civic Plaza
Salaries CUPE B 55
Other Detail 54 Taxes 109
Total 109 Total 109
Corporate Services Building
Salaries CUPE B 1
Other Detail 11 Amortization of TCA 1 Taxes 13
Total 13 Total 13
RCMP Detachment Building
Salaries CUPE B 57
Other Detail 153
Amortization of TCA 46 Taxes 256
Total 256 Total 256
Development Services Building
Salaries CUPE B
Other Detail 46 Taxes 46
Total 46 Total 46
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Facilities - General
Salaries CUPE B 12
Non-Union 105 Other Detail 57 Amortization of TCA 34 Taxes 208
Total 208 Total 208
Fire Hall
Salaries CUPE B 20
Other Detail 67 Amortization of TCA 11 Taxes 98
Total 98 Total 98
Laker's Clubhouse
Salaries CUPE B 3 Income -Rentals
10
Other Detail 22 Taxes 15
Total 25 Total 25
Community Services Building
Salaries CUPE B 37
Other Detail 73 Amortization of TCA 25 Taxes 135
Total 135 Total 135
Parkade
Salaries CUPE B 28 Income 10
Other Detail 61 Amortization of TCA 38 Taxes 117
Total 127 Total 127
Visitor Center North
Salaries CUPE B 1
Other Detail 2 Taxes 3
Total 3 Total 3
Visitor Center South Salaries CUPE B 1
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Other Detail 29 Taxes 30
Total 30 Total 30
Water Reclamation Plant
Salaries CUPE B 19
Other Detail 45 Taxes 64
Total 64 Total 64
Yards
Salaries CUPE B 60
Other Detail 154 Taxes 214
Total 214 Total 214
Total Service
Salaries CUPE B 370 Income 20
Non Union 105
Other Detail 913
Amortization 162 Taxes 1530
Total 1,550 Total 1,550
6.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
6.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
7. Fleet 7.1 Service Description Fleet Services Department, within the Operations Division, provides effective implementation and administration of internal support services for the supply, repair and maintenance of 205 units used by all departments providing City services including Engineering, Community Policing, Public Works, Utilities, Water, Building Inspection, Information Services, Bylaws, Building Maintenance, Water Reclamation, Fleet and Parks.
As a Designated Inspection Facility, Fleet Services adheres to Vehicle Inspections and Standards for commercial vehicle inspection and repair providing vehicle maintenance and repair to OEM, NSC and industry recommended standards.
7.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Fleet Services.
Sub-service Type Description Fleet – Management and Administration
Internal
Fleet Services is responsible for the operation and management of the City Fleet including the preparation of Vehicle Tender Specifications, evaluation and purchase of vehicles and equipment required by the City. Responsible for the following services:
I. Provide vehicle rental services for all City Departments including Greater Vernon Services (GVS) Parks and Fire Rescue
II. Establishing annual operating and capital budgets III. Administration of Vehicle Rental Rates (Internal Revenue) IV. Finance Reporting – Monthly JV’s – Depreciation/Rental V. Licensing and Insurance – City Fleet
VI. Vehicle Acquisition – Preparing purchase spec’s and tender evaluation VII. Establish vehicle life cycle replacement schedule VIII. Vehicle Disposal – preparation for the disposal of fleet equipment in a cost effective manner IX. MVA – accident investigation X. PM Facility – NSC compliant – in house inspectors – annual audits by CVSE
XI. Comply with NSC regulations for file and record storage XII. Training – in house forklift certification XIII. Training videos – for operational needs with each unique vehicle acquisition XIV. In Service Preparation and documentation of new vehicles XV. Provide seasonal rental and lease vehicles as required
XVI. Maintain maintenance, repair and inspection records database XVII. Administer fuel supply for City Fleet, Fire Rescue and GVS vehicles XVIII. Petro Canada Card lock – records integrated weekly and interfaced with IMS program to schedule PM
intervals, weekly web based download reporting
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-service Type Description XIX. Administer fuel supply procurement card XX. Track and record fuel consumption and GHG records
XXI. VHF Radio mobile and Repeater – licensing and maintenance XXII. Employing 6 FTE staff processing an average of 2600 work orders annually XXIII. Airport Support – Jet A Refuelling & Snow & Ice Support provided by Technicians
Fleet - Vehicles Internal
Category - Fleet vehicles < 5000kg licenced GVW. I. Provide timely and cost effective repair and maintenance services to 64 vehicles while mitigating vehicle
downtime II. Preventative Maintenance document store in Fleet database. III. New vehicle outfitting – inserve preparation
Fleet - Equipment Internal
Category – Fleet Equipment >5000kg Licenced GVW I. Provide timely and cost effective repair and maintenance to 87 equipment units with minimal vehicle
downtime II. Comply with NSC and CVSE legislated standards for vehicle maintenance III. Preventative Maintenance document store in Fleet database. IV. New vehicle outfitting – in service preparation
Fleet - Fire Rescue Vernon Station 1
Internal
Category – Station 1 Fire Rescue Vehicles I. Provide fleet management acquisition, repair and maintenance services for 11 Fire Rescue vehicles and
equipment. II. Process an average of 300 repair and maintenance work orders annually. III. Fleet Services Part - Time Technician (.5 FTE) with additional labour supplemented by Fleet Services
Technicians as required. IV. Provide annual pump testing as per NFPA standards V. Preventative Maintenance documentation records stored in Fleet database.
Fleet - Fire Rescue Station 2
Internal Essential
Category – Station 2 Fire Rescue Vehicles I. Provide fleet management, repairs and maintenance, of 5 City owned Fire Rescue vehicles.
II. Perform annual CVI inspections in accordance with NSC regulations III. Repair and maintenance performed by Fleet Services Technicians. IV. Preventative Maintenance documentation records stored in Fleet database.
GVS - Vehicles Internal Essential
Category – RDNO Vehicles – Parks I. Provide fleet management, repairs and maintenance of 41 RDNO vehicles used by Public Works/Parks
II. Provide PM maintenance as per CVSE regulations and outsource CV Inspections III. Preventative Maintenance documentation records stored in Fleet database. IV. Vehicle Acquisition – Preparing purchase spec’s and tender evaluation V. Establish vehicle life cycle replacement schedule
VI. Vehicle Disposal – preparation for the disposal of fleet equipment in a cost effective manner VII. MVA – accident investigation
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
7.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Fleet Department.
Sub Service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Fleet Management and Administration
As described in 1.2 Services Hierarchy
Based on industry best practices or OEM requirements.
S Provide year -round Fleet Services for all City internal customers.
1 Manager - Fleet Services 1 Technician - Heavy Duty Equipment 1 Welder/Mechanic 1 Lube Technician 1 Technician - Heavy Duty Mechanic 1 Senior Mechanic
Provide complete Fleet Services for all City and RDNO vehicles and equipment. Technicians provide Monday to Friday coverage – 12 hours daily & 8 hours Saturday. Effective repair & maintenance with minimal vehicle downtime. Welding & Fabrication for all City Departments, field and in house. Outsource glass replacement, automatic transmission repair/replacement, Body paint and repair, Repair and Installation of HD equipment tires. All other tire repair is in house. All vehicles equipped with GPS for enhanced Fleet Mgmt. Outsource vehicle hoist annual inspection. Outsource overhead hoist inspection.
Welding support for Fleet Services as well as all City Dept’s
Respond to requests from all City departments, prioritizing tasks based on nature of task.
S Response time crucial in correcting safety hazards, water leaks, irrigation repairs, VWRC modifications and Street signage repair
1 FTE In house and mobile fabrication and repair work. Mobile welding unit fully equipped to provide field service. Provide support for both City and RDNO departments Outsource tasks where specialized equipment required such as sheet metal bender/brake., or specialized machining, CNC etc.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub Service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Airport Jet A Refuelling
Transport Canada Regulation compliant (Fleet staff provide fueling service after 4:00pm or as required for regular staff absence backup. Snow clearing as & when required
S Supply fuel for corporate customers Jets based on flight plan
Three (3) Technicians provide after hours Airport Jet A Fueling services. One (1) Tech provides backup snow and ice support.
Standby Power Generator maintenance & repair for Utilities Dept
Based on industry best practices or OEM requirements
S Power Generators provide electrical backup power supply for BC Hydro power disruptions
25 Generators serviced. Sewer Lift Station and Water Supply standby generators. Outsource annual generator load testing
Operator Technical training New Vehicle Orientation Forklift Certification
Forklift Training – Certified Trainer
S Crucial to ensure operators are trained in the correct use of new technologies
Approx 40 Certified Forklift operators. Training Videos created for Snow & Ice and related equipment operation.
Support Services: • Small Power Tools • Technical support for
design and special projects
Reactive S Quick response required to ensure crews are equipped with tools daily
Small tools – chain saws, cutoff saws, pumps, pneumatic tools, compactors.
Fleet - Vehicles Vehicle Outfitting Regular Servicing Tire Servicing Reactive Repairs GPS - devices
Based on industry best practices or OEM requirements Calendar and Meter Based Scheduling
S Provide effective service with minimal downtime
(Same staff as in Fleet – General)
Category - Fleet vehicles < 5000kg licenced GVW. Starting value of vehicles - $1,315,499 64 licence vehicles assigned between 17 City departments
Fleet - Equipment
Repair & maintenance Equipment rigging Snow & Ice equipment installation
Based on industry best practices or OEM
S Provide effective service with minimal downtime
(Same staff as in Fleet – General)
Category – Fleet Equipment >5000kg Licenced GVW Declared Value of equipment
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub Service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Programming of snow & ice systems CVI – Inspections NDT – Inspections
requirements NSC Regulations Calendar and Meter Based Scheduling
assets - $7,061,605 87 licenced units distributed between Public Works, Utilities, Water and Vernon Water Reclamation Centre departments. Construction and vocational equipment as well as landscape maintenance and road building equipment. CVSE – 50 commercial vehicles registered in PM Vehicle Inspection Program
Fleet - Fire Rescue Stn 1
Repair & maintenance Annual Pump Testing as per NFPA Regulation Provide annual NFPA Pump Testing for Regional Volunteer Fire
Based on industry best practices or OEM requirements NSC Requirements Calendar and Meter Based Scheduling
S Provide year round effective service with minimal downtime.
.5 FTE Part Time Heavy Duty Equipment Technician
11 Vehicles – provide PM services and repairs to Fire Rescue Station 1 Vehicles Pump Testing performed by Fleet Services Staff. Minor repairs completed on site with all other servicing and repairs at Fleet Shop. Declared Value - Fire Apparatus assets - $4,777,968
Fleet - Fire Rescue OKLVFD Stn 2
Repair & maintenance Annual Pump Testing as per NFPA Regulation
Based on industry best practices or OEM requirements Calendar and Meter Based Scheduling
S Provide year round effective service with minimal downtime
No Fleet staffing at this site.
Declared Value- Fire Apparatus assets - $1,094,862 5 Vehicles – Provide PM services and repairs to Fire Rescue Vehicles. Repair and maintenance performed by Fleet Technicians at Fleet Services shop. Pump Testing performed by Fleet Services Staff.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub Service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
GVS Vehicles
Vehicle & Parks Equipment repair and maintenance Provide vehicle acquisition Including Tender/RFP specification prep to evaluation and purchase. Vehicle licensing and disposal. Fleet Administration & data base record filing
Based on industry best practices or OEM requirements Calendar and Meter Based Scheduling
S Provide year round service and maintenance to Parks Fleet.
(Same staff as in Fleet – General).
41 units – Fleet Services provides year round service and repair services to Parks vehicles and equipment Annual pre season inspection and repair of Parks equipment Welding & Fabrication in field and in house support for vandalism and maintenance repairs Reactive repairs as required in the field. This is true for all Fleet vehicles and equipment and not limited to Greater Vernon Services. NSC PM vehicle inspections outsourced as COV staff are not approved to complete CVI annual inspections on non owned assets.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
7.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Fleet Department.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Fleet - Equipment
Salaries CUPE B 205 Fleet vehicles are rented by either monthly rate or hourly. Monthly if the equipment is assigned to one department. Hourly if the vehicle is used as a pool vehicle. Fees charged show as “allocation” Year end revenue is added to the Vehicle Reserve Funds used to replace existing vehicles and equipment. Capital purchases (adding an additional vehicle/equipment) are funded by taxation.
Other Direct 493 Allocation - 1,768 Amortization
of TCA 465 Taxes (605)
Total 1,163 Total 1,163
Fleet - Fire OKLVFD Station 2
Salaries CUPE B 4 Allocation 25
As above Other Direct 21 Total 25 Total 25
Fleet - Fire Vernon Station 1
Salaries CUPE B 52 Allocation - 132
As above Other Direct 79 Amortization
of TCA 1
Total 132 Total 132
Fleet - Vehicles
Salaries CUPE B 46
As above Other Direct 276 Allocation 590
Amortization of TCA 126 Taxes (142)
Total 448 Total 448
Fleet - General
Salaries CUPE B 49
Non-Union 104 Other Direct 77 Allocations 518 Taxes 748
Total 748 Total 748
Fleet - Total Salaries CUPE B 356 Allocations 2,515 Fleet is operated as a self-supporting unit, recovering costs
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Governance and Support Services
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
- Fleet from the departments that use the vehicles (recoveries are shown as “Allocations” of costs to other units.
Non-Union 104 Other Direct 946 Amortization
of TCA 592
Allocations 518 Taxes 1
Total 2,516 Total 2,516
7.5 Recent Reviews Vehicle rental rates are reviewed annually to ensure they are inline and are close to industry rates.
Recent installation and implementation of GPS system to better manage the Fleet with the goal to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
7.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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Service Profile Parks, Recreation and Culture
City of Vernon Core Services Review Service Profiles Program: Parks, Recreation, and Culture January 15, 2013
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Parks .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 3. Recreation Services ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 4. Downtown Beautification .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose of this Document Background
In 2012, the City of Vernon (City) contracted KPMG LLP (KPMG) through a competitive bid process to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements. The City sees periodic Core Service Reviews as a necessary and positive means to check, confirm and review the range of services to be delivered by the City and recommendations to prioritize those services. The City considers Core Service Reviews as one method to ensure what is delivered is of the highest value to the community, to shed lower value services, to apply best modern practices to cost effective delivery, and to direct valuable, limited resources to the delivery of community valued programs and services. The Core Service Review project commenced on October 10, 2012 and is being conducted in four phases with a draft final report to be delivered by March 31, 2013.
Service Profile Summaries
During Phase 2 of the project, service profiles were created to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides. These service profiles were consolidated into five Service Profile Summary documents, of which this document is one, and posted on the City website.
The information in the Service Profile Summary documents was compiled by the City based on a template provided by KPMG. The intent of the Service Profile Summary documents is to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides to inform discussions with City Council, City management and the community on the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements during the Core Services Review project.
Any performance related information is based on City of Vernon provided information or statements. No opinion is expressed with respect to the validity of the underlying performance data. The Service Profile Summary documents do not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
1.2 Providing Input to the Core Services Review Project Public Consultation
During Phase 3 of the Core Services Review project, the City is seeking input from the community on current services through a public workshop on January 29, 2013. Input could include suggestions of opportunities for cost reduction, areas where current service levels could be reduced or are already too low, or any other suggestions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of City services. It is intended that City staff and members of the community including those representing any specific stakeholder groups will read the information contained in the Service Profile Summary documents before attending the workshop. Written comments and suggestions will also be welcome, either presented at the meeting, or submitted to the project email address.
Project Email address
A dedicated project email address has been set up to enable any stakeholder to provide information directly to KPMG on a confidential basis. The email address is [email protected]
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
1.3 How to Read this Document The information in this document is presented in six sections:
Service Description – briefly describes the overall purpose or objective of the City service.
Service Hierarchy – lists the sub-services or activities within the Service, and describes the service provided.
Service Delivery – provides information on service delivery for the sub-services or activities within the Service including service level, client impact and number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff involved.
Finance – provides key financial metrics showing the level of expenditures on the sub-services and the extent to which the sub-services are funded through user fees, grants and/or property tax levy.
Recent Reviews – describes any recent studies or reviews of these services/sub-services, the results and what has been done with the results.
Municipal Comparisons – provides conclusions from previous reports or other data the City has on the delivery of the services/sub-services, the unit cost for services/sub-services, the fees charged for services/sub-service in comparison with other municipalities.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
1.4 Glossary Term Definition
Service Type Public – exist to provide value added service to an external client / customer Internal – exists to support delivery of other services, provides no value added service to public Mandatory – mandated or required by legislation from the federal or provincial government Essential – critical to the operation of the City. Without the service, the City would stop functioning Traditional – municipal service, provided by virtually all municipalities for many years Other Discretionary – service provided by the City to respond to particular community needs, based on a positive business case, or other specialized purposes
Service Standard A = Above standard S = At standard
• S + : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are higher • S – : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are lower
B = Below standard
Service level “At Standard” is consistent with: • the level required by legislation, or … • industry standards and practices, or… • business case analysis justification, … • service levels in other municipalities, … • reasonable expectations
Finances (Operating Budget)
COSTS: Salaries – includes employee total compensation (fully loaded including salaries, wages and benefits) Other Direct – all other expenditure related to the sub-service Allocations – costs transferred from other services / sub-services REVENUES: Income – rates, fees, fares and any other user fees, and any grants / subsidies / funds from provincial or federal governments (comment
should indicate if user fees or grants) Recoveries – opposite of allocations; charges to other services, capital projects or perhaps other municipalities Tax Levy – residual costs covered by the property tax levy (negative amount implies sub-service generates revenue that reduces the tax
levy). Amount should be the total sub-service costs minus total sub-service revenues
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
2. Parks 2.1 Service Description This activity within Public Works provides services relating to the maintenance and construction of regional parks, playgrounds, sport facilities, and linear trails. It also looks after the health of trees in parks and at the roadside.
2.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Parks Service.
Sub-service Type Description
Parks Public Traditional
The Public Works Parks Department provides a range of services to the RDNO for maintenance of regional parks. Services are provided on a break-even basis. Delivery of services is organizationally linked with street tree and boulevard maintenance services (City responsibilities).
Trees Public Traditional
Roadside trees are a critical component of the overall health and well being of a community. The City currently maintains approximately 5500 street and boulevard trees within the City boundary. Services include pruning, watering, disease control, tree removals and replanting. The work is performed by the City Arborist and Assistant Arborist with contract support as needed. The Arborist and Assistant Arborist also provide tree care services for trees located within regional parks.
2.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Parks Service.
Sub-service
Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Parks • Landscape Services • Washroom cleaning • Parks security • Mowing • Risk management • Irrigation repairs and
maintenance • Flower bed installation
and maintenance • Playground installation
City providing contract maintenance services to RDNO Service level set by RDNO
S Service levels set to meet standards set by RDNO
0.2 FTE-Manager Public Works 0.8 FTE- Parks Foreman 1.0 FTE- Site Risk Inspector/ Tradesman 1.5 FTE- Irrigation Operator 2.5 FTE-Equipment Operators 0.5 FTE- Arborist
City provides contract maintenance services to RDNO for 73 regional parks Washroom cleaning and parks security services provided by contract General landscape services provided by contract Regional parks function currently undergoing a restructuring. City
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Sub-service
Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
and repairs • Beach cleaning • Sports field
maintenance • Parks events support • Tree maintenance
0.5 FTE- Arborist Assistant 2.0 FTE- labourers 0.5 FTE- Horticulturalist 2.0 FTE –Students Total 11.5 FTEs
involvement in parks maintenance will likely change effective January 1, 2014. Details of the restructure and the final outcome are under negotiation and are not final at this time.
Trees • Tree replacement • Tree pruning • Tree removal • Tree watering • Stump removal • Pine beetle program • Tree spraying
Service level set based on industry standard and historical practice Approx 100 new trees added yearly through capital improvement projects Planting of trees limited to replacement of existing. Trees requiring pruning are pruned on a 5 year cycle Newly planted non irrigated trees added to 3 year watering program. 110 trees on list watered weekly Tree spraying performed as needed for disease control
S Service levels set to meet public and City Councils expectations City of Vernon (38,990) Tourist and Visitors
0.5 FTE- Arborist 0.5 FTE- Arborist Assistant Total 1.0 FTEs
5000 boulevard street trees. Approximately 100 new trees added annually through capital improvement projects. Tree maintenance performed by City staff. Contractors used for disease control, stump removal, and tree trimming and removal within close proximity to power lines.
2.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Parks Service.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Parks
CUPE B All costs recovered from RDNO Other Direct Taxes
Total Total
Trees
Salaries CUPE B 123
Other Direct 102 Taxes 224
Total 224 Total 224
2.5 Recent Reviews As noted above, current discussions with RDNO may lead to a different allocation of roles and responsibilities for parks maintenance.
2.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
3. Recreation Services 3.1 Service Description The City of Vernon Recreation Services is responsible for the administration, facility operation and delivery of programs and recreation services to the citizens of the Greater Vernon Area on contract to the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO).
3.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Recreation Services:
Sub-service Type Description Administration Public
Traditional Administration includes the Director, Recreation Services who provides leadership, supervision, and direction to the department’s approximately 100 employees. Develops departmental policies and procedures, liaises with CAO and Council for City of Vernon as well as General Manager Parks, Recreation and Culture and other staff of the Regional District of North Okanagan and other service providers. Plans and oversees department budget and marketing, deals with accounts payable, facility bookings, customer service and capital projects. Administration also includes the Office Coordinator, Facility Booking Clerk and Recreation Clerks. Clerical staff are front line contact with the public and handle all program registrations using the CLASS registration system, collect all registration fees and admission fees to programs and the Vernon Aquatic Centre, handle public inquiries, in person on the phone and through email. Staff deal with all facility bookings, including Parks bookings, order all office supplies and supply clerical support to all other staff as needed. The Administration Office at the Recreation Centre is open approximately 4,700 hours over 363 days per year.
Facility Management Public Traditional
Recreation Services is responsible for the management and operation of the Vernon Recreation Centre including the day to day operation, maintenance, staffing and scheduling using prudent management practices. The Vernon Recreation Centre ‘facilities’ include the Auditorium, Dogwood and Priest Valley Gymnasiums and Halina Seniors Centre as well as the grounds and parking lots. The Recreation Centre is open to the public over 5,300 hours over 363 days per year.
Vernon Aquatic Centre Public Traditional
Recreation Services is responsible for the management and operation of the Vernon Aquatic Centre including the day to day operation, maintenance and scheduling using prudent management practices. We provide all supervision, lifeguarding and swim instruction. The Aquatic Centre which includes a 25 metre 8 lane lap pool, a leisure pool, hot tub, steam room, sauna and fitness gym is open approximately 4,950 hours per year over 342 days. The Aquatic Centre has just under 200,000 user visits per year including public swimming, lane swimming, public swim lessons, school swim lessons, rentals, aqua fitness classes, swim club rentals, and use of the fitness gym.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Sub-service Type Description Programming Public
Traditional Recreation Services is responsible for carrying out the planning and delivery of Recreation Programs to meet the demands of the public and provide the public with a variety of opportunities to constructively use their leisure time in accordance with the Regional District’s philosophy and goals. Recreation Services offers over 1,000 programs per year ensuring that opportunities are available for preschoolers, youth, teens, adults and seniors, people of all income levels and people with disabilities to participate.
Outdoor Pools Public Traditional
Recreation Services is responsible for the management and operation of the outdoor pools including the day to day operation, maintenance, staffing and scheduling using prudent management practices. Recreation Services oversees the Lakeview Outdoor Wading Pool, Lavington Outdoor Pool, and the Polson Spray Park. The pools are open from Canada Day to Labour Day approximately 9 weeks each summer. Lakeview is open approximately 565 hours a season, Lavington is open approximately 482 hours a season and Polson is open approximately 504 hours a season.
Arenas Public Traditional
Recreation Services is responsible for the management and operation of the arenas including the day to day operation, maintenance, staffing and scheduling using prudent management practices. Recreation Services oversees the Centennial Outdoor Rink, Priest Valley Arena, Civic Arena and the Wesbild Centre; home to the Vernon Vipers Jr. Hockey Team. The Wesbild Centre is open approximately 5,225 hours over 344 days per year, the Priest Valley Arena is open approximately 4,600 hours over 286 days per year and the Civic Arena is open approximately 3,280 hours over 244 days per year. The Centennial Outdoor Rink is open approximately1,600 hours between November and February weather permitting.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
3.3 Service Delivery Information on service delivery for the sub-services within Recreation Services is as follows:
Service or Sub-service Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Administration As the Contractor, Recreation Services is mandated to fulfill the philosophies and goals of the District which include “to use public leisure services as a vehicle in meeting socially worthwhile goals and objectives, the attainment of which clearly results in some form of benefit to all residents of the Greater Vernon Area.”
“To use the delivery of public leisure services to further the growth and development of the community and to promote the growth and development of the individual; social skills, emotional well being and physical health.”
S The City of Vernon population is 38,990.
Greater Vernon Area: Vernon, Coldstream, Areas A & B 2011 Census population projection 58,985.
RDNO population is 83,052.
4.98 FTEs @ 35hrs/wk.
This includes:
.85 FTE Exempt Director (.15 FTE of Director charged to Arenas).
4.13 FTEs Union Clerical
Operate on contract to the RDNO GVPRC since 1976 (unsigned).
RDNO GVPRC currently undergoing service review.
New GVPRC Recreation
Facilities and Programming Service MOU is currently in draft stage.
Operating Policies set by RDNO GVPRC.
Administration and HR policies set by City.
Payroll for City union, exempt and excluded staff done through the City.
Payroll for RDNO Program Staff and payables done through the RDNO.
All computers and IT on RDNO system.
The City’s ability to deliver services is relative to the budget approved by the RDNO.
The RDNO sets the fees annually for facilities and programs through the Manual of Fees and Charges Bylaw.
The City’s ability to generate revenue is relative to the fee structure approved by the
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Service or Sub-service Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
RDNO.
Facility Management
As per the contract, Recreation Services oversees the Vernon Recreation Centre including the Auditorium, Dogwood and Priest Valley Gymnasiums, Halina Seniors Centre and the Administration and staff offices.
The contract calls for Recreation Services to “Manage and Operate the facilities and property in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial, municipal and other laws and all permits to accommodate Public Use for the benefit of the District and its residents using prudent management practices; deliver the services including: day to day maintenance and repair of the facilities, properties and equipment, including routine and preventative maintenance, cleaning, overseeing capital projects, dealing with facility rentals, customer relations and interfacing and emergency response.”
S The Vernon Recreation Centre is the main recreation facility in the Greater Vernon area. Over 425,000 user visits per year including Aquatic Centre visits. Over 75,000 in Auditorium and 15,000 in Curling Rink (Spring & Summer lease period) for community events.
2.92 FTEs @ 40hrs/per week.
This includes:
.40 FTE of the Supervisor of Maintenance who oversees maintenance for the entire facility (.60 FTE charged to Vernon Aquatic Centre).
1 FTE Custodian Leader.
1.44 FTEs for part time Custodians.
.075 for HVAC Servicesman.
All positions are Union.
This staff is responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of the ‘dry side’ of the Recreation Centre: Auditorium, Dogwood Gym, Halina Seniors Centre and Administration and staff offices and Curling Rink during lease period.
The Auditorium is a 1,000 seat, 12,000sq ft multi purpose room. The facility has been renovated over past four years and demand and use are up significantly. The Auditorium is home to many community events and fund raisers.
Community Rate: $673/day for Main Floor Only and $818/day for the Creekside Conference Centre (facility including breakout rooms). Generates $65,000 per year.
Staff do set up and take down of tables, chairs and staging for some events. Generates $5,300 per year.
Auditorium’s Commercial Kitchen is rented out for events: $161/day and is rented out between events to entrepreneurs and caterers: $87/day. Generates $3,500 per year.
The Dogwood Gym is a 3,500sq ft gymnasium that is used during the day primarily for Preschool programs and in the evenings for sports activities. Community Rate: Youth $15.25/hr, Adult $25.25/hr. Generates $23,000 per year.
The Priest Valley Gym is an 8,600sq ft gymnasium located
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Service or Sub-service Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
in the Priest Valley building and is used for a variety of fitness programs and activities during the day and sports activities in the evenings. Community Rate: Youth $24.75/hr, Adult $49/hr. Generates $32,000 per year.
The Halina Seniors Centre is a “centre within a centre”. The Halina is run by an executive board through a contract with the RDNO and the City of Vernon. Recreation Services provides all maintenance and cleaning and works closely with the Halina on the shared use of facilities at no charge. The Halina pays approximately $1,000 per year as a token fee for services.
The City through the RDNO leases back the 18,000sq ft Vernon Curling Club between April 1-September 15th each year at a cost of $5,500. The City rents out the VCC ‘dry floor’ to several community groups. Community Use Rate is $941/per day. Generates $17,000 per year.
The Vernon Boxing Club rents space below the Priest Valley Gym on a monthly basis. Generates $5,200 per year.
Vending and Pop machines in the Recreation Centre generate $10,100 per year.
Bulletin Board advertising generates $7,400 per year.
City now does most of the
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Service or Sub-service Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Mechanical HVAC work in house through City Building Services Department.
Plumbing, Electrical and some Mechanical contracted out to Licensed Tradesmen.
Snow Clearing is contracted out.
Salting and Sanding is done by the City in house.
Vernon Aquatic Centre
As per the contract, Recreation Services oversees the Vernon Recreation Centre including the Vernon Aquatic Centre.
The contract calls for Recreation Services to “Manage and Operate the facilities and property in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial, municipal and other laws and all permits to accommodate Public Use for the benefit of the District and its residents using prudent management practices; deliver the services including: day to day maintenance and repair of the facilities, properties and equipment, including routine and preventative maintenance, cleaning, overseeing capital projects, dealing with facility rentals, customer relations and interfacing and emergency response”
The contract also requires the City to operate the facility in compliance of all District Policies which include but are not limited to:
S or A
Lifeguarding sometimes at 1:35 ratio because of two pools in facility.
Staff hold four in-service sessions per year; one quarterly.
The Vernon Aquatic Centre is the only indoor public swimming facility in the Regional District of North Okanagan. Approximately 200,000 user visits per year.
Public Swim 97,000 user visits in 2011.
Swim Lessons 53,000 user visits in 2011.
Aqua Fitness 23,000 user visits in 2011.
Kokanee Swim Club 20,000 user visits per year
Masters Swim programs 4,500 user visits in 2011.
Although servicing mainly the Greater Vernon Area, the Aquatic Centre sees patrons from all over the North Okanagan.
The Aquatic Centre is
13.5 FTEs
This includes:
11.6 FTEs @ 35hrs/week
This includes:
1 FTE Aquatic Supervisor
2 FTEs Aquatic Leaders
8.6 FTEs Lifeguard/ Instructors
The above staff are responsible for all supervision, lifeguarding and swim lesson instruction.
1.94 FTEs @ 40hrs/week.
This includes:
.60 FTE for Supervisor of Maintenance.
1.26 FTEs for part time Custodians.
.075 FTE for HVAC Serviceman.
This staff responsible for
Increasing senior population.
Decreasing youth population.
11% decline in school enrollment since 2008.
Home of the Kokanee Swim Club. Contract gives them 5:00–7:00pm prime time in pool.
Public Swim numbers down over last four years
Adult Swim $5.50, Youth Swim $4.00, Preschool Swim $1.75, Age 2 years and under Free, Family $12.25.
Persons with Disability 25% discount.
Persons Financially Disadvantaged 75% discount. Over 900 people have Affordable Access Pass.
Demand for Swim Lessons increasing annually.
Adult lessons $9.75/hr 1:10 ratio, Youth lessons $8.75/hr, Preschool lessons $10.20/hr 1:4 ratio.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Service or Sub-service Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
All aquatics staff must hold a current National Lifesaving Certification
Lifeguard to patron ratio will be 1:50
At least one staff person must hold a current BCRPA Pool Operators Certificate.
Regularly scheduled in-service training shall be held at least three times per year.
open 4,956 hours per year over 342 days.
Three lakes in Greater Vernon Area. Teaching swim lessons is a priority mandate.
the maintenance and cleaning of the Vernon Aquatic Centre including the Fitness Gym.
All staff are Union.
Aqua Fitness programs increasing in popularity
Masters Swim Program numbers increasing
Lifeguarding ratios are now established as per a 2007 Lifesaving Society Audit of the Aquatic Centre and the 2010 BC Pool Regulations.
Programming As per the contract, Recreation Services is “responsible for carrying out the planning and delivery of Recreation Programs to meet the demands of the public and provide the public with a variety of opportunities to constructively use their leisure time in accordance with the Regional District’s philosophy and goals.
“Keep current with trends in the recreation industry and offer new programs in the community.”
“New programs can be subsidized, but after two years, programs are to break even or make a profit.”
S The City of Vernon population is 38,990.
Greater Vernon Area: Vernon, Coldstream, Areas A & B 2011 Census population projection 58,985.
RDNO population is 83,052.
Over 1,000 programs offered per year from Prenatal - Seniors.
Over 65,000 user visits in youth programs.
Over 68,000 user visits in adult programs.
2.7 FTEs @ 35hrs/week.
All staff are Union.
Programming makes a $67,550 profit.
Programs offered are broken down into sub categories: Playschool, Preschool, Youth, Adult (including Seniors), Fitness (including Aqua Fitness), and On Ice.
*Aquatic programs (other than Aqua Fitness) are programmed by Aquatics Supervisor.
Main advertising through Recreation Services website and publication of Parks, Recreation and Culture Leisure Guide three times per year.
Not able to advertise using Facebook due to Regional District policy restricting staff from use.
Recreation Services acts as Administrator for the Greater Vernon KidSport Fund.
Programming pays ‘rent’ to Facilities and Aquatic Centre for use through quarterly transfers.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Service or Sub-service Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Programming pays for rental of school facilities. School District uses our facilities free of charge during school hours.
Boys and Girls Club of Okanagan offers programs to marginalized youth through grant from the GVPRC.
Vernon Community Arts Centre offers arts programs to all citizens through grant from the GVPRC.
The Okanagan Science Centre offers science programming to the community.
Increasing senior population.
Decreasing youth population.
11% decline in school enrollment since 2008.
Outdoor Pools As per the contract, Recreation Services oversees the Lakeview Outdoor Wading Pool, Lavington Outdoor Pool, and the Polson Spray Park.
The contract calls for Recreation Services to “Manage and Operate the facilities and property in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial, municipal and other laws and all permits to accommodate Public Use for the benefit of the District and its residents using prudent management practices; deliver the services including: day to day maintenance and repair of the facilities, properties and equipment, including routine and preventative maintenance,
S
A
*Must have two lifeguards on duty at all times at Lakeview and Lavington.
The City of Vernon population is 38,990.
The District of Coldstream 10,300.
Greater Vernon Area: Vernon, Coldstream, Areas A & B 2011 Census population projection 58,985.
Lakeview Wading Pool targeted at parents with preschool aged children.
Lakeview Pool had approximately 6,900 user visits in 2012.
Lavington Pool
1.72 FTEs @ 35hrs/week
This includes:
.30 FTE Union Aquatic Leader
1.42 FTEs Student Lifeguard Instructors
RDNO requested the City take over operation of the Outdoor Pools in 2011.
2010 LOU with CUPE allowed for Outdoor Pool Lifeguard Instructors to be hired as Student Workers @ $15/hr.
Lakeview Wading Pool is 0-1 metre deep and located in the East Hill area of Vernon.
Polson Spray Park is located in Polson Park in Vernon.
Lavington Pool is just over 1 metre deep and is located in Lavington Park in the District of Coldstream. Preschool level swim lessons are taught there.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Service or Sub-service Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
cleaning, overseeing capital projects, dealing with facility rentals, customer relations and interfacing and emergency response”
The contract also requires the City to operate the facility in compliance with all District Policies which include, but are not limited to:
All aquatics staff must hold a current National Lifesaving Certification
Lifeguard to patron ratio will be 1:50
At least one staff person must hold a current BCRPA Pool Operators Certificate.
At least one scheduled in-service training shall be held before the season at both Lavington and Lakeview pools.
targeted at parents with preschool to early elementary age children.
Lavington Pool had approximately 3,600 user visits in 2012.
Polson Spray Park is targeted at elementary aged children.
No user visit data available for Polson.
Admission is free at all three facilities (except for swim lessons).
The newly signed GVPRC Parks MOU will take effect in January of 2014 and Coldstream will take over responsibility for operation of Lavington Pool.
Arenas As per the contract, Recreation Services oversees the Centennial Outdoor Rink, Priest Valley and Civic Arenas and the Wesbild Centre.
The contract calls for Recreation Services to “Manage and Operate the facilities and property in compliance with all applicable federal, provincial, municipal and other laws and all permits to accommodate Public Use for the benefit of the District and its residents using prudent management practices; deliver the services including: day to day maintenance and repair of
At Standard Wesbild Centre is a 3,000 seat MultiPlex facility opened in 2001. Over 250,000 user visits per year. Home of the Vernon Vipers Jr. Hockey Team.
Wesbild is the main facility for hosting large special events; BC Winter Games, Canadian Senior Curling Championships, National Grand Slam of Curling and Concerts.
Civic Arena 2280 seats
14.64 FTE’s
This includes:
9.53 FTEs @ 40hrs/week
This includes:
7.29 FTEs Union Arena Attendants.
2.24 FTEs excluded Event Support Staff.
5.11 FTEs @ 35hrs/week
This includes:
.15 FTE exempt Director of Recreation Services.
1 FTE exempt Manager
RDNO asked the City to take on operation of the arenas in August 2009.
RDNO operated the arenas in house from September of 2007 – August 2009.
RDNO had contracted out the management and operation of the arenas to Recreation Excellence from October 1, 2001 – August 2007.
Wesbild Centre Adult Prime Time rate $211/hour. Generates $873,970 per year.
Wesbild Holdings have had
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Service or Sub-service Service Level Service
Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
the facilities, properties and equipment, including routine and preventative maintenance, cleaning, overseeing capital projects, dealing with facility rentals, customer relations and interfacing and emergency response”
built in 1937 now 75 years old. Home to Greater Vernon Minor Hockey.
Priest Valley Arena 300 seats opened in 1980. Home to Vernon Figure Skating Club.
Centennial Outdoor Rink built in 1966 open seasonally November to February. Free public skating and shinny hockey.
of Arenas.
1 FTE exempt Operations Coordinator
.77 FTE exempt Concessions Coordinator
1.08 FTEs Union Clerical staff
1.11 FTEs excluded Concessions and Beverage Staff @ 35hrs/week.
naming rights for facility @ $40,000 per year. They have indicated that they will be ending this sponsorship in April 2013.
Civic Arena Adult Prime Time rate $191/hour. Generates $178,421 per year.
Civic Arena 2,280 seats built in 1937 now 75 years old. Will need replacing with 300-400 seat arena soon.
Priest Valley Arena Adult Prime Time rate $191/hour. Generates $236,447 per year.
Centennial Outdoor Rink generates $4,595 per year from rentals.
As per a 2009 LOU with CUPE, all Concession, Beverage and Event Support Staff are ‘Excluded Employees’ and are not subject to the CUPE collective agreement.
Plumbing, Electrical, and Mechanical contracted out to Licensed Tradesmen.
Snow Clearing is contracted out.
Salting and Sanding is done by City in house.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
3.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within Recreation Services:
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Administration Salaries 376.8 User Fees 0.0 • $103,636 in City of Vernon overhead support charges. Support/Overhead charges are determined by agreement with the Regional District for this service. The agreement is based on assumed cost of services such as Payroll, Human Resources, Finance, Purchasing, for this work group who are not set up as a stand alone workforce.
• $57,709 in Office Expenses • $47,667 in Insurance costs as provided by the RDNO
Other Direct 113.5 Grants 0.0
Allocations 103.6 Tax Levy 593.9
Total 593.9 Total 593.9
Facility Management Salaries 200.5 User Fees 170.9 • Capital Project for new playground through Provincial grant in 2013 • Capital Project to renovate the Administration Office 2013 $73,200 • Marketing costs for the Aquatics Centre are included in this area • 40% cost recovery
Other Direct 231.3 Grants 0.0
Allocations 0.0 Tax Levy 260.9
Total 431.8 Total 431.8
Vernon Aquatic Centre Salaries 864.4 User Fees 832.7 • Capital Project for Dehumidification in Aquatic Centre in 2013 • Capital Project for Building Envelope in Aquatic Centre in 2013\67%
cost recovery (includes facility management costs, does not include administrative costs above the Supervisor of Aquatics. Costs for the Director and Clerical staff are included in Administration)
Other Direct 380.8 Grants 0.0
Allocations 0.0 Tax Levy 412.5
Total 1,245.2 Total 1,245.2
Programming Salaries 203.2 User Fees 923.4 • Programming makes a $67,550 profit • Salaries only include three City Recreation Programmers • Salaries for all RDNO program staff are included in Other Direct as well
as the rental fees that Programming pays for facility use • 108% cost recovery
Other Direct 652.7 Grants 0.0
Allocations 0.0 Tax Levy (67.5)
Total 855.9 Total 855.9
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Outdoor Pools Salaries 58.7 User Fees 4.5 • 5% cost recovery
Other Direct 31.7 Grants 0.0
Allocations 0.0 Tax Levy 85.9
Total 90.4 Total 90.4
Arenas Salaries 937.5 User Fees 1,293.4 • $154,521 in RDNO overhead charges in Wesbild budget. • Capital request for Zamboni in 2013 $115,900 • Civic Arena 53% cost recovery • Priest Valley Arena 59% cost recovery • Centennial Rink 11% cost recovery • Wesbild Centre 63% cost recovery • Total Arenas 59.44% cost recovery
Other Direct 1,084.1 Grants 0.0
Allocations 154.5 Tax Levy 882.7
Total 2,176.1 Total 2,176.1
TOTAL Recreation Services Salaries 2,641.1 User Fees 3,224.9 • 59.8% cost recovery for entire service. The entire balance of $2,168.4 is included in the Regional District requisition for taxes from the participating jurisdictions. The City does not have either a loss or a profit.
Other Direct 2,494.1 Grants 0.0
Allocations 258.1 Tax Levy 2,168.4
Total 5,393.3 Total 5,393.3
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
3.5 Recent Reviews There have been no satisfaction surveys done in recent years. The Regional District and Recreation Services plan to conduct an extensive survey in 2013.
Arena usage rates have been declining in recent years as shown on the following page:
Hours Rented, Minor vs Adult Hours Rented by Arena
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Hours Rented by Type of Minor Sport Total Ice Usage
3.6 Municipal Comparisons Swimming Pool Rates:
Vernon Salmon Arm Penticton Parkinson YMCA
Adult 5.50 5.25 6.00 5.50 8.00 Sr. 65 + n/a 4.25 5.00 3.80 6.00 19-24 n/a 7.50 13-18 4.00 (7-8 yrs) 4.25 5.00 3.80 6.00 6-12 4.00 (7-18yrs) 3.50 4.00 2.80 5.00 1-6 1.75 (3-6yrs) 1.50 1.00 1.55 (3-6yrs) 4.00(3-5yrs)
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Arena Rates:
Ice rental rates. Dry floor rental rates.
Youth Adult
Youth Adult
non prime $
Prime $
non prime $ Prime $
Summer $
non prime $
Prime $
non prime $
Prime $
Civic/Priest Valley 81.41 95.85 191.20 178.00 34.60 54.56 Wesbild 105.36 175.58 210.71 232.00 43.34 95.86
Armstrong 84.00 158.00 46.00 87.00 Enderby 82.00 148.00 27.00 58.00 Kelowna 87.00 160.00 Lake Country 59.00 87.00 114.75 78.00 Lumby 165.00 Mt Boucherie 48.75 65.00 100.00 130.00 20.00 40.00 Salmon Arm 85.75 95.50 159.00 125.00 47.25 53.25 Campbell River 58.75 68.75 113.25 148.75 45.00 82.25 Chilliwack 72.00 108.00 154.00 270.00 Cranbrook: Memorial Arena 99.25 148.00 172.75 49.61 60.63 Cranbrook: Kinsmen Arena 75.00 148.00 Kamloops: Interior Savings 103.40 132.20 165.30 Kamloops: all others 103.40 132.20 165.30 40.90 60.70 North Vancouver 72.80 109.00 158.40 305.00 48.75 97.50 Penticton 75.75 84.62 143.10 31.82 47.68 Pitt Meadows 73.77 98.18 98.47 125.59 38.31 59.07 Burnaby Lake 48.34 86.10 127.53 285.10 29.59 35.68 49.82 83.52 City of Coquitlam 59.15 81.85 163.35 252.90 26.60 32.45 57.30 79.55 Dawson Creek 66.75 90.75 132.75 180.00 90.75 199.00 Fernie 56.00 111.50 27.00 27.00 Golden 32.14 53.56 91.75 115.58 34.29 97.99 Kitamat 56.65 65.90 152.10 178.35 95.00 49.95 84.80 Maple Ridge 73.77 98.18 98.47 125.59 38.31 59.07 Nanaimo 74.00 119.00 149.00 42.00 84.00 North Saanich 87.00 106.00 152.85 198.00 38.09 40.00 56.19 61.90
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
Ice rental rates. Dry floor rental rates.
Port Coquitlam 98.00 255.00 158.00 47.00 68.60 Port Moody 105.65 171.65 270.50 42.65 90.00 Prince George 63.66 79.29 119.49 148.53 44.11 65.89 South Cowichan 70.00 87.50 122.50 159.50 34.00 68.00 West Shore Victoria 90.00 110.20 153.30 202.75 46.10 67.20 West Vancouver 90.00 180.00 128.00 256.00 70.00 100.00 Whistler 55.89 131.53 Average $67.02 $88.73 $128.93 $179.42 $144.33 $31.43 $42.48 $54.44 $75.30 Close neighbors Wesbild Centre current rates "Benchmark Municipalities as per COV Corporate Policy Manual"
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
4. Downtown Beautification 4.1 Service Description This activity within Public Works provides support to the Downtown Vernon Association for the maintenance of the downtown area.
4.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Downtown Beautification Service.
Sub-service Type Description
Downtown Beautification Public Traditional
The City of Vernon provides support to the Downtown Vernon Association for the maintenance of the downtown area. Support services include street and sidewalk cleaning, garbage collection, planting of beds, planters, and hanging baskets, irrigation repair and maintenance, and the repair and maintenance of the street furniture. Under separate contract, the DVA looks after the daily cleaning of sidewalks, weeding of planting beds and planters, litter collection, and watering of hanging baskets in the older section of 30th Avenue.
4.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery.
Service Activity Service Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Downtown Beautification
Flower planting Hanging baskets Repair of street furniture Banner installation and removal Irrigation maintenance
Flowing planting done in spring Street furniture repaired as needed Irrigation repaired as needed Banners installed and removed three times per year
S Downtown maintained to meet public expectations and the expectations of the Downtown Businesses City of Vernon (38,990) Tourist and Visitors
0.1irrigation operator 0.1 horticulturalist Total 0.2 FTEs
• General landscaping contract administered by the DVA.
• City provides support with irrigation repairs and flower planting in the spring. Sweeping and tree care fall under different services.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Parks, Recreation and Culture
4.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Downtown Beautification Service.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Downtown Beautification
Salaries CUPE B 13
Other Direct 31 Taxes 43
Total 43 Total 43
4.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
4.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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Service Profile Transportation and Infrastructure
City of Vernon Core Services Review Service Profiles Program: Transportation and Infrastructure January 15, 2013
City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Operations General .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 3. Engineering .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 4. Water and Sewer ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 5. Public Works General......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 6. Roads ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30 7. Airport................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39 8. Transit ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 41 9. Solid Waste and Recycling ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 47 10. Cemeteries ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose of this Document Background
In 2012, the City of Vernon (City) contracted KPMG LLP (KPMG) through a competitive bid process to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements. The City sees periodic Core Service Reviews as a necessary and positive means to check, confirm and review the range of services to be delivered by the City and recommendations to prioritize those services. The City considers Core Service Reviews as one method to ensure what is delivered is of the highest value to the community, to shed lower value services, to apply best modern practices to cost effective delivery, and to direct valuable, limited resources to the delivery of community valued programs and services. The Core Service Review project commenced on October 10, 2012 and is being conducted in four phases with a draft final report to be delivered by March 31, 2013.
Service Profile Summaries
During Phase 2 of the project, service profiles were created to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides. These service profiles were consolidated into five Service Profile Summary documents, of which this document is one, and posted on the City website.
The information in the Service Profile Summary documents was compiled by the City based on a template provided by KPMG. The intent of the Service Profile Summary documents is to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides to inform discussions with City Council, City management and the community on the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements during the Core Services Review project.
Any performance related information is based on City of Vernon provided information or statements. No opinion is expressed with respect to the validity of the underlying performance data. The Service Profile Summary documents do not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
1.2 Providing Input to the Core Services Review Project Public Consultation
During Phase 3 of the Core Services Review project, the City is seeking input from the community on current services through a public workshop on January 29, 2013. Input could include suggestions of opportunities for cost reduction, areas where current service levels could be reduced or are already too low, or any other suggestions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of City services. It is intended that City staff and members of the community including those representing any specific stakeholder groups will read the information contained in the Service Profile Summary documents before attending the workshop. Written comments and suggestions will also be welcome, either presented at the meeting, or submitted to the project email address.
Project Email address
A dedicated project email address has been set up to enable any stakeholder to provide information directly to KPMG on a confidential basis. The email address is [email protected]
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
1.3 How to Read this Document The information in this document is presented in six sections:
Service Description – briefly describes the overall purpose or objective of the City service.
Service Hierarchy – lists the sub-services or activities within the Service, and describes the service provided.
Service Delivery – provides information on service delivery for the sub-services or activities within the Service including service level, client impact and number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff involved.
Finance – provides key financial metrics showing the level of expenditures on the sub-services and the extent to which the sub-services are funded through user fees, grants and/or property tax levy.
Recent Reviews – describes any recent studies or reviews of these services/sub-services, the results and what has been done with the results.
Municipal Comparisons – provides conclusions from previous reports or other data the City has on the delivery of the services/sub-services, the unit cost for services/sub-services, the fees charged for services/sub-service in comparison with other municipalities.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
1.4 Glossary
Term Definition
Service Type Public – exist to provide value added service to an external client / customer Internal – exists to support delivery of other services, provides no value added service to public Mandatory – mandated or required by legislation from the federal or provincial government Essential – critical to the operation of the City. Without the service, the City would stop functioning Traditional – municipal service, provided by virtually all municipalities for many years Other Discretionary – service provided by the City to respond to particular community needs, based on a positive business case, or other specialized purposes
Service Standard A = Above standard S = At standard
• S + : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are higher • S – : Some service levels of the sub-services/activities are lower
B = Below standard
Service level “At Standard” is consistent with: • the level required by legislation, or … • industry standards and practices, or… • business case analysis justification, … • service levels in other municipalities, … • reasonable expectations
Finances (Operating Budget)
COSTS: Salaries – includes employee total compensation (fully loaded including salaries, wages and benefits) Other Direct – all other expenditure related to the sub-service Allocations – costs transferred from other services / sub-services REVENUES: Income – rates, fees, fares and any other user fees, and any grants / subsidies / funds from provincial or federal governments (comment
should indicate if user fees or grants) Recoveries – opposite of allocations; charges to other services, capital projects or perhaps other municipalities Tax Levy – residual costs covered by the property tax levy (negative amount implies sub-service generates revenue that reduces the tax
levy). Amount should be the total sub-service costs minus total sub-service revenues
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
2. Operations General 2.1 Service Description The Operations Services Division is comprised of Public Works, Parks and Airport, Utilities Operations, Water Operations, Fleet Services, Facilities, Vernon Water Reclamation Centre and Spray Irrigation Departments. The Operations Services Division provides operation, maintenance and repair for all infrastructure within the City of Vernon including transportation, sanitary, storm and water mains and appurtenances, pumps stations, reservoirs, lift stations, vehicles and equipment owned by the City and RDNO - Parks, City owned and operated buildings and sewage treatment and disposal. This Division is also responsible for the operation of the Vernon Regional Airport.
The mandate of the Operations Services Division is to provide quality municipal services in a cost effective and efficient manner to satisfy the needs of City taxpayers.
2.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Operations General.
Service Type Description Operations - Management and Administration
Internal
The Operations - Management and Administration Service provides administration and management functions for the Public Works, Parks, Airport, Utilities Operation, Water Operation, Fleet Services, Facilities Services, Vernon Water Reclamation Centre and Spray Irrigation Departments. This Service also provides liaison with Senior Administration and Council.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
2.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery of the Operations - Management and Administration Service.
Service Activity Service Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Management and Administration
• Coordination and management of Sections/staff
• Inquiries and complaints
• Staff meetings and training
• On Call • Office
Administration • Financial and HR
management of Department
• Budgeting
• Responds to public inquiries within 24 hours.
• Schedules and monitors service requests to ensure response is delivered in an appropriate time frame
• Provides on call service to public to address after hour emergencies
• Ensures Operations programs and services are carried out efficiently and effectively and within budget
S • City of Vernon (38,990)
• Other (RDNO, Neighbouring communities)Residents
• Customer complaints and concerns are prioritised and addressed in an appropriate time frame to alleviate safety concerns and service delivery
Year Round 1 Manager, Operation Services 1 Secretary ll - Operations 1 Administrative Assistant - Operations (p/t) .10 Utilities Coordinator
• Oversees all aspects of the Operations Division including budgeting, staffing, human resource issues, service delivery, coordination of internal departments and maintenance, repair and operation of all City infrastructure
• Acts as a liaison between other City Departments as well as City Council
• Works closely with purchasing department to provide PO's, and accounts receivable
• Processed 5660 service requests in 2012; 1253 work orders
• Works closely with Engineering for asset management and capital planning and design
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
2.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of Operations – Management and Administration.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Operations - Management and Administration
Salaries CUPE A 205 Income 442
Income is overhead cost recovery from the Regional District for water and Parks. “Other Allocations” are costs allocated to other Services within Operations
CUPE B 163 Non-Union 140
Other Direct 108
Allocations
Amortization of TCA 22 Other Allocations (561) Taxes (365)
Total 77 Total 77
2.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
2.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
3. Engineering 3.1 Service Description The Engineering Service is responsible for the implementation of municipal services and bylaws related to infrastructure planning for the Capital Works Program and development works. The Division is also responsible for management of budgeting and construction of the Capital Works program. The Division works closely with many of the other Divisions to provide these services in an efficient and timely manner.
The mandate of the Engineering Service is to hold paramount the safety, welfare and quality of life of the public and the protection of the environment through fiscally responsible management of public infrastructure.
3.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Engineering Service.
Service Type Description Engineering Public and
Internal Essential
The Engineering Department provides Professional Engineering planning, design, cost estimation, construction management, record management, quality control and assurance, and manages development for public infrastructure. Key public infrastructure includes: Sanitary Sewer Utility: • 1 Treatment Center • 100% reuse of reclaimed water through application on agricultural land, golf courses and landscaping • 262 Km of mains • 3389 Manholes • 12 Lift Stations • 5 Flush Tanks • 9882 Services Storm Sewer Utility: • 182 Km of mains • 2938 Manholes • 4672 Catchbasins • 4327 Services • 5 stormwater treatment Devices • 3 sediment collection basins Transportation System:
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Service Type Description • 282 Km Roads • 162 Km Curb and Gutter • 160 Km Sidewalk • 16 Km paved walkways • 39 km Bike lanes • 32 Crossings (22 brides/bridge culverts) • 207 Km road lines • 4856 Signs • 1682 Street Lights • 1436 Lease lights • 32 Signalized intersections • 17 Signalised (FAWLs) Pedestrian crossings • 2 Rouandabouts Water Utility: • The water utility is owned by RDNO-GVS • The City of Vernon Engineering/GIS Department provides inhouse capital design, tender, RFP, construction management,
consultant management and QA/QC on projects approved by RDNO-GVS The City of Vernon Engineering Service provides development management including offsite works estimates and reviews as well as works contribution agreements, letters of credit and securities processing, final inspection, offsite engineering drawing review and acceptance, building permit review regarding servicing. The reviews do not include variance requests which are performed by the RDNO-GVS.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
3.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Engineering Service.
Subservice Activity Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact
FTEs Comments
Capital Program
Planning Short term Planning (2 year capital plans) Utility condition rating, annual capital budget, detailed system modeling, grant applications traffic impact analysis, line and sign and traffic signal review/warrant, roadside barrier assessments, accident investigation, speed analysis, school travel plan technical support transit operation planning, budget support and implementation, bus stop contract management, bus stop location analysis
Industry Standards and as required by legislation
S S- Traffic safety is a priority, however due to expanded workload of single person responsible for all transportation engineering the delivery is reduced with longer response times generally making the department reactive instead of proactive.
38,990 0.3 Director Engineering & GIS 0.1 Executive Assistant 0.2 Secretary I 0.7 Infrastructure Engineer 1 Design Tech II 1 Design Tech I 0.4 Finance Tech III 0.3 Transportation Tech III 0.2 Manager Engineering Development 0.2 Development Tech III 0.2 Enviro Planning Asst. Total 4.6 FTEs
Inhouse design and construction management is provided for 2 million of the annual total capital. The remaining capital above 2 million is outsourced to consulting firms and overseen by staff.
Long Term Planning Long term Planning (10 – 40 years) See Policy development sub service for details related to storm, sanitary and transportation
38,990
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Subservice Activity Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact
FTEs Comments
Project Design and Management
In house design, tender, RFP, public consultation expressions of interest, construction management, consultant management, QA/QC Environmental applications with MFLNRO and DFO regarding Section 9 and other applications
S+ 38,990
Development Management
Planning Long term Planning (10 – 40 years) See Policy development sub service for details, ensuring development follows long term plans related to storm, sanitary, water and transportation
Industry Standards and as required by legislation
S 0.3 Director Engineering & GIS 0.2 Executive Assistant 0.4 Secretary I 0.5 Manager Engineering Development 1.5 Development Tech III 1 Subdivision Tech III 0.2 Transportation Tech III 0.2 Finance Tech III
Review Development Applications
offsite works estimates and utility reviews, as well as works contribution agreements, DCC management, latecomers, development agreements, letters of credit and securities processing, final inspection, offsite engineering drawing review and acceptance, building permit review regarding servicing
B Resources do not permit site inspections on development projects except a final inspection and there are many instances of changes to approved drawings occurring during construction without City knowledge or approval. This results in either the City or property owner correcting it at their cost or one of the parties involving the courts.
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Subservice Activity Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact
FTEs Comments
Traffic Review traffic impact analysis reviews, access application review, road row use review
S- Limited resource.
0.3 Enviro Planning Asst. Total 4.6 FTEs
Contaminated Sites Review and accept Contaminated Sites Forms, Review and process soil removal and deposition permits and site preparation permits,
S The City does not currently enforce sediment and erosion and dust control except through nuisance. The LWMP has recognised the need for enforcement to support standards required by legislation and resulting costs to the municipality.
Policy Development including Bylaws and infrastructure standards
Liquid Waste Management Plan
Industry Standards and as required by legislation
S 0.3 Director Engineering & GIS 0.1 Executive Assistant 0.3 Secretary I 0.2 Infrastructure Engineer 0.2 Finance Tech III 0.5 Transportation Tech III 0.3 Manager Engineering Development 0.3
Integrated Stormwater Management Plan
High level system modelling of entire system
S-
Master Drainage Plan is outdated and inaccurate. Storm Sewer Utility Guided by Environmental Management Act, LWMP and RAR
Master Sanitary Sewer Plan
High level system modelling of entire system
S Sanitary Sewer Utility Guided by Environmental Management Act
Master Water Plan Involved in plan development as technical stakeholder
Transportation Plan Develops and maintains computer model of the selected option for the City's transportation systems
S Transportation standards typically Transportation Association of Canada, Transport Canada, Institute of Transportation Engineers,
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Subservice Activity Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact
FTEs Comments
Transportation Safety Audit
Annual audit of system
S Development Tech III Total 2.2 FTEs
Provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Motor Vehicle Act, Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices
Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan
B Incomplete
Traffic Signal Analysis (warrants and timing)
S
Transit Plan S
Parking Implementation Plan
analysis, development and implementation
S
Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw
infrastructure standards
S
Asset Management Plan / Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Plan (SIIP)
B SIIP needs to be completed to provide a sustainable goal
2009 “15 Year Plan” identified requirement for $2.7 million annual investment in the sewer collection system. The 2009 to 2012 average annual capital budget for the sewer collection system was $2.2 million. 2009 “15 Year Plan” identified requirement for $1.5 million annual investment in storm system. The 2009 to 2012 average annual capital budget for the storm collection system was $1.1 million. 2009 “15 Year Plan” identified requirement for $8.0 million annual investment in the transportation system. The 2009 to 2012 average annual capital budget for the transportation system was $6.4 million. In 2013 the Strategic Infrastructure Investment Plan (SIIP) will revaluate annual investment in more detail based on detailed GIS Asset information and provide direction towards a sustainable future.
3.4 Finances
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Engineering Service.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Engineering
Salaries CUPE A 728 Subdivision Inspection Fees 10
Non-Union 395 RDNO - GVWU - Engineering 115
Other Direct 318 Tax Levy 1,316
Total 1,441 Total 1,441
3.5 Recent Reviews
• Recently commenced the Strategic Infrastructure Investment Plan • Finalising Stage II of the Liquid Waste Management Plan • 75% complete the revised Subdivision and Development Servicing Plan • Latecomer Policy review against current case law and subsequent amendment as necessary • Commencing the 2013 Transportation Plan • Rewriting the Traffic Bylaw, Traffic Calming Policy, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan with anticipated completion in 2013 • The 25 year Transit Plan will be completed in 2013 • Development Process was recently reviewed and modifications are on-going, please refer to Section 1.5 of the Community Services profile
3.6 Municipal Comparison None available.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
4. Water and Sewer 4.1 Service Description Water
Greater Vernon Water (GVW) is a sub-regional service of the Regional District of the North Okanagan (RDNO) and governs the supply, treatment and distribution of potable and agricultural water within the City of Vernon, the District of Coldstream, Electoral Areas B and C and parts of Electoral Area D. Policies, direction and budget for the GVW service are recommended to the RDNO board by elected officials representing the jurisdictions through the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee.
Under contract with GVW the Water Operations Department within the Operations Services Division operates, maintains and repairs water infrastructure within the City of Vernon, and Electoral Areas B & C. The City of Vernon also provides Capital Works construction for small water projects within the Vernon area. As of January 1, 2013, the City of Vernon will no longer be responsible for the supply and treatment facilities within the GVW area and the trunk mains within the District of Coldstream.
Sewer
The maintenance, operation and repair of the sanitary sewer collection system, including mains, manholes, lift stations and services is carried out under the direction of the Manager of Utilities Operations. They are also responsible for construction of some of the sanitary sewer underground included in the Capital Works Program. The City also treats and disposes effluent from Coldstream under agreement with Coldstream. Not applicable to this function.
Operation and maintenance of the treatment and disposal facilities, including spray irrigation is carried out under the direction of the Manager, Vernon Water Reclamation Centre (VWRC).
Storm
The Storm Sewer Service is within the Operations Division and provides operation, maintenance and repair of the City's drainage works, and includes both overland and underground infrastructure.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
4.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Water and Sewer Service.
Service Sub-service Type Description Water General Public
Essential Under contract with Greater Vernon Water, the Water Operations Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the distribution system within the City of Vernon and Areas B and C. Services provided by the Water Operations - General sub-service include maintaining, operating and repairing water distribution and trunk mains and appurtenances, pump systems, PRV's, reservoirs meters, water quality assurance, hydrant maintenance and flushing, service connection repairs and installation, agricultural metering and service.
Sewer Sewer Operations General Public Essential
This service captures the administration and direct labour costs for the Sewer Collection Department
Fiscal Services - Sewer Internal Under the direction of Finance, records all of the Sewer revenue, e.g. user fees and surcharges, grants and transfers from reserves. These revenues will completely offset all of the Sewer department expenses, debenture interest and principal payments related to sewer debt and all of the sewer projects.
Lift Stations Public Essential
The maintenance and repair of the 13 lift stations currently in the sanitary collection system including repairing and maintaining various flush tanks, meter vaults, and odor control injection sites with a program of scheduled maintenance and emergency response.
Sanitary System Collection & Disposal
Public Essential
Maintenance service for a City wide sanitary collection system that serves residential, commercial and light industrial customers. Flushes and power rods the sanitary mains systematically and progressively. Provides emergency response system wide; including blockages, power outages or Water Reclamation Plant maintenance. Provides repair services to damaged or failed infrastructure.
Sewer Water Reclamation and Spray Irrigation Service
Spray Irrigation Public Discretionary
The Spray Irrigation Service is under the direction of the Manager, Water Reclamation and Spray Irrigation. Commenced in the 1970s, the reclaimed effluent produced by the Vernon Water Reclamation Centre is utilized in a land based spray irrigation program. The program provides reclaimed water to four seed orchards, three golf courses, several hundred hectares of grazing land and sports fields.
Vernon Water Reclamation Centre (Waste Water Treatment)
Public Mandatory
The VWRC Service is under the direction of the Manager, VWRC and Spray Irrigation. As the wastewater treatment facility for the City of Vernon and surrounding area, the Vernon Water Reclamation Centre protects public safety and ensures that the reclaimed effluent meets the operating certificate requirements as set out by the Ministry of Environment. The reclaimed effluent is utilized in the City's Spray Irrigation Program.
Storm System Essential Public The Utilities Operations Department oversees the operation and maintenance of drainage works within the City of Vernon, including culverts, catch basins, creek channels, storm mains, ditches and storm retention facilities. The Utilities Operation Department is also responsible for the construction of ‘in-house’ capital works storm drainage projects.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
4.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Water Department.
Service Sub-service
Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Water • General
• Service Meter Repairs
• Service Backflow Prevention
• Utility Locates • Instrumentation • Flushing and
Cleaning Mains • Water Quality
Testing and Assurance
• Pump Station Maintenance
• Hydrant Maintenance
• Utility Meter and Valve Replacement
• Valve Maintenance
• Dams & Reservoir Maintenance
• Pressure Reducing Valves
• Service Connection Repairs
• Service Connection Installations
• Meter Re-Reads • Transmission
Mains
• Minimize or eliminate boil water notices and advisories
• Meet criteria set for water standards by Interior Health
• Meet requirements of Drinking Water Protection Act and other federal and provincial jurisdictions
• Meet EOCP certification requirements
• Respond to service requests within appropriate time frame (Leaks/breaks - immediate; curb stop - 24 hours; meters - customer driven; hydrants - assessment immediate - action as appropriate; water quality - immediate)
• Respond immediately to water related emergencies 24/7
• Meet service levels and protocols set by GVW
• Follow GVW Emergency Response Plan
S • City of Vernon (38,990)
• Areas B & C • Provision of
readily accessible, safe drinking water is essential to public health and economic development
Year Round Total 19 FTEs 1 Manager, Water .40 Manager, Utilities Operations .60 Utilities Coordinator 5 WDO ll - Pump Operators 1 Water Treatment/Distribution Maintenance 1 Instrumentation Technician 1 Water Distribution Supervisor 1 Utilities Electrician 1 Water Treatment Operator ll - Dev Op 1 Water Distribution Operator 5 WDO l - Valve Operators 1 Water Working Crew
• 477.4 km of water distribution and trunk mains
• 14 Reservoirs • 28 Pump Stations • 12103 Services • 1877 Hydrants maintained • EOCP certified staff • Construction and repair of
water mains performed by Utility Operations
• EOCP Level 4 Water Distribution Operator required for system
• 3rd largest system in BC • GVW sets all water rates • GVW Benchmarking
through AECom in 2010 • Under contract with GVW.
New contract starting January 1, 2013 for five years
• Outsourcing specialized work
• Operates and maintains SCADA for all components
• CityWorks PM program implemented
• All service requests are tracked and monitored by City Works
• On call 24/7
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Service Sub-service
Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
• Service Turn Ons/Offs
• Agricultural Meter Operation and Maintenance
• Capital construction
• Meet Water System Standards set by GVW
• Ensure that service disruption is minimized
• Provide capital works construction on budget and within appropriate time frame
• Costs are recovered from GVW through 'flow through' contract
Sewer Collection • General
Department Administration
As required S Year Round Total 23.7 FTEs .40 Manager, Utility Operations .30 Utilities Coordinator 4 Labourers 3 Utilities Serviceman Leader l 1 Utilities Serviceman ll - Construction 2 Utilities Serviceman ll - Maintenance 3 Utilities Serviceman Construction 1 Utilities Operations Supervisor 1 Equipment Operator V - Excavator 1 Utilities Operator l
Includes salary for Utilities Operation Manager and other administration functions to support Sewer Collection
• Capital Projects Construction of projects by City staff as approved in Capital Budget
To meet public and City Council expectations
• Small Capital Construction projects are performed by Utilities Operations. Projects selected to not negatively impact maintenance programs
• Fiscal Services
S Supports sewer operations
Financial tracking of revenues, grants and income sources, as well as the costs of debt and contributions to capital reserves
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Service Sub-service
Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
• Lift Stations • Weekly Lift Station Maintenance
Function carried out to meet industry standards and ensure proper operation of infrastructure Operator response 24/7 to afterhours emergencies
S City If service is not maintained, mains will back up and impact users
Included in Sewer Operations General
• Work is performed using Utilities Operations staff complemented by contractors for emergencies
• 14 lift stations
• Sanitary System Collection & Disposal
• Flushing • Weekly, Bi-
Weekly, Monthly Cleaning
• Repair and Maintenance
• Blockage Removal
Schedule based on circumstances, plus response to blockages to meet industry standards Operator response 24/7 to afterhours emergencies
S If service is not maintained, mains will back up and impact users
Included in Sewer Operations General
• Work is performed using Utilities Operations staff complemented by contractors for emergencies
• 262 km of sanitary sewer mains
• 3389 manholes • 9882Services
Sewer Water Reclamation and Spray Irrigation • Spray
Irrigation vice
• Operations and Maintenance of Irrigation System
• Irrigation Customer Support
• Must adhere to regulatory guidelines set in City's Operating Certificate and Code of Practise for Reclaimed Water
• Provide support to irrigation users who are following Best Farming Practise for application
S • Provides reclaimed water to 3 Golf courses, 3 seed orchards and 900 hectares of range land.
• Disinfection of reclaimed water protects public.
• City customers (9882 connections)
Coldstream customers Protection of public,
.25 Manager, Water Reclamation .20 Secretary l - VWRC 2 VWRC Operator-1 Reclaim .5 labourer Total 2.95 FTEs
• Spray Irrigation pumps from MacKay reservoir through approximately 11 km of piping to distribute reclaimed effluent, as per the City of Vernon's Operating Certificate
• Potential for alternate disposal exists and is currently under review as part of the Liquid Waste Management Plan.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Service Sub-service
Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
receiving waters. Service disruptions will impact irrigation users.
• VWRC –Waste Water Treatment
• Daily operation and administration of facility
• System's • Performance • Monitoring • Sampling • Testing • Equipment • Maintenance • Emergency • Repairs • Sludge • Handling
• Ensuring • compliance of
Operating Certificates directed by Liquid Waste Management Plan
• Biosolids Disposal must meet environmental regulations.
• Must comply with EOCP regulations for treatment operators
S
• Managing uneven nutrient loadings to prevent VWRC process upset lowers costs to taxpayers
• Maintain permit requirements
• Minimize odours to reduce client impact
• 9882 connections
• Coldstream customers
• +/_ 11,500 cu m/day
.75 Manager - Water Reclamation .80 Secretary l - VWRC 2 VWRC Operator l 1 VWRC Laboratory Technician 3 VWRC Operators ll 1 VWRC Supervisor 1 VWRC Technician Total 9.55 FTEs
• Approximately • 11,000 moving parts. • Under the Municipal
Wastewater Regulation, the Water Reclamation Centre processes approximately
• 4.2 million cu. meters of sewage annually.
• Facility and operators must be certified by EOCP. Flows are presently at half design, but facility is over-loaded nutrient wise from industrial contributors. Pre-treatment options for high strength wastes from industry are being reviewed for feasibility
• Level 4 Facility • Lack of redundancy in
certain critical processes requires immediate response. Spare parts from over-seas must be kept on shelves. Process disruption will cause operating certificate violations
• Biosolids disposal is a joint project between Vernon and Kelowna.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Service Sub-service
Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Facility is jointly owned by The City of Vernon and City of Kelowna
• Liquid Waste Management Plan under review and will establish future direction for treatment and disposal. Lake discharge, spray irrigation expansion and flow reduction are being considered
• Under contract with Coldstream, for treatment and disposal of Coldstream customers' effluent
Storm • System
• Culvert Flush • Creek Inspection
& Blockage Removal
• Bridge Inspect & Repair
• Catch Basin Clean
• Storm main, manhole, catch basin repair
• Catch basin debris removal & lid replacement
• Catch basin snow & ice removal
• Maintenance of access road culverts ditch systems as required
• Routine removal of debris from creek channels as required
• Routine removal of debris from bridge entrances as required
• Annual silt removal • Reactive function for
incidental failures • Maintains flow
capacity at designed levels
• Ensures catch basins are kept clean and free of debris at all times. Emergencies are addressed immediately to
S City of Vernon Operation & maintenance of storm system maximizes efficiency of system reducing flooding, property damage and possible injury to the residents of the City of Vernon. City of Vernon (38,990)
Year Round Total 2.2 FTEs .30 Manager, Utility Operations .30 Supervisor, Utilities Operations 1.6 Utilities Equipment Operators, Utilities Servicemen & Labourers
Work is performed using Utilities Operations staff complemented by contractors. • 182 km of mains • 4327 services • 4672 catch basins • 2938 manholes Maintenance to culverts, debris removal from creek channels, bridge entrances and catch basins provide uninterrupted flow in our various open ditch systems, creek channels. These functions are especially important during spring run-off or major storm events. Annual catch basin cleaning and storm main rodding & flushing maximizes
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Service Sub-service
Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
prevent flooding • Routine cleaning
annually • Lids are subject to
vandalism and have to be replaced immediately to ensure public safety and protect storm sewer function
• Catch basins are kept free of snow & ice in the event of thaw.
efficiency of storm system as well as maintaining flow capacity at designed levels. Storm main, manhole & catch basin repair maintain integrity and safety of system. Catch basin debris, snow & ice removal and lid replacements are necessary to avoid flooding and injury to the public.
• Construction Capital Projects: storm service construction.
As approved in Capital Budget
To meet public and City Council expectations.
1.0 full time equivalent made up of Utilities Supervisor, Utilities Equipment Operator, Utilities Servicemen, Labourers
Utilities Operations capital projects are selected on the basis of efficiencies and are secondary to our maintenance priorities.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
4.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Water Department.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Water Department - General
Salaries CUPE A 46 RDNO Recoveries 4,110 Revenue neutral. All expenses related to the operation, maintenance and repair of the system is recovered through GVW under contract agreement. An “overhead” or mark-up is charged to the GVW. The charge is to cover the deemed costs of providing support services to a group of employees, who do not have their own support structure. The rate charged is 27% on direct payroll costs and 15% on material and supply purchases.
CUPE B 2,095 Non-Union 153 Other Direct 989 Allocations - Overhead 827
Total 4,110 Total 4,110
Sewer Operations - General
Salaries
CUPE A 24
CUPE B 444 Non-Union 44
Other Direct 17 Labor Allocation 444
Common Service Allocations 177 Sewer Rates 262
Total 706 Total 706
Fiscal Services
Other Direct 3,725 Income-Residential Fees 5,051 Other direct expenses are primarily
related to debt and transfers to reserves. Vernon records its sewer fees as either commercial or residential. They have different rate structures. Vernon receives a debt grant from the Okanagan Basin Water board. There is also an
Rates Collected for other debts 4,457 Income-Commercial Fees 2,549
Income-Grant 134
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
agreement with the district of Coldstream for sewage treatment as they do not have their own system.
Income-Coldstream 437
Tax Levy 11
Total 8,182 Total 8,182
Lift Stations
Salaries Labor Allocation 137 Sewer Rates 400
Other Direct 263 Total 400 Total 400
Sanitary System Collection & Disposal
Salaries Labor Allocation 307 Income 42
Other Direct 215 Amortization of TCA 1,047 Sewer Rates 1,527
Total 1,569 Total 1,569
Spray Irrigation
Salaries
CUPE A 11 Irrigation Use Fees 50
Reclaimed water is sold to users at a fractional rate compared to the potable water rate.
CUPE B 136 Effluent Sales 29
Non-Union 27 Sewer User Rates 1,347
Other Direct 536
Amortization of TCA 303
Common Service Allocations 413
Total 1,426 Total 1,426
VWRC (Treatment)
Salaries
CUPE A 45 High Strength waste fees 300 • Higher fees are in place for users who
discharge high strength waste (Commercial).
• Other Direct expenses include utility and insurance costs as well as the costs of chemicals in the treatment process and trucking of biosolids for final disposal.
• Common Service Allocations cover
CUPE B 754 Sewer User Fees 3,090
Non-Union 82 Other Direct 1,234
Amortization of TCA 980 Common Service Allocation 295 Total 3,390 Total 3,390
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
charges for support service to the utility by the City.
Storm System
Salaries CUPE B 177 Connection Fees 57
Non-Union 22 Other Direct 131 Amortization of TCA 913 Taxes 1,186
Total 1,243 Total 1,243
Water and Sewer Service Total
Salaries Union
3,732 Income
15,275
Non-Union
328 Taxes
1,197
Labour Allocation 444
Other Direct
7,110 Labor Allocation
444
Common Service Allocations
885 RDNO Recoveries
4,110
Allocations - Overhead
827
Rates Collected for other debts
4,457 Amortization of TCA
3,243
Total 21,026 Total 21,026
4.5 Recent Reviews None Conducted.
4.6 Municipal Comparisons Water:
• GVW participated in the AECom Benchmarking for 2010 Municipal Comparisons • Note: GVW owns the benchmarking results. The results will not only be for Vernon but will include all of GVW sub-region. • Sewer Water Reclamation and Spray Irrigation Service:
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
• A review of options for disposal of effluent is contained in the most recent update to the Liquid Waste Management Plan dated??. • Liquid Waste Management Plan under review - Stage 2. Completion expected in 2013
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
5. Public Works General 5.1 Service Description The Public Works Department is a section of the Operations Division reporting to the Director of Operations. Public Works includes the operation and maintenance of the following areas:
• Public Works – Provides services relating to the maintenance and construction of City roads, pedestrian facilities, street lights, traffic signals, traffic signs, garbage collection, boulevard landscaping and weed control, street trees, snow and ice control and cemetery maintenance.
• Parks – Provides services relating to the maintenance and construction of regional parks, playgrounds, sport facilities, and linear trails. • Airport – Provides services relating to the operations and maintenance of the Vernon Regional Airport including the paved manoeuvring areas,
electrical systems and lighting, automated weather systems, navigational aids, fuel sales, landscaping, wildlife control, snow and ice control, and safety management systems.
5.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Public Works General.
Sub-service Type Description
Public Works General Public Essential
The Manager of Public Works oversees the operation and maintenance works relating to Public Works including roads, sidewalks, street lights, traffic signals, traffic signs, garbage collection, boulevard landscaping and weed control, street trees, snow and ice control and cemetery maintenance. This Department is also responsible for the construction of the ‘in-house’ capital works road and sidewalk projects as well as the operation and maintenance of the Airport. This includes the paved manoeuvring areas, electrical systems and lighting, automated weather systems, navigational aids, fuel sales, landscaping, wildlife control, snow and ice control, and safety management systems.
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5.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Public Works General Service.
Service or Sub-service
Activity Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Public Works - General
• Management and supervision of the Public Works Department
• Assistance with Winter Carnival
S Public Works is managed to meet Council and the publics expectations
0.80 Manager of Public Works 1.0 Public Works Foreman
• Under the instruction of the Operations Director, the Public Works Manager is responsible for the management of the Public Works Department, Airport, and Parks Department
• Under the direction of the Public Works Manager, the Public Works Foreman is responsible for the daily supervision of the public works staff.
• The Public Works Department provides support for the Winter Carnival events including traffic control and signage for the Winter Carnival Parade.
5.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Public Works General Service.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Public Works General
Salaries CUPE B 135
Non-Union 97
Other Direct 32 Taxes 364
Total 264 Total 264
5.5 Recent Reviews In 2009 a review of infrastructure was conducted .The Complete Infrastructure Long term Financial Plan” of 2009 by Dayton and Knight Ltd. was adopted by Council as the 15 year capital plan. A current review is underway to determine sustainable and recommended maintenance requirements of Capital Infrastructure.
5.6 Municipal Comparisons Not available
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
6. Roads 6.1 Service Description This activity within Public Works provides services relating to the maintenance and construction of City roads, pedestrian facilities, street lights, traffic signals, traffic signs, boulevard landscaping and weed control, street trees, and snow and ice control.
6.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Roads Service.
Sub-service Type Description Boulevards Public
Traditional In most cases, boulevard maintenance is the responsibility of the adjacent homeowner or business owner. The City does maintain landscaping in select areas of the City including the 25 Avenue linear trail, 20th Street from 43 Avenue to 48 Avenue, the 29th Street linear trail, the 30th Avenue linear trail, the north end median near the weigh scales and 30th Avenue east of 27th Street. Normal maintenance includes planting, weeding, ground cover replacement, irrigation installation and repair, and mowing. The work is completed with a combination of City and contract forces. Crack and crevice spray weed control is also implemented twice a year on all urban class roads within the City. Vegetation on rural class roads is controlled using contract roadside mowing three times per year.
Paved Streets Public Essential
One of the largest assets that a municipality manages is the paved road system. The City provides general road maintenance and repair services including patching, grading, dust control, snow and ice control, and sweeping. The City also contracts many services out including paving, crack sealing, spray patching, line painting, litter control, and spring sweeping.
Sidewalks Public Traditional
Sidewalk maintenance is required to ensure safe passage of pedestrian traffic. The sidewalk system includes all sidewalks and paved trails within the City boundaries. The City provides annual sidewalk inspection and repairs, snow clearing (with certain parameters), and spring sweeping and flushing.
Signalized Intersections Public Essential
There are 34 signalized intersections within City of Vernon’s municipal boundary. Public Works staff ensures the safe, reliable operation of the signals through a comprehensive preventative maintenance program including re-lamping, programming, replacement, and testing.
Street Lights Public Essential
The purpose of the City’s street lighting system is to provide safe lighting level on public roads consistent with current industry standards. The City’s system consists of 1682 galvanized steel pole lights, 1436 hydro lease lights on wooden power poles and approximately 150 decorative carriage lights.
Traffic Signage Public Essential
Traffic signage is installed and maintained to provide clear direction to vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic. All signs are inspected annually and repaired or replaced as required. The installation and maintenance of construction signage and barricades for City constructed projects is also included in this budget as well as the repair and maintenance of roadside guard rails and fences.
Unpaved Streets Public Traditional
The City currently maintains approximately 18 km of gravel roads and lanes within the City boundaries. Typical maintenance on gravel roads includes grading, patching, dust control and shouldering. High traffic lanes are treated and maintained with asphalt chip seal that is installed by contract.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
6.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for Roads.
Sub-service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Boulevards • Weed control • Mowing • Landscape
Maintenance • Irrigation
maintenance
Mowing of irrigated areas once per week non irrigated areas twice per month Weeded every month Irrigation repairs as necessary Road side mowing of rural areas 3 times per year
S Boulevard maintained to meet public expectations. City of Vernon (38,990) Tourist and Visitors
0.5 Horticulturalist 0.3 Summer Students 0.4 Irrigation Operator
The work is completed with a combination of City and contract forces. The main areas requiring maintenance are: • 25 Avenue linear trail • Polson Greenway • 20th Street north of 43 Ave • Road side mowing in rural areas three times
per year
Paved Streets
• Patching • Crack sealing • Shoulder
grading • Litter control • Line painting • Rock face
maintenance • Snow plowing • Sweeping • Flushing • Ditching • Road
rehabilitation • Spray
patching • Railway
crossing maintenance
Pothole complaints responded to within 72 hours of being reported 10% of road system crack sealed annually Shoulders graded as needed to address drainage issues Litter collected within 48hr of being reported Line painting to be completed to MOTH standards within a six week period Snow plowing as per City Snow and Ice Control Policy Priority 1 roads – 12
S S+ for snow plowing
Paved streets are maintained to meet public expectations. City of Vernon (38,990) Tourist and Visitors
5.7 Equipment Operators, Labourers
• 560 lane/km of paved road in inventory. • Small potholes and asphalt repairs are
completed by City forces using either recycled asphalt processed by the City or asphalt purchased from a local plant. Larger patches are completed by contract services (2 tons or more). Patching occurs as required during the year with a higher demand for service during late winter and early spring due to the effect of freeze thaw on pavement.
• Crack sealing is an essential part of road maintenance required to ensure maximum life of a paved surface. Crack Sealing services are provided by contract forces. The City currently crackseals 56 lane/km/year or 10% of the paved road network. Crack Sealing occurs early spring prior to road painting and takes approximately 1 week to complete.
• Shoulder grading is completed annually as required on rural roads that do not have curb and gutter. Shoulder grading is required to ensure proper road drainage and reduce roadway damage and flooding of adjacent property owners. Shoulder grading is completed by City forces in the fall of each
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Sub-service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
hours following a storm Priority 2 roads – 36 hours following a storm Street sweeping 6 weeks to complete for spring clean up Downtown area swept weekly Bike lanes swept 10 times per year City swept 2 times following spring cleanup. Flushing of all streets completed following spring sweeping 5km of ditching completed annually or 10% of ditching network 2% of road network rehabilitated (repaved) annually 16 lane/km of spray patching annually or 3% of road network Base failure repair as required Maintain serviceability of railway crossings
year and takes a crew approximately 5 working days to complete
• Litter control consists of the collection and disposal of road side litter and debris. It is performed by City staff and is important to maintain the general tidy appearance of City streets. Litter collection is often initiated by a complaint received by the Public.
• Road line painting consists of the annual repainting of road center lines, symbols, crosswalks, and curbs. Painting is done annually in the spring following the road crack sealing program. The work is completed entirely by contract forces.
• Rock face maintenance involves the scaling and stabilization of rock faces located within City road right of ways. Rock face maintenance is performed annually with a work program based on assessments conducted by a geotechnical engineer. The work is performed entirely by contract.
• The City provides snow clearing services for all roads and lanes within the City. Response includes 6 tandem axle plow trucks, 2 single axle plow trucks, 3 pick-up trucks with front plows. 2 graders, 1 loader and a snow blower attachment are also available for heavy snowfalls or snow removal operations downtown
• The City completes street sweeping with a combination of City and contract forces. The City operates 2 street sweepers and 4 additional contract sweepers during spring clean up.
• Following the spring sweeping program the City flushes all roadways for dust control. Flushing is completed with City and contract forces.
• Ditch maintenance is required to ensure proper road drainage and limit potential damage due to major storm events. The City
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Sub-service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
completes 5km of ditch maintenance per year using contract and City forces.
• The City rehabilitates 12 lane/km of paved roads annually using a paving contactor. City forces are involved in repairing and preparing the road for paving.
• Spray patching is a method of patching used on failed sections of roadway to extend the serviceability of the road. The City uses contractors to provide this service.
• The City completes spot base failure repairs on roadways as necessary.
• The City assists Kelowna Pacific Railway with the maintenance of railway crossings.
Sidewalks • Sidewalk inventory
• Sidewalk repairs
• Snow plowing • Sweeping
Inspection required once per year as per City Sidewalk Inspection Policy – Repairs required as per City Sidewalk Inspection policy – deficiencies are rated prioritized and repaired based on available budget Snow plowing is completed as per City Snow and Ice Control Policy-sidewalks fronting City properties, Sidewalks inaccessible to adjacent properties, and all sidewalks following 150mm snow fall Sweeping all sidewalk once during spring clean up prior to road
S Sidewalks are managed to meet Council Policy and the publics expectations City of Vernon (38,990) Tourist and Visitors
1.5 Equipment Operators, Labourers
• 160km of sidewalk in inventory • Sidewalk inventory inspections are completed
in the spring of each year to identify hazards that need to be corrected. The inspection takes one City employee approximately 2 weeks on foot to complete
• Sidewalks are rated on a scale of 1 to 3 based on the level of defect
• Following the sidewalk inventory each year, the City repairs level 3 defects within the sidewalk system either by grinding, patching, or sidewalk panel replacement. The removal and preparation is completed by City forces and the concrete work is completed by contract.
• Snow plowing is completed by City forces using 1 to 3 skid steers (bobcats) depending on the magnitude of the event. Sanding is completed in limited amounts on hills and high use areas.
• Sidewalks are swept once during spring cleanup prior to the road sweeping. 3 skid steers with broom attachments are used to sweep sand into the roadway to be collected by the road sweepers.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Sub-service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
sweeping Signalized Intersections
• Traffic controller repair and maintenance
• Opticom repair and maintenance
• Traffic signal repair and maintenance
• Traffic signal re-lamping
• Contract services to District of Coldstream
Industry standard – service level defined in City preventative maintenance program
S Traffic signals are maintained to meet industry standards and public expectations
1.0 FTE - Traffic Signal Technician
32 full signalized intersection 17 signalised pedestrian crossings Annual MMU (Malfunction Management Unit) testing, provided by Contract. All other work performed by City Staff Annual signal and housing maintenance is generally done in the spring after sweeping has been completed. Annual cleaning of all street signs attached to the mast arms. Annual cleaning of advanced warning signs and lights. (change metal halide lamp for sign every two years). Annual junction box inspection and maintenance. Bi-annual controller maintenance and filter change. Weekly inspection and identification of all issues identified in the controller log. HPS street lights attached to the intersection replaced every two years. All graffiti markings to be removed within 24 hours of being reported. UPS, (Uninterrupted Power Supply), is to have the batteries replaced every 5 years.
Street Lights • Street light repair and maintenance
Service level set based on industry standard and
S service levels set to meet public expectations and
0.5 FTE- Traffic Signal Technician
1682 Street lights maintained by City staff 150 decorative carriage lights maintained by
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Sub-service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
• Street light lamp replacement
historical practice Street lights are repaired within 5 working days Street light lamps are replaced on a five year rotation
industry standards to ensure safe lighting levels on roadways City of Vernon (38,990) Tourist and Visitors
City staff 1436 Lease lights maintained by BC Hydro Street light maintenance and repairs are completed by City staff. Lamps are replaced on a five year rotation to ensure safe lighting levels are maintained on roadways.
Traffic Signage
• Traffic sign inventory
• Traffic sign repairs and replacement
• Vandalism repair
• New sign installations
• Barricades and flasher repairs and maintenance
Service level set based on industry standard and historical practice Annual deficiencies inventory Regulatory (stops signs) are repaired within 24 hours. Non regulatory signs repaired or replaced within 5 working
S Service levels set to meet public expectations and industry standards to ensure safe lighting levels on roadways
0.6 FTE- Traffic Sign Technician
4856 traffic signs Work is completed by City Traffic Sign Technician. Annual inventory is completed to identify traffic sign deficiencies. Traffic signs are repaired based on order of priority. Signs are repaired throughout the year following reports from staff and public. Regulatory (stops signs) are repaired within 24 hours. Non regulatory signs repaired or replaced within 5 working days depending on availability of sign.
Unpaved Streets
• Grading • Dust control • Chip sealing
of Lanes
Service level set based on industry standard and historical practice Gravel roads are graded twice per year 1.3 km of lanes are chip sealed annually on a 10 year rotation Gravel roads have dust control applied twice per year
S Service levels set to meet public and City Councils expectations City of Vernon (38,990) Tourist and Visitors
0.3 FTE total- Equipment Operator, Labourer
18 km of gravel road and lanes. Grading and dust control performed by City staff to ensure a usable surface for vehicles. • Chip sealing of lanes performed by contract.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Sub-service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Capital Projects
• Construction of Capital projects
Completion of small capital works projects $250,000 and under (for surface works)
S Service levels set to meet public and City Council’s expectations consistent with construction drawings
2.0 FTE total- Equipment Operators, labourers, Traffic Signal Tech, Traffic Sign Tech, Irrigation Operator, Arborist, Arborist Assistant
City completes 2-4 small scale Capital works projects annually for a total surface works value of $500,000 - $1,000,000. Typical projects include small road reconstruction projects and sidewalk replacement projects. Capital works projects are selected to ensure that construction does not negatively impact maintenance programs
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
6.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the sub-services and activities within the Roads Department.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Boulevards
Salaries CUPE B 94
Other Direct 217 Taxes 311
Total 311 Total 311
Paved Streets
Salaries CUPE B 596
“Amortization of TCA” is a notional item, the funds not raised in the taxes
Other Direct 2,167
Amortization of TCA 4,862 Taxes 7,625
Total 7,625 Total 7,625
Sidewalks
Salaries CUPE B 90
“Amortization of TCA” is a notional item, the funds not raised in the taxes
Other Direct 70 Amortization of TCA 328 Taxes 488
Total 488 Total 488
Signalized Intersections
Salaries CUPE B 99 Income 7
Revenue is for contract services for signalized intersections in the District of Coldstream
Other Direct 156 Amortization of TCA 271 Taxes 519
Total 526 Total 526
Street Lights
Salaries CUPE B 41
Other Direct 469 Amortization of TCA 60 Taxes 570
Total 570 Total 570
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Traffic Signage
Salaries CUPE B 83
Other Direct 61 Taxes 144
Total 144 Total 144
Unpaved Streets
Salaries CUPE B 24
Other Direct 61 Taxes 85
Total 85 Total 85
Total Service
CUPE B 1,027 Income 7
Other Direct 3,201 Taxes 9,742
Amortization of TCA 5,521
Total 9,749 Total 9,749
6.5 Recent Reviews In 2009 a review of infrastructure was conducted .The Complete Infrastructure Long term Financial Plan” of 2009 by Dayton and Knight Ltd. was adopted by Council as the 15 year capital plan. A current review is underway to determine sustainable and recommended maintenance requirements of Capital Infrastructure.
6.6 Municipal Comparisons None available
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
7. Airport 7.1 Service Description This activity within Public Works provides services relating to the operations and maintenance of the Vernon Regional Airport including the paved manoeuvring areas, electrical systems and lighting, automated weather systems, navigational aids, fuel sales, landscaping, wildlife control, snow and ice control, and safety management systems.
7.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Airport Service.
Sub-service Type Description Airport Public
Discretionary
The Vernon Regional Airport helps support business and industry in the community. The City provides labour, equipment and materials for the operation of the Airport including runway maintenance, snow clearing, vegetation control, wildlife control, security, fueling services, land and lease negotiation, and repair and maintenance of all electrical lighting components and safety beacons. The City also provides management of the airport consistent with all Transport Canada regulations under the framework of a Safety Management System
7.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery at the airport.
Service Activity Service Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Airport • Jet A fueling • Av gas fueling • Tie down rental • Hangar rental • Airside maintenance
Meet Transport Canada regulations for operations including Safety Management System
S Services the general aviation community as well as a commercial base
Year Round .25 Manager, Real Estate 1.0 Airport Supervisor .25 Airport Assistant Total 1.5 FTEs
• 350,000 litres of jet fuel and 150,000 litres of Av gas sold annually
• Refueling is supplemented with staff from Fleet for callouts between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm
• AvGas mark-up $0.27 litre • Jet A fuel markup $0.40 litre • After hour call-out $100 • Airside maintenance is
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Service Activity Service Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
performed by Airport supervisor and assistant with assistance from public works staff as required.
• Wildlife control performed by Contract.
7.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the airport.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Airport
Salaries
CUPE B 193 Income - Fuel Sales 618
Non-Union 27
Income -Hanger and parking revenue
260
Other Direct 668 Amortization of TCA 19 Taxes 29
Total 907 Total 907
7.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
7.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
8. Transit 8.1 Service Description Transit Service is part of a Finance Department. Transit Service is responsible for managing the delivery of transit services in Vernon. The services are provided by BC Transit under contract.
8.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided within Transit Service.
Sub-service Type Description
Public Transit Conventional • Public • Traditional
The conventional transit system operates 9 conventional buses within Vernon and Coldstream. All buses in the system are 1999 Dennis Dart's and are scheduled for replacement in 2016 and 2017. Information concerning the revenue: cost ratio is included in table format in section 1.6 Municipal Comparisons.
Public Transit - Handi Dart (Custom)
• Public • Traditional
The Custom Transit service, more commonly known as HandiDart, provides transit service to those with mobility issues. The service is held by the City of Vernon, yet provides service to residents of Vernon, Coldstream and the Regional District. Registration and enrollment in this service is required for users of the system. Information concerning the revenue: cost ratio is included in table format in section 1.6 Municipal Comparisons. The system currently operates at maximum capacity for rides. The operator schedules trips well in advance to maximize utilization of the fleet. The wait list to become a user of the Handi Dart system is relatively stagnant, as the system is operating at full capacity.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
8.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within Public Transit.
Sub-Service Description Service Level
Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Public Transit Conventional
Conventional Bus Service
S High Contracted Service
Traditional bus service. The City does have an ability under the contract, and in discussion with our partners in Transit, to set fares, routes, frequencies, etc. A major expense in recent years was the subsidy by Vernon of the second bus to UBC Okanagan. This funding arrangement added capacity for a two year period. For 2013 the service returned to the full responsibility of the Regional District. Revenue and ridership cost and hours of service by route are presented in table format in section 1.6.
Public Transit - Handi Dart (Custom)
• Handi Dart • Custom
Transit • Taxi Saver
S High Contracted Service
This service is a specialized transportation service for persons who have a disability to the extent that they are not able to use conventional transit services without assistance. Services are door to door pick up and drop off with lift capable vehicles. There is an additional use of the vehicles for an Interior Health program each week. Registrants in the program are also able to purchase discounted taxi coupons. The coupons are sold at half value to registrants. Access criteria are loose at present, however Vernon is enrolling in a pilot program to increase to review of new registrations, which should ensure that the service required by those unable to use the regular system is not being used by those who do not require the additional service.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
8.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the Public Transit sub-services administered by Financial Services Department.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Public Transit Conventional
Salaries CUPE B
Income-Fees Tickets and Passes
694
The Province through BC Transit funds 47.7% of the Conventional transit cost, the local share being 53.3%. The Local government share is reduced by operating revenues generated within the system, and by the allocation of BC Bus Pass revenues from the province.
Provincial Transit Subsidy 1,171
General Contracts- Other Direct
3,074 Income-Grants other Governments
13
Other Direct 17 Taxes 1,213
Total 3,091 Total 3,091
Public Transit - Handi Dart (Custom)
General Contracts- Other Direct
1,057 Income-Fees 211 The Province through BC Transit funds 66% of the Conventional transit cost, the local share being 34%. The Local government share is reduced by operating revenues generated within the system, and by the allocation of BC Bus Pass revenues from the province
Income- Grants 699
Taxes 147
Total 1,057 Total 1,057
Public Transit - Total
General Contracts- Other Direct
4,131 Income-Fees 905 The Province through BC Transit funds 66% of the Conventional transit cost, the local share being 34%. The Local government share is reduced by operating revenues generated within the system, and by the allocation of BC Bus Pass revenues from the province
Income- Subsidy and Grants 1,883
Other Direct 17 Taxes 1,360
Total 4,148 Total 4,148
8.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
8.6 Municipal Comparisons The following table provides comparative data for custom transit operations from across the province.
Total Revenue
Population
Registered Users
Licensed Vehicles
Hrs of Service
Rev Hrs of Service
Extra Hrs of Service
Revenue Passengers
Non-Taxi Passengers
Taxi Passengers
Tier 1 789,300 13,408 94 147,957 147,042 916 677,165 563,897 113,268 Central Fraser alley 176,900 3,500 17 22,616 22,616 0 99,457 68,667 12,790 Chilliwack 78,700 1,600 6 8,395 8,395 0 49,945 34,280 15,665 Kamloops 86,800 2,500 16 25,934 24,934 208 105,982 90,444 15,538 Kelowna Regional 186,700 0 23 37,949 37,949 0 191,456 155,700 35,756 Nanaimo Regional 135,800 1,336 15 22,979 22,840 138 68,092 64,361 3,731 Prince George 74,000 2,899 8 17,704 17,700 4 92,461 72,161 20,300 Vernon Regional 50,400 1,573 9 13,172 12,607 565 69,772 60,284 9,488 Tier 2 73,000 822 6 7,476 7,476 0 42,459 25,105 17,354 Campbell River 38,200 397 4 5,452 5,452 0 23,232 20,494 2,738 Penticton 34,800 425 2 2,024 2,024 0 19,227 4,611 14,616 Tier 3 89,500 1,225 10 14,306 14,272 34 43,211 41,401 1,810 Alberni-Clayoquot 25,500 450 4 5,405 5,371 34 19,158 18,861 297 Cranbrook 20,000 440 3 3,625 3,625 0 8,150 7,284 866 Kitimat 10,100 100 0 0 0 0 5,871 8,871 0 Kootenay Boundary 20,700 110 2 3,505 3,505 0 5,246 4,982 264 Prince Rupert 13,200 125 1 1,771 1,771 0 4,786 4,403 383
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
The following tables provide internal comparative data for conventional transit operations.
Vernon Regional Transit System - GFI Recorded Passenger Boardings and Revenue by Route (April- October 2011)
Route Route boardings as a % of total
Annual in-service hours*
Annual total Cost per route
Annual Revenue per route**
Cost Recovery Total Cost per Ride
per Route 1- Coldstream 8.19% 2,285.70 $254,490 $58,599 23.03% $7.17 2- Pleasant Valley 13.36 3,599.77 400,798 95,598 23.85 6.98 3- Alexis Park 27.00 3,813.26 424,568 193,150 45.49 3.60 4- East Hill 6.11 2,045.58 227,755 43,732 19.20 8.61 5- South Vernon 12.69 3,354.81 373,525 90,746 24.29 6.76 6- College 7.44 3,591.41 399,868 53,234 13.31 10.41 7- Okanagan Landing 12.88 3,679.01 409,621 92,163 22.50 7.30 14- Coldstream-East Hill 0.20 141.50 15,755 1,404 8.91 18.20 24- Pleasant Valley- East Hill 0.40 166.50 18,538 2,861 15.43 10.61 57- South Vernon-OK Landing 0.36 166.50 18,538 2,608 14.07 11.92 90- North Okanagan Connector 9.20 3,696.00 441,908 65,782 14.89 8.92 Total 97.84% 26,813 $2,985,364 $699,878 23.44% $6.77
*Hours do not include deadhead and pre/post trip. ** Revenue estimates per route are based on limited GFI farebox data year-to-date and are included here for comparison purposes only.
Farebox (GFI) Recorded Passenger Boardings-April - August 2011
Route Revenue Passenger Boardings Tickets Pass Transfers Approx. Cash
rides Route Boardings
as % of Total 1-Coldstream $8,937 14,603 1,396 5,666 1,166 6,375 8.37% 2-Pleasant Valley 10,401 23,823 1,338 12,389 2,035 8,061 13.66 3-Alexis Park 25,502 48,133 3,253 22,879 4,840 17,161 27.59 4-East Hill 4,429 10,898 716 5,614 988 3,580 6.25 5-South Vernon 11,546 22,614 1,479 10,183 2,269 8,683 12.96 6-College 5,329 13,266 610 7,813 1,363 3,480 7.6 7-Okanagan Landing 12,097 22,967 1,473 10,718 1,928 8,848 13.17 14-Coldstream-East Hill 250 350 30 136 26 158 0.20 24-Pleasant Valley-East Hill 394 713 38 389 36 250 0.40
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
57-South Vernon- OK Landing 383 650 34 313 48 255 0.37 90- North OK Connector 12,095 15,912 529 3,255 2,720 9,408 9.12 Other 301 481 31 206 45 199 0.27 Total $92,663 174,410 10,927 79,561 17,464 66,458 100%
The following table demonstrates how Vernon's Conventional Transit System compares to other tier 2 systems across the Province.
2010/2011 Performance Summary
Population Licensed Vehicles Total Rev Hrs of Service
Sch Hrs of Service Extra Hrs of Service Revenue Passengers
Campbell River 30,900 9 21,378 21,059 318 558,885 Chilliwack 53,100 9 21,414 21,290 123 491,358 Comox Valley 45,700 12 25,599 25,209 390 600,128 Cowichan Valley 38,500 11 23,226 23,150 76 318,506 Cowichan Valley Commuter 8 4,669 4,535 134 62,119 Penticton 29,200 8 22,842 22,702 141 413,257 Vernon Regional 37,600 10 23,110 23,083 28 405,271
The above information indicates that Vernon Regional Transit has a comparable system profile to other Tier 2 conventional systems in the province.
Additional Information/Statistics - Total hours for Conventional and Custom Transit
Hours Monday - Friday Saturday Sunday 6:25 AM 7:07 PM
7:55 PM 7:07 PM
11 AM 5:10 PM
2011/2012 2010/2011 % Change
Conventional 24,737 23,110 7.0%
Custom 13,947 13,172 5.9%
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
9. Solid Waste and Recycling 9.1 Service Description This activity within Public Works provides garbage collection and recycling services.
9.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided.
Sub-service Type Description
Solid Waste & Recycling Public Traditional
The City’s Solid Waste Collection Program includes the weekly collection of residential and commercial waste in all areas of the City. It also includes residential bimonthly collection of recyclables that is administered by RDNO. A blue bag recycling program has also been implemented for all commercial and industrial properties within the City. The City also provides a yard waste spring chipping program, a spring and fall clear bag (leaf) collection program and a Christmas tree disposal program.
9.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Solid Waste and Recycling Department.
Sub-service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
Solid Waste & Recycling
• Residential garbage pickup
• Commercial garbage pick-up
• Residential recycling pickup
• Commercial recycling pickup
• Spring chipping • Spring and fall
leaf pickup • Christmas tree
disposal • Adopt-a-road
Service level set based on industry standard and historical practice Weekly pick up of all residential garbage (2 bag max) Weekly pick up of commercial garbage (8 bags max) Bi-monthly pickup of residential recycling (no limit) Three times a week pickup of commercial recycling (no limit) as required by customers
S Solid Waste service levels set to meet public expectations City of Vernon (38,990) Commercial recycling (769)
0.1 FTE - Arborist
12,525 residential garbage and recycling customers 158 commercial garbage customers 769 commercial recycling customers All solid waste and recycling items are completed by contract Residents required to drop off Christmas trees at City owned lot. City staff chip trees and haul to compost facility.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
Sub-service Activity Service Level Service Standard
Client Impact FTEs Comments
program
Roadside spring chipping to all residents of Vernon.(Max 20min chipping per customer) Spring and fall clear bag leaf pickup all residents (no limit)
9.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of Solid Waste and Recycling.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Solid Waste & Recycling Salaries CUPE B 13 Income - Residential Garbage 1,213 The funds are collected on Quarterly Utility bills.
Other Direct 1,867 Income -Non Residential Garbage 62
Common Service Allocations 107 Income Recycling Residential 494
Income Recycling Non Residential 218
Total 1,987 Total 1,987
9.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
9.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
10. Cemeteries 10.1 Service Description This activity within Public Works maintains the Pleasant Valley Cemetery.
10.2 Service Hierarchy The following sub-services are provided by the Cemetery Service.
Sub-service Type Description Cemetery Public
Traditional The Pleasant Valley Cemetery is the interment facility for the Vernon Area. Interment and landscape services are completed by contract. City staff provides snow clearing, roadway sweeping, tree maintenance, and irrigation repairs and maintenance.
10.3 Service Delivery The following table provides information on service delivery for the sub-services within the Cemetery Service.
Service Activity Service Level Service Standard Client Impact FTEs Comments
Cemetery • Interment • Landscape
maintenance • Irrigation maintenance • Tree care • Sweeping • Snow plowing
Weekly grass cutting Daily litter collection Fertilize once per year Gates open year round dawn to dusk
S Cemetery maintained to meet public expectations.
0.1 Irrigation Operator 0.1 Arborist
• Interments and landscaping completed by contract.
• City staff provide irrigation repairs, tree maintenance, snow plowing and sweeping services
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City of Vernon – Core Services Review – Service Profiles Transportation and Infrastructure
10.4 Finances The following table describes the key financial metrics of the cemetery service.
Sub-service Costs ($000s) Revenues ($000s) Comments
Cemetery
Salaries CUPE B 23 Income -Fees 225
Other Direct 218 Income - Reserve 17
Amortization of TCA 1
Total 242 Total 242
10.5 Recent Reviews None conducted.
10.6 Municipal Comparisons None available.
50
53
Appendix 2 Suggested Opportunities to Inform the Consultative Process
The document in this Appendix was prepared during phase three of the Core Services Review and contains suggested opportunities for change that were collated during phases one to three of the project. The intent of this document is to inform discussions with Council, City senior management and the community on the validity of the suggested opportunities for cost-savings and other potential improvements.
Opportunities were suggested via a number of sources that include interviews with Council, discussions with City senior management, emails received by KPMG from the community, and analysis conducted by KPMG. The suggested opportunities contained in this document were preliminarily evaluated against assessment criteria approved by Council in phase one of the project. Based on the preliminary evaluation, each suggested opportunity was assigned to a priority category. The preliminary evaluation was conducted based on information provided by the City and available on comparable jurisdictions.
Appendix 2 City of Vernon Core Services Review Materials to Inform Suggested Opportunities Workshop
January 28, 2013
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
1
Contents
Page
Introduction 2
Service Profiles 7
Suggested Opportunities
■ Program: Transportation and Infrastructure 8
■ Program: Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety 14
■ Program: Planning and Development 19
■ Program: Parks, Recreation, and Culture 23
■ Program: Governance and Support Services 26
Appendices 32
This document outlines suggested opportunities that may achieve potential cost reductions or potential revenue increases for the City of Vernon and the results of preliminary evaluation of those suggested opportunities. The results of the preliminary evaluation are presented here to invite comment, suggestions and additional information to assist the City of Vernon Council (Council) in making decisions on suggested opportunities. Comments and information coming from the consultative process will be considered in developing the options for Council’s consideration to be presented to Council after March 31, 2013. Actual savings will be based on future events and Council decisions and will vary from these estimates. These variances may be material.
This document contains:
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
2
Introduction Purpose of This Document
Background In 2012, the City of Vernon (City) contracted KPMG LLP (KPMG) through a competitive bid process to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements. The City sees periodic Core Services Reviews as a necessary and positive means to check, confirm and review the range of services to be delivered by the City and recommendations to prioritize those services. The City considers Core Service s Reviews as one method to ensure what is delivered is of the highest value to the community, to shed lower value services, to apply best modern practices to cost effective delivery, and to direct valuable, limited resources to the delivery of community valued programs and services. The Core Services Review project commenced on October 10, 2012 and is being conducted in four phases with a draft final report to be delivered by March 31, 2013.
Intent of this Document This document was prepared during phase three of the Core Services Review and contains suggested opportunities for change that have been collated during phases one to three of the project. The intent of this document is to inform discussions with Council, City senior management and the community on the validity of the suggested opportunities for cost-savings and other potential improvements.
Source of Suggested Opportunities and Preliminary Evaluation Opportunities were suggested via a number of sources that include interviews with Council, discussions with City senior management, emails received by KPMG from the community, and analysis conducted by KPMG. The suggested opportunities contained in this document have been preliminarily evaluated against assessment criteria approved by Council in phase one of the project. Based on the preliminary evaluation, each suggested opportunity has been assigned to a priority category. The preliminary evaluation was conducted based on information provided by the City and available on comparable jurisdictions. No opinion is expressed with respect to the validity of data underlying suggested opportunities. The information contained in this document does not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services, organization and governance structure, user fees or other revenue. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters. Any implicit or explicit comments presented in this document that indicate potential options and opportunities for change should not be construed as recommendations by KPMG. They are included solely for the purpose of discussions during the Core Services Review project that will subsequently serve to inform decision making by Council. No one should act on such information without conducting additional analysis. Council is responsible for decisions to implement any suggested opportunities and for considering their impact. Implementation of suggested opportunities will require the City to plan and test any changes to help make certain that the City will realize any intended outcome.
Discussions on Suggested Opportunities During phase two of the project, service profiles were created to present key information on the services that the City of Vernon currently provides. These service profiles were consolidated into five Service Profile Summary documents, and posted on the City website. During phase three of the project, the City is seeking input from the community on current services through a public workshop on January 29, 2013. Input could include suggestions of additional opportunities for cost reduction, areas where current service levels could be reduced or are already too low, or any other suggestions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of City services. It is suggested that City staff and members of the community, including those representing any specific stakeholder groups, read the information contained in the Service Profile Summary documents before attending the workshop. Written comments/suggestions will also be welcome, either presented at the meeting, or submitted to the project email address [email protected]
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
3
Introduction Purpose of Workshop
■ Review service profiles ■ Identify opportunities for:
■ Gain deeper understanding of services, their importance to residents and a sense of priority for suggested opportunities
Type of Change Description
Service Change Divesting, transferring, eliminating, or significantly altering the service
Service Level Adjust service levels to standards, as well as adjust standards, if/when they are not legislatively set
Insource / Outsource Outsource, in-source, or change a procurement approach for the service
Structure and Staffing Adjust staffing levels and structure to deliver a service efficiently
Re-engineering Improve efficiencies through redesigning business processes, tools, and key enablers
Increase Revenues Adjust or add user fees, subsidies and/or grants
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Introduction Preliminary Evaluation of Suggested Opportunities
Opportunities suggested by Council, senior management, community, and KPMG are grouped by program and by service.
Suggested Opportunity Narrative describing the potential opportunity for change related to expense reduction, revenue diversification or operational efficiency. These opportunities have been suggested via a number of sources throughout the Core Services Review project.
Assessment Criteria The criteria used to evaluate each opportunity. The assessment was conducted by KPMG based on information provided by the City and research of comparable jurisdictions. Refer to subsequent pages for a definition and description of each criteria.
Prioritization Suggested priority categories used to group the opportunities for implementation. At this stage most opportunities are for “further study”, including consideration of input to the process. Refer to subsequent pages for descriptions of the priority categories.
Assessment Comments Commentary or rationale that supports the assessment and priority given to each opportunity.
See appendix A to see how the assessment criteria have been (or will be) scored
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
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169Reduce number of RCMP Officers Serving Vernon
Change Service Level
None High Low Short ARecent budget discussions have approved a budget lower than the current level of service requiring some staff reductions.
65 Automated license recognition system Re-Engineer Costs High Low CSI Low Med 5Improves detection and enforcement with lower manpower
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Introduction Ground Rules
■ Open and frank discussion
■ Listen actively, respect others point of view, give everyone a turn
■ Turn off cell phones
■ Notes will be taken during table discussion
■ Comments will not be attributed to individuals
■ The goal of the workshop is not necessarily to agree -- it is to gain a deeper understanding of services and identify opportunities
■ We will not be deciding which opportunities are good ideas and which are not today – that comes later
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Introduction Next Steps
1. Review and distill notes from the workshop 2. Add ideas to the opportunities list 3. Evaluate and group opportunities 4. Prepare draft Final Report
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Service Profiles Overview
• Five Service Profile Summary documents containing 26 services currently provided by the City of Vernon were developed and posted on the City’s website on January 16, 2013. • Transportation and Infrastructure • Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety • Planning and Development • Parks, Recreation, and Culture • Governance and Support Services
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
8
Service Subservice 2012 Budget ($000s)
Operations General Management and Administration 77
Engineering
Engineering
1,441 Capital Program
Development Management
Policy Development incl Bylaws and Infrastructure Standards
Water and Sewer
Water Operations General 4,110
Sewer Operations General 706
Fiscal Services 8,182
Lift Stations 400
Sanitary System Collection and Disposal
1,569
Spray Irrigation 1,426
VWRC (Treatment) 3,390
Storm System 1,243
Suggested Opportunities Program: Transportation and Infrastructure (1 of 6)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Service Subservice 2012 Budget ($000s)
Public Works Public Works General 264
Roads
Boulevards 311
Paved Streets 7,625
Sidewalks 488
Signalized Intersections 526
Street Lights 570
Traffic Signage 144
Unpaved Streets 85
Airport Airport 907
Transit Public Transit Conventional 3,091 Public Transit – HandyDART (Custom)
1,057
Solid Waste and Recycling Solid Waste and Recycling
1,987
Cemeteries Cemeteries 242
Total Service 39,841
Suggested Opportunities Program: Transportation and Infrastructure (2 of 6)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
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26Improve process to bill utilities to new residents - new houses when ready - not when occupied
Re-Engineer None low Low PC Low Short 6Would be considered unfair if water, sewer, solid waste billed before occupancy
27Identify secondary suites to ensure they pay all utilities
Increase Revenues None Med Low PC CSI Med Short 5Requires co-ordinated effort to identify secondary suites. Should include at least fire inspection for safety
53Combine Operations and Engineering as one department
Change Structure and Staffing
None Low Low Low Short 5
90Complete development of Asset Management Plan and alignment of capital expenditures with results.
Re-Engineer High high Yes Low N/S CSI Low Med 5
89
Require contractors building City infrastructure to either provide as built drawings signed by an engineer without disclaimers - or pay for a City staff member to supervise construction on-site throughout construction
Re-Engineer High None Low CSI Med Short 5
Engineers have started inserting disclaimers, meaning the City cannot rely on the quality of the assets built. May have significant cost impact in future if assets are poorly built.
23 Increase infrastructure investment Investment Costs high Yes Low N/S CSI Med Long AAppropriate investments to minimize life-cycle costs will reduce long term costs of infrastructure. $473K approved in 2013 budget.
81 Send some reclaimed water to lake Re-Engineer High High Low CSI Med Short 5Lower cost means of disposal, especially as current irrigation network reaches saturation
Suggested Opportunities Program: Transportation and Infrastructure (3 of 6)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Program: Transportation and Infrastructure (4 of 6)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
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6Consolidate all aspects of the management and operation of the sewers and water treatment operations in the RD/GVW
Change Structure and Staffing
None high Low CSI Med Med 5
The governance structure locally has shared services under the jurisdiction of the Regional District for water, and a contractual agreement for sewer treatment with the neighboring jurisdiction, who do not have their own sewer treatment capabilities. Opportunities modest with operations all within COV, however clear alignment of governance, operations missing
69
Create a Storm Water Utility with charges to benefiting properties - Increase fees to cover full costs of asset management and renewal
Re-Engineer None High Low C/I Med Med 5Ties funding to properties receiving benefits, however rate setting can be complicated and extra administrative burden
167 Abandon spray irrigation system based on low cost recovery ratio
Service Change High High No Low CSI Low Med 5Phase out over time, capital savings from avoiding expansion
115Establish a new fee for DP landscape/irrigation security release inspection
Increase Revenues None Low Low Low Short 5Budget proposal for $9,200 new revenue. Covers costs of inspections. Extra cost to development industry
82Eliminate irrigation and reduce mowing frequency on City maintained boulevards and linear trails
Change Service Level
None High Low Low Short 5 City will not look as good during summer months
122 Reduce Summer SweepingChange Service Level
None Low Low Low Short 5
160Snow clearing Utility ‐ Overall increase in fees and charges but creates room in tax levy and matches fee for service
Re-Engineer None None Low DSI Med Med 5
Would require approach to allocating costs - by meters of frontage? Or size of land parcel? Or "activity level" (residents plus employees plus??(for shoppers/clients)?
123Eliminate sidewalk snow clearing for snowfalls in excess of 15mm and for sidewalks that are difficult to access
Increase Revenues None Low Med Low Short A Approved in 2013 budget
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
12
Suggested Opportunities Program: Transportation and Infrastructure (5 of 6)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
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Create committee including COV, RDNO, utility reps to develop five-year capital plan for roads and utilities to minimize wasted investment
Re-Engineer Low None Low PC CSI Med Med 5the Asset Management Plan is currently under development, and would be a foundation for the five year plan
67 Conduct inspection after road cuts Re-Engineer None Low Low N/S DSI Low Short 5Require deficiencies to be corrected to improve life of roads.
19Increase road cut fees particularly on "good" roads to reflect loss of value that results
Re-Engineer None Med Low PC CSI Med Short 5Similar initiatives underway in other cities. Would encourage better joint planning.
33Continue to build hangers at airport on a self-sustaining basis
None None Low N/S Low Med 5Recent legislative changes impacted the development, but business case believed still valid
36 Eliminate the Taxi Saver program Service Change None low Med C/I Low Short 5 Has lower cost per ride, so may increase costs
34 Increase transit fares Increase Revenues None high No Med C/I Low Short 5Only 23% of transit costs covered by fares - passes are only $54 per month, adult cash fares only $2 (multi-zone fare is $2.50)
34a Reduce transit service levelChange Service Level
None Med No Med C/I Low Short 5Cost per rider on the #4, #90 and #6 routes are all over $8.00
88Increase fares on the route 90 to UBCO in Kelowna substantially
Increase Revenues None Med No Med C/I Low Short 5Cash fare is only $2.50 each way for 40 km trip from Vernon to UBCO in Kelowna. Service is now fully supported by RDNO
37Stop accepting new HandyDART registrants as demand exceeds supply
Change Service Level
None low No high DSI high Short 5Likely a breach of human rights legislation. Large impact on truly needy residents
35Tighten qualification review for HandyDART users
Increase Revenues None Med No Low CSI Low Short 5
Registration process reported to have loose admission criteria at present. Vernon has more registrants per capita than other cities evaluated except Prince George
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Program: Transportation and Infrastructure (6 of 6)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
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36bReduce HandyDART hours and encourage more use of Taxi Saver program
Service Change None Med Med C/I Low Short 5
Taxi Saver implies higher costs for users, but comes with higher level of service as well - no reservation required. Vernon has more van service per capita that comparator cities except Kamloops, highest number of passengers/capita, and lower than man use of taxi Saver
38Buses are kneeling - so limit Handy DART service to accessing the bus (depending upon disability)
Change Service Level
None Med Med DSI Low Short 5Would make travel more cumbersome and time consuming for users, but encourage more use of bus instead
84Eliminate roadside spring chipping - Require drop off for items that don’t fit clear bags
Service Change None Low Low CSI Low Short 5
83Move to garbage collection every two weeks
Change Service Level
None High Med CSI Low Short 5Likely to be resisted. Could be considered for winter only.
85Establish rate for extra bags (beyond 2) and sell tags
Increase Revenues None Med Low CSI Low Short 5 The system is already in place
109 Eliminate Spring and Fall leaf pick upChange Service Level
None Med Med DSI Low Short 5
124 Reduce irrigation in CemeteryChange Service Level
None low Med Low Short 5 Cemetery would not be as attractive
162
Capital Infrastructure Levy ‐ Split the capital infrastructure portion of the tax levy onto a separate line on the tax notice. Overall increase in fees and charges but creates room in tax levyand matches fee for service.
Re-Engineer None None Low Low Med 5 More a question of perception than anything else.
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
14
Service Subservice 2012 Budget ($000s)
Policing Services RCMP Detachment 9,213
RCMP Detention Centre 470
Fire/Rescue Services
Fire Administration 843
Fire Fighting – Operations 3,905
Fire Training Crew 166
Emergency Management 272
Bylaw and Parking Enforcement
Bylaw and Parking Enforcement 1,079
Safe Communities
Community Policing Office 169
Business & Seniors 88
Crime Prevention 96
Regional Program 98
Rural Program 92
Total Service 16,491
Suggested Opportunities Program: Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety (1 of 5)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Program: Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety (2 of 5)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
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169Reduce number of RCMP Officers Serving Vernon
Change Service Level
None High Low Short ARecent budget discussions have approved a budget lower than the current level of service requiring some staff reductions.
65 Automated license recognition system Re-Engineer Costs High Low CSI Low Med 5Improves detection and enforcement with lower manpower
136Provide First Medical Responder service in IR #6 on a fee for service basis
Increase Revenues None Low Low Low Short 5 Budget proposal
128Fire-Rescue revenue from providing a range of medical, emergency and career oriented courses to members of the public
Increase Revenues None low Low Low Short ABudget proposal for 5 different courses with potential for $47K revenues.
135Rent Fire Station 2 (OK Landing) on a shared use basis to BC Ambulance Service
Increase Revenues None Low Low N/S CSI Low Short 5 Presented as budget proposal
143Establish a series of fees for services provided by the Fire-Rescue Department
Increase Revenues None Low Low Low Short A
Budget proposal for variety of fees - false alarm attendance, car seat installation checks, Fire Safety Plan review, Re-inspection for compliance, mobile vendor licence inspection, day care licence inspections, lock box lid change outs, underground tank installation permits, fireworks permits. Estimated $10K revenue
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Program: Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety (3 of 5)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
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139Establish fee for Open Burning Permits in accordance with Fire Prevention Bylaw (2012 YTD) 40 @ $75
Increase Revenues None Low Low Low Short 5 Budget proposal would generate $3K
140Establish fee for attendance to non‐compliant Burn Permit incidents ($1000 PER INCIDENT)
Increase Revenues None Low Low Low Short 5Budget proposal, expected to generate $2K, and reduce frequency of burns without permits
138 Defer Predator Ridge Hall Build Increase Revenues High low Med Low Short ADefers (but doesn't eliminate) capital expenditure and required operating costs. Could follow development of new Volunteer strategy
41
Reduce hydrant charges to Fire Department - rate went from $135 to $205 and service level decreased. Kelowna pays $59
Service Change None Low Low Low Short 5Simply transfers from property tax to water rate. Would require study to determine costs.
150Re‐Structure Fees for Hydrant “Rental” (VFRS end user)
Increase Revenues None Low Low Low Short 5This budget proposal appears to be plan to reduce fees paid by VFRS to GVW by $75K - reduces Vernon taxes but increases water rates
168Increase Public education regarding Fire/Rescue services to increase service level
Change Service Level
None None Low Short 5 Need unclear, potential impact.
39Purchase fire dispatch services from Kelowna or other multi-location dispatch centre
Service Change None high Low PC CSI Low Short 5
Strong economies of scale in service delivery. More than one staff per shift improves service, safety. Providers readily available. Most of current investment still usable - its in trucks not central facility.
40 Market fire dispatch services Increase Revenues None Med Low PC DSI Med Med 5Service to OKIB approved for $8k. Vernon may be able to establish a market, but competing with well established centres and will take time.
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
17
Suggested Opportunities Program: Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety (4 of 5)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
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2Develop strategy to involve volunteer firefighters meaningfully in emergency responses
Re-Engineer None Med Low N/S CSI Med Med 2
Essential to avoiding future cost increases while providing rapid response in areas distant from main station; With termination of current agreement, new deployment/response strategies are required to ensure meaningful, growing role for volunteers; Council Priorities - Develop and implement recruitment and retention; Integrate all volunteer firefighters into one team; apply comprehensive training program including training on all apparatus
164
Use paid-per-call response from station 2 for initial response to active fire calls in that area (in addition to response from station 1 when not otherwise deployed)
Increase Revenues None low Low CSI Low Med 5
Could be part of active volunteer engagement strategy. May require more sophisticated volunteer dispatch infrastructure to identify available, nearby volunteers. Savings from avoiding future expansion.
165
Use paid-per-call firefighters when available to supplement station 1 staffing when it falls below 4 plus dispatcher (rather than overtime)
Increase Revenues None low Low CSI Low Med 5Could be part of active volunteer engagement strategy. Savings from avoiding future expansion.
166
Establish GPS tracking system for volunteers to identify resources close enough to calls to warrant dispatch for specific incidents (e.g. fires, cardiac arrest)
Re-Engineer None low Low CSI Low Med 5Could be part of active volunteer engagement strategy. Savings from avoiding future expansion.
133Sell RDNO "Out of Area Fire Protection Service" as requested
Increase Revenues None low Low N/S Low Short 5 Budget proposal ( requested twice by RDNO) $34,000 annually (@1.30 rate)
22 Outsource bylaw enforcement staffing Insource/Outsource None low Low PC CSI Med Med 5Integration of wide range of tasks within Bylaw services would make outsourcing more difficult
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
18
Suggested Opportunities Program: Emergency, Enforcement, and Community Safety (5 of 5)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
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56Increase parking fines ($5 if paid within 14 days) up to at least $15 - like Kelowna
Increase Revenues None Low Low N/S CSI Low Short AWould also improve compliance. Currently costs more to issue and collect than the fine value.
51 Reduce by-law staffingChange Structure and Staffing
None Med Med Low Short 5Would reduce level of enforcement and security activities. Fine revenue covers about 25% of salary costs
59 Outsource bylaw enforcement Change Structure and Staffing
None Med Low Med Med 5Contract services may not be as flexible in terms of the range of duties and hours
48Allow more discretion in By-law - too rigid, too much emphasis on enforcement rather than education
Change Service Level
None None Low Low Short 5 By-Law believes they already emphasize education
114Initiate Zero Tolerance/No Warning for all Bylaw Violations ‐ For all bylaw violations, an initial fine would be levied.
Increase Revenues None Med Med CSI Low Short 5 Incompatible with 48. Would increase complaints.
57Increase on-street parking rates - $.50/hr since 1983
Increase Revenues None High Low N/S CSI Low Short A Budget proposal to increase to $1/hour
96Increase Hourly or Day Parking at off-street lots
Increase Revenues None Low Low N/S CSI Low Short ABudget proposal - Increase Lot Rates from current .25c per hour ($.60 at Parkade) and $2.50 a day.
95Increase Monthly Parking Lot Rates at City lots
Increase Revenues None Med Low N/S CSI Low Short A
Budget proposes changes at‐ CSB, 29th Ave., 25th Ave., Bertleson's, Railway, CSB from current $21.40 and $35.00 to flat $60.00 per month. Current fees are very low, along with increases at Parkade
58Use Pay & Display machines at off-street lots
Increase Revenues None Low Low CSI Med Med 5Accepts payment by credit card, reduces operating costs, particularly when large number of spaces served.
52 Reduce community policingChange Service Level
None High Med C/I Low Med 5Long standing community program shared with adjacent communities, but substantial expenditure ($353K/year for Vernon)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
19
Service Subservice 2012 Budget ($000s)
Community Development Community Development General 276
Planning
Community Planning 625
Environmental Planning 186
Transportation Demand Management
130
Building Inspections
Building Permits
588 Bylaw Screening/Adjudication System
Building Inspections
Building Licensing
Economic Development
Economic Development General 259
Tourism – Additional Hotel Room Tax (AHRT)
385
Tourism - City 199
Total Service 2,648
Suggested Opportunities Program: Planning and Development (1 of 4)
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20
Suggested Opportunities Program: Planning and Development (2 of 4)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
Category
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116 Eliminate the Social Planning ContractChange Service Level
None Med Med Low Short 5Would eliminate total capacity for social planning, monitoring of social conditions
25There are too many people in community development
Change Structure and Staffing
None 5 To be reviewed
31Eliminate transportation demand management function
Service Change None Med No Low C DSI Low Short 5Most cities are putting greater emphasis on alternate modes of travel
14
Focus on expanding bicycling, but abandon goals for increased transit ridership - focus transit goal on service to students, those without cars
Re-Engineer None Med No Med C C/I Low Short 5Expanding transit subsidies generally seen as part of "Green" initiatives, but very expensive way to reduce GHGs in smaller communities
32 Eliminate environmental planner positionChange Structure and Staffing
None Med No Low DSI Low Short 5Would eliminate informed environmental assessment of development applications
28 Develop a service culture in Planning Re-Engineer None none Low N/S CSI Low Short 5Planning seems to have made substantial progress in improving response times. Is this still a concern?
98Increase Planning Review fees per budget proposal
Increase Revenues None Low Yes Low N/S Low Short 5Increase advertising fees for planning applications and introduce a fee to remove Notices on Title.
45Carbon tax, carbon neutrality - use $267K of Carbon Tax Reserve Funds for local projects
Re-Engineer None High Low High Med 5 Liability requires clarification
46Increase Development Cost Charge (DCCs) - include Transportation Demand Management (TDM) projects
Increase Revenues Low None Yes Med Low Med 5 Scope for increases to be determined
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21
Suggested Opportunities Program: Planning and Development (3 of 4)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
Category
On
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117New building permit fees such as permit renewal fees, fee to remove notices on title
Increase Revenues None lOW Yes lOW N/S Low Short A Approved in budget
102
Introduce a new non‐refundable application fee which would vary from $50.00 to $200.00 per application, depending on the scale of development.
Increase Revenues None Low Yes Low N/S Low Short A
Budget submission indicates this would realize about $25,000 to $30,000 in additional revenue based on about 300 to 350 permits per year. Approximately 50 – 60 per year never make it to the fee stage.
100
Increase business licensing fees and contractor registration fees and establish fees for adjustments (change of location, ownership, etc.)
Increase Revenues None Low Low N/S Low Short A
Rates have not been increased since 2004. Staff proposed increase would range from $20 for average smaller stores to $100 for average larger stores - based on square footage. $25 fee for ownership/location changes for potential $69K revenue increase. Budget approved $9K increase this year.
9Eliminate City Tourism Program, consider GV responsibility
Service Change None Med No Med C High Short 5
Tourism impacts extend beyond COV and should be shared by neighbours. RDNO does not appear committed to economic development, so could result in reduced activity
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22
Suggested Opportunities Program: Planning and Development (4 of 4)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
Category
On
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Sav
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s
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Str
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10Eliminate City Economic Development Program, consider GV responsibility
Service Change None Med No Med C Med Short 5
The Economic Development Department was created in 2009 when the Regional District eliminated the economic development function. Accepting responsibility when other governments abandon roles can become expensive.
13Contract economic development and/or tourism to Chamber of Commerce
Insource/Outsource None Med Low N/S C/I Med Short 5 Opportunity not considered by Council
108Centralize Visitor Information Centre and Booth:
Increase Revenues Costs Med Low N/S Med Med 5
Preliminary estimates expect to save the City $60,000 per year. ‐ ($35,000 rent, maintenance and repairs, $25,000 salary North Booth) following the capital costs of relocation.
47Increase advertiser involvement with tourism promotion
Re-Engineer None Low Low Med Short 5Soliciting more advertiser support can reduce costs, but shift to newer media can make ad/partnership involvement more difficult.
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
23
Service Subservice 2012 Budget ($000s)
Parks Parks 0
Trees 224
Recreation
Administration 594
Facility Management 432
Vernon Aquatic Centre 1,245
Programming 856
Outdoor Pools 90
Arenas 2,176
Downtown Beautification Downtown Beautification 43
Total Service 5,660
Suggested Opportunities Program: Parks, Recreation, and Culture (1 of 3)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
24
Suggested Opportunities Program: Parks, Recreation, and Culture (2 of 3)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
Category
On
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7Consolidate all aspects of the management and operation of parks in one organization - the City of Vernon or the RD
Change Structure and Staffing
None Med Low C CSI Med Med 5
This is inconsistent with recent Parks MOU which seeks to establish clarity of the multiple roles - but does not eliminate multiple roles. Savings to COV taxpayers, but not COV
12
Increase speed with which RD processes transactions, or give recreation management access to City financial system
Re-Engineer None low Low CSI Low Short 5 Staff use RD accounting system does not provide timely access to transactions posted at the COV
8Consolidate all aspects of the management and operation of recreation in one organization - the RD
Change Structure and Staffing
None Med Low CSI Med Med 5Recreation is an RDNO service delivered by a combination of RDNO and COV staff
11 Transfer RD recreation staff to the CityChange Structure and Staffing
None Med Low PC CSI Med Short 5Operating staff are COV, Program staff and Direction are RD
152Proposed Job Evaluation adjustments in Recreation
Increase Revenues None Med Low N/S Low Short 5Budget shows potential savings of $28K in Aquatics, $4K in custodial and $18K in clerical positions
151Increasing the ‘loonie swim’ to a ‘twonie swim’ will generate an additional $10,000.
Increase Revenues None Low Med CSI Low Short 5
80Seek RD permission for designated staff to use Facebook and other social media to promote recreational programs
Increase Revenues None Med Low CSI Low Short 5Modern marketing uses social media extensively. Can be limited to specific staff to limit potential wasted time
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25
Suggested Opportunities Program: Parks, Recreation, and Culture (3 of 3)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
Category
On
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79 Increase arena rental rates Increase Revenues None Low Low C/I Low Short 5
Rentals only cover 60% of direct costs, at Civic Arena only 53%. However could reduce demand for ice time. Best combined with 75 or 76. Rates are comparable to many other cities, but some are higher, particularly for off-peak use
75 Reduce weekday hours at Civic ArenaChange Service Level
None Med Low Low Short 5Demand for ice time is declining, would reduce costs but limit available hours for use at lower "off-peak" rates
76 Close Civic Arena Service Change High high Low Low Short 5
Demand for ice time is dropping. NorVal Centre in Armstrong is drawing away users and will pull more if rates are increased. Should avoid major capital improvements that will be required in near future.
77Replace Civic Arena with second ice surface at Westbilt Centre
Service Change Costs Low Low Low Short 5Would improve operating costs, improve service levels, however large capital cost and workable plan not ready.
155 Budget Proposals to reduce arena costs Increase Revenues None Low Low Low Short 5Budget proposals to reduce clerical staffing, advertising, training, tools purchases and use more efficient lighting
78Outsource concession operations at Westbilt Centre
Insource/Outsource None Low Low CSI Low Short 5Could reduce costs and maintain service level. Concessionaire could be a community group.
74 Offer registration services on-lineChange Service Level
None Low Low CSI Low Short 5Improved level of service, but new costs may more than off-set reduced costs
111 Remove Communities in Bloom ProgramChange Service Level
None Low No Low Low Short A $9K saving
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26
Service Subservice 2012 Budget ($000s)
Administration Council 341
City Administration 430
Corporate Services
Corporate Services General 303
Communications 88
Information Services 1,586
Land Services 203
GIS 172
Legislative Services 357
Finance
Collections To/From Others 35,048
Accounting 1,521
Purchasing 332
Fiscal Services - General 4,734
Grants 372
Taxation 27,819
Suggested Opportunities Program: Governance and Support Services (1 of 6)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
27
Service Subservice 2012 Budget ($000s)
Human Resources Corporate Service 528
General Services 464
Occupational Health and Safety 278
Facilities
Facilities General 208
City Hall Building 201
City Hall Annex 21
Civic Plaza 109
Corporate Services Building 13
RCMP Detachment Building 256
Development Services Building 46
Fire Hall 98
Lake’s Clubhouse 25
Community Services Building 135
Parkade 127
Visitor Centres North and South 33
Water Reclamation Plant 64
Yards 214
Suggested Opportunities Program: Governance and Support Services (2 of 6)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
28
Service Subservice 2012 Budget ($000s)
Fleet
Fleet General 748
Fleet - Equipment 1,163
Fleet - Fire OKLVFD Station 2 25
Fleet - Fire Vernon Station 1 132
Fleet - Vehicles 448
Total Service 78,642
Suggested Opportunities Program: Governance and Support Services (3 of 6)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
29
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
Category
On
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4
Amalgamate Greater Vernon Sub-District - or at least the urban portions (current and future) as a single City, with a ward based Council election
Re-Engineer None high Low PC CSI High Med 5
Official Community Plan Bylaw 5181 addresses annexation points (2008) http://www.vernon.ca/images/uploads/council/bylaws/Bylaw_5151_Plan_Vernon_2008.pdf
63Reduce 17 advisory committees of Council or reduce support
Change Structure and Staffing
None Low Low Low Short 5Extensive committee structure requires staff time to manage committees, attend meetings, investigate issues or concerns raised
64Advisory committee recommendations need staff/finance review before Council
Re-Engineer None None Low CSI Low Short 5Committees and Councillors find it expedient to process recommendations quickly, but can have high risk if full implications not identified
43Councilor pay of $137 per meeting - should be eliminated
Increase Revenues None Low Low 5 Get benchmark data
86Expand and promote on-line services to reduce the number of transactions handled manually
Re-Engineer None Low Low CSI Med Med 5
3Reduce IT staffing by 1 FTE due to reduced RCMP requirement
Change Structure and Staffing
None Med Low N/S Low Short 5Currently there 1.5 IT FTE support RCMP. RCMP is moving to centralized support. IT proposes to reallocate resource rather than reduce.
62 Build a central electronic filing system Re-Engineer Costs High Low High Med 5 Requires cost: benefit review
50 Reduce permissive tax exemptions Increase Revenues None High Med CSI Low Med A
$600,000 in permissive exemptions against $24M in tax revenue is about 2.5% - larger than many other municipalities. Many cities provide 1% of less. Budget includes a 10% reduction.
Suggested Opportunities Program: Governance and Support Services (4 of 6)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
30
Suggested Opportunities Program: Governance and Support Services (5 of 6)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
Category
On
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126 Reduce grantsChange Service Level
None Med Med Low Short A
2012 grants of $54,000 included Schubert Center Society (seniors services), Civic Sounds (summer outdoor concerts), Go Green Committee (high school composting initiative), Elks Club (building repairs), Upper Room Mission (meals for homeless). Council approved $42K reduction in $100K budget - leaving room for same size grants as 2012
112 Eliminate Heritage GrantsChange Service Level
None Med Med DSI Low Short AWould impact recipients and community. Budget approved $5K reduction on $60K program.
1O'Keefe Ranch to be weaned off city support
Service Change None Med Low PC Low Short 5
Task Force, Financial Plan. 2013-2017 Financial plan recommends eliminating payments and subsidies of O'Keefe Ranch, amount $150,000; however, the Council Taskforce (JULY 9, 2012) noted that any further reductions in funding will result in cancellations to ranch tours and further maintenance cutbacks.
21 Stop supporting Caetani Property Service Change None None Low Low Short 5Project has not received City support since 2010 - RDNO provides support.
70Integrate work order system, service request system and payroll
Re-Engineer Costs Med Low Med Med 5Benefits clear, but implementation cost unknown at this time
44Get more than 6% from casino when agreement renews
Increase Revenues None High Low High Med 5Province in control of distribution of funds, so limited ability to implement
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
31
Suggested Opportunities Program: Governance and Support Services (6 of 6)
Opp ID Suggested OpportunityOpportunity
Category
On
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87 Reduce scope/cost of annual report Re-Engineer None Med Low CSI Low Short 5 Current document is excellent.
30Review new positions added last few years
Change Structure and Staffing
None 5 In process
72 Develop corporate facility strategy Re-Engineer None Low Low Med 5 Potential unknown at this time
15Develop corporate land & facility strategy to identify future requirements, dispose of surplus holdings
Re-Engineer Low Low N/S CSI Low Med 5Council Priority # 5 - Manage Our House; "Rationalize City land holdings. Designate and retain parcels of key public interest. Divest others at highest market value."
71Consolidate facilities and leave rental facilities
Change Service Level
None Low 5 To be examined further - possible3 outcome of 72
18Wrap up Hesperia development plans and sell land on the public market
Re-Engineer High None Low N/S Med Med 5Original plans for City led development not proving feasible
Appendices A. Assessment Criteria
B. Prioritization Categories
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33
Appendix A Assessment Criteria (1 of 3)
Assessment Criteria – the following criteria are being used to evaluate the suggested opportunities.
Criteria Description
One-time Savings The relative size of the one-off capital injection (or saving) from implementing or realizing the opportunity.
Annual Savings Based on the average of the low and high potential savings ranges.
Strategic Alignment The opportunity aligns with the Corporate Strategic Plan or other stated Council priorities.
Client Impact The impact of the opportunity being implemented on clients or customers, consider the number of clients and the severity of the impact
Recent Reviews Any reviews, studies or reports that deal with the opportunity in the current term of Council.
Other Cities / Leading Practices
An assessment of the cost of the service and/or the service delivery approach compared to comparable jurisdictions or best practices.
Barriers to Implementation
Barriers, issues or obstacles to implementing the opportunity, such as: - Political - Legal - Labour and Contractual Obligations - Capital Costs
Timing of First Benefits The time it will take to achieve the first substantial benefits/savings.
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
34
Appendix A Assessment Criteria (2 of 3)
Criteria Description
One-time Savings
None (Blank) = No savings Costs (Red) = Material Implementation Costs Low(Orange) = <$500,000 savings/revenue High (Green) = >$500,000 savings/revenue
Annual Savings
None (Blank) = No savings Low (Red) = < $50,000 savings/revenue Medium (Orange) = $50,001 to $200,000 savings/revenue High (Green) = >$200,000 savings/revenue
Strategic Alignment
No Impact (Blank) = Opportunity does not impact strategic alignment No Alignment (Red) = Opportunity opposes strategic plans Yes - General Alignment (Orange) = Opportunity generally aligns Yes - Explicit Alignment (Green) = Opportunity specifically/explicitly aligns
Client Impact High (Red) = Severe impact Medium (Orange) = Some impact No/Low (Green) = No or low impact
Recent Reviews
Decided (Black) = The current Council has decided not to implement / support the opportunity (a "dead-issue") C - Considered (Red) = A recent review (5 years) was not supportive of the opportunity PC - Partly Considered (Orange) = A recent review was not supportive of the opportunity, but may have only considered some aspects or circumstances, or priorities may have changed N/S - No/Supportive (Green) = The opportunity has not been studied recently, or the conclusions were supportive of and consistent with the opportunity.
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
35
Appendix A Assessment Criteria (3 of 3)
Criteria Description
Other Cities / Leading Practices
None (Blank) = no comparator data / assessment performed DSI - Comparator Does Not Support Implementation (Red) = comparator jurisdictions and/or best practices do not support implementation of the opportunity C/I - Consistent/Inconclusive (Orange) = City performance is consistent with comparable jurisdictions or the data are inconclusive CSI - Comparator Supports Implementation (Green) = comparator jurisdictions and/or best practices support implementation of the opportunity
Barriers to Implementation
Insurmountable (Black) = Identified barriers will likely not be possible to overcome, such as opportunity is not feasible, or new legislation required High (Red) = Strong barriers exist and will not be overcome without strong leadership, perseverance over time, such as changes in collective agreement required Medium (Orange) = definite barriers will be challenging to overcome, but manageable and achievable if given appropriate attention and priority Low (Green) = no significant/insurmountable barriers to overcome
Potential First Benefits
Long (Red) = first benefits/savings realized after 5 or more years Medium (Orange) = first benefits/savings realized in 2 to 4 years Short (Green) = first benefits/savings realized within 1 year
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
36
Appendix B Implementation Categories
Suggested opportunities have been assigned preliminary categories as follows. Note most are still “investigate further”, pending input from Council, City senior management, and community. # Implementation
Category Description Action Required
A Approved Council has approved as part of the Budget process - Implementation by staff 1 Strategic - Larger potential cost savings or revenue generation
- Acceptable client/ customer impact - Minimal insurmountable barriers to implementation
- Develop business case and implementation plan - Initiate projects to achieve opportunity
2 Short Term - Short Term; consider for 2014 budget or earlier - Acceptable client/ customer impact - Lower barriers to implementation - Potential cost savings or revenue generation
- Incorporate into the coming fiscal year budget process - Initiate further actions as appropriate
3 Staff to Implement (STAFF)
- Short Term; staff directed to implement by Council - Acceptable client/customer impact - Lower barriers to implementation - May already be in process
-Provide direction as part of process for staff to implement or continue implementation - Initiate further actions as appropriate
4 Medium to Long Term (2-5 YRS)
- Medium to long term; will take more than a year to realize first benefits - Acceptable client/ customer impact - May have higher barriers to implementation
- Direct departments to begin actions to address barriers and report back to senior management and/or Council
5 Investigate Further (STUDY)
Uncertain whether to proceed based on current data, given client/ customer impact, barriers to implementation, and/or benefits to be realized
- Refer to departments for further examination and consideration, and report back to senior management and/or Council - Opportunity to be considered / implemented in future budgets or reports
6 Suggest to RDNO
Area of Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) jurisdiction, but action would reduce costs passed on to City taxpayers
- Send options to Greater Vernon District and/or RDNO as appropriate
7 Not Worth Pursuing (DON'T DO)
- Unacceptable client/customer impact - Uncertainty over the benefits to be realized
No further action required
The information contained herein has been compiled for the City of Vernon Core Services Review. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International.
54
Appendix 3 Suggested Opportunities
The document in this Appendix outlines suggested opportunities that may achieve potential cost reductions or potential revenue increases for the City of Vernon and the results of evaluation of those suggested opportunities. The results of the evaluation were provided to City of Vernon Council along with the Core Services Review Draft Final Report on April 4, 2013 to assist Council in making decisions on suggested opportunities. Actual savings will be based on future events and Council decisions and will vary from these estimates. These variances may be material.
Opportunities were suggested via a number of sources that include interviews with Council, discussions with City senior management, emails received by KPMG from the community, and analysis conducted by KPMG. The suggested opportunities contained in this document were evaluated against assessment criteria approved by Council in phase one of the project. Based on the evaluation, each suggested opportunity has been assigned to a priority category. The evaluation was conducted based on information provided by the City and available on comparable jurisdictions.
Appendix 3 City of Vernon Core Services Review Suggested Opportunities provided to Council with Draft Final Report
April 4, 2013
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
1
Contents
Page
Introduction 2
Suggested Opportunities 4
Appendices 17
This document outlines suggested opportunities that may achieve potential cost reductions or potential revenue increases for the City of Vernon and the results of evaluation of those suggested opportunities. The results of the evaluation were provided to City of Vernon Council (Council) on April 4, 2013 to assist Council in making decisions on suggested opportunities. Actual savings will be based on future events and Council decisions and will vary from these estimates. These variances may be material.
This document contains:
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
2
Introduction Purpose of This Document
Background In 2012, the City of Vernon (City) contracted KPMG LLP (KPMG) through a competitive bid process to review the City’s operations and service delivery to identify cost-saving opportunities and areas for potential improvements. The City sees periodic Core Services Reviews as a necessary and positive means to check, confirm and review the range of services to be delivered by the City and recommendations to prioritize those services. The City considers Core Service s Reviews as one method to ensure what is delivered is of the highest value to the community, to shed lower value services, to apply best modern practices to cost effective delivery, and to direct valuable, limited resources to the delivery of community valued programs and services. The Core Services Review project commenced on October 10, 2012 and is being conducted in four phases with a draft final report delivered to Council on April 4, 2013.
Intent of this Document This document was prepared during phase four of the Core Services Review and contains suggested opportunities for change that have been collated during phases one to three of the project. The intent of this document is to inform decision making by Council as it considers the opportunities presented in the draft final report of the Core Services Review.
Source of Suggested Opportunities and Evaluation Opportunities were suggested via a number of sources that include interviews with Council, discussions with City senior management, emails received by KPMG from the community, and analysis conducted by KPMG. The suggested opportunities contained in this document have been evaluated against assessment criteria approved by Council in phase one of the project. Based on the evaluation, each suggested opportunity has been assigned to a priority category. The evaluation was conducted based on information provided by the City and available on comparable jurisdictions. No opinion is expressed with respect to the validity of data underlying suggested opportunities. The information contained in this document does not constitute an audit of the City’s services and underlying sub-services, organization and governance structure, user fees or other revenue. Accordingly, KPMG does not express an opinion on such matters. Any implicit or explicit comments presented in this document that indicate potential options and opportunities for change should not be construed as recommendations by KPMG. They are included solely for the purpose of discussions during the Core Services Review project that will subsequently serve to inform decision making by Council. No one should act on such information without conducting additional analysis. Council is responsible for decisions to implement any suggested opportunities and for considering their impact. Implementation of suggested opportunities will require the City to plan and test any changes to help make certain that the City will realize any intended outcome.
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Introduction How to Read the Suggested Opportunities
Opportunities suggested by Council, senior management, community, and KPMG are grouped by implementation category, program and service.
Suggested Opportunity Narrative describing the potential opportunity for change related to expense reduction, revenue diversification or operational efficiency. These opportunities have been suggested via a number of sources throughout the Core Services Review project.
Assessment Criteria The criteria used to evaluate each opportunity. The assessment was conducted by KPMG based on information provided by the City and research of comparable jurisdictions. Refer to subsequent pages for a definition and description of each criteria.
Prioritization Suggested priority categories used to group the opportunities for implementation. At this stage most opportunities are for “further study”, including consideration of input to the process. Refer to subsequent pages for descriptions of the priority categories.
Comments Commentary or rationale that supports the assessment and priority given to each opportunity.
See appendix A for information on assessment criteria
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Approved (1 of 2)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Approved (2 of 2)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Strategic (1 of 5)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Strategic (2 of 5)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Strategic (3 of 5)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Strategic (4 of 5)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Strategic (5 of 5)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Short Term (1 of 1)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Staff to Implement (1 of 1)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Medium to Long Term (1 of 1)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Investigate Further (1 of 1)
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Suggest to RDNO (1 of 1)
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Suggested Opportunities Category: Not Worth Pursuing (1 of 1)
Appendices A. Assessment Criteria
B. Prioritization Categories
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Appendix A Assessment Criteria (1 of 3)
Assessment Criteria – the following criteria, agreed by Council in phase one of the Core Services Review, were used to evaluate the suggested opportunities.
Criteria Description
One-time Savings The relative size of the one-off capital injection (or saving) from implementing or realizing the opportunity.
Annual Savings Based on the average of the low and high potential savings ranges.
Strategic Alignment The opportunity aligns with the Corporate Strategic Plan or other stated Council priorities.
Client Impact The impact of the opportunity being implemented on clients or customers, consider the number of clients and the severity of the impact
Recent Reviews Any reviews, studies or reports that deal with the opportunity in the current term of Council.
Other Cities / Leading Practices
An assessment of the cost of the service and/or the service delivery approach compared to comparable jurisdictions or best practices.
Barriers to Implementation
Barriers, issues or obstacles to implementing the opportunity, such as: - Political - Legal - Labour and Contractual Obligations - Capital Costs
Timing of First Benefits The time it will take to achieve the first substantial benefits/savings.
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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Appendix A Assessment Criteria (2 of 3)
Criteria Description
One-time Savings
None (Blank) = No savings Costs (Red) = Material Implementation Costs Low(Orange) = <$500,000 savings/revenue High (Green) = >$500,000 savings/revenue
Annual Savings
None (Blank) = No savings Low (Red) = < $50,000 savings/revenue Medium (Orange) = $50,001 to $200,000 savings/revenue High (Green) = >$200,000 savings/revenue
Strategic Alignment
No Impact (Blank) = Opportunity does not impact strategic alignment No Alignment (Red) = Opportunity opposes strategic plans Yes - General Alignment (Orange) = Opportunity generally aligns Yes - Explicit Alignment (Green) = Opportunity specifically/explicitly aligns
Client Impact High (Red) = Severe impact Medium (Orange) = Some impact No/Low (Green) = No or low impact
Recent Reviews
Decided (Black) = The current Council has decided not to implement / support the opportunity (a "dead-issue") C - Considered (Red) = A recent review (5 years) was not supportive of the opportunity PC - Partly Considered (Orange) = A recent review was not supportive of the opportunity, but may have only considered some aspects or circumstances, or priorities may have changed N/S - No/Supportive (Green) = The opportunity has not been studied recently, or the conclusions were supportive of and consistent with the opportunity.
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Appendix A Assessment Criteria (3 of 3)
Criteria Description
Other Cities / Leading Practices
None (Blank) = no comparator data / assessment performed DSI - Comparator Does Not Support Implementation (Red) = comparator jurisdictions and/or best practices do not support implementation of the opportunity C/I - Consistent/Inconclusive (Orange) = City performance is consistent with comparable jurisdictions or the data are inconclusive CSI - Comparator Supports Implementation (Green) = comparator jurisdictions and/or best practices support implementation of the opportunity
Barriers to Implementation
Insurmountable (Black) = Identified barriers will likely not be possible to overcome, such as opportunity is not feasible, or new legislation required High (Red) = Strong barriers exist and will not be overcome without strong leadership, perseverance over time, such as changes in collective agreement required Medium (Orange) = definite barriers will be challenging to overcome, but manageable and achievable if given appropriate attention and priority Low (Green) = no significant/insurmountable barriers to overcome
Potential First Benefits
Long (Red) = first benefits/savings realized after 5 or more years Medium (Orange) = first benefits/savings realized in 2 to 4 years Short (Green) = first benefits/savings realized within 1 year
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Appendix B Prioritization Categories
Suggested opportunities have been assigned implementation priority categories as follows.
Rank Category Description
A Approved Council has approved as part of the Budget process 1 Strategic Opportunities for larger potential cost savings or revenue generation and related smaller items
have been incorporated in the themed chapter discussions in chapters 5 through 12 of the Core Services Review Final Report
2 Short Term Consider for 2014 budget or earlier, relatively low client impact, lower barriers to implementation, potential cost savings or revenue generation
3 Staff to Implement Short term, staff directed to implement by Council, relatively low client impact, lower barriers to implementation, minimal budget implication, may already be in progress
4 Medium to Long Term
Could take more than a year to realize first benefits, acceptable client/customer impact, may have higher barriers to implementation
5 Investigate Further Uncertain whether to proceed based on current data given client/ customer impact, barriers to implementation, and/or benefits to be realized
6 Suggest to RDNO Area of RDNO jurisdiction, but action could reduce costs passed on to City taxpayers
7 Not Worth Pursuing Unacceptable client/customer impact, uncertainty over the benefits to be realized
The information contained herein has been compiled for the City of Vernon Core Services Review. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.
© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.
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The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International.