strategic plan implementation: phase 3 - richmond hill… · the richmond hill strategic plan...

Strategic Plan Implementation: Phase 3

Richmond Hill, where people come together to build our community.

Richmond Hill,

where people come

together to build

our community.

The Richmond Hill Strategic Plan Implementation: Phase 3 was approved by Council on June 14, 2016.

C O N T E N T S

FROM VISION TO PLAN TO ACTION....................................................1

IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGIC PLAN: ACTION OUR PLANS.....5

A) TAKING A PHASED APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTATION............5

B) FOCUS OUR EFFORTS IN KEY AREAS.............................................71. Provide Leadership............................................................................72. Engage the Community......................................................................93. Focus on Communication.................................................................104. Align Town Plans...............................................................................115. Undertake New Initiatives...............................................................126. Invest in Our Community...................................................................15

C) MONITOR PROGRESS AND REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY....171. Indicators for Goal One: Stronger Connections in Richmond Hill..172. Indicators for Goal Two: Better Choice in Richmond Hill.............203. Indicators for Goal Three: A More Vibrant Richmond Hill..........224. Indicators for Goal Four: Wise Management of Resources

in Richmond Hill...............................................................................23

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION..........................................................24

1

R I C H M O N D H I L L S T R A T E G I C P L A N I M P L E M E N T A T I O N – P H A S E 3

From Vision to Plan to Action

Seven years ago, we started our Strategic Plan journey by focusing on what mattered to the people of Richmond Hill. Together, Council, the community and staff developed a collective vision that defined what our community could be as well as the goals and actions we needed to achieve to realize it.

O U R V I S I O N

Richmond Hill, where people come together to build our community.

Goal One: Stronger Connections in Richmond Hill Connections make everything work; stronger connections make everything work better.

Goal Two: Better Choice in Richmond Hill Better choice is not the same as more choice. Better choice means having better quality options to achieve our community vision for Richmond Hill.

Goal Three: A More Vibrant Richmond Hill Some of the best places to live and do business are dynamic and diverse. They have a unique sense of place and identity. They are vibrant.

Goal Four: Wise Management of Resources in Richmond Hill Wise management means making decisions about how we consider and use our resources in Richmond Hill for this generation and those to follow.

Our vision and goals have guided our journey. The practical side of that journey has been the tasks that we have taken to realize our vision and goals. A phased approach to implementation – outlined in two plans (2009 – 2010 and 2012 – 2014) – has moved us from vision to plan to action. Much has been accomplished and progress has been made to achieving our vision and goals.

We have planned how to make the vision a reality. The Official Plan is leading us in building a new kind of urban representing a fundamental shift in the Town’s approach to land use. All of the Town’s key plans and strategies – Transportation Master Plan, Parks Plan, Cultural Plan, Recreation Plan and Environment Strategy – have been aligned with this approach.

2

We have accomplished a lot in Phase 1 and 2 Implementation. Since 2009 the Town has made significant progress towards realizing our future vision for the community.

We focused on creating a new kind of urban by making our community more attractive through high quality design, as set out in new urban design and public art policies.

We have developed sustainability guidelines for new development that provide direction to incorporate and promote sustainable practice and initiatives.

We are seeing a mix of housing to accommodate diverse needs to the community, including two affordable housing projects.

Completion of the viva Next Rapidway along Highway 7 as well as the design of the Yonge Street Rapidway will help to connect the community to other parts of the GTA by transit.

There has been over $270 million of investment by the Town transforming our community. This includes new and enhanced Town facilities, parks and spaces which are being designed to a higher standard, such as the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, Oak Ridges Community Centre and Fire Station 8-6 serving the Yonge Street and Gamble Road area.

Town facilities and parks have been kept in a state of good repair. The Bond Lake and Elvis Stojko arenas have been rehabilitated as well as Richvale Athletic Field, the soccer fields at Richmond Green and Crosby Park, Dorothy Price Park and Shawn Beggs Park.


3

New parks have been designed and constructed including: Laurentian Park, Alias Grace Park, Mary Dawson Park and the Lake Wilcox Park and Promenade.

We have protected and enhanced the Town’s natural environment as we urbanize. We have rehabilitated Rumble Pond and created a fully functioning wetland complex in Newberry Park. We have invested in Richmond Hill’s trees in response to the damage caused by the Emerald Ash Borer.

Our neighbourhoods and communities are better connected now with more than 22km of new trails, 50km of new sidewalks and 160km of signed bike routes.

We have improved access to programs and services through Access Richmond Hill, our one-window contact centre. We enhanced communication through live video streaming of Council and Committee of the Whole meetings as well as corporate social media accounts.

Barriers to service have been removed for persons with disabilities through the introduction of Browse Aloud (an application that makes websites accessible for those with visual impairments or literacy challenges) and UbiDuo (a communications device for people with hearing difficulties).

We responded to the changing needs of the community by adapting programs and services. There are now more drop-in programs and programs for youth and older adults.

We regularly review our services to ensure they meet the needs of the community and our organization. Over the past few years we have completed a number of service reviews including: the Town’s procurement process; the transition of the arenas from the Richmond Hill Arena Board; core service reviews for the Operations and Recreation, Culture and Events Divisions in Community Services; and enhancing Access Richmond Hill.

There has been commitment from Council and staff to wisely manage resources. We strengthened the Town’s financial framework through several actions: financial guiding principles have been developed that inform decision making; short and long term planning, prudent consideration of our reserve funds, and leveraging all available funding sources. Our budget process has been refined and there is increased engagement with residents and the business community on the Town’s operating budget that funds day-to-day services to the community.

Our open and transparent procurement process along with clear accountabilities as to how funds are managed supports the Town being effective stewards of our financial resources.

4

Having sustainable and diverse funding sources are an important part of the Town’s fiscal strategy and we have focused on recovering costs through user fees and charges as well as carefully managing reserve funds. We have sought alternative funding sources to lessen the burden on property tax payers and have received over $29 million in grant funding from Federal and Provincial governments. The Town has leveraged over $30 million in gas tax funding that has been used to retrofit buildings for greater energy efficiency, support rehabilitation of our stormwater facilities and create new trails and sidewalks.

Our Annual Reports provide information on these and other achievements. Our two implementation plans have helped us to begin the process of transformation to achieve our community vision. Although we have accomplished a lot, there is more to do to ensure Richmond Hill is truly a place where people come together to build our community.

2009 Strategic Plan

2009 Process & Approach

2009 Implementation Plan - Phase 1

2011 Implementation Plan - Phase 2

2009 - 2014 Performance

Indicators Report

2010 Annual Report

2011 Annual Report

2012 Annual Report

2013 Annual Report

2009 - 2014 Final Report

5


Implementing the Strategic Plan: Action Our Plans As we enter the third phase of implementation, we strive to achieve the Town’s Strategic Plan vision by continuing to take action on our plans and focusing on how we can provide exceptional public service.

A. Taking a Phased Approach to Implementation

Moving from Phase Two to Phase Three A key component of Phase Two implementation was the alignment of the Town’s key plans to the Strategic Plan vision, and taking action on other Plans that were completed in Phase One. Achieving the Strategic Plan vision of Richmond Hill, where people come together to build our community depends not only on developing and aligning our plans and making important capital investments, but on the service we provide to the community.

Richmond Hill is a different place than it was seven years ago. More people call the Town home than did in 2009. At that time, the Town’s population was 183,000 and is now estimated to be 207,000 – an increase of 24,000 people. The Town is growing differently, with a lot more apartments and less single family homes being planned and built. Transportation options are also changing, with the first section of bus rapid transit now in operation along Highway 7. Other things have stayed the same – Richmond Hill continues to be a diverse community in terms of culture, language and faith, with a high quality of life and great parks, trails, recreation and culture facilities.

6

Our third implementation plan will focus on how we will action all of the plans – the initiatives and investments that were identified in each one – as well as service delivery to the community and within the organization. Our mission is

Richmond Hill Council and staff are committed to providing exceptional public service to our community.

In this implementation plan, as we focus on our people as well as our projects, we will reframe our approach to providing exceptional public service and transforming how we deliver services. We’ll need to be more innovative, collaborative, and leverage strengths to continually improve our services.

This implementation plan will need to develop strategies for the resources – finances, technology and people - that we need to action the key plans. We’ll need to identify priorities that improve service to the community and pursue specific strategic investments that can be achieved within the Town’s financial resources and capacity to achieve them.

Strategic Plan Timeline – Development and Implementation

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Development

A collaborative, actionable Strategic Plan created by the people of Richmond Hill, focusing on a vision and four goals

Contains outcomes and strategies to take the community from vision to action

Phase One Implementation Key plans completed and aligned

Approved initiatives and investments completed

Town functions and operations are aligned to the Strategic Plan

Phase Two Implementation

Key plans aligned and completed

Take action on new initiatives and investments

Continued to focus on Leadership, Community Engagement and Communication as important ”lenses” for strategic action

Developed meaningful indicators and monitored and reported on progress

Phase Three Implementation

Focus on service excellence

Action strategic initiatives and investments from completed key plans

Build on our Leadership, Community Engagement and Communication focus

Monitor and report on progress

7


B. Focus our efforts in key areas How we action our plans is as important as the plans themselves. We remain committed to how we will act and what we will do to realize our vision.

Key areas of focus How we will act: We will provide leadership, engage the community and focus on communication. We will leverage our strengths in key areas. These three ‘hows’ are the ways we undertake all of our actions so we may achieve our shared vision.

What we will do: We will develop strategies to ensure that resources we need are in place to support taking action on our aligned plans, we’ll undertake new initiatives and investments that action our plans and improve service to the community.

1. Provide Leadership Providing leadership means working collaboratively with our community and others to influence and advocate on behalf of Richmond Hill. It means building partnerships within the community and beyond to strengthen our connections. Leadership also means striving for service excellence in everything we do – on behalf of our residents and within our workforce. The greatest results are the results that we achieve together. Providing leadership means the Town will:

Advance community priorities through Council Task Forces. The People Plan Task Force will guide the Town’s efforts in the development of the David Dunlap Observatory Master Plan and the Downtown Transportation and Parking Study as well as the development of a number of our Secondary Plans such as those for Richmond Hill Centre and the Downtown Local Centre. The Economic Development Task Force will lead the review and update of our Economic Development Strategy so we may retain and attract businesses that provide high quality jobs for our residents. The Civic Precinct Task Force will continue to lead the discussion on how this important part of Downtown Richmond Hill (the southwest corner of Yonge and Major Mackenzie) can become a vibrant, functional and symbolic public space at the centre of our community.

8

Advocate for and work with partners on matters of importance to our community.

Council and staff will continue to advocate for the extension of the Yonge Subway to Richmond Hill Centre and all day 2-way GO service. We will work with our government partners (York Region, Province of Ontario) to continue to build our bus rapid transit system on Yonge Street to help provide better choices for people to get around. We will continue to partner with groups such as the Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario (LUMCO) and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to ensure Richmond Hill and all municipalities receive adequate federal and provincial funding for the key infrastructure required in our communities.

Provide exceptional public service. Council and staff are committed to providing exceptional public service to our community. This means we are all in service to each other. We will continue to undertake service improvement initiatives that review what services we provide to our residents and how we provide them to make sure we are meeting our community’s needs, today and into the future. This will include considering new and innovative approaches wherever possible and practical. We will be reviewing our organization’s management structure to ensure it continues to align with our Strategic Plan vision and goals and focuses on our service to the community. We will ensure that our staff are supported and have the tools they need to successfully provide services to our residents. We will be engaging with our staff as we develop an Employee Strategy that will guide our actions in maintaining a positive work culture and a strong, caring and committed workforce. The world is changing and we need to ensure our workforce is resilient, adaptable and can grow as these changes occur.

9


2. Engage the Community Engaging the community means having an ongoing dialogue with an open exchange of ideas and involvement with the people of Richmond Hill. It means being accessible and inclusive, recognizing and celebrating diversity and seeking out the views of people who might not otherwise participate. Most importantly it means listening, so we can work together to bring about the change our community wants to see.

We will foster engagement with our community by:

Seeking feedback from our residents. The only way to know how you are doing is to ask. In 2012, Richmond Hill reached out to our residents through our Community Survey. The results helped us monitor our progress in implementing our Strategic Plan and allowed us to compare your satisfaction levels from previous surveys to help focus our service improvement efforts. We will be conducting Community Surveys on a regular basis – there was one in early 2016 – so we know how we are doing and where we may need to make changes. Building the community envisioned means continuing to engage with you as we make investments on your behalf. For example, your feedback on the design of our parks and facilities is needed so they reflect the vision of our community and become vibrant.

Connecting with the community through Council Task Forces. All three Council Task Forces will continue to engage with the community as they guide discussions and decisions on key Town priorities. The Economic Development Task Force will engage with our business community to seek their input into the update of our Economic Development Strategy. The Civic Precinct Task Force will engage as we continue to move forward with the development of this special people place. The People Plan Task Force will engage the community as the Richmond Hill Centre and Downtown Local Community Improvement Secondary Plans are developed.

Enhancing service options. Access Richmond Hill (ARH) is the Town’s main point of contact for accessing services. After six years of operations, a review was completed and service improvements have been identified. One such improvement includes the opening of a satellite ARH Office at the Operations Centre as a future pilot project. This will provide residents with better choice in accessing our services.

10

3. Focus on Communication A focus on communication means initiating dialogue, listening and responding to what we hear from our community in an open, transparent and accountable way. It also involves fostering an understanding and awareness of our programs and services. By continuing to evaluate the ways in which we communicate we will improve the reach and impact of our messages.

We will focus on communication by:

Launching our new Website. More and more people prefer to access information and services online. After several months of review including feedback through resident focus groups, the Town is set to launch its new website in 2016. This new and improved website will provide residents with easier access to the information they need, provide more innovative ways for the public to interact with the Town and allow for further online transactions over time.

Improving Awareness. Many of our residents have expressed a high level of satisfaction with living in Richmond Hill and are pleased with the services and programs we offer. Ensuring our residents hear about new services or programs will help continue this trend. Educating the community about Town by-laws that are in place to protect our quality of life is important. Most people want to comply with standards set by the community through our by-laws, but sometimes they aren’t fully aware of them. Increasing public education in this area will help promote good relationships between neighbours and focus efforts where enforcement to protect health and safety in our community is needed.

Monitoring and reporting on our progress in achieving our Strategic Plan goals. The Town will continue to report annually to the community on our progress in achieving our Strategic Plan. We will report on our community-focused key indicators related to each of the four Strategic Plan goals. We are going to develop and report on key performance indicators (KPI’s) for the organization so we may continue to identify our areas of strength and focus on areas for improvement.


11

4. Align Town Plans Six main plans provide direction to the Town and inform our decision-making on key matters such as growth, development and investment in infrastructure. Following our Strategic Plan development in 2009, the Town finalized the Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan in Phase One and completed the Cultural Plan, Parks Plan and Recreation Plan in Phase 2. Each of these are now aligned with Strategic Plan goals, outcomes and strategies, and were developed through leadership, community engagement and communication. In Phase Three, we will strengthen our approach to the implementation of these plans by developing strategies for the resources – finances, technology and people – to continue to put these plans into action.

Schedule of Actions: Align Town Plans

ACTION RESPONSIBILITY TIMEFRAME DESCRIPTION Lead Department 2016 2017 2018 2019

Financial Plan Corporate & Financial Services

✓ ✓ The Financial Plan will examine and strengthen the fiscal resources and tools that are needed to implement our vision for the future including alternative funding sources and a reserve fund sustainability strategy.

IT Strategy Corporate & Financial Services

✓ ✓ The IT Strategy will allow the Town to move towards a more comprehensive, strategic and customer centric approach to meet the future IT needs of the Town. The IT Strategy will identify opportunities to manage information and data, including exploring the potential for open data, and deliver services to staff and the community through a strategic investment in technology.

Employee Strategy

Chief Administrative Officer

✓ ✓ The Employee Strategy will strengthen the Town’s capacity to deliver exceptional public service through investing in the workforce to succeed now and into the future.

12

5. Undertake New Initiatives Realizing our vision for Richmond Hill will mean utilizing new approaches and practices as we take action on the recommendations of our completed plans. It also means considering strategic directions and identifying priorities that improve service to the community. New initiatives planned for Richmond Hill cover a broad spectrum. The ongoing realization of the Official Plan is a critical initiative of Phase Three Implementation. “Building a new kind of urban” in Richmond Hill means creating a complete, vibrant and connected community. The Official Plan’s vision, guiding principles and policies must be reflected and supported as we undertake new initiatives including the review of the Comprehensive Zoning By-law, the Parks Acquisition Strategy and the implementation of the Public Realm Master Plan. The Town approved an Environment Strategy in 2014. Actioning this strategy and its vision, Richmond Hill: a community that protects, enhances and restores its natural environment, is a priority for Phase Three. Other initiatives include developing a Community Energy Plan, accessibility improvements, a new website, confirming the vision and plan for the David Dunlap Observatory lands and continuing to pursue service improvement.

Schedule of Actions: New Initiatives


Official Plan Implementation

Planning & Regulatory Services

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Implementation of the Official Plan will continue with a number of activities such as: defense of the Plan at the Ontario Municipal Board; and development of secondary plans for the Richmond Hill Centre, Downtown, Yonge and 16th Key Development Area, and Oak Ridges Centre.

Comprehensive Zoning By-law


✓ ✓ ✓ The development of a Comprehensive Zoning By-law will begin in 2017. It will set out specific land use zones, permitted uses and required standards in keeping with the policies of the Official Plan.

Parks Acquisition Strategy


✓ ✓ A Parks Acquisition Strategy will give direction to parkland acquisitions that meet the needs of Richmond Hill in support of the Town’s vision.

Strategic Properties Management Strategy


✓ ✓ A Strategic Properties Management Strategy will guide the Town in inventorying and evaluating Town-owned properties and determining whether they should be retained for strategic purposes or disposed to fund other priorities.

13



ACTION RESPONSIBILITY TIMEFRAME DESCRIPTIONLead Department 2016 2017 2018 2019

Public Realm Master Plan Implementation

Environment & Infrastructure Services

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ The Public Realm Master Plan will guide the design of public spaces such as parks, trails, streets and urban squares to create extraordinary public spaces in Richmond Hill.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Implementation

Corporate & Financial Services

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ AODA implementation will remove barriers for people with disabilities as they relate to information and communications, transportation and the built environment. This initiative will continue to remove physical barriers in Town facilities, parks and trails as identified in the Accessibility Audit.

Community Energy Plan


✓ The Community Energy Plan will take an integrated approach to energy planning in Richmond Hill by aligning energy, infrastructure and land use planning. The Plan will study how energy is used by our community in order to identify areas where conservation, efficiency and renewable energy generation measures and incentives can be focused. The goal is to encourage and promote sustainable energy use in our community to lower greenhouse gas emissions and costs related to energy use.

Environment Strategy Implementation


✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Richmond Hill created its first Environment Strategy in 2014. The implementation of the strategy will help us reach our environmental goals and objectives and benefit our air, water and land resources.

David Dunlap Observatory Master Plan


✓ The David Dunlap Observatory Master Plan will develop principles, review options and recommend a preferred plan for the David Dunlap Observatory parklands.

Economic Development Strategy Refresh


✓ In April 2010, Council approved a new Economic Development Strategy for the Town. With implementation complete, it is time to review and update the Strategy to determine what else can be done to advance its vision and goals. The update will be guided by the Economic Development Task Force.

Service Improvement Initiatives


✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Service improvement initiatives will help to enhance the Town’s services. The initiatives will include process reviews, feasibility studies and operational reviews in various areas of the organization.

14


ACTION RESPONSIBILITYLead Department

DESCRIPTIONTIMEFRAME2016 2017 2018 2019

Corporate Key Performance Indicators


✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ The development of corporate Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) will help measure and compare organizational performance in meeting our strategic and operational goals.

Access Richmond Hill Review Implementation


✓ ✓ ✓ Implementation of the Access Richmond Hill Review will leverage existing service channels, providing better choice for our residents, including additional online services and a satellite ARH office at the Operations Centre.

Website Strategy


✓ The new Richmond Hill website will offer self-service to the greatest extent possible, provide up-to-date information and links to social media, have a user-friendly content management system and will meet AODA and other legislative requirements. A governance model, guidelines and procedures will also be established.

Green Procurement

Corporate & Financial Services

✓ ✓ A Green Purchasing Strategy will be developed as part of the implementation of the procurement review to support wise management of resources.

Museum Community Services ✓

In response to community interest, Council approved a Museum Feasibility Study which recommends a community awareness marketing and branding project to promote the services offered through the Town’s Heritage Centre and Museum. Programs and services will also be expanded and modest renovations will be made to the existing facilities.

15


6. Invest in Our Community Town Council has an impressive record of community investment. Phase One and Phase Two Implementation saw an unprecedented commitment to infrastructure investments by the Town with $270 million invested since 2009 and $84.5 million budgeted for 2016. This includes new and enhanced Town facilities, parks and spaces, designed to a higher standard, to complete our community and provide new places for people to interact and gather. It includes protecting and enhancing natural environment systems. It includes connecting our neighbourhoods and communities. In Phase Three of implementation, the Town will continue to design, build, maintain and enhance our community to create stronger connections (expansion of pedestrian and cycling networks), better choice (new library in Oak Ridges), a more vibrant Town (Civic Precinct project) and opportunities for wise management of resources (valleyland restoration). Specific strategic investments to be pursued in Phase Three are as follows:

Schedule of Actions: Investments


VIVA/Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Implementation


✓ ✓ ✓ The vision for Richmond Hill of building a new kind of urban is bolstered by the VIVA BRT Rapidway on Yonge Street as it provides the crucial transit piece that supports intensification – transit and pedestrian oriented growth – along Richmond Hill's major corridor and York Region’s 'main street'. This project, led by York Region, is scheduled to be complete by 2018.

Civic Precinct Chief Administrative Officer

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ This project will advance the creation of a community-focused area in the downtown that is vibrant and has a sense of place. The Project is to be guided by the Civic Precinct Task Force.

Lake Wilcox Park Youth Area


✓ The Lake Wilcox Park Youth Area includes basketball, skateboard and beach volleyball facilities as well as a gazebo/shade structure, lighting and Wi-Fi service.

16

Schedule of Actions: Investments

ACTION RESPONSIBILITYLead Department

DESCRIPTIONTIMEFRAME2016 2017 2018 2019

Oak Ridges Library


✓ ✓ Design of a new Oak Ridges Branch Library is underway with construction scheduled to be complete in 2017. Its site at Yonge Street and Regatta Avenue neighbours a newly constructed York Region District School Board facility.

Ed Sackfield Arena Expansion


✓ ✓ ✓ One of the main goals of the Town's Recreation Plan was to assess and identify the Town's future indoor recreation facility needs, including adding new ice pads. The Ed Sackfield Arena twinning project will include an additional ice pad, expanded fitness area and an indoor walking track.

Trails and Cycling Infrastructure


✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ The Town will continue to implement the recommendations of the Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan by expanding the present trails and cycling infrastructure and promoting its safe usage including Phase 1 of the Lake to Lake Cycling Trail and the Saigeon Trail Extension.

Highway 404 Overpass East Beaver Creek


✓ ✓ ✓ Working in partnership with the Region of York and the Town of Markham, the Town will develop a mid-block overpass above Highway 404 between Highway 7 and 16th Avenue. Its construction will help alleviate traffic congestion in the adjacent area and provide better choices for moving around.

Urban Forest Investment


✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ The Town’s investment in the urban forest includes ongoing implementation of the Emerald Ash Borer Strategy, tree planting and other restoration activities through the Community Stewardship program, the development of an Urban Forest Management Plan and communication and public awareness.

Valleyland Restoration


✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ The Valleyland Restoration Plan has been developed to address rehabilitation needs of valleyland and the infrastructure within Town-owned/managed valleylands. The implementation of priority projects will benefit the Town by taking proactive steps to repair problems early before they become larger and more costly to address.

New and Restored Parks

Environment & Infrastructure Services ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

A number of new and restored parks are being planned for construction including Bradstock Park, David Hamilton Park, Harris Beech Local Park, the Duke of Richmond North Park and Morgan Boyle Park.

17


C. Monitor progress and report to the community Using indicators to monitor progress towards our goals Our 2009 Strategic Plan developed a shared community vision and identified strategies that we needed to take to realize that vision. In Phase Two, we began monitoring the progress we made towards our goals as the new directions, policies and recommendations of completed plans began to take effect. A key component of this process involved developing effective community focused key performance indicators.

Thirty four performance indicators were developed for the Strategic Plan’s four goals to measure, monitor and evaluate our progress. Some are numerical – such as registration in Town programs. Others are based on a narrative of what certain pieces of information are telling us – such as our advocacy efforts. In Phase Three, all of these indicators will continue to be tracked to help us tell our story of progress and change.

Indicators for Goal One: Stronger Connections in Richmond Hill Stronger connections in Richmond Hill means people becoming more connected with each other and with our Town, including the development of greater physical, environmental and social networks.

Planning for a connected community Community engagement – Developing mutual understanding through an ongoing dialogue with our community is essential to creating stronger connections. This indicator describes the ways that the Town is engaging with residents and businesses to realize our shared vision: Richmond Hill, where people come together to build our community.

Advocacy – Strategically located at the centre of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Richmond Hill is influenced by GTA issues such as rapid growth, growing ethnic diversity and traffic congestion. This indicator describes the ways that the Town is taking leadership to influence and advocate for our community’s future.

18

Opportunities and places for people to connect and get involved Website usage – Greater access to more opportunities to connect is vital to realizing our outcome. This annual indicator tracks the number of times users connect through the Town’s website with opportunities and places to get involved.

Civic participation – Our shared vision of Richmond Hill requires the collaboration of the Town and the community. This indicator tracks annual community participation at events such as open houses, public meetings, citizen committees and through the Town website.

Volunteering – Volunteering connects people with the community by fostering new and strengthened relationships. This annual indicator tracks the number of volunteers and volunteer opportunities at Town recreational programs, events, tree plantings and natural heritage stewardship programs.

Physical connections in our community Community form and design – The Town’s Official Plan sets the direction for stronger physical connections in our community. This indicator describes the ways in which the Town influences land-use planning decisions to facilitate stronger physical connections.

Secondary Plans – The Official Plan mandate for stronger physical connections in our community must be supported by more place-specific policies, namely Secondary Plans for the Downtown, Richmond Hill Centre and Oak Ridges. This indicator describes the improvements the Town is bringing about through the completion of these plans.

Accessibility – The Town is committed to fostering an inclusive community by identifying and removing barriers faced by persons with disabilities. This indicator describes the ways the Town is taking action and will measure the extent to which these barriers have been removed.


19

Improving connections in our environment Greenway system – Greenway systems become more diverse, connected and healthy as they expand in size. This annual indicator tracks the growth in area and quality of the Town’s greenway system.

Environmental connections – Natural systems and green spaces are strengthened when they are connected and supported. This annual indicator describes and measures the ways that the Town is connecting the natural environment.

Tree cover – Our urban forest is an important part of our commitment to a healthy, safe and environmentally sustainable community. Tree cover connects our neighbourhoods to the larger greenway system, strengthening the health of both systems. This five-year indicator tracks the preservation and expansion of our tree and other natural cover.

Community feedback Community survey – This indicator will measure feedback from residents regarding the Town’s progress in building a community with stronger connections and better choice, that is more vibrant, and that wisely manages its resources. The survey will be conducted on a regular basis.

20

Indicators for Goal Two: Better Choice in Richmond Hill

Better choice in Richmond Hill means having better quality options to achieve our community vision, from housing and recreation to transportation and employment.

Better options to move around Public transit trips – Better options to move around in Richmond Hill include alternatives to driving a car on already congested routes. One solution is increasing the availability of public transit. This annual indicator tracks the number of public transit trips per capita in Richmond Hill.

Active transportation routes – Developing networks for active transportation provides options for people without access to a car (e.g. youth walking to school) or who choose a more active and healthy lifestyle (e.g. commuting to work by bicycle). This annual indicator tracks the increase in total kilometres of active transportation routes in Richmond Hill.

Transportation choices – This five-year indicator, also known as the modal split, considers the transportation choices people make among public transit, walking, cycling, carpooling and driving a single occupancy vehicle. The modal split serves as a long-term measure of how form and design decisions influence the built form of a community, as well as how effectively different transportation options are being created and promoted.

Better options for working and doing business Richmond Hill jobs – Strong economic growth and development in Richmond Hill will result in more jobs being created and, correspondingly, more options to work and do business here. This annual indicator tracks growth in the number of jobs in the community.

Job-to-resident ratio – Communities are strengthened by balanced growth between residential and job-creating land-uses. This five-year indicator tracks the ratio between total number of jobs and total residents in Richmond Hill.

Residents employed locally – When the types of businesses in Richmond Hill and the surrounding York Region correspond with the local workforce there is greater opportunity to work closer to home, resulting in decreased commute time and increased participation in the local community. This five-year indicator tracks the percentage of Richmond Hill residents who work nearby.


21

Better options for where to live Housing mix – A variety of housing types provides options for people at all stages of life. This annual indicator tracks the percentage of available housing types in Richmond Hill (e.g. Single detached, semi-detached, row housing, apartments).

Focused housing programs – The provision of housing for people with specific needs facilitates better quality options for these residents. This five-year indicator tracks the availability of specialized housing that is affordable and accessible to those with specific needs such as seniors, low-income earners or those with disabilities.

Better options for being active and involved Registration in Town programs – As the Town develops and promotes a range of organized and informal sports, recreation and culture programs, opportunities for people to become active and involved also increase. This annual indicator tracks the total number of registrants in Town programs.

Focused Town programs – A range of programs are necessary to ensure that the Town continues to meet the needs of our diverse and growing community. This annual indicator tracks the use of focused Town programs for children and youth, seniors, those with disabilities, those for whom income is a barrier and groups with other specialized requirements.

Trails – Residents have placed a high priority on increasing the opportunities to experience and move around Richmond Hill on trails. This annual indicator tracks increases in the length of trails for active transportation or recreational use in the Town.

22

Indicators for Goal Three: A More Vibrant Richmond Hill

A more vibrant Richmond Hill will be dynamic and diverse, will convey a unique sense of place and identity and will be an exciting destination to live, work or visit.

Respecting the past Heritage capacity – Respecting Richmond Hill’s heritage is an integral part of ensuring a more vibrant Town. This annual indicator describes and measures the Town’s effort to manage our natural and built heritage.

A sense of identity and place Investment in unique places – Richmond Hill’s historic and natural landmarks play an important role in creating a sense of identity and place. This annual indicator describes how the Town is creating, investing, promoting and stewarding these unique destinations.

Town event attendance – Special events are part of a more vibrant Richmond Hill as they bring together and celebrate Richmond Hill’s diverse range of cultures. This annual indicator tracks attendance at Town-hosted events such as celebrations, attractions and festivals.

Community identity & pride – A vibrant community is one that residents and businesses take pride in and identify themselves by. This annual indicator describes the emerging identity of Richmond Hill as measured by public recognition of its exceptional people and places.


23

Looking to the future Planning for the future – A more vibrant Richmond Hill requires a coordinated effort to build upon the Town’s unique strengths into the future while also honouring our past. This indicator describes how key plans set the stage for the more vibrant Richmond Hill of the future.

Indicators for Goal Four: Wise Management of Resources in Richmond Hill

The wise management of resources in Richmond Hill means being more responsible and less wasteful in the usage of all our resources, from people and time to money and the environment.

Less waste Waste diversion rate – Materials diverted from landfill can be reengineered into useful products, alleviating long-term environmental impact. This annual indicator tracks the volume of community waste that is diverted from landfill.

Greenhouse gas emissions – Climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions is widely regarded as one of the most significant global issues of our time. A changing climate means that municipalities are facing weather-related impacts on residents and infrastructure such as flooding, drought, extreme heat, poor air quality and severe weather. This indicator tracks progress made towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions every five years.

Road congestion – Congested roads have broad personal and environmental repercussions including travel delays, financial losses and poor air quality. This five-year indicator tracks the percentage of Richmond Hill roads that experience congestion during peak hours.

Being responsible Tree cover – Our urban forest is an important part of our commitment to a healthy, safe and environmentally sustainable community. Tree cover connects our neighbourhoods to our greenway system, strengthening the health of both systems. This five-year indicator measures the preservation and expansion of our tree and other natural cover.

Funding sources – Municipalities like Richmond Hill have the opportunity to fund the services they provide through a range of sources, creating a more sustainable financial strategy. This indicator tracks the percentages of funding sources that contribute to the Town’s budget on an annual basis.

Long-term financial planning – This indicator provides a description of how Richmond Hill is planning for a sustainable financial future in support of the services we offer our community.

24

Sharing our success Just as we did throughout Phase One and Phase Two Implementation, we will continue to report annually to the community as completed plans begin to take effect, new initiatives are completed and new investments are made. Reports to Council and the community are anticipated as follows:

Spring 2017 The Town will issue a summary report on all Phase 3 activities to date.

Spring 2018 The Town will issue a summary report on all Phase 3 activities to date.

Spring 2019 The Town will issue a summary report on the progress of our 2009 Strategic Plan and the accomplishments of the Phase 3 Implementation Plan. We will conduct a Strategic Plan review to ensure it continues to represent our Richmond Hill community vision.

Summary and Conclusion The Phase 3 Implementation Plan identifies how we will continue to move closer to our future vision over the next four years (2016-2019). Through leadership, engagement and communication we will continue to implement the Strategic Plan vision and goals. We will continue to action new plans, initiatives and investments that support us as we shift from a suburban to an urban community. We will report on performance indicators and report our progress towards our four goals: stronger connections, better choice, more vibrant and wise management of resources.

In 2019, ten years after the approval of our 2009 Strategic Plan, it will be time to review our Strategic Plan to ensure it continues to represent our community vision. With Council, we will chart a new course that will help us achieve our long-term vision for Richmond Hill,

Richmond Hill,

where people come

together to build

our community.

Printer is carbonzero certified.

Printer is ISO 14001 certified. Recyclable

Environmental Printing Summary The following summarizes the state-of-the-art environmental practices that have been incorporated into the production of this folder.

Ontario’s Environmental Leaders

This report was printed by a printer that is a member of Ontario’s Environmental Leaders Program. The Leaders Program recognizes select companies that demonstrate leadership in the preservation of the environment by using environmentally friendly processes and increased efficiencies. The printer is committed to preserving the environment, promoting sustainability and reducing waste for the benefit of the community.

Digital Printing The printer has reached beyond the standard environmental practices to ensure it delivers the most environmentally friendly and high quality digital printing available.

Terrachoice-EcoLogo

This report was printed by an EcoLogo certified printer. This program recognizes manufacturers and suppliers of environmentally preferable products that help consumers identify products and services that are less harmful to the environment.

Bullfrog Power

This report was produced utilizing Bullfrog Power to power the printing presses. Bullfrog Power generates power exclusively from wind and low-impact water power generators and meet or exceed the federal government’s EcoLogo standards for renewable electricity.

Environmentally Friendly Paper (Recycled Paper) This report was printed on Supreme Silk paper which is FSC® Certified and has 30% post-consumer recycled content.

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) Certification This report was printed on paper and by a printer that are Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) certified. FSC® promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

ISO 14001 This report was produced by an ISO 14001 certified printer. Fully committed to continuous improvements in waste reduction and pollution prevention, the printer has a comprehensive environmental management system that integrates sound business practices with environmental, health, safety and quality control practices.

Carbonzero Carbonzero is a socially responsible enterprise with a mission to apply technology, design thinking and risk management to the massive reduction of our environmental footprint.

Photography Credits:

All pictures in the Implementation Plan are of places and people in Richmond Hill. Pictures have been provided by David West and Richmond Hill.

Richmond Hill, where people come together

to build our community.

Town of Richmond Hill 225 East Beaver Creek Road Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4

Tel: 905-771-8800 Email: [email protected]

Website: RichmondHill.ca

mailto:[email protected]

http://RichmondHill.ca

strategic plan implementation: phase 3 - richmond hill… · the richmond hill strategic plan...

Documents