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AGENDA - General Committee - 20211102Town of Aurora General Committee Meeting Revised Agenda Date:November 2, 2021 Time:7 p.m. Location:Council Chambers, Aurora Town Hall Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings will be available to the public via live stream only on the Town’s YouTube Channel. To participate electronically please visit aurora.ca/participation. Pages 1.Call to Order Councillor Humfryes in the Chair. Additional items are marked with an asterisk (*). Land Acknowledgement 2.Approval of the Agenda 3.Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof 4.Community Presentations 5.Delegations *5.1.Nick Pileggi; Re: 15520 Yonge Street, Removal of Holding Symbol Request 1 6.Consent Agenda 7.Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes 7.1.Finance Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of October 12, 2021 2 That the Finance Advisory Committee meeting minutes of October 12, 2021, be received for information. 1. *7.2.Anti-Black Racism and Anti-Racism Task Force Meeting Minutes of October 20, 2021 6 That the Anti-Black Racism and Anti-Racism Task Force meeting1. minutes of October 20, 2021, be received for information. 8.Consideration of Items Requiring Discussion (Regular Agenda) 8.1.CS21-070 - Final Report Town of Aurora Municipal Service Delivery Review 9 (Presentation to be provided by Lauren Wyman, Manager; Srusti Pandya, Consultant; and Jaiman Chin, Vice President; Management Consulting, StrategyCorp Inc.) That Report No. CS21-070 be received; and1. That staff be directed to prioritize and action the recommendations in the report as appropriate; and 2. That staff report back to Council on progress.3. 8.2.PDS21-133 - Green Development Standards Update 171 (Presentation to be provided by Lisa Prime, Team Lead and Project Manager, PRIME Strategy & Planning Inc.) That Report No. PDS21-133 be received for information.1. 8.3.CMS21-035 - Sport Tourism Strategy Update 1 234 That Report No. CMS21-035 be received; and1. That a Sport Tourism Strategy be developed to engage the local business and hotel industry, create a visitor experience package to support existing events and explore potential new events to bring into the community with the current assets and resources available to the Town; and 2. That staff further investigate opportunities to enhance current facilities that would expand the event hosting potential and opportunities to bring new events into the community; and 3. That staff report back to Council in Winter 2022.4. 8.4.PDS21-137 - Promenade Streetscape Needs Assessment 277 That Report No. PDS21-137 be received for information.1. 9.Notices of Motion 10.Regional Report 11.New Business 12.Public Service Announcements 13.Closed Session There are no Closed Session items for this meeting. 14.Adjournment 100 John West Way Aurora, Ontario L4G 6J1 (905) 727-3123 aurora.ca Delegation Request This request and any written submissions or background information for consideration by either Council or Committees of Council is being submitted to Legislative Services. Council or Committee * General Committee Council or Committee Meeting Date *  2021-11-2 Subject * 15520 Yonge Street Full Name of Spokesperson and Name of Group or Person(s) being Represented (if applicable) * Nick Pileggi Brief Summary of Issue or Purpose of Delegation * to ask for Council consideration of an advance notice period for a Hold By-law removal Have you been in contact with a Town staff or Council member regarding your matter of interest? * Yes No I acknowledge that the Procedure By-law permits five (5) minutes for Delegations. * Agree  Page 1 of 283 1 Town of Aurora Finance Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Date: Time: Location: Tuesday, October 12, 2021 5:45 p.m. Video Conference Committee Members: Councillor Harold Kim (Chair) Mayor Tom Mrakas Councillor Michael Thompson Other Attendees: Councillor Rachel Gilliland Doug Nadorozny, Chief Administrative Officer Rachel Wainwright-van Kessel, Director, Finance Eliza Bennett, Acting Manager, Corporate Communications Tracy Evans, Advisor, Financial Management Jason Gaertner, Manager, Financial Management MaryBeth Meszaros, Procurement Consultant Linda Bottos, Council/Committee Coordinator _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Procedural Notes This meeting was held electronically as per Section 19. i) of the Town's Procedure By-law No. 6228-19, as amended, due to the COVID-19 situation. The Chair called the meeting to order at 5:46 p.m. 2. Approval of the Agenda Moved by Mayor Mrakas Seconded by Councillor Thompson That the agenda as circulated by Legislative Services be approved. Carried Page 2 of 283 2 3. Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof There were no declarations of pecuniary interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50. 4. Receipt of the Minutes 4.1 Finance Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of September 27, 2021 Moved by Councillor Thompson Seconded by Mayor Mrakas That the Finance Advisory Committee meeting minutes of September 27, 2021, be received for information. Carried 5. Delegations None. 6. Matters for Consideration 6.1 Memorandum from Senior Financial Management Advisor; Re: Fiscal Strategy Strategic Action Plan Staff provided an overview of the memorandum and the Committee expressed support for the proposed Fiscal Strategy Strategic Action Plan overall. The Committee inquired about the policy approval process and recommended that Council be given opportunities to provide input on the development of policies, and staff provided clarification. The Committee referred to Appendix A of the staff report and suggested the existing master, strategic plans and studies should be harmonized with the Town’s Strategic Plan, along with the roles and responsibilities of staff and Council, toward clarity on the objectives of the Corporation. Staff provided context regarding the Strategic Plan and confirmed that the Plan was re- endorsed during the current term and would be updated for the next term of Council. Moved by Councillor Thompson Seconded by Mayor Mrakas Page 3 of 283 3 1. That the memorandum regarding Fiscal Strategy Strategic Action Plan be received; and 2. That the Finance Advisory Committee comments regarding the strategic action plan be received and referred to staff for consideration and further action as appropriate. Carried 6.2 Memorandum from Manager, Financial Management; Re: Proposed 2022 Budget Introduction Staff provided an overview of the memorandum and the Committee expressed support for the proposed Budget process. The Committee requested that greater detail be provided for the upcoming Budget discussions on how staff have managed to offset the lower assessment growth and inflationary pressures and assurance that service levels have not been impacted. The Committee commented on the proposed water and wastewater rate increase driven by the Region’s decisions, and further requested that staff provide options to deal with the anticipated inflation increases over the next three to five years and the principle for setting tax year targets within the multi-year budget framework. Moved by Councillor Thompson Seconded by Mayor Mrakas 1. That the memorandum regarding Proposed 2022 Budget Introduction be received; and 2. That the Finance Advisory Committee comments regarding the proposed 2022 budget be received and referred to staff for consideration and further action as appropriate. Carried 6.3 Memorandum from Director, Finance; Re: Procurement Modernization Project Update Staff provided an overview of the memorandum and consultant’s report, noting the Town’s score is comparable with the starting point of other municipalities and a C grade (Good) is the goal. The Committee expressed concerns with the assessment results and requested that future discussions include additional information on the scoring and metrics Page 4 of 283 4 used, comparisons to the past review process, issues not previously identified, and comparisons with other municipalities. Staff offered a few municipal comparisons for the Committee’s reference. The Committee inquired about the level of bureaucracy and lack of flexibility identified in the current process, and staff advised there would be a recommendation to increase the delegation of authority threshold toward streamlining the process for lower value procurements. Staff provided clarification on the RFP process, lowest bidders, scoring criteria and weighting, and the tools for targeting bidders. Staff advised that the new procurement policy and protocols would be available for Council’s review in the next two to three months and implementation would include education across the organization through 2022. The Committee suggested that the process be enhanced sooner where possible and expressed support for the recommendation to establish a procurement governance committee. Moved by Councillor Thompson Seconded by Mayor Mrakas 1. That the memorandum regarding Procurement Modernization Project Update be received; and 2. That the Finance Advisory Committee comments regarding the procurement modernization project update be received and referred to staff for consideration and further action as appropriate. Carried 7. New Business None. 8. Adjournment Moved by Councillor Thompson Seconded by Mayor Mrakas That the meeting be adjourned at 6:33 p.m. Carried Page 5 of 283 1 Town of Aurora Anti-Black Racism and Anti-Racism Task Force Meeting Minutes Date: Time: Location: Wednesday, October 20, 2021 7 p.m. Video Conference Committee Members: Mark Lewis (Chair) Noor El-Dassouki (Vice Chair) Mae Khamissa Councillor Harold Kim Members Absent: Keenan Hull Other Attendees: Techa Van Leeuwen, Director of Corporate Services Robin McDougall, Director of Community Services Phil Rose, Manager, Aurora Town Square Alicia Cherayil, Collections and Exhibitions Coordinator Michael de Rond, Town Clerk _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Procedural Notes This meeting was held electronically as per Section 19. i) of the Town's Procedure By-law No. 6228-19, as amended, due to the COVID-19 situation. The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. 2. Approval of the Agenda Moved by Mae Khamissa Seconded by Noor El-Dassouki That the agenda, as circulated by Legislative Services, be approved. Carried Page 6 of 283 2 3. Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof There were no declarations of pecuniary interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50. 4. Receipt of the Minutes 4.1 Anti-Black Racism and Anti-Racism Task Force Meeting Minutes of June 16, 2021 Moved by Noor El-Dassouki Seconded by Mae Khamissa That the Anti-Black Racism and Anti-Racism Task Force meeting minutes of June 16, 2021, be received for information. Carried 5. Delegations None. 6. Matters for Consideration 6.1 Memorandum from Manager, Aurora Town Square; Re: Black History Month – Planning February 2022 Phil Rose, Manager of Aurora Town Square, provided a brief overview of the memo. There was no further discussion. Moved by Mae Khamissa Seconded by Noor El-Dassouki 1. That the memorandum regarding Black History Month – Planning February 2022 be received; and 2. That the Anti-Black Racism and Anti-Racism Task Force comments regarding Black History Month – Planning February 2022 be received and referred to staff for consideration and further action as appropriate. Carried Page 7 of 283 3 7. Informational Items None. 8. Adjournment Moved by Noor El-Dassouki Seconded by Mae Khamissa That the meeting be adjourned at 7:10 p.m. Carried Page 8 of 283 100 John West Way Aurora, Ontario L4G 6J1 (905) 727-3123 aurora.ca Town of Aurora General Committee Report No. CS2 1 -0 70 Subject: Final Report Town of Aurora Municipal Service Delivery Review Prepared by: Martin Stefanczyk, Program Manager, Corporate and Strategic Initiatives Department: Corporate Services Date: November 2, 2021 Recommendation 1. That Report No. CS21-070 be received; and 2. That staff be directed to prioritize and action the recommendations in the report as appropriate; and 3. That staff report back to Council on progress. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide council with the result of Municipal Service Delivery Review conducted by Strategy Corp.  Through interviews Council and the leadership team were engaged to confirm and detail the expected objectives of a successful review  The Service Delivery Review examined all Town departments and divisions to identify strengths, gaps and opportunities  The Town’s services were benchmarked to comparable municipalities which included eight key findings  An assessment of the expected shifts to service demands in the context of the Town’s population growth was completed  The Service Delivery Review resulted in 21 Service Driven and 17 Continuous Improvement Opportunities. Page 9 of 283 November 2, 2021 2 of 8 Report No. CS21-070 Background Council, at its meeting on May 19, 2020 passed the following motion; 1. That the Town of Aurora consider a Municipal Services Review to identify actions and directions that could result in a more efficient and cost-effective service delivery, enhanced organizational and operation procedures, new revenue streams, and potential savings; and 2. Be It Further Resolved That this item be referred to the 2021 budget with an estimate on the cost of conducting a service review; and 3. Be It Further Resolved That pending Council’s approval of the cost to conduct a review, the CAO be directed to finalize and issue a Request for Proposal for a Service Level and Delivery Review no later than February 2021 Service Delivery Reviews (SDRs) are an important and rigorous evaluation process that look at the needs and expectations of the community, the performance and costs of the services provided and result in key recommendations on industry best practices and approaches to improved service delivery. As a result of the completed SDR the Town of Aurora is better positioned to make more informed and strategic choices about our service delivery, prioritize service investment decisions and ensure services are delivered in a fiscally and operationally responsible way. The Town issued this RFP on January 26, 2021 and received 10 competitive submissions. Strategy Corp. an industry leader in Service Delivery Reviews was the successful proponent. Analysis Through interviews Council and the leadership team were engaged to confirm and detail the expected objectives of a successful review The objectives outlined included;  Providing clarity on the services that Aurora provides and articulating their value  Validating that Aurora is providing the right services and whether it should provide new ones  Identifying where service levels and KPIs need to be set and documented and how they currently compare to peers  Gaining the resident perspective on the services provided Page 10 of 283 November 2, 2021 3 of 8 Report No. CS21-070  Informing further discussions on organizational capacity and how departments should collaborate to achieve service levels  Understanding how growth and COVID-19 will impact service levels and future resource needs and  Informing disaster recovery and business continuity planning. The Service Delivery Review examined all Town departments and divisions to identify strengths, gaps and opportunities This analysis resulted in the identification of current strengths, gaps and opportunity areas of the Town’s services and a detailed and comprehensive inventory of services, service descriptions, and the categorization of services according to service drivers which included;  legislated  discretionary  combination of legislated/discretionary The Town’s services were benchmarked to comparable municipalities which resulted in eight key findings Town of Aurora’s service delivery was compared to Newmarket, Oakville, Caledon, Halton Hills and Ajax. These five comparator municipalities were selected through the following criteria;  Similar service offering  Population density and growth  Comparable family incomes  Two-tier government structure  Prioritizing the preservation of natural and cultural heritage while accommodating growth The benchmarking resulted in eight key findings 1. Revenue and Household Development. While every community’s revenue composition was relatively similar, Aurora is less reliant on property taxation than its peers (45.1%). The Municipality also had the highest proportion of residential development permits at 94%. 2. Average Water and Sewer Fees. Aurora charges an average rate for water and sewer charges per household. Although only Newmarket is responsible for billing Page 11 of 283 November 2, 2021 4 of 8 Report No. CS21-070 water rates among comparators, Aurora is performing on-par compared to other municipalities in York Region and beyond. 3. MMAH Key Performance Indicators Aurora’s comparators also meet most or all MMAH’s KPI targets. Over half of comparators outperform Aurora on Operating Surplus Ratio and Asset Sustainability Ratio, which could be areas to consider for further improving Aurora’s financial health. 4. Large Proportion of Spending on Contracted Services. The Town spends the highest amount on contracted services among comparators, at 49.6%. This includes outsourcing Fire Services to Newmarket and Water and Wastewater Services to York (~56% of contracted spending). 5. Lower than Average Debt and Debt Repayment Charges. Aurora maintains the lowest debt and debt repayment charges, according to several metrics, in the comparator set. 6. High Reserves. Aurora has high reserves compared to other municipalities. However, this is due primarily to Aurora’s hydro sale funds. A portion of this fund is being spent on the Aurora Town Square and will reduce the Town’s reserves. 7. A Comparatively Small Staff Complement. Aurora employs among the fewest staff in the comparator set relative to local population, in addition to the highest part-time staff relative to total staff among comparators. 8. Average Tax Amount on Par with Comparators. Residents in the Town of Aurora pay a municipal tax amount per household ($4,985) that is aligned with that of comparators ($4,753). Notably, Aurora’s average Current Value Assessment (CVA) is one of the highest in Ontario. An assessment of the expected shifts to service demands in the context of the Town’s population growth was completed Leveraging York Region’s ongoing municipal comprehensive review which provided population forecasts until 2051 for Aurora projected, slow growth and expedited growth service demand profiles were developed. The six key findings of the impact to service demand due to population growth are as follows; 1. Growth will require Aurora to continuously modernize and digitize operations to Page 12 of 283 November 2, 2021 5 of 8 Report No. CS21-070 achieve cost-efficiencies, with particular emphasis on IT and HR as automation and changing workforce needs impact the future of government. 2. Aurora’s ability to service water and wastewater needs for the planned growth targets are highly dependent on the Water Reclamation Centre currently scheduled for completion in 2028. 3. An aging and increasingly diverse population, higher density development, ability to develop and service new facilities, and citizen preferences will require Aurora to continuously innovate recreation and culture services. 4. Aurora’s fiscal strategy will need to pay particular focus to delays in development charge (DC) collections and their impact on future debt requirements and DC rates. 5. As identified in the recent Master Transportation Study, Aurora should focus on managing the existing transportation network while improving connectivity and safety particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. 6. To accommodate growth, Building Services will need to strengthen organizational capabilities to service infill development. The Service Delivery Review resulted in Service Driven and Continuous Improvement Opportunities. There are a total of 38 Improvement Opportunities identified and their categories are described below. Detailed explanation of each Improvement Opportunity can be found in the attached report starting on page 26. There are 21 recommended service driven opportunities. These Service Driven Opportunities are divided into;  Enterprise Wide Opportunities that apply across the organization and can benefit from an enterprise wide solution.  Department Specific Opportunities that apply to specific Town Departments and Divisions. These focus on actions and initiatives that will either improve the internal operations of the Division or how it delivers external services. In some cases these opportunities can have inter departmental connections. Page 13 of 283 November 2, 2021 6 of 8 Report No. CS21-070 There are also 17 continuous improvement opportunities that if implemented will enhance the Town’s reputation as a leading municipal organization in Ontario  Leading Municipal Practice: Opportunities that Aurora may consider as part of broader efforts to modernize and continuously improve. While not directly linked to a service, they provide the organizational infrastructure to improve service delivery.  Innovative Practices: Opportunities for innovation that, in a post COVID 19 environment, will address changing resident needs and preferences. Town staff will review the complete list of recommendations in the context of organizational capacity and prioritize accordingly. Advisory Committee Review NA Legal Considerations None. Financial Implications All presented recommendations will need to be fully assessed by staff in order to determine their feasibility and financial implications. Once a course of action has been determined, all anticipated financial implications and their timing will be presented to Council. Upon Council endorsement of the resultant action plan, any arising budget implications will be presented to Council for its review and approval as necessary. Communications Considerations The Town will follow up with the residents who participated in the municipal service delivery review survey to share the outcomes of their participation and of the review. The findings of the review will also be shared more broadly with residents through a media release, the Town’s website and social media channels. Page 14 of 283 November 2, 2021 7 of 8 Report No. CS21-070 Link to Strategic Plan Ensuring the responsive and efficient delivery of municipal services is aligned with The Corporation of the Town of Aurora Council’s approved 2011-2031 Town of Aurora Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan outlines the Town’s Vision 2021 as follows; “An innovative and sustainable community where neighbours care and businesses thrive” Goal: Supporting an exceptional quality of life for all Objective #6 Promoting service accountability, excellence and innovation  Work with community partners to define, redefine and meet community expectations  Regularly examine the Town’s municipal structure and resource allocation to maintain flexibility and respond to rapid changes within the community  Develop a plan to review and realign service levels to reflect current and future demographic trends Alternative(s) to the Recommendation  Council to provide direction Conclusion The 2021 Town of Aurora Municipal Service Delivery Review has been completed and concluded that  The Town is in a strong financial position when assessed against 65 financial indicators  The majority of Town services are being performed at/above standard  The Town is actively investing in continuous improvement and has a strong culture with dedicated staff committed to ensuring service delivery excellence to citizens Page 15 of 283 November 2, 2021 8 of 8 Report No. CS21-070 Attachments Attachment #1 Strategy Corp. Final Municipal Service Delivery Review Report Attachment #2 Summary Presentation Previous Reports NA Pre-submission Review Agenda Management Team review on October 14, 2021 Approvals Approved by Techa van Leeuwen, Director, Corporate Services Approved by Doug Nadorozny, Chief Administrative Officer Page 16 of 283 Final Report©STRATEGYCORP2021Town of AuroraService Delivery ReviewOctober 2021©STRATEGYCORP2021Attachment 1Page 17 of 283 2Table of ContentsEExecutive SummaryProject Context and OverviewService Level Review and Related OpportunitiesImplementation ConsiderationsAppendix A: Town of Aurora Financial AssessmentAppendix B: Peer BenchmarkingAppendix C: Detailed Resident Engagement FindingsAppendix D: Financial Analysis Assumptions3142086889811812414865327Page 18 of 283 31. Executive Summarya.Project Overview b.Summary of Key Findings c.Overview of Current Service Performance and Projected Service Demandsd.Overview of Improvement Opportunities e.Summary of Potential Savingsf.Implementation and Next Steps 14865327“I've only been a resident since 2019 and have not regretted my decision to move here from Oakville for one second. This is one of the nicest and most caring places I have ever encountered.” – Aurora ResidentPage 19 of 283 4OOBJECTIVESMembers of the Council and the Town’s senior leadership team defined the objectives of a successful review as:•Providing clarity on the services that Aurora provides and articulating their value;•Validating that Aurora is providing the right services and whether it should provide new ones;•Identifying where service levels and KPIs need to be set and documented and how they currently compare to peers;•Gaining the resident perspective on the services provided;•Informing further discussions on organizational capacity and how departments should collaborate to achieve service levels; •Understanding how growth and COVID-19 will impact service levels and future resource needs; and•Informing disaster recovery and business continuity planning.The Town of Aurora engaged StrategyCorp to conduct a Service Delivery Review (“SDR” or “Engagement”). This project is focusedonimproving services that residents use in their day-to-day lives while also driving ongoing efficiencies, innovation, and cost savings in delivering those services.a. Project Overview EXECUTIVE SUMMARY METHODOLOGYIn conducting this SDR, StrategyCorpundertook an approach comprised of three main phases, each one building off the former. 1.Research and Current State Assessment: Identified current strengths, gaps, and opportunity areas as relating to the Town’s services. This leveraged primary and secondary research including document review, stakeholder interviews (Councillors and key staff members), and an online resident survey. An extensive inventory of all Town services was undertaken to document service descriptions, levels, and key gaps. 2.Growth Impact Analysis: A set of future growth scenarios and service growth drivers were defined. Using population growth and comparator municipality benchmarking, a high-level service needs forecast and readiness assessment were developed. 3.Opportunity Development:38 improvement opportunities were identified and evaluated based on work completed in Phases 1 and 2, comparator benchmarking, and leading practices. 1Page 20 of 283 5b. Summary of Key Findings 1SERVICE MODERNIZATIONA significant number of continuous improvement and modernization initiatives are underway. Moving forward, it is important for Aurora to leverage change management to ensure staff at all levels can embrace the desired future state for Aurora. SERVICE PERFORMANCE19/25of Town’s services are performing at/above standard. However, many service areas need to establish or update to more defined service levels. A key enabler of this will be establishing enterprise-wide service levels through development of internal service level agreements and cross-functional collaboration.HEALTHY FINANCIAL POSITION Overall, the Town is in a healthy position from a financial and organizational capacity perspective. Aurora’s financial health was assessed against approximately 65 indicators, with the Town performing at or above average for nearly all indicators. Aurora’s taxation levels are also on par with that of comparators. Information gathered through existing data and documents, specific details on all core services, Council, ELT and CMT interviews, and the public engagement survey informed the following observations, which in turn, were used to develop service delivery improvement opportunities. Key takeaways were as follows: STAFF CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENTParticipants referenced a positive culture and dedicated staff teams at Aurora. There is opportunity for Aurora to invest in its workforce of the future through a long-term HR strategy that includes training, learning and development, and diversity and inclusion. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONAlong with HR, the future of work is also accelerating digital transformation in municipalities. As other municipalities in the region like Newmarket prioritize these innovations, Aurora has both the opportunity to participate in regional collaboration efforts and modernize its own operations.TOWN GROWTHThe ability to service future growth emerged as a key theme. Population and development-driven services will face greater difficulty in meeting planned growth targets from York’s MCR (e.g., planning and development, water and wastewater, recreation and culture services, and facilities management).EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 21 of 283 6PROJECTED IMPACT OF GROWTH ON SERVICESThe following provides an overview of Town service level performance, as identified in the service delivery review and through resident input. Aurora anticipates that the Town’s population will grow to 84,900 by 2051. The service delivery review projected the impact thisgrowth will have on services. A summary of the growth impact analysis is also captured below.c. Overview of Current Service Performance and Projected Service DemandsEXECUTIVE SUMMARY 123/25Services with partially to fully defined service levels17/25Services with partially to fully defined KPIs19/25Servicesperforming at/above standardGeneral GovernmentTransportation ServicesFinancial Impact (L,M,H)Organizational Capability Impact (L, M, H)LMHLMHProtection ServicesEnvironmental ServicesRecreation & Culture ServicesPlanning and DevelopmentTOWN SERVICE PERFORMANCERESIDENT PERSPECTIVES97 residents provided input on the Town’s services through a resident satisfaction survey. Overall, residents had high praise for the Town’s services including recreation, parks, library, Access Aurora, Machell’s Alley, special events, building, and communication. Reported they are either satisfied or very satisfied with the overall Town service level.Reported they are either familiar or very familiar with the Town’s service delivery and operations.82%58%Low riskMedium riskHigh riskLEGEND**Size of the bubble indicates degree of risk. Colouris used for visual emphasis.Page 22 of 283 7OOpportunities that were categorized as Continuous Improvement Opportunities have been further categorized as ‘Leading Municipal Practices’ and ‘Innovative Practices’. These are opportunities to accommodate growth, retain changes to services and ways-of-working that have been identified as improvements, and explore digital transformation more vigorously.Opportunities were divided into two groups. Those that were categorized as Service-Driven Opportunities have been further categorized as ‘Enterprise Wide’ or ‘Department Specific’.d. Overview of Improvement Opportunities17Continuous ImprovementLeading Municipal Practice: Opportunities that Aurora may consider as part of broader efforts to modernize and continuously improve. While not directly linked to a service, they provide the organizational infrastructure to improve service delivery.Innovative Practices: Opportunities for innovation that, in a post-COVID-19 environment, will address changing resident needs and preferences. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1These opportunities have been developed further into opportunity profiles, which detail the rationale for change, service impact analysis, financial implications, and implementation considerations, among other areas. 4Enterprise Wide: Opportunities that apply across the organization and can benefit from an enterprise-wide solution.Department Specific: Opportunities that apply to specific Town Departments and Divisions. These focus on actions and initiatives that will either improve the internal operations of the Division or how it delivers external services. In some cases, these opportunities can have inter-departmental connections.1771021Service-DrivenIt is important to note that prior to this SDR process, several planning, digitization, and improvement initiatives were alreadyunderway; in many cases, they set the foundation for opportunities identified within this review. They have been identified in detail on Slide 19.Page 23 of 283 8ENTERPRISE-WIDE DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC1.Establish service levels where gaps exist and adopt an annual service level review process.2.Through the customer experience plan (CEP), establish internal service level agreements (SLAs) between departments to achieve enterprise-wide service levels. 3.Through the CEP, validate whether to keep customer service for Community Services separate from Access Aurora.4.Through the CEP, better define the Town’s value proposition to residents and improve access to services.Office of the CAO5.Shift Corporate Communication’s focus away from administrative tasks towards more strategic ones. Corporate Services 6. Ensure recognition and capacity for Access Aurora’s internal customer service initiatives.7.Deliver off-site wedding services.8.Bring clarity and consistent implementation to the SLAs between Legal Services and other Town Divisions.9.Define a HR strategy linked to the Town’s strategic plan.10.Elevate the role of the PMO to focus on more enterprise-wide transformation projects.11.Given clear increases in service level expectations and overall demand for by-law services, either align resourcing to meet demand, or decrease service levels.12.In partnership with the region, transition to an Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS).Finance13. Review contracted services to ensure value-for-money and opportunities to improve service level.Community Services 14.Better empower and train front-line staff to manage customer requests.15.Develop a Council-approved policy for Special Events Calendar planning.16.Review mandate and resourcing of Facilities Management to ensure alignment with Town growth and Council expectations.17.Review mandate and resourcing of Culture to ensure implementation of master plans.Operations18.Digitize Road Occupancy Permit (ROP) application and develop by-law to enforce ROPs. Planning and Development 19.Expand functionality and utilization of CRM system.20.Develop a Council-driven real-estate portfolio strategy. 21.In coordination with Community Services, explore the delivery of new business and community development services.d. Overview of Service-Driven Improvement OpportunitiesEXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1Page 24 of 283 9LEADING MUNICIPAL PRACTICESINNOVATIVE PRACTICES1.Drive greater alignment between the corporate strategic plan and Division-level priorities.2.Build more collaborative partnerships between cross-functional support staff and service delivery staff. 3.Create an annual governance training plan for Council.4.Increase focus on diversity and inclusion within service delivery to better reflect the Town’s changing demographics.5.Appropriately resource enterprise-wide initiatives, while defining and communicating clear roles and responsibilities.6.Improve the intranet and increase its use to facilitate greater information sharing across departments.7.Formalize and sustain practices put in place during the pandemic that proved to be effective.Resident and Business Needs and Preferences1.Accessible Public Wi-Fi2.“Open Streets” initiatives3.Climate Adaptation Planning4.Participatory BudgetingImproved Services and New Ways-of-Working5.Accommodating Hybrid Work6.“Third Spaces” initiativesDigital Transformation and Investments7.Digital Services and Payments8.Open Data9.Digital Engagement10.“Smart Cities” InvestmentsThe report contains a deeper dive on each of the opportunity areas. Service Driven Opportunities are built out into Opportunity Profiles with financial analysis and relevant implementation considerations. Continuous Improvement Opportunities are further detailed withrationale, leading practices, benchmarking, and case studies. d. Overview of Continuous Improvement OpportunitiesEXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1Page 25 of 283 10e. Summary of Potential Financial Benefits and Investments (1 of 2)TThe following is a summary of the potential benefits that the Town could achieve by implementing the proposed initiatives. Most of these are productivity savings, not direct savings. Additionally, they will be realized once successful implementation has occurred over the identified timeline. Time and resource investments are required to implement opportunities and achieve these benefits. The majority ofcostsavings were calculated using three main benchmarks related to People and Talent, Digitization, and Process Standardization. The table below summarizes savings at the opportunity level.For a description of all financial assumptions, see Appendix D.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1OpportunityInitial InvestmentAnnual Operating ExpensesTotal Annual SavingsNet Annual Savings1. Missing service level development and annual update- $70,100 $515,000 $$444,9002. SLA development$175,200 Included in Opp. #1Included in Opp. #1Included in Opp. #13. Customer Services/Access Aurora integrationExisting CEP - $45,300 $$45,3004. Value proposition communications to residentsExisting CEP $4,700 - (($4,700)5. Communications team transition to strategic activities-- - --6. Access Aurora capacity- - $47,500 $$47,5007. Off-site wedding services - $20,800 $62,700 $$41,9008. Legal Services SLA implementation- Included in Opp. #2Included in Opp. #1-9. HR Strategy development$17,900 $686,700 $824,000 $$137,30010. PMO role transition$8,100 - $8,000 $$8,00011. By-law resourcing assessmentApproved in 10 yr capital budget--12. Transition to an AMPS$14,300 - $11,000 $$11,000Page 26 of 283 11e. Summary of Potential Financial Benefits and Investments (2 of 2)NNOTES:•Initial Investment are one-time up front internal or external costs (e.g., staff time, consultants, training, software, etc.) for the opportunity area.•Annual Operating Expenses are annual costs that must be incurred when pursuing the opportunity. •Initial Investment and Annual Operating Expenses do not account for additional internal planning and coordination required to mobilize the opportunities. Aurora is encouraged to consider planning and resource timing when moving forward with these opportunities.•Total Annual Savings are cost savings that can be achieved through this opportunity area.•Net Annual Savings are cost savings that will be achieved after annual operating expenses are incurred.•A series of sstaffing considerations were identified throughout the review and shared with internal leadership. Staffing decisions should be based on the positions approved in the multi-year budget.•In some instances, it may be more cost-effective for the Town to outsource initiatives like municipal policy/plan development. OpportunityInitial InvestmentAnnual Operating ExpensesTotal Annual SavingsNet Annual Savings13. Contracted services review- $70,100 $217,000 $$146,90014. Recreation front-line staff trainingIncluded in Opp. #10Included in Opp. #10Included in Opp. #10Included in Opp. #1015. Special Events Calendar Policy development$7,100 - $23,000 $$23,00016. Facilities Management mandate and resource review$8,000 - - --17. Culture Services mandate and resource review-----18. ROP application digitization and enforcement by-law - - $7,500 $$7,50019. CRM expansionExisting Technology Strategic Plan- $55,000 $$55,00020. Real Estate Portfolio Strategy development$6,200 - $27,500 $$27,50021. Business and Community Development services$15,200 - - --Total $252,000$852,400$1,843,500$991,100EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1Page 27 of 283 12f. Implementation and Next Steps EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1Each opportunity analysis includes implementation considerations, including recommended timing and prioritization. Further operational planning will be required to prioritize opportunities, integrate these initiatives into the Town’s budgeting and workplan processes, and mitigate against possible risks to timelines including the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Town finances and the 2022 municipal elections.Wave 1•Missing service level development and annual update*•Access Aurora capacity•Off-site wedding services•By-law resourcing assessment•Contracted services review•Special Events Calendar Policy development•Culture Services mandate and resource review•ROP application digitization and enforcement by-law*This activity will set the foundation for additional opportunity areas and is prioritized for Wave 1. Wave 2•SLA development•Communications team transition to strategic activities•Legal Services SLA implementation•HR strategy development•PMO role transition•Transition to an AMPS•Recreation front-line staff training•Facilities Management mandate and resource review•Contracted services review (continued)Wave 3•Customer Services/Access Aurora integration•Value proposition communication to residents•CRM expansion•Real estate portfolio strategy development•Business and community development services•Contracted services review (continued)1. Align upon prioritization of recommended opportunities.2. Conduct further operational planning as required by internal budgeting and work planning processes.3. Implement opportunities in a phased approach and report to Council on progress. Note:Each Wave is expected to span 1 to 2 years.NEXT STEPSPage 28 of 283 13f. Implementation and Next Steps EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1To inform further prioritization of projects, the following opportunities have been identified as directly supporting prioritiesof digital modernization, service integration, and shared services/alternative service delivery models. Digital Modernization•Opportunity #18: Digitize Road Occupancy Permit (ROP) application and develop by-law to enforce ROPs. •Opportunity #19: Expand functionality and utilization of CRM system.Service Integration•Opportunity #3: Through the CEP, validate whether to keep customer service for Community Services separate from Access Aurora.Shared Services/Alternative Service Delivery•Opportunity #12: In partnership with the region, transition to an Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS).•Opportunity #13: Review contracted services to ensure value-for-money and opportunities to improve service level.SERVICE-DRIVENOPPORTUNITIESEXISTING OPPORTUNITIES•Human Resource Information System (HRIS)/ADPNow•Financial management system•eScribe for legislative services•ERP system to automate workflows and enable reporting functionality•Automated water meter read system•Software for business owners and plumbing contractors to complete backflow prevention tests•Fleet management software pilot to help increase preventative maintenance of fleet•Digital database for engineering drawings, enabling faster responses to information requests•Contract management software within Legal ServicesAdditionally, the following digital modernization initiatives are already underway. They can also be prioritized for implementation.Page 29 of 283 142. Project Context and Overview a.Context and Objectivesb.Project Approach Methodology c.Overview of Aurora •Aurora at a Glance •Current Service Offering•Change Currently Underway 14865327Page 30 of 283 15a. Context and Objectives TThe Town of Aurora is in the process of transitioning from a “small town to a large town.” This includes modernizing and maturing key Town services while maintaining Aurora’s distinct identity. The Town of Aurora is a growing community seeking to preserve its heritage and small-town feel while managing population and commercial growth.The Town of Aurora has engaged StrategyCorpto conduct a Service Delivery Review (“SDR” or “Engagement”). This project is focused on improving services that residents use in their day-to-day lives, while also driving ongoing efficiencies, innovation, and cost savings in delivering those services. OBJECTIVES Members of the Council and the Town’s senior leadership team defined the objectives of a successful review as:CONTEXT •Providing clarity on the services that Aurora provides and articulating their value;•Validating that Aurora is providing the right services and whether it should provide new ones;•Identifying where service levels and KPIs need to be set and documented and how they currently compare to peers;•Gaining the resident perspective on the services provided;•Informing further discussions on organizational capacity and how departments should collaborate to achieve service levels; •Understanding how growth and COVID-19 will impact service levels and future resource needs; and•Informing disaster recovery and business continuity planning.PROJECT CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW2Page 31 of 283 16Identified current strengths, gaps, and opportunity areas as related to the Town’s services. Sources:9Internal data and documents.9Council (5), ELT (7), and CMT (21) interviews.9Corporate Service Inventory (documented service descriptions, levels, and key gaps).92019 FIR data was used to ensure analytical consistency and comparability. b. Project Approach and MethodologyGGrowth Impact Analysis9Reviewed Town growth planning documents.9Engaged subject matter experts.9Defined a set of future growth scenarios and service growth drivers.9Developed high-level service needs forecast and a readiness assessment using population growth and comparator municipality benchmarking.9Launched a public engagement survey to take a pulse check of the Town’s experience with resident-facing services. 9Received 97 responses and good insight into the trends of resident experiences with Town services.921 service-driven opportunities and 18 continuous improvement opportunities were identified based on work completed in Phases 1 and 2, comparator benchmarking, and leading practices.9Opportunity analysis and development used most recent 2021 Town budget data to ensure accurate analysis.In conducting this SDR, StrategyCorpundertook an approach comprised of the following main phases, each one building off the former. Research and Current State AssessmentResident EngagementOpportunityDevelopmentAPRIL TO OCTOBER 2021PROJECT CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW2Page 32 of 283 17c. Overview of Aurora: Growth and DemographicsThe Town of Aurora is situated in York Region with an estimated population of 62,000 residents as of 2020. It is home to over 1,300 businesses, including approximately 150 major industries and head offices.The Town comprises nearly 50 km2with a population density of approximately 1,112 km2.Aurora has:•Experienced a population increase of over 13% since 2016 and will see its population grow by 37% (1.2% per year) by 2051. •A population of predominately working age residents, with an over 65 population (13%) that is lower than the provincial average (14.6%).•An above average median household income, when compared to the rest of the province.•Municipal tax rate decreased between 2016 – 2020, while the municipal tax levy and average Current Value Assessment (CVA) has increased over the same period. Among 35 municipalities,AAurora had the 7thlowesttax rate across all of Ontario.*2011201655,44553,2034.2% increase Median After-Tax Household IncomeOntarioPopulation DemographicsOntario$82,8040 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,0000-1415-3940-6565+Age DistributionAurora$90,550PROJECT CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW2Municipal Tax Revenue0.20%0.25%0.30%0.35%0.40%0.45%0.50% $- $10.00 $20.00 $30.00 $40.00 $50.00 $60.00MillionsNet Municipal LevyMunicipal Tax rate* Source: JannineRane, ZOOCASA (2020). Ontario Cities With the Highest and Lowest Property Tax (Report)https://www.zoocasa.com/blog/ontario-property-tax-rates/Page 33 of 283 18c. Overview of Aurora:Current Services Offering AA key component of the work conducted as part of this review was the corporate service inventory. Service profiles were developed for each service provided by the Town. This inventory has been shared as a separate database to be maintained on an ongoing basis and owned internally.This service list has been identified by StrategyCorp, in consultation with staff, as the Municipality’s “core service groupings.” The profiles were then developed based on available data and financial information, augmented by discussions with key stakeholders involved in service delivery.PROJECT CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW2Office of the CAO Corporate Services Finance Planning and DevelopmentCommunity Services Operations•Corporate Comms ((D)•Access Aurora ((L/D) •Legislative Services/Records Management ((L)•Information Technology ((D) •By-law Services (L/D) •Human Resources (L/D) •Corporate Initiatives (L/D) •PMO ((D) •Legal Services ((L/D) •Financial Reporting and Revenue ((L)•Procurement Services ((L)•Financial Management (L) •Development Planning ((L/D) •Policy Planning & Economic Development (L/D) •Building ((L/D)•Engineering & Capital Delivery (L/D) •Recreation/Special Events ((L/D) •Culture ((L/D) •Facilities Management (L/D) •Business Support (D)•Roads((L/D) •Fleet ((L/D) •Parks ((L/D) •Solid Waste (L/D) •Water/Waste (L/D) The Office of the Mayor and CouncilNote: Services delivered by York or Newmarket(e.g., Fire) were out of scope for this review.17%12%71%L Legislated DriversDDiscretionary DriversL/DService with Legislated and Discretionary DriversLEGENDLegislated vs. Discretionary Services Most of Aurora’s services are legislated with additional discretionary components. This contributes to an overall higher standard of service than what is required by legislation. Council may choose to sustain this as it is welcomed by the community, but should continuously evaluate the scope of services to ensure value for investments. Page 34 of 283 19Corporate PlanningDigitizationContinuous ImprovementNew Services and RolesDevelopment of a new:•Fiscal strategy•Second generation Asset Management Plan•Culture master plan•Communications planRoll out of a new:•Human Resource Information System (HRIS)/ADPNow•Financial management system•eScribe for legislative services•ERP system to automate workflows and enable reporting functionality•Automated water meter read system•Software for business owners and plumbing contractors to complete backflow prevention tests•Fleet management software pilot to help increase preventative maintenance of fleet•Digital database for engineering drawings, enabling fasters responses to information requests•Contract management software within Legal Services•Excellence Canada initiative•Procurement Modernization, resulting in new by-law, templates, and processes•Integrated Business Planning Process (IBPP)•Customer experience initiative•Change management initiative•CSR initiatives •Bag Tag program•Green Bin collection at multi-residential properties•Updating by-law to make textiles a curb-side collection item•Formal Education Programs planned for 2023•Shifting the Planning Clerk role to have a greater customer service focus, thereby improving customer experience and relieving capacity for Planners While these initiatives are well planned and managed, it will be important to manage the people side of change through changemanagement and ensure staff at all levels can embrace the desired future state for Aurora. Participants noted that pockets of change resistance(e.g., some lags in following new project management protocols) already exist within the organization, which may need additional attention movingforward.c. Overview of Aurora: Change Currently Underway PROJECT CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW2The following highlights key service delivery and continuous improvement initiatives already underway. They were not investigated further as part of the review but set the foundation for opportunities identified within this report.Page 35 of 283 203. Service Level Review & Related Opportunitiesa.Service Level Current Stateb.Improvement Opportunities•Service-DrivenoEnterprise-Wide oDepartment-Specific•Continuous Improvement oLeading Municipal PracticeoInnovative Practicesc.Growth Impact Analysis14865327Page 36 of 283 21a. Opportunity Analysis Overview and Key Definitions (1 of 2)SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES3Rationale & Description:•Provides context on why this opportunity was identified.•Outlines tactics that the Town can take and potential benefits associated with the opportunity. Implementation Considerations:•Outlines financial analysis on potential revenues or cost savings that can be realized from the opportunity. •Quantifies the estimated level of investment required to pursue this opportunity. Most initiatives leverage CMT capacity as the base value as it provides a median salary base from which to estimate costs. In reality, many tasks will be delegated up and down to implement the opportunity.•Suggests time waves for implementation, each spanning 1-2 years.•Identifies any risks or challenges with pursuing this opportunity.•Assesses how different aspects of Aurora’s operations will be impacted by the opportunity (see next slide for details).Leading Practices / Benchmarking:•Identifies relevant leading practices for the Town’s consideration. •Evaluates opportunity within the context of comparators.Opportunity Explanation:•Describes the leading municipal practice or innovations that the Town can adopt to continuously modernize operations.•Provides case studies on innovations seen within other municipalities.•Where relevant, provides benchmarking considerations for Aurora.Continuous improvement opportunities were also further detailed for the Town’s consideration. The following provides an overview of how each opportunity analysis is structured.Service-driven opportunities were further evaluated to outline rationale, implementation considerations, and supporting leading practices and benchmarking analysis. Page 37 of 283 22a. Opportunity Analysis Overview and Key Definitions (2 of 2)SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES3The following provides an overview of how each opportunity analysis is structured.Rationale & Description:•Provides context on why this opportunity was identified.•Outlines tactics that the Town can take and potential benefits associated with the opportunity. Implementation Considerations:•Outlines financial analysis on potential revenues or cost savings that can be realized from the opportunity. •Quantifies the estimated level of investment required to pursue this opportunity. Most initiatives leverage CMT capacity as the base value as it provides a median salary base from which to estimate costs. In reality, many tasks will be delegated up and down to implement the opportunity.•Suggests time waves for implementation, each spanning 1-2 years.•Identifies any risks or challenges with pursuing this opportunity.•Assesses how different aspects of Aurora’s operations will be impacted by the opportunity.Leading Practices / Benchmarking:•Identifies relevant leading practices for the Town’s consideration. •Evaluates opportunity within the context of comparators.Service-driven opportunities were further evaluated to outline rationale, implementation considerations, and supporting leading practices and benchmarking analysis. What and how services are delivered.Service Delivery Processes Org StructureTechnologyData and Reporting People and Culture Functions and processes supporting service delivery.Structure and design of staff within the organization.Technological infrastructure supporting processes.KPIs and tools to collect data on Town performance.Culture enabling a high-performing internal team.CHANGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGYThe degree of impact that an opportunity would have on each of the following aspects of Aurora’s operations was assessed.L: Would not significantly alter operations.M: Would moderately change operations.H: Would significantly transform operations.Page 38 of 283 23a. Financial Analysis Assumptions and Methodology (1 of 2)TThe following outlines the approach used to quantify the financial impacts of service driven opportunities. See Appendix D for more details.CORE ASSUMPTIONS1. Municipal Data Sources•Internal financial information•Internal salaries and benefits data•Municipal FIR data2. Benchmarks•StrategyCorp used a combination of secondary research (i.e., literature review) and in-house expertise to determine cost-saving benchmarks.3. Application of Benchmarks•Conservative estimates were used to calculate the base-values for applying the benchmarks.METHODOLOGY AND LEADING PRACTICE ASSUMPTIONSPotential Revenues1. Identify comparable organizations offering similar service to assess respective revenues.2. Based on comparator revenue data, use a conservative estimate for potential revenue gains at Aurora.Investment1. Leverage internal salaries and benefits data to estimate costs for positions that already exist within the organization.2. Conduct desktop research to estimate costs for net new positions and other direct costs (e.g., software).Cost Savings1. Leverage internal budgets to identify direct cost savings (e.g., duplicate software programs).2. Based on interviews, identify positions that are most likely to experience productivity savings.3. Apply lower end of productivity saving benchmarks to a conservate salary-base (i.e., 30% of total salaries or salaries of minimum number of positions impacted). PRODUCTIVITY SAVINGDESCRIPTIONLEADING PRACTICE BENCHMARKPeople and TalentPeople management (e.g., evaluation, feedback)8-18%*DigitizationTech implementation and workflow automation10-25%**Standardizing ProcessesSetting standards, KPIs, reducing duplication5-10%****Source: Gallup. (2017). Re-Engineering Performance Management.**Source: Work Market & KRC Research. (2020). Work Market 2020 In(Sight) Report: What AI and Automation Really Mean for Work.***Source: Government Finance Officers Association. (2007). Performance Management: Using Performance Measurement for Decision Making. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES3Page 39 of 283 24a. Financial Analysis Assumptions and Methodology (2 of 2)TThe following provides a further description of the benefits associated with each productivity saving.PRODUCTIVITY SAVINGDESCRIPTIONLEADING PRACTICE BENCHMARKBENEFITSSavings associated with these benchmarks are productivity savings (i.e., what percent of a staff or group of staff member’s time is saved from achieving this opportunity?). The following highlights examples of productivity benefits that will likely lead to productivity savings:People and TalentPeople management (e.g., evaluation, feedback)8-18%*9Performance evaluation, feedback, training, and developmental coaching improves engagement and performance outcomes, driving efficiencies in how work is completed9Improves retention which reduces recruitment and onboarding costsDigitizationTech implementation and workflow automation10-25%**9Reduces manual errors, increases speed at which tasks are completed, leads to better quality work products, and decreases labour costsStandardizing ProcessesSetting standards, KPIs, reducing duplication5-10%***9Reduces guess work and duplication9Guarantees consistent quality for residents and boosts productivity when employees are empowered with standardized tools and practices to complete their work9Improves resource allocation by better utilizing existing staff and reducing future needs for additional staff*Source: Gallup. (2017). Re-Engineering Performance Management.**Source: Work Market & KRC Research. (2020). Work Market 2020 In(Sight) Report: What AI and Automation Really Mean for Work.***Source: Government Finance Officers Association. (2007). Performance Management: Using Performance Measurement for Decision Making. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES3Notes:•These are productivity savings, not direct savings. Additionally, they will be realized once successful implementation has occurred over the identified timeline. Time and resource investments are required to implement opportunities and achieve these tangible and intangible benefits.Page 40 of 283 25a. Service Level Current StateServiceLevelCurrent PerformanceCorp. Comms.WIP N/AFinancial Reporting aand RevenueY At StandardProcurement SServicesY At StandardFinancial MManagementY At StandardRec./Special EventsMMixed (At/Above)Business SupportYMixed (At/Above)Facilities MgmtWIP At StandardCultureM Mixed (At/Below)Service LevelCurrent Service PerformanceLegendY = Yes, N = No, M = Mix of Y and N, WIP = Work in ProgressAbove, At, or Mixed (At/Above)Mixed (At/Below) BelowServiceLevelCurrent PerformanceRoadsYAt-StandardParksYMixed(At/Below)FleetYAt-StandardSolid WasteYAt-StandardWater/WasteYMixed (At/Above)Dev. PlanningY Mixed (At/Below)BuildingY Mixed (At/Below)Policy Planning && EcDevYAt StandardEngineering & CCapital DeliveryYMixed (At/Above)ServiceLevelCurrent PerformanceAccess AuroraMMixed (At/Above)Legislative SServices/Records ManagementYMixed (At/Above)ITMAt StandardBy-Law ServicesY, WIPMixed (At/Below)HRY, WIPAt StandardCorporate IInitiativesYAbove StandardPMOYAt StandardLegal ServicesYAt StandardSERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES3Service performance was assessed by documenting service standards in the Corporate Service Inventory and assessing performance against those existing standards through a combination of stakeholder input, financial analysis, benchmarking, and subject matter expert engagement. Page 41 of 283 26SERVICE-DRIVEN OPPORTUNITIES•Enterprise-Wide Service Opportunities (4):These are themes that span across the organization and can benefit from an enterprise-wide solution.•Departmental Service Opportunities (17):These are specific to a department, division, or service.These opportunities have been developed further into opportunity profiles, which detail the rationale for change, service impact analysis, financial implications, and implementation considerations, among other areas.CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES•Municipal Leading Practice (7): These are opportunities that the Town may consider as part of broader efforts to modernize and continuously improve the organization. While they are not directly linked to a service, they provide the organizational infrastructure to improve service delivery. COVID-19 related opportunities are also included in this section; this refers to practices that were adopted during the pandemic that should continue into the future.•Innovation Opportunities (10): These are innovation initiatives identified through a high-level policy/practice scan. Aurora can further explore these to position the municipality as a leader in modernization and innovation.b. Improvement Opportunities ContextThe service level review identified that several service areas need to establish or update service levels. These have been identified in the corporate service inventory and will require further staff resourcing to address. Through research and analysis, a number ofimprovement opportunities were identified to improve service delivery or modernize the municipality. They are outlined below:SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES3Page 42 of 283 27b. Summary of Service-Driven OpportunitiesSERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES3ENTERPRISE-WIDE DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC1.Establish service levels where gaps exist and adopt an annual service level review process.2.Through the customer experience plan (CEP), establish internal service level agreements (SLAs) between departments to achieve enterprise-wide service levels. 3.Through the CEP, validate whether to keep customer service for Community Services separate from Access Aurora.4.Through the CEP, better define the Town’s value proposition to residents and improve access to services.Office of the CAO5.Shift Corporate Communication’s focus away from administrative tasks towards more strategic ones. Corporate Services 6. Ensure recognition and capacity for Access Aurora’s internal customer service initiatives.7.Deliver off-site wedding services.8.Bring clarity and consistent implementation to the SLAs between Legal Services and other Town Divisions.9.Define a HR strategy linked to the Town’s strategic plan.10.Elevate the role of the PMO to focus on more enterprise-wide transformation projects.11.Given clear increases in service level expectations and overall demand for by-law services, either align resourcing to meet demand, or decrease service levels.12.In partnership with the region, transition to an Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS).Finance13. Review contracted services to ensure value-for-money and opportunities to improve service level.Community Services 14.Better empower and train front-line staff to manage customer requests.15.Develop a Council-approved policy for Special Events Calendar planning.16.Review mandate and resourcing of Facilities Management to ensure alignment with Town growth and Council expectations.17.Review mandate and resourcing of Culture to ensure implementation of master plans.Operations18.Digitize Road Occupancy Permit (ROP) application and develop by-law to enforce ROPs. Planning and Development 19.Expand functionality and utilization of CRM system.20.Develop a Council-driven real-estate portfolio strategy. 21.In coordination with Community Services, explore the delivery of new business and community development services.Page 43 of 283 28b. Summary of Continuous Improvement OpportunitiesLEADING MUNICIPAL PRACTICESINNOVATIVE PRACTICES1.Drive greater alignment between the corporate strategic plan and Division-level priorities.2.Build more collaborative partnerships between cross-functional support staff and service delivery staff. 3.Create an annual governance training plan for Council.4.Increase focus on diversity and inclusion within service delivery to better reflect the Town’s changing demographics.5.Appropriately resource enterprise-wide initiatives, while defining and communicating clear roles and responsibilities.6.Improve the intranet and increase its use to facilitate greater information sharing across departments.7.Formalize and sustain practices put in place during the pandemic that proved to be effective.Resident and Business Needs and Preferences1.Accessible Public Wi-Fi2.“Open Streets” initiatives3.Climate Adaptation Planning4.Participatory BudgetingImproved Services and New Ways-of-Working5.Accommodating Hybrid Work6.“Third Spaces” initiativesDigital Transformation and Investments7.Digital Services and Payments8.Open Data9.Digital Engagement10.“Smart Cities” InvestmentsThe following slides contain a deeper dive on each of the opportunity areas. Service-Driven Opportunities are built out into Opportunity Profiles with financial analysis and relevant implementation considerations. Continuous Improvement Opportunities are further detailedwith rationale, leading practices, benchmarking, and case studies. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES3Page 44 of 283 Service Driven Opportunities –Enterprise Wide OOPPORTUNITY PROFILES of proposed initiatives that span across the organization and can benefit from an enterprise-wide solution.Page 45 of 283 30b. Enterprise-Wide Service Opportunities (1 of 4)Opportunity #1: Establish service levels where gaps exist and adopt an annual service level review process.Rationale & Description: As identified in the Corporate Service Inventory (shared as a separate attachment), many service areas lack defined service levels, could benefit from documenting a more detailed version, or need to update them to align with the Town’s growth. Implementing the service level recommendations contained within the Inventory will need to be prioritized to align the Town to best practices.•There is opportunity to utilize the Inventory as a central repository for all service levels. The inventory should be updated annually during the budgeting process to ensure service levels are achievable given capacity. As part of this process, Aurora should also differentiate between service levels and KPIs.•The Inventory can also serve as a repository for KPIs, as Aurora is encouraged to continue with development and implementation of a proven performance measurement framework to modernize service delivery. Potential Revenues/Cost SavingsCost Savings: Productivity savings of $515,000 per year from StandardizingProcesses.Risks/ChallengesSetting and continuously updating service levels can be a resource-intensive exercise. Establishing it as a formal annual responsibility, like budgeting, can reinforce accountability and enable more informed service decisions. Note: this does not need to be a formal review, but rather a pulse check to ensure the Town closely monitors the impact of growth on services. Level of Investment2-5% (or 1-2 weeks) of CMT capacity per year ($70,100 to $175,200).TimingWave 1; followed by annual internal review of service levels during the budgeting process. Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses HOrg Structure MTechnology LData and Reporting MPeople and Culture LOverallMLeading Practice/BenchmarkingEstablishing clear service levels is a best practice for municipalities, irrespective of size or geography. Service levels allow organizations to identify key improvement areas and track progress over time. They are also a valuable onboarding tool for new staff. StrategyCorp proposes that all service levels be formally reviewed by Council every 4-year horizon, or that 25% of all service levels be formally re-examined each year. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 46 of 283 31Potential Revenues/Cost SavingsCost Savings: Included in Opportunity #1 productivity savings.Level of Investment•5-10% (or 2-5 weeks) of CMT capacity to establish internal SLAs ($175,200 to $350,500).•Continual review and updates to SLAs included as part of Opportunity #1.Leading Practice/BenchmarkingLeading practices on governmental internal service level agreements indicate that it is important to define scope, governance, operations, financial arrangements, performance, and implementation in an SLA (more details here). Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses HOrg Structure MTechnology LData and Reporting MPeople and Culture MOverallMOpportunity #2: Through the CEP, establish service level agreements between departments to achieve enterprise-wide service levels. Rationale & Description: There are currently many interdependencies or areas of overlap between departments to deliver on their respective service levels. However, the expectations are not always coordinated, and some siloes exist between departments.•For example: Service levels are set for the Development Planning team, but internal and external reviewers view that there isn’t enough time to review applications, whereas applicants and customers view that approvals need to be accelerated. Capacity limitations within Engineering and Legal particularly impact timelines. The current service levels should be reviewed and discussed with partners. Any adjustments to service levels should be balanced against customer feedback. More capacity and resourcing should be discussed if Council would not like to modify or reduce the service level.•The Town would benefit from taking an enterprise-wide view of service levels and ensuring they are achievable for all involved departments. This would involve establishing service level agreements (SLAs) between departments, which is already a proposed activity of the CEP and happening within some departments. There is also opportunity to emphasize a culture of communicating and understanding service levels, from leadership to the front-line. b. Enterprise-Wide Service Opportunities (2 of 4)Risks/ChallengesDepending on the interrelationships between services, defining internal SLAs can be an iterative process. As a result, it may take more time for some teams to fully deliver on the SLAs. However, there is value in the exercise as it enables cross-functional communication/collaboration.TimingWave 2.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 47 of 283 32b. Enterprise-Wide Service Opportunities (3 of 4)Opportunity #3: Through the CEP, validate whether to keep customer service for Community Services separate from Access Aurora.Rationale & Description: Staff identified several service similarities between Access Aurora and the customer service team within the Business Support Division (in the Community Services department). Opportunities to streamline these services were discussed (i.e., creating a one-stop-shop customer service model).•Pilots have also been run in the past to explore service integration but there are challenges associated with integrating these services. For example, customer service representatives in the Community Services department require specific expertise on recreation programming and provide service mostly on-site at the facilities. Access Aurora is more focused on general customer service requests, which are often answered through the call centre or at Town Hall. Anecdotally, departments shared that many customers do not ask about recreation services at the Town Hall and vice-versa, many do not ask about Town services (e.g., billing) at recreation facilities. From a customer experience perspective, there is likely not a strong case to integrate the services. •The CEP underway should leverage tactics like customer journey mapping to validate this service model or explore an appetite for more integrated customer service experiences, as seen in other jurisdictions like Newmarket (i.e., paying your tax bill when taking your kids toaquatics events). This could be coupled with additional innovation opportunities, such as becoming a cashless organization and establishing a knowledge management system. Potential Revenues/Cost SavingsCost Savings: Productivity savings of $45,300 per year from Standardizing Processes.Risks/ChallengesThere is low desire to pursue this integration internally and will require a strong business case to modify team structures. Another risk is maintaining cashiering functionality.Level of InvestmentExisting CEP.TimingWave 3 – aligned to CEP timeline (Early 2022 to 2024).Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses HOrg Structure HTechnology MData and Reporting MPeople and Culture HOverallHLeading Practice/BenchmarkingIn Newmarket, customer service functions fall within the Community Services department. Newmarket has also noted a decrease in total contacts made to their Customer Service Centre, largely driven by other digital service options (see here). Therefore, Aurora should also consider how digitization can centralize customer services. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 48 of 283 33b. Enterprise-Wide Service Opportunities (4 of 4)Opportunity #4: Through the CEP, better define the Town’s value proposition to residents and improve access to services.Rationale & Description: Participants discussed the need to better communicate the value of the Town’s services in a language that residents can understand. Council also expressed an opportunity to increase resident engagement through consultations and education on services.•For established service levels and profiles, there is opportunity to communicate them publicly on the Town website to create greater transparency and accountability for residents and staff. •Existing efforts to improve resident experience with services are underway through the CEP. As a result, the journey mapping exercises can be leveraged to identify key messages for residents and plan out how to centralize resident pathways. This work can also inform customer experience training for front-line staff by equipping them with knowledge of the Town’s services and key messages. Potential Revenues/Cost SavingsThe primary benefit of this opportunity is achieving citizen engagement and satisfaction, rather than specific cost savings or revenue generation.Risks/ChallengesWhen sharing service levels on the website, it is important to educate the public on how the municipality will achieve these standards, but unexpected factors can also impact performance (e.g., COVID-19 necessitated a higher level of parks maintenance than budgeted).Level of Investment•5-10% (or 2-5 weeks) of Communications Coordinator capacity to update website ($4,700 to $9,500).•Existing CEP.TimingWave 3 – aligned to CEP timeline (Early 2022 to 2024).Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery MProcesses HOrg Structure LTechnology LData and Reporting MPeople and Culture MOverallMLeading Practice/BenchmarkingThe City of Hamilton publicly shares service profiles (i.e., sub-services, type and driver of service, primary funding sources, service levels, and source of service levels) on its website (see here). Aurora can look to this as a best practice for future implementation. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 49 of 283 Service Driven Opportunities –Department SpecificOOPPORTUNITY PROFILES of proposed initiatives that are specific to a particular department, division, or service.Page 50 of 283 35b. Departmental Profile: Office of the CAOServiceService Level*Current Service PerformanceFTE2021 OpEx (% of total)Corporate Communications: Provision of communications support to all departments of the organization for both internal and external communications.•N, WIP for 2021N/A due to missing agreed-upon standards7$848,000 (1%)Service Improvement OpportunitiesOpportunity #5:Shift Corporate Communication’s focus away from administrative tasks towards more strategic ones. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3*A more detailed version of service levels can be found in the Corporate Service Inventory shared with this report. Page 51 of 283 36SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3b. Improvement Opportunity: Office of the CAO – Corporate CommunicationsRevenues/Cost SavingsNone. This would be a reallocation of staff time to higher impact activities.Risks/ChallengesThe decentralization of certain administrative communications responsibilities may result in a decreased line of sight of the unit. This can be addressed by keeping relevant staff apprised of relevant activities as needed. Level of InvestmentPending review, potential increase in salaries if positions are reclassified. TimingWave 2.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery LProcesses MOrg Structure LTechnology LData and ReportingLPeople and CultureMOverall LLeading Practice/BenchmarkingIt is leading practice for mature organizations (public and private) to have centralized communications functions, but to decentralize certain activities by enabling staff within departments to carry out the more administrative tasks (e.g., certain types of social media posts and special events), so that the functional group can focus on strategic activities (e.g., proactive media relations, stakeholder engagement, public reports, etc.).Opportunity #5: Shift Corporate Communication’s focus away from administrative tasks towards more strategic ones. Rationale & Description: With the current development of the 2022-2025 Communications Strategic Plan, it is an opportune time to assess the most strategic use of the communications team’s time and expertise. There is growing demand from internal and external stakeholders/audiences (intensified by COVID-19). •Internally, there are several departments that require frequent administrative, non-value-added communications support (e.g., scheduling social media posts, supporting special events, etc.) These types of request are often ad hoc, difficult to plan for, and can require more senior communications resources’ time. It was estimated that 56% of the Corporate Communications team’s collective time is spent focused on administrative tasks.•Externally, there is currently a relatively low level of engagement with Aurora’s media partners. As a result, there is limited coverage of Aurora in the media, which can make it more difficult to promote certain initiatives and events. •As a priority under the unit’s updated strategic plan and recent move to a portfolio model, and the drive to more ‘business-like’ relationships, administrative activities should be shifted to select individuals within other departments to allow the Corporate Communications team to better address the strategic, higher-impact activities. Specifically, more time should be allocated to proactive media relations support. Page 52 of 283 37ServiceService Level*Current Service PerformanceFTE2021 OpEx (% of total)Corporate Initiatives: Management of the corporate initiatives' modernization portfolio. The modernization portfolio includes the development, adoption, enhancement and sustainment of key enterprise-wide improvement initiatives.•Y, Project timelines and budget•Y, Emergency Management annual compliance requirements•Suggest developing more service levels aligned to project outcomes (e.g., % of objectives met)Above Standard1$128,000 (<1%)Human Resources: Internal support service to enrich the culture and performance of the Town through integrated business solutions, while incorporating a partnership-based, customer service approach to serving the organization.•Y, compliance to legislative requirements•Emphasize developing internal service level agreements with Town Divisions/DepartmentsAt Standard7$1,089,700 (2%)Access Aurora: Front line customer service hub for both residents/public and internal departments.•Y, Rely on legislated timelines•Suggest completing an exercise to specify and document service standardsMixed (At /Above Standard)7-11$984,800 (1%)Legislative Services: Fulfill duties relating to Council/Committee Secretariat, as well as the storage and efficient retrieval of records.•Y, 48-hour response to records request, compliance with legislated timelines, FOI requests answered within 30 daysMixed (At/Above Standard)5$792,200 (1%)b. Departmental Profile: Corporate Services (1 of 3)SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3*A more detailed version of service levels can be found in the Corporate Service Inventory shared with this report. Page 53 of 283 38ServiceService Level*Current Service PerformanceFTE2021 OpEx (% of total)Project Management Office: Responsible for development, training, and maintaining the corporate project management and change management methodology.•Y, aligned to industry project management standards•Suggest completing an exercise to document and communicate service standardsAt Standard1$143,400 (<1%)Legal Services: Legal services pertaining to general municipal support; planning and development; insurance, claims, litigations and risk management; Real Estate.•Y, meeting deadlines, reviewing agreements per set standards, meeting budgetAt Standard**7$1,801,500 (3%)IT: Responsible for managing the Town’s IT architecture including IT support, project management, installation, maintenance, customer service, and asset management.•Y, response times for Service Desk, Infrastructure, GIS, Business Solutions, Database Administration•N, IT Governance, Change Management, Project management, Business Analysis, Project Portfolio Management •In process of creating internal SLAs for all sub-servicesAt Standard16$3,293,100 (5%)By-law Services: Provides enforcement services for all municipal by-laws and animal services. •Y, more defined service levels under development and not publicly available at this time•Below Standard at certain periods due to increased volumes and low capacityMixed (At/Below Standard)14-18$1,757,000 (2%)b. Departmental Profile: Corporate Services (2 of 3)SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3*A more detailed version of service levels can be found in the Corporate Service Inventory shared with this report. **Current service performance is based on existing service levels. Some services lack comprehensive service levels and therefore, this assessment may not be fully reflective of the service experience of internal clients or external residents. Further efforts are required to develop and document detailed service levels.Page 54 of 283 39b. Departmental Profile: Corporate Services (3 of 3)Service Improvement OpportunitiesOpportunity #6: Ensure there is recognition and capacity for the internal customer service initiatives that Access Aurora takes on and reinforce SLAs between Access Aurora and other departments.Opportunity #7: Deliver off-site wedding services to the community. Opportunity #8: Bring clarity and more follow-through to the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between Legal Services and other Town Divisions.Opportunity #9: Define an HR strategy linked to the corporate strategic plan.Opportunity #10: Elevate the role of the PMO to focus on more enterprise-wide transformation projects.Opportunity #11: Given clear increases in service level expectations and overall demand for by-law services, either align resourcing to meet demand, or decrease service levels.Opportunity #12: In partnership with the region, transition to an Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS).SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 55 of 283 40b. Improvement Opportunity: Corporate Services – Access Aurora (1 of 2)Revenues/Cost Savings10% of Customer Service Representative time at $47,500 by Standardizing Processes.Risks/ChallengesThis opportunity arose from the work-from-home transition. The future work model remains an uncertainty, and therefore, this challenge may be mitigated through post-pandemic work practices. Level of InvestmentImplementation of existing SLA.TimingWave 1.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery LProcesses MOrg Structure MTechnology LData and ReportingLPeople and Culture MOverallMLeading Practice/Benchmarking•Administrative burden: Balancing strategic/ core functional tasks and administrative tasks is a sign of organizational maturity. •Mailroom: the City of Toronto mail is managed by the City Clerk’s Office; the Town of Oakville mail is managed within the Political Governance Department; and the Town of Newmarket mailroom services are managed by Procurement.Opportunity #6: Ensure there is recognition and capacity for the internal customer service initiatives that Access Aurora takes on and reinforce SLAs between Access Aurora and other departments.Rationale & Description: In addition to managing the reception area and call centre, the Access Aurora team triages mail, scans tax and water bills for other employees who work from home and has couriered packages to all staff during the pandemic. •There has been a tendency for remote staff to rely on Access Aurora more to scan and send over bills and invoices. Completing these additional duties directly impacts their capacity to complete other customer service responsibilities and has impacted staff morale. The mail room process was identified as particularly high-priority. •A recent SLA was developed to better define roles and responsibilities between Access Aurora and other Town departments. This directly supports Enterprise-wide Opportunity #2, which promotes development and reinforcement of internal SLAs. Aurora is encouraged to dedicate implementation and change management resources to ensure this SLA is followed, to help alleviate unnecessary strain on Access Aurora staff. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Source: Harvard Business Review (2013). Make Time for the Work that Matters https://hbr.org/2013/09/make-time-for-the-work-that-matters. “The Access Aurora staff are lovely.” – Aurora ResidentPage 56 of 283 41b. Improvement Opportunity: Corporate Services – Access Aurora (2 of 2)Opportunity #7: Deliver off-site wedding services to the community. Rationale & Description: Aurora currently issues marriage licenses but has an opportunity to deliver more comprehensive wedding services, particularly off-site –as seen in the Town of Newmarket. This has anecdotally emerged as an unmet need in the community and has been reinforced through the recent lockdowns and gathering restrictions. •This service would entail the administration of a civil ceremony by a certified officiant and be held either at the municipal offices (or potentially at the new Aurora Town Square when complete) or off-site. Revenues/Cost SavingsRevenues: $450 - $580 per ceremony.*At 50% of Newmarket’s projected 2019 revenues for wedding ceremonies, Aurora can expect revenues of ~$62,700 per year.Risks/ChallengesThere may be some duplication of service and Aurora should consult with Newmarket prior to launching this service. Level of InvestmentUsing a conservative 80% estimate of Newmarket’s budgeted costs for wedding ceremonies, expect annual investment of ~$20,800.TimingWave 1.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses MOrg Structure MTechnology MData and Reporting LPeople and Culture LOverallMLeading Practice/Benchmarking•The Town of Newmarket offers off-site wedding services at a cost to residents.*•The City of Markham offers enhanced marriage services including venue bookings, photographers, and officiants.**•The City of Toronto is considering offering enhanced marriage services and is currently holding public consultations.***SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3*Source: Newmarket Civil Ceremony Services, https://www.newmarket.ca/LivingHere/Pages/Civil%20Ceremonies/Civil-Ceremony-Fees.aspx** Source: Markham Wedding Services, https://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/home/permits-licenses-taxes/wedding-services/04-wedding-services*** Source: City of Toronto Wedding Services, https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/venues-facilities-bookings/getting-married/Page 57 of 283 42b. Improvement Opportunity: Corporate Services – Legal ServicesOpportunity #8: Bring clarity and more follow-through to the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between Legal Services and other Town Divisions.Rationale & Description: Several opportunities were identified to improve workflow between legal services and Town Divisions, such as:•More tracking and transparency of internal legal processes and Service Level Agreements around real-estate acquisitions and disposals.•Clarity on which Division is responsible for follow-ups and addressing information gaps on development agreements.•Sharing all requested materials to Legal, in time for them to start developing the contracts. •Consistently using a contract and document management software system with enough licenses (i.e., Laserfiche) to standardize contracts across the organization. This should include electronic signing capabilities.There is an opportunity to review, educate, and reinforce the SLAs governing collaboration between Legal Services and other Town Divisions (this directly supports Enterprise-wide Opportunity #2).Revenues/Cost SavingsCost Savings: Included in productivity savings of Opportunity #1.Risks/ChallengesThis can become an enterprise-wide initiative as legal processes are dependent on multiple departments. SLAs alone may not be enough and additional resourcing may be required.Level of InvestmentIncluded in level of investment related to Opportunity #2.TimingWave 2.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery MProcesses HOrg Structure LTechnology LData and Reporting LPeople and Culture MOverallLSERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Leading Practice/BenchmarkingDeveloping SLAs supports the achievement of higher service standards, improves interdepartmental working relationships, and promotes information sharing. Service level-aligned SLAs can make service delivery more consistent and reliable, improve customer experience, and enhance interdepartmental interaction enterprise-wide.Page 58 of 283 43Opportunity #9: Define an HR strategy linked to the corporate strategic plan.Rationale & Description: There is opportunity to develop an HR Strategic Plan to best position the Town for future capability and talent needs. This can inform a long-term talent management strategy that includes professional development, diversity and inclusion, and workforce investments for the future.•ELT identified opportunities to elevate the skill sets of staff and Council and prepare them to tackle Aurora’s future needs (e.g., Planners to support focus on infill development, governance training for Council). Some departments also noted a high turnover of unionized front-line staff and an opportunity to invest in their growth through training and education. An internal focus on diversity and inclusion also emerged as a key theme to explore in an HR strategy.•To implement the strategy, Aurora should continue to leverage existing partnerships with the N6 to deliver a more comprehensive learning and development service to employees, as currently HR’s capacity is limited to onboarding and basic training requirements.There is also opportunity to explore additional partnerships with external training providers (e.g., on governance solutions for Council).b. Improvement Opportunity: Corporate Services – Human ResourcesRevenues/Cost SavingsCost Savings: Productivity savings of $824,000 per year from investing in PPeople and Talent.Risks/ChallengesMost municipalities are rethinking people and talent strategies, and Aurora should leverage its N6/regional partnerships to develop its HR strategy. Level of Investment•10% of HR manager’s time costing $17,900.•2%* (or 1 week) of all staff capacity per year to participate in training ($686,700).TimingWave 2.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses MOrg Structure HTechnology LData and Reporting MPeople and Culture HOverallHLeading Practice/BenchmarkingHaving an HR strategy is best practice for mature organizations. •The City of Toronto developed a “Talent Blueprint” in 2017. See here.•The City of Kawartha Lakes developed a Human Resource Management Strategy to supplement its Strategic Plan. See here.•The “N6” is developing a future of work study which Aurora can learn from.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3*Leading practice is to set a training budget that is 2-5% (4-5% for gold standard) of staff salary & benefits budget. Aurora currently spends ~$231,000 on staff training (mandatory and discretionary).Page 59 of 283 44b. Improvement Opportunity: Corporate Services – Project Management Office (PMO)Opportunity #10: Elevate the role of the PMO to focus on more enterprise-wide transformation projects.Rationale & Description: Demand on the Town’s PMO function is increasing. As the organization matures and takes on more transformational projects, there is an opportunity to raise awareness of the value and services provided by the PMO to better leverage its tools and expertise. This could involve:•Assigning a project management budget within projects and engaging PMO when it makes sense to have them project manage the work. Note, at times, it may be more feasible for a service-oriented subject matter expert to do the project management.•Having the CAO issue a mandate statement that provides PMO (and Corporate Services) with the leadership oversight necessary for large-scale enterprise-wide projects. The definition for “enterprise-wide” projects is currently under review by the Town, and this process is in its final stages.•Communicating PMO's capabilities to the organization via internal communication (e.g., Listserv/email, intranet, ‘lunch and learn’, etc.). Revenues/Cost SavingsCost savings calculated as the amount of time saved by the Project Manager through SStandardizing Processes at $8,000 annually.Risks/ChallengesChange management will be required to transition PMO to more enterprise-wide functions.Level of Investment5% of PMO’s time to focus on transition over one year, costing $8,100.TimingWave 2.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery MProcesses HOrg Structure HTechnology LData and Reporting LPeople and Culture MOverallMLeading Practice/Benchmarking•Guelph (Corporate Project Management Office), Vaughan (Office of Transformation and Strategy), and Caledon (Corporate Strategy and Innovation Department) organize their project management office (or equivalent) within a department.•Brampton includes its project management function as a direct report to the CAO.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 60 of 283 45b. Improvement Opportunity: Corporate Services – By-Law Services (1 of 2)Opportunity #11: Given clear increases in service level expectations and overall demand, either align resourcing to meet demand, or decrease service levels.Rationale & Description: By-law services has seen a 30% increase in call/complaint volumes since the onset of COVID-19 and while the unit does receive additional seasonal resourcing to address the volume uptick in the spring and summer seasons, there have been no net new permanent resources hired since 2019. This has resulted in a slight dip in service speed but has also highlighted the lack of visibility and awareness Council and the public (external stakeholders) have into call volumes and service levels. There is a sometimes-misguided perception that by-law officers are always available on-call, and when experiencing delays without clear expectations on wait times, residents can become frustrated. •There is an opportunity to assess current service levels, whether they align with Council and public expectations, and either a) increase resources to maintain service levels, or b) decrease service levels. In both scenarios there must be a communications exercise to develop and publicly promote by-law service levels/response times. •Exploring greater functionality in CityView or other Citizen Request Management (CRM) options that can be integrated with the Access Aurora phone system should be considered to allow for consolidated service requests in a single hub. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Revenues/Cost SavingsTo be determined through a further resourcing assessment.Risks/ChallengesCulture change to change public perception is a long-term change management effort.Level of InvestmentThe $92,000 CityView upgrade accounted for in the 10 Yr. Capital Budget.TimingWave 1.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses MOrg Structure LTechnology MData and Reporting MPeople and Culture HOverallMLeading Practice/BenchmarkingThe use of CRM systems is considered leading practice to enable better service and data collection. As these programs become more refined, they can be integrated with phone and web systems. Most of Aurora’s comparators have some form of this tool. Page 61 of 283 46b. Improvement Opportunity: Corporate Services – By-Law Services (2 of 2)Opportunity #12: In partnership with the region, transition to an Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS).Rationale & Description: Aurora can benefit from transitioning to an AMPS. This model was created to assist over-burdened courts by streamlining ticket disputes and allowing municipalities a more efficient way to enforce by-laws. It reduces the congestion in provincial courts and allows for better use of court time and resources for more serious matters.•For Aurora, this can create further efficiencies for the by-law team by addressing backlogs, better utilize judicial resources by removing officers from courts, improve access to the justice system and customer experience, and generate increased revenues. •Adoption of an AMPS is seen across the region. York Region has adopted an AMPS with Markham, Vaughan, and Richmond Hill, and is hoping to partner with Aurora. Newmarket has also fully transitioned to AMPS. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Revenues/Cost SavingsTo illustrate potential revenue generation: Aurora currently has ~$13,845 in parking fines pending from 2020. Assuming AMPS can recover ~80% of expired fines, AMPS could have resulted in ~$11,000 of additional revenue last year.Risks/ChallengesChange management internally and with residents will be crucial to successful adoption.Level of Investment10% of by-law manager’s time costing $14,300.TimingWave 2.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses HOrg Structure LTechnology HData and Reporting MPeople and Culture MOverallHLeading Practice/Benchmarking•The Town of Newmarket implemented the AMP system in 2019. See herefor the by-law.Page 62 of 283 47b. Departmental Profile: FinanceServiceService Level*Current Service PerformanceFTE2021 OpEx (% of total)Financial Reporting: All general accounting (e.g., financial statements, FIR reporting, payroll, general A/P etc.).•YAt Standard11$1,140,800 (2%)Financial Revenue: All revenue activities (e.g., property tax and water billing, general A/R).•YAt StandardProcurement Services: Work with internal clients to assist with procurement and service bidders and vendors.•Y, response to inquiry•WIP, overall timelines for procurement to be defined by modernization project and ERP updates in 2022•Procurement timelines viewed as too long currently and emphasize developing internal service level agreements with Town Divisions/DepartmentsAt Standard**4$545,400 (1%)Financial Management: Financial advice, cash flow/investment portfolio management, operating and capital budget administration, grant management, asset management support.•Y•Suggest completing an exercise to specify and document service standardsAt Standard5$699,500(1%)Service Improvement OpportunitiesOpportunity #13: Review contracted services to ensure value-for-money and opportunities to improve service level.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3*A more detailed version of service levels can be found in the Corporate Service Inventory shared with this report. **Current service performance is based on existing service levels. Some services lack comprehensive service levels and therefore, this assessment may not be fully reflective of the service experience of internal clients or external residents. Further efforts are required to develop and document detailed service levels.Page 63 of 283 48b. Improvement Opportunity: Finance – Financial ManagementOpportunity #13: Review contracted services to ensure value-for-money and opportunities to improve service level.Rationale & Description: In comparison to peers, Aurora has a higher reliance on external contractors (see benchmarking below). There is value in reviewing the level of contracted services as an ongoing best practice.Participants discussed benefits of bringing some services in-house, such as more flexibility over staff deployment and increasing service levels, but also acknowledged that it could be more costly for the municipality to directlydeliver a service. There is an opportunity to undertake a thorough analysis of service alternatives to ensure that the current contracted services approach is providing best value. There is also an opportunity to enhance contract management skills among managers to prevent overspending.Revenues/Cost SavingsCost Savings: Potential savings of $217,000 per year.**Risks/ChallengesThere is limited research on whether contracting is more effective than delivering in-house for municipal services. It will vary by service and the value of bids received from third-parties. Therefore, Aurora should also consider other factors in bringing services in-house such as improved quality of service, increased local capacity, greater flexibility for the municipality. Level of Investment2-5% (or 1-2 weeks) of CMT capacity to assess contracts upon renewal ($70,100 to $175,200).TimingPrior to contract renewal (varies by contract).Change Impact AssessmentService DeliveryHProcessesHOrg StructureHTechnologyLData and ReportingMPeople and CultureMOverallHLeading Practice/BenchmarkingEven when removing spending on Fire, Water, and Wastewater contracted servicesfrom all municipalities, Aurora spends the highest among its comparators.*Source: Municipal FIR data. More benchmarking data available in Appendix B.** A recent McKinsey report on procurement strategy indicates organizations can save between 1-10% by more carefully screening the supplier market, aggressively negotiating conditions and utilizing robust contractor management tools to attain cost transparency. Source: McKinsey & Company. (2016). Value Creating Purchasing. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Comparator% of OpExspent on Contracted Services (excl. Fire, W&W)Aurora30%Newmarket29%Oakville23%Caledon7%Halton Hills12%Ajax7%Page 64 of 283 49b. Departmental Profile: Community Services (1 of 2)ServiceService Level*Current Service PerformanceFTE2021 OpEx (% of total)Recreation/Special Events: Delivery of sports, fitness, recreation, and special events programming.•Y for community programs, fitness, aquatics•WIP for sports•N for special events (identified as Above Standard but suggest completing an exercise to specify and document more detailed service levels)Mixed (At/Above Standard)46$4,823,700 (7%)Business Support: Supporting local businesses and residents with facility booking, contract/lease management, and recreation and special events customer service.•Y •Facilities Sponsorship and Advertising are Above StandardMixed (At/Above Standard)15.4$1,729,100 (2%)Facilities Management: Operating and managing all Town facilities.•WIP (via Asset Management Plan)At-Standard 21$7,633,000 (11%)Culture: Delivery of cultural, public art, and museum programming. •Y for cultural programming•N for culture policies and strategies, Downtown revitalization, public art, or museum services•Suggest completing an exercise to specify and document more detailed service levelsMixed (At/Below Standard)6$879,100 (1%)SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3*A more detailed version of service levels can be found in the Corporate Service Inventory shared with this report. **Current service performance is based on existing service levels. Some services lack comprehensive service levels and therefore, this assessment may not be fully reflective of the service experience of internal clients or external residents. Further efforts are required to develop and document detailed service levels.Page 65 of 283 50b. Departmental Profile: Community Services (2 of 2)Service Improvement OpportunitiesOpportunity #14: Better empower and train front-line staff to manage customer requests.Opportunity #15: Develop a Council-approved policy for Special Events Calendar planning.Opportunity #16: Review mandate and resourcing of Facilities Management to ensure alignment with Town growth and Council expectations.Opportunity #17: Review mandate and resourcing of Culture to ensure implementation of master plans.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 66 of 283 51b. Improvement Opportunity: Community Services – RecreationOpportunity #14: Better empower and train front-line staff to manage customer requests.Rationale & Description: Managers or supervisors generally work regular business hours. Front-line recreation staff work evenings and weekends on a part-time basis, which is the prime time for business. As a result, front-line staff can lack access to management and may not always be able to make real-time service decisions or can feel pressured with more responsibilities. This can often directly impact service delivery when faced with urgent resident requests.•Supervisors currently make site visits at least twice during an 8-week session for each program, of which there are 50 total. In other instances, Supervisors are accessible by phone. •There is opportunity to empower and train front-line staff to better manage these situations (e.g., more frequent Supervisor site visits, creating part-time Supervisor roles, training sessions for front-line staff to be better equipped in customer service when Supervisors are not available).Revenues/Cost SavingsCost Savings: Included in productivity savings of Opportunity #9 (staff learning and development).Risks/ChallengesGiven the number of programs and sites, it may not always be feasible for Supervisors to visit sites more frequently, in addition to performing their day-to-day responsibilities. Therefore, there will need to be a heavy focus on customer service training.Level of InvestmentIncluded as part of Opportunity #9 investments (staff learning and development).TimingWave 2.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery MProcesses MOrg StructureLTechnology LData and Reporting LPeople and Culture HOverallMLeading Practice/BenchmarkingThis opportunity was further explored by benchmarking Aurora’s staffing composition against comparators. There are limitations to benchmarking the FT:PT staffing ratio with comparators, as the data available combines Parks and Recreation staff and there are significant variances between the ratios (indicating that there is likely no ideal staffing mix). E.g., Aurora has a FT:PT ratio of 80:282, whereas Newmarket has 76:71 for this service.**Source: Municipal FIR data. More benchmarking data available in Appendix B. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3“I am generally very satisfied with the services I have used, especially recreation opportunities through Town programs and the Seniors' Centre.” – Aurora ResidentPage 67 of 283 52b. Improvement Opportunity: Community Services – Special EventsOpportunity #15: Develop a Council-approved policy for Special Events Calendar planning.Rationale & Description: An annual Special Events Calendar is developed and includes room for ad hoc requests and contingencies throughout the year. However, sometimes the Special Events team is required to host more ad hoc events than originally budgeted, which causes capacity challenges for staff and impacts the ability to deliver quality service.•There is opportunity to formalize this process further by developing a Council-approved policy on how those ad hoc requests will be managed, including developing a Council-approved evaluation criteria to prioritize proposals. •The policy would also establish clear controls to not increase the service levels without dedicating extra resources (i.e., hosting more events than budgeted).Revenues/Cost SavingsCost-savings: Productivity savings of $23,000 per year from Standardizing Processes.Risks/ChallengesCOVID-19 and related public health measures have disrupted events programming around the world. There is likely to be some uncertainty around events planning over the next 12-18 months. Level of Investment5-10% (or 2-5 weeks) of Manager, Recreation capacity to drive policy development ($7,100 to $14,300).TimingWave 1.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses MOrg Structure LTechnology LData and Reporting LPeople and Culture MOverallMLeading Practice/Benchmarking•The City of Sarnia have a Festival and Event Policies & Procedures Manual that serves as the guiding document to manage festivals and events that benefit the City and its citizens (see here).•The Town of Richmond Hill has developed a Festival and Events Strategy that aligns decision-making on events to the Town’s Strategic Plan and Cultural Plan (see here). Pg. 34-41 outline an evaluation framework for events.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3“The special events are amazing and so personalized, other towns and cities don't do as well of a job.” – Aurora ResidentPage 68 of 283 53b. Improvement Opportunity: Community Services – Facilities ManagementOpportunity #16: Review mandate and resourcing of Facilities Management to ensure alignment with Town growth and Council expectations.Rationale & Description: The Town has three new facilities under development, requiring more support from Facilities Management. The Facilities Management currently relies heavily on part-time staff, and part-time staff turn over more quickly by nature, requiring more training. Thisalso impacts the quality of service. •Full-time staff can provide more long-term and consistent service. To keep up with growth and maintain service levels, the Town can explore hiring more full-time staff members rather than relying on part-time staff members. •There is limited publicly available data across comparators on the FT:PT staff ratio within Facilities Management. Notably, some municipalities focus on ratios of FTE:facility. This could serve as a helpful metric for Aurora in identifying service levels. Assigning an FTE count can then provide the Division with flexibility on staffing composition (i.e., part-time vs. full-time vs. seasonal). Revenues/Cost SavingsCost Savings: To be determined by resourcing review.Risks/Challenges•The hiring process for full-time employees can be more costly and resource-intensive. Additionally, full-time employees can drive up additional costs in wages, benefits, and payroll taxes.•Resourcing requirements will be better informed by the updated Asset Management Plan as it will inform what level of service is required to keep up with aging municipal infrastructure.Level of Investment5-10% (or 2-5 weeks) of Manager, Facilities Management capacity to drive review ($8,000 to $16,000).TimingWave 2.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses MOrg Structure LTechnology LData and ReportingLPeople and Culture MOverallMLeading Practice/BenchmarkingKey trends like digitization (i.e., facilities management software, smart devices and controls, digital security, automation etc.), climate change and Town growth will impact facilities management in the medium to long-term. In addition to future staff needs, Facilities Management should also consider building internal capabilities to keep up with innovations and strategic investments needed for the future.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 69 of 283 54b. Improvement Opportunity: Community Services – CultureOpportunity #17: Review mandate and resourcing of Culture to ensure implementation of master plans.Rationale & Description: A number of Culture subservices have been identified as performing below-standard (i.e., Culture Policies and Strategies, Support Economic Development and Downtown Revitalization, and Public Art), which is attributed to a lack of capacity to develop, oversee, and implement master plans. •There is a specific opportunity to hire a Cultural Programmer to deliver on cultural programming at or near par with the recreation programming service level (for Culture Policies and Strategies and Cultural Programming). This resource can also support the development of a Public Art Master Plan, including commissioning, curatorial, maintenance, and conversation. There is also opportunity for Cultural Programmers to work more closely with Recreation programmers, given the alignment in job descriptions and duties. •With Culture being a Council priority, there is opportunity to appropriately resource the service area with a Manager-level position. Revenues/Cost SavingsN/A.Risks/ChallengesThere might be limited funds to resource the new positions in the Culture Division. Should Council pursue this as a priority, there is opportunity to dedicate internal capacity to apply for federal, provincial, and other external grants. Level of InvestmentHiring a Culture Programmer (or similar position) and Manager of Culture (included in existing Town Square budget).TimingWave 1.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses MOrg Structure HTechnology LData and Reporting LPeople and Culture MOverallMSERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Leading Practice/BenchmarkingAccording to the 2019 Performance Measurement Report by the Municipal Benchmarking Network Canada (MBNC), the median total cost of providing culture services per capita was $26.95 in 2019. Aurora currently spends ~$13.8 per capita.* While MBNC looks at considerably larger municipalities, there is still a large discrepancy between the per capita spending between Aurora and leading municipalities.*Source: 2019 Performance Measurement Report by the MBNC.Page 70 of 283 55SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven b. Departmental Profile: Operations ServiceService Level*Current Service PerformanceFTE2021 OpEx (% of total)Water, Wastewater, Stormwater: Planning, operating, and maintaining all Town-owned water, wastewater, and storm operations.•Y for Water•Y for Wastewater•Y for StormwaterMixed (At/Above Standard)10$23,487,300 (33%)Roads: Planning, operating, and maintaining all Town-owned roads.•YMixed (At/Above Standard)14$4,415,000 (6%)Solid Waste: Collecting garbage, recycling, yard waste and organic waste in the Town.•Y (via Contract) At-Standard 1$2,836,700 (4%)Parks: Planning, operating, and maintaining all Town-owned parks.•Y (At Standard most of the time, but can be Below Standard when there is high demand and/or due to extenuating circumstances (e.g., weather)Mixed (At/Below Standard)21$3,374,500 (5%)Fleet: Maintaining all Town vehicles.•YAt-Standard 5$900,100 (1%)Service Improvement OpportunitiesOpportunity #18: Digitize Road Occupancy Permit (ROP) application and develop by-law to enforce ROPs.3*A more detailed version of service levels can be found in the Corporate Service Inventory shared with this report. Page 71 of 283 56SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3b. Improvement Opportunity: Operations – Roads Opportunity #18: Digitize Road Occupancy Permit (ROP) application and develop by-law to enforce ROPs. Rationale & Description:The current ROP application process is paper and email-based, making it more difficult than necessary for contractors and homeowners to submit applications and track the status. In addition, ROPs are not enforceable via a by-law. The combination of these two factors can lead to users not applying for ROPs, resulting in complaints from other residents, obstructed roadways or sidewalks, and other unforeseen consequences associated with the work or activity. •As part of overall digitization and modernization opportunities, Aurora should digitize the ROP application process to allow contractors and homeowners to submit applications and receive confirmation emails. There is an opportunity for this type of service request to be managed through a similar program to what might be used for by-law.•The development of and ROP by-law should also be drafted to incentivize contractors and homeowners to apply for ROPs, and to abide by them.Revenues/Cost Savings10% of staff time spent on ROP related activities time at $7,500 by Digitization.Risks/ChallengesWhile Operations would be the lead department for this, it will require capabilities and resources from other divisions as well (e.g., Building, Engineering & Capital Delivery, By-law, and IT). Level of InvestmentPrice of integrating form into updated website (low to zero cost). TimingWave 1.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery HProcesses MOrg Structure LTechnology MData and Reporting HPeople and Culture MOverallMLeading Practice/Benchmarking•As municipalities update their websites, these types of forms are increasingly being built out as pages that often integrate with a software like CityView, which Aurora has already prioritized as part of its Technology Strategic Plan. •Many comparable municipalities such as Newmarket, Ajax and Caledon have ROP by-laws. Page 72 of 283 57b. Departmental Profile: Planning and Development (1 of 2)ServiceService Level*Current Service PerformanceFTE2021 OpEx (% of total)Development Planning: Review and processing of planning applications; responding to inquiries on development potential, application status, and planning process.•Y•Below Standard when there are delays in review by internal staff or external agencies •Emphasize developing service level agreements with Town Divisions/Departments and external stakeholdersMixed (At/Below Standard)**8$1,098,300 (2%)Building: Review of building permit applications, building permit inspections, address complaints regarding land use, providing zoning information.•Y•Below Standard during busy periods (construction was down in 2020, which has caused a high level of applications in 2021)Mixed (At/Below Standard)12$2,527,700 (4%)Policy Planning/Economic Development: Responsible for economic development, policy direction for the Town from Official Plan/zoning, and overall policy monitoring with the Region and the Province.•Y•Suggest completing an exercise to specify and document more detailed service standards, including setting standards for regular, cyclical by-law and policy renewalAt Standard4$743,400 (1%)Engineering and Capital Delivery: Municipal engineering services, capital project delivery for engineering projects, subdivision development and site inspections, traffic and transportation analysis, and environmental initiatives.•Y, ongoing work with other departments to establish service levels and Asset Management PlanMixed (At/Above Standard)13$1,661,700(2%)SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3*A more detailed version of service levels can be found in the Corporate Service Inventory shared with this report. **Current service performance is based on existing service levels. Some services lack comprehensive service levels and therefore, this assessment may not be fully reflective of the service experience of internal clients or external residents. Further efforts are required to develop and document detailed service levels.Page 73 of 283 58b. Departmental Profile: Planning and Development (1 of 2)Service Improvement OpportunitiesOpportunity #19: Expand functionality and utilization of CRM system for Economic Development and Policy Planning.Opportunity #20: Develop a Council-driven real-estate portfolio strategy.Opportunity #21: In coordination with Community Services, explore the delivery of new business and community development services.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 74 of 283 59b. Improvement Opportunity: Planning and Development – EcDev & Policy (1 of 3)Opportunity #19: Expand functionality and utilization of CRM system for Economic Development and Policy Planning.Rationale & Description: Currently usage of the CRM system is limited to certain departments within Aurora (e.g., Access Aurora, Operations etc.). TheEconomic Development and Policy Planning Division can benefit from expanded functionality and use of Aurora’s CRM system to allow for more effective tracking of communications with external stakeholders and streamline the internal communications and workflow.•The municipality currently subscribes to a Microsoft Dynamics 365 for its CRM solution and intends to expand its use, as outlined in the Technology Strategic Plan. Aurora can also consider adopting the Signal 311 CRM and Citizen Engagement solution, as endorsed by AMO (see Leading Practice below).•Expansion of the CRM should align to the Customer Experience Plan (CEP) and internal Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure the CRM is adopted as an enterprise-wide solution.Revenues/Cost SavingsCost-savings: Productivity savings of $55,000 per year from Digitization.Risks/ChallengesSolely expanding functionality will not drive process change. Change management best practices should be applied to achieve desired outcomes. Additionally, expectations around CRM usage can be incorporated as part of the enterprise-wide initiatives to develop internal service level agreements.Level of InvestmentExisting Technology Strategic Plan.TimingWave 3.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery MProcesses HOrg Structure LTechnology HData and Reporting HPeople and Culture MOverallHLeading Practice/BenchmarkingFrequency Foundry is a Microsoft Gold Cloud CRM Partner and exclusively offers the Signal 311 CRM and Citizen Engagement solution to the Association of Municipalities Ontario’s (AMO) members at a preferred price. The solution is built on top of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform. Key services offered: citizen self-service portal, work order management, multi-channel contact centre, among more. More details here. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 75 of 283 60b. Improvement Opportunity: Planning and Development – EcDev & Policy (2 of 3)Opportunity #20: Develop a Council-driven real-estate portfolio strategy. Rationale & Description: Council has prioritized development in the downtown area, but the Economic Development and Planning Division can benefit from a more fulsome real estate strategy and direction from Council.•A strategy or guiding policy can provide the Division with a criteria by which to evaluate potential real estate projects and bring forward proposals to Council that are more aligned to Council’s vision.Revenues/Cost Savings•Revenues: To be determined by real-estate portfolio strategy.•Cost Savings: Productivity savings of $27,500 per year from Standardizing Processes.Risks/ChallengesMany of Aurora’s comparators do not have a real estate strategy, indicating that it may not be an essential planning process to prioritize. Of the comparators, only Ajax has identified developing a real estate strategy in their strategic plan for 2021. Aurora can consider initially developing a policy as this may be more cost-effective. Level of Investment5-10% (or 2-5 weeks) of Manager, EcDev & Policy Planning capacity to drive strategy development ($6,200 to $12,400).TimingWave 3.Change Impact AssessmentService Delivery LProcesses MOrg Structure LTechnology LData and ReportingLPeople and CultureMOverallLLeading Practice/Benchmarking•The City of Toronto adopted a City-Wide Real Estate Strategy in 2019 and identifies key factors such as vision, value creation, and strategic opportunities that can support decision-making (see here). Aurora can look to this and other best practices to develop its real-estate portfolio strategy.•The City of Hamilton also has a Real Property Management function that includes real estate strategy and portfolio planning services (see here). SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 76 of 283 61b. Improvement Opportunity: Planning and Development – EcDev & Policy (3 of 3)Opportunity #21: In coordination with Community Services, explore the delivery of new business and community development services.Rationale & Description: Both the Economic Development & Policy Planning Division and Recreation Division identified opportunities to support local businesses and community organizations with value-added business and workforce development services. These can further enhance economic and community development. •Examples of services for the business community: drop-in business consultation sessions; business events; workforce training; workforce development programs; open data collections for businesses; a true concierge service for businesses; a formalized Business Retention and Expansion program etc.•Examples of services for the not-for-profit community: helping them with grant writing, establishing governance, accessing basic tools for running a NFP, marketing and social media etc. This can help community organizations become more financially independent. •These can be explored through developing an internal business case that considers various service delivery models, such as directly delivering these programs or partnering or contracting third-party local organizations that already provide similar services to the community.Revenues/Cost SavingsRevenues: To be determined by business case.Risks/ChallengesAurora currently partners with the York Small Business Enterprise Centre (YSBEC) that offers similar services to the N6. Aurora should ensure that any new services are not duplicating YSBEC’s offerings. There may be opportunity to expand the partnership with YSBEC to deliver additional services to citizens. Level of Investment5-10% (or 2-5 weeks) of Manager, EcDev & Policy Planning and Manager, Recreation capacity to develop business case ($15,200 to $30,400).TimingWave 3.Change Impact AssessmentService DeliveryMProcessesHOrg StructureLTechnologyLData and ReportingMPeople and CultureMOverallMLeading Practice/BenchmarkingThe Town of Collingwood’s Business Development Centre offers networking and education events and free business development advice to businesses. Some services are delivered by the Town itself, while some education events are delivered through partners like ventureLAB. More information here. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Service Driven 3Page 77 of 283 Continuous Improvement –Leading Practice OpportunitiesCCASE STUDIES of proposed initiatives that the Town may consider as part of broader efforts to modernize and continuously improve. While they are not directly linked to a service, they provide the organizational infrastructure to improve service delivery. Page 78 of 283 63b. Leading Municipal Practice Opportunities (1 of 3)SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Continuous Improvement31. Corporate Strategic Plan AlignmentDrive greater alignment between the corporate strategic plan and Division-level priorities.Aurora has a new corporate strategic plan underway, but Town Divisions have varying levels of understanding on how their service line fits within the overall Town strategy. Some are confident of how their work is advancing the Town’s long-term vision, while others can benefit from more direction from Council and leadership on where they should focus their efforts over the next 3-5 years. There is overall appreciation for new initiatives and efforts to modernize the municipality, but this can be balanced with discussions on prioritization and how new initiatives link to the overall Town strategy. There is opportunity for the CAO and Directors to lead discussions with Divisions on what the new strategy means for their service and collaboratively brainstorm Division-level priorities to deliver upon the strategy.2. Cross-Functional CollaborationBuild more collaborative partnerships between cross-functional support staff and service delivery staff. Functional resources, such as communications, corporate services, and finance staff, are shifting to an internal service delivery model whereby functional resources are responsible for supporting a given service department or division. However, more efforts are required to foster a collaborative partnership between both groups and bolster the view of functional staff as strategic business partners. This will allow for consistency and better integration of functional staff into service delivery areas. Adoption of new tools through the ERP and Procurement Modernization project will play a key role in facilitating strategic partnerships.•For example, Financial Management can provide modeling services to Divisions to understand resource requirements needed to keep up with growth.3. Governance Training Create an annual governance training plan for Council.While there is an onboarding process in place, it is best practice for Council to also undergo annual training. Corporate Services, in collaboration with the Office of the CAO, has an opportunity to develop an annual governance training plan that supports Councillors in their decision-making role and provides ongoing education on relevant topics.Page 79 of 283 64b. Leading Municipal Practice Opportunities (2 of 3)SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Continuous Improvement34. Diversity and Inclusion Increase focus on diversity and inclusion within service delivery to better reflect the Town’s changing demographics. As Aurora grows, its population is becoming more diverse and has changing needs and preferences. Diversity and inclusion should be an important consideration in service delivery – from expanding and diversifying the services that are offered (e.g., recreation and culture) to the customer service training Aurora provides to front-line staff. This can be achieved through tactics such as an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. This will help ensure efforts are coordinated and Council-endorsed, rather than reactive. There are furtheropportunities to engage and amplify the work of community partners, who already undertake diversity and inclusion programming for their respective community groups. The proposed EDI Committee can be leveraged for this type of community engagement.5. Capacity Management Appropriately resource enterprise-wide initiatives, while defining and communicating clear roles and responsibilities.A significant number of enterprise-wide initiatives are underway, most of which are managed by the Corporate Initiatives division in a project matrix environment. Front-line or administrative staff are often pulled into these projects, which directly impacts their capacity to deliver on a given service. On the other hand, if they are not able to support these projects, it adds pressure on the Corporate Initiatives division to manage and deliver on the project. There is opportunity to ensure the organization has capacity to sustain the level of enterprise-wide continuous improvement initiatives underway. This involves considering resourcing requirements and change management to ensure organizational buy-in and support. Among the comparators, there is a Director-level role and supporting FTEassigned to this type of department/division. The PMO function is also usually integrated with a Corporate Services function. Additionally, there is opportunity for more discussion and clarity on how to best manage staff capacity so they can balance assigned duties with special projects within other departments.ComparatorResourcing for Similar Types of Corporate Initiatives/PMO TeamsAuroraManager of Corporate Initiatives and Project Manager, PMONewmarketDirector of Innovations & Strategic Initiatives and 2 FTECaledonDirector of Corporate Strategy & Innovation and 7 FTE (dedicated to PMO)Halton HillsDirector of Strategic Initiatives and a Senior Advisor, Strategic InitiativesPage 80 of 283 656. Intranet Improve the intranet and increase its use to facilitate greater information sharing across departments.Participants referenced the need to centralize departmental information, so it is easily accessible and shared across the organization (e.g., creating articles on services each department provides, posting internal contacts, documenting corporate knowledge to address FAQ). This can further support cross-functional collaboration within the organization.7. Pandemic PracticesFormalize and sustain practices put in place during the pandemic that proved to be effective. Some practices adopted during COVID-19 should continue and be formalized if deemed appropriate. See below for examples of practices:•The option to work remotely was the most popular COVID-19 practice that Town staff would like to see continued. See Innovation Opportunity #5 for best practices related to Accommodating Hybrid Work.•E-signatures was emphasized as a key improvement made during COVID-19. There is opportunity to formalize signature validation, which would save the Financial Reporting & Revenue Division the extra time it takes to validate the signatures.•Digitizing records and documents through Laserfiche has improved workflow, but there are opportunities to provide more training to increase effective use of the platform. •Digital submissions for building permit issuance and planning applications have relieved paperwork and improved workflow. Building Inspectors also started doing inspections virtually, using cameras. These efficiencies can continue post-pandemic to reduce travel time and protect the health of field staff.•The Financial Reporting & Revenue team shifted their focus to processing COVID-19 relief grants and subsidies, but over time this became too resource-intensive. For future financial emergencies, there should be a plan to address unexpected surge capacity (e.g., seeking contracted support).•The upcoming Business Continuity Management program can help capture lessons learned from COVID-19. Furthermore, industry standard implementation of a business continuity management plan can support service modernization. For best practices, A 2021 study of pandemic planning in Canada found that the City of Toronto’s Pandemic Influenza Plan did a good job of assigning roles and responsibilities to partners during a pandemic. In 2020, the City of Toronto further developed a Pandemic Planning Guide for Community Agencies.Additional Source: Genest et al. (2021). Translating COVID-19 emergency plans into policy: A comparative analysis of three Canadian provinces, p. 123,https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/25741292.2020.1868123?needAccess=trueb. Leading Municipal Practice Opportunities (3 of 3)SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Continuous Improvement3Page 81 of 283 Continuous Improvement –Innovation OpportunitiesCCASE STUDIES of initiatives that Aurora can further explore to position the municipality as a leader in modernization and innovation.Page 82 of 283 67The COVID-19 pandemic has changed social norms, working arrangements, and the needs and preferences of residents. Reliable digital infrastructure has become increasingly important for economic productivity, and remote working arrangements have given people more freedom to move from Toronto to surrounding communities, like those in York Region. The best post-COVID opportunities for innovation address cchanging resident needs and preferences to accommodate growth, retain cchanges to services and ways-of-workingthat have been identified as improvements, and explore ddigital transformation and investments more vigorously. Below is a sample of opportunities and trends relevant to this changing landscape that Aurora can consider for further exploration. Details on each of these are included in the subsequent slides.b. Innovation OpportunitiesResident and Business Needs and PreferencesImproved Services and New Ways-of-WorkingDigital Transformation and Investments•Accessible Public Wi-Fi•“Open Streets” initiatives•Climate Adaptation Planning•Participatory Budgeting•Accommodating Hybrid Work•“Third Spaces” initiatives•Digital Services and Payments•Open Data•“Smart Cities” Investments•Digital EngagementSERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Continuous Improvement3Page 83 of 283 68b. Innovation Opportunities: Resident Needs and PreferencesSources:Town of Aurora (2021). Council Meeting Minutes, May 25 https://pub-auroraon.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=2664.City of Toronto (2021). COVID-19: ActiveTO https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-reduce-virus-spread/covid-19-activeto/. Open Street TO https://www.openstreetsto.org/.District Office of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg from Berlin (2020). https://www.berlin.de/ba-friedrichshain-kreuzberg/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2020/pressemitteilung.926016.php. Town of Halton Hills (2020). Climate Change Adaptation Planhttps://www.haltonhills.ca/en/residents/resources/Documents/HH%20CCAP%202020%20-%20AODA%20Sept16.pdf. City of Toronto (2019). Toronto’s Participatory Budgeting Pilot Evaluation https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-124370.pdf.Mayor Mrakas and Town Council recently approved a motion calling for the Town to “investigate existing models of municipally-implemented Wi-Fi services to develop a proposed model for Aurora.” This should continue. Accessible public Wi-Fi is one way for the Town to increase digital inclusion and establish infrastructure required for future “smart” improvements.1. Accessible Public Wi-FiMunicipalities have converted roads into walkable, pedestrian-friendly spaces during the pandemic. The City of Toronto has run multiple “ActiveTO” or “Open Streets” initiatives, which closed “major roads for active transportation, expanding the cycling network and quiet streets.” In Germany, one district closed 30 streets to create temporary “play streets” for children during the pandemic.2. Open StreetsIn September 2020, the Town of Halton Hills published its climate change adaptation plan to “minimize the negative impacts of climate change, as well as take advantage of opportunities to strengthen the Town’s resilience to climate change.” As residents become increasingly attentive to climate risks, municipalities have an opportunity to take the lead on adapting to these risks and reduce the impact of climate change on municipal services.3. Climate Adaptation PlanningThe City of Toronto piloted a “participatory budgeting” (PB) process which “is distinct from other budget consultations and specifically refers to a method that invites the public to propose ideas, vote and have the final say on how a portion of a government's budget will be allocated.” PB is an innovative way to get residents directly involved in important Town decision-making, and the Town of Aurora could learn from Toronto’s pilot.4. Participatory BudgetingSERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Continuous Improvement3Page 84 of 283 69b. Innovation Opportunities: Improved Services and New Ways-of-WorkingSources:KPMG (2021). Canadians Like Hybrid Model Concept: Workplace Reboothttps://home.kpmg/ca/en/home/media/press-releases/2021/05/canadians-like-hybrid-model-concept-workplace-reboot.html. Accenture (2021). COVID-19 Has Sparked a New Wave of Innovation Across Consumer Industries in Canada https://www.accenture.com/ca-en/about/newsroom/company-news-release-covid-consumer-research-2021. World Economic Forum (2021)What is a ‘third space’ venue - and could it be the future of hybrid working?https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/third-space-remote-hybrid-working/In May 2021, KPMG published research indicating that over 70% of Canadians believed that hybrid work models “should be a standard.” In this same survey, over 80% of Canadians worried that “their bosses aren't prepared nor equipped to manage hybrid workplace models.” Municipalities can take the lead in facilitating accommodating and innovative work arrangements for their employees, which other local businesses can model.When asked about COVID-19 practices that they would like to see continued post-pandemic, remote work emerged as top of mind for Divisions. Many would still like the option to come into the office or need to due to the nature of their work, and therefore Aurora should explore a flexible hybrid model of working for Town staff.5. Accommodating Hybrid WorkA “third space” is a location other than a person’s home or place of employment. According to research conducted by Accenture Canada in May 2021, 69% of Canadians and 77% of Torontonians, who will continue to telecommute following the pandemic, would like to occasionally work from a “third space.” Municipalities may look to encourage the creation of “third spaces” to accommodate new working arrangements.For example, third spaces might include traditional public gathering places like parks, libraries, cafes, and restaurants equipped with new and innovative infrastructure to accommodate short-term working arrangements. New infrastructure could include accessible WIFI, enhanced power access, access to office supplies, and dedicated quiet and meeting spaces.6. “Third Spaces”OfficeHome“Third Space”SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Continuous Improvement3Page 85 of 283 70b. Innovation Opportunities: Digital Transformation and Investments (1 of 2)Sources:Mastercard Government Services and Solutions (2014). Moving Beyond Cash https://smartcitiescouncil.com/system/tdf/main/public_resources/Moving%20beyond%20cash.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=2278&force=Town of Oakville. Online Services https://townofoakville.force.com/ServiceOakville/s/.Future Cities (2020). Resilient Cities Post COVID: Accelerating Innovation https://futurecitiescanada.ca/stories/resilient-cities-post-covid-19-accelerating-innovation/.Observatory of Public Sector Innovation. Open Government Toolkit. https://oecd-opsi.org/guide/open-government/Government of Canada (2020). Open Government Across Canada https://open.canada.ca/en/maps/open-data-Canada. York Region (2020). Open Data https://www.york.ca/opendataLaura Conrad & the Canadian Municipal Barometer (2021). Citizen Engagement in a Pandemic: Data from the CMB Annual Survey http://www.cmb-bmc.ca/2021/03/11/citizen-engagement-in-a-pandemic-data-from-the-cmb-annual-survey/Digitization and technology can increase accessibility and ease-of-access to municipal services. A mobile-friendly website capable of processing payments for services typically processed in-person can reduce administrative costs, improve access, and result in higher customer satisfaction. Oakville, for example, uses an online portal where residents sign-in to an account to access Town services.7. Digital Services and PaymentsGovernments can build trust with residents by making the data it collects publicly accessible. The COVID-19 pandemic proved the value of open data, allowing Canadians and Ontarians to access updated information on COVID-19 cases and vaccine progress daily. As the Town develops better service levels and KPIs, this information could be made available publicly to residents in an accessible format. Municipalities across Canada, including York Region, have already adopted Open Data/Government processes. 8. Open DataIn March 2021, the Canadian Municipal Barometer published research which found that municipal representatives across the country increasingly hold meetings online to engage with constituents. Pre-pandemic, under 20% of representatives were using online meetings for engagement. During the pandemic, this has grown to 85% for online public meetings and over 60% for online private meetings. Online engagement can be more accessible for residents who cannot participate in traditional engagements like town hall meetings. This is an opportunity to capture residents’ willingness to use online tools for engagement.9. Digital EngagementSERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Continuous Improvement3Page 86 of 283 71The Government of Canada ran a “SSmart Cities Challenge” and invited applications from municipalities across the country. Below are submissions from two comparators: Caledon and Halton Hills. These proposals were not successful, but they represent the ambition of municipalities like the Town of Aurora.b. Innovation Opportunities: Digital Transformation and Investments (2 of 2)Caledon –“Smart Spaces”Connecting Caledon aims to find ways to connect Caledon residents to digital technology, each other, and the world through Smart Spaces. Through this project, we believe that Caledon can be an example for other rural communities on how to connect and thrive using smart technology. Our proposal is to: •Increase the number of traditional and non-traditional spaces where the community can connect.•Collect data on how our community is using these spaces.•Use the data collected to continue to improve community spaces to meet our residents’ needs in the future. We will do this by creating three types of Smart Spaces.1. A “hub” which hosts co-working space for entrepreneurs, while still providing community space for residents.2. “Spokes” located in a number of our villages and hamlets in community spaces that allow people access to resources at the “hub” in their local community, tailored for their local needs. 3. Outdoor spaces in our parks and trails that use smart lightning, signage and benches to provide connectivity while enjoying Caledon’s natural beauty. The application will create improved economic opportunities through co-working space for small businesses, entrepreneurs and local start-ups, and empower our community to help space their community spaces to best meet their uses.Halton Hills –“Electric Vehicle Charging Stations” The App-Connected Level 2/3 V2G Enabled Electric Vehicle Charging Station Project involves: •Developing a vehicle charging station that is connected to an app so users can find an available station, pay for parking, pay to charge their car, and get notified when charging is done.•Developing a smart phone application for Android and iPhone.•Building and installing 200 charging stations throughout Halton Hills.•Beta-testing the system and monitoring performance. •Understanding potential market opportunities for the charging stations.•Wide-scale commercialization.Sources: Infrastructure Canada. Smart Cities Challenge: Participating Communities https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/sc-vi/map-applications.php10. Comparator Municipality Smart Cities SubmissionsSERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Continuous Improvement3Page 87 of 283 Growth Impact AnalysisPage 88 of 283 73To accommodate growth, Building Services will need to strengthen organizational capabilities to service new types of development. As identified in the rrecent Master Transportation Study, Aurora should focus on managing the existing transportation network while improving connectivity and safety particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. Aurora’s fiscal strategy will need to pay particular focus to delays in ddevelopment charge (DC) collections and their impact on future debt requirements and DC rates. An aging and increasingly diverse population, higher density development, ability to develop and service new facilities, and citizen preferences will require Aurora to continuously innovate rrecreation and culture services.Aurora’s ability to service wwater and wastewater needs for the planned growth targets are highly dependent on the Water Reclamation Centre currently scheduled for completion in 2028, which has yet to be authorized by the Government of Ontario. Growth will require Aurora to continuously modernize and digitize operations to achieve cost-efficiencies, with particular emphasis on IT and HR as automation and changing workforce needs impact the ffuture of government.c. Growth Impact Analysis: Overview of FindingsGeneral GovernmentTransportation ServicesFinancial Impact (L,M,H)Organizational Capability Impact (L, M, H)LMHLMHProtection ServicesEnvironmental ServicesRecreation & Culture ServicesPlanning and DevelopmentLow riskMedium riskHigh riskLEGEND*A key output of this service delivery review is to assess population growth projections and how they will impact service delivery. The following summarizes key findings from the growth impact analysis and uses a heat map to illustrate the financial, organizational, and risk impact assessments for each service category. A detailed analysis is outlined in the following slides. IMPACT ASSESSMENT HEAT MAPSERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3*Size of the bubble indicates degree of risk. Colouris used for visual emphasis.Page 89 of 283 74c. Growth Impact Analysis Methodology: OverviewTThe following outlines StrategyCorp’s approach to conducting the growth impact analysis. The analysis is intended to provide insights that are most useful for Aurora in planning for future service delivery as opposed to standard growth management work. Growth management is a long-term and resource-intensive undertaking and is already underway through implementation of the new fiscal strategy and the Official Plan renewal. Municipal Growth Impact Analysis MethodologyInquiry How can the municipality prepare for growth?Assess organizational readiness for service growth:ApproachWhat does population growth look like?Define scenarios for population growth:1. Slow Growth2. As Projected3. Expedited GrowthA combination of population, organizational maturity, and development will drive cost of service delivery. These drivers informed comparators for each population growth scenario.1. Identifying common FIR service categories across comparators.2. Benchmarking cost of service delivery and staff complement against each comparator.What drives growth in services?Assess service growth drivers to identify comparators:What does growth look like for services?Forecast service growth by:< Low riskFinancial Impact (L,M,H)Organizational Capability Impact (L,M,H)Medium ^riskHigh ^riskThis analysis will serve as an input to existing work, and more efforts will be required to bring together the various piecesofinternal work. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 90 of 283 75YYork region’s ongoing municipal comprehensive review (MCR) provides forecast allocations for Aurora. It anticipates that Aurora’s population will grow to 84,900 by 2051. For the purposes of this analysis, 62,000 was used as the base or current state population for Aurora. Therefore, the MCR forecast allocations represent an approximate 37% (or ~22,900) increase in population. The Town of Aurora released a Growth Management Discussion Paper in April 2021, as part of its Official Plan Review. The document explores how, where, and in what form growth could occur within the Town over the next 30 years. It estimates that the Town can accommodate an additional 22,250 to 25,250 residents, and approximately 11,700 jobs by 2051, thereby achieving the York Region MCR forecasts. Based on the expected population growth, three potential scenarios were developed for how the growth will change Aurora’s population density and development pattern, distribution, and demographics.A population growth rate (over 30 years and yearover-year) and population density were calculated for each of the scenarios.c. Growth Impact Analysis Methodology: Scenario DevelopmentScenarioSlow Growth (below MCR target)At Projected Growth (at MCR target)Expedited Growth (above MCR target)Pop Growth Rate27% (62,000 to 78,740) 37% (62,000 to 84,900) 47% (62,000 to 91,1140)Annual Pop Growth Rate0.9% 1.2% 1.6%Pop Density1,579.53/square km 1703.11/square km 1,828.28/square kmAssume Aurora will mmeetpopulation and intensification targets outlined in the York Region MCR.At Projected GrowthSlow GrowthExpedited GrowthAssume growth will be llowerthan forecasted (an assumption of 10% lower was made). Assume growth rates are mmuch higherthan forecasted (an assumption of 10% greater was made). SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 91 of 283 76c. Growth Impact Analysis Methodology: Growth Drivers and Comparator SelectionTThe cost-of-service delivery will be impacted by the following three growth drivers. These drivers affect service demand, and insome cases, will also affect each other: ScenarioSlow Growth (below MCR target)At Projected Growth (at MCR target)Expedited Growth (above MCR target)Aurora Pop Growth Rate27% (62,000 to 78,740) 37% (62,000 to 84,900) 47% (62,000 to 91,140)Aurora Annual Pop Growth Rate0.9% 1.2% 1.6%Aurora Population Density1,579.53/square km 1703.11/square km 1,828.28/square kmAurora Median Family IncomeN/A (currently $120,795)ComparatorTown of CaledonTown of NewmarketTown of MiltonComparator Government TypeLower-tier in a regionComparator Pop 174,649 90,156 123,200Comparator Annual Pop Growth (past 5 yrs.) 11.47% 1.03% 4.46%Comparator Population Density 1,2101.1/square km* 2,344.76/square km 339.19/square kmComparator Median Family Income 2$121,673 $109,004 $104,730*While Caledon is much larger in geography than Aurora, only 20% of Caledon's land mass can be developed as the rest of it is protected land. Therefore, the population density on developable land would be more comparable to that of Aurora.1Source: FIR data, 2015-20192Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2016Comparable municipalities were selected and evaluated based on key indicators related to these drivers. They are outlined below.As the number of residents increase, demand for services increases (e.g., more by-law complaints). OrganizationAurora’s 45% intensification target will require development in the Built Up Area (BUA) and Designated Greenfield Area (DGA). As the municipal tax base increases and services must be scaled, the organization matures and modernizes to adapt to its new size (e.g., more digitization).PopulationDevelopment Population will drive development andorganization growth Development can also drive organization growth SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 92 of 283 77c. Growth Impact Analysis Methodology: Forecasting and AnalysisTThe following table outlines how the impact to service delivery was assessed. Assumptions for Calculating GrowthImpact AnalysisScale of Financial ImpactScale of Organizational Capability ImpactRisk LevelBenchmark cost of service delivery and staff complement for each relevant FIR service category against existing municipalities that face comparable circumstances to the scenarios for what Aurora will look like in 2051.Low: Municipality can likely maintain service levels through expected growth in existing revenue sources.MMedium: Municipality can likely maintain service levels through expected revenue growth, supplemented by other sources of revenue, such as reserves.HHigh: Municipality cannot likely maintain or improve service levels without significant increases in additional sources of revenues.Low: Organizational capability exists and can be continuously improved/modernized to maintain effective service levels. MMedium: Organizational capability exists but will require large-scale changes to maintain effective service levels.HHigh:Organizational capability is missing and will require greater investments to maintain effective service levels.Low: Growth poses low risk to municipality operations.MMedium: Growth poses medium risk to municipality operations but can be mitigated.HHigh:Growth poses high-risk to municipality operations and requires leadership oversight. Theanalysis also includes qualitative insights to highlight additional considerations for assumptions, such as external factors, level of water/wastewater infrastructure investment needed, risks associated with scenario etc. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 93 of 283 78c. Growth Impact Analysis Methodology:Data Sources and LimitationsBBelow is an overview of the data sources that informed the analysis. Limitations in the data and overall analysis are also outlined.DataLimitationsKey SourcesPopulation ggrowth, density, and ddemographics•The York Region Forecast and Lands Need Assessment is the best and most recent data available. It must be used for planning efforts and the forecasts also account for recent trends and future policy shifts. The SDR RFP documents mention 2042, but the York Region forecast allocations extend to 2051. Projections to 2051 are preferable due to available data. •The analysis focuses on the potential financial impact of growth on service delivery and is designed to enable future analysis by municipal leadership. This reflects that ssome dimensions of future service delivery cannot be known and must be assessed and refined in the future. As a result, this analysis identifies reasonable growth drivers given limitations in data and future planning. •York Region Proposed 2051 Forecast and Lands Need Assessment•2016 Canadian Census (Statistics Canada)•MMAH FIR dataDevelopment aand population distribution•The Town of Aurora’s Official Plan is under development and will not be finalized in time for this analysis. This limits the level of analysis available on how high-density intensification versus low density greenfield development impacts service delivery. To mitigate this, SCI has leveraged the Growth Management Discussion Paper published by Aurora in 2021, engage with Aurora leads on the Official Plan and consult in-house with subject-matter experts.•Aurora Official Plan/Growth Management Discussion Paper•SME engagementFinances•Aurora’s internal financial data is the most recent and accurate information available. However, FFIR data is the best resource for comparable data across peers. Since not all municipalities organize services in the same way, MMAH classifies municipal services into nine functions. However, comparators have almost certainly not reported services in consistent categories. The classification guidelines were used to identify the service functions most relevant for Aurora’s services. Benchmarking was then done across the FIR service functions. (see next slide)•2019 FIR data was used as it is the most recent set across all comparators and isn’t impacted by COVID-19.•FIR dataOther Assumptions: This model is fixed to Aurora and does not account for pressure on Aurora to increase or limit services based on growth in nearby regions.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 94 of 283 79c. Growth Impact Analysis Methodology:FIR Service CategoriesFIR Service CCategoriesGeneral GovernmentEnvironmental ServicesTransportationProtection ServicesPlanning and DevelopmentRecreation and Culture ServicesAurora Services•Corporate Communications•Human Resources•Legal Services•Legislative Services/Records Management•IT•Corporate Initiatives•PMO•Financial Reporting & Revenue•Financial Management•Procurement Services•Fleet•Facilities Management•By-law•Access Aurora•Water, Wastewater, Stormwater•Solid Waste•Roads•Building•Development Planning•Policy Planning & Economic Development•Engineering and Capital Delivery•Parks•Recreation/ Special Events•Business Support•CultureFIR data was used to benchmark Aurora against comparators. Not all municipalities organize services in the same way. For FIR purposes, MMAH classifies municipal services into nine functions. The classification guidelines were used to organize Aurora’s services intoone of the nine functions. Benchmarking was then done across these FIR service categories.Data limitation: There is a possibility that FIR data submitted by Aurora and comparators may not be entirely aligned to these guidelines becauseinternal budgets are structured differently, there are reporting errors, etc. Therefore, data should be considered directional in nature.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 95 of 283 80c. Growth Impact Analysis: General GovernmentGrowth MetricComparatorImpact Assessment (H/M/L)AuroraCaledonNewmarketMiltonFinancialOrganizational CapabilityRiskOpEx (000s)12,609 10,843 5,270 8,175LML% Change in OpEx (%)- -14% -58% -35%FT Municipal Workforce81 99 117 88PT Municipal Workforce-1317Seasonal Municipal Workforce-24-Assume inclusive of:•Corporate Communications•Human Resources•Legal Services•Legislative Services/Records Management•IT•Corporate Initiatives•PMO•Financial Reporting & Revenue•Financial Management•Procurement Services•Fleet•Facilities Management•By-law•Access Aurora•Currently, Aurora spends more than comparators do on General Government. While this can be attributed to FIR reporting differences (e.g., other municipalities may not include by-law in General Government), the overall takeaway is that Aurora’s General Government expenses are unlikely to increase at the same rate as population growth. •Town growth will not have a significant financial impact on General Government expenses over the long-term and Aurora can likely finance growth through expected increases in existing revenue sources (e.g., tax base, user charges etc.). A moderate increase in FTE is expected, based on comparator analysis. •However, in the short-term, automation and changing workforce needs are likely to require Aurora to invest more in IT (i.e., more digital infrastructure) and HR (i.e., upskilling and reskilling, cross-training, remote work accommodations). Efforts like participating in the current N6 future of work research study should continue to be prioritized. These will create short-term financial pressures as implementation must occur before benefits are realized.•It will be important for Aurora to continuously modernize and digitize operations to achieve cost-efficiencies. Given the Town is applying for Excellence Canada’s Gold level certification, it is in a strong position to build the necessary organizational capabilities to accommodate growth.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 96 of 283 81c. Growth Impact Analysis: Environmental ServicesGrowth MetricComparatorImpact Assessment (H/M/L)AuroraCaledonNewmarketMiltonFinancialOrganizational CapabilityRiskOpEx (000s)33,867 880 48,648 3,515MMH% Change in OpEx (%)- -97% 44% -90%FT Municipal Workforce*31 64 60 73PT Municipal Workforce*-2116Seasonal Municipal Workforce*-604112Assume inclusive of: Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, Solid Waste*Reported as “Public Works” workforce in FIR data•Newmarket’s operating expenditures for Environmental Services are more comparable for Aurora on a per capita basis and demonstrate that Aurora can expect this area to grow in correlation with population growth. •Notably, Aurora has a significantly lower staff count for this service area. This may be attributed to FIR reporting errors or a high dependency on outsourcing services at Aurora. As identified in the opportunity analysis, Aurora can benefit from regularly scheduled reviews of contracted services to ensure that market competitive opportunities are being optimized and continue to provide better value than in-house delivery options. These reviews should consider growth implications and if growth can be better serviced in-house. •There is a risk that Aurora may not be able to sufficiently provide water and wastewater servicing for the planned growth targets. A key factor in addressing this risk will be the Water Reclamation Centre currently scheduled for completion in 2028. This Centre is expected to provide capacity for 90,000 people in East Gwillimbury and Northwest Newmarket while also freeing up capacity for growth in the rest of Newmarket and Aurora. SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 97 of 283 82c. Growth Impact Analysis: Recreation & Culture ServicesGrowth MetricComparatorImpact Assessment (H/M/L)AuroraCaledonNewmarketMiltonFinancialOrganizational CapabilityRiskOpEx (000s)24,834 23,823 41,044 41,890LMM% Change in OpEx (%)- -4% 65% 69%FT Municipal Workforce80 74 76 93PT Municipal Workforce- 1 71 583Seasonal Municipal Workforce- 137 554 237Assume inclusive of: Parks, Recreation/ Special Events, Business Support, Culture•While Caledon is an outlier in terms of Recreation & Culture Services spending, Newmarket’s and Milton’s operating expenditures and workforce profile demonstrate that Aurora can expect growth in this area. Growth is expected to be primarily population-driven, driving increase in demand and revenue (i.e., user fees) and development-driven (i.e., availability of facilities for programming).•The following factors are expected to shape growth: oFrom a ddemographic perspective, Ontario’s population projections indicate that 22% to 27% of York region’s population is expected to be seniors in 2046, representing a growth of over 80%. In contrast, growth in the number of children is forecasted to be between 20% to 30%. Services catered to the aging population will need to be prioritized in growth planning. Furthermore, increasing provincial focus on cultural diversity and immigration patterns can accelerate the growth of culture services.oFrom a ddevelopment perspective, most residential population growth is expected to be addressed through intensification. This will influence location of services and is expected to put increasing pressure on existing facilities. Limitations in developing and servicing new facilities can also slow down growth. As a result, the Town will need to consider innovative approaches to delivering services (e.g., virtual programming). oCitizen preferencesare also expected to change as they seek greater opportunities to engage with their community (e.g., advances in remote working mean more young and middle-aged adults are at home and more likely to enroll in recreational programming).SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 98 of 283 83c. Growth Impact Analysis: Planning and DevelopmentGrowth MetricComparatorImpact Assessment (H/M/L)AuroraCaledonNewmarketMiltonFinancialOrganizational CapabilityRiskOpEx (000s)2,283 7,138 3,550 7,861HMH% Change in OpEx (%)- 213% 55% 244%FT Municipal Workforce46 60 9 58PT Municipal Workforce--2-Seasonal Municipal Workforce-212Assume inclusive of: Development Planning, Policy Planning & Economic Development, Engineering and Capital Delivery•Newmarket’s operating expenditures on Planning and Development are more comparable for Aurora on a per capita basis and demonstrate that Aurora can expect this service area to grow in correlation with population and development growth. •Discrepancies in workforce profiles may be attributed to FIR reporting differences. However, it is more important for Aurora to consider the staff capabilities that will be required to service growth. There is opportunity to better align staff expertise with Aurora’s development patterns (e.g., experience in infill/high-density development). •The York region MCR highlights that the region, including Aurora, has been experiencing increasing delays in collecting development charges (DCs). A slower than forecasted rate of growth requires a fiscal strategy to mitigate the impacts of slower growth, which includes aligning infrastructure projects with actual growth and DC collections. Aurora is exploring this risk area further through its new fiscal strategy. In addition, it is best practice to provide Council with an annual report on the impacts of the delayed collection, including the impact on future debt requirements and future DC rates. This will further inform Council's decisions on the pace of growth. NNote: this is being included in the budget annually.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 99 of 283 84c. Growth Impact Analysis: Transportation ServicesGrowth MetricComparatorImpact Assessment (H/M/L)AuroraCaledonNewmarketMiltonFinancialOrganizational CapabilityRiskOpEx (000s)11,016 25,468 14,570 45,643MLM% Change in OpEx (%)- 131% 32% 314%FT Municipal WorkforceN/A*PT Municipal WorkforceSeasonal Municipal WorkforceAssume inclusive of: Roads*Workforce profile for “Roads” not explicitly reported in FIR.•Evidently, there are variations in how much comparators spend on Transportation Services. Milton’s cost of service delivery is likely higher due to their transit services. There may also be FIR reporting differences across the comparators. •In 2020, the Town of Aurora conducted a Master Transportation Study that did an in-depth analysis of how future growth will impact Transportation Services including Roads. The study recommended that the Town focus on managing the existing network while improving connectivity and safety, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. Findings and recommendations from this study should be considered when planning future growth and updating the Asset Management Plan.•The study suggested leveraging DC revenues to fund initiatives like Smart Commute Central York. As identified on the previous slide, Aurora is delayed in DC collection, which currently poses a financial risk to the Town. Further financial and risk analysis is required to understand how Aurora will resource development-driven growth.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 100 of 283 85c. Growth Impact Analysis: Protection ServicesGrowth MetricComparatorImpact Assessment (H/M/L)AuroraCaledonNewmarketMiltonFinancialOrganizational CapabilityRiskOpEx (000s)14,441 21,852 21,107 19,755MMM% Change in OpEx (%)- 51% 46% 37%FT Municipal WorkforceN/A*PT Municipal WorkforceSeasonal Municipal WorkforceAssume inclusive of: Building*Workforce profile for “Building” not explicitly reported in FIR.Additional ConsiderationsThe COVID-19 pandemic directly impacted Building staff, as they could not physically conduct building inspections. To mitigate against future risks associated with public health measures, Aurora can adopt more digital solutions for conducting building inspections (e.g., use of cameras).•Comparators spend significantly higher than Aurora on Protection Services. This is most likely due to FIR reporting on Fire Services. The key finding is that the three comparators spend relatively similar amounts on Protection Services, suggesting costs are not highly sensitive to population changes. •For Building Services, Aurora can expect growth to be more dependent on development. Increase in development will drive service growth and related revenue growth (e.g., licenses & permit fees). Aurora should also conduct further analysis on to what extent reserves will continue to be required to resource Building services.•Increases in the number of residential, industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings will directly put a strain on building permit and inspection service levels. Additionally, higher-density buildings may present greater cost-efficiencies for staff travel but can require different systems and processes to keep up with new types of building. Therefore, Building Services will need to focus on strengthening organizational capabilities to service new types of development.SERVICE LEVEL REVIEW & RELATED OPPORTUNITIES – Growth Impact Analysis3Page 101 of 283 864. Implementation Considerationsa.Timeline14865327Page 102 of 283 87OpportunityWave 1Wave 2Wave 31. Missing service level development and annual update2. SLA development3. Customer Services/Access Aurora integration4. Value proposition communications to residents5. Communications team transition to strategic activities6. Access Aurora capacity7. Off-site wedding services8. Legal Services SLA implementation9. HR Strategy development10. PMO role transition11. By-law resourcing assessment12. Transition to an AMPS13. Contracted services review14. Recreation front-line staff training15. Special Events Calendar Policy development16. Facilities Management mandate and resource review17. Culture Services mandate and resource review18. ROP application digitization and enforcement by-law19. CRM expansion20. Real Estate Portfolio Strategy development21. Business and Community Development servicesa. TimelineBelow is a suggested implementation timeline for Aurora. Each opportunity has been prioritized by Wave, and each Wave is expected to span 1 to 2 years. Further operational planning and leadership prioritization will be required to align on specific timelines. IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS – Timeline4Page 103 of 283 885. Appendix A: Town of Aurora Financial Assessmenta.Introductionb.Summary of Themesc.Indicators and Trendsd.User Fees14865327Page 104 of 283 89a. Introduction & Data Limitations SStrategyCorpassessed Aurora’s financial health according to several indicators taken from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’sFinancial Information Return (FIR) data using the returns from 2010-2019. The following slides provide StrategyCorp’sanalysis of the findings. At the outset, it is important to acknowledge some limitations with the data: •2019 Data is the most recent data provided in FIR which can be used comparatively between selected municipalities. •FIR data is reported by the municipalities themselves, and as such, its value for comparative purposes is limited due to variances in reporting consistency. FIR data also inappropriately characterizes some figures, skewing cost figures. StrategyCorp has indicated where this has impacted its analysis. •FIR data reports total household and total population figures for each year of available data. StrategyCorp has used these figure in lieu of more detailed information on population and households across the smaller communities that comprise Aurora.•Where possible, StrategyCorp has leveraged various reports, data, and information from primary and secondary sources (e.g., third-party organizations) available at the time this report was developed to inform the findings. StrategyCorp has not directly engaged any peer comparators to solicit information. •The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on municipalities everywhere. Where possible, StrategyCorp has sought to include and reflect how this has shaped current state analysis and points of comparison between municipalities. The true measure of the economic impact of thepandemic is uncertain. APPENDIX A: AURORA FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT – Introduction5Page 105 of 283 90b. Themes and Areas of ExplorationHealthy ReservesAurora has significant reserves which outperform comparator municipalities. However, this is currently skewed by the hydro sale reserve, which is being spent on the Aurora Town Square and will reduce the Town’s reserves.Key Performance Measures According to MMAH’s KPIs, Aurora is in a healthy financial position, meeting 5/6 of the targets. However, the Town has not replaced existing assets quickly as demonstrated by its below-target Asset Sustainability Ratio.Taxes ReceivableWhile property tax receivables have increased significantly over the period, tax rate increases and the ratio of tax to non-tax revenue has remained within acceptable limits.An analysis of Aurora’s financial reporting points to six key findings: Rising Debt BurdenAurora’s debt burden has increased over the past few years. However, this debt burden remains within sustainable levels. The Town’s rising debt will be addressed through a debt management policy developed through the Fiscal Strategy.Taxation Aurora’s tax rate has grown at a steady rate aligned with inflation. However, Town tax rates have grown more quickly than upper-tier taxes over the same period due to artificially low York Region tax rates in previous years.Capital Expenditures Capital expenditures in Aurora have decreased significantly over the last five years. However, the Town has an asset management plan which will guide capital expenditures into the future.APPENDIX A: AURORA FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT – Summary of Themes5Page 106 of 283 91c. Preliminary Indicators for Financial Sustainability 20152016201720182019Average YoYTotal Municipal Property Taxes Per Household4,593.414,477.874,486.314,746.144,984.571.7%Total Property Taxes Per Household6,424.156,228.866,234.516,560.066,848.961.3%Annual Operating Expenditures 75,538,823.0080,988,095.0086,058,726.0089,746,743.0099,050,986.006.2%Annual Operating Expenditures per Capita1,344.111,460.691,358.571,404.601,574.743.4%Annual Capital Expenditures 41,745,495.0038,939,405.0011,229,867.0016,848,413.007,756,917.00-16.3%Annual Capital Expenditures per Household2,325.012,009.15544.43803.91367.63-16.8%Total Reserves62,893,873.0066,773,213.0070,215,722.0064,605,645.0082,480,734.006.2%Total Reserves per Household3,502.863,445.293,404.073,082.623,909.042.3%Total Municipal Debt Burden2,577,139.005,485,446.004,968,177.009,694,735.008,654,243.0047.2%Municipal Debt Burden per Household143.53283.03240.86462.58410.1537.2%Municipal Debt Burden per Capita45.8698.9378.43151.73137.5940.0%Residential Assessment Percentage (incl. Multi-Res)85.65%86.52%86.47%86.70%83.99%-0.4%Non-Residential Percentage Assessment 14.35%13.48%13.53%13.30%16.01%2.3%•The Town has significant reserves. However, these will decrease significantly following the completion of the Aurora Town Square.•The Town has seen sharp drop in annual capital expenditures in recent years and has fluctuated since 2015, but recent facility builds will have a significant impact on capital spending performance in 2020/2021. The Town’s asset management plan and capital plan will guide management of future capital investments.•The Town’s debt burden has grown substantially since 2015, but this figure remains within the Town’s capacity to service the debt.APPENDIX A: AURORA FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT – Indicators and Trends5Page 107 of 283 92c. Revenues, Operating Expenses, Capital Expenses, and Reserves20152016201720182019Average YoYTaxes Receivable$6,676,497$5,455,285$7,757,054$10,653,079$9,652,8448.9%Current Year Taxes Receivable as a % of Current Tax Levy3.4%2.6%3.4%4.2%3.9%3.2%Accounts Receivable $6,638,292$7,421,195$7,098,384$6,735,779$7,380,0612.2%Government Transfers$3,619,801$3,348,598$3,391,234$3,769,788$1,756,287-10.3%Government Transfers as a % of Total Revenue3.0%2.7%3.7%4.1%1.6%-9.3%Municipal Property Taxes per Household$4,593$4,478$4,486$4,746$4,9851.7%Annual Operating Expenses per Household$4,207$4,179$4,172$4,282$4,6942.3%Capital Expenditures as a % of Operating Expenditures55%48%13%19%8%-17.2%Reserves as a % of Municipal Property Taxation54%55%54%47%57%1.1%Total Reserves and Discretionary Reserves per Capita$1,119$1,204$1,108$1,011$1,3113.4%•In recent years, Aurora has largely maintained municipal property taxes with adjustments healthily matching the rate of inflation. •Taxes receivable have grown at a relatively high rate since 2015 at 8.9% YoY. However, this has kept pace with the growth of the Town’s tax levy. Because of this, taxes receivable as a proportion of the total tax levy has mostly remained between 3%-4% between 2015-2019. Of note, the sharp increase in 2018 is also because the water tax account was then transferred to the property tax accounts.•The Town experienced a significant decline in government transfers from 2018-2019. This was due to leftover gas tax funds which were not used for the Library Square project, and is therefore no cause for concern. Additionally, FIR recognizes deferred revenue based on cost of completion on capital asset. Therefore, the actual receipt of funds in 2019 was higher. APPENDIX A: AURORA FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT – Indicators and Trends5Page 108 of 283 932201522016220172201822019AAverage YoYOOperating Surplus Ratio (Target 0% to 15%)66.2%60.2%8.0%2.9%11.8%-16.4%This is an indicator of the extent to which revenues raised cover operational expenses only or are available for capital funding or other purposes. A negative ratio indicates the percentage increase in rates revenue that would have been required to achieve a break-even result. The basictarget: 1% to 15%. Advanced target: >15%.CCurrent Ratio (Target >=1)1.09:10.86:11.05:11.57:11.24:1This is an approximate measure of a municipality's liquidity, or its ability to pay short-term obligations.RRates Coverage Ratio (Target >=40%)88%85%84%87%80%-1.7%This is a measure of the municipality's ability to cover its costs through its own "rates" revenue efforts. Basic target: 40%to 60%. Intermediate target: 60% to 90%. Advanced target: >90%.DDebt Service Coverage (Target >=2)3084261919-7.4%This is a measure of a municipality's ability to service its debt payments. The target is a ratio greater than or equal to 2.AAsset Sustainability Ratio (Target >90%)358%281%76%113%51%-17.1%This is an approximation of the extent to which a municipality is replacing, renewing or acquiring new assets as the existinginfrastructure being managed by the municipality are reaching the end of their useful lives. The target ratio is >90% per year. A municipality which is not reaching this target is not sufficiently maintaining, replacing or renewing their existing infrastructure. This may result in a reduction in service levels and/or useful lives previously expected and will likely create a burden on future ratepayers.AAsset Consumption (Target <50%)28%28%30%31%33%3.8%This measures the age of a municipality's physical assets. It measures the extent to which depreciable assets have been consumedby comparing the amount of the assets that have been used up and their cost. (<25% - Relatively new infrastructure, 26% to 50% - Moderately new infrastructure, 51% to 75% -Moderately old infrastructure, >75% - old infrastructure)•The Town is within the target range for almost all of MMAH’s Key Performance Indicators and is in a good financial position to invest in capital projects, service its debts, and raise revenues. The Town also has a large amount of new infrastructure which have yet to be fully consumed.•The high watermark Operating Surplus Ratio years in 2015/2016 are likely due to fabricated PSAB revenue which came through development charges.•The Asset Sustainability Ratio is below target, meaning that the Town may not sufficiently maintaining, replacing or renewing existing infrastructure. APPENDIX A: AURORA FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT – Indicators and Trends5c. MMAH’s Key Performance IndicatorsPage 109 of 283 94•Indicators show the Town’s debt burden climbing steadily from 2015 per household, as a % of operating revenues, and as a % of reserves and reserve funds. •However, the Town is also able to adequately manage this debt. Debt charges as a percentage of the Annual Repayment Limit have remained relatively constant over the past 5 years. The YOY change in debt charges as a % of ARL is skewed by high debt charges prior to 2016.20152016201720182019Average YoYAnnual Repayment Limit *$13,908,976$15,490,019$21,327,878$23,127,742$25,351,55216.5%Debt Charges as a % of ARL13%4%4%4%5%-12.3%Municipal Debt Burden per Household$144$283$241$463$41037.2%Debt Charges per Household$104$34$38$44$62-8.0%Municipal Debt Burden as a % of Operating Revenues2.2%4.5%5.4%10.5%8.0%53.9%Municipal Debt Burden as a % of Reserves and Reserve Funds2.7%5.5%4.7%8.5%7.1%33.1%* 2017 and 2019 ARLs were unavailable. For these years, we used an estimate for the expected ARL and subsequent analysis.APPENDIX A: AURORA FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT – Indicators and Trends5c. Debt Sustainability Page 110 of 283 95$65,606,771$79,442,427$71,870,647$70,409,417$94,494,756$119,373,394$122,594,506$91,860,400$92,057,629$108,429,250$58,875,588$62,547,410$64,994,839$67,042,851$71,542,598$75,538,823$80,988,095$86,058,726$89,746,743$99,050,986$6,731,183$16,895,017$6,875,808$3,366,566$22,952,158$43,834,571$41,606,411$5,801,674$2,310,886$9,378,2642010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019Total RevenuesTotal Operational ExpensesAnnual Surplus/Deficit•Aurora has run a surplus which has contributed to reserve funds growth over the last 10 years.•From 2014 to 2016, it appears that Aurora experienced a large increase in its annual surplus due to a spike in revenue. However, discussions with Finance revealed that this was accounted for and likely due to recognition of deferred Development Charges revenue for major growth investments in capital. The FIR data indeed validated that this spike in revenue is attributed primarily to a sharp increase in Deferred Revenue Earned – Development Charges and Donated Tangible Capital Assets.APPENDIX A: AURORA FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT – Indicators and Trends5c. 10-Year Operating Results Page 111 of 283 96APPENDIX A: AURORA FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT – User Fees5•Municipal property taxes per household in Aurora have grown at a faster rate than upper-tier property taxes per household over the same period.•Growth in municipal taxes per household have grown at approximately the same rate as inflation over the same period.Avg. Rate of Inflation (Last 10 Yrs.): 1.62% $3,707$3,881$4,023$4,017$4,142$4,274$4,593$4,478$4,486$4,746$4,985$5,387$5,656$5,807$5,733$5,863$6,032$6,424$6,229$6,235$6,560$6,849$615$690$767$808$835$895$1,075$1,142$1,083$1,174$1,140$0$1,000$2,000$3,000$4,000$5,000$6,000$7,000$8,00020092010201120122013201420152016201720182019Municipal Property Taxes per HouseholdTotal Property Taxes per HouseholdWater and Sewer Charges per Householdd. Taxation, User Fees, and Service ChargesPage 112 of 283 97Operating Expenses User Fees & Service Charges as a % of Corresponding Service Expenses•Water, wastewater, and storm water revenues cover their operating costs for those programs. The Town has an up-to-date plan that predicts water demand and prescribes the rate increases necessary to cover predicted supply operating and capital costs. $24,326,228.00 $24,010,168.00 $25,237,575.00 $26,609,575.00 $28,723,732.00 2201620172201820192202092%90%92%96%90%98%84%86%88%90%92%94%96%98%100%201520162017201820192020MunicipalAPPENDIX A: AURORA FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT – User Fees5d. User Fees and Expenses – Water and SewerPage 113 of 283 986. Appendix B: Peer Benchmarkinga.Introductionb.Summary of Themesc.Indicators and Trendsd.Staff Complemente.Departmental Analysis14865327Page 114 of 283 99Comparator SnapshotSelection CriteriaStrategyCorp’s benchmarking analysis for Aurora is based on five comparator municipalities who were selected against five criteria: 1.Services Offered:The peer municipalities should offer similar services to Aurora to be reasonable comparators. Although not all proposed comparators offer precisely the same breadth of services, those selected together comprise all services the Town of Aurora offers.2.Population:Aurora is a geographically small urban municipality with a high population density and population growth. 3.Income:Aurora has a high level of wealth measured by average family income. 4.Government:Aurora is a lower tier municipality in a regional government. It is useful to select municipalities that also operate using a two-tier municipal structure to permit a reasonable comparison of services.5.Managing Growth:Aurora’s interests in preserving natural and cultural heritage as it accommodates growth is also an interesting consideration when picking comparators.AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxGovernment TypeLower-TierLower-TierLower-TierLower-TierLower-TierLower-TierPersons/km21112.3/km22190.5/km21395.6/km296.6/km2221.4/km21786.4/km2Population55,445 84,224 193,83266,502 41,123 119,677Annual pop. Growth0.84% 1.06% 1.24% 2.23% .72% 1.84%Median family income$120,795 $109,004 $133,291 $121,673 $121,364 $105,678Similarities“N6” partner-᤯Population size-᤯᤯Population growth-᤯᤯Population density-᤯᤯Median family income-᤯᤯᤯᤯ ᤯Note: above data is sourced from the 2016 Canadian national census.APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Introduction6a. IntroductionComparators were selected in consultation with Aurora. Although comparators are not created equal, the selected comparators together comprise a well-rounded group of municipalities representing Aurora’s aspirations, population, growth, wealth, and regional context.Page 115 of 283 100Revenue and Household DevelopmentWhile every community’s revenue composition was relatively similar, Aurora is less reliant on property taxation than its peers (45.1%). The Municipality also had the highest proportion of residential development permits at 94%.Average Water and Sewer FeesAurora charges an average rate for water and sewer charges per household. Although only Newmarket is responsible for billing water rates among comparators, Aurora is performing on-par compared to other municipalities in York Region and beyond.MMAH Key Performance IndicatorsAurora’s comparators also meet most or all MMAH’s KPI targets. Over half of comparators outperform Aurora on Operating Surplus Ratio and Asset Sustainability Ratio, which could be areas to consider for further improving Aurora’s financial health.An analysis of Aurora alongside its peer comparators resulted in eight key findings: Lower than Average Debt and Debt Repayment ChargesDespite a noted increase in debt in previous analysis, Aurora maintains the lowest debt and debt repayment charges, according to several metrics, in the comparator set.High ReservesAurora has high reserves compared to other municipalities. However, this is due primarily to Aurora’s hydro sale funds. A portion of this fund is being spent on the Aurora Town Square and will reduce the Town’s reserves.A Comparatively Small Staff ComplementAurora employs among the fewest staff in the comparator set relative to local population, in addition to the highest part-time staff relative to total staff among comparators.Large Proportion of Spending on Contracted ServicesThe Town spends the highest amount on contracted services among comparators, at 49.6%. This includes outsourcing Fire Services to Newmarket and Water and Wastewater Services to York (~56% of contracted spending).Average Tax Amount On Par with ComparatorsResidents in the Town of Aurora pay a municipal tax amount per household ($4,985) that is aligned with that of comparators ($4,753). Notably, Aurora’s average Current Value Assessment (CVA) is one of the highest in Ontario. APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Summary of Themes6b. Themes and Key FindingsPage 116 of 283 101c. MMAH Key Performance Indicators – 2019 Snapshot•As observed earlier in this report, on its own, Aurora meets MMAH’s standards for its Key Performance Indicators across all categories except for its asset sustainability ratio. On this measure, it is similar to Newmarket and Halton Hills, which also boast a below-average asset sustainability ratio and therefore similar spending to renew existing assets. Overall, these metrics suggest generally good financial health.•Although Aurora is within target for its Operating Surplus Ratio, it is behind half of its peers who meet the advanced target for this KPI. This means that other municipalities including Oakville, Caledon, and Ajax are bringing in a much higher proportion of operating revenues to support capital funding and other expenditures. However, FIR reporting discrepancies reduce the comparability of the Operating Surplus Ratio significantly.2019AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxOperating Surplus Ratio (Target 0% to 15%, Advanced target >15%)11.8%5.9%37.1%63.7%-4.2%40.7%Current Ratio (Target >=1)1.24:12.22:11.46:13.73:16.64:14.45:1Rates Coverage Ratio (Target >=40%)80.3%87.7%77.1%88.2%76.7%73.5%Debt Service Coverage (Target >=2)1921117332Asset Sustainability Ratio (Target >90%)51.4%69.3%233.7%357.8%66.6%313.5%APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Page 117 of 283 102c. Reserves and Performance•Between 2015 and 2019, the Town has maintained healthy reserves well above its peers when compared to overall debt burden, households, and annual repayment limit. Relative to its peers, Aurora maintained the largest reserves per household in 2019. However, this may be skewed by Aurora’s hydro sale funds, which resulted in high reserves. Many of these funds have been redirected to investments into the Town Square. This will impact reserves and debt performance reporting in 2020/2021, at which point Aurora’s reserves per household may be more comparable to peers. 5-Year Reserves per HouseholdDebt and Reserves –FY 2019Reserves$82.5M $175.8M $39.4M$54.4M $55.5M $86.1MAuroraOakville CaledonNewmarketHalton HillsHouseholds 21,100 72,893 24,21330,102 22,049 39,200Municipal Debt Burden as a % of Reserve and Reserve Funds7% 35% 12%47% 32% 12%Reserves Per Household$3,909 $2,412 $1,629$1,807 $2,516 $2,196Total Debt Charges$1.32M $12.1M $4.1M$13.6M $4.6M $1.7MAjaxDebt Charges as a % of Annual Repayment Limit6% 20% 22%78% 36% 7% $- $500.00 $1,000.00 $1,500.00 $2,000.00 $2,500.00 $3,000.00 $3,500.00 $4,000.00 $4,500.002010201120122013201420152016201720182019AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxAPPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Page 118 of 283 103c. Tangible Capital Assets and Municipal Debt BurdenAuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjax Total Infrastructure233,828,799323,403,334840,720,190204,384,316188,091,381265,742,229Total Tangible Capital Assets427,149,357502,963,0131,695,642,621374,447,454317,605,649583,655,639Total Tangible Capital Assets and Construction in Progress471,696,547518,383,5411,753,800,557403,313,916324,840,343589,107,430Total Debt $8,654,243$45,081,715$109,562,409$16,915,210$23,660,464$12,609,777Debt per $ of Tangible Capital Assets$0.0203$0.0896$0.0646$0.0452$0.0745$0.0216•Aurora is not an outlier with respect to its spending on tangible capital assets and construction. •The level of debt the Municipality maintains relative to this spending is the lowest of its peer cohort.APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Page 119 of 283 104APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends61.6%4.4%2.4%3.0%4.0%4.1%45.1%44.9%52.7%50.1%70.3%50.1%53.2%50.7%44.9%46.9%25.7%45.8%0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100.0%120.0%AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxGovernment TransfersProperty TaxationOtherc. Operating Revenue Breakdown by Source•The Town of Aurora is not an outlier in its reliance on other revenue, although it leads its comparators at 553.2% of operating revenues.•In 2019, Aurora had one of the lowest reliance on property taxation as a source of operating revenue among comparators at 445.1%.Other includes: Revenue from other municipalities; Revenue from other municipalities for Tangible Capital Assets; User fees and service charges; Deferred revenue earned (Development charges); Deferred revenue earned (Recreation land (The Planning Act)); Donated Tangible Capital Assets Other RevenuePage 120 of 283 105c. Operating Expenditures by Function12.7%14.6%11.1%34.2%25.1%2.3%3.9%15.7%10.9%36.3%30.6%2.6%9.1%17.2%30.6%3.4%1.4%28.8%9.4%12.0%24.3%28.3%1.0%0.1%26.4%7.9%9.8%18.9%31.6%2.0%0.5%1.2%28.4%7.6%9.3%22.2%19.8%3.8%0.1%0.1%40.2%4.4%0.0%5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%GeneralGovernmentProtectionServicesTransportationServicesEnvironmentalServicesHealth ServicesSocial andFamily ServicesSocial HousingRecreation andCultural ServicesPlanning andDevelopmentOtherAuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjax•Aurora leads comparators in spending on General Government at 12.7%. This may be because others are using corporate allocations and therefore general government costs are not allocated to services, which is not the case in Aurora. As a result, FIR reporting may be skewing comparability. The Town also spends the least on Recreation and Cultural Services, and Planning and Development at 25.1% and 2.3% respectively. •Aurora is one of the higher spenders on environmental services along with Newmarket, which is driven by water/wastewater and storm expenditures not present in comparator municipalities. APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Page 121 of 283 10629.2%0.3%5.5%49.6%0.1%0.1%15.2%47.6%1.6%11.0%34.8%0.4%-8.0%12.6%52.3%1.3%5.9%23.6%1.7%1.0%14.1%52.1%0.8%19.9%7.5%0.6%0.4%18.7%54.3%0.8%8.3%13.1%0.8%0.3%22.4%53.9%0.…15.2%7.4%1.0%1.2%21.1%-20.0%-10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%Salaries, Wages andEmployee BenefitsInterest on Long TermDebtMaterials Contracted Services Rents and FinancialExpensesExternal Transfers AmortizationAuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxc. Operating Expenditures by Object•78.8% of Aurora’s operating expenditures are spent on salaries, wages, and benefits, and contracted services, which leads most comparators. •Notably, Fire (outsourced to Newmarket), and Water and Wastewater (outsourced to York region) services comprise ~56% of contracted services. Fire Services for Aurora are also what drive Newmarket’s higher comparative salaries, wages, and benefits. •See next slide for more analysis on contracted services spending exclusive of Fire, Water, and Wastewater services.TotalSpendingonin-housestaffandcontractedservicesSalaries, Wages, and BenefitsContracted ServicesTotal % of OpExAurora29.2%49.6%78.8%Newmarket47.6%34.8%82.4%Oakville52.3%23.6%75.9%Caledon52.1%7.5%59.6%Halton Hills54.3%13.1%67.4%Ajax53.9%7.4%61.3%APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Page 122 of 283 107c. Operating Expenditures – Contracted Services Analysis•Further analysis was conducted to assess contracted services expenditures among Aurora and comparators. This analysis looks at operating expenditures on contracted services exclusive of Fire, Water, and Wastewater services.•When removing those services, Aurora still spends the highest among comparators on contracted services (30%), followed by Newmarket (29%). APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Breakdown of Contracted Services 2019 –Excl. Fire, W&W Services Contracted Services as % of OpEx–Excl. Fire, W&W Services 30%29%23%7%12%7%0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%29%11%15%43%28%25%1%2%4%11%4%4%13%7%28%26%27%27%31%14%30%13%18%33%2%2%16%5%22%7%1%25%65%5%1%4%0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Aurora Newmarket Oakville Caledon Halton Hills AjaxGeneral GovernmentProtection ServicesTransportation ServicesEnvironmental ServicesHealth ServicesSocial and Family ServicesSocial HousingRecreation and Cultural ServicesPlanning and DevelopmentPage 123 of 283 108c. Capital Expense Breakdown by Function•Aurora is only an outlier on capital spending for Recreation and Cultural Services, which accounted for 43.7% of capital expenses in 2019. Otherwise, there is nothing of note or concern related to capital expenses.6.5%10.2%26.4%13.3%43.7%7.5%9.2%27.6%31.5%24.1%26.6%0.5%38.3%16.5%17.7%3.2%23.0%60.1%5.5%8.1%5.6%2.3%57.1%2.8%25.9%1.6%0.2%19.7%10.7%67.8%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%General GovernmentProtections to Persons andPropertyTransportationEnvironmentRecreation and CulturalServicesAuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxAPPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Page 124 of 283 10957.7%7.6%30.1%1.3%2.8%0.4%55.5%6.3%31.4%4.2%2.2%0.4%91.5%2.1%4.9%1.4%36.0%11.0%42.8%1.1%6.4%2.7%31.6%17.6%42.2%7.1%1.4%0.1%41.2%38.5%3.8%1.9%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%100.0%LandLand ImprovementBuildingsMachinery & EquipmentVehiclesOtherAuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxc. Capital Asset Breakdown•Aurora maintains a high proportion of land capital assets and a relatively low proportion of machinery and equipment. Otherwise, there is nothing of note or concern related to capital assets.•Landconsists of real property in the form of a plot, lot, or area. It include all expenditures made to acquire land and ready it for use, where improvements are considered permanent in nature. •Land improvements consist of betterments, site preparation and site improvements (other than buildings) that ready land for its intended use, which generally decay or break down over time. •Vehiclesinclude automobiles, trucks, trailers, motorcycles, and boats.APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Page 125 of 283 110•Falling from the high water mark of the 2010-2015 period, Aurora currently has one of the lowest proportion of tax revenue used to fund debt obligations among comparators at 1.3% of property tax revenues. However, this figure is on an upward trend and has nearly doubled since 2016.•Notably, not all debt is serviced by taxes. Development charges comprise a major source for debt repayment in order to align to growth.The Town of AuroraVis-à-vis Peer Comparators (2019)0.0%0.5%1.0%1.5%2.0%2.5%3.0%20102011201220132014201520162017201820191.3%10.7%3.2%3.4%5.0%0.9%0.0%2.0%4.0%6.0%8.0%10.0%12.0%AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxAPPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6c. Municipal Net Debt Charges per Household as a % of Property TaxPage 126 of 283 111$4,985$4,243$5,270$5,022$4,148$4,849$1,140$1,390$0 $0 $0$0.41$0$1,000$2,000$3,000$4,000$5,000$6,000AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxMunicipal Property Taxes per HouseholdWater and Sewer Charges per Householdc. Taxation and Service Charges •Aurora maintains a slightly above-average level of municipal property taxes per household relative to selected peer comparators. Aurora also has a high average Current Value Assessment, which drives its comparable tax rate.•Note that Aurora and Newmarket charge relatively similar water and sewer rates per household, but this information was not available due to lack of data from Oakville, Caledon, Halton Hills, and Ajax. However, these rates are aligned with smaller municipalities like Loyalist and Carleton Place, and are below the rates of other York Region municipalities like Markham, Vaughan, and Richmond Hill.(Avg. $4,753)APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Page 127 of 283 112c. Provincial Tax Rate Comparison Chart•In 2020 among 35 municipalities, Aurora had the 77thlowest tax rate across the Province of Ontario.* Aurora also has one of the highest average Current Value Assessments in Ontario, which drives its low tax rate when compared provincially.* Full Chart: JannineRane, ZOOCASA (2020), https://www.zoocasa.com/blog/ontario-property-tax-rates/Ranking by Rate (%, LLowest to Highest)MunicipalityProperty Tax Rate (%)Property Tax on Home Assessed at $$250,000Property Tax on Home Assessed at $$500,000Property Tax on Home Assessed at $$1,000,0001Toronto0.599704%$1,499$2,999$5,9972Markham0.628191%$1,570$3,141$6,2823Richmond Hill0.653108%$1,633$3,266$6,5314Vaughan0.665259%$1,663$3,326$6,6535Milton0.668702%$1,672$3,344$6,6876Oakville0.70997%$1,775$3,550$7,1007Aurora0.752897%$1,882$3,764$7,5298Burlington0.760563%$1,901$3,803$7,6069Halton Hills0.778645%$1,947$3,893$7,78610Newmarket0.783889%$1,960$3,919$7,83911Mississauga0.785962%$1,965$3,930$7,86012Caledon0.796677%$1,992$3,983$7,96713Brampton0.953306%$2,383$4,767$9,53314Ottawa0.959505%$2,399$4,798$9,59515Pickering1.064088%$2,660$5,320$10,64116Ajax1.069755%$2,674$5,349$10,69817Waterloo1.078456%$2,696$5,392$10,78518Kitchener1.099498%$2,749$5,497$10,99519Whitby1.105208%$2,763$5,526$11,05220Guelph1.122842%$2,807$5,614$11,228APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Indicators and Trends6Page 128 of 283 1130.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxFull-Time Funded Positions as % of Total PositionsPart-Time Funded Positions as % of Total PositionsTotal Seasonal Funded Positions as % of Total PositionsStaff/1000 Population3.78 7.15 5.686.75 11.77 4.71d. Staffing and Human Capital (1 of 2) Staffing MixPopulation and Staffing Totals•Aurora maintains the lowest staff to population ratio among peer comparators, and relies on part-time positions most among comparators. However, some staffing data sourced from FIR information is from 2015, and should therefore be compared against more current in-house data.AuroraOakvilleCaledonNewmarketHalton HillsPopulation62,900 214,160 74,64990,156 61,161 131,100Total Part-Time Funded Positions318* 292 134153 402 239Total Seasonal Funded Positions80* 100 4603 40 406Total Municipal Workforce1801,632609* 1,212 775 1,023AjaxTotal Full-Time Funded Positions238 1,240 134456 333 378* Most recent availabledata is from 2015*APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Staff Complement6Page 129 of 283 114•Aurora maintains the lowest staff to population ratio among comparators, and also has the highest proportion of part-time staff compared to full-time staff. •Aurora’s comparative reliance on part-time staff is most pronounced in Parks and Recreation, aligning only with Halton Hills.•It is important to note that Aurora contracts out its Fire services to Newmarket and therefore, Newmarket’s staff for Fire services also includes staff dedicated to Aurora.Staffing Totals Across Departments and Organizational Functions (FY 2019)** Most recent available data is from 2015APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Staff Complement6d. Staffing and Human Capital (2 of 2) AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxFTPT*SE*FTPTSEFTPTSEFTPTSEFTPTSEFTPTSEAdmin81 4117 31 4 33 99 1 2 66 3 81 20 Fire150 2 228 34 58 55 113 1 Health ServicesPublic Works31 32 360 11 41 89 3 52 64 2 60 100 42 40 76 29 94 Other Social ServicesParks and Recreation802827776 71 554 245 100 33 74 1 137 62 249 67 188 310 Libraries 20 1620 36 52 103 27 33 18 48 20 54 Planning469 2 1 37 60 0 2 17 41 1 2 Other 24 2 1 342 41 25 4 5 Total238 33480456 153 603 1,240 292 100 383 41 201 333 402 40 398 293 406 Page 130 of 283 1150.0%1.0%2.0%3.0%4.0%5.0%6.0%7.0%8.0%9.0%10.0%AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxe. Planning and Building Services Department (1 of 2)Planning and Development Expenses as a % of Operating Exp.•Aurora spends a comparatively small fraction of its operating expenditures on planning and development. However, peers may group services under Planning and Development differently than how Aurora groups them, which can skew the data.APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Departmental Analysis6Page 131 of 283 116e. Planning and Building Services Department (2 of 2)Permit Value per CapitaNumber of Permits (2019)•While Aurora is a leader in its annual permit totals, these applications are overwhelmingly residential at 994%. This suggests that the Town is more reliant on households to propel its local economy relative to commercial and industrial development, which should prompt some thinking on diversifying the Town's asset base. Aurora has a high comparative permit value per capita, aligned with Newmarket.AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjax94% 71% 67% 80% 49% 79%Residential and Multi-Res as a % of Total Permits208556324988685637390 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjax$3,242$982$3,527$4,573$1,747$659$0$500$1,000$1,500$2,000$2,500$3,000$3,500$4,000$4,500$5,000AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxAPPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Departmental Analysis6Page 132 of 283 11743.7%24.1%17.7%8.1%25.9%67.8%0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxRecreation and Cultural Services25.1%30.6%28.8%26.4%28.4%40.2%0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%AuroraNewmarketOakvilleCaledonHalton HillsAjaxRecreation and Cultural ServicesAurora Newmarket Oakville Caledon Halton Hills AjaxFT80 76 245 74 62 67PT282 71 100 1 249 188Seasonal77 554 33 137 310807624574626728271100124918877554331373100100200300400500600e. Parks and RecreationStaff Complement –Parks and Recreation (2019)•Aurora spends the second highest proportion of capital expenditures on recreation and culture and the lowest amount of operational expenditures on recreation and culture among comparators. This can explain why the Recreation Development Charge reserve has been negatively impacted as spending has exceeded growth.•However, the Town does employ far more part-time staff than comparators, aligning only with Halton Hill’s staff complement. Proportion of Operational ExpenseProportion of Capital Expenses APPENDIX B: PEER BENCHMARKING – Departmental Analysis6Page 133 of 283 1187. Appendix C: Detailed Resident Engagement Findingsa.Summary of Themesb.Quantitative Analysis14865327Page 134 of 283 119SServices are under-utilizedEight services had a <10% use rate, and 13 out of 20 of the services offered were used by less than half of respondents. The average use rate across all services was 30.9%.Appetite for improvementDespite indicating overall satisfaction with service delivery, most respondents indicated that it was important to them that the Town improves almost all service offerings.Overall satisfaction with key resident-facing servicesRespondents had high praise for the Town’s services including recreation, parks, library, Access Aurora, Machell’s Alley, special events, building, and communication.By-law services were the top mentioned serviceRespondents commented that by-law services should be improved. Specific points included the enforcement of noise, property standards, debris, fireworks, and animal/pet by-laws.Concerns about rising taxesResidents indicated that taxes were high, particularly for seniors, and some respondents noted that they expect a higher level of service for the taxes that they pay.Need for better roads and snow removal servicesResidents expressed a need for more timely road repairs and resurfacing and enhanced snowplow scheduling, to account for topography and the age of residents.a. Summary of Resident Satisfaction Survey Findings The Resident Satisfaction Survey is one of many inputs and received 97 responses. The findings are not intended to be statistically significant but rather read as a “pulse check” of the organization. Suggested New Services•Weekly garbage collection•Gardening and landscaping workshops •Paved bike paths around the Arboretum•More cycling infrastructure•Use water and tax bills as a communication tool•Conduct Resident Satisfaction Survey regularly•Outdoor “gyms” at parks•Install rubberized flooring at playgrounds•Snow removal service for elderly and disabledAPPENDIX C: DETAILED RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT FINDINGS – Summary of Themes7Page 135 of 283 120b. Resident Satisfaction Levels Reported Satisfaction for Town’s Communication LevelReported Satisfaction for Overall Town Service Level •Survey respondents indicated overall satisfaction with the Town’s services and communication levels.27.8%54.6%10.3%5.2%2.1%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%Very SatisfiedSatisfiedNeutralUnsatisfiedVery Unsatisfied23.7%41.2%22.7%10.3%2.1%0.0%5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%VerySatisfiedSatisfiedNeutralUnsatisfiedVeryUnsatisfiedAPPENDIX C: DETAILED RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT FINDINGS – Quantitative Analysis7Page 136 of 283 121b. Resident Familiarity With Service OfferingsSServices With the Highest Level of Familiarity Familiarity With Service Delivery and Operations•Respondents are generally familiar with the service offerings of the Town. Levels of awareness vary greatly from service to service, with some services, such as recreation, parks, and by-law having a >90% awareness rate while others, like business support, have a 34% awareness rate8.2%49.5%28.9%12.4%1.0%0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%Very FamiliarFamiliarNeutralUnfamiliarVery Unfamiliar80.4%81.4%87.6%89.7%92.8%94.8%95.9%70.0%75.0%80.0%85.0%90.0%95.0%100.0%CultureWater &WastewaterTax & WaterBillingRoadsBy-lawServicesParksRecreationAPPENDIX C: DETAILED RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT FINDINGS – Quantitative Analysis7Page 137 of 283 122b. Customer ExperienceLevel of Satisfaction with Most Used ServicesMost Used Services•The most used services correspond to those with the highest rates of awareness. Respondents were generally satisfied with quality of the most used services, with parks having the highest rate of satisfaction within this group. 82.5%76.3%71.1%60.8%53.6%51.5%50.5%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%RecreationParksTax & WaterBillingWater &WastewaterSolid WasteRoadsCulture17.6%8.0%6.1%9.2%5.6%9.0%12.5%17.6%6.9%22.7%28.9%13.3%16.4%28.8%64.9%85.1%71.2%61.8%81.1%74.6%58.8%0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%UnsatisifiedNeutralSatisfiedAPPENDIX C: DETAILED RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT FINDINGS – Quantitative Analysis7Page 138 of 283 123b. Areas of ImprovementLLowest Priority Highest Priority to Respondents•Respondents indicated the most important areas of improvement, to them, were roads and economic development. Despite indicating satisfaction with parks, recreation, communication, and by-law services, these services were still flagged as high priority areas of improvement. 70%71%72%73%73%76%80%64% 66% 68% 70% 72% 74% 76% 78% 80% 82%By-law ServicesCommunicationsRecreationDevelopment PlanningParksEconomic DevelopmentRoads56%55%55%53%42%33%0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%Tax & Water BillingFacilities ManagementEngineering & Capital DeliveryLegislative ServicesFleetRecords ManagementAPPENDIX C: DETAILED RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT FINDINGS – Quantitative Analysis7Page 139 of 283 1248. Appendix D: Financial Analysis AssumptionsThis section includes an overview of assumptions and base values used in the financial analysis. 14865327Page 140 of 283 125Financial Calculations: Approach (1 of 2)OpportunityPotential RevenuesInvestmentCost SavingsDirect SavingsPeople & Talent (8-18%)Digitization (10-25%)Standardizing Processes (5-10%)APPENDIX D: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS ASSUMPTIONS – Base Values8The following outlines the approach taken to calculate potential revenues, investments, and cost savings for each opportunityarea.•To estimate how much revenue Aurora can potentially gain from pursuing a new opportunity (i.e., a new service), revenues from comparable municipalities were researched. This formed the base value.•A conservative estimate (i.e., 50%) of that base value was then applied to Aurora.Potential Revenue for Aurora = Comparable municipality revenuex 50% •Two types of investment costs were calculated: PProductivity Investmentand DDirect Costs•Productivity Investment calculations used the salaries and benefits value for the employee primarily involved in implementing the opportunity. Estimates were made on approximately what percent of their time over a year would be spent on this opportunity.•Most investment costs use CMT salaries as base values. This does not necessarily mean only CMT is responsible for implementation. It is assumed that work will be delegated up or down and therefore, CMT salaries represent a reasonable median cost. •Salaries and benefits have been calculated using median salaries in the Town-provided salary grid and increasing the cost by 30% to account for benefits.Productivity Investment = Salary and benefits value x Percent of time spent/yr•Direct Costs calculations were informed by research on market prices or what comparator municipalities are spending. A conservative estimate (i.e., 80%) of that base value was then applied to Aurora.Fixed Costs = Market value or comparator municipality spending x 80%Page 141 of 283 126Financial Calculations: Approach (2 of 2)OpportunityPotential RevenuesInvestmentCost SavingsDirect SavingsPeople & Talent (8-18%)Digitization (10-25%)Standardizing Processes (5-10%)APPENDIX D: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS ASSUMPTIONS – Base Values8The following outlines the approach taken to calculating potential revenues, investments, and cost savings for each opportunity area.The following slides indicate the base value used for each applicable calculation. •Two types of cost savings were calculated: PProductivity Cost Savings and DDirect Costs Savings•Productivity Cost Savings calculations used the salaries and benefits value for the employee whose time would be saved by pursuing the opportunity. A conservate salary base was used (e.g., using only 30% of total organizational salaries and benefits values or only applying the benchmark to the minimum number of positions that would be impacted). Estimates were made on approximately what percent of their time over a year would be spent on this opportunity.•Estimates were informed by either a) directly applying one of the industry benchmarks (as outlined above or in the opportunity profile) or b) consulting staff on approximately how much of their time could be saved. In the case of a) the lower end of the benchmark was used. Productivity Cost Savings = Conservative salary and benefits value x Percent of time spent/yr(leading industry benchmark or staff reported value)•Direct Cost Savings calculations were informed by reviewing Aurora budgets and identifying direct costs that would be saved. A conservative estimate or a leading practice benchmark was then applied to that base value.Direct Cost Savings = Aurora spending x Conservative estimate/Leading practice benchmarkPage 142 of 283 127Financial Calculations: Base Values (1 of 4)OpportunityPotential RevenuesInvestmentCost SavingsDirect SavingsPeople & Talent (8-18%)Digitization (10-25%)Standardizing Processes (5-10%)#1 N/A2-5% of all CMT salaries & benefitsN/A N/A N/A30% of total salaries & benefits#2 N/ADevelopment: 5-10% of all CMT salaries & benefitsAnnual Review: Included in Opportunity #1N/A N/A N/AIncluded in Opportunity #1#3 N/A Existing CEP N/A N/A N/AAccess Aurora and Community Services Front-line Staff salaries & benefits#4 N/A5-10% of Communications Coordinator salaries & benefitsExisting CEPN/A N/A N/A N/A#5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A#6 N/A5-10% of 6 Departmental Administrative Assistant salaries & benefitsN/A N/A N/A5-10% of 6 Customer Service Representative salaries & benefitsAPPENDIX D: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS ASSUMPTIONS – Base Values8Page 143 of 283 128Financial Calculations: Base Values (2 of 4)OpportunityPotential RevenuesInvestmentCost SavingsDirect SavingsPeople & Talent(8-18%)Digitization (10-25%)Standardizing Processes (5-10%)#7At 50% of Newmarket’s projected 2019 revenues for wedding ceremonies80% of Newmarket’s costs for wedding ceremoniesN/A N/A N/A N/A#8 N/AIncluded in level of investment related to Opportunity #2N/A N/A N/AIncluded in productivity savings of Opportunity #1#9 N/A10% of Manager, Human Resources salaries & benefits2% of total salaries & benefitsN/A30% of total salaries & benefits N/A N/A#10 N/A5% of PMO time over one yearN/A N/A N/A5-10% of Project Manager, PMO time#11 N/AN/A. Included in CityView upgrade N/A N/A20% of Admin and Supervisor time on ROP activities.N/A#1280% recovery of expired parking fines in 202010% of By-law manager’s timeN/A N/A N/A N/AAPPENDIX D: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS ASSUMPTIONS – Base Values8Page 144 of 283 129Financial Calculations: Base Values (3 of 4)OpportunityPotential RevenuesInvestmentCost SavingsDirect SavingsPeople & Talent (8-18%)Digitization (10-25%)Standardizing Processes (5-10%)#13 N/A2-5% of all CMT salaries & benefitsOpEx on Contracted Services (FIR, 2019) minus contracted services spending on Fire, Water, and WastewaterN/A N/A#14 N/A Included in Opportunity #9 N/AIncluded in Opportunity #9N/A N/A#15 N/A5-10% of Manager, Recreation salaries & benefitsN/A N/A N/ASpecial Events Staff salaries & benefits#16 N/A5-10% of Manager, Facilities Management salaries & benefitsN/AN/AN/AN/A#17 N/ACommunity Programmer salary & benefits N/A N/A N/A N/AAPPENDIX D: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS ASSUMPTIONS – Base Values8Page 145 of 283 130Financial Calculations: Base Values (4 of 4)OpportunityPotential RevenuesInvestmentCost SavingsDirect SavingsPeople & Talent (8-18%)Digitization (10-25%)Standardizing Processes (5-10%)#18 N/A N/A N/A N/A#19 N/AExisting Technology Strategic PlanN/A N/AEcDev Team salaries & benefitsN/A#20 N/A5-10% of Manager,EcDev & Policy Planning salaries & benefitsN/A N/A N/AEcDev Team salaries & benefits#21 N/A5-10% of Manager,EcDev & Policy Planning and Manager, Recreation salaries & benefitsN/A N/A N/A N/AAPPENDIX D: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS ASSUMPTIONS – Base Values8Page 146 of 283 131Toronto145 King Street East, 2nd FloorToronto, ON M5C 2Y7416-864-7112Ottawa100 rue Queen Street, Suite 850Ottawa, ON K1P 1J9613-231-2630strategycorp.comPage 147 of 283 Final Report Presentation©STRATEGYCORP2021Town of AuroraService Delivery ReviewOctober 2021©STRATEGYCORP2021Attachment 2Page 148 of 283 2AgendaSection1Project Overview 2Summary of Key Findings 3Overview of Current Service Performance and Projected Service Demands4Overview of Improvement Opportunities5Implementation and Next Steps 6Q&APage 149 of 283 3OOBJECTIVESMembers of the Council and the Town’s senior leadership team defined the objectives of a successful review as:•Providing clarity on the services that Aurora provides and articulating their value;•Validating that Aurora is providing the right services and whether it should provide new ones;•Identifying where service levels and KPIs need to be set and documented and how they currently compare to peers;•Gaining the resident perspective on the services provided;•Informing further discussions on organizational capacity and how departments should collaborate to achieve service levels; •Understanding how growth and COVID-19 will impact service levels and future resource needs; and•Informing disaster recovery and business continuity planning.The Town of Aurora engaged StrategyCorpto conduct a Service Delivery Review (“SDR” or “Engagement”). This project is focused on improving services that residents use in their day-to-day lives, while also driving ongoing efficiencies, innovation, and cost savings in delivering those services.ObjectivesPROJECT OVERVIEW1Page 150 of 283 4IIn conducting this SDR, StrategyCorpundertook an approach comprised of the following main phases.MethodologyPROJECT OVERVIEW1Identified strengths, gaps, and opportunities related to the Town’s services. Sources included:9Internal data and documents.9Council (5), ELT (7), and CMT (21) interviews.9Corporate Service Inventory (documented service descriptions, levels, and gaps).92019 FIR data was used to ensure analytical consistency and comparability. Growth ImpactAnalysis9Reviewed Town growth planning documents.9Engaged subject matter experts.9Defined a set of future growth scenarios and service growth drivers.9Developed high-level service needs forecast and a readiness assessment using population growth and comparator municipality benchmarking.9Launched a public engagement survey to take a pulse check of the Town’s experience with resident-facing services. 9Received 97 responses and good insight into the trends of resident experiences with Town services.921 service-driven opportunities and 18 continuous improvement opportunities were identified based on work completed in Phases 1 and 2, comparator benchmarking, and leading practices.9Opportunity analysis and development used most recent 2021 Town budget data to ensure accurate analysis.Research and Current State AssessmentResident EngagementOpportunityDevelopmentAPRIL TO OCTOBER 2021Page 151 of 283 5SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGSKey Takeaways2SERVICE MODERNIZATIONA significant number of continuous improvement and modernization initiatives are underway. Moving forward, it is important for Aurora to leverage cchange managementto support the people side of change.SERVICE PERFORMANCE19/25of Town’s services are performing at/above standard. However, many service areas need to establish or update to mmore defined service levels, as well as develop iinternal service level agreements.HEALTHY FINANCIAL POSITION Overall, the Town is in a hhealthy position from a financial and organizational capacity perspective. Aurora’s taxation levels are also on par with that of comparators. STAFF CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENTParticipants referenced a ppositive culture and ddedicated staff teamsat Aurora. There is opportunity for Aurora to invest in its workforce of the future through a long-term HR strategy.DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONAlong with HR, the future of work is also accelerating digital transformation in municipalities. Aurora has both the opportunity to participate in rregional collaboration efforts and mmodernizeits own operations.TOWN GROWTHThe ability to service future growth emerged as a key theme. PPopulation and development-driven services will face greater difficulty in meeting planned growth targets from York’s MCR.Page 152 of 283 6TThe following provides an overview of Town service level performance, as identified in the service delivery review and through resident input.Current Service PerformanceOVERVIEW OF CURRENT SERVICE PERFORMANCE AND PROJECTED SERVICE DEMANDS323/25Services with partially to fully defined service levels17/25Services with partially to fully defined KPIs19/25Services performing at/above standardTOWN SERVICE PERFORMANCERESIDENT PERSPECTIVESClose to 100 residents responded to the resident satisfaction survey. Overall, they had high praise for the Town’s services including recreation, parks, library, Access Aurora, Machell’s Alley, special events, building, and communication. Reported that they are either satisfied or very satisfied with the overall Town service level.Reported that they are either familiar or very familiar with the Town’s service delivery and operations.82%58%Page 153 of 283 7PROJECTED IMPACT OF GROWTH ON SERVICESAurora anticipates that the Town’s population will grow to 84,900 by 2051. The service delivery review projected the impact this growth will have on services. A summary of the growth impact analysis is also captured below.Projected Service DemandsOVERVIEW OF CURRENT SERVICE PERFORMANCE AND PROJECTED SERVICE DEMANDS3General GovernmentTransportation ServicesFinancial Impact (L,M,H)Organizational Capability Impact (L, M, H)LMHLMHProtection ServicesEnvironmental ServicesRecreation & Culture ServicesPlanning and DevelopmentLow riskMedium riskHigh riskLEGEND**Size of the bubble indicates degree of risk. Colouris used for visual emphasis.KEY FINDINGS•Growth will require Aurora to ccontinuously modernize and ddigitize operationsto achieve cost-efficiencies.•Aurora’s ability to service wwater and wastewater needs for the planned growth targets are highly dependent on the WWater Reclamation Centrecurrently scheduled for completion in 2028, which has yet to be authorized by the Government of Ontario. •An aging and increasingly diverse population, higher density development, ability to develop and service new facilities, and citizen preferences will require Aurora to continuously innovate rrecreation and culture services.•Aurora’s fiscal strategy will need to pay particular focus to delays in development charge (DC) collections and their impact on future debt requirements and DC rates. Page 154 of 283 8These are opportunities to accommodate growth, retain changes to services and ways-of-working that have been identified as improvements, and explore digital transformation more vigorously.Overview of Improvement Opportunities17Continuous ImprovementLeading Municipal Practice: Opportunities that Aurora may consider as part of broader efforts to modernize and continuously improve. Innovative Practices: Opportunities for innovation that, in a post-COVID-19 environment, will address changing resident needs and preferences. OVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4These opportunities have been developed further into opportunity profiles, which detail the rationale for change, service impact analysis, financial implications, and implementation considerations, among other areas. 4Enterprise Wide: Opportunities that apply across the organization and can benefit from an enterprise-wide solution.Department Specific: Opportunities that apply to specific Town Departments and Divisions. 1771021Service-DrivenIt is important to note that prior to this SDR process, several planning, digitization, and improvement initiatives were alreadyunderway; in many cases, they set the foundation for opportunities identified within this review. Page 155 of 283 9Overview of Service-Driven Improvement Opportunities: Enterprise-WideOVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4ContextOpportunity•Many service areas lack defined service levels, could benefit from documenting a more detailed version, or need to update them to align with the Town’s growth. 1. Establish service levels where gaps exist aand adopt an annual service level review process. •There are currently many interdependencies or areas of overlap between departments to deliver on their respective service levels. 2. Through the customer experience plan ((CEP), establish internal service level agreements (SLAs) between departments to aachieve enterprise-wide service levels. •Staff identified several service similarities between Access Aurora and the customer service team within the Business Support Division (in the Community Services department). Opportunities to streamline these services were discussed.3. Through the CEP, validate whether to keep ccustomer service for Community Services separate from Access Aurora.•Participants discussed the need to better communicate the value of the Town’s services in a language that residents can understand. 4. Through the CEP, better define the Town’s vvalue proposition to residents and improve accesstoservices.Page 156 of 283 10Overview of Service-Driven Improvement Opportunities: Office of the CAOOVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4ContextOpportunity•As a priority under the unit’s updated strategic plan and recent move to a portfolio model, and the drive to more ‘business-like’ relationships, administrative activities should be shifted to select individuals within other departments to allow the Corporate Communications team to better address the strategic, higher-impact activities. Specifically, more time should be allocated to proactive media relations support. 5. Shift Corporate Communication’s focus away from administrative tasks towards more sstrategic ones. Page 157 of 283 11Overview of Service-Driven Improvement Opportunities: Corporate Services (1 of 2)OVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4ContextOpportunity•There has been a tendency for remote staff to rely on Access Aurora more during COVID-19. Completing additional duties directly impacts Access Aurora’s capacity to complete other customer service responsibilities and has impacted staff morale. 6. EEnsure there is recognition and capacity for the internal customer service initiatives that AAccess Aurora takes on and reinforce SLAs between Access Aurora and other ddepartments.•Aurora currently issues marriage licenses but has an opportunity to deliver more comprehensive wedding services, particularly off-site. This is a revenue generation opportunity. 7. Deliver off-site wedding services.•Several opportunities were identified to improve workflow between legal services and Town Divisions. There is an opportunity to review, educate, and reinforce the SLAs governing collaboration between Legal Services and other Town Divisions. 8. Bring clarity and consistent implementation tto the SLAs between Legal Services and other Town Divisions.•There is opportunity to develop an HR Strategic Plan to best position the Town for future capability and talent needs. This can inform a long-term talent management strategy.9. Define a HR strategy linked to the Town’s sstrategic plan.Page 158 of 283 12Overview of Service-Driven Improvement Opportunities: Corporate Services (2 of 2)OVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4ContextOpportunity•Demand on the Town’s PMO function is increasing. As the organization matures and takes on more transformational projects, there is an opportunity to raise awareness of the value and services provided by the PMO to better leverage its tools and expertise. 10. Elevate the role of the PMO to focus on mmore enterprise-wide transformation projects.•By-law services has seen a 30% increase in call/complaint volumes since the onset of COVID-19. This has resulted in a slight dip in service speed but has also highlighted the lack of visibility and awareness around call volumes and service levels. 11. Given clear increases in service level eexpectations and overall demand for by-law, either align resourcing to meet demand, or ddecrease service levels.•AMPS can create further efficiencies for the by-law team by addressing backlogs, better utilize judicial resources by removing officers from courts, improve access to the justice system and customer experience, and generate increased revenues. 12. In partnership with the region, transition tto an Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS).Page 159 of 283 13Overview of Service-Driven Improvement Opportunities: FinanceOVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4ContextOpportunity•There is value in reviewing the level of contracted services as an ongoing best practice.•There is an opportunity to undertake a thorough analysis of service alternatives to ensure that the current contracted services approach is providing best value. •There is also an opportunity to enhance contract management skills among managers to prevent overspending.13. Review contracted services to ensure vvalue-for-money and opportunities to improve service level.Page 160 of 283 14Overview of Service-Driven Improvement Opportunities: Community ServicesOVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4ContextOpportunity•Different working hours between Managers/Supervisors and front-line staff creates a need to empower and train front-line staff to better manage urgent resident requests.14. Better empower and train front-line staff tto manage customer requests.•Sometimes the Special Events team is required to host more ad hoc events than originally budgeted, which causes capacity challenges for staff and impacts the ability to deliver quality service.15. Develop a Council-approved policy for Special Events Calendar planning.•The Town has three new facilities under development, requiring more support from Facilities Management. The Division currently relies heavily on part-time staff, and part-time staff turn over more quickly by nature, requiring more training. This also impacts the quality of service. 16. Review mandate and resourcing of FFacilities Management to ensure alignment with Town growth and Council expectations.•A number of Culture subservices have been identified as performing below-standard, which is attributed to a lack of capacity to develop, oversee, and implement master plans. 17. Review mandate and resourcing of CCulture to ensure implementation of master plans.Page 161 of 283 15Overview of Service-Driven Improvement Opportunities: OperationsOVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4ContextOpportunity•The current ROP application process is paper and email-based, making it more difficult than necessary for contractors and homeowners to submit applications and track the status. •In addition, ROPs are not enforceable via a by-law. 18. Digitize Road Occupancy Permit (ROP) aapplication and develop by-law to enforce ROPs.Page 162 of 283 16Overview of Service-Driven Improvement Opportunities: Planning and DevelopmentOVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4ContextOpportunity•Currently usage of the CRM system is limited to certain departments within Aurora. Expanded functionality and use of Aurora’s CRM system can allow for more effective tracking of communications with external stakeholders and streamline the internal communications and workflow. 19. Expand functionality and utilization of CCRM system for Economic Development and Policy Planning.•Council has prioritized development in the downtown area, but the Economic Development and Planning Division can benefit from a more fulsome real estate strategy and direction from Council.20. Develop a Council-driven real-estate portfolio strategy.•Both the Economic Development & Policy Planning Division and Recreation Division identified opportunities to support local businesses and community organizations with value-added business and workforce development services. These can further enhance economic and community development. 21. In coordination with Community Services, eexplore the delivery of new business and community development services.Page 163 of 283 17Summary of Potential Financial Benefits and Investments (1 of 3)TThe following slides provide a summary of the potential benefits that the Town could achieve by implementing the proposed initiatives. Key Notes:•Most of these are productivity savings, not direct savings(i.e., what percent of a staff or group of staff member’s time is saved from achieving this opportunity?)•Savings will be realized once successful implementation has occurred over the identified timeline (~4-5 years) •Time and resource investments will be required to implement opportunities and achieve these benefits •Productivitysavingsresultfromachievingthefollowingpotentialbenefits:OVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4oPeople and talent savings (e.g., Performance evaluation, feedback, training, and developmental coaching improves engagement and performance outcomes, driving efficiencies in how work is completed)oDigitization savings (e.g., tech implementation and workflow automation reduces manual errors, increases speed at which tasks are completed, and leads to better quality work products)oStandardizing processsavings (e.g., setting standards and KPIs reduces guess work and duplication, guarantees consistent quality for residents, and improves resource allocation by better utilizing existing staff and reducing future needs for additional staff)oProcurement savings (e.g., More carefully screening the supplier market, aggressively negotiating conditions and utilizing robust contractor management tools to attain cost transparency can derive better value for money)Page 164 of 283 18Summary of Potential Financial Benefits and Investments (2 of 3)OpportunityInitial InvestmentAnnual Operating ExpensesTotal Annual SavingsNet Annual Savings1. Missing service level development and annual update- $70,100 $515,000 $$444,9002. SLA development$175,200Included in Opp. #1Included in Opp. #1Included in Opp. #13. Customer Services/Access Aurora integrationExisting CEP - $45,300 $$45,3004. Value proposition communications to residentsExisting CEP $4,700 - (($4,700)OVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4SUMMARY: ENTERPRISE-WIDE$252,000$852,400$1,843,500$991,100Total Initial InvestmentTotal Annual OpExTotal Annual SavingsNetAnnual SavingsPage 165 of 283 19Summary of Potential Financial Benefits and Investments (3 of 3)OpportunityInitial InvestmentAnnual Operating ExpensesTotal Annual SavingsNet Annual Savings5. Communications team transition to strategic activities-----6. Access Aurora capacity- - $47,500 $$47,5007. Off-site wedding services- $20,800 $62,700 $$41,9008. Legal Services SLA implementation-Included in Opp. #2Included in Opp. #1-9. HR Strategy development$17,900 $686,700 $824,000 $$137,30010. PMO role transition$8,100 - $8,000 $$8,00011. By-law resourcing assessmentApproved in 10 yrcapital budget--12. Transition to an AMPS$14,300 - $11,000 $$11,00013. Contracted services review- $70,100 $217,000 $$146,90014. Recreation front-line staff trainingIncluded in Opp. #10Included in Opp. #10Included in Opp. #10Included in Opp. #1015. Special Events Calendar Policy development$7,100 - $23,000 $$23,00016. Facilities Management mandate and resource review$8,000 - - --17. Culture Services mandate and resource review-----18. ROP application digitization and enforcement by-law- - $7,500 $$7,50019. CRM expansionExisting Technology Strategic Plan- $55,000 $$55,00020. Real Estate Portfolio Strategy development$6,200 - $27,500 $$27,50021. Business and Community Development services$15,200 - - --OVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4SUMMARY: DEPARTMENTALPage 166 of 283 20LEADING MUNICIPAL PRACTICESINNOVATIVE PRACTICES1. Drive greater alignment between the corporate strategic plan and Division-level priorities.2.Build more collaborative partnerships between cross-functional support staff and service delivery staff. 3.Create an annual governance training plan for Council.4.Increase focus on diversity and inclusion within service delivery to better reflect the Town’s changing demographics.5.Appropriately resource enterprise-wide initiatives, while defining and communicating clear roles and responsibilities.6.Improve the intranet and increase its use to facilitate greater information sharing across departments.7.Formalize and sustain practices put in place during the pandemic that proved to be effective.Resident and Business Needs and Preferences1.Accessible Public Wi-Fi2.“Open Streets” initiatives3.Climate Adaptation Planning4.Participatory BudgetingImproved Services and New Ways-of-Working5.Accommodating Hybrid Work6.“Third Spaces” initiativesDigital Transformation and Investments7.Digital Services and Payments8.Open Data9.Digital Engagement10.“Smart Cities” InvestmentsOverview of Continuous Improvement OpportunitiesOVERVIEW OF IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES4Page 167 of 283 21OpportunityWave 1Wave 2Wave 31. Missing service level development and annual update2. SLA development3. Customer Services/Access Aurora integration4. Value proposition communications to residents5. Communications team transition to strategic activities6. Access Aurora capacity7. Off-site wedding services8. Legal Services SLA implementation9. HR Strategy development10. PMO role transition11. By-law resourcing assessment12. Transition to an AMPS13. Contracted services review14. Recreation front-line staff training15. Special Events Calendar Policy development16. Facilities Management mandate and resource review17. Culture Services mandate and resource review18. ROP application digitization and enforcement by-law19. CRM expansion20. Real Estate Portfolio Strategy development21. Business and Community Development servicesImplementation TimelineBelow is a suggested implementation timeline for Aurora. Each Wave is expected to span 1 to 2 years. IMPLEMENTATION AND NEXT STEPS5Page 168 of 283 22Next Steps EEach opportunity analysis includes implementation considerations, including recommended timing and prioritization. Further operational planning will be required to prioritize opportunities, integrate these initiatives into the Town’s budgeting and workplan processes, and mitigate against possible risks to timelines including the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Town finances and the 2022 municipal elections.1. Align upon prioritization of recommended opportunities.2. Conduct further operational planning as required by internal budgeting and work planning processes.3. Implement opportunities in a phased approach and report to Council on progress. NEXT STEPSIMPLEMENTATION AND NEXT STEPS5Page 169 of 283 23Toronto145 King Street East, 2nd FloorToronto, ON M5C 2Y7416-864-7112Ottawa100 rue Queen Street, Suite 850Ottawa, ON K1P 1J9613-231-2630strategycorp.comPage 170 of 283 100 John West Way Aurora, Ontario L4G 6J1 (905) 727-3123 aurora.ca Town of Aurora General Committee Report No. PDS 2 1 -133 Subject: Green Development Standards Update Prepared by: Matthew Volpintesta, Senior Policy Planner Department: Planning and Development Services Date: November 2, 2021 Recommendation 1. That Report No. PDS21-133 be received for information. Executive Summary The Town of Aurora is undertaking the development of a Green Development Standards (GDS) program to promote environmentally conscious development and commit to a greener and more sustainable future. GDS represent an important policy tool used by municipalities to support Official Plan goals, sustainability and climate change objectives, and several other co-beneficial directives. The following report presents an update of the work completed to date, highlights the initial feedback from stakeholders, sets out next steps and the expected final deliverables and outcomes of the GDS.  The GDS supports the Town of Aurora Official Plan policy goals of sustainability and climate change objectives, informed by a comprehensive review and extensive stakeholder consultation.  The GDS is based on five theme areas, with measurable targets and parameters required to be achieved for each theme.  The GDS will be implemented in phases. Next steps include testing the green development standards against active development applications, final refinement, and staff training ahead of implementation. Page 171 of 283 November 2, 2021 2 of 6 Report No. PDS21-133 Background The GDS supports the Town of Aurora Official Plan goals of sustainability and climate change objectives, informed by a comprehensive review and extensive stakeholder consultation The Town of Aurora (the Town) retained Prime Strategy & Planning to undertake a comprehensive review of green development standards (GDS) and to develop green development standards applicable to the Town of Aurora context. The GDS will be a community-based approach that will apply across all forms of new development and will also apply to municipal projects and buildings as the Town has committed to lead by with sustainable design. The Town of Aurora GDS will support Section 5.2 of the Official Plan on sustainable development. The GDS sets expectations for high-performing buildings, community connectivity, and promotes access to low or zero carbon transportation options. Having a comprehensive GDS that approaches development at a community-wide scale encourages a compact built form that reduces demands on infrastructure while creating healthy, complete, and sustainable communities. To provide technical expertise and guidance throughout the GDS development, the Town established a project steering committee inclusive of representation from the following departments: Planning and Development, Engineering, Operations, Parks, and Building. External stakeholders include local Conservation Authorities, York Region, applicable utility companies, and the development and building materials industry. Additionally, staff recognize the importance of Advisory Committees to provide input through the GDS development. The GDS project team are currently seeking input from the Environmental Advisory Committee, Accessibility Advisory Committee, and Business Improvement Association, and the Aurora Economic Development Corporation. As part of the initial stage of the GDS development, a comprehensive review of GDS standards was undertaken which will be documented in a Discussion Paper. Analysis The GDS is based on five theme areas, with measurable targets and parameters required to be achieved for each theme. The GDS is currently structured around 5 themes; Energy, Water, Ecology, Complete Communities, and, Building Materials. Themes are informed by priority focus areas for the Town to support a net-zero pathway. Typically, a GDS includes voluntary and/or Page 172 of 283 November 2, 2021 3 of 6 Report No. PDS21-133 mandatory measures developed and implemented by municipalities to mandate a baseline level of sustainable development. To assess performance, each theme category or focus area has a list of Tiers, some of which are mandatory criteria and easiest to achieve, and higher-level tiers which are voluntary and may be tied to incentives (phase 2 of implementation). A proponent must achieve mandatory tier one requirements and then has an option of fulfilling a minimum number of additional requirements intended to be more intensified in overall objective. The GDS uses a framework provided from Clean Air Partnership based on tiered checklists. Net zero programs including Passive House, Canada Green Building Council Net Zero and Ontario Home Builders Association Net Zero have been considered as certification options in Phase 2 which could come in exchange for a monetary incentive or expedited approval, still to be determined. A descriptive breakdown of criteria and rationale for each theme, including potential assessment metrics, reviewing parties and timing, are currently being reviewed with stakeholders and tested by staff. The GDS will be implemented in two phases. Next steps include testing the green development standards against active development applications, followed by final version refinement, and staff training ahead of implementation. The initial stages of the project included presenting a comprehensive municipal best practice review and delivery of a thorough discussion paper looking at scope of the GDS and potential tools for analysis and achievement. Through continuous updating and following consultation with the Town’s Executive Leadership Team, including presenting the version 1 draft GDS to both the steering committee and stakeholder groups, specific mandatory and non-mandatory criteria have been proposed in two phases. Included with this criterion, are suggested timing for review, and associated staff responsibilities. Phase 1 represents a set of mandatory requirements, which include optional expectations providing some flexibility. Some of these requirements are already being reviewed but fall under the umbrella or scope of the GDS and therefore will assist in the ease of implementation The project team is currently assessing potential external incentives to support implementation which would not have a direct fiscal impact to the Town. Phase 2 includes elevated performance which will include further improved building and site expectations and certification for net zero through third party programs. Incremental costing analysis will be required for Phase 2. It is expected that the Town Page 173 of 283 November 2, 2021 4 of 6 Report No. PDS21-133 will define incentives through a possible expedited development approvals program, CIP or other options as part of the planned cost-benefit analysis. Project Timeline & Deliverables  Comprehensive best practice review and draft discussion paper (April – August 2021) Completed  Draft version 1 guidelines and stakeholder and committee consultation (July – November 2021) In progress  GDS test assessment using active development applications (November 2021) In Progress  Final refined guidelines and implementation materials (1st quarter 2022) Expected  Presentation of GDS to Council (1st quarter 2022) Expected Staff are currently consolidating feedback from stakeholder consultations held through September to November. Based on steering committee review and stakeholder consultation, the GDS performance requirements will be refined and updated. The present format of the GDS represents a performance-based path for net zero and includes integration of the Town’s energy plan expectations as well as other operational objectives. Town staff and the consultant team are planning a test implementation of the program on two active development sites, including one Town initiated project. Once consultation with the advisory committees and test assessment is completed, the final first iteration of the GDS will be prepared for presentation to Council. Extensive staff training including a procedural handbook will be provided ahead of implementation. Implementation of the GDS is proposed for the 1st quarter of 2022 pending Council endorsement. Staff training and roll-out would be expected throughout the 1st quarter of 2022. Staff expect the GDS to be reviewed on an annual basis and updated where required or when legislation permits. A version of this report will be presented to the Accessibility Advisory Committee, Environmental Advisory Committee, the BIA, and the Aurora Economic Development Committee for consultation in the coming weeks prior to finalizing the GDS and presenting it to Council for endorsement in 2022. Page 174 of 283 November 2, 2021 5 of 6 Report No. PDS21-133 Advisory Committee Review None Legal Considerations None Financial Implications There are no direct financial implications arising as a result of this report. Communications Considerations The Town has conducted stakeholder engagement up to this point of the project; as the project evolves, staff will continue to engage where appropriate, and inform stakeholders and residents of the outcomes of the project. The Town will use the municipal website, as well as social media accounts, and direct communication with engaged stakeholders, to provide information and updates. Link to Strategic Plan Ensuring a sustainable growth and development through a Green Development Standard supports the Strategic Plan goal of Strengthening the fabric of our community by collaborating with the development industry to provide healthy sustainable communities. Further, the goals of Promoting service accountability, excellence and innovation and Invest in sustainable infrastructure, are achieved by exceeding standards of current development and ensuring new developments are investments in construction, future proofing our neighbourhoods for sustainable infrastructure. Alternative(s) to the Recommendation 1. That Council provide direction. Conclusions The development of a Green Development Standards program for the Town of Aurora is a necessary step in achieving the objectives of both the Strategic Plan and Official Plan, and to propel the Town to the next level of green community building. The GDS is currently being refined based on extensive feedback and program testing and will be Page 175 of 283 November 2, 2021 6 of 6 Report No. PDS21-133 evolved before eventual implementation expected in 2022. Staff will update and present the final GDS to a future General Committee meeting prior to implementation. Attachments None Previous Reports None Pre-submission Review Agenda Management Team review on October 14, 2021 Approvals Approved by David Waters, MCIP, RPP, PLE, Director, Planning & Development Services Approved by Doug Nadorozny, Chief Administrative Officer Page 176 of 283 General Committee Presentation Town of Aurora Green Development & Design Standards Page 177 of 283 Introduction Project Team Page 178 of 283 Agenda 1. What are GDS? 2. Why is the Town implementing GDS? 3. Project Timeline 4. Summary of Consultation 5. Draft GDS 6. Draft Implementation Expectations 7. Staff Training Objectives 8. Next Steps Page 179 of 283 What are Green Development Standards? Page 180 of 283 What are GDS? A simple definition from the Clean Air Partnership (CAP) • Voluntary and/or mandatory measures created by municipalities to mandate sustainable development. • Comprehensive principles to guide development that focuses on the community as a whole. • Integrated into the planning approvals process, where development applications are asked to meet certain criteria. • Policy tool to support Official Plan policy goals, sustainability objectives, etc. Page 181 of 283 Why is the Town implementing GDS? Page 182 of 283 Action Why implement GDS? Opportunity to meet growth and climate change objectives The Town must manage population and employment growth in a sustainable way. 9The Town is committed to reducing emissions and increasing climate resiliency. 9GDS can help to address several municipal policies and climate objectives. 9Green Development Standards are embedded in the Town’s Official Plan (Section 5.2). 9Several Ontario municipalities have implemented and/or are updating GDS. 9Page 183 of 283 GDS Co-Benefits Opportunity to achieve several co-benefits of community-wide development ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT SOCIAL Increased property values Reduced energy consumption Improved air quality Reduced infrastructure costs Longer lasting building stock Job creation Reduced vehicle dependency Increased green space & biodiversity Increased climate resiliency Active lifestyles Access to greenspace Affordable & mixed-use housing Page 184 of 283 Project Timeline Page 185 of 283 – Phase 1 Background Review & Discussion Paper • Timeframe: April 2021 August 2021 • Tasks: Discussion Paper for review by Steering Committee; preliminary consultation with developers and municipal staff. Project Timeline Schedule for developing & implementing the GDS APR MAY JUN AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN Phase 3 JUL Phase 2 Draft Guidelines & Stakeholder Consultation • Timeframe: July 2021 – November 2021 • Tasks: Draft GDS guidelines, consultation with development industry and municipal partners on GDS directions. Final Guidelines & Implementation Materials • Timeframe: September 2021 – December 2021 • Tasks: Develop implementation materials; facilitate staff training sessions; present GDS to EAC. Begin Phase 1 Implementation Page 186 of 283 Discussion Paper High level summary of content to support draft GDS 1 2 3 Introduction • Description of the project. Background & Context • What GDS are and why GDS are being implemented • Policy context for GDS (federal, provincial, local). • Preliminary consultation. Best Practice Review • Scan of municipal GDS programs and lessons for the Town. • Best practice for areas of interest and supporting examples: • Heritage and regenerative design, bird-friendly design, LIDs, construction waste management, municipal leadership, embodied carbon, district energy. • Third-party certification and supporting examples (e.g., LEED, Passive House, ZCBS, WELL). 4 5 6 7 Incentive Options • Municipal tools (e.g., CIPs, green bonds, etc.), York Region’s incentive programs, and external incentive programs (e.g., Enbridge’s Savings by Design). Implementation of the GDS • Compliance and reporting mechanisms. • Internal implementation process considerations. Recommendations • Compilation of directions for the GDS presented throughout the Discussion Paper. • “Quick Wins” identified. Next Steps Page 187 of 283 Summary of Consultation Page 188 of 283 Summary of Consultation Input received relative to draft GDS requirements • Alignment with LSRCA – Ensure alignment between the GDS and LSRCA expectations for development. Reiterate LSRCA requirements where possible to reinforce expectations (e.g., post development groundwater recharge rates, design features to reduce salt use, etc.) • Alignment with York Region – Update mandatory requirements for ‘WATER’ to align with York Region’s findings relative to water conservation. • Impact on infrastructure – Consider the impact of expectations for electric vehicle infrastructure and charging stations on local infrastructure. Ensure infrastructure is prepared to accommodate. • Carbon sequestration – Consider opportunities for carbons sequestration in all themes and ensure description of requirements reinforce opportunities for carbon sequestration. This extends to native plantings. • Permeable surfaces for mid to high-rise – Consider allowing green roofs to function as an acceptable alternative to permeable surfaces for mid to high-rise buildings. Page 189 of 283 Summary of Consultation Input received relative to implementation process • Incentives – Several questions about incentives to support implementation of Tiers 3 and 4 from the development industry and some municipal partners. Recommended incentives include DC rebates, fast track approvals, etc. • Access to embodied carbon building materials – Development industry partners stated that the Town can support use of certain building materials by supporting access to these materials and permitting their use. • Pilot implementation of GDS – Several stakeholders recommended applying the draft GDS to current development applications and/or projects to ‘test’ the applicability. • Options for Tier 2 – Ensure there are several options in Tier 2 applicable across all developments. Consider bringing some requirements from Tier 3 into Tier 2 to increase options. Page 190 of 283 Draft GDS Page 191 of 283 12345ENERGY WATER ECOLOGY COMPLETE COMMUNITIES WASTE & MATERIALS Draft GDS Themes Page 192 of 283 Draft GDS Phases & Tiers TIER 1 MANDATORY TIER 2 MANDATORY TIER 3 VOLUNTARY TIER 4 VOLUNTARY Phase 1 Implementation ~Dec. 2021 Phase 2 Implementation TBD Page 193 of 283 TIER 1 MANDATORY TIER 2 MANDATORY Phase 1 Implementation ~Dec. 2021 Page 194 of 283 12345WATERECOLOGY COMPLETE COMMUNITIES WASTE & MATERIALS ENERGY 2 3 4 5 Page 195 of 283 THEME: ENERGY INTENT To achieve greater energy efficiency in all new buildings and to decrease GHG emissions in support of the Town’s objective to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. RATIONALE • Enhanced energy efficiency is becoming an industry standard. • Increasing expectations from all levels of government to meet GHG reduction targets. • Mandatory requirements for energy performance supports GHG emission reductions and long-term expectations for net-zero. PHASE 1 TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve specified number of criteria PHASE 2 TIER 3 VOLUNTARY Potential incentives TIER 4 VOLUNTARY Potential incentives Page 196 of 283 THEME: ENERGY TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria APPLIES TO Energy 1.1 • Appropriate connections for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure is provided accordingly: • For each dwelling unit with a residential parking space, a minimum one (1) vehicle space per unit is provided with an energized outlet capable of providing Level 2 EV charging or higher to the parking space. • Low-rise residential • Each residential parking space, excluding visitor parking, shall include an adjacent energized outlet capable of providing Level 2 charging or higher to the parking space, either dedicated to the parking space or using an Energy Management System. • Multi-unit apartments/ townhomes with shared, common onsite residential parking spaces • A minimum 20% parking spaces are provided with electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and the remainder are of spaces are designed energized outlets capable of providing Level 2 EV charging or higher to the parking space. • All development (including school board) excluding residential Page 197 of 283 THEME: ENERGY TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria APPLIES TO Energy 1.2 • Ensure buildings are designed to accommodate connections to solar PV or solar thermal technologies. • All development Energy 1.3 • Develop an energy model for the building project using a third-party building energy simulation software. • All development Energy 1.4 • Conduct a feasibility study to explore option to connect to existing and/or develop on-site energy generation systems • Mid to high-rise residential, all non-residential, and municipal development in specific Town- areas (e.g., Major Transit Station Area) Page 198 of 283 THEME: ENERGY TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve 2 out of 6 criteria APPLIES TO Energy 2.1 • Appropriate EVSE is provided accordingly: • A minimum of one (1) vehicle space per unit is provided with the requirements identified in Tier 1 Energy 1.1 in addition to appropriate EVSE, such as an electric vehicle charging station. • Low-rise residential • Each residential parking space, excluding visitor parking, shall include an adjacent energized outlet capable of providing Level 2 charging or higher to the parking space, either dedicated to the parking space or using an Energy Management System. • Multi-unit apartments/ townhomes with shared, common onsite residential parking spaces • A minimum 50% parking spaces are provided with electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and the remainder are of spaces are designed with energized outlets capable of providing Level 2 EV charging or higher to the parking space • All non-residential development (including school board) Energy 2.2 • Buildings are designed and built to include solar technologies. • All development Page 199 of 283 THEME: ENERGY TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve 2 out of 6 criteria APPLIES TO Energy 2.3 • Provide the necessary infrastructure for connection to district energy, where available. • Note: If applicant can pursue Energy 2.3, requirements for Tier 2 are considered satisfied. • Mid to high-rise residential, all non-residential, and municipal development in specific Town- areas (e.g., Major Transit Station Area). Energy 2.4 Energy use reduction for Part 3 and Part 9 buildings are met according to the following requirements: • Part 9 buildings – Buildings are designed to meet or exceed a minimum performance of at least 10% better than that of the Ontario Building Code’s 2017 Supplementary Standard SB-12. • Part 3 buildings – Demonstrate minimum energy performance of at least 15% better than that of the Ontario Building Code’s 2017 Supplementary Standard SB-10 Divisions 1 and 3. • All development Energy 2.5 • Demonstrate a minimum reduction in carbon dioxide equivalency (e.g., 10%). • All development Page 200 of 283 12345ECOLOGY COMPLETE COMMUNITIES WASTE & MATERIALS ENERGY WATER 1 3 4 5 Page 201 of 283 THEME: WATER INTENT To use water efficiently, protecting local water sources including water quality and health, and reducing flooding and drought. RATIONALE • Reducing potable water use and improving water efficiency can reduce energy and infrastructure required for treatment, distribution, and collection of water resources. • Water efficiency can offer savings to occupants. PHASE 1 TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve specified number of criteria PHASE 2 TIER 3 VOLUNTARY Potential incentives Page 202 of 283 THEME: WATER TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria APPLIES TO Water 1.1 • Demonstrate post-development peak flow rates are equal to or do not exceed pre-development peak flow rates for the two, one hundred year storm events and a minimum volume reduction of 5mm is achieved through LID features. • All development Water 1.2 • Ensure post-development groundwater recharge rates meet pre-development rates, as defined through the LSRCA Source Protection Plan. • All development Water 1.3 • Remove at least 85% total suspended solid on an annual loading basis from run-off leaving the site. • All development Water 1.4 • 25% of new hard surfaces (e.g., parking areas and walkways, not including buildings) are constructed using permeable materials. For some applicants (e.g., those developing from lot line to lot line), this requirement may be met through Ecology 1.7. • All development Water 1.5 • All water consuming fixtures are WaterSense® labeled or meet maximum flow requirements. • All development Page 203 of 283 THEME: WATER TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve 2 out of 5 criteria APPLIES TO Water 2.1 • BMPs replicating natural site hydrology processes, retain (e.g., infiltrate, evapotranspirate, or collect and reuse) on-site the runoff from the developed site; reducing the local rainfall event runoff by an additional 10%, using low-impact development (LID) and green infrastructure (GI) practices. • All development Water 2.2 • Remove at least 90% total suspended solid on an annual loading basis from run-off leaving the site. • All development Water 2.3 • 50% of new hard surfaces (e.g., parking areas and walkways, not including buildings) are constructed using permeable materials. For some applicants (e.g., those developing from lot line to lot line), this requirement may be met through Ecology 1.7. • All development Water 2.4 • Install rainwater harvesting and re-circulation/reuse systems for outdoor irrigation and outdoor water use, reducing potable water use for irrigation by 60%. • All development Water 2.5 • Development incorporates design features to require less salt application without increasing liability. Design features are in accordance with the LSRCA’s Parking Lot Design Guidelines to Promote Salt Reduction. • All non-residential development Page 204 of 283 12345WATERWASTE & MATERIALS ENERGY ECOLOGY COMPLETE COMMUNITIES 1 2 4 5 Page 205 of 283 THEME: ECOLOGY INTENT To improve natural heritage system function with respect to wildlife habitat and/or ecological functions, including ecosystem services and to incorporate carbon sequestration into community design. RATIONALE • Protecting and restoring ecological functions can benefit human and natural environment. • Natural environment can help to mitigate against and build resilience and adaptation to impacts of climate change. PHASE 1 TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve specified number of criteria PHASE 2 TIER 3 VOLUNTARY Potential incentives TIER 4 VOLUNTARY Potential incentives Page 206 of 283 THEME: ECOLOGY TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria APPLIES TO Ecology 1.1 • Bird-friendly design guidelines for low-rise residential, and mid to high-rise residential, all non-residential, and municipal buildings. • All development Ecology 1.2 • Use native, drought-tolerant plants for a minimum 50% of the landscaped area, including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. • All development Ecology 1.3 • Introduce no invasive species within the site or along street frontages. • All development Ecology 1.4 • Protect or relocate healthy, mature trees that exist within the project boundary. Where trees are removed, new trees are provided to mitigate the lost canopy. • All development Ecology 1.5 • All exterior light fixtures are Dark Sky compliant. • All development Ecology 1.6 • Create tree planting areas within the site and in the adjacent public boulevard that meet the soil volume and the other requirements necessary to provide tree canopy. • All development Ecology 1.7 • Roof areas are provided with one or a combination of the following covering 30% of available roof space: Green Roof, Solar PV, or Cool Roof. • All development Page 207 of 283 THEME: ECOLOGY TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve 2 out of 5 criteria APPLIES TO Ecology 2.1 • Use native, drought-tolerant plants a minimum 75% of the landscaped area, including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. • All development Ecology 2.2 • Where surface parking is provided, plant large growing shade trees that are spaced appropriately having regard to site conditions and have access to a of 30 m3 soil per tree. • All development Ecology 2.3 • All street trees are accompanied by the installation of enhanced street tree planting technology, such as permanent irrigation or watering systems that utilize non-potable water sources only, soil cells, etc. • All development Ecology 2.4 • Develop an Operational Plan & Maintenance Manual that includes: description of maintenance procedures including techniques for reducing salt use in landscaped and naturalized areas, and tree monitoring plan designed to maximize the survival rates of planted trees. • All development Ecology 2.5 • Calculate the embodied carbon and the carbon sequestration within landscape designs. • All development Page 208 of 283 12345ENERGY WATERECOLOGY WASTE & MATERIALS COMPLETE COMMUNITIES 1 2 3 5 Page 209 of 283 THEME: COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INTENT To encourage site connectivity with existing, planned, and future public spaces and active transportation networks and to harmonize the GDS with other elements of planning complete communities. RATIONALE • Opportunity to reduce GHG emissions from transportation by supporting community design that prioritizes low-carbon and/or active transportation. • Improving health and wellness for residents by developing sites and neighbourhoods with compact, walkable form and integrated greenspace. PHASE 1 TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve specified number of criteria PHASE 2 TIER 3 VOLUNTARY Potential incentives Page 210 of 283 THEME: COMPLETE COMMUNITIES TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria APPLIES TO CC 1.1 • Develop a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan. • All development CC 1.2 • Provide access to a variety of park and open space options that align with Aurora’s Official Plan, which comply with Public Works Operations and maintenance requirements. • All development CC 1.3 • Accessibility measures and design features are provided in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). • All development CC 1.4 • Complete a cultural heritage impact assessment that describes cultural heritage resources and potential impacts of development. Recommend strategies to mitigate negative impacts, where the alteration, development, or redevelopment of property is proposed on, or adjacent to the cultural heritage resources. • All development Page 211 of 283 THEME: COMPLETE COMMUNITIES TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve 3 out of 9 criteria APPLIES TO CC 2.1 • Provide missing walkway connections between the site and existing public walkways. All new and existing streets are designed with continuous sidewalks or equivalent provisions in accordance with Aurora’s Engineering Standards and Design Criteria. • All development CC 2.2 • Provide carpool or shared-use vehicle parking spaces. • All development CC 2.3 • Provide bicycle parking spaces in accordance with provisions in the Zoning By-law. • All development CC 2.4 • Provide adequate space for residents to perform repairs and maintenance of bicycles. • All development CC 2.5 • Provide public and/or private amenity spaces, where appropriate for multi-residential development and non-residential development, particularly development within Intensification Areas. Ensure amenity spaces include covered outdoor waiting areas for pedestrian comfort and protection from inclement weather. • All mid to high-rise residential, all non-residential, and municipal development in specific Town- areas (e.g., Major Transit Station Area). Page 212 of 283 THEME: COMPLETE COMMUNITIES TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve 3 out of 9 criteria APPLIES TO CC 2.6 • At least 70% of dwelling units and non-residential entrances are within 350 metres walking distance to the nearest transit stop, where feasible. • All development CC 2.7 • Monthly public transit passes are provided to residents and businesses at no cost for a minimum of one (1) year including: • One (1) pass per household or residential unit; and • Passes for 10% of employees per business or non-residential units. • All development CC 2.8 • Permanent and accessible urban agriculture space of at least 1m2 per dwelling unit is allocated within an 800 m walking distance of all dwelling units through one or more of the following: Community garden, Edible landscaping, with labeled plants and signage containing harvesting guidelines, Small farm or orchard, Private garden, rooftop garden • All development CC 2.9 • A secondary dwelling unit is provided in accordance with Aurora’s Zoning By-law no. 6000-17. • Low-rise residential Page 213 of 283 12345WATERENERGY ECOLOGY COMPLETE COMMUNITIES WASTE & MATERIALS 1 2 3 4 Page 214 of 283 THEME: WASTE & MATERIALS INTENT To encourage waste diversion from landfill through reuse strategies, local purchasing, source reduction, and the tracking and documentation of these activities. RATIONALE • Responsible management of waste is an essential aspect of sustainable building. • Embodied carbon is a significant contributor of carbon emissions (emissions from pre-operation activity). PHASE 1 TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve specified number of criteria PHASE 2 TIER 3 VOLUNTARY Potential incentives TIER 4 VOLUNTARY Potential incentives Page 215 of 283 THEME: WASTE & MATERIALS TIER 1 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve all criteria APPLIES TO Waste & Materials 1.1 • Develop and apply a waste stream management narrative and plan focusing on waste diversion. Provide documentation that affirms that management of Construction and Demolition Waste is in compliance with Provincial Regulation O. Reg. 103/94: Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Source Separation Programs. • All development Waste & Materials 1.2 • Provide separated space in all kitchen suites for segregated collection of garbage, recycling and organic waste. • All development Page 216 of 283 THEME: WASTE & MATERIALS TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve 2 out of 7 criteria APPLIES TO Waste & Materials 2.1 • A minimum 25% of recycled/reclaimed materials are used for buildings and/or infrastructure including roadways, parking lots, sidewalks, unit paving, etc. • All development Waste & Materials 2.2 • Divert at least 75% of total construction and demolition material. Diverted material must include at least four material streams. • All development Waste & Materials 2.3 • Building is designed and built incorporating Portland-limestone cement and/or tall wood. • All development Waste & Materials 2.4 • Provide a dedicated collection area or room for household hazardous waste and/or electronic waste. • Mid to high-rise residential and all non-residential development. Waste & Materials 2.5 • Conduct a materials emissions assessment of the upfront embodied carbon of structural and envelope components. • All development Page 217 of 283 THEME: WASTE & MATERIALS TIER 2 MANDATORY Applicant must achieve 2 out of 7 criteria APPLIES TO Waste & Materials 2.6 • Provide dedicated areas accessible to waste haulers and building occupants for the collection and storage of recyclable and compostable materials for the entire building. Collection and storage areas may be separate locations. • Mid to high-rise residential and all non-residential development. Waste & Materials 2.7 • Include at least 5 of the 7 requirements listed below in the project product specifications: • Concrete Mix: minimum 25% supplementary Cementous material • Rebar/ Structural Steel/ Metal Decks: Minimum 50% recycled content • Flooring: meet FloorScore or USGBC equivalent program • Paints/ Coatings/ Adhesives/ Sealents: Meet SCAQMD rule 1113 and 1168 Low VOC content thresholds • Plywood: no added formaldehd (NAF) or ultra-low-emiting formaldehyde (ULEF) • Red List Materials: Do not use any materials from the International Living Future Institute’s Red List • All development Page 218 of 283 TIER 3 VOLUNTARY TIER 4 VOLUNTARY Phase 2 Implementation TBD Page 219 of 283 THEME: ENERGY TIER 3 VOLUNTARY APPLIES TO Energy 3.1 • Design and construct the building to include high performance components addressing air tightness, glazing, HRV and heat pumps. • All development TIER 4 VOLUNTARY APPLIES TO Energy 4.1 • Design, construct, and certify the building in accordance with net zero standard (third-party compliance). • All development Energy 4.2 • District energy or other communal energy system or combined heat and power system is constructed for heating and/or cooling. • All development Page 220 of 283 THEME: WATER TIER 3 VOLUNTARY APPLIES TO Water 3.1 • BMPs replicating natural site hydrology processes, retain (e.g., infiltrate, evapotranspirate, or collect and reuse) on-site the runoff from the developed site; reducing the local rainfall event runoff by an additional 15%, using low-impact development (LID) and green infrastructure (GI) practices. • All development Water 3.2 • Install rainwater harvesting and re-circulation/reuse systems for outdoor irrigation and outdoor water use, reducing potable water use for irrigation by at least 80%. • All development Water 3.3 • At least 75% of new hard surfaces (e.g., parking areas and walkways, not including buildings) are constructed using permeable materials. • All development Page 221 of 283 THEME: ECOLOGY TIER 3 VOLUNTARY APPLIES TO Ecology 3.1 • Provide a minimum 50% available roof space as biodiverse green/vegetated roof. • All development Ecology 3.2 • Plant the landscaped area using a minimum 100% native or biodiverse plantings. • All development Ecology 3.3 • Larger growing shade trees, relative to the requirements for large growing shade trees in Tier 2, are planted along street frontages. • All development TIER 4 VOLUNTARY APPLIES TO Ecology 4.1 • Enroll the project in the Climate Positive Design Challenge and use the Pathfinder tool to calculate the years to carbon positive design. Incorporate low-carbon sustainable material alternatives to the proposed landscape design. • All development Page 222 of 283 THEME: COMPLETE COMMUNITIES TIER 3 VOLUNTARY APPLIES TO CC 3.1 • Implementation and installation of all TDM requirements. • All development CC 3.2 • Include as part of the private development a community hub where people come together to receive services or meet one another, for a range of health and social services, cultural, recreational, and/or community needs. • Mid to high-rise residential, all non-residential development CC 3.3 • Provide a refuge area with heating, cooling, lighting, potable water, and power available and 72 hours of back-up power to the refuge area and essential building systems. • Mid to high-rise residential, all non-residential development Page 223 of 283 THEME: WASTE & MATERIALS TIER 3 VOLUNTARY APPLIES TO Waste & Materials 3.1 • A minimum 50% of recycled/reclaimed materials are used for buildings and/or infrastructure including roadways, parking lots, sidewalks, unit paving, etc. • All development Waste & Materials 3.2 • Divert at least 95% of the total construction and demolition material. Diverted material must include at least four material streams. • All development Waste & Materials 3.3 • Use Portland-limestone cement and/or tall wood and maximize the amount of recycled content in concrete and steel. Calculate and report the embodied carbon in the building structure and envelope. • All development Page 224 of 283 THEME: WASTE & MATERIALS TIER 4 VOLUNTARY APPLIES TO Waste & Materials 4.1 • In addition to Tier 3 requirements for Portland-limestone cement and tall wood, include some level of bio-based materials in building structure. • All development Waste & Materials 4.2 • Include all 7 requirements listed below in the project product specifications: • Concrete Mix: minimum 25% supplementary Cementous material • Rebar/ Structural Steel/ Metal Decks: Minimum 50% recycled content • Flooring: meet FloorScore or USGBC equivalent program • Paints/ Coatings/ Adhesives/ Sealents: Meet SCAQMD rule 1113 and 1168 Low VOC content thresholds • Plywood: no added formaldehd (NAF) or ultra-low-emiting formaldehyde (ULEF) • Red List Materials: Do not use any materials from the International Living Future Institute’s Red List • All development Page 225 of 283 Draft Implementation Expectations Page 226 of 283 Draft Implementation Continuous monitoring, review, and updating of the GDS • Phase 1 will be implemented ~ January 2022 onward (Council approved). • The Town will further study incentives to support implementation of Phase 2. • The Town will track, monitor, and review the GDS. We will provide recommended action items for continuous monitoring in our final report, including: • GDS metrics achieved in reports to Council for individual applicable development proposal. • Refining the GDS as needed to address legislative and provincial policy changes, local building expectations, etc. • Developing additional educational and/or training resources. • Providing additional guidance, support, and training to City staff and external stakeholders. Page 227 of 283 Draft Implementation Supporting resources for applicants and staff • We have begun preparation of a summary GDS handbook to support staff and applicants with implementation. • This handbook includes: • Background information to support the GDS. • GDS implementation tables identifying GDS requirement and application, how to demonstrate compliance, and review by the Town. • Review matrix identifying when each GDS requirement will be reviewed by Town staff. • Monitoring, review, and update recommendations for the GDS. Page 228 of 283 Staff Training Objectives Page 229 of 283 Staff Training Objectives Staff training to facilitate implementation • The purpose of staff training is to: • Explain to staff how to use, interpret and implement the GDS. • Advise of resources and technical staff training required to implement GDS. • Staff training sessions will be facilitated in November/ December 2021. Sessions may be organized based on department. Page 230 of 283 Next Steps Page 231 of 283 In Progress & Next Steps Where we’re headed • October 2021 • Practice Training Exercise with staff to test application of the GDS against development applications submitted to the Town. • Advance GDS handbook. • Prepare materials for Staff Training session(s). • Submit materials for Council report(s). • November – December 2021 • Present to General Committee, Accessibility Advisory Committee, and Environmental Advisory Committee. • Facilitate two (2) Staff Training sessions to support implementation of GDS Phase 1. • Present to Council. • January 2022 onwards • Implement GDS Phase 1 and continued investigation by the Town to support implementation of Phase 2. Page 232 of 283 Contact Lisa Prime Principal & Founder PRIME Strategy & Planning lisa@primestrategyplanning.com Nadia Dowhaniuk Head of Research PRIME Strategy & Planning research@primestrategyplanning.com Matthew Volpintesta Senior Policy Planner, Land Use & Real Estate Town of Aurora MVolpintesta@aurora.ca Page 233 of 283 100 John West Way Aurora, Ontario L4G 6J1 (905) 727-3123 aurora.ca Town of Aurora General Committee Report No. CMS 2 1 -0 35 Subject: Sport Tourism Strategy Update 1 Prepared by: Erin Hamilton, Sport & Community Development Specialist Department: Community Services Date: November 2, 2021 Recommendation 1. That Report No. CMS21-035 be received; and 2. That a Sport Tourism Strategy be developed to engage the local business and hotel industry, create a visitor experience package to support existing events and explore potential new events to bring into the community with the current assets and resources available to the Town; and 3. That staff further investigate opportunities to enhance current facilities that would expand the event hosting potential and opportunities to bring new events into the community; and 4. That staff report back to Council in Winter 2022. Executive Summary The development of a Sport Tourism Strategy is a priority in both the Sport Plan and Economic Development Strategic Plan. This report provides information from the research and community engagement undertaken as well as resulting recommendation for the future direction of sport tourism in Aurora. Considerations include:  Local Sport Organizations are currently hosting a series of sport events annually within the community without the lens of sport tourism when planning  The capacity for event hosting a variety of sports is limited due to the current assets available Page 234 of 283 November 2, 2021 2 of 10 Report No. CMS21-035  The impact of sport tourism on the community assists in achieving the recommendations and priorities of multiple strategic plans within the Town of Aurora  The vision, goals and capacity of community stakeholders is critical to the success of implementing a Sport Tourism Strategy  Additional resources would be required to successfully implement and sustain a Sport Tourism Strategy Background Sport Tourism Strategy The Sport Plan and Economic Development Strategic Plan identify the development of a Sport Tourism Strategy as a priority. In March 2021, Council participated in a Sport Tourism workshop facilitated by Sport Tourism Canada. An information report was submitted to Council on June 15, 2021, providing a summary of the information collected through the workshop in March. Based on the information outlined in the summary report, staff have been conducting research, engaging with stakeholders and reviewing options for the future direction of the sport tourism in the community. Analysis Local Sport Organizations are currently hosting a series of sporting events annually within the community without the lens of sport tourism when planning A number of Local Sport Organizations are currently hosting events that would fall within the definition of sport tourism (refer to Appendix A). These events are delivered independently with the use of Local Sport Organization volunteers and resources. The majority of these events take place in municipal facilities. The events are not delivered from the lens of sport tourism in terms of engaging local businesses, marketing and communication efforts and community wide recruitment and training of volunteers. Historically, attendees have used hotels in neighbouring municipalities due to a lack of options in Aurora. With the majority of Local Sport Organizations being volunteer driven, there is a lack of capacity to implement additional initiatives that would allow the community to benefit from the impacts of hosting sporting events. As part of the consultation process with Local Sport Organizations (Refer to Appendix B), they were asked for input on the role Page 235 of 283 November 2, 2021 3 of 10 Report No. CMS21-035 the Town could play to contribute to support sport tourism in the community. The local sport organizations had many common recommendations to work collaboratively on future events hosted in Aurora. Through a formalized Sport Tourism Strategy, the Town can lead efforts in the following areas to enhance the customer experience and create a collaborative approach to delivering events:  Partnership with local hotels to provide a reduced rate for overnight stays. If the attendees stay in Aurora, they are more likely to spend money at local businesses for food, sporting goods and take in community events and attractions.  Notification to the local restaurants who can prepare to welcome an influx of visitors to the communities and offer discounts to attendees which will increase their experience and encourage them to return to future events.  Collaborative marketing and communication efforts can increase awareness among the community which would result in an increase in spectators, enhanced awareness of opportunities to participate in sport and profiling hometown athletes.  Providing attendees with an Aurora experience and awareness of the many events and experiences the community has to offer. Furthermore, the opening of Aurora Town Square will be a key attraction to draw visitors into the downtown core. The capacity for event hosting a variety of events is limited due to the current assets available Due to the location of Aurora within the GTA, the majority of event participants would need to travel from over 80 kilometers one way to consider staying overnight. As a result, provincial, national and international events would need to be the focus of a sport tourism strategy. The current assets available in Aurora (refer to Appendix C) limits the level of events that can be hosted in the following sports / facilities:  Aquatics – swimming, diving and artistic swimming (25 metre pool too small and insufficient spectator seating)  Gymnasium – volleyball, basketball (gymnasium is not sufficient in size and quantity, insufficient spectator seating capacity)  Fields – rugby (insufficient quantity of fields in close proximity), lacrosse (no field with lacrosse lines and sufficient fields in close proximity), football (insufficient supporting amenities) Page 236 of 283 November 2, 2021 4 of 10 Report No. CMS21-035  Arenas – figure skating (arena size and insufficient spectator seating capacity), hockey (ACC, suitable up to Junior level) Some facilities require significant capital investments to bring events into the community. This includes a larger, enhanced aquatics facility, triple gymnasium with specific supporting specifications and larger rink with more seating capacity. Other sports require smaller capital investments to support event hosting in the community. Examples of this include lines on a lacrosse field, additional amenities for outdoor facilities such as washroom and changeroom facilities on site. Staff would seek out opportunities to bid on additional sporting events that could be hosted within the current assets of the Town. This would include efforts in the area of some field and arena sports (i.e. soccer, baseball and softball). In addition, opportunities for events that could use our extensive trail system (i.e. – cross country running). Identified opportunities to bid on events would require a formal approach including the engagement of specific community stakeholders and partners that would play a role in hosting. A formal approach could include steps such as the formation of a committee, seeking letters of support or partnership agreements. The impact of sport tourism on the community assists in achieving recommendations and priorities in multiple strategic plans within the Town of Aurora Sport Tourism Canada identifies the “triple bottom line” approach which evaluates the economic, social/cultural and sustainability outcomes gained when hosting an event. Identifying how the outcomes of events align with the vision and priorities of the Town can assist in determining why sport tourism and why host specific events. In review of the Sport Plan, Economic Development Strategic Plan and Town of Aurora Strategic Plan, a focus on sport tourism can contribute to achieving the over all recommendations and priorities within each. Appendix D provides an overview of potential opportunities for sport tourism to contribute to the municipal plans. In order to align a Sport Tourism Strategy with municipal plans, a review of internal policies and procedures would take place. The Economic Impact of sport tourism includes ‘heads in beds’ and an opportunity to look at vacancies at local hotels to secure events that can bring business into the community. As well, focus on building awareness of small businesses in the community through promotions and engagement in sporting events. The social / cultural impact of sport tourism includes the development of youth through volunteerism, an opportunity to collaborate with cultural performers to enhance the Page 237 of 283 November 2, 2021 5 of 10 Report No. CMS21-035 experience of participants and secure female only events to educate, support and promote females in sport. A formal Sport Tourism Strategy can support the transfer of knowledge between events, training volunteers that can support multiple events, to host sports that are not currently offered in the community and potentially lead to the long-term offering of a program that will meet the needs of an underserved group. The vision, goals and capacity of community stakeholders is critical to the success of implementing a Sport Tourism Strategy Economic Development and Community Services town staff identified key community stakeholders in sport tourism and identified an avenue to seek input on their vision, perspectives, and role. To establish a foundation in sport tourism, the following stakeholder categories were consulted:  Local Sport Organizations  Neighbouring municipalities  Non-municipal facility providers  Neighbourhood Network  Tourism and Business Support Organizations The following key themes were identified during consultations with key stakeholders: Stakeholder Group Key Themes Local Sport Organizations (full report in Appendix B)  Exposure of sport opportunities, competing in home town, profiling local athletes, community pride  Lack of competition caliber facilities in the community, lose athletes that can never compete in Aurora  Volunteers primarily drawn from local sport community, opportunity for collective approach  Opportunity for community collaboration, business engagement, celebrate what Aurora has to offer  Town can be the link to the community and businesses, enhance the visitor experience, create policy to identify roles, expertise to support bidding  Local sport organizations can lead field of play event execution, creating and securing events into the community Page 238 of 283 November 2, 2021 6 of 10 Report No. CMS21-035 Neighbouring municipalities  Do not have or have outdated sport tourism strategies  Interested in furthering discussions to identify opportunities to collaborate in sport tourism initiatives Non-municipal facility providers St. Andrew’s College  Support use of facilities when not in use by College and user groups. Primarily outdoor fields would be available during summers and weekends  Willing to negotiate permit rates for sport tourism events.  Would further discussions about students volunteering for sport tourism events  Would further discussions about supporting the organization of sport tourism events if hosted at the College  Would like to collaborate with the Town on sport tourism events they bring to the College School Boards  Would support sport tourism if the current user groups agree to cancelling permits during specified time. The school boards would not make that decision for user groups and would require the Town to engage in those discussion with user groups. (NOTE: school board permits are at full capacity between September and June)  Encourage the municipality to consider future gymnasium infrastructure that would meet the training and competition needs of the sport user groups  Current gymnasium assets through the school boards have minimal capacity to host provincial or above competitions. If events were to be hosted, there will be no spectator seating to support the visitors that come with the participants  Any fees for permits would be as outlined in the school board permit policy for municipalities and local non-profit organizations  Permits are not currently issued during Winter Break, March Break and summer holidays after 6:00 p.m. Any requests for permits during this time would require a special request Page 239 of 283 November 2, 2021 7 of 10 Report No. CMS21-035  Would engage further with colleagues at the board to engage students as volunteers for sport tourism related events in the community Neighbourhood Network  Would collaborate and partner with the Town and sport community on a Sport Tourism Strategy  Would promote sport tourism related volunteer opportunities through regular monthly school visits  Actively profile sport through website  Sport is one of the top three choices for majority of high school students when seeking volunteer opportunities Tourism and Business Organizations  Due to the timelines of hotels opening in relation to the pandemic, insufficient information is available to understand the ideal times to bring new events into the community and capacity to accommodate existing events. Further discussion will take place in the next phase of the strategy development  Further discussion and potential collaboration will be explored with various groups including the Aurora Economic Development Corporation, the Aurora Business Improvement Association, the Aurora Chamber of Commerce and Central Counties Tourism Additional resources would be required to successfully implement and sustain a Sport Tourism Strategy To be successful in the implementation of a Sport Tourism Strategy additional funding and human resource support would be required. Human resources support would focus on partnership development with the business community including restaurants and hotels, communication efforts to build awareness among Town staff, Council and the general community of the sport events taking place on an annual basis and a coordinate approach to volunteer recruitment and training. Furthermore, the position to support and lead efforts to bid on events to bring into the community and support the development of a transfer of knowledge program where a coordinated effort to share resources can take place. Future financial resources would be used for:  Event bidding  Economic impact assessments of events hosted in the community  Sport Tourism Canada membership and annual conference Page 240 of 283 November 2, 2021 8 of 10 Report No. CMS21-035  Volunteer training to support sporting events in the community  Marketing and communication materials to build awareness of sport events in the community  Visitor experience initiatives that would contribute to making Aurora a sought after destination Advisory Committee Review A Sport Plan update was provided to the Community Advisory Committee on February 18, 2021 including information about the status of a Sport Tourism Strategy. A brief Sport Tourism Strategy update was provided at the September 27, 2021 Aurora Economic Development Corporation meeting. A more detailed presentation is scheduled for the October 26, 2021. Legal Considerations None. Financial Implications There are no direct financial implications arising from this report. Should Council approve the creation of a Sport Tourism Strategy for the Town of Aurora, this strategy will include a comprehensive financial plan outlining the financial implications of its delivery, as well as any impacts to the Town’s existing levels of services. Communications Considerations Should Council approve the creation of a Sport Tourism Strategy for the Town of Aurora, the strategy would include a comprehensive communications plan to ensure that appropriate engagement, and subsequent marketing and promotion, occurred. The Town would use “engage” and “inform” as the levels of engagement associated with this process. Link to Strategic Plan The development of a Sport Tourism Strategy supports the following Strategic Plan goals and objectives: Page 241 of 283 November 2, 2021 9 of 10 Report No. CMS21-035 Supporting an exceptional quality of life for all in its accomplishment in satisfying requirements in the following key objectives within these goal statements:  Celebrating and promoting our culture  Encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle  Promoting service accountability, excellence and innovation Enabling a diverse, creative, and resilient community in its accomplishment in satisfying requirements in the following key objectives within these goal statements:  Promote economic opportunities that facilitate the growth of Aurora as a desirable place to do business  Supporting small business and encouraging a more sustainable business environment Alternative(s) to the Recommendation 1. The community continue to host sport events with no formal Sport Tourism Strategy developed. 2. A formal strategy is developed to support the current sporting events in the community on volunteers, business engagement and marketing and communication efforts. 3. A formal strategy is developed to invest in capital infrastructure that would allow the Town of Aurora to bid and host larger national and international events. Conclusions The development of a Sport Tourism Strategy will address the priorities contained within the Sport Plan and Economic Development Strategic Plan. Significant consultation has taken place to understand the vision of community stakeholders and how to move forward in a collaborative approach. A formal Sport Tourism Strategy will enhance the visitor experience, encourage repeat visits and ongoing participation in local sporting events. Sport tourism can be a catalyst to showing the rest of Ontario what Aurora has to offer in terms of restaurants, special events and the new Aurora Town Square. Page 242 of 283 November 2, 2021 10 of 10 Report No. CMS21-035 Attachments Appendix A – Sport Event Resume Appendix B – Local Sport Organization Workshop Summary Report Appendix C – Assets to Host Sport Tourism Events Appendix D – Triple Bottom Line Impact Review Previous Reports CMS21-023, Sport Tourism Summary Report, June 15, 2021 Pre-submission Review Agenda Management Team review on October 14, 2021 Approvals Approved by Robin McDougall, Director, Community Services Approved by Doug Nadorozny, Chief Administrative Officer Page 243 of 283 Appendix A Sport Event Resume List of events traditionally hosted in the community. I – International N – National P – Provincial R – Regional Event Name Level (I/N/R/P) Time of Year Ontario Cup - Soccer P August (4 days) League 1 / Reserve League - Soccer P April to November Ontario Player Development League – Youth League Soccer P May to November Bantam Hockey Tournament P January (3 days) Regional Swim Meets R Not set time (throughout competition season) (1 day) Panther Pride House League Tournament - Hockey P November (3 days) International Silver Stick Tournament – Hockey I February (4 days) Provincial Badminton Tournament P December (can change annually) (3 days) CurlON Events R & P Between October and April – varies each year (1 – 2 days) Page 244 of 283 $SSHQGL[%Local Sport Organization Sport Tourism WorkshopSUMMARY REPORTAugust & September, 2021Page 245 of 283 Sessions held on August 16 and September 8, 2021Opening Remarks – Town of AuroraIntroductionsSetting the StageWorking SessionVision for Sport HostingChallenges/OpportunitiesRolesQ&A and Wrap Up Page 246 of 283 Sport Tourism Background and ContextPage 247 of 283 “Any activity in which people are attracted to a particular location as a sport event participant, an event spectator, or to attend sport attractions or business meetings.” !Page 248 of 283 Term Definition Term Definition Average SpendTotal direct revenue divided by the total number of customers from a sport eventLocal Sport OrganizationsThe volunteer-led organizations that oversee and deliver programming and competitions for a specific sportBid AssessmentThe process used to evaluate a potential event prior to the bid processMulti-Sport OrganizationsLocal, provincial, or national organizations that award hosting rights for multi-sport events such as Ontario, Canadian, or international GamesDislocationThe impact of reduced access to facilities or amenities by residents or user groups as a result of hosting an eventNational Sport OrganizationsNational governing bodies for a given sport in CanadaDisplacementThe impact to booked business as a result of hosting an eventProvincial Sport OrganizationsProvincial Sport/Multi-Sport Organizations (PSO/MSOs) are not-for profit organizations formally recognized by the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, and Culture Industries as the governing body of a particular amateur sport in OntarioDecision SupportThe process of gathering information and intelligence in a consistent manner to develop a business case leading to evidence-based decisions on eventsRights HoldersAn organization or private company who has an existing event and makes decisions on how and to whom the hosting “rights” are awardedEvent AttractionThe process of promoting and selling Aurora as a host for events within a specific sport or segment to prospective customersSport Host Destination A city or town that has identified sport hosting/sport tourism as a tool to build business, sport, and communityEvent LegacyLong-term positive outcomes from an event including cultural, financial, or physical (such as equipment or infrastructure)Transfer of KnowledgeA process by which knowledge, ideas, and experience move from one bid or host group to another in the community for shared benefit ! Page 249 of 283 $6.8 Billion Annual Industry in Canada (2018)Grassroots Economic Development InitiativeBuild Business, Build Sport and Build CommunityRecovery Initiative from COVID-19 !Page 250 of 283 In Ontario, sport tourism generates significant economic activity and is a catalyst for visitor attraction. In 2018, Ontario realized the highest number of sport-related visits by province, with 6.6 million total visitors. Most of these visitors – 5.8 million –were domestic or Canadian in origin. There were 466,000 visitors to Ontario from the United States and 341,000 from overseas. The Ontario share of visitation among Canadian provinces and territories is 41% of all sport visitors to the country.The spending profile of the sport tourism visitor in Canada is significant, with an average spend per Canadian visitor of $145.09 for same day and $546.56 for overnight visitors. The average spend per sport tourism visit in Canada is $301.56. The average spend for a U.S.-based visitor is $775.26; overseas visitors spend an average of $2,033.01. The value of sport tourism in terms of spending in Ontario in 2018 was $2.7 billion. ! Sport Tourism Canada: Value of Sport Tourism in Canada (Paradigm Consulting using data from Statistics Canada 2018 National Travel Survey, Visitor Travel Surveyand International Transactions in Services)Page 251 of 283 Sport Tourism Canada has developed the Sport Tourism Assessment Template to assist communities of all sizes, budgets and at all stages of their evolution as a sport tourism host market, to assess its current position and identify areas for strategic and tactical development in both event bidding and hosting.Before communities embark on a sport tourism, sport hosting or event strategy, conducting a current state assessment helps to identify the scope for a strategy project and can help focus examination and study in the most relevant areas.In order to define the landscape for sport tourism in Canada, STC has developed a tool that provides a consistent and repeatable model for host communities. The STC Sport Tourism Roadmap © is a ten-step cycle that clarifies the bidding and hosting process and helps outline the required elements for a successful sport tourism program. Page 252 of 283 Page 253 of 283 ! Page 254 of 283 *#( #($&')"&$*#('$#$"&$+(&$''$"'(&$)(,*#)'$')%%!-#$)&'"$$"('3$*'($&'1765 "2&#!)()&#$# #*'("#( $ $!)#(&' )"&$$!)#(&'/ $)&'$"")#(-&((##'#(#"#(/#("#()!()&! #!)'$# $!&$&"&'/#"($&'*&'(-1)!()&!$"")#('2#&0%&'#(&$)%' # %"! & $! &'%$*&##.#"#(&#'&$#$+!#)','(##)'"%$&&-#)' -##!)!()&%$&(#*&$#"#(!!"(#&.(&.'($*&'(-Page 255 of 283 Recreation Facility Master PlanFinancial SustainabilityEquipment LegacyDisplacement ! Page 256 of 283 ! Page 257 of 283 Shaping the Next Steps for Sport Tourism in AuroraPage 258 of 283 Why are sport events important to your organization?What is the right balance of sport hosting and dislocation of other athletes, teams and groups from sport facilities?Are there enough volunteer resources in your sport to support bidding and hosting successful events? 20 MinutesPage 259 of 283 August 16Raise profile of sport and clubsEnable getting athletes involved as volunteersMajor fundraisers for clubs and programs (reduce costs to members)Hosting showcases sport to new members and retention to provide athletes a chance to compete at homeCollaboration with business community (raise profile of event)Build facilities right to enable future hostingDon’t be afraid to take on a mortgage to build facility capacityNeeds: Indoor gymsMore amenities for fieldsAquatic facilitySeptember 9Exposure of sportHelp community understand what is availableOpportunities across sportsGenerate revenue and drive down costs (accessibility of sport)Connect business to businessCreate and innovate through events (use of facilities)Residents come out to watchSense of community (more active)Women can watch first as passive spectator to get on the participation continuumPride of community! Page 260 of 283 September 9Work with neighbouring communitiesSense of ownershipBenefits to community – greater goodLeverage technical expertise! August 16Storm Volleyball have to host in NewmarketShare the pain among multiple user groups soeveryone has their turnPool facility major gapManage within the competitive seasons foreach sportThere is never enough iceGXULQJSULPHWLPH,QWHUQDOSROLFLHVDQGSURFHGXUHVZRXOGEHUHTXLUHGWRHQVXUHJender equity for facilityDFFHVVLQVSRUWWRXULVPLQLWLDWLYHV Page 261 of 283 Challenges of COVID-19Volunteers drawn primarily from within the sport/organizationCollective training opportunity! ! Page 262 of 283 What are the challenges for sporttourism in Aurora?What are the opportunities for sporttourism to grow business, sport orthe community in Aurora?$ ! 20 MinutesPage 263 of 283 August 16Gym space –potential to build “up”PoolsLackofsport tourism mandate and policyThink big and building businessIce accesVTime for volunteerRetain high performance athletes (lack offacilities)5HYLHZRILQWHUQDOSROLFLHVDQGSURFHGXUHVWRHQVXUHDOLJQPHQWZLWKELGWLPHOLQHVDQGSURFHVVSeptember 9Facilities to hostOpportunity to have a home gameConnect local sport with NeighbourhoodNetwork! Page 264 of 283 August 16Benchmark communities like St. Thomas (baseball)Business readiness to receive visitorsPartnerships (like RIM Park in Waterloo) for community and sportKeep athletes in AuroraOpen for businessLocal sport organizations getting involved in planning processSeptember 9Local sport organizations meet and work with each other and non-sport organizations and non-traditional sportsCelebrate communityPrivate sector involvement – building space ! ! Page 265 of 283 What should the role of the Town ofAurora be related to bidding andhosting of sport events?What role is your organizationprepared to take on related tosport event bidding and hosting?20 MinutesPage 266 of 283 August 16Let the rest of the community knowDevelop athlete packageCreate opportunities for food and shoppingsectorsProvide a point person to coordinateFacility development to support sport hostingDevelop policy and mandate that includesrole clarity for allSeptember 9Coordination – staff and resourcesOrganizational supportCapacity building and managingTechnical and organizational supportBring local sport organizations together andother interested partiesManage the Aurora hosting resumeBuild on collective strengthsVisitor experienceFinancial support (reduce cost to visitors)% "!&! Page 267 of 283 August 16Club leads bidsVolunteer recruitmentSupport other local sport organizations andeventsInclude existing annual events and new bideventsSeptember 9Anything neededExposure of the sport and Town of AuroraMarketing to promote bids and events withinthe sport and networkInclude both homegrown and developedeventsMulti-sport events (Ontario Games) to buildcapacity quickerEngage small/medium size businesses bygetting them key event details% # &! Page 268 of 283 August 16Never enough pool spaceCompetition between boys/girls re: field time;Partnership and flexibility between differentteams/organizations is importantEngage the parents and the older skaters toget their volunteer hours for high schoolIf we were to host an event we would have toreach out to the community for helpFacilities a problem (bigger/more)Cambridge is hosting over 80 teams thisweekend…could have been usHaving the town support sport tourism is keyKnowledge of all activities in the Town shouldbe notifiedLost athletes and events to other townsProvincial competition for if we had a facilityand Provincials are not high performance,QVXIILFLHQWVXSSO\RIILHOGVWKDWPHHWFRPSHWLWLRQUHTXLUHPHQWVLHILHOGOLQHVIRUVRPHVSRUWVWRFRQVLGHUVSRUWWRXULVPProvide booklet of local businesses to visitingteams (with Chamber of Commerce)Female staff during girlssport eventsProject management templates that wouldassist organizations to get organizedProvide information on experiences (Ribfest) toget teams to stay in AuroraFor Sport Organizations -get connected toCentral Counties Tourism -free to get on their"industry insider" information for tourismwww.centralcounties.ca % &Page 269 of 283 September 9How do sport organizations recruit and trainvolunteers? Is this something the Town ofAurora could coordinate?Facilities – lack of and size is a major issueGetting liquor license was an issue forspectator/visitor experienceTown could financially support the biddingprocessThere is a lot to consider and think about % &Page 270 of 283 !Page 271 of 283 1 Appendix C – Facilities Assets Major sporting facilities and venues that have capacity to host sport tourism events in the community. St. Andrew’s College Type Seating Capacity Sports Facility Name ❑ Arena ❑ 0 – 1,000  Soccer ❑ Pool ❑ 1,001-3,000  Baseball Private ❑ Fields ❑ 3,001- 5,000 Ownership ❑ Gym ❑ 5,001-10,000 ❑ Outdoors ❑ 10,000 + ❑ Stadium ❑ Stadium ❑ Special ❑ Special Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex Type Seating Capacity Sports Facility Name ❑ Arena ❑ 0 – 1,000  Hockey ❑ Pool ❑ 1,001-3,000  Box Lacrosse Municipal ❑ Fields ❑ 3,001- 5,000 Ownership Sport ❑ Gym ❑ 5,001-10,000 ❑ Outdoors ❑ 10,000 + ❑ Stadium ❑ Stadium ❑ Special ❑ Special St. Maximilian Kolbe Turf Field Type Seating Capacity Sports Facility Name ❑ Arena ❑ 0 – 1,000 ❑ Pool ❑ 1,001-3,000 Municipal ❑ Fields ❑ 3,001- 5,000 Ownership Sport ❑ Gym ❑ 5,001-10,000 ❑ Outdoors ❑ 10,000 + ❑ Stadium ❑ Stadium ❑ Special ❑ Special Page 272 of 283 2 Aurora Community Centre Type Seating Capacity Sports Facility Name ❑ Arena ❑ 0 – 1,000  Hockey ❑ Pool ❑ 1,001-3,000  Box Lacrosse Municipal ❑ Fields  3,001- 5,000 Ownership Sport ❑ Gym ❑ 5,001-10,000 ❑ Outdoors ❑ 10,000 + ❑ Stadium ❑ Stadium ❑ Special ❑ Special Lambert Willson Park Type Seating Capacity Sports Facility Name ❑ Arena ❑ 0 – 1,000  Baseball ❑ Pool ❑ 1,001-3,000  Softball Municipal  Fields ❑ 3,001- 5,000 Ownership Sport ❑ Gym ❑ 5,001-10,000 ❑ Outdoors ❑ 10,000 + ❑ Stadium ❑ Stadium ❑ Special ❑ Special Stewart Burnett Type Seating Capacity Sports Facility Name ❑ Arena ❑ 0 – 1,000  Baseball ❑ Pool ❑ 1,001-3,000 Municipal  Fields ❑ 3,001- 5,000 Ownership Sport ❑ Gym ❑ 5,001-10,000 ❑ Outdoors ❑ 10,000 + ❑ Stadium ❑ Stadium ❑ Special ❑ Special Page 273 of 283 3 Sheppard’s Bush Type Seating Capacity Sports Facility Name ❑ Arena ❑ 0 – 1,000  Soccer ❑ Pool ❑ 1,001-3,000 Municipal  Fields ❑ 3,001- 5,000 Ownership Sport ❑ Gym ❑ 5,001-10,000 ❑ Outdoors ❑ 10,000 + ❑ Stadium ❑ Stadium ❑ Special ❑ Special SARC Turf Field Type Seating Capacity Sports Facility Name ❑ Arena ❑ 0 – 1,000  Soccer ❑ Pool  1,001-3,000 Municipal  Fields ❑ 3,001- 5,000 Ownership Sport ❑ Gym ❑ 5,001-10,000 ❑ Outdoors ❑ 10,000 + ❑ Stadium ❑ Stadium ❑ Special ❑ Special KC Badminton Club - Aurora Type Seating Capacity Sports Facility Name ❑ Arena  0 – 1,000  Badminton ❑ Pool ❑ 1,001-3,000 Private ❑ Fields ❑ 3,001- 5,000 Ownership Sport ❑ Gym ❑ 5,001-10,000 ❑ Outdoors ❑ 10,000 + ❑ Stadium ❑ Stadium  Special ❑ Special Page 274 of 283 Appendix D - Sport Tourism Triple Bottom Line Establishing event impacts will help to guide decision-making on what types of events to focus on and help to ensure that investments of time and resources is connected to strategy. This will result in event impact being more planned and predictable and increase the accountability post-event. To ensure clear and consistent performance measurement of major events, a “triple bottom line” approach can achieve the intended outcomes. The relevant “bottom lines” for major events include: Bottom Line Impact Area / Impacts Alignment with Municipal Strategy Economic Event Indicators:  Number of Events  ED - Event calendar shared with local businesses that may benefit from visitors; flyer of ‘what to do between the games’; business engagement Economic Growth:  Gross Domestic Product  Tax Revenues  Jobs  Supply Chain  ED - Increase in local spend; increase in employment/jobs; increase in staffing due to local event and engagement participation by businesses  ED - Increase in collaboration and supply chain connections for local businesses  TOA Strategic Objective – Identify the role that the Town can play to support small home-based business in Aurora Tourism:  Room Nights  # of visitors (>80 km)  ED - Hotels benefit from multi-day/multi-sport events that encourage overnight stays;  ED - Opportunity to build partnerships for tourism- related packages Brand:  Media Value  Return on Investment  ED - Build awareness of local business community and tourism-event support Social / Cultural Outcomes Volunteers:  Number of Volunteers / Hours  ED - Opportunity to build relations with businesses and staff for increased volunteer pools;  ED - Opportunity to increase awareness of volunteer opportunities through the business network  TOA Strategic Objective – Continue to develop programs and policies that nurture and contribute to the development of youth Community Pride:  Attendance  Resident Engagement / Sentiment  ED - Local business support by residents;  ED - ‘Fan Favs’ of local businesses that encourage and support visitors to the area;  ED - Ongoing collaboration for tourism packages Cultural Inclusion:  Local Performers / Animators  SP - Recommendation to introduce traditional Canadian sports to cultural diverse groups and increase sport offerings to provide culturally diverse sport opportunities Page 275 of 283  Diversity (Cultural Communities)  Under-Represented Groups  SP - Work identifies lack of opportunities for persons with physical disabilities, hosting of ParaSport events can enhance exposure and leave a legacy  SP – Address gaps in women and girls in sport  ED - Opportunity to support local artist- entrepreneurs;  ED - Opportunity to introduce a variety of cultural groups/performers to local businesses for ongoing relations and opportunities Sustainability Outcomes (Meeting the needs of the present with the positive impacts on the future) Local Leadership:  Governance, Management of Transfer of Knowledge  SP - priority to support local sport organizations through resources, training and expertise in governance  TOA Strategic Objectives – Continue to explore opportunities to further strengthen partnerships with neighbouring municipalities Venues:  Existing Venues  Temporary Venues  ED - Opportunity to find/enhance/develop unique venues through businesses/partnerships Legacy:  Financial  Cultural  Sport  SP - Hosting sports that are not currently provided in the community could lead to new opportunities to support participation among changing demographics  SP - Hosting non-traditional sporting events to education and exposure throughout the community  TOA Strategic Plan – Expand opportunities and partnerships that contribute to the celebration of culture in the community Environmental:  Climate Change  Air, Water, Waste  Biodiversity  TOA Strategic Plan – Continue to invest in green initiatives and infrastructures to promote environmentalism locally ED = Economic Development Plan SP = Sport Plan TOA Strategic Plan = Town of Aurora Strategic Plan 2011 - 2031 Page 276 of 283 100 John West Way Aurora, Ontario L4G 6J1 (905) 727-3123 aurora.ca Town of Aurora General Committee Report No. PDS21 -137 Subject: Promenade Streetscape Needs Assessment Prepared by: Lisa Hausz, Manager, Economic Development & Policy Department: Planning and Development Services Date: November 2, 2021 Recommendation 1. That Report No. PDS21-137 be received for information. Executive Summary The Town of Aurora is undertaking a Streetscape Needs Assessment in order to validate the original proposed public realm improvements while taking into consideration new policies, technologies and needs. The purpose of this report is to inform Council of the background, the project team conducting the update, and the steps to engage stakeholders through public consultation.  A Streetscape Needs Assessment is now being undertaken to validate the original proposed public ream improvements while taking into consideration new policies, technologies and needs.  The Town has retained The Planning Partnership (TPP) to facilitate the Streetscape Needs Assessment project and to engage stakeholders.  Stakeholders will be consulted and engaged through a variety of means. Background As outlined in the Aurora Promenade Streetscape Plan 2013, several action items were identified to improve the public realm in the Promenade Area. The majority of the proposed streetscape improvements are proposed for the segments of Yonge Street and Wellington Street that are located within the Promenade Secondary Plan. The Aurora Promenade Streetscape Design & Implementation Plan was presented to Council at the January 2013 Public Planning Meeting. Page 277 of 283 November 2, 2021 Page 2 of 6 Report No. PDS21-137 During the January 2013 meeting, Council resolved the following: THAT report PL13-003 regarding the Aurora Promenade Streetscape Design and Implementation Plan be received; and, THAT staff report back with a multi-year capital project for some of the priority projects that staff will further refine and bring forward to Council for further discussion. Following the January 2013 Public Planning meeting, staff evaluated implementation options and phasing with an emphasis on maximizing the potential impact of improvements and minimizing costs and disruptions. Based on this evaluation, the several recommendations (as articulated in the Plan) were identified for implementation. Some of the recommendations were implemented, or altered to accommodate current conditions, while other recommendations were never implemented and require further investigation as to their feasibility. Examples of the 2013 public realm improvements included:  Updating all concrete sidewalks with decorative concrete paving that extend from the curb zone to building face.  Implementing hanging baskets on light poles.  Installing street furniture throughout the pedestrian street zone that is both respectful of the heritage character and the new town square.  Developing historic downtown promotional banners for area, events and seasons.  Plant street trees with 6 metre spacing (maximum) where there is adequate setback for the pedestrian zone to borrow sidewalk width from the frontage zone. Trees should be planted in appropriate tree pits, with optimum soil conditions, protective grates, and tree guards.  Relocating traffic signs from rebar poles onto street poles where possible.  Landscaping mid-block connections similar to the existing mid-block connection at the town square. In February 2014, staff presented a report recommending that the Town focus the planned improvements within the “Main Streets” area. This approach ensured that a critical mass of improvements could be completed within a relatively short timeframe in a focused geographic area. In October 2019, Council partially lifted a conditional hold on a previously approved capital project to fund some of the removable public realm streetscape elements of the 2013 plan including container landscaping, new street Page 278 of 283 November 2, 2021 Page 3 of 6 Report No. PDS21-137 furniture and promotional banners that can be relocated in the event that construction occurs. Analysis A Streetscape Needs Assessment is now being undertaken to validate the original proposed public realm improvements while taking into consideration new policies, technologies and needs Several factors informed the need to evaluate and recommend the increased scope of the Streetscape Design and Implementation Plan including: condition of infrastructure to accommodate future signage and lighting needs; current developments underway in the area; connectivity and broadband availability; parking requirements; accessibility needs; and the involvement of the local businesses and residents in the area. Therefore, staff are undertaking a Streetscape Needs Assessment for the study area identified on Attachment 1 that will inform a robust design and construction plan that will consider the following elements: • Street light pole replacements along Yonge Street • Entry feature/signage/lighting infrastructure requirements • Sidewalk improvements • Crosswalk improvements/enhancements • Accessibility elements along Yonge Street • Parking improvements in the Downtown BIA catchment area • Broadband/high speed internet and cell service in the area The Town has retained The Planning Partnership (TPP) to facilitate the Streetscape Needs Assessment project and to engage stakeholders. Staff retained The Planning Partnership (TPP) to facilitate the project and engage the various stakeholder groups. TPP was the originator of the Aurora Promenade Plan, have worked on several projects within the Promenade and are engaged as part of the Aurora Town Square project. The Project Team consists of the following Town staff and external consultants:  Lisa Hausz, Manager, Economic Development & Policy, Town of Aurora  Anca Mihail, Manager, Engineering, Town of Aurora  Sara Tienkamp, Manager, Parks, Town of Aurora Page 279 of 283 November 2, 2021 Page 4 of 6 Report No. PDS21-137  Wai Ying Di Giorgio, The Planning Partnership, was involved in the preparation of the Stable Neighbourhoods Urban Design Guidelines and will manage the development of the Streetscape Needs Assessment report;  Donna Hinde, The Planning Partnership, was responsible for managing and leading the public consultation for both The Promenade Plan and the Library Square and will be in charge of developing and leading the consultation for this exercise;  David Leinster, was responsible for the development of the Promenade Design Guidelines and is currently leading the public realm design for Aurora Town Square. Stakeholders will be consulted and engaged through a variety of means. Various stakeholders will be consulted through Advisory Committees:  Accessibility Advisory Committee (Oct. 27 or by Nov. 10, 2021)  Aurora Economic Development Corporation (Oct. 26, 2021)  Aurora Business Improvement Association (Oct. 28, 2021)  Heritage Advisory Committee (Nov. 1, 2021)  Community Advisory Committee (Nov. 18, 2021)  Environment Advisory Committee (Nov. 24, 2021) Additionally, one-on-one conversations will take place and feedback will be solicited through the Town’s engagement platform at www.EngageAurora.ca/DowntownStreetscape. Legal Considerations None. Financial Implications Staff have consulted with the Procurement and confirmed that this project falls under an exemption category within the Town’s Purchasing By-law 6076-18 as a single source item as it was funded through the existing Capital Plan 81016. The streetscape needs assessment will include the development of a comprehensive financial plan outlining the financial implications as well as any impacts to the Town’s existing levels of service for all recommendations arising from the assessment. Should Page 280 of 283 November 2, 2021 Page 5 of 6 Report No. PDS21-137 Council approve the presented recommendations, they will be included in a future budget for Council’s formal review and approval. Communications Considerations The Town will use “engage” as the level of engagement for this project. A page will be set up on the Town’s engagement platform, and stakeholders will be consulted through various means, including one-on-one conversations, committees, and virtual engagement on a broader level. Results of the engagement will be reported back to Council at a later date. Link to Strategic Plan The report supports the Strategic Plan goal of enabling a diverse, creative and resilient economy and to promote and support a plan to revitalize the downtown. The report also supports the Economic Development Strategic Plan of Establishing Downtown Aurora as a Destination and Focal Point for the Community, through specific actions identified in the Implementation Matrix 2021-2022 including partnership opportunities and engaging with entrepreneurs. Alternative(s) to the Recommendation 1. Council to provide direction. Conclusions As outlined in the Aurora Promenade Streetscape Plan, several action items were identified to improve the public realm within the Promenade Area. The majority of the proposed streetscape improvements will occur on Yonge Street and Wellington Street. An approach to focus on ‘main street’ areas first was intended to ensure that a critical mass of improvements could be completed within a relatively short timeframe in a focused geographic area. A Streetscape Needs Assessment is now being undertaken to validate the original proposed improvements while taking into consideration new policies, technologies and needs. The intent of the Streetscape Needs Assessment is to solicit feedback through consultation with various groups and the public that will inform an updated plan. It is recommended that Council receive this report for information. Page 281 of 283 November 2, 2021 Page 6 of 6 Report No. PDS21-137 Attachments Attachment 1 – Subject Area Map Previous Reports Public Planning Report PL13-003, January 23, 2013 General Committee Report PL13-030, June 4, 2013 General Committee Report PL14-010, February 4, 2014 General Committee Report PDS19-053, October 1, 2019 Pre-submission Review Agenda Management Team review on October 14, 2021 Approvals Approved by David Waters, MCIP, RPP, PLE, Director, Planning and Development Services Approved by Doug Nadorozny, Chief Administrative Officer Page 282 of 283 Attachment 1 Page 283 of 283