AGENDA - Council - 20110308
PUBLIC RELEASE
March 4, 2011
TOWN OF AURORA
COUNCIL MEETING
AGENDA
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers
I DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST
II APPROVAL OF AGENDA
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the agenda as circulated by the Customer and Legislative Services
Department be approved as presented.
III OPEN FORUM
IV ADOPTION OF MINUTES
Council Minutes of February 22, 2011 pg. 1
Special Council - Public Planning Minutes of February 23, 2011 pg. 11
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the Council minutes of February 22, 2011 and the Special Council -
Public Planning minutes of February 23, 2011 be adopted as printed and
circulated.
Council Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Page 2 of 6
V PRESENTATIONS
(a) Memorandum from Mayor Dawe pg. 14
Re: Ontario Heritage Trust Award
Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for
Lifetime Achievement (25 years or more)
Presentation to Mr. David Tomlinson
(b) Memorandum from Mayor Dawe pg. 15
Re: Aurora U-12 Girls Ontario Soccer Provincial Champions
VI PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
VII DETERMINATION OF ITEMS REQUIRING SEPARATE DISCUSSION
VIII ADOPTION OF ITEMS NOT REQUIRING SEPARATE DISCUSSION
IX DELEGATIONS
X CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS REQUIRING SEPARATE DISCUSSION
XI REGIONAL REPORT
York Region Council Highlights – February 17, 2011 pg. 56
Mayor’s Report
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the Regional Report be received for information.
XII NEW BUSINESS/GENERAL INFORMATION - COUNCILLORS
XIII CLOSED SESSION
Council Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Page 3 of 6
XIV READING OF BY-LAWS
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the following listed by-laws be given first, second, and third
readings and enacted; and
5300-11 BEING A BY-LAW to amend By-law Number pg. 61
4835-06.C to govern the procedures of the
Council of the Town of Aurora and its
Committees and Boards (as amended)
(Report CLS11-003 - GC - March 1, 2011)
5311-11 BEING A BY-LAW to appoint members to the pg. 65
Aurora Library Board
5312-11 BEING A BY-LAW to appoint members to the pg. 66
Committee of Adjustment
5313-11 BEING A BY-LAW to appoint members to the pg. 68
Property Standards Committee
5314-11 BEING A BY-LAW to designate Conover pg. 69
Avenue from Borealis Avenue to Wellington
Street East as a Community Safety Zone
(Report IES11-006 - Council - February 22,
2011)
5316-11 BEING A BY-LAW to appoint members to the pg. 70
Accessibility Advisory Committee
THAT the following listed confirming by-law be given first, second, and
third readings and enacted:
5315-11 BEING A BY-LAW to confirm actions by pg. 71
Council Resulting from Council Meeting
on March 8, 2011
XV ADJOURNMENT
Council Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Page 4 of 6
AGENDA ITEMS
1. General Committee Meeting pg. 16
Minutes of March 1, 2011
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the minutes of the General Committee Meeting of March 1, 2011 be
received and the recommendations carried by the Committee be
approved.
2. Special General Committee Meeting – Operating Budget pg. 27
Minutes of February 28, 2011
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the minutes of the Special General Committee Meeting of February
28, 2011 be received.
3. Deferred from Council Meeting of February 22, 2011 (Item 5)
BBS11-001 – Award of Request for Proposal No. CLS2010-34 pg. 30
Customer Service Strategy
RECOMMENDED:
THAT Council receive Report No. BBS11-001; and
THAT Request for Proposal No. CLS2010-34 (the “RFP”) – for the
consulting services related to the development of a Customer Service
Strategy, be awarded to Atfocus Inc. at its bid price of $78,100 excluding
taxes; and
THAT the consulting fees be funded through the 2010 budget approved
Capital Project 12016 – Customer Care Implementation Plan in the
amount of $50,000 and the remaining $28,100 be funded by 2010 unspent
consulting dollars by way of a budget carry-forward; and
THAT the Mayor and Town Clerk be authorized to execute an Agreement
with Atfocus Inc. for the provision of consulting services with respect to the
RFP.
Council Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Page 5 of 6
4. Deferred from Council Meeting of February 22, 2011 (Item 6)
IES11-002 – Award of RFP NO. IES2010-73 - Architectural pg. 37
Consulting Services for a New Operations Centre
RECOMMENDED:
THAT Council receive report no. IES11-002; and
THAT Council approve the award of RFP No. IES2010-73 for the services
of an architect for a facility and site space needs assessment, analysis,
options, recommendations and preliminary design work in the amount
$98,475, excluding taxes, to OneSpace Unlimited Incorporated in
accordance with the Purchasing By-law.
5. Deferred from Council Meeting of February 22, 2011 (Item 7)
IES11-005 – Implementation of a Work Order Management/Asset pg. 43
Management System (WAMS)
RECOMMENDED:
THAT Council receive report No. IES11-005; and
THAT Council authorize increasing the current contract with GHD Inc. by
$152,825 to a revised amount of $231,445, excluding taxes, to support
Phase 2 activities.
6. Reporting out from Closed Session Meeting of February 22, 2011 pg. 53
Litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals,
affecting the municipality or local board; Advice that is subject to solicitor-client
privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.
Re: Morris v. Johnson et al. - Defamation Action
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the confidential recommendation from the Closed Session meeting
of Council held on February 22, 2011 regarding the above matter be
reported out and adopted.
Council Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Page 6 of 6
Reporting out from Closed Session Meeting of March 1, 2011
1. Litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative
tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board;
Re: Morris v. Johnson et al. - Defamation Action
Reporting out from Closed Session Meeting of March 1, 2011
2. A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the
municipality or local board;
Re: 15059 Leslie Street
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the confidential recommendation from the Closed Session meeting
of General Committee held on March 1, 2011 regarding the above matter
be reported out and adopted.
Reporting out from Closed Session Meeting of March 1, 2011
3. Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or
local board employees;
Re: Memorandum dated March 1, 2011 from Neil Garbe, Chief
Administrative Officer
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the confidential recommendation from the Closed Session meeting
of General Committee held on March 1, 2011 regarding the above matter
be reported out and adopted.
7. Memorandum from Techa van Leeuwen, Director of pg. 54
Building and By-law Services
Re: Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(OSPCA) 2010 Aurora Animal Care Control Program Results
RECOMMENDED:
THAT Council receive the Memo from the Director of Building and Bylaw
Services, dated March 4, 2011 regarding Ontario Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 2010 Aurora Animal Care Control
Program Results, for information.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
FOR COUNCIL MEETING
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
➢ Delegation (a) Catherine Marshall, Resident
Re: Item 1(1) CLS11-003 — Procedural By-law Amendments
➢ Delegation (b) Klaus Wehrenberg, Resident
Re: Item 1(1) CLS11-003 —Procedural By-law Amendments
➢ New Item 8
Memorandum from Techa van Leeuwen, Director of Building and By-law
Services
Re: Customer Service Strategy
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the memorandum from the Director of Building and By-law Services
regarding Customer Service Strategy be received for information.
➢ New Item 9
Memorandum from Mayor Dawe
Re: Correspondence from Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
Board Meeting Highlights, February 25, 2011
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the memorandum from Mayor Dawe regarding the Correspondence
from Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority — Board Meeting
Highlights, February 25, 2011 be received for information.
➢ New Item 10
Memorandum from John D. Leach, Director of Customer and Legislative
Services/Town Clerk
Re: Amendments to Procedural By-law/Open Forum, Section 3.1
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the word "ratepayer" in section 3.1 of Council's Procedural By-law be
deleted and replaced with the word "person".
AvRoRA
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Town of Aurora
1 Municipal Drive, Box 1000
Aurora, Ontario
L4G 631
Phone: 905-727-3123 ext. 4217
Fax: 905-726-4732
Delegation Request www.e-aurora.ca
Please complete the following form. You may submit to the Town of Aurora by EITHER:
* Printing and faxing a copy to905-726-4732
*Saving this file to your computer and emailing it to councilsecretariatstaffno e-aurpra,ca_ _
Once your delegation request is received, the Customer and Legislative Services Department will contact you
to confirm receipt.
Fax number Email address
Do you require any Accessibility Accommodation? F—,. Yes F?�—' No
Name of group or person(s) being represented, if applicable:
self as citizen
Brief statement of issue or purpose of deputation:
Purpose of deputation is to bring forward concerns and questions about some amendments proposed in Bylaw 5300-11. Please see
the attached 2 page document (DELEGATIONConcerns Bylaw5300-11.doc) for specific concerns.
Personal information on this form is collected under the legal authority of the Municipal Act, as amended. The information is collected
and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public, pursuant to Section 27 of the Municipal
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Questions about this collection should be directed to the Town Clerk, Town of
Aurora, 1 Municipal Drive, Box 1000, Aurora, Ontario, L4G 6,11, Telephone 905-727-3123.
March 7, 2011
Mayor and Councillors:
It is one goal to deal with town business in a succinct manner but not at the expense
of citizen access to fair public hearing, records and adequate time allowances for
discussion and consideration of important matters. I have some serious concerns
and questions about By-law Number 5300-11, a bylaw meant to amend the
procedures of the Council and its Committees and Boards, which is on this week's
(Mar. 8) Council agenda. Will the public good truly be better served by some of these
amendments? Please consider and answer questions and concerns below which
refer to item numbers of the proposed bylaw 5300-11:
2. Closed Session
2.8 (8) Closed Session will be held at GC, .....and any recommendations will be
reported out and ratified at the next Council Meeting...... Whoa. When does public
get to commentor delegate to Closed Session recommendations before that
final vote??
4. Open Forum
3.1 (a) and (b) How does this term "resident" also include a ratepayer who has a
business here but doesn't live here? Are ratepayers now, not allowed to speak at
Open Forum?
3.1 (c) citizens' comments need to become part of public record: is Rogers TV
legally bound to record this part of the meeting and post it?
*Again, the Town should put their own DVD recording of the Council meetings on
their own website.
6. Delegations
*10 (a) For citizen interested in what delegates are saying, and for transparency I
would request that the DVD's already created by the Town of every public
meeting (especially these General Committees) be posted on the town
website, as well as archived, so citizens can access exactly what was said. These
amendments propose that delegations would not appear before Council and so
would no longer be seen on the Rogers TV tape. GC minutes would only provide a
short summary -would minutes have these summaries? I would suggest that Town
advertise to public that they will provide this online record on their website.
10 (a) Can Councillors not vote to waive this and allow the delegation heard at
Council EVER?
10 (b) Who, on the spot, gets to dictate the reduced amount of time that, say 4
delegates or more for the same agenda item get to speak in order to meet a
restricted speaking time of only 15 minutes? All delegates will likely arrive at the
meeting with their delegations prepared to a 5 minute length. This 15 minute
restriction is undemocratic.
1of2
Note: Previous rule on Town website re: Delegation Process and Requests says that
a 15 minute time limit is related to 3 persons or more who are part of the same
delegation, not single delegates. I quote the website below:
"No person other than the designated spokesperson may speak on the matter and
for not more than five (5) minutes, except that a delegation consisting of 3 or more
persons who are present at the meeting and wish to discuss the same issue may
have more than 1 speaker provided that the speaking time collectively does not
exceed fifteen (15) minutes." '
10 (e) Once at THAT meeting, or does this include all subsequent meetings?
10 (e) What if a delegate's issue has been unresolved or ignored by Council after 1
presentation? They now have no recourse to present their issue ever again.
9. Notice of Motion
(g) Why such, a drastic cut from 30 minutes to 5 minutes? Yes, 30 minutes sounds
too long, but is rarely used now. Surely a cut to perhaps 1S minutes would be
more reasonable. Doesn't Roberts Rules allow a member to speak twice for 10
minutes each time (=20 minutes) unless other time restrictions/allowances are
voted on for that topic?
(g) If a Councillor asks a question of staff during a meeting, does that reply time cut
into the Councillor's 5 minute allowance?
(g) Who is the timer? I hope not people who should actually be paying attention to
what the Councillor is saying during their brief time allotment...
(g) 5 minutes time at GC, + 5 minutes time at Council... sure, this achieves faster
meetings but how does it achieve adequate coverage of public concerns or debate?
Will blogs become the only waythat public knows each councillor's concerns? Will
public ever see Councillors engage in meaningful discourse or query very .
important topics?
Catherine. Marshall
2of2
Corporate Services
Town Clerk
905-727-3123
info@e-aurora.ca
Town of Aurora
1 Municipal Drive,
Box 1000. Aurora. ON L4G 61
DELEGATION REQUEST
Requests for delegation status, any written submissions and background information for
consideration by Council or committees of Council must be submitted to the Clerk's office by
4:30 P.M. ON THE MONDAY PRIOR TO THE REQUESTED MEETING
PLEASE PRINT
COUNCIL/COMMITTEE/ADVISORY COMMITTEE DATE:
S
SUBJECT: a, �v �GP�i�L % 9 LffG✓/�str�ll'/��/ l x ra �) /iz?��
NAME:— /Q��i��C
ADDRESS: _
Street Address
Town/City
PHONE: HOME:
BUSINESS:
FAX NO.: E-MAIL ADDRESS:
NAME OF GROUP OR PERSON(S) BEING REPRESENTED (if applicable)
BRIEF STATEMENT O
RPOSE OF DEPUTATION
po or "7 6S
1'I&7-NK9 6 C0�/ * TJ�LEG,�LTi"JNJ
Personal information on this form is collected under the legal authority of the Municipal Act, as amended. The information is
collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that iss-available to the general public, pursuant to Section 27 of
the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Questions about this collection should be directed to
the
Town Clerk, Town of Aurora 1 Municipal Drive Box 1000 Aurora, ON L4G 6.11 Telephone 905 727-3123.
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Conununiry�
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MEMORANDUM
Date: March 8, 2011
To: Mayor Dawe and Members of Council
From: Techa van Leeuwen
Director of Building & By-law Services
Re: Customer Service Strategy
Building & By-law
Services
On the Council agenda of March 8, 2011 is Report No. BBS11-001 —Award of Request
for Proposal No. CLS 2010-34 — Customer Service Strategy, deferred from General
Committee Meeting of February 1, 2010 and Council Meeting of February 22, 2010.
The purpose of this memo is to provide Council with information on the scope of this
award, the context and background of the project and the benefits of developing a more
centralized Customer Service Strategy for the Town.
Background
In 2008 a corporate customer service initiative team was established, known as CSI
Aurora. The team was charged with the task of reviewing existing customer service
units and customer service delivery within the corporation and identifying opportunities
for customer service improvements. The main focus of the team was to consider and
make recommendations on a centralized customer service model versus a
decentralized model including associated benefits and challenges.
On December 15, 2008 a Special General Committee was held to discuss Customer
Service for the Town and the findings of CSI Aurora outlined in the attached Report No.
BA08-009, CSI Aurora — Survey Results and Customer Service Models.
Scope of Request for Proposal (RFP)
The scope of the RFP award before this Council is to develop a long term customer
service strategy for the development of a more centralized customer service function
and phased implementation plan for the Town of Aurora including;
Initial phase to address customer service standards, reception, switchboard
information, complaints management and Customer Relations Management (CRM)
system.
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• Long term phase to explore centralization of a range of front-line functions, e.g.
payments, sales, registrations, etc; and associated enhanced customer service
training.
• Strategy to address e-services as well as phone and in -person service
• A recommended customer service model and a detailed phased implementation
• Staffing, equipment and technology to support recommended model
• Development of customer service procedure manual, customer service training
manual, customer service survey questions and customer service performance
measures
• Development of a communication plan to support the phased plan and
recommended model.
The trend in municipal organization suggests centralizing customer service is
considered best practice as the value of customer service excellence are realized.
Outlined below are expected benefits of a centralized customer service model.
• Improved tracking of service and information requests and complaints
• Better training opportunities leading to improved knowledge base with respect to
corporate service delivery
• Ability to effectively implement customer service standards
• Improved monitoring to ensure corporate goals are achieved
• Consistent customer service experience, provides a comfortable environment
• Simplicity i.e. Staff always know where to direct a customer
• Fewer interruptions for other staff on an ongoing basis leads to improved
productivity
• Possible increase in response times
• Possibilities to outsource
• Facilitates a cultural change — a unified customer service approach
• Ability to implement resources to deal with accessibility issues such as language
barriers or disabilities
• Easier to fill vacancies
• Corporate investment in the future
The Town of Aurora is growing and is expected to continue to experience growth. The
number of people accessing our services is increasing and at the same rate, there is an
expectation from our customers to deliver accurate information and service, efficiently
and in a timely and responsive manner. Retaining a consultant will provide for a
comprehensive review and assessment of our current customer service program and a
gap analysis that will result in the development of a long term strategy and
implementation plan.
Techa van Leeuwen,
Director of Building Administration Department
Ext. 4748
Attachment 1 — Report BA08-009 — CSI Aurora — Survey Results and Customer Service Models
Attachment 1
TOWN OF AURORA
AUWORA GENERAL COMMITTEE REPORT No. BA08-009
SUBJECT: CSI Aurora —Survey Results and Customer Service Models
FROM: Techa van Leeuwen, Director of Building Administration
And CSI Aurora Lead
DATE: November 18, 2008
RECOMMENDATIONS
THAT Council receive Report No. BA08-009 as background information on the
Customer Service Initiative, CSI Aurora; and
THAT Report No. BA08-009 be referred to a Special General Committee Meeting be
scheduled for Monday December 15, 2008 to discuss Customer Service for the
Town.
BACKGROUND
In January 2006 Convenco Ltd, a management consulting company was retained by the
Town to perform an operational review of Public Works Operations Services Division and
Leisure Services, Parks Division. The Final Convenco Report was circulated to Council on
December 19, 2007. The Report recommended the implementation of an enterprise work
order system that integrates seamlessly with a town wide citizen inquiry call centre system.
Throughout this report the work order system combined with a call system is referred to as
a CRM system, Customer Relationship Management System.
As part of the 2007 budget Council approved a capital asset management project that
contained provisions for the purchase of a CRM system and the hiring of a project manager
on contract to oversee the implementation. Upon the approval of the CRM system the
Senior Management Team began discussing the launch of a CRM system and the merits
of further customer service considerations for a successful transition. In the fall of 2007 the
Senior Management team toured the Newmarket centralized customer service unit and in
the early part of 2008 the Town of Aurora corporate customer service initiative, CSI Aurora
was established. CSI Aurora is a team of staff from all levels of the organization whose
mandate is to review customer service within the organization with the objective of
improving service delivery.
At the meeting of April 8, 2008 Council approved the Terms of Reference and Workplan for
CSI Aurora. The Report and Workplan identified the methodology for determining customer
service strengths and weaknesses through internal interview sessions with staff followed by
an external customer service survey.
November 18, 2008 - 2 - Report No. BA08-009
CSI Aurora tabulated the results and information captured through the internal sessions
and requested the Communications Division to assist the team in the development of an
external survey and communication strategy. Council approved the external survey on July
15, 2008.
In accordance with the Workplan this report provides Council with the results of the
external survey and opportunities for customer service improvements through various
service delivery models.
CSI Aurora's mandate is to review the current customer service approach and make
recommendations for improved service delivery. The team, comprised of representatives
from across the corporation, has engaged in this project with enthusiasm and passion with
a sincere interest in improving customer service. One of the first tasks undertaken by the
team was to consider the importance of customer service along with our corporate values
and create a vision statement to guide us to our future.
Vision Statement
"To provide a customer focused service that is informative and easily accessible"
Internal interviews — Improvement Opportunities
In the spring CSI conducted internal interview sessions with staff. In total there were 15
sessions with four to five participants in each session. The sessions were intended to
provide CSI Aurora with an understanding of the real customer service issues faced every
day by our staff. The sessions were informative and a valued endeavour which identified
five improvement opportunities.
• Town Hall layout creates customer service barriers
• Staff require additional training to deliver knowledgeable/accurate information
• Information sharing and communication flow needs improvement
• Inconsistent or lack of Customer Service standards
• Lack of corporate technology enabling tools e.g. CRM software, phone system
External Survey
The five improvement opportunities listed above became the nucleus for the development
of the external survey questions. CSI Aurora enlisted the Communications Division to
conduct the survey. The survey questions are attached for your reference.
Below are significant key points with respect to the development, delivery and direction of
November 18, 2008 - 3 - Report No. BA08-009
the external survey
• The questions were based on the outcomes of the internal interview sessions with
staff with a focus on the identified improvement opportunities
• The survey was developed and conducted in house by CSI Aurora and
Communications for a very low cost of approximately $2500.00.
• The goal was to obtain a total of 500 responses over a period of six weeks. A
temporary staff person was hired to cold call and the survey was available at all
Town Hall counters, recreational facilities and on the Town's website. In reality it
took eight weeks to obtain 559 legitimate responses.
• The survey was a widely advertised through the notice board, a media release,
website announcement, Intranet and via a link on Yorkregion.com
• The results of the survey set a benchmark for future improvements.
Survey Results
Attached is a copy of the survey results for your perusal. A total of 559 Survey responses
were received over a period of eight weeks mainly through cold calling. Interestingly the
split of male to female respondents was 68% to 32% respectively. The majority at 55% of
respondents were between the ages 41 and 65 and almost all of them were residents of
the Town as opposed to business owners, developers, etc. The method of contact to
obtain services was most significantly by in -person at 409 followed by telephone at 270
and their reasons for contact varied fairly evenly.
Survey participants ranked the top three words describing good customer service as
Courteous, Knowledgeable and Friendly
A total of 20 service statements were asked and the resultswerepositive with an average
of 24% of respondents satisfied and 48% very satisfied with the Towns service approach.
The statement that ranked the lowest at 12% dissatisfaction was with respect to the level of
personal approach at Town Hall. Other areas of dissatisfaction included timely response
and the timeframe in which a response or action taken was taken by the employees.
Several open ended questions were also included in the survey giving participants the
opportunity to provide specific input or comment on their personal customer service
experience. For the purpose of reporting, the responses have been grouped into the areas
identified as problematic during the internal interviews. Common improvement themes
emerging from the survey were around the desire for personal contact, accountability,
responsiveness, the "run around factor, the lack of widespread knowledge base. The
phone system and website were targeted areas requiring updating.
November 18. 2008 - 4 - Report No. BA08-009
The response to the question about a single point of contact versus individual departmental
service yielded a spilt of opinions (250 to 212) with a slightly higher desire for individual
departments. Reasons given for individual departmental service were that staff are more
knowledgeable and efficient. Reasons given for one point of contact service were that it is
easier and services are obtained in a timely manner.
The survey results are not surprising and have emphasized areas that were already
identified as requiring improvement. The survey should also be used as a benchmark for
determining success with any customer service initiative undertaken in the future.
Continuous improvement requires continuous surveying.
OPTIONS
CSI Aurora has considered three customer service models being a centralized customer
service unit, a decentralized customer service approach and a hybrid model that combines
a centralized call centre with a decentralized counter service. There may be variations of
each model however the concepts, benefits and challenges presented with each model
would be similar.
Centralized Customer Service Model
Concept
• A single corporate customer service unit
• Single entry point into the organization with the objective of single contact service
, and response
• One Customer Service phone number
• One Customer Service Counter
• One Customer Service e-mail
• Many service delivery channels (phone, counter, e-mail, web)
Benefits
• Improved tracking of service and information requests and complaints
• Better training opportunities leading to improved knowledge base with respect to
corporate service delivery
• Ability to effectively implement customer service standards
• Improved monitoring to ensure corporate goals are achieved
• Consistent customer service experience provides a comfortable environment
• Simplicity i.e. Staff always know whereto direct a customer
• Fewer interruptions for other staff on an ongoing basis leads to improved
productivity
• Possible increase in response times
• Possibilities to outsource
• Facilitates a cultural change — a unified customer service approach
November 18, 2008 - 5 - Report No. BA08-009
• Ability to implement resources to deal with accessibility issues such as language
barriers or disabilities
• Easier to fill vacancies
• Corporate investment in the future
Challenges
• Costly to fully implement
o Town Hall space requirements for single CS unit
o Additional Staff resources required ( Manager of CS Unit and CS
representatives, some hiring from within existing complement however
anticipate a net gain)
o Additional technology required (customer response management system)
Requires a corporate champion, corporate vision and corporate strategy
• Requires a cultural change (requires involvement for buy in from staff)
• Takes time and commitment to execute and develop knowledge base
• Requires a cultural change
• Not all services included due to specialized technical knowledge eg. Zoning
• One public entrance to Town Hall (currently the first floor and third floor have
public entrances
• Eliminate direct enquiry lines to individual departments and staff
• General knowledge in a centralized unit versus specialized knowledge
• Loss of direct departmental authority
Decentralized Customer Service Model
Concept
• Information and services obtained in individual departments
• Many Customer Service counters
• Many Customer Service phone lines
Common CRM system
Benefits
• Less costly and less time to implement
• Ability to track requests with a common CRM system
• Ability to develop CS standards for all staff
• Ability to train staff with CS standards
• No additional staff resources required
Challenges
• Difficult to provide uniform service
• Varying levels of consistency and commitment to customer service
0 Breeds isolation and silos
November 18, 2008 - 6 - Report No. BA08-009
Less accountability
Navigating through Town Hall, two public entrances
Hybrid Customer Service Model
Concept
• Combination of centralized and decentralized services
• Centralize call centre and electronic service channels
• Maintain individual counter service for each department
Benefits
• Require Customer Service Manager to oversee call centre
• Options to outsource call centre
• Initial phase of customer service philosophy and transition
• Space challenges and required renovations less costly
• Options to include ground floor reception in call centre unit
• Concentrated effort on implementation leads to higher success rate
• Improved tracking and monitoring of calls
Challenges
• Some renovation and allocated space required
• Additional staff resources, possible net gain in complement
• Higher turnover of staff
• Double standards, information over the phone may differ from information
received at counters
Other Municipalities
The trend in municipal organizations is moving toward centralizing customer service.
Several surrounding municipalities have implemented a centralized customer service
unit. The Town of Newmarket was among the first few to take the leap in 2005 and has
won awards for their customer service initiative. Our Senior Management Team did tour
the Newmarket unit in the fall of 2007 where the Newmarket Manager of Customer
Service shared their experiences, milestones and challenges. The most recent
municipality to launch a centralized unit is the Town of Richmond Hill who have also
shared some information with CSI Aurora.
In both instances it took two to three years to launch the project. A Manager of
Customer Service was recruited and involved in the project from the onset. New
positions for customer service representatives were created and valued by the
corporation. Construction renovations were required to outfit the buildings with the
appropriate facilities and the appropriate technological tools were acquired with
linkages to existing software i.e. a CRM system and supporting telephony. Estimated
costs for the both of these projects is in the neighbourhood of 2 million plus.
November 18, 2008 - 7 - Report No. BA08-009
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Currently Council has approved funding in part for this project through the Capital Asset
Management project. The 2008 budget included $200,000 for the acquisition of the
CRM system and the hiring of a project manager on contract to oversee the
implementation of the technology. This funding is still in the -coffers. The IT Division has
submitted a separate 2009 Capital Project Sheet for this project for an additional
$300,000. If approved the total IT budget for the technology portion would be $500,000.
Each of the models presented will require additional funding. Specifically the centralized
customer service unit will require significant funding for start up costs estimated at 2
million dollars and further funding for operational costs.
Costs associated with this project include the acquisition of the CRM system, additional
costs for upgrades to the phone system, construction or renovation costs, additional
staff resources and staff training and improvements and maintenance of the Town's
website.
The commitment and direction will drive the requirement for funding which may be
phased over several years.
CONCLUSIONS
The Town of Aurora is growing and is expected to continue to experience growth. The
number of people accessing our services in increasing and at the same rate, there is an
expectation from our customers to deliver accurate information and service, efficiently and
in a timely and responsive manner.
Timing for decisions and direction with the respect to any customer service initiative is
critical as it ties in with other corporate initiatives such as the space needs analysis and the
organizational review. Also, we are entering the 2009 budget discussions and depending
on the direction, provisions must be made at this time for project funding.
Regardless of Council's preferred Customer Service model, CS] Aurora is recommending
that Council, at the very least give consideration and direction regarding current concerns
in the areas outlined below.
Corporate Cultural Shift
The Town of Aurora has experienced significant growth in recent years and providing
customer care to all residents, business owners and clients has become increasingly
demanding. As the Town changes to keep up with the growth so must our approach for
delivering services. We must strive to understand who our customers are, how they access
our services and what their needs and expectations are. Technology has played a role in
November 18, 2008 - 8 - Report No. BA08-009
changing our service delivery channels. Many people now use e-mail or the web to obtain
information.
To remain on par with our customers the corporation must make a cultural shift from the
top down. We must instil our vision and values throughout the organization as we
endeavour to provide our customers with exceptional. care.
Acquisition of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
Identified in the Covenco Report was the need for an integrated work order, customer
enquiry system also known as a CRM system. The 2008 Capital Budget included
provisions for a CRM system that would provide reporting and call tracking capabilities for
the entire Corporation. Regardless of the customer service approach the acquisition of a
CRM system would result in efficiencies and improved accountability.
Project Manager
Along with the acquisition of the CRM system the Capital Budget project did include a
contract position for a project manager. A project of this magnitude and impact requires at
least one dedicated position to lead the project to success. The project manager will be
responsible for the acquisition and implementation of the CRM system. If Council's
direction is to move to a centralized customer service unit then additional dedicated
resources such as a Manager of Customer Service will be required for the onset to assist
with the development of a new customer service strategy.
Customer Service Standards
In order to provide a consistent customer service experience for all customers on every
occasion we must develop standards that address every service channel including phones,
e-mail, walk-ins, etc. The standards would clearly outline to staff our corporate vision and
expectations for delivering exceptional customer service.
Mandatory Staff Training
In order to support the cultural shift and implement the CRM system and customer service
standards it is imperative that staff training be mandatory at all levels of the organization.
Customer service standards and staff training is imperative to overall improvements.
Town Hall Improvements
Regardless of the customer service direction, improvements can be undertaken in Town
Hall to achieve a more welcoming environment. Currently there are three public entrances
into Town Hall with the reception located on neither of them. Two entrances are located on
the third floor and one entrance is on the first floor. Thought should be given to the main
November 18. 2008 - 9 - Report No. BA08-009
public entrance with improved reception area including sufficient coverage throughout the
day to ensure the public is greeted appropriately. Improved signage throughout Town Hall
would also assist the public in finding their destination.
Steering Committee
CSI Aurora is seeking direction from Council on the preferred customer service model.
Depending on the direction, CSI will reconvene to discuss next steps and its future
involvement in this project. It is strongly recommended that staff at all levels be engaged in
the development of this project to ensure buy -in and a successful transition and
implementation. Establishing a working team with participants from front line positions and
a Steering Committee to oversee the project is highly recommended.
LINK TO STRATEGIC PLAN
Goat D: Ensure transparent, accountable and open governance in concert with informed
and involved citizens
Objective 132: Enhance customer service
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment #1 2008 Customer Service Survey Results
PRE -SUBMISSION REVIEW
Senior Management Team — November 5, 2008
Prepared by. Techa van Leeuwen, Director of Building Administration Ext. 4748
Techa van Leeuwen
Director of Building Administration
AURORA
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MEMORANDUM I office of the Mayor
Date: March 8, 2011
To: Members of Council
From: Mayor Dawe
Re: Correspondence from Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority —
Board Meeting Highlights, February 25, 2011
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT Council:
N Receive the correspondence for information
❑ Endorse the recommendations
❑ Provide direction
Paqe 1 of 2
Announcements:
Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation Dinner— May 13, 2011
• The Chair advised that the Foundation will be hosting its annual fundraising dinner on Friday May 13,
2011 at the Riviera Parque in Concord and encouraged all Board Members to attend and share
information with their respective Councils.
• For tickets please contact Judy Milner at i.milnerCdlsrca.on.ca or by phone at 905-895-1281 ex 241.
Service Award - CAD
• The Board congratulated the CAD, D. Gayle Wood, on achieving 15 years of service with the LSRCA.
Presentations:
Natural Heritage System Land Securement Project 2011-2015
The Board received a presentation regarding the Authority's Natural Heritage System Land Securement
Project 2011-2015 and approved Staff Report No. 03-11-BOD.
A copy of the Natural Heritage System Land Securement Project 2011-2015 will be sent to the Minister of
Natural Resources for approval pursuant to Section 24 of Conservation Authorities Act and will also be
circulated to all watershed municipalities.
Staff Reports
Development, Interference with Wetlands and
Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation 179/06
• The CAD provided an overview regarding the permitting processes of the LSRCA.
• Staff will prepare a draft protocol outlining the terms, conditions and processes for issuing permits.
• The CAO advised that staff are pleased to meet with municipal staff to review processes. Should the
Board wish to have such a meeting scheduled, they are invited to make their request through the
Authority's CAD.
Financial Status — closing of 2010 Fiscal Year and 2011 Budget
• The Board dealt with and approved Staff Report No. 04-11-BOD.
• Staff are currently providing budget presentations to municipal councils and Members are encouraged to
attend such presentations where possible.
• Presentations have be provided to York Region, Durham Region, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Barrie and
Oro-Medonte;
• Presentations will be made to Innisfil Council on March 9`h at 7:00 p.m. and to Ramara Council on March
21 at 7:00 p.m.
• The Authority's final budget will be presented to the Board at their April meeting for consideration and
approval.
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority,
120 Bayview Parkway, Newmarket, ON BY 3W3
E-mail: info@Isrca.on.ca Web site: www.lsrca.on.ca
Board of Directors— Meeting Highlights
February 25`°, 2011
Page 2 of 2
Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act —Annual Statistics Report
• The Board received and approved Staff Report No. 05-11-BOD, which provides an overview of the
number and types of requests made to the Authority under the auspices of the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
2011 Occupational Health and Safety Policy and Workplace Violence and Harrassment Policies
• The Board received and approved Staff Report No. 06-11-BOD approving the Authority's 2011
Occupational Health and Safety Policy and Workplace Violence and Harrassment Policies in accordance
with the legislative requirements of the Occupational Health and SafetyAct.
Year -End Monitoring Report— Planning and Development Applications -January 1— December 31, 2010
• The Board dealt with and approved Staff Report No. 07-11-BOD.
• The CAO provided background information related to the establishment of the Conservation Authorities
Liaison Committee(CALC) which is a provincially driven initiative. The purpose of this Committee is to
review the planning activities and processes of all 36 conservation authorities in Ontario.
• Staff will be providing a report to the Board regarding the results of the provincial review and the LSRCA's
response.
Watershed Development Policies — Boathouses
• The Board dealt with and approved Staff Report No. 08-11-BOD regarding proposed changes to the
Watershed Development Policies related to boathouses.
• The changes as noted in the Staff Report will be implemented effective immediately.
International Riverfoundation—Twinning Opportunity
• The Board dealt with and approved Staff Report No. 09-11-BOD regarding the LSRCA's International
Twinning Partnership which will be undertaken with Mexico, focused on the Ayuquila River.
• Phase I of the Business Plan received approval from the Riverfoundation and includes a trip to Mexico in
2011 to identify the project needs/challenges, dialogue with the project partners and to exchange
information.
LSRCA Draft Strategic Plan — 2011-2014
• The Board received and approved Staff Report No. 10-11-BOD regarding the LSRCA's Draft Strategic Plan
2011-2014.
• The Board will be meeting to finalize the Strategic Plan in March.
Appointments — Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation
• The Board dealt with Confidential Staff Report No. 12-11-BOD, approving two appointments to the Lake
Simcoe Conservation Foundation.
Lake Simcoe Region conservation Authority,
120 Bayview Parkway, Newmarket, ON UY 3W3
E-mail: info@lsrca.on.ca Web site: www.isrca.on.ca
AuioRA
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MEMORANDUM I Customer and Legislative Services
Date: March 8, 2011
To: Mayor and Members of Council
From: John D. Leach, Director of Customer and Legislative Services/Town Clerk
Re: Amendments to Procedural By-law/Open Forum, Section 3.1
RECOMMENDED:
THAT the word "ratepayer" in section 3.1 of Council's Procedural By-law be
deleted and replaced with the word "person".
BACKGROUND:
Section 3.1 of Council's Procedural By-law provides that any ratepayer may appear in
Open Forum. Amending By-law 5300-11 would replace "ratepayer" with "resident".
Ratepayer is an outdated term that refers to someone that pays taxes. The word
"resident" would have been more inclusive. After consulting the Town Solicitor it was
determined that the term "person" would be more inclusive and appropriate.