2020 Municipal Strategic Plan

Marmora and Lake, Ontario

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot 5663738c5e4b · verified 2026-06-09 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

Page 1 of 45 Page 2 of 45 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 4 Where are we now? ............................................................................................................ 5 Where are we going? .......................................................................................................... 5 How was the plan developed? ......................................................................................... 6 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT ...................................................................................... 7 Stakeholder Analysis .......................................................................................................... 7 Citizen Survey ..................................................................................................................... 8 Municipal Services ........................................................................................................... 9 Municipal Responsibilities .............................................................................................. 11 Interactions with Municipal Staff .................................................................................... 12 Communication & Accountability ................................................................................... 13 "Non-Essential" Infrastructure and Value for Tax Dollars ............................................... 14 Staff Survey ...................................................................................................................... 15 Council Interviews ............................................................................................................. 16 ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN ................................................................................................... 18 Municipal Goals and Objectives ........................................................................................ 18 Road Maintenance ......................................................................................................... 18 Land Use Planning......................................................................................................... 19 Road Snow Clearing ...................................................................................................... 20 Permits & Inspections .................................................................................................... 20 Transparency & Accountability ...................................................................................... 21 Economic Growth & Prosperity ...................................................................................... 21 Financial Responsibility & Sustainability ........................................................................ 24 Customer Service and Responsiveness ........................................................................ 25 Citizen involvement in municipal decision making. ........................................................ 25 Keeping online information up to date............................................................................ 26 Simplifying the website. ................................................................................................. 26 Making account information available online. ................................................................ 26 Page 3 of 45 Define the Strategic Priorities ........................................................................................... 27 DEPARTMENT ALIGNMENT .............................................................................................. 28 NEXT STEPS ...................................................................................................................... 30 Budget Planning ............................................................................................................... 30 Key Performance Measures ............................................................................................. 30 Timelines .......................................................................................................................... 30 Municipal Elections ........................................................................................................ 30 APPENDIX A: CORPORATE ROLES CHART .................................................................... 31 Administration Department ............................................................................................... 31 Building and Bylaw Department ........................................................................................ 33 Council .............................................................................................................................. 34 Economic Development Department ................................................................................ 35 Emergency Services ......................................................................................................... 35 Environmental Services .................................................................................................... 36 Finance Department ......................................................................................................... 37 Parks and Recreation Department .................................................................................... 39 Transportation Services .................................................................................................... 40 APPENDIX B: STAFF REPORT TEMPLATE ...................................................................... 43 APPENDIX C: STAFF MONTH END REPORT TEMPLATE ............................................... 45 Page 4 of 45 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Municipality has developed this strategic plan to guide staff and council moving forward. Municipalities face a continual strain on our limited resources. The Strategic Plan will ensure there is a responsible allocation of finances and staff time moving forward. We want to improve our service delivery's effectiveness and efficiency and ensure we remain accountable to our stakeholders. The Municipality Is Responsible for the following Services: 1) Road maintenance and snow clearing on assumed roads 2) Water and sewer in the urban boundaries of Marmora and Deloro 3) Municipal facility maintenance and function 4) Municipal park and green space maintenance and function (*The Crowe Valley Lions and MAARS maintain Memorial Park) 5) Medical Centre building and maintenance 6) Landfill maintenance and function 7) Enforcing Building Code 8) Setting the municipal property tax rate The Municipality contracts out: 1) Medical Centre services 2) Roadside pickup of recycling and garbage services (different suppliers) 3) Some Lake Township snow clearing service 4) Bylaw enforcement 5) Booster Park management The Municipality is not responsible for: 1) Natural gas or propane services 2) Hydro services 3) Telecommunication services 4) Resolving neighbour disputes 5) Setting your home assessment value 6) Resolving tenant/landlord issues 7) Highway 7/Matthew Street maintenance or snow clearing 8) Event management Page 5 of 45 Where are we now? Finances The COVID-19 global pandemic is something that has affected every business, agency, organization, and government around the world. In response to the financial hit that many people are experiencing, the Municipality of Marmora and Lake have been suspending all late payment fees, interest charges, tax sales, and some soft services. Fortunately, granted funds will cover the loss of revenue from these provisions. Ensuring the corporation is focused on the same priorities will enable us to direct the limited resources wisely. As we move into the 2021 budget discussions, no one knows how long the pandemic will be affecting our daily lives. Extra caution is likely to be seen in policy and procedure updates. Services The hard services have been able to continue to run during 2020 without being significantly affected by the pandemic. The municipality has installed a new water tower and water meters thanks to successful grant applications. The roads department has continued the resurfacing, ditching, brushing, and seasonal maintenance as regularly scheduled. Soft services, including many events and programs, were canceled as per Provincial and Public Health guidelines. The budget process will have to consider the new normal for COVID-safe programming and facility usage. Where are we going? This four-year plan is a living document that will help to steer the municipality in the direction of improved communication, infrastructure, services, and programming. Many municipal governments, including Marmora and Lake, face the challenge of limited resources and increasing downloaded responsibilities. By focusing our efforts to combat issues identified in the stakeholder surveys and interviews, we can allocate our limited resources rationally and confidently to encourage improvement where the people want it most. With the onset of the global pandemic and the resulting financial impact, there are items in this plan that might have to be put on hold to focus on the hard services necessary to our residents. The upcoming few years will be unprecedented. Our municipal government will need to strive to adapt in these extraordinary times. Nevertheless, continuing to improve and maintain our public service level is the focus of this document. The municipality conducted the citizen survey in fall 2018. Some of the identified goals are complete as of the public release of this document. Page 6 of 45 How was the plan developed? Performance Measurement: The citizen, staff, and council survey and interviews are collected and analyzed. Stakeholder Analysis: We identified the services and responsibilities that need review based on the "gap differential" (a measurement of importance versus satisfaction) in the citizen survey. Staff and Council's concerns were another important factor in identifying corporate goals. Environmental Scan: We identify corresponding goals and objectives to improve those services and responsibilities. Define the Strategic Priorities: Based on trends in the goals and objectives, we realize our Strategic Priorities. These Strategic Priorities will steer budget discussions, policies, and focus staff deliverables, they were identified as: 1) Finance and Service Improvement; 2) Communication and Transparency; 3) Data-Supported Planning. The Strategic Priorities are: Finance and Service Improvement Communication and Transparency Data-Supported Planning Page 7 of 45 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT For detailed information on the data collected in the citizen survey refer to the Strategic Plan: Performance Measurement Report. We began this process with stakeholder surveys; staff, the council (outgoing and incoming), and citizens. We have collected input from all residents of Marmora & Lake, including property owners, renters, and farmers. We will also review and consider information from business owners, employees, and visitors. The survey was available online from September 20 to November 2, 2018. Paper copies of the survey were available at Town Hall during the same timeframe. The information collected is being used to identify where we currently stand concerning our service delivery. Stakeholder Analysis Who are the stakeholders? For the purpose of this document the stakeholders are the seasonal and full-time residents, business owners, council, and staff. What are the stakeholders telling us? To identify our strategic priorities, we have analyzed the citizen surveys by looking at the "gap differential" between the level of importance of service and the satisfaction for that same service. A more significant "gap differential" means we need to re-evaluate how we are delivering that service. The information gathered will help us understand how ratepayers view public assets and allow us to make informed decisions on your behalf. The staff and council interviews will help us allocate staffing responsibilities and identify efficiencies. During this process, we collected information on: 1. Demographic profiles 2. Municipal services 3. Municipal responsibilities 4. Interactions with staff 5. Online services 6. Communication and accountability 7. Non-essential infrastructure 8. Value for tax dollars Page 8 of 45 Citizen Survey RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS 1.0 RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS 1.1 Page 9 of 45 RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS 1.2 RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS 1.3 Municipal Services When all respondents ranked the importance of municipal services versus their satisfaction with those services, the three with the most significant Gap Differential (GD) are: 1) Road Maintenance (GD: 8.37) 2) Land Use Planning (GD: 6.52) 3) Road Snow Clearing (GD: 5.92) Page 10 of 45 MUNICIPAL SERVICES GAP DIFFERENTIAL When filtering the data to see how the priorities change for current residents and cottagers, there is a small difference in the top three: Current Residents: 1) Road Maintenance (GD: 9.04) 2) Road Snow Clearing (GD: 6.55) 3) Land Use Planning (GD: 6.32) Cottagers: 1) Land Use Planning (GD: 8.37) 2) Road Maintenance (GD: 6.17) 3) Permits & Inspections (GD: 3.91) What are the stakeholders telling us about our service delivery? The services in need of a delivery review are: 1) Road maintenance 2) Land use planning 3) Road snow clearing 4) Permits and inspections Page 11 of 45 Municipal Responsibilities When all respondents ranked the importance of municipal responsibilities versus their satisfaction with those responsibilities, the three that had the most significant Gap Differential (GD) are: 1) Transparency & Accountability (GD: 9.6) 2) Economic Growth & Prosperity (GD: 8.4) 3) Financial Responsibility & Sustainability (GD: 7.19) MUNICIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES GAP DIFFERENTIAL When filtering the data to see how the priorities change for current residents and cottagers, there is a small difference in the top three: Current Residents: 1) Transparency & Accountability (GD: 9.66) 2) Economic Growth & Prosperity (GD: 9.05) 3) Financial Responsibility & Sustainability (GD: 7.38) Cottagers: 1) Transparency & Accountability (GD: 9.86) 2) Customer Service & Responsiveness (GD: 7.26) 3) Financial Responsibility & Sustainability (GD: 7.10) Page 12 of 45 What are the stakeholders telling us about Municipal Responsibilities? The responsibilities in need of a delivery review are: 1) Transparency & Accountability 2) Economic Growth & Prosperity 3) Financial Responsibility & Sustainability 4) Customer Service & Responsiveness Interactions with Municipal Staff The Citizen Survey also asked for input on their experience in dealing with Municipal staff. It is worth noting that the data indicates that most people dealing with the Municipality do so less than once a month, meaning that each interaction can have a significant impact on one's impression of the Municipality. INTERACTIONS WITH MUNICIPAL STAFF 1.0 INTERACTIONS WITH MUNICIPAL STAFF 1.1 Page 13 of 45 What are the stakeholders telling us about interactions with staff? We have room to improve in customer service. 1) Allow citizens more opportunity to be involved in decision making. 2) Decrease response time. 3) Make customer service a priority. Communication & Accountability Many rural communities are feeling the loss of local media outlets. There is now an increased responsibility for municipalities to push out more information themselves and ensure it is easily accessible for the public. The public looks to the Municipality for information on events, tourism, business opportunities, policy, legislation, planning, and more. It is a vast undertaking that is met in-house with limited staffing hours to accommodate the demand. We have addressed several identified issues with our communication practices since starting the Strategic Planning process. We will continue this momentum, moving forward with continuous input from our citizens and visitors. COMMUNICATION & ACCOUNTABILITY What are the stakeholders telling us about communication and accountability? The online services need improvement: 1) Keep information up to date. 2) Continually work toward simplifying the organization of information. 3) Look into the possibility of moving account information online. Page 14 of 45 "Non-Essential" Infrastructure and Value for Tax Dollars The municipality manages many "non-essential" facilities and wants to know where people would rank those facilities in importance. We want to note that "non-essential" is quite debatable, and we consider all these facilities essential to community health and well-being. "NON-ESSENTIAL" INFRASTRUCTURE VALUE FOR TAX DOLLARS Page 15 of 45 Staff Survey Using the staff survey, we gathered feedback on the current state of each department. All department heads supplied the following information: 1) Department task information 2) The definition of the main objective of their department 3) Their rating of the effectiveness of their department 4) Identified the factors that inhibit the department's ability to work toward their main objective 5) How they measure success in their department 6) What they perceive as increasing and decreasing pressures in any aspect of their job 7) What other departments they work with regularly 8) How well departments share information 9) Whether there are adequate training opportunities for further development relating to their job 10) How they hope their role will evolve with or without the municipality over the next four years 11) What type of continuing education courses would they be interested in to achieve their four-year goal? 12) What they feel should be considered when reviewing the effectiveness of each department What are the stakeholders telling us about corporate structure? Do the department heads feel their department is effective? Overall, they would give a score of 70% to the municipality, noting much improvement over the past couple of years. When asked what factors inhibit their department's ability to work toward their main objective, there were several common factors to consider: 1) Unpredictability of workload equating to lack of staff in high need times 2) Lack of budget to perform duties expected by department 3) Public education of process and policy 4) Extra work created by public (e.g. dumping garbage) Page 16 of 45 The increasing pressure found by department heads were: 1) Building trust with new council 2) Limited resources 3) Expectations of incoming residents versus long-time residents 4) General increase of workload over time 5) Staff being bullied online and heckled in council meetings which hurts moral 6) New and changing legislation coming from provincial and federal levels of government Very few staff members listed any decreasing pressures. However, when there were any, they were: 1) Department budget increase 2) Department additional staff member 3) Developing the ability to cope with the demands of public work and the constant criticism from certain members of the public The list of items to consider when developing this plan was: 1) Identify and initiate efficiencies within all departments 2) Update job descriptions regularly (bi-annually) 3) Ensure to hire quality staff with a strong work ethic 4) Conduct a building assessment and identify inadequacies to be addressed: i) Too few phone lines in Town Hall ii) Storage limitations iii) Building repairs iv) Underutilized public facilities 5) Create educational videos i) help educate the public ii) humanizing staff to combat bullying 6) Work on team-building exercises with staff and department heads. Council Interviews The council surveys supplied insight into what the councillors feel are the main objectives of their work and how it aligns with staff objectives. We interviewed outgoing and incoming council members to gain perspective from both groups. Page 17 of 45 The outgoing councillors generally found that their main objective was to work within the boundaries of the legislation and continually try to move the ball forward. Numerous outgoing councillors commented that promising change is dangerous until one truly understands their authority. The fact is that municipalities exist at the will of the Province, and the Province legislates the issues and where most funding will go. They all commented on the importance of the relationship between the council and staff and encouraged the incoming council to utilize staff without micromanaging them. The current council includes one incumbent, the Deputy Mayor, and four new representatives. The priorities that they identified in their interviews were: 1) Improving communication 2) Encouraging responsible development 3) Economic development 4) Continuing the roads program 5) Improving community input and relations These five issues align with what was identified as priorities through the citizen survey. Page 18 of 45 ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN Using the input from our stakeholders, we have identified the area's most in need of review. We will review plans currently in progress within the municipality and integrate objectives that relate to this document. Municipal Goals and Objectives The municipal services and responsibilities with the highest gap differential will be a focus moving forward during the planning process. Listed below are topline initiatives to be taken on by staff and council. The Who-Does-What section of the Strategic Plan identifies specific actions for each goal and objective and delegates each to a particular department. The Goals are the desired result of the initiatives taken to address the concerns with the service delivery--the Objectives are considerations to reach the goal. When necessary, objectives will be brought to Council for approval. Road Maintenance Roads services are the largest component of our Asset Management Plan, representing $37.5 M of all repair and replacement costs through to 2032. The 2018 Road Needs Study indicates estimated total cost of improvements to the road network in the amount of $18,296,408.48. Of the identified needs, $217,567.86 is for roads that are already deficient ('NOW'), $4,311,735.26 is for the 1-5-year horizon, and the remaining $13,713,105.37 is for the 6-10-year horizon. GOALS OBJECTIVES A1 Review existing policies to find cost savings or revenue opportunities.  Review the road assumption and annexing policies  Do not assume any private roads.  Only assume roads through land development agreements and ensure compliance.  Initiate road cut/occupancy permits with fee and deposit.  Cancel the private road grant program.  Review the Roads Need Study requirements and cancel the program, if possible, until the roads network has improved substantially.  Review and update Entrance Permit Application:  Applicants are required to pave from the municipal roadway to the property line in the urban area  Commercial versus residential fees Page 19 of 45  Update the site plan bylaw:  include developer fees for entrances  include required plans and reports A2 Improve service delivery.  Cancel the noxious weed program and spray only the guard rails and signs.  Apply for 4 summer students instead of 2 to allow for two road crews A3 Develop a 5- to 10-year forecast for transportation needs to help outline budgeting requirements year to year. Related Goals: G3  Implement Programs:  annual traffic counting  shoulder grading  resurfacing  reconstruction  equipment A4 Utilize the Transportation Committee on a more regular basis.  Set up monthly recurring meetings Land Use Planning Land Use Planning is legislated by the province through the Planning Act. The County of Hastings Official Plan 2017 advises all member municipalities. Marmora and Lake's Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw must adhere to The Provincial Policy Statement (2014) and Hasting County's official plan. GOALS OBJECTIVES B1 Increase stakeholder's general knowledge of Land Use Planning.  Develop content for the website about commonly misunderstood information regarding Land Use Planning, such as the different government levels and the authority of each.  Use simple online polls to test stakeholder's knowledge of Land Use Planning regularly. B2 Update the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw.  Consolidate amendments that have accumulated over the years.  Update for new considerations such as cannabis and short-term rentals. B3 Increase revenue or cost recovery initiatives.  Consider development fees.  Identify the barriers to development and address through grant opportunities or other initiatives.  Kirkpatrick Street in Deloro  Industrial Park Page 20 of 45 Road Snow Clearing The Transportation Manager is responsible for following Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways (among other legislation) that dictates which roads receive service first, how long drivers can be on the road, patrolling highways and more. GOALS OBJECTIVES C1 Increase stakeholder's awareness on how the Roads Department is legislated.  Create online content regarding the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways Act (MMS).  Use simple online polls to test stakeholder's knowledge of MMS.  Add a templated area to public reports that include legislated requirements in relation to report topic.  Make a Winter Maintenance information package available on the website.  Make the Municipal Roads Class list available on the website. C2 Ensure staff can operate effectively with available equipment.  Ensure all staff have usable equipment for their shift.  Utilize parks and recreation staff for urban workload.  Replace the sidewalk machine with two tractors. Permits & Inspections The Building and Bylaw Officer must ensure compliance with the Building Code Act, Planning Act, the comprehensive zoning bylaw and the Conservation Authority. GOALS OBJECTIVES D1 Increase awareness of the authority of the CBO.  Use simple online polls to test stakeholder's knowledge of:  Building Code and Planning Act.  Safety measures covered by legislation and permits.  Add a templated area to public reports that include legislated requirements in relation to report topic. D2 Increase awareness of building process.  Create online content regarding:  How to get a permit  What to expect when building  When to call the CBO Page 21 of 45 Transparency & Accountability The Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 is legislation that must be followed by all Ontario municipalities and the responsibility of the Clerk to ensure compliance. The large gap differential in the citizen survey suggests that there is a low perception of the Municipalities transparency and accountability even if they are following the legislation. GOALS OBJECTIVES E1 Increase awareness on how legislation affects decision making.  Create online content regarding:  Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act  Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act  Use simple online polls to test stakeholder's knowledge of legislation. E2 Be more proactive in communicating policy updates.  Develop a communications practice of highlighting policy changes from meeting minutes. o What does this change mean? o Who will this change effect? o When will this change take effect?  Add a templated area to public reports that include a call out of policy changes, who it will affect and when the change will take effect. E3 Ensure the public is aware of meeting topics to be discussed.  Ensure special meetings are used in emergency situations only.  Ensure the agenda is followed and debate is limited to items on the agenda. Economic Growth & Prosperity In 2011 the Municipality released its Integrated Community Sustainability Plan. There are items from that plan that have been moved into the objectives of this table. In September of 2019 Council passed a resolution that decrees Council's highest commitment to community safety and well-being for all who choose to live, work, visit, or play in municipality. GOALS OBJECTIVES F1 Focus on local business retention, attraction, and development.  Create and distribute promotional material that is focused on attracting new business.  Promote local business initiatives. Page 22 of 45  Help local business groups utilize public spaces for events.  Be the liaison between local business and municipality.  Identify municipal barriers for development. F2 Increase revenue or cost recovery initiatives.  Review LED sign policy to allow for business subscriptions.  Update Business Arrow Sign annually.  Use business advertising initiatives to pay for marketing materials.  Review Arena and Baseball field marketing opportunities.  Identify Municipal Property that could tastefully display business advertising. F3 Identifying flagship programs that are shovel ready for grant opportunities.  Identify opportunities for improvement that would be supported by provincial or federal funding. F4 Strengthen arts and culture in the community.  Increase awareness of art and culture business and events.  Create a directory of local artists that can be called upon to enhance local events.  Create an inventory of local cultural fixtures.  Strengthen partnerships with historical groups and organizations.  Work with community groups to create an inventory of key historic properties that should be preserved.  Share funding opportunities related to arts and culture. F5 Advocate for business and tourism infrastructure  Beautify the highway 7 corridor through banners, flowers, and permanent signage where possible.  Support county initiatives for better internet connectivity.  Support public transit and bus services.  Participate in regional tourism organizations. F6 Increase active living programming and opportunities  Recruit activities and programs that encourage physical activity for youth, adult, and seniors.  Market municipal facilities as host sites for physical activity programming.  Identify and address barriers for all ages to participate in activities.  Install active living equipment in appropriate public spaces. Page 23 of 45 F7 Improve housing opportunities  Identify municipal barriers to affordable housing.  Identify municipal barriers to development. F8 Make the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan a priority  Get buy in from Council via Council resolutions for all Central Hastings Municipalities.  Form Committees: Coordinating and Advisory  Gather Data:  vulnerable populations (numbers, demographics, etc.)  Identify the nature of harms and victimization from risk factors.  Identify most effective and practicable protective factors that can be brought to bear.  Public Consultation:  Town Hall meeting for all Central Hastings municipalities.  Survey: online and paper copies distributed throughout community and to agencies.  Identify Plan Priorities:  vulnerable populations  risk factors  protective factors  local agencies, organizations and groups that can and should implement the protective factors  Identify Benchmarks for achievable outcomes  Compose the Plan:  Finalize the overall design and layout of the plan  Order and sequence of priority vulnerable groups and risk factors  Identify benchmarks and measures to increase achievability  Identify strategies for presenting draft plan to municipal councils and obtaining their approvals  Identify plan implementation strategies Page 24 of 45 Financial Responsibility & Sustainability The Fiscal Sustainability, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2019 is legislation that must be followed and is the Treasurers responsibility to ensure compliance. For each fiscal year, the Executive Council shall plan for a balanced budget. *Asset management planning is an ongoing and long-term process that allows municipalities to make the best possible investment decisions for their infrastructure assets. In many parts of Ontario, existing infrastructure is degrading faster than it is being repaired or replaced, putting services at risk. To help address this issue, the Province implemented the Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure Regulation, O. Reg. 588/17, effective January 1, 2018. *Source https://www.ontario.ca/page/municipal-asset-management-planning GOALS OBJECTIVES G1 Set the tax rate to support the sustainability of the municipality.  Identify key priorities year to year and set the tax rate to support services G2 Increase awareness on the financial challenges faced by municipal governments.  Educate and test stakeholders on:  Cost of infrastructure, programming, and services  Limited resources for revenue  The process of conditional grants  Downloading from Province  Allocations to Upper Tier and Joint Service Bodies G3 Make the Asset Management Plan a priority.  Update the municipal Level Of Service template regularly.  Target infrastructure identified as Very Poor for replacement or repair.  July 1, 2021: the municipality shall prepare an asset management plan in respect of its core municipal infrastructure assets.  The current levels of service must be defined for all core assets.  July 1, 2023: the municipality shall prepare an asset management plan in respect of all other municipal infrastructure assets.  The current levels of service must be defined for all other municipal assets.  July 1, 2024: the municipality must establish proposed levels of service for a minimum of 10 years. Page 25 of 45  A lifecycle management and financial strategy that covers a minimum of 10 years. G4 Improve revenue generating or cost recovery opportunities in each department. Related goals: A1, A2, B3  Implement user fees for facility usage and programming to recover costs where possible. Customer Service and Responsiveness GOALS OBJECTIVES H1 Find time efficiencies for staff. Related goals: A1, A3, A4, C2, E2, E3  Ensure new projects link to a goals and objectives in the Strategic Plan. H2 Improve Customer Service Standards.  Offer staff more training in Municipal Customer Service.  Council, Management, and Staff need to ensure the working environment is non-toxic and accommodating to the public.  Make the public more aware of the procedures in place to ensure timely customer service. H3 Improve Bylaw Enforcement.  Review specific bylaws with Municipal Lawyer to ensure they are enforceable.  Initiate a bylaw enforcement budget. Citizen involvement in municipal decision making. GOALS OBJECTIVES I1 Increase the stakeholder's awareness of the day- to-day options of communicating with the municipality.  Have recurring posts directing people to online forms, emails, and phone numbers.  Educate stakeholders on the how the council operates in its decision making, why meetings are public, and how to get an item on the agenda.  Educate stakeholders on the authority of council versus staff and when to contact one or the other. I2 Improve the balance of three levels of public involvement: Public Communication, Public Consultation, and Public Participation.  Consult the public more often using opinion polls.  Utilize local public organizations to poll members on certain topics. Page 26 of 45 Keeping online information up to date. GOALS OBJECTIVES J1 Increase number of times the website is scrubbed for errors and out-of-date information  Alternate members of staff to scrub the website for errors weekly.  Make a website feedback form available on the site. Simplifying the website. GOALS OBJECTIVES K1 Simplify the organization of the website.  Separate Tourism and Municipal Office Communications  Make a Tourism/Business specific Facebook Page  Make a Tourism/Business specific Blog  Make a Table of Contents Making account information available online. GOALS OBJECTIVES L1 Make more information available online  Create RSS emails of all news channels on the website.  Make bills and receipts emailable.  Make tax bills emailable  Make water bills emailable Page 27 of 45 Define the Strategic Priorities What are we going to do? The goals and objectives articulated in the previous section are the targets for our strategic initiatives. This will help us define our corporate principals. There are thirty-three incomplete corporate goals identified, which include three priority categories: a. 40% of the goals are financial and aimed at service improvement. b. 36% of the goals target an improvement in communication practices to improve transparency. c. 24% of the goals are advocating for data-supported planning initiatives. The Strategic Priorities are: Communication and Transparency Finance and Service Improvement Data-Supported Planning Strategic Priorities Finance and Service Improvement Data-Supported Planning Communications and Transparency Page 28 of 45 DEPARTMENT ALIGNMENT Who is doing what? Each department will be accountable for the goals and objectives that align with their services and responsibilities. In Appendix A: Corporate Roles Chart we list the roles within each department. Staff members fulfill multiple roles as assigned by the department head. The Department Alignment Chart below identifies who is responsible for each goal getting completed. There will be times when the lead department will need to work with other departments to satisfy the objectives, but the reporting and accountability fall on the lead department. DEPARTMENT ALIGNMENT CHART Goal Lead Department Role Priority A1 Transportation Systems and Procedures Finance & Service Improvement A2 Transportation Systems and Procedures Data Supported Planning A3 Transportation Systems and Procedures Finance & Service Improvement A4 Council Council Communication & Transparency B1 Administration Communications Communication & Transparency B2 Building and Bylaw Chief Building Officer Data Supported Planning B3 Administration Clerk Finance & Service Improvement C1 Administration Communications Communication & Transparency C2 Transportation Systems and Procedures Finance & Service Improvement D1 Administration Communications Communication & Transparency D2 Administration Communications Communication & Transparency E1 Administration Communications Communication & Transparency E2 Administration Communications Communication & Transparency E3 Administration Communications Communication & Transparency E4 Council Head of Council Communication & Transparency F1 Economic Development Economic Finance & Service Improvement Page 29 of 45 F2 Economic Development Economic Finance & Service Improvement F3 All Departments (Department Head) Data Supported Planning F4 Economic Development Communications Communication & Transparency F5 Economic Development Economic Data Supported Planning F6 Economic Development Community Finance & Service Improvement F7 Administration Clerk Data Supported Planning F8 Administration CAO Data Supported Planning G1 Council Council Finance & Service Improvement G2 Administration Communications Communication & Transparency G3 Environmental Services Asset Management Planning Data Supported Planning G4 All Departments (Department Head) Finance & Service Improvement H1 Administration CAO Finance & Service Improvement H2 Administration CAO Finance & Service Improvement H3 Administration CAO Finance & Service Improvement I1 Administration Communications Communication & Transparency I2 Administration Clerk Data Supported Planning J1 Administration Communications Finance & Service Improvement L1 Administration Communications Communications & Transparency K1 Administration Communications Finance and Service Improvement *As goals are complete, we will insert a grey background to the line. Page 30 of 45 NEXT STEPS Budget Planning The budget process should consider the Strategic Priorities and specific goals. Department Heads should base their requests to council on their deliverables. Key Performance Measures Key performance measures will ensure improvement, accountability, and open communication year after year in municipal service delivery. The identified goals and objectives are itemized deliverables. We hope that this process will continue to be refined over time and encourage innovation in how we deliver each service. Timelines The Strategic Plan is a four-year living document that should be updated and redistributed annually. The plan should be reviewed periodically and rewritten in four years. Municipal Elections The municipal election schedule is on a four-year cycle. The timeline of the Strategic Plan allows for overlap from Council to Council to ensure continuity of service. The four-year calendar allows the incoming council to review newly collected data to help inform the update to the plan. 2020: Strategic Plan is approved 2022: Municipal Campaign and Election 2023: Stakeholder Surveys 2024: Strategic Plan is approved Page 31 of 45 APPENDIX A: CORPORATE ROLES CHART Administration Department Role Focus Duties Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Operations 1. Financial Leadership 2. Corporate Performance 3. Enforcement of policies and procedures 4. Defining controls and standards 5. Human Resources Council Liaison 6. Maintains a sound working relationship with council 7. Ensures council receives required information to make sound decisions 8. Prepares reports for council on a variety of issues 9. Ensures council decisions are implemented Community Liaison 10. Maintains a sound working relationship with community leaders and all levels of government 11. Promotes open and positive communication within the community Municipal Clerk (Officer) Council 1. Ensures compliance with: a. Municipal Act, 2001 b. Archives and Recordkeeping Act c. Commissioners for taking Affidavits Act 2. Updates council on policy and legislation as prescribed in the Municipal Act and numerous other Acts 3. Council Meetings Minutes and Agendas a. To record, without note or comment, all resolutions, decisions and other proceedings of council; b. If required by any member present at a vote, to record the name and vote of every member voting on any matter or question; 4. Prepares reports for council on a variety of issues 5. To keep the originals or copies of all bylaws and all minutes of the proceedings of the council; Page 32 of 45 Elections 6. Ensures compliance with the Municipal Elections Act, 7. Conducts Municipal Elections every four years Vital Statistics 8. Ensuring compliance with Vital Statistics Act 9. Reporting to The Office of the Registrar General MFIPPA 10. Ensures compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act Issuing Lottery Licenses 11. Ensures compliance with: a. Criminal Code of Canada b. Orders in Council c. Gaming Control Act d. Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Bylaw 12. Bylaw development and updating Land Use Planning 13. Ensures compliance with Planning Act 14. Receives and reviews all planning applications 15. Prepares all notices and bylaws as required Accessibility Compliance & Accountability 1. Ensuring compliance with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2. Updating the Municipal Accessibility Plan Cemetery Compliance & Accountability 1. Ensuring compliance with the Bereavement Authority of Ontario 2. Sales of grave plots 3. Marks graves 4. Record keeping and reporting 5. Secretary on the Cemetery Board and implements decisions Facility Booking Customer Service 1. Town Hall 2. Community Centre 3. Community Hub 4. William Shannon Room 5. Deloro Hall Health and Safety Compliance & Accountability 1. Ensures compliance with Occupational Health and Safety Act Communication Compliance & Accountability 1. Ensures compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Municipal Information 2. Public Notices 3. RFPs 4. Employment Opportunities Page 33 of 45 5. Announcements 6. Media Placement 7. Presentations 8. Department Updates Channels 9. Website 10. Facebook 11. Twitter 12. Linkedin 13. Google 14. LED sign Reception Front Desk 1. Professionally greet all visitors and direct to appropriate department 2. Process payments 3. Pick up and sort mail Phones 4. Receive and direct all calls 5. Respond to voicemail 6. Take messages for staff Building and Bylaw Department Role Focus Duties Chief Building Officer Compliance & Accountability 1. Ensures compliance with: a. Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 23 i. Building permits ii. Building inspections iii. Stop work orders iv. Orders to comply v. Unsafe notices vi. Demolition permits vii. Remedy safe orders viii. Orders to uncover b. Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13 c. Comprehensive zoning bylaw i. Proper location of building on land ii. Ensuring proper permitted use d. Conservation Authority Page 34 of 45 Bylaw Enforcement Compliance & Accountability 1. Ensures compliance with a. Municipal Bylaws b. Provincial standards Council Role Focus Duties Head of Council Representation and Legislation Roles of Head of Council under the Municipal Act: 1. to act as the chief executive officer of the municipality; 2. to preside over council meetings so that its business can be carried out efficiently and effectively; 3. to provide leadership to the council; 4. to provide information and recommendations to the council with respect to the role of council; 5. to represent the municipality at official functions; and 6. to carry out the duties of the head of council under this or any other Act. Council Representation and Legislation The Municipal Act 2001, section 224, states these roles for council: 1. to represent the public and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality; 2. to develop and evaluate the policies and programs of the municipality; 3. to determine which services the municipality provides; 4. to ensure that administrative practices and procedures and controllership policies, practices and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of council; 5. to ensure the accountability and transparency of the operations of the municipality, including the activities of the senior management of the municipality; Page 35 of 45 6. to maintain the financial integrity of the municipality; and 7. to carry out the duties of council under this or any other Act. Economic Development Department Role Focus Duties Economic Development 1. Attracting new business 2. Supporting local business 3. Economic Development Advisory Committee 4. Funding Tourism Development 1. Running the Tourism Centre 2. Supporting tourism businesses and organizations 3. Downtown beautification Community Development 1. Supporting local events 2. Supporting Active Living programming 3. Funding Communication Compliance & Accountability 1. Ensures compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Promotion 2. Business 3. Tourism Channels 4. Facebook 5. Instagram 6. Website 7. LED Sign 8. Twitter Emergency Services Role Focus Duties Fire Chief Systems and Procedures 1. Proper practice Ontario Fire Marshall 2. Ensures compliance with: a. Fire Protection and Prevention Act b. Occupational Health and Safety Act 3. Develop Policies Page 36 of 45 4. Reviews, updates, and implements all bylaws and standard operating guidelines and procedures Investigations 5. Initiates and supports fire and emergency incident investigations Training 6. Prepare volunteer firefighters for rescue and emergency events Emergency Management 7. Implement the Emergency Management Program 8. Ensures the development of the Municipal Emergency Plan is in compliance with: a. Provincial requirements b. Fire Protection and Prevention Act c. Occupational Health and Safety Act 9. Annual emergency exercise Fire Fighter Rescue and Emergency 1. First Response Communication Channels 1. Facebook 2. Public Events 3. Media Environmental Services Role Focus Duties Water and Wastewater Facility Operations 1. Ensures compliance with: a. Ministry of the Environment Act b. Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 c. Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 d. Clean Water Act, 2006 e. Health Protection and Promotion Act f. Ontario Water Resources Act g. Environmental Protection Act h. Drinking Water Quality Management Standard 2. Municipal Drinking Water Licenses 3. Drinking Water Works Permits to take Water 4. Wastewater ECA's 5. Landfill ECA's Landfill Operations 1. Ensures compliance with: a. Environmental Compliance Approvals Page 37 of 45 b. Development and Operation Plan c. Occupational Health and Safety Act 2. Landfill ECA's 3. Customer Service Asset Management Planning Sustainability 1. Infrastructure management Source Water Protection Compliance & Accountability 1. Ensures compliance with Source Water Protection Finance Department Role Focus Duties Municipal Treasurer (Officer) Financial Sustainability 1. Collecting money payable to the municipality and issuing receipts for these payments; 2. Depositing all money received on behalf of the municipality in a financial institution designated by the municipality; 3. Paying all debts of the municipality and other expenditures authorized by the municipality; 4. Maintaining accurate records and accounts of the financial affairs of the municipality; 5. Providing the council with such information with respect to the financial affairs of the municipality as it requires or requests; and 6. Ensuring investments of the municipality are made in compliance with the regulations made under section 418. Accounts Receivable Compliance 1. MFIPPA Accuracy 1. Entering all payments into keystone in timely manner 2. All municipal invoicing and collections 3. All forms of deposits (Bank, cash, debit, cheque) Accounts Payable Compliance & Accountability 1. MFIPPA 2. GAPPA Accuracy 3. Meeting payment deadlines 4. Issuing cheques for all invoices 5. Attaching invoices to Keystone 6. Filing paper copies of all invoices Page 38 of 45 Property Tax Revenue Stream 1. Billing a. Collections b. Supplemental Billing c. Consolidations and Severances d. Pre-authorized payment plans e. Mortgage companies 2. Tax Sales Compliance & Accountability 3. MFIPPA a. Confidentiality b. 4. Municipal Act a. Section 5. MPAC Assessments 6. Bylaw - Tax Rate 7. Ontario Assessment Act 8. OPTA 9. Tribunal Customer Service 10. Take payments at the desk 11. Assist public with questions and concerns Utilities Revenue Stream 1. Collections 2. Billing 3. Pre-authorized payment plans Compliance & Accountability 4. User Fee Bylaw Customer Service 5. Answering users' questions and concerns 6. Taking payments and collections 7. Investigations Payroll Compliance & Accountability 1. WSIB 2. Revenue Canada 3. Manulife 4. OMERS 5. Employment Standards Act 6. Canadian Payroll Association Guidelines Accuracy 7. Ensuring correct payment to employees, council, and volunteer firefighters 8. Meeting strict deadlines 9. Entering correct data into Ceridian Real Estate Compliance & Accountability 1. Zoning compliance reports 2. MFIPPA Customer Service 3. Changing title on accounts 4. Tax Certificates to legal council Service Ontario Customer Service 1. Driving Transactions 2. Vehicle Transactions 3. Health Transactions Page 39 of 45 4. Ontario Photo Card Compliance & Accountability 5. Mandated by the Province to operate under a contract between the Municipality and ServiceOntario. 5. Commissioners for taking Affidavits Act Parks and Recreation Department Role Focus Duties Programming Active Lifestyle 1. Swim Program 2. Support Local Sports Organizations a. Baseball b. Hockey c. Skating d. Curling Club e. Silver Foxes f. Terry Fox Events 3. Crowe Valley Lions Club 4. Crowe Lake Waterway Association 5. Agricultural Society 6. Community Care for Central Hastings 7. Girl Guides 8. Marmora Historical Foundation Facilities Bookings 1. Arena 2. Fairgrounds 3. Ball Diamond Safety 4. 24/7 on-call municipal building alarms 5. Snow removal 6. Manage contractors Maintenance Buildings 1. Town Hall 2. Tourism Centre 3. Arena & Community Centre 4. Roads Department 5. Parks Building 6. Memorial Building 7. Medical Centre Facilitation 8. TSSA Inspections Cemetery 9. Digging Graves 10. Leveling Headstones Garbage and Recycling 11. Parks 12. Forsyth Street 13. Buildings Page 40 of 45 Groundskeeping Parks and green spaces 1. Grass 2. Brush 3. Gardens/Planters 4. Entrance Signs 5. Ball Diamond 6. Fairgrounds 7. Playground Inspection 8. Cemetery Naylor's Common 1. Trails 2. Parking lots 3. Picnic Tables Arena Ice Surface 1. Ensure compliance of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2. Ensure safety of staff and public 3. Ensure quality ice surface Cleaning Buildings 1. Town Hall 2. Tourism Centre 3. Arena & Community Centre 4. Roads Department 5. Fire Department 6. Parks Building 7. Memorial Building 8. Medical Centre Grounds 9. Exterior upkeep 10. Streets and Sidewalks 11. Dumped Garbage Transportation Services Role Focus Duties Systems and Procedures Compliance 1. Ensures compliance with: a. Occupational Health and Safety Act b. Ontario Traffic Manual c. Drainage Act d. Municipal Policies & Procedures e. Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration (CVOR) f. Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM) g. Ministry of Transportation Act h. Ontario Highway Transport Board Act Page 41 of 45 i. Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act j. Dedicated Funding for Public Transportation Act k. Bridges Act l. Public Vehicles Act m. Public Service Works on Highways Act n. Highway Traffic Act o. Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways 2. Ensures the use of best engineering practices a. Ontario Provincial Standards Specification (OPSS) b. Ontario Provincial Standard Drawing (OPSD) c. Geometric Guidelines for Municipal Roads 3. Respond and Resolve the public issues as necessary 4. Proper Practices Training Safety Ensure all staff are up to date on training Maintenance Safety 1. Adheres to all legislated requirements of the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways 2. Infrastructure repair 3. Occupational Health and Safety Act 4. Drainage Act 5. Legislation re; maximum driving hours Administration 1. Customer Service 2. Customer Safety 3. Performance Appraisals 4. Human Resource Management 5. Prepare Monthly Reports for Council 6. Making Recommendation to Council 7. Work with other organization (Hydro, Bell, Contractors, Engineering Firms, Etc.) Snow Clearing Compliance 1. Record Keeping 2. Road Patrols 3. Adheres to all legislated requirements of the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways Page 42 of 45 Sidewalks, paths, and parking lots 4. Sweeping 5. Snow Clearing Repairs 1. CVOR annual inspection 2. Equipment Health and Safety Compliance Ensures compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act in relation to: 1. Flagging 2. Equipment Training 3. Equipment in working condition Page 43 of 45 APPENDIX B: STAFF REPORT TEMPLATE Page 44 of 45 Page 45 of 45 APPENDIX C: STAFF MONTH END REPORT TEMPLATE