State of the Town Address: Part 6

We have operated on fact in all areas of responsibility and where possible we are open to sharing information.

Resource Management:

Human Resource approach:

  • Fully staffed, all jobs advertised locally first
  • Staff training provided, notable success on courses taken by staff; 95% average
  • In-house staff provide invaluable resource pool for all departments and are completing priority work i.e., Landfill work at substantial savings as per community and water board requirements.
  • Staff home purchases
  • Hire local and invest in training
  • Mentorship models
  • Staff satisfaction levels at 95%, we are once again becoming an employer of choice
  • Transition plans for manager levels in all departments
  • Institutional memory = sustainability and follow through on plans and investments
  • Possibility of pool opening are working on in community training plan for lifeguards

Contractor approach: goal of supporting more local businesses, ensuring less politicizing of the contractor/town relationship

  • Fair awarding of contracts, regardless of contractor
  • No undue conflict of interest by councillor/contractor: diligently managed at Council level
  • Sole sourced to contractor when need for expediency, been open public meeting process
  • New lens on contract work with goal of saving operational funds and investing in capital projects
  • An RFQ for equipment was posted to the community. All quotes included in our resultant listing.
  • The agreement refers to agreed upon rates being set for the term of the agreement, it does not mean we will use the equipment. This is not an award of a contract, but a process which affords the Town the ability to access equipment when and if required economically and efficiently
  • This was not a process by which to give any one contractor management control over the landfill, the Town manages the Landfill
  • Our workers are FTE and as such are available for more work than equipment operation, and this year considering an increase in SLWB requirements, and a community call for more management of the landfill we have hired a Landfill Coordinator fulltime and a landfill MSW half-time. Both positions are available to offset work in other areas as needed and vice versa.
  • Contracting is more expensive than in house staffing in many cases
  • Council has attempted to support other small and mid-sized in town contractors: “Jackfish, graveyard, resting areas, elder’s driveways and contractors