[homeles_ot-l] 2011 Budget Process and City Governance Review for 2010-2014 Council

[Linda Lalonde]

Hi folks,
 
The governance review report that comes at the beginning of each term of Council was tabled at the November 24th meeting of the old Council and is due to be considered/approved at the December 8th meeting on the new gang. It can be found at http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2010/11-24/ACS2010-CMR-CCB-0106%20Governance.htm. It's a 72-page document (with no page numbers) and the Executive Summary is on pp. 9 - 13. 
 
It also includes the recommended 2011 budget process on pp. 36 - 37. There is no mention of public delegations at full Council/Committee of the Whole but it is still possible since they have allocated a week for Council deliberations.
 
Although it refers early on to transparent & accountable government and later talks about the need for citizen engagement, it appears that this report is going to go directly to Council with no opportunity for public input. 
 
There are some important changes being proposed including: 
the creation of an arms-length Transit Commission; 
creation of two deputy mayor positions with the occupants to be recommended by the mayor; 
splitting the Planning & Environment standing committee into two committees (I understand there is a suggestion to move Housing from Community Services to Planning Committee);
establishing a Governance Renewal Sub-Committee made up of the mayor, a staff person and one other person that would look at citizen engagement, a code of conduct for Councillors and a lobbyist registry;
the process for setting up the Board of Health;
and several other items.
 
One interesting comment (see below) says that the outgoing Councillors and the incoming Mayor were interviewed for this report but not the other new Councillors. Staff recommendations are also included.
"While all Members of the 2006-2010 Council were interviewed for this Governance Report, with the significant turnover in the composition of the 2010-2014 Council, it was not possible to interview all the Councillors-elect in time for the preparation of this report, or to develop consensus recommendations from the incoming Council. In addition to the recommendations made under the guidance of the incoming Mayor, there are some staff recommendations that are based on ideas presented by the Meetings Investigator, by members of Advisory Committees, and by best practices in other municipalities." 
  
So the dance begins ... 
Linda.
 

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