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CITY OF VANCOUVER POLICY REPORT |
Date: |
May 6, 2004 | |
Author: |
Ann McAfee | |
Phone No.: |
604.873.7451 | |
RTS No.: |
03675 | |
CC File No.: |
8009 | |
Meeting Date: |
June 8, 2004 |
TO: |
Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic |
FROM: |
Director of City Plans and the General Manager of Engineering Services in consultation with the General Manager of Corporate Services |
SUBJECT: |
Staffing for Renfrew-Collingwood and Hastings-Sunrise Visions Implementation and Arterial Planning |
RECOMMENDATIONS
A1 THAT Council approve the creation of a permanent Planner 2 position and a permanent Planning Analyst position to work on implementation of the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions. Annual cost of these two positions including benefits is $131,000 plus a one time cost of $6000 for computers and software. Funding for the balance of 2004, estimated at $93,300, is available in the City Plans Division operating budget. Funding for 2005 and future years to be added to the City Plans operating budget without offset.
OR
A2 THAT Council approve the creation of a temporary Planner 2 position and a temporary Planning Analyst position for a period of 20 months to work on implementation of the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions. Annual cost of these two positions including benefits is $119,500 plus a one time cost of $6,000 for computers and software. Funding for the balance of 2004, estimated at $93,300, is available in the City Plans Division operating budget. Funding for 2005 to be added to the City Plans operating budget without offset. Director of City Plans will report back prior to December 2005 on future staffing needs for Visions Implementation.
B THAT Council approve the conversion of the temporary Civil Engineer position (Vision Implementation/Arterial Plans) and the Engineering Assistant 2 (technical support staff)to permanent full-time positions to work with Planning staff on the implementation of Visions, Neighbourhood Centres, and arterial reviews, effective January 2005. Annual cost for the two positions is $123,600 including benefits. Funding for 2004 is available within the Engineering Services operating budget. Funding for 2005 and future years to be added to the Engineering Services operating budget without offset.
CSG GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services notes that this staffing request is consistent with the implementation approach taken in the first four Vision-ed areas. The policy framework provided by the Visions and the ongoing positive contact with the Vision-ed communities benefit all City departments making decisions and delivering services in these areas. Provision of Implementation staff and resources is essential to ensure that both City staff and the community have the advice and support required to make the Visions happen. The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A1 and B as recognizing the ongoing nature of Vision implementation and the City's commitment to community building.
ENGINEERING SERVICES GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Engineering Services supports A1 and B recognizing that there are a number of neighbourhoods that have undergone the Visioning process and are ready for the initiation of implementation.
COUNCIL POLICY
Since 1998, City Council has approved six Community Visions. After completion of the Visions, Council has approved action plans, staffing and budgets for implementation.
PURPOSE
This report recommends that Council approve:
- two new Planning positions to work on implementation of the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community Visions; and
- conversion of one temporary Civil Engineer position and one temporary Engineering Assistant to permanent status to continue the work on arterial planning and other transportation-related Vision implementation actions.
BACKGROUND
The Community Visions program was approved by Council in 1996 and 1999. Six of nine Visions have now been completed and endorsed by Council: Dunbar and Kensington-Cedar Cottage in 1998, Sunset and Victoria-Fraserview/ Killarney in 2001; and Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Community in 2004. Visions seven and eight (Riley Park/South Cambie and Arbutus Ridge/Kerrisdale/Shaughnessy) will be completed by the end of 2005 leaving one area, West Point Grey, to complete.
Council has also approved strategies including action plans, budgets and staffing for Vision implementation (1999 and 2003).
DISCUSSION
Community Visions are used by City Departments and Boards to inform and guide decisions and programs that affect the community. Many Vision directions can be addressed by re-directing existing programs and staff; however, there are some areas where new resources are required. This report addresses staffing requests for Visions implementation, co-ordination, and community support, and for arterial planning.
Vision Implementation Co-ordination and Community Liaison/Support
When each Community Vision is completed and approved by Council, Vision implementation begins. The task of co-ordinating and supporting Vision implementation activities at the City and community levels is assigned to the Vision Implementation Team. These staff are assigned geographically which enables them to develop in-depth knowledge of their communities and form ongoing relationships with local residents and organizations. This approach is unique to the Visions program. Prior to Visions, staff were assigned to develop area plans and then reassigned to other projects. This lack of ongoing commitment of staff resources and/or budget resulted in many plans not being fully or effectively implemented and relationships that had been built up with the communities breaking down.
The approach now is to assign staff specifically to Vision implementation and community liaison, responsible for:
· Developing and monitoring Vision implementation strategies, including Action Plans, for Vision-ed communities;
Assisting City staff across the organization to be aware of relevant Vision directions, to advise and assist staff on implementation actions, and to ensure that work is consistent with Visions;
· Monitoring and commenting on rezoning, development and transportation proposals in Vision-ed areas;
· Advising and assisting staff who are reviewing proposals or undertaking projects in Vision-ed areas on Visions directions, community involvement and public process;
· Meeting regularly with community-based implementation committees and sub-committees;
· Assisting and supporting a range of community initiatives such as special events and greening projects;
· Developing and translating communication materials, keeping the website up to date;
· Facilitating community action and problem-solving on local issues.
At present there are two planners and a planning assistant working in the four Vision-ed areas (Dunbar, KCC, Sunset and VFK). As noted in the Vision Implementation report considered by Council in September 2003: "Based on our experience over the past four years, the ideal staffing complement for dealing with implementation issues is l.0 FTE Planner and 1.0 FTE Planning Assistant for two Vision communities (0.5 FTE Planner and 0.5 FTE Planning Assistant per community)." With the completion and approval of the Hastings-Sunrise and Renfrew-Collingwood Visions, the next step is to begin implementation. Because no Planning staff are currently available for this assignment, several options for staffing these new areas have been considered including:
Option One - no new staff
· Existing implementation staff would have to cover the two new areas in addition to the four areas in which they are now working. The 50% increase in work load would mean less time to spend in and with the communities, supporting community processes and initiatives, and a delay in beginning implementation activities in the two new areas. Staff do not feel this is a viable option to adequately support Vision implementation.
Option Two - add 2 new permanent staff positions (Recommendation A1)
· This would allow for implementation activities to begin right away in the new areas while maintaining staff support at current levels in the other Vision-ed communities. Making the staff positions permanent would demonstrate the City's commitment to implementing the Visions over the next 10 to 20 years and to continuing to support community involvement. Funding for 2004 is available for these positions. New funds are required for 2005.
Option Three - add 2 new temporary staff positions for 20 months
(Recommendation A2)
· This would allow for implementation activities to begin right away in the new areas however, with less certainty for the future. This option requires a report back to Council at the end of 2005 to reconsider the matter of staffing in the context of the overall budget and work priorities at that time. Funding for 2004 is available for these positions. New funds are required for 2005.
The Director of City Plans notes that staffing for Vision Implementation should be considered in the context of overall staffing for Visions and future area planning requirements. The Visions programs currently underway in Riley Park/South Cambie and Arbutus Ridge/Kerrisdale/Shaughnessy will be completed by the end of 2005. At that time, one staff team (Planner and Planning Analyst) is scheduled to do the West Point Grey Vision. The other staff team (Planner and Planning Analyst) will be available for reassignment.
In addition to Vision implementation there is other pending work requiring staff resources. We have received requests from communities not part of the Visioning process, such as the West End, Grandview Woodlands, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant and Marpole, to have their older area plans updated. Recently, Business Improvement Associations in some of these areas also have asked for more planning attention. Council has requested a report back on a strategy for "re-visioning" or updating these area plans. This report will go to Council later this year.
If Council approves Recommendation A1 (providing new permanent staff for Vision Implementation) it will mean that staff who have experience in preparing Community Visions (area plans) will be available to move on to "re-visioning". Recommendation A2 (temporary implementation staff) provides Council with the option in 2005 to determine whether Vision policy staff move into Vision Implementation or begin the policy work updating older area plans ("re-visioning").
Engineering Staffing
In 1999, when City Council approved the first two Visions (Dunbar and Kensington Cedar Cottage), it also approved temporary Civil Engineer II and Engineering Assistant 2 positions for a 28 month period to work on developing comprehensive arterial plans for Knight Street, Kingsway and Dunbar Street.
Subsequently, the incumbent has been working on the review of the Knight/Clark corridor (Whole Route Analysis) and developing the transportation strategies for the Knight and Kingsway Neighbourhood Centre. This work should be complete by fall 2004, but as more Visions are approved the list of outstanding transportation-related work items is also increasing. All of the Visions identify significant safety and liveability issues on arterials, including those which pass through local shopping areas.
The Knight Street arterial study represents a new and more comprehensive approach to dealing with traffic issues on arterials. This approach was proposed in the City Transportation Plan, and has been confirmed by the Visioning process. Many of the recommendations from the Visioning processes relate to the existing transportation network. As this work will extend over the next decade, staff request that the temporary Civil Engineer and Engineering Assistant positions be converted to regular full-time effective January 2005. These two positions will work with Planning staff in all Visions areas (Dunbar, KCC, Sunset, VFK, Hastings-Sunrise, Renfrew-Collingwood areas). Funding is in place for both positions for the balance of 2004.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Total annual cost for a permanent Planner 2 including benefits is $73,900. Annual cost of a permanent Planning Analyst with benefits is $57,400. Funding for fiscal 2004, estimated at $93,300 is available from the Visions Implementation project budget.
Total annual cost of salary and benefits for the Civil Engineer (CEII) and Engineering Assistant (EAII) is $123,600 . Funding for the balance of 2004 for both positions is available in the Engineering Services operating budgets.
Funding for 2005 and future years would need to be added to the respective operating budgets without offset.
PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS
If approved as permanent positions, the two Planning and the Engineering Assistant positions will be forwarded to the GVRD Labour Relations Department for review and classification.
CONCLUSION
As the number of approved Visions increases so does the volume of work associated with implementation. While much can be done with existing resources and programs, there are some areas where additional staffing is required. The General Manager of Community Services recommends that Council approve two new permanent Planning positions for implementation of the Hastings Sunrise and Renfrew Collingwood Community Visions. The General Manager of Engineering Services recommends that Council approve the conversion to permanent status of the temporary Civil Engineer and Engineering Assistant positions working on Visions implementation. Funding for all four positions is available for 2004. Funding is requested for 2005 and beyond.
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