REQUEST FOR DECISION
DATE: August 17, 2020 Report No. ADM-20-014
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Rachel Dumas, Manager of Corporate Services
SUBJECT:
Title
2019 Annual ReportEnd
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council adopt the Township of Esquimalt 2019 Annual Report at attached to Staff Report ADM-20-014.
Body
RELEVANT POLICY:
Section 98 of the Community Charter
Ministerial Order No. 159
Council’s Strategic Priorities Report 2019-2023
STRATEGIC RELEVANCE:
Annual Report to the public on meeting Council’s Strategic Priorities and staff’s operational strategies.
BACKGROUND:
Section 98(1) of the Community Charter requires that before June 30th of each year, Council must prepare an Annual Report and make the Report available for public inspection. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ministerial Order No. 159 (Attachment No. 1) was issued on May 15th, 2020, which permitted an extension for Local Governments to fulfill the annual reporting requirements to no later than August 31st, 2020.
The mandatory items to be included in the Annual Report are set out in Section 98(2) of the Community Charter which include:
(a) the audited annual financial statements
(b) tax exemptions and the amount of property taxes that would have been imposed
(c) a report respecting municipal services and operations
(d) a progress report in relation to the objectives and measures established for that year
(e) a statement of municipal objectives, the measures that will be used to determine progress respecting those objectives for the current and next year, and
(f) any other information the council considers advisable.
Section 99 of the Community Charter requires that the Council must annually, at a Council meeting or other public meeting, consider the Annual Report and any submissions and questions from the public. The Annual Report must be made available for public inspection at least 14 days prior to the meeting, and Council must give notice of the date, time and place of the annual meeting.
The Annual Report, (Attachment No. 3) was prepared based on the mandatory items that must be included in the Report. A Public Notice was published in the Victoria News on August 6th and August 13th, posted on the Township’s website and on the notice board at Municipal Hall. The Report has been made available to the public for review since July 31st, in hard copy at Municipal Hall and electronically on the website.
ISSUES:
1. Rationale for Selected Option
The preparation, notification, public review and adoption of the 2019 Annual Report is in compliance with the requirements of the Community Charter.
2. Organizational Implications
The Annual Report is the means by which local governments report to the public on their accomplishments the previous year, in particular on meeting Council’s strategic priorities for that year.
3. Financial Implications
There are no financial implications. The audited financial statements for 2019 form part of the Annual Report.
4. Sustainability & Environmental Implications
There are no sustainability or environmental implications.
5. Communication & Engagement
The Annual Report has been posted on the Township’s website and made available for public review since July 31st, 2020. Notice of its availability has been advertised in Victoria News, on our website and on the Municipal Hall notice board. Once approved, the finalized Annual Report will be available at Municipal Hall and through our website and will form part of the Township’s permanent corporate records.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. That Council adopt the Township of Esquimalt 2019 Annual Report as attached to Staff Report ADM-20-014.
2. That Council direct amendments to the Township of Esquimalt 2019 Annual Report and adopt the Annual Report as amended.