PERIOD REPORT
DATE: January 8, 2018 Report No. ADM-18-003
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Anja Nurvo, Director of Corporate Services
SUBJECT:TITLE Corporate Services - 2017 Third Period Report
Body
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Corporate Services Department from September 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Corporate Services
• Staff completed the following:
o 32 meetings: preparation of notices, newspaper notifications, agendas, and minutes for Regular, Special and In Camera meetings of Council and Committee of the Whole, including posting on website, preparation of late items, action reports and completion of all required follow up (YTD 96)
o 3 proclamations prepared and posted, including on website (YTD 16)
• Corporate Officer and Deputy Corporate Officer completed 17 electronic registrations at Land Title Office (YTD 38 ), and commissioned 16 documents for members of the public (YTD 59)
• Corporate Officer responded to 5 requests for access to records under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (YTD 27); two appeals to Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner were successfully completed, have been elevated to formal inquiry by the applicant and are currently waiting to be assigned an inquiry date
• Administrative Assistant/Deputy Corporate Officer continued with courses towards a Diploma in Public Administration, completing an additional 3 courses with 2 remaining for 2018
• Staff attended training by Local Government Management Association on Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy legislative requirements as well as workshop on updated Records Management Manual
• Staff participated in Tempest Upgrade training, Corporate Officer procedures workshop hosted by CRD, Building Effective Teams workshop, and advanced training in Word and Excel
• Office Assistant completed preparation of pilot electronic records filing structure for Corporate Services Department, and has commenced transferring electronic files into the new structure; training of staff and implementation of new structure will commence early in 2018
• Staff coordinated four Mayor’s Open Door meetings, registration and all arrangements for travel and accommodation for 2018 Conferences for Council
• Staff coordinated and organized Council’s participation in several community events including parades and New Year’s Levee
• Executive Assistant participated in ongoing training for providing assistance to and acting as backup for Communications Specialist.
2. Communications
• Completion of Canada 150 project, including program budgeting and administration, final report writing and communications support for completion of signage project.
• Working with author Sherri Robinson, completed editing, layout and design of new Township Walking Tours booklet, a 20 page folded booklet/brochure with revised maps, text and updated images.
• Worked with web consultant on website upgrades, including new contact directory section and search function.
• Worked with Mayor on a variety of writing assignments, including monthly Victoria News columns, annual address, speeches and presentations.
• Continued with program of news releases and media advisories, posting 26 news items to the website and issuing three releases using the regional news media contact list.
• Assisted with promotion of community events and media photo opportunities.
• Photography for internal and external news, events and website content.
• Website home page refreshing of content and working with various departments on revising and adding web content.
• Daily media monitoring using Google alerts, media websites, and social media, forwarding information to senior staff when appropriate. A total of 46 news items were posted to the internal staff website (The Bridge) during the period.
• Daily home page updating of The Bridge will information of interest to staff, including announcements, staff moves, news items, videos and photo galleries.
• Liaise with advertising representatives from print, broadcast and online media on advertising opportunities.
• Editing, writing and design of October 2017 “Current” newsletter. Stories included:
o Official Community Plan Review
o Connect with the Township
o Live Streaming at Esquimalt Town Square
o Composting 101
o Canada Post Updates Esquimalt Mail Addresses
o Protecting our Marine Environment
o Building Blocks of Regional Wastewater Treatment Project
o Be Prepared for an Emergency
o Community Calendar
Communications Analytics:
• Website Google Analytics
o 212,081 page views (240,644 page views last period)
o Top three page views: 1) Parks and Recreation, 2) Municipal Hall, 3) News-Events
• Daily monitoring of social media sites and posting of information (last period in brackets)
o 64 (54) tweets and retweets posted to Twitter (as of Dec 21)
o 114 (120) new Twitter followers added during the period (as of Dec 21)
o 96 (50) timeline posts to Facebook
o 51 (70) new Facebook likes during the period
• Legistar Analytics (last period in brackets)
o 521 (602) total page views (all pages in the Granicus system)
o 288 (386) total visits (total number of times visitors came to the site
o 288 (386) total unique visitors - individual views of the site
o 74% (78%) desktop, 26% (22%) mobile
3. Archives
• There were 36 logged in requests for information, 5 image permission to use requests and 37 walk-in requests for service. There were a number of simple requests, received by phone, and answered immediately with no requirement for further research to be done. Several requests from overseas were received; most of these are ongoing.
• Two articles were written for the Victoria News by archivist Greg Evans. The Archives continues to answer questions for both papers, the Times Colonist and the Victoria News.
• New acquisitions included the business records and related material from the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce, artist Joan Thompson’s work, a large collection of military history books, as well as three monetary donations totalling $550 was deposited in the Archives reserve fund.
• Assistance was given to a number of realtors calling about the age and history of houses they were selling. An increased number of requests about built heritage history from home owners also took place as well as some inquiries relating to heritage designation. Our house files allow us to produce both land and building information in a timely fashion. We continue to work closely with our heritage partners, the Hallmark Heritage Society, the Victoria History Foundation, Victoria Genealogy Society and the Old Cemeteries Society. The Demolition Permit process continues to work well and all properties to be demolished have been photographed.
• Staff and volunteers assisted with many research requests, including:
o First Nations’ connections to Ogden Point
o Esquimalt/First Nations research
o Esquimalt Takata Gardens
o English Inn property history
o ‘Ladies behind the Red Curtains’
o Goldstream Power House and surrounding land
o Lady Emily Walker for a forthcoming book
o Macaulay Point
o Robin Schonfield whose father, a crew member of HMCS Sarnia, was in command of rescue boats for HMCS Esquimalt survivors in 1945. We directed him to the right people enabling him to arrange for his father’s burial in God’s Acre. He donated his father’s book A Wartime Romance to the archives
• Our team of 6 volunteers contributed over 600 hours working on the image collection, distribution of 200 walking tour brochures, accessioning library books, obit carding and clean up of vertical files, and producing finding aids for several collections.
• Volunteer Archivist worked with the Communications Specialist on the new format Walking Tours.
4. Human Resources
Recruitment (Regular Positions)
There were 3 regular positions posted and filled:
Financial Services & IT:
• IT Manager
Parks and Recreation:
• Events Supervisor (p/t)
• Building Maintenance Worker
Training
Word and Excel Training:
HR organized intermediate and advanced level Word and Excel training for staff. Through September to November, several departments sent staff to a total of 66 six-hour classes.
Building Effective Teams - Roles, Responsibilities, Tips and Tools for an Optimal Workplace -Oct 30, 31, Nov 16 & 17:
HR worked with Marli Rusen, an employment and human rights lawyer who facilitated a 3 hour seminar, held over four sessions. Training was mandatory for all regular staff - there were 113 attendees. Feedback indicated the training was well-received.
New Employee Orientation:
HR is working with an external consultant to develop 5 electronic e-modules for new employees, with implementation set for February, 2018. The modules will be available electronically, as well as a paper copy version for those who do not work with a computer. Modules include information about the Township - the departments and their functions, and the Directors, Mayor and Council, and the Unions. Content also includes information about health and safety in the workplace; policies regarding conduct and ensuring a harassment free workplace; freedom of information, protection of privacy, records management, and our information technology.
General
Oct 25 - HR organized the annual Flu Clinic - 37 participated.
Dec 4 - HR organized the annual Employee Long Term Service Presentation Event. This year, employees with perfect attendance were also invited to the event.
Labour Relations
Grievances:
All grievances from the Union have been resolved; there are no outstanding grievances.
Collective Bargaining:
Both the CUPE and IAFF Collective Agreements expired on December 31, 2016.
Bargaining commenced with CUPE, and the parties exchanged proposals on December 5th. Two bargaining dates have been scheduled: January 17, and January 22, 2018.
Bargaining dates have not been set with IAFF.
II. COMMITTEES
• Staff acted as Recording Secretary and prepared notice, agenda, minutes of one Environmental Advisory Committee meeting and one Labour Management meeting during this period.
• Staff coordinated Council’s annual internal and external appointments, including advising organizations of appointments, preparing updated appointment list, and updating website.