The demand for 24/7 online customer service, the focus on current and future staff, and the cost to replace aging infrastructure were the common themes coming out of budget presentations this week in Port Coquitlam.
On Monday and Tuesday, department managers stood before city council to detail their draft business plans for 2017 and '18 and to outline their challenges as they try to keep pace with the community's wants and needs.
The city's chief administrative officer, John Leeburn, who is asking to increase his budget next year to $292,600, said one of his priorities is to meet the public's ever-increasing appetite to get information fast. Social media has ramped up residents' expectations to know more — despite limited resources to deliver.
Digital communication is also top of mind for Coquitlam RCMP Supt. Sean Maloney, who told council on Monday his detachment struggles to stay on top. "The public wants to know now — not tomorrow, immediate," he said.
Both also told city council about other shifting priorities in their departments, such as employee attraction, retention and wellness.
All Metro Vancouver municipalities have good jobs but not enough good people to fill them, Leeburn said. As a result, the civic workplace is suffering.
Leeburn's goal "is to develop capability within the organization" and while he doesn't want to add to the $30-million payroll, "we have to spend it better."
Maloney, meanwhile, said the police detachment PoCo shares with Coquitlam has hired 57 cadets since January 2015. Each recruit must go through six months of field training when they arrive, which puts a strain on senior personnel, who provide frontline supervision, mentorship and training.
(This year, Coquitlam RCMP had 248 Mounties and about 100 full-time civilian staff, and oversaw thousands of volunteers in programs such as the auxiliary constable service, Block Watch and victim services, among others).
Meanwhile, the city's aging roads, pipes and facilities continue to be a top issue for PoCo's engineering department, which wants $26.8 million next year.
Like Leeburn and Maloney, Kristen Meersman, director of engineering and public works, said retirements and turnover of young middle managers has put a focus on recruitment and professional development in her department. Finding qualified candidates to fill key vacancies has been a problem, she said, and if the positions go vacant, council can't deliver its programs on time.
Still, according to several budget reports, many jobs aren't being posted because the city and the union representing civic workers, CUPE Local 498, aren't seeing eye to eye when job descriptions change (union reps were at Monday's presentations).
The budget presentations, which were live-streamed online, also included managers from development services, fire and emergency rescue, recreation, human resources, corporate support and finance.
Coun. Dean Washington, chair of the budget and infrastructure committee, told The Tri-City News Tuesday morning that councillors posed tough questions to drill down on costs. The city is facing a $132-million bill to replace the PoCo recreation complex, a project that is scheduled to break ground next spring.
Other highlights proposed for the 2017 budget include:
• updating the official community plan;
• designing pedestrian, cycling and public transit links to connect with the Evergreen Extension;
• developing an action plan for downtown;
• updating the environmental strategic plan;
• and hosting the second annual Grand Prix.
Council will deliberate the proposed budget on Jan. 10 and 11. To have your say in the financial plan, call 604-927-5305 or email budget@portcoquitlam.ca.
••••••
PERCENTAGE OF CITY BUDGET
• Engineering: 34.7%
• RCMP: 20%
• Recreation: 16%
• Fire and emergency services: 13.9%
• Corporate support: 5.4%
• Finance: 4.4%
• Development services: 4%
• Human resources: 1.2%
• Chief administrative office: 0.4%
•••••••
Massive growth on Burke Mountain and the opening of the Evergreen Extension are prompting Port Coquitlam council to have another look at the city's share of policing costs with Coquitlam.
PoCo shares an RCMP detachment with Coquitlam and Coun. Brad West said residents are wondering how much of a financial burden they're carrying to protect and serve their larger neighbour, given its growth. On Burke Mountain — located immediately north of PoCo — the city of Coquitlam is building a community nearly half the size of PoCo.
On Monday, other councillors complained the policing cost-sharing formula no longer applies as it's based on population.
Still, Coquitlam RCMP Supt. Sean Maloney said more people doesn't necessarily mean more crime.
As for the Evergreen Extension, which opened last Friday and runs through Coquitlam and Port Moody, not all of council was on the same page.
While Coun. Glenn Pollock said, "It's inevitable that the Evergreen Line is going to bring more crime to Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam," Mayor Greg Moore cited a 2014 Transit Police study that indicated criminal complaints didn't rise when recent rapid-transit lines opened to Richmond and Surrey.
And Maloney told councillors: "To be honest, I'm not expecting problems from this."
