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Municipal Interface National Professional Journal of MISA/ASIM Canada S EPTEMBER 2009, VOL. 16, NO 4 IT and Sustainability — Whistler Finds a Way See page 27 Photographer: Steve Rogers Site: Tourism Whistler Also in this Issue: Are We Green Yet? Page GIS solution to accounting issue produces a green bonus for small city 30 Structured approach can help build an affordable green plan 33 Bridge-management system takes Kingston beyond compliance 37 Report on MISA Ontario 2009 Annual Conference 14 © 2009 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved. Technology Leadership for Municipalities: KPMG and Chartwell Join Forces KPMG, one of Canada’s foremost professional services firms, has acquired Chartwell Inc., a recognized leader in advising municipalities on Enterprise Architecture and Business Transformation. With the addition of Chartwell’s people, skills, and resources, including the standard reference model used by Canadian municipal governments for transformation planning, KPMG is better positioned than ever to help municipalities create business value through Information Technology. For information on KPMG’s Advisory Services for municipal governments, contact Daniel Jazvac. Daniel Jazvac E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (416) 777-8563 www.kpmg.ca/advisory MUNICIPAL Interface SEPTEMBER 2009 In This Issue MISA/ASIM News Across Canada 5 • MISA West conference preview; MRMv2 service coming; Advertisers Index security conference preview; Ontario associate members; Gerry Matte receives award; more special offers; new Prairies Page Web site; Prairies associate members; update on ERP group AGL Inc. 48 Municipal News 40 Agresso 35 • MSDO’s fifth annual meeting; Showcase Ontario CMS Consulting 21 preview; Vancouver embraces open data; GTEC preview; Com-Tech Learning Solutions 29 Intelligent Community of the Year Digital Boundary Group 9 Report From RIMQ ESRI Canada 32 Approaches to electronic records management 38 Fortinet Canada 36 Columns GTEC 43 President’s column – Keeping In Touch 4 KPMG LLP 2 Roy Wiseman – Governance Issues 45 Lagan Technologies 22 Mid-Range Computer Group 11 Features Miller Thomson LLP 46 Report on MISA Ontario 2009 Annual Conference 14 Oracle Canada 13 Report on Lac Carling Congress 24 RIVA Modeling Group 41 IT is part of Whistler’s sustainability vision 27 GIS solution gives a green bonus to Woodstock 30 Teranet 44 Building an affordable green plan 33 UPSforLESS 34 City of Kingston’s bridge-management system 37 Journal of MISA/ASIM Canada Advertising Rates Suite 309, 14845 – 6 Yonge Street Associate Members Non-Members Aurora, ON L4G 6H8 $1,375 pre-printed insert $1,700 Phone: 416-662-3950 www.misa.on.ca; www.misa.bc.ca; www.misa-asim.ca $1,225 back page $1,500 http://misaprairies.ca; www.rimq.com $925 inside front $1,150 Journal Production $625 1 page $780 $425 1/2 page $530 Co-Chairs, Communications Committee: Ron Blakey (Durham) 905-668-7711 x 2133 $275 quarter page $345 Kathryn Bulko (Toronto) 416-397-9921 Articles are subject to approval by the Communications Committee. The views Co-Editors: expressed in this journal are those of the individual writers and do not Lawrence Moule 416-662-3950, [email protected] Jane Morgan 416-488-2878, [email protected] necessarily reflect those of MISA/ASIM Canada. French-language editor: Gaston Huot (Brossard) 450-923-6362 No part of the publication may be reproduced by anyone without prior written permission from MISA/ASIM Canada. Design: Natalie Coombs of NatCo Design © 2009 MISA/ASIM Canada Printer: Select Printing, Toronto 3 MUNICIPAL Interface SEPTEMBER 2009 Keeping in Touch When Green By Chris Bishop President, MISA Prairies Meets Red ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO, I was meeting with a hardware For something as major as that sea change to happen, it vendor. Our friendly account rep had brought along a will begin and achieve sustainable results at the municipal “suit,” someone with an impressive but obscure title like level, where the recycled rubber meets the gravel road. “thought leader” or “technology evangelist.” The suit asked I realize that for many of you I am preaching to the me if the City was playing in the green space. choir. During my 12 years at the City, I have learned sitting “This whole province is green-crazy,” I said. at your feet that MISA has to take a leadership role for many things involved with government to change, especially It was mere months after our football team, the at the grassroots level. Roughriders, had won the ’07 Grey Cup. Some diehards Our city has a long way to go, but we have started still wore their watermelon helmets to the pub. down the path. Having a telecommuting policy and The suit, obviously an NFL fan, missed the connection. process, improving our HVAC systems to control building “Can you tell me about some of your initiatives?” environments, more Web meetings and webinars, and e-recruiting are a few ways that we are becoming more I listed a few of the basic things that we were doing – efficient while saving resources this year. server virtualization, reducing hardcopy output, and extending our desktop refresh cycle. Those steps could fall Lots of Hot Air into the green category but were also practical, logical We recently opened a new building. It is one story and and saved money. holds 50 staff from both the Parks and Facilities depart- He then asked something that sounded strange: “How ments – the first new office space built from the ground much extra would you be willing to pay for green technology?” up since City Hall opened in 1976. “Extra?” I half-shook my head, waiting for him to clarify. The design is as environmentally friendly as possible. That includes bringing in natural light with the open office “That’s to say, over the next five years, how much have design, having “hotel” spots for visitors and telecommuters, you budgeted for your play on the green agenda?” eliminating desktop printers – and heating the building I may have involuntarily snorted. The green agenda? from hot air produced in Council Chambers (okay, that Most of you are familiar with the realities of municipal last one is a small fib). budgets, and some of you may even squeak like I As I toured that building last month, I commented on the do when I walk. A new green line item would quickly quart-sized garbage cans. The director of Facilities meet the “red stroke of reality” from the budget explained that sustainability is reinforced wherever possible, approval pen. like in the lunchroom where real dishes, cups and cutlery are used – discouraging the use of paper plates or plastic City Conscience forks. There is no dishwasher. Staff walking past the sink Since then, I have been enlightened by David Suzuki throughout the day stop for a few minutes and do the dirty speaking at MISA West ‘08 in Nanaimo, by Bart dishes, which has been found to be a good spot to network. Robinson’s keynote at MISA Prairies’ annual conference in This example struck me as an excellent reminder of the Airdrie this past spring, and by our own City’s conscience. mind shift that needs to take place. That change at work, In fact, Regina will be host to the next MISA Prairies spring raising our staff’s consciousness, will filter through to their conference in late April 2010, which is themed “Green actions and decisions outside of work. Changing our is the Colour.” habits and excesses through a thousand acts, big and small, will make a sustainable difference. The thing is, being truly green is not an ad campaign, not a political plank, not a project with a start and end date. It is a mode of thinking – dare I say a future way of life? [email protected] 4 MUNICIPAL Interface SEPTEMBER 2009 MISA/ASIM News Across Canada MISA West Annual Conference in Kamloops Will Look At How Technology Goes ‘Round IF PRACTICE makes perfect, then the 2009 MISA West Conference in Kamloops, BC, should be as good as it gets. The conference on September 15-18 will be the third time in recent years that Kamloops has been host for Western Canada's premier event for local government technology managers. Chair Frank Mayhood and his orga- nizing team are planning to take full advantage of their experience. Tourism Kamloops/Kelly Funk The 2009 Conference theme is "Better the Third Time Around.” Mayhood, director of IT for Kamloops Kamloops offers scenic beauty at the confluence of the North and South Thompson rivers. and a past president of MISA BC, says the conference will explore the Towne Lodge, including representatives service-delivery officials discussing cycles that drive, refresh, and frustrate from national and international “Transforming IT Leadership in those involved in delivering municipal municipal associations. Municipalities.” There will be sessions information and communications Speakers and presenters will share on records and document management, technologies. insights into converging technologies unified communications, identity man- agement and disaster recovery. “While experiencing developing that offer smarter, cost-effective solutions trends, one cannot help but notice a to manage issues concerning the envi- Vendors will make significant contri- ronment, transportation, urban growth, recurring pattern over time,” he says. butions to the program. Highlights will communication systems and more. include: “Smart Planet, Smart Cities” “From mainframes and terminals to from IBM Canada; “3D Digital Cities, blade servers and browsers, from eco- Keynote speakers will include: Are You Ready?” from Autodesk; nomic boom to bust, from centralized • Inventor Ray Kurzweil, described “Updates on the Canadian Wireless to decentralized, information and as “the ultimate thinking machine” Industry” from Bell; “Business Success communications technology has shown by Forbes magazine Through Better Collaboration” from repeating cycles of many kinds.