TOWN OF CANMORE AGENDA Regular Meeting of Council Council Chamber at the Canmore Civic Centre, 902 – 7 Avenue Tuesday, July 7, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
Times are estimates only.
PUBLIC QUESTION PERIOD – Before meeting is called to order
A. CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL OF AGENDA 9:00 1. Agenda for the July 7, 2020 Regular Meeting of Council
B. PUBLIC HEARINGS None
C. DELEGATIONS None
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 9:00 – 9:05 1. Minutes of the June 2, 2020 Regular Meeting of Council 2. Minutes of the June 9, 2020 Special Meeting of Council
E. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES None
F. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None
G. BYLAW APPROVAL 9:05 – 9:20 1. Bylaw 2020-10 Land Use Bylaw Amendment – 1 MacDonald Place Recommendation: That Council give first reading to Bylaw 2020-10 and schedule a public hearing for August 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
H. NEW BUSINESS 9:20 – 9:40 1. Canmore RCMP Multi-Year Financial Plan Recommendation: That Council accept the Canmore Municipal Detachment Multi-Year Financial Plan for planning purposes.
9:40 – 9:55 2. Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) Transfer from Reserve Recommendation: That Council approve an amendment to the Downtown Business Improvement Area's 2020 budget to reflect a transfer of $20,000 from their Downtown Enhancement Reserve into their 2020 operating budget to fund downtown vibrancy as part of the COVID-19 pedestrianization of Main Street.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 1 of 128 9:55 – 10:10 3. Telephony Project Scope Change Recommendation: That Council amend the scope and budget of the proposed Telecommunications Study project (7062) by adding $20,000 from the IT Strategic Plan project (7127) to implement a telephony system.
10:10 – 10:40 4. Utility Services Review Recommendation: That Council direct administration to negotiate a new Water and Waste Water Services Agreement with Epcor Water Services Inc.
10:40 – 10:55 5. South Bow River Loop Water Main – Construction Capital Project (7145) Scope and Budget Reduction Recommendation: That Council approve a change to the South Bow River Loop Water Main - Construction (7145) to include a reduction in scope to complete the South Section; the Wastewater Treatment Plant Tie In; and the Wastewater Treatment Plant to Waste Management Centre section, with a revised budget of $3.6M, to be funded approximately $680,000 from off-site levy contributions and the remainder from debenture.
10:55 – 11:10 Meeting Break
I. CORRESPONDENCE/INFORMATION 11:10 – 11:20 1. Calgary to Banff Passenger Rail Project Purpose: To share correspondence regarding the proposed Calgary to Banff Passenger Rail Project.
J. REPORTS FROM ADMINISTRATION 11:20 – 11:40 1. 2020 Budget Expense Reductions (verbal report)
11:40 – 11:55 2. COVID-19 Stage 2 Relaunch Update (verbal report)
K. NOTICES OF MOTION None
L. IN CAMERA During item 1. Utilities Services Review H-4 Recommendation: That Council take the meeting in camera to protect information related to the Town’s contractual negotiating position in accordance with section 25(1)(c)(iii) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
11:55 M. ADJOURNMENT
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 2 of 128 D-1
TOWN OF CANMORE MINUTES Regular Meeting of Council Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT John Borrowman Mayor Karen Marra Deputy Mayor Rob Seeley Councillor Vi Sandford Councillor Joanna McCallum Councillor Jeff Hilstad Councillor
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT Esmé Comfort Councillor
ADMINISTRATION PRESENT Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Sally Caudill General Manager of Municipal Services Therese Rogers General Manager of Corporate Services Whitney Smithers General Manager of Infrastructure Robyn Dinnadge Manager of Communications Cheryl Hyde Municipal Clerk (Recorder) Tracy Woitenko Development Planner Nathan Grivell Development Planner Lisa Brown Manager of Community Social Development Eleanor Miclette Manager of Economic Development Gordon Reid Manager of Information Technology Chantale Blais Municipal Engineer Andy Esarte Manager of Engineering Stephen Hanus Manager of Facilities Walter Gahler Fire Chief
All meeting participants joined this meeting electronically and members of the public were permitted to attend the meeting via livestream on the Town’s website.
Mayor Borrowman called the June 2, 2020 regular meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL OF AGENDA 1. Agenda for the June 2, 2020 Regular Meeting of Council 123-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council approve the agenda for the June 2, 2020 regular meeting as presented. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 3 of 128 B. PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. Road Closure Bylaw 2020-06 (Palliser) (1) Introduction Mayor Borrowman opened the public hearing for Road Closure Bylaw 2020-06 at 9:01a.m.
(2) Administrative Briefing Administration provided the context and background of the bylaw.
(3) Questions of Clarification Council was provided with the opportunity to ask questions of administration and the applicant.
(4) Public Submissions No public submissions were received.
(5) Final Administrative Comments None.
(6) Closure of Public Hearing Mayor Borrowman closed the public hearing at 9:10 a.m.
2. Road Closure Bylaw 2020-05 (Railway Court) (1) Introduction Mayor Borrowman opened the public hearing for Road Closure Bylaw 2020-05 at 9:10 a.m.
(2) Administrative Briefing Administration provided the context and background of the bylaw.
(3) Applicant’s Presentation The applicant, Greg Scott, spoke to the substance and content of the application for a bylaw amendment.
(4) Questions of Clarification Council was provided with the opportunity to ask questions of administration and the applicant.
(5) Public Submissions
In favour Name Verbal Written Barker, Randy x Baum, Greg x Belzil, Rick x Cassidy, Mark and Owen, Gillian x Cherak, Bill and Maxine x Collin, Dean x Dennler, Grant x Gill, Jeff x
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 4 of 128 Kennedy Michael x
Neutral or Unstated Name Verbal Written Dahrouge, Brandy x Kende, John x Louden, James x
Opposed Name Verbal Written Buckberrough, Lil x Caverhill, Eva x Curry, Ben x Findlay, Jamie x Giger, Gian-Duri x x Jackson, Lisa x x Kepkiewicz, Lauren x Mah, Jeff x x Morrison, Janet ant Damian, Francis x Palmer, Murray and Miriam x Schoffel, Max x x
(6) Final Administrative Comments Administration provided final closing comments based on the verbal and written submissions and addressed questions of clarification from council.
(7) Closure of Public Hearing Mayor Borrowman closed the public hearing at 10:03 a.m.
3. Teepee Town Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw 2020-07 (1) Introduction Mayor Borrowman opened the public hearing for Teepee Town Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw 2020-07 at 10:03 a.m.
(2) Administrative Briefing Administration provided the context and background of the bylaw.
(3) Questions of Clarification Council was provided with the opportunity to ask questions of administration and the applicant.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 5 of 128 (4) Public Submissions
In favour None
Neutral or Unstated None
Opposed or Concerned Name Verbal Written Archambault, Yvan x Bow Valley Builders and Developers (Ron Remple) x x Briggs, Donald x Bryant, Aaron x Chalmers, Bryce x Griffin, Rhona x Kepkiewicz, Lauren x Kucharski, Stephanie x Laidlaw, Jeff x Leavitt, Shanne x Mah, Jeff x Nadeau, Chris x Richards, Manda x x Richards, Phil x x Rowley, Wally x x Stevens, Rob and Biggings, Shawn x Toews, Dave x Toews, Janell x x Tulik, Shon and Rajka x Von Rotz, Chantal x Weir, Grayson x Williams, Dave x
(5) Final Administrative Comments Administration provided final closing comments based on the verbal and written submissions and addressed questions of clarification from council.
(6) Closure of Public Hearing Mayor Borrowman closed the public hearing at 11:12 a.m.
Meeting Break 11:13 – 11:25
C. DELEGATIONS None
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 6 of 128 D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Minutes of the April 21, 2020 Special Meeting of Council 124-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council approve the minutes of the April 21, 2020 special meeting as presented. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
2. Minutes of the May 5, 2020 Regular Meeting of Council 125-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council approve the minutes of the May 5, 2020 regular meeting as presented. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
3. Minutes of the May 12, 2020 Special Meeting of Council 126-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council approve the minutes of the May 12, 2020 special meeting as presented. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
E. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES None
F. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. Community Social Development (CSD) Pandemic Response Budget 127-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council approve the transfer of $110,000 allocated to the Safe Park Program in the Community Social Development Department 2020 operating budget to the Tax Stabilization Reserve; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
128-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council approve: 1) Capital funding to provide social supports for those community members most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for a total of $397,000 from two sources: (a) $355,000 from tax stabilization reserve and (b) $42,000 from grants; and 2) That any future grant received for this work be utilized to support a reduction in tax stabilization funds expended for this project. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Meeting break 12:45 – 1:30
2. Economic Development Pandemic Response 129-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council approve capital funding from the Tax Stabilization Reserve for Economic Development recovery support to those businesses most impacted by the pandemic for a total of $281,000. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
130-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council direct administration to use funds from the Economic Recovery Plan to issue rebates to those who have already paid 2020 patio fees and waive any additional patio permit fees for the year. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 7 of 128 131-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council take the meeting in camera at 3:10 p.m. to prevent disclosure of personal evaluations in accordance with section 17(4)(f) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
132-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council return to the public meeting at 3:16 p.m. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
133-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council establish a Business Recovery Taskforce that includes members of our business community, Town Council, and the Canmore Business Association (CBA) and appoint Mayor Borrowman and Councillor McCallum to the Taskforce. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
G. BYLAW APPROVAL 1. Teepee Town Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw 2020-07 134-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council postpone Item G-1 Teepee Town Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw 2020-07 to the June 9, 2020 special meeting. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Meeting Break 3:25 – 3:35 p.m.
H. NEW BUSINESS 1. Multi-Year Printer Contract 135-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council authorize administration to enter into a 5-year contract for an estimated annual cost of $28,500with Canon Canada for the lease and service of 9 printers for use across Town facilities. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
2. Engineering Design and Construction Guidelines (EDCG) 136-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that council rescind 381-2010 “that Council adopt the 2010 Engineering Design and Construction Guidelines with the issues of handicapped accessibility and undermining to be addressed in future updates” and direct administration to approve the EDGC from this date forward. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
137-2020 Moved by Councillor McCallum that Council direct administration to bring back the dispute resolution process for the Engineering Design and Construction Guidelines for review. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
3. TIP20 Surface Works Scope 138-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council authorize additional scope for the TIP20 project, to be completed within the existing approved budget, including: Street and Drainage Rehabilitation, Palliser Trail to Benchlands, and Palliser Trail Firehall enabling works. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 8 of 128 I. CORRESPONDENCE/INFORMATION None
J. REPORTS FROM ADMINISTRATION 1. Extended Emergency Peak Staffing Update Administration spoke to a written report providing an update on the Firehall Peak Staffing strategy for 2020.
2. Pandemic Response Update (verbal report) Administration provided a verbal update on the Town’s pandemic response efforts.
K. NOTICES OF MOTION None
L. IN CAMERA None
M. ADJOURNMENT 139-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council adjourn the June 2, 2020 regular meeting at 4:54 p.m. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
______John Borrowman, Mayor
______Cheryl Hyde, Municipal Clerk
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 9 of 128 D-2
TOWN OF CANMORE MINUTES Special Meeting of Council Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT John Borrowman Mayor Karen Marra Deputy Mayor Rob Seeley Councillor Vi Sandford Councillor Joanna McCallum Councillor Jeff Hilstad Councillor
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT Esmé Comfort Councillor
ADMINISTRATION PRESENT Whitney Smithers Acting CAO/General Manager of Infrastructure Sally Caudill General Manager of Municipal Services Therese Rogers General Manager of Corporate Services Robyn Dinnadge Manager of Communications Cheryl Hyde Municipal Clerk (Recorder) Nathan Grivell Development Planner Lauren Miller Manager of Planning and Development Chelsey Richardson Manager of Finance
All meeting participants joined this meeting electronically and members of the public were permitted to attend the meeting via livestream on the Town’s website.
Mayor Borrowman called the June 9, 2020 special meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER AND APPROVAL OF AGENDA 1. Agenda for the June 9, 2020 Special Meeting of Council 140-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council approve the agenda for the June 9, 2020 special meeting as presented. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
B. PUBLIC HEARINGS None
C. DELEGATIONS None
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 10 of 128 D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Minutes of the May 27, 2020 Special Meeting of Council 141-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council approve the minutes of the May 27, 2020 special meeting as presented, with one correction: • Show motion 119-220 as Defeated. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
E. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES None
F. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. Teepee Town Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw 2020-07 142-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give second reading to Teepee Town Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw 2020-07.
142A-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council amend motion 142-2020 by adding: • amend section 3.1 by deleting “above main floor commercial development, such as tourist homes” and inserting “such as tourist homes and townhomes” in its place; • amend section 4.1.4 under Housing Choice by adding “Allow for a variety of residential housing forms and densities;” • Amend section 4.1.5 under Intent by deleting “above” and inserting “and” in its place; • Amend section 4.1.5 under Support Built Forms by deleting “and mixed- use buildings” and inserting “accessory dwelling unit, townhouse, stacked townhouse” in its place; • Amend section 4.1.5.2 under uses by deleting “Residential uses shall only be allowed when located above commercial uses;” • Amend section 4.1.5.3 under Uses by inserting “accessory dwelling units” between “tourist homes” and “and common amenity housing.” CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
142B-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council amend motion 142-2020 by adding: • Amend section 4.1.5.8 under Site Design by adding “When this is not feasible, driveways and parking may be allowed in the front yard when they are designed to complement the streetscape” to the end of the section. DEFEATED In favour: Borrowman, Marra Opposed: Seeley, Hilstad, Marra, McCallum
142-2020 The vote followed on motion 142-2020 as amended: that Council give second VOTE reading to Bylaw 2020-07, amended as follows: • amend section 3.1 by deleting “above main floor commercial development, such as tourist homes” and inserting “such as tourist homes and townhomes” in its place; • amend section 4.1.4 under Housing Choice by adding “Allow for a variety of residential housing forms and densities;” • Amend section 4.1.5 under Intent by deleting “above” and inserting “and” in its place;
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 11 of 128 • Amend section 4.1.5 under Support Built Forms by deleting “and mixed- use buildings” and inserting “accessory dwelling unit, townhouse, stacked townhouse” in its place; • Amend section 4.1.5.2 under uses by deleting “Residential uses shall only be allowed when located above commercial uses” and; • Amend section 4.1.5.3 under Uses by inserting “accessory dwelling units” between “tourist homes” and “and common amenity housing.” CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
143-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give third reading to Teepee Town Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw 2020-07.
143A-2020 Moved by Councillor McCallum that Council amend motion 143-2020 by adding: amend the introduction to the Teepee Town Area Redevelopment plan by inserting a statement thanking the Teepee Town Task Force. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
143-2020 The vote followed on motion 143-2020 as amended: that Council give third VOTE reading to Teepee Town Area Redevelopment Plan Bylaw 2020-07, amended as follows: • Amend the introduction by inserting a statement thanking the Teepee Town Task Force. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
G. BYLAW APPROVAL 1. Property Tax Bylaw 2020-12 and Supplementary Property Tax Bylaw 2020-13 144-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give first reading to Property Tax Bylaw 2020-12. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
145-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give second reading to Property Tax Bylaw 2020-12. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
146-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council go to third reading of Property Tax Bylaw 2020-12. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
147-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give third reading to Property Tax Bylaw 2020-12. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
148-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give first reading to Supplementary Property Tax Bylaw 2020-13. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
149-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give second reading to Supplementary Property Tax Bylaw 2020-13. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 12 of 128
150-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council go to third reading of Supplementary Property Tax Bylaw 2020-13. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
151-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give third reading to Supplementary Property Tax Bylaw 2020-13. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
10:23 2. Tax Penalty Bylaw Amendment 2020-11 – Amendments due to COVID 152-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give first reading to Tax Penalty Bylaw Amendment 2020-11 Pandemic Response. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
153-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give second reading to Tax Penalty Bylaw Amendment 2020-11 Pandemic Response. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
154-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council go to third reading of Tax Penalty Bylaw Amendment 2020-11 Pandemic Response. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
155-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council give third reading to Tax Penalty Bylaw Amendment 2020-11 Pandemic Response. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
H. NEW BUSINESS None
I. CORRESPONDENCE/INFORMATION None
J. REPORTS FROM ADMINISTRATION None
K. NOTICES OF MOTION None
L. IN CAMERA None
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 13 of 128 M. ADJOURNMENT 156-2020 Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council adjourn the June 9, 2020 special meeting at 10:39 a.m. CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
______John Borrowman, Mayor
______Cheryl Hyde, Municipal Clerk
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 14 of 128 Request for Decision
DATE OF MEETING: July 7, 2020 Agenda #: G-1
TO: Council
SUBJECT: Bylaw 2020-10 Land Use Bylaw Amendment – 1 MacDonald Place
SUBMITTED BY: Tracy Woitenko, Development Planner
RECOMMENDATION: That Council give first reading to Bylaw 2020-10 and schedule a public hearing for August 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An application to amend the Land Use Bylaw 2018-22 has been received for a single parcel located at 1 MacDonald Place (Attachment 1-Current Land Use Map) in the Three Sisters Drive area to rezone the lands from R1 to R2 District. If approved, the application would allow for the redevelopment of the lot from a single detached dwelling to a duplex.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL DIRECTION OR POLICY The parcel is currently in the R1 Residential Detached District of the Land Use Bylaw 2018-22, which came into effect April 1, 2020.
DISCUSSION Application Details The applicant proposes to redistrict Lot 1, Block 5, Plan 4171JK (1 MacDonald Place), from R1-Residential Detached District to R2-Residential Two-Unit District. There is currently a single detached dwelling on the lot. If the land use district is amended to R2, it would allow for redevelopment opportunities that include duplex development.
Administration does not typically support LUB amendments that involve a single parcel of land. However, in this case, the proposed amendments would bring the subject site into alignment with the land uses permissible on surrounding lots, which would support a continuous streetscape. The surrounding lots which front onto Three Sisters Drive are zoned R2-Residential Two-Unit District, and have the ability to develop duplexes. Therefore, Administration supports the application to extend the R2 District boundary to include this lot. Administration is recommending Council give first reading to proposed Bylaw 2020-10, included herein as Attachment 2, and schedule a public hearing to hear any comments regarding the application.
Alignment with Municipal Development Plan (MDP) The proposed amendment to the Land Use Bylaw is supported by policy contained in the Town’s MDP. Specifically, Section 2.3.2 allows for infill and redevelopment in existing areas where: a) The new development is in context with or provides an appropriate transition from existing development; b) Adequate utilities and infrastructure can support the development;
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 15 of 128 c) Amenities that support the development are or will be provided nearby and; d) The new development contributes to the supply of needed market housing or affordable housing.
Roads and Utilities The parcel has direct access from Three Sisters Drive, although it is addressed to MacDonald Place. Access to MacDonald Place is not available due to the location of the Town’s solid waste bins, a fire hydrant and the proximity to the intersection (Attachment 3 – Site Aerial). The site is currently serviced with water and sanitary from MacDonald Place. New services can be installed from both Three Sisters Drive or MacDonald Place.
Sustainability Screening Report (SSR) The SSR Policy requires that an SSR be completed for an amendment to the Land Use Bylaw, unless the amendment has no material effect or will not result in physical development resulting directly from the amendment. Administration’s recommendation is that an SSR not be required for this application, as it is in conformance with MDP policies and no physical development is being proposed at this time. An SSR would be required at the development permit stage if the development of a duplex 500 m2 or greater in Gross Floor Area is proposed.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS N/A FINANCIAL IMPACTS No financial impacts were analyzed for this application, but are deemed to be minimal and do not require a deeper analysis.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT A public hearing will be held as required by the MGA.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT N/A
ATTACHMENTS 1) Current Land Use Map 2) Bylaw 2020-10 3) Site Aerial
AUTHORIZATION
Submitted by: Tracy Woitenko, RPP, MCIP Development Planner Date: May 12 , 2020
Approved by: Lauren Miller Manger of Planning and Development Date June 16, 2020
Approved by: Whitney Smithers General Manager of Municipal Infrastructure Date: June 17, 2020
Approved by: Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Date: June 18, 2020
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 16 of 128 Attachment 1 – Current Land Use Map
1 MacDonald Place
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 17 of 128 BYLAW 2020-10
A BYLAW OF THE TOWN OF CANMORE, IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, TO AMEND LAND USE BYLAW 2018-22
The Council of the Town of Canmore, in the Province of Alberta, duly assembled, enacts as follows:
TITLE 1. This bylaw shall be known as “Land Use Bylaw Amendment 2020-10 Rezone 1 MacDonald Place.”
PROVISIONS 2. Section 15 of Bylaw 2018-22 is amended to re-designate the land identified in schedule A of this bylaw from R1 Residential Detached District to R2 Residential Two-Unit District.
ENACTMENT/TRANSITION 3. If any clause in this bylaw is found to be invalid, it shall be severed from the remainder of the bylaw and shall not invalidate the whole bylaw.
4. Schedules A forms part of this bylaw.
5. This bylaw comes into force on the date it is passed.
FIRST READING:
PUBLIC HEARING:
SECOND READING:
THIRD READING:
Approved on behalf of the Town of Canmore:
John Borrowman Date Mayor
Cheryl Hyde Date Municipal Clerk
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 18 of 128 Schedule A
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 19 of 128 Attachment 3 – Site Aerial
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 20 of 128 Request for Decision
DATE OF MEETING: July 7, 2020 Agenda #: H-1
TO: Council
SUBJECT: Canmore RCMP Multi-Year Financial Plan
SUBMITTED BY: Greg Burt, Manager of Protective Services
RECOMMENDATION: That Council accept the Canmore Municipal Detachment Multi-Year Financial Plan for planning purposes.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Municipal Police Service Agreement (MPSA) requires town administration and the RCMP to meet on an annual basis to prepare a three to five-year financial plan. This plan covers such things as numbers of positions required for the detachment, staffing resources required to support the RCMP, accommodation, and equipment. This is the second multi-year financial plan that administration and the RCMP have developed.
RELEVANT COUNCIL DIRECTION, POLICY, OR BYLAWS Council accepted the 2019-2024 Canmore RCMP Multi Year Financial Plan (MYFP) for planning purposes on May 01, 2018. (Motion 101-2018)
DISCUSSION Article 17 of our MPSA (Attachment 2) outlines our requirement to work with the RCMP to prepare a financial plan.
2008 was the last time the RCMP saw an increase to the police officer compliment. The attached plan calls for an increase of two police officers and one municipal support staff in the 5-year plan (2021-2026). As a reminder, our contract with the RCMP requires the Town to provide municipal support staff to the detachment.
The plan highlights that the detachment building is owned by the RCMP and the Town pays for the accommodation costs associated with this ($250,000 per year). An interior upgrade project is scheduled to be completed over the next three years at the detachment.
The MYFP includes a list of required equipment at the detachment and for the members. This list is included for information only. The costs for these are rolled in to the basic costs per member that is billed to the municipality.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 21 of 128 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES The MYFP includes the addition of two RCMP officers (one in 2023 and one in 2024) to focus on traffic enforcement, crime prevention, and community and school resources. Other factors that will influence a budget request include the status of the photo radar program and a detailed analysis of a Community Peace Officer traffic program. Administration will review these prior to any requests in the municipal budget.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS The anticipated costs included are using the assumption that the municipal population will exceed 15,000 in the 2021 census and therefore will increase the regular member cost as a result of moving from of 70/30 cost (municipal/provincial) share to a 90/10 cost share. This plan only includes expenses and does not include increased fine revenue projections. These will be included as apart of the annual budgeting process.
The MYFP is required by the MPSA and is intended for planning purposes. These positions will be re- evaluated in conjunction with the municipal budgeting process with Council giving approval before any positions are funded.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT N/A
ATTACHMENTS 1) Canmore Municipal Detachment Multi Year Financial Plan 2) Article 17 – Municipal Police Service Agreement
AUTHORIZATION
Submitted by: Greg Burt Manager of Protective Services Date: June 12, 2020
Approved by: Sally Caudill GM of Municipal Services Date: June 17, 2020
Approved by: Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Date: June 18, 2020
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 22 of 128 Canmore Municipal Detachment Multi‐Year Financial Plan
April 1, 2021
Prepared for: The Town of Canmore
Prepared by: Canmore Detachment
In Consultation With: Operations Strategy Branch, ‘K’ Division
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 23 of 128 Introduction This Multi‐Year Financial Plan (MYFP) has been prepared by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) ‘K’ Division, in consultation with the Town of Canmore, pursuant to Article 17.1 of the Municipal Police Service Agreement (MPSA). This plan is for the fiscal year starting on April 1, 2021, and covers a period of five years.
This plan is a reflection of the ongoing cooperation between the RCMP and the Town of Canmore to ensure adequate and effective municipal policing is provided in the Town of Canmore, pursuant to the MPSA. The safety and security of the citizens of the Town of Canmore and the police officers serving within the Municipal Police Service (MPS) remains the ultimate goal.
This plan updates the projected Municipal Police Service Agreement costs for the fiscal years of 2021 to 2026, and has been prepared by the Canmore Detachment Commander, in consultation with ‘K’ Division Operations Strategy Branch, Central Alberta District and the RCMP’s Corporate Management Branch.
This plan includes: i) A listing of MPSA positions, ii) A listing of resources required to support the Service, iii) Forecast of future year costs.
Overview The 2018 Police to Population Ratio for Canmore Municipal Detachment was 772 persons per Member. The ‘K’ Division Municipal Average for Detachments with populations between 10,000 to 19,999 was 846 persons per Member. The 2018 Criminal Code cases per Member for Canmore Municipal Detachment was 61. The ‘K’ Division Municipal Average for Detachments with populations between 10,000 to 19,999 was 87 Criminal Code cases per Member. Total Criminal Code Offences for Canmore Municipal Detachment decreased by 10% between 2018 and 2019. o Person Crimes decreased by 11% between 2018 (209) and 2019 (187); primarily due to decreases in Assault and Uttering Threats. o Property Crime decreased by 9% between 2018 (740) and 2019 (672); primarily due to decreases in Theft Under $5,000, Fraud, and Mischief to Property. o Other Criminal Code decreased by 11% between 2018 (36) and 2019 (28); primarily due to a decrease in Fail to Comply and Breach offences.
Page 2 of 10 Canmore Multi-Year Financial Plan 2021-2026 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 24 of 128 Demographics In the 2016 Federal Census, the Town of Canmore had a population of 13,992 living in 5,738 of its 7,963 total dwellings, a 13.9 percent increase from its 2011 population of 12,288. With a 2 2 1 land area of 69.43 km , it had a population density of 201.5/km in 2016.
Economy Canmore is located approximately 81 Kilometers west of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley, within Alberta's Rockies. The Town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south, and the Municipal District of Bighorn 2 No. 8 to the north and east. Canmore is the sixth largest town in Alberta.
Canmore is considered a major outdoor adventure playground for Albertans and also for long‐ haul visitors. Its appeal to Albertans, coupled with its proximity to Calgary, has led to the influx of second‐home (recreational property) owners. The non‐permanent population comprises close to 30% of the total population. This situation has led to an escalation in housing prices in Canmore, making housing unaffordable for many local residents and potential Members in the local workforce. To alleviate the housing crunch, Canmore has pursued several affordable housing projects. In 2000, the Town of Canmore established the Canmore Community Housing Corporation (CCHC) to provide housing solutions for a healthy and balanced community. CCHC administers a Perpetually Affordable Housing (PAH) Program consisting of 126 ownership and 125 rental housing units at below‐market purchase prices and rental rates
Currently, there is developmental construction underway of residential, single and multi‐family homes in several areas of Town. Resort development is planned or underway in the Town boundaries involving hotel accommodations with conference centers in support of these developments. Shops and commercial buildings are expanding with renovations or new construction. Canmore is now in an upswing of construction, along with the tourism industry, that is supporting its economy.
1 Statistical data from Statistics Canada 2016 Censushttp://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census‐recensement/2016/dp‐ pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4815023&Geo2=CD&Code2=4815&Data=Count&SearchTex t=canmore&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1 2 2018 Municipal Affairs Population List
Page 3 of 10 Canmore Multi-Year Financial Plan 2021-2026 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 25 of 128 Canmore Municipal Detachment Resources Table 1 Function Officers S/Sgt. Sgt. Cpl. Cst. Total
General Duty 1 1 2 13 17
General Investigation Section 1 1 2
Total 1 1 3 14 19 Table 1 illustrates the currently established positions for Canmore Municipal Detachment.
Table 2 Function Total
Information Management 4
Total 4 Table 2 illustrates the currently established positions for Canmore Municipal Detachment Admin personnel.
The Town of Canmore has experienced continued growth in population. There is an expectation the population will exceed 15,000 by the next Federal Census in 2021. This will enact a change in funding percentages where the Town of Canmore will have an expectation to pay 90% of the policing costs and the Federal Government of Canada will pay 10%. The current funding formula is split 70% and 30%. This change will be effective April 1, 2022.
Historically, the police to population ratio (Cop to Pop), the number of Criminal Code cases per Member, and call volume have been used to determine police resource levels. However, policing has become more complex. As such, policing services must also consider the policing priorities identified by the community, Crime Severity Index (seriousness of the crime in the community), the public and judicial restructuring, which directly affects expectations and requirements of police and support staff. Criminal investigations have become more complex and therefore take longer to complete.
Canmore Detachment’s “Cop to Pop” ratio for 2018 was 1:772, with the Provincial average for municipalities at 1:846. We are below the provincial average; however, this does not account for the increase of visitors the town experiences. If a visitor adjusted population of 25,000 is used, the “Cop to Pop” ratio becomes 1:1315, which is above the provincial average. It is also important to note that the “Cop to pop” utilizes the established number of positions, when in reality the actual number of officers at the Canmore detachment averages around 18 annually as a result of vacancies, transfers and short‐ and long‐term leaves. Incidentally our Crime Severity Index rating was the lowest in the Province of Alberta among municipalities with a population of 15,000 or less.
All front line Members are supported by Municipal Employees (ME). This direct support is designed to reduce the amount of time a police officer spends on administrative duties in the office thereby increasing the amount of time a police officer can be on patrol. Municipal Employees support police operations by providing operational and administrative support services to all Members.
Page 4 of 10 Canmore Multi-Year Financial Plan 2021-2026 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 26 of 128 Since 2011, a number of changes in legislation, technology and their related processes, and internal RCMP policies and procedures, has significantly increased the amount of human resource time taken to support police investigations and processes. This has resulted in increased workloads for the existing Support Staff. In 2020, after the addition of another Municipal Employee, the ratio to Regular Members is now 1:4.75.
In order to effectively and efficiently provide a quality level of service to the Town of Canmore, increases in both Support Staff and Regular Members is necessary.
Anticipated Increases to Resources Table 3
Category of Employee Police Service Rank/Group & Level 2021‐22 2022‐23 2023‐24 2024‐25 2025‐26 Agreement (if available)
Regular Member 0 0 1 1 0 Canmore MPSA Regular Member Cost $154,056 $154,056
Municipal Employee 0 0 0 1 0
Municipal Employee Cost $83,000
*Per Capita Rate (Cost per Member) 90% ** Municipal Employee estimated salary for specified year
2023/2024 – One Regular Member Traffic Enforcement and Community Resource Officers (CRO) are the primary resources that will be required by Canmore Detachment over the next five years to continue to provide the high level of policing the community has come to expect. The need is not present to have a full‐time Community Resource Officer in Canmore. Combining the two mandates would provide a consistent traffic enforcement presence and allow the detachment to better deal with requests from stakeholders as they come in. These requests usually fall outside of our core policing mandate, but remain in the best interests of the local detachment to be involved in. Further, it is a benefit to have all Canmore Detachment Members assigned to a school as School Resource Officers (SRO), as it increases their awareness and knowledge of the schools in our community. This is essential as we move forward in our SAFE Schools mandate, increasing our abilities to respond effectively to an emergency at any of our schools. Canmore Detachment has utilized some of the enhanced patrol shifts for traffic patrols in higher risk areas and each of these shifts has produced positive results in the number of contacts made with traffic violators. A two‐ person traffic unit would also contribute to Detachment Crime Prevention initiatives by providing more of a patrol presence in the community. High visibility is one of the most basic and cost effective deterrents to crime being committed in the community. As the population of Canmore increases as expected, it is anticipated criminal code offences may increase at the same time. The proposed two Member unit would allow for the general duty front‐line Members to focus more on Page 5 of 10 Canmore Multi-Year Financial Plan 2021-2026 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 27 of 128 their primary duties as first responders and investigators.
2024/2025 – One Regular Member and One Municipal Employee The addition of the second Member to the Traffic/CRO position would allow for the effective implementation and functioning of this Unit. Community Engagement is a Divisional Priority and this unit would contribute immensely to meeting performance expectations in this area.
With the expected growth in population and the need for more police officers, we can foresee the use of one more Municipal Employee to grow our Support Staff to Regular Member (RM) ratio from 1:4.75 to 1:4.2 (where a proposed increase is supported for two more RM’s, having an actual total of 21 RM’s and five Detachment Support Administrators). This new position could provide support to the newly created traffic unit, as there would be a significant increase in charges laid, both provincial and criminal code. Adding a municipal support staff would also allow more support to be provided to the Detachment General Investigation Section (GIS) by the Detachment Public Service Employee. The Canmore GIS Unit has been exceptionally busy with street level drug enforcement and providing support to detachment Members on higher risk files. This workload is also expected to increase as the population of Canmore increases.
Accommodation The RCMP utilizes a wide variety of facilities in Alberta. These facilities include: Federally owned buildings used by RCMP federal policing units; Federally owned buildings in which space is leased by RCMP PPSA resources, RCMP MPSA, or a combination of both; Municipally owned buildings in which space is leased to RCMP PPSA units; and Buildings owned by corporations in which space is leased to RCMP PPSA units.
The RCMP owns the existing Detachment building. The building houses 19 Municipal Members and four Provincial Members. The building is in fair condition. An interior upgrade project is scheduled to be completed over the next three years at the detachment.
Equipment Equipment requirements for detachment Members include information technology, criminal operations and fleet equipment. Each of these program areas have established life cycle replacement schedules for items such as computers or operational vehicles. These costs will be included within overall financial projections, but are not included within the table below. The table and following items are new initiatives that are anticipated to have a financial impact on the detachment and as such are being identified within this MYFP.
For Municipalities under a population of 15,000, an economy of scale does not exist individually to create systematic year‐by‐year cost certainty. For billing and forecasting purposes, a “basic average cost per Member” is determined by pooling the bulk of costs for all Municipalities under 15,000 and dividing this total by the total number of working members (FTE’s) within those municipalities. This basic average cost per Member rate is then used in billing for all Municipalities under 15,000 and is multiplied by each Municipality’s working Members to determine the costs for Page 6 of 10 Canmore Multi-Year Financial Plan 2021-2026 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 28 of 128 each location. This pooled rate benefits municipalities with a smaller population and in turn smaller spending targets, as large‐scale purchases that occur in a single year could have a significant financial impact on the Municipality. This pooled rate assists in smoothing the costs from year‐to year and minimizing drastic financial affects from one year to the next. All equipment costs noted below would be included within the pooled costs, and are also noted within the table below as an indicator of when the costs would be incurred at the detachment.
Table 4 Upcoming MYP Estimates Year
Items 20‐21 21‐22 22‐23 23‐24 24‐25 25‐26 3 AFRRCS $13,691 Naloxone (19 RM @ $ 99/unit) $1,881 $1,881 $1,881
1 Wifi installation $12,523 $2,850 $2,850 $2,850 $2,850 $2,850
2 Line speed upgrades $1,800 $1,800 $1,800 $1,800 $1,800 $1,800 CCVE Server/Camera upgrades, and $14,649 $13,737 $22,211 $26,562 $19,228 $7,334 Interview Systems Upgrades Android Devices $11,785 $3,338 ATAK $3,306 $3,306 $3,306 $3,306 $3,306 $3,306 Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW) $4,249
TOTALS $62,003 $26,912 $30,167 $36,399 $27,184 $17,171 NOTES: 1. Wifi Installation 20‐21 costs include the 6 wifi devices per detachment. The ongoing costs per detachment is for maintenance and user fees. 2. . The rough estimate cost per detachment for initial installation, scheduled to occur between April 2019‐ April 2020. Service fee for each year moving forward. 3. 2019/20 was the last year for AFRRCS implementation and applicable costs will be billed in 2020/21, as noted in the table. Costs are determined on a per capita basis and may differ slightly, based on final 2019/20 FTE utilization levels. Once a life cycle schedule is determined, equipment ever greening costs will be included for replacement radios.
Due to the ever changing police environment, the RCMP needs to have ongoing discussions about future equipment to ensure the safety of our Members and the public we serve. These equipment needs, that may impact ongoing municipal budgets, are listed below.
Naloxone Nasal Spray Replacement Kits In order to ensure the continued safety of our Members at risk to exposure of highly potent opioids, detachments will need to replace their current supplies of Naloxone Nasal Spray every
Page 7 of 10 Canmore Multi-Year Financial Plan 2021-2026 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 29 of 128 two years (shelf life expiry). ‘K’ Division Criminal Operations manages the replacement of Naloxone Nasal spray on a bi‐annual basis, at a unit price of $99/unit (two doses per unit).
Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW) RCMP National Use of Force is undertaking an evaluation of AXON's newest Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW). AXON (formerly TASER International), will no longer produce a Digital Power Magazine or Extended Digital Power Magazine (Battery Pack) for the TASER X‐26E model. The X‐26P model has been approved as a replacement for the X‐26E, at a replacement cost of approximately $1,575 per device. The existing X‐26E holsters are not compatible with the new X‐26P model. As such, additional holsters will be required. Approved holsters are available costs vary from approximately $100 to $200 each.
Portable Ballistic Shields The RCMP has identified that Portable Ballistic Shields (PBS) can provide an extra measure of safety to RCMP Members in some highly dangerous situations. The PBS will supplement soft and hard body armour when the need arises for General Duty Members to deploy as additional ballistic protection. The cost per PBS is estimated to be $8,000 to $10,000 each. A new standard from the National Institute of Justice specific to ballistic shields was released in 2019. RCMP National Use of Force has reviewed the new standard and amended the specifications that will be forwarded for approval to RCMP Senior Management at Contract and Indigenous Policing. It has not yet been determined if the PBS will be a mandatory piece of equipment for every RCMP detachment, nor has it been determined what the minimum number of PBS would be for each Detachment.
Breaching Equipment As part of the RCMP’s Immediate Action Rapid Deployment (IARD) training, Members are introduced to the use of breaching equipment. There is currently no Nationally approved breaching equipment for General Duty Members. The breaching tools are designed to be stored in a marked police vehicle in order to address IARD type incidents. RCMP National Use of Force has researched and evaluated nine different types of breaching tools, ranging in price from $160 to $2,000 per tool. A decision is still pending on whether the tools will be mandatory. Policy and training are under development and will be finalized once a tool is selected.
Hard Body Armour (HBA) For several months, RCMP National Use of Force has been reviewing the RCMP’s current HBA policy and standard. Industry advancements have been made resulting in the availability of lighter weight HBA plates and plates of different sizes to allow a better fit for several different body shapes. Once the review is complete, the product description for HBA will be amended to seek lighter weight and multiple sized HBA rifle plates for future procurement contracts. National Contract and Indigenous Policing is exploring the option of issuing HBA to all Regular Members as part of their personal issued kit. This proposal is still under development and requires Senior Management approval.
Pistol Modernization The RCMP undertook a review of its General Duty pistol. A proposal is being made to adopt a modern pistol to ensure our Members have appropriate equipment in order to do their job in
Page 8 of 10 Canmore Multi-Year Financial Plan 2021-2026 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 30 of 128 as safe and effective a manner as possible. This proposal was recently presented to the RCMP Senior Executive Committee (SEC) and obtained their support and approval, however, a pistol has not yet been identified. Moving forward, this proposal is subject to many milestones which would include securing appropriate finances and consultation with the Contract Management Committee (CMC). Contract and Indigenous Policing has been tasked to develop a strategy document to incorporate all current firearms in one modernization package. If this revised proposal receives SEC support to continue, various implementation plan options would be researched and considered, including a strategy for the distribution of pistols. After final project approval, the RCMP would not begin to receive new pistols for at least an additional 24 months. Although the financial impact of new equipment, as well as pistol conversion training, has not yet been determined, an order‐of‐magnitude estimate has been included within the CROPs five‐ year equipment plan.
Cannabis Legislation Roadside oral screening and drug reader devices have not yet been approved in Canada. Potential equipment required to enforce the new legislation has been identified within the CROPS equipment plan for 2020/21 and will be refined as further information is available.
Android Devices With changing technology, new android devices are slated to be distributed to police officers on a priority basis. The roll‐out was initiated in 2019, to be completed within three years, with an estimated cost of $1,000 per device. These devices will allow Members easier usability and more features to assist in their daily duties. At this time, this cost is not considered billable to contract partners as reporting is validated by Shared Services Canada, but it is being included as a potential cost in the MYFP just in case this changes.
Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) The RCMP is currently performing ongoing testing of a situational awareness software that would allow for Members to be tracked and monitored when they have exited their vehicle. The system currently being tested, referred to as Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), allows for GPS tracking of Members to ensure they can be located and tracked by front‐line supervisors, Critical Incident Commanders (CIC), Operational Communications Centres (OCC), Division Emergency Operations Centres (DEOC) and/or the National Operations Centre (NOC). The ATAK system requires that each Member be issued with an Android phone. A project proposal is currently being advanced for system implementation across the Force. Ongoing testing of ATAK software continues in General Duty locations in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and Emergency Response Teams located in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and National Division (Ottawa), with positive results.
Page 9 of 10 Canmore Multi-Year Financial Plan 2021-2026 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 31 of 128 Conclusion This Multi‐Year Financial Plan is presented in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Police Service Agreement. The RCMP remains committed to the sound stewardship of public resources in balance with operational requirements in a complex and evolving landscape.
The continuing investment in the municipal police service, particularly in building front line resources, will better equip the RCMP in Canmore to meet the challenges that accompany prosperity and growth.
Sgt. Stanton Andronyk Detachment Commander Canmore Detachment
Date:
I acknowledge receipt of this Multi‐Year Financial Plan (MYFP) that has been prepared as required under the Municipal Police Service Agreement (MPSA). This MYFP, including the proposed budget and any changes to the number of personnel, is approved “in principal” only and will be considered as part of the Municipal annual budget development process. At the conclusion of our budget process we will supply the Detachment Commander a budget letter, which will include confirmation of any changes in the number of Members and Support Staff for the Municipal Police Service, and an explanation for any difference between the most recent projected budget figure and the approved budget, including any suggestions for addressing the difference.
John Borrowman Mayor, Town of Canmore
Date:
Page 10 of 10 Canmore Multi-Year Financial Plan 2021-2026 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 32 of 128 Attachment 2
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 33 of 128 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 34 of 128 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 35 of 128 Request for Decision
DATE OF MEETING: July 7, 2020 Agenda #: H-2
TO: Council
SUBJECT: Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) Transfer from Reserve
SUBMITTED BY: Eleanor Miclette, Manager of Economic Development
RECOMMENDATION: That Council approve an amendment to the Downtown Business Improvement Area's 2020 budget to reflect a transfer of $20,000 from their Downtown Enhancement Reserve into their 2020 operating budget to fund downtown vibrancy as part of the COVID-19 pedestrianization of Main Street.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In order to provide a safe environment for staff, residents, and visitors, the Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) has been working in collaboration with the Town of Canmore to create a downtown that can accommodate physical distancing as a means to support downtown businesses in attracting customers as a result of COVID-19. To create an inviting space, the BIA board approved a motion to transfer funds from their enhancement reserve into their 2020 operating budget which they will use to apply for matching funds through a Town of Canmore Vibrancy Grant. The BIA Bylaw requires Council approval of this transfer.
RELEVANT COUNCIL DIRECTION, POLICY, OR BYLAWS As part of the Town of Canmore Bylaw 21-2005 section 11.1.a.i on Budget Amendments, Council may, in its approval of the board’s budget, authorize the board to amend the budget by transferring amounts to or from the board’s reserves.
Council has also approved the following relevant motions:
Motion 113-2020 - Moved by Mayor Borrowman that Council amend the 2020 Budget by approving the Allocation of $300,000 from the Tax Stabilization Reserve to the 2020 operating budget to cover the incremental expenses incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Motion 127-2019 – That Council amend the scope of the Parking Management Plan Implementation Capital Project to include a pilot Vibrant Spaces Grant Program for 2019 and 2020, as outlined in administration’s written report.
DISCUSSION As part of the pedestrianization of Main Street plan municipal funding has been allocated from the COVID- 19 pandemic budget to improve infrastructure elements in order to enhance business, resident, and visitor safety. However, this did not include funds to aesthetically enhance the space. Instead, the BIA was
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 36 of 128 encouraged to fund any elements that create an inviting place themselves and to apply for the Town’s Vibrancy Grant managed through the Engineering Department. Goals of the grant program include:
• Create more spaces for informal seating and bicycle parking in the Town Centre as recommended by the Integrated Parking Management Plan; • Improve the public and pedestrian environment of the Town Centre; • Create vibrant spaces for people to meet up with friends and family; • Embrace unique spaces to create one-of-a-kind experiences; • Encourage and support economic development in the Town Centre.
To ensure the closed portion of Main Street remains inviting and welcoming, the BIA is looking to provide plantings and seating to enhance the experience of residents and visitors to Downtown Canmore, with the goal of enhancing business visitation as a result.
In order to fund these elements, the BIA board approved the following motion on June 9th: The BIA Board of Directors approve the use of up to $20,000 from the reserve monies in the Downtown Enhancement Reserve with approved matching funds from the Town of Canmore Vibrancy Grant, to be used towards the Main Street Pedestrianization project and enhancement.
In accordance with Bylaw 21-2005, the BIA requires Town Council approval to amend their budget and transfer the funds so they can apply for the grant.
ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES N/A
FINANCIAL IMPACTS The Vibrancy Grant was initiated with a total of $50,000 to be used towards matching grants of up to $10,000 to businesses to improve the public realm in front of their buildings. To date $10,000 has been administered. Because the BIA is applying for a grant on behalf of multiple businesses, a matching grant of up to $20,000 will be provided for this project, leaving $20,000 in the grant fund.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT N/A
ATTACHMENTS 1) BIA Bylaw 21-2005
AUTHORIZATION
Submitted by: Eleanor Miclette Manager of Economic Development Date: June 11, 2020
Approved by: Chelsey Richardson Manager of Finance Date: June 17, 2020
Approved by: Sally Caudill GM Municipal Services Date: June 16, 2020
Approved by: Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Date: June 18, 2020
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 37 of 128 Attachment 1
BYLAW 21-2005 Office Consolidation Current as of March 6, 2019
BEING A BYLAW TO ESTABLISH A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA (BIA) IN THE TOWN OF CANMORE, IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA Amended 2019-03-06 Bylaw 2019-14 – Name Change
WHEREAS Pursuant to Section 50.0 to 52.1 of the M.G.A., Chapter M-26 R.S.A., 2000, Ch. M-26, as amended, a Council may by Bylaw, designate an area as a Business Improvement Area and prescribe its boundaries and establish a Board of Directors for the Business Improvement Area; and Amended 2016-05-18 Bylaw 2016-09
WHEREAS The Council of the Town of Canmore, in the Province of Alberta has received a request from more than 25% of the businesses in an area who are shown on the current assessment roll of a municipality as possibly being assessed for Business Improvement Area assessment.
NOW THEREFORE The Municipal Council of the Town of Canmore in the Province of Alberta, duly assembled, hereby adopts Bylaw 21-2005 as amended in accordance with the following:
TITLE 1. This Bylaw may be cited as the "Downtown Business Improvement Area Bylaw".
DEFINITIONS 2. In this Bylaw: a) "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Downtown Business Improvement Area of the Town of Canmore. b) "Town" means the Town of Canmore or the area contained within the boundaries of the Town as the context requires. c) "Council" means the Council of the Town of Canmore. d) "Downtown Business Improvement Area" means the area as designated on the attached Schedule "A". e) “Business” means: i) a commercial, merchandising, marketing or industrial activity or undertaking; ii) a profession, trade, occupation, calling or employment; or iii) an activity providing goods or services, whether or not for profit and however organized or formed, including a co-operative or association of persons. f) "Member" means a person who, operates a business, or their designate, within the Downtown Business Improvement Area, or who owns property within the Downtown Business Improvement Area that leases space to a business or otherwise allows a business to operate on or within the property, and who is assessed on the “Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll.” g) “Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll” shall mean a list prepared annually by the Town, listing all Members (including both commercial property owners and business tenants of those commercial property owners) of the Downtown Business Improvement Area as designated on the attached Schedule "A".
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 38 of 128
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA 3. There is hereby established a Business Improvement Area to be known as the Downtown Business Improvement Area as designated on the attached Schedule "A".
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 4. There is hereby established a Board to be known as "The Board of Directors of the Downtown Business Improvement Area.”
PURPOSE OF THE BOARD 5. The purpose of the Board may include: a) improving, beautifying and maintaining property in the zone; b) developing, improving and maintaining public parking; c) promoting the zone as a business or shopping area; d) representing the interests of the Downtown Business Improvement Area to Council; e) conducting any studies or preparing any designs that may be necessary for the purpose of this section.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD 6. (1) The Board shall consist of nine (9) members, who shall be individuals appointed by resolution of Council. The members shall consist of: a) One (1) member of Council, and b) Eight (8) members from the Downtown Business Improvement Area who are Members as defined by this Bylaw and are shown on the current Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll of the Town as being assessed for Business Improvement Area assessment. Amended 2016-05-18 Bylaw 2016-09 (2) The eight (8) area members shall be nominated by Members in the Business Improvement Area who are shown on the Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll of current businesses in the Zone as Members of the Business Improvement Area. Amended 2016-05-18 Bylaw 2016-09 (3) Area members of the Board of Directors of the Downtown Business Improvement Area shall be appointed by Council for two (2) year terms, commencing January 1st, unless they are appointed to serve the un-expired portion of an existing term. (4) At no time shall the Board consist of less than five (5) members. (5) The member of Council shall be appointed annually at the Organization Meeting of Council. (6) Any member may resign from the Board at any time upon sending written notice to the Board and Council to that effect, and any member may be removed from the Board by Council at any time, by resolution. (7) Council may only revoke the appointment of a Board member who was nominated by a Member if the revocation is recommended by the board. (8) Where a member ceases to be a member of the Board before the expiration of the designated term, Council may appoint another eligible person for the un-expired portion of the term. (9) A member ceases to be a member of the Board as follows: a) fails to attend three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the Board, unless absence is caused through illness or is authorized by resolution of the Board;
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 39 of 128 b) is hired in a full-time capacity with the Town or the Board; c) ceases to be a Member of the Business Improvement Area.
MEETINGS 7. (1) The Board shall hold at least eight (8) regular Board meetings per year at a time and place so designated by the Board. (2) The first Board meeting shall be held in January of each year for the appointment of officers of the Board and to conduct any other business deemed necessary. (3) An Annual General Meeting of the Board and the Members shall be called by the Board as soon as possible after the preparation of the Annual Report. (4) Special meetings may be called by the Chairman, with the approval of two members of the Board. (5) If the Chairman is absent or refuses to call a special meeting when requested by any member of the Board, the Secretary to the Board shall call a special meeting when requested to do so in writing by any three (3) members of the Board. (6) No special meeting shall be called unless twenty-four (24) hours notice is given in writing to all members of the Board, or by unanimous consent provided all members of the Board are present. (7) The members of the Board may consider or transact any business at any meeting provided it is within the powers established for the Board. (8) A majority of the members of the Board shall form a quorum. (9) The Board shall establish such rules and regulations as are necessary to govern the conduct of the Board meetings, and meetings of committees appointed by the Board, provided such rules and regulations are not inconsistent with powers herein conferred, and provided they are not inconsistent with Council Procedural By-laws, and copies of all such rules and regulations shall be filed with the Town Clerk. (10) Minutes shall be kept of all Board meetings (regular and special) and Board Committee meetings, and copies shall be filed with the Town’s Municipal Clerk. (11) At a Board meeting, Board members shall have one vote per member on all decisions put to a vote by the Board. (12) At the Annual General Meeting or any special meeting, on any decision put to a vote of all members of the BRZ, each member shall have one vote for each time their name or business is listed in the Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll.
OFFICERS OF THE BOARD 8. (1) A Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of the Board shall be selected from among the members of the Board. (2) The Board may appoint committees of its members, or from Members of the Business Improvement Area, and/or from citizens at large to deal with any matter, special study, or assignment coming within its jurisdiction. Such committees shall deal only with the matter or question referred to it for consideration and where appropriate, upon completion of the assignment, shall be dissolved. (3) The Chairman and all Board members present shall vote on every question before the Board and in the event of an equal division, the question shall be disposed of in the
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 40 of 128 negative.
POWERS, DUTIES & BUDGET 9. (1) The Board shall, by October 1st of each year, submit to Council, in the form prescribed by Council, for its approval the budget, program and estimates of revenues from every source and expenditures of the Board for the next year together with any request for sums of money required to carry out the Board's powers and duties. (2) The Board shall submit the budget, operational program and proposed levy estimates to Members of the Downtown Business Improvement Area Association prior to submission to Council. (3) Council shall add to the estimates an allowance for non- collection and administration costs involved in raising the requested money. (4) Council shall provide, in the form and manner it considers adequate, to every Member of the Business Improvement Area, notice of the estimates and the date and place of the Council meeting at which the estimates will be considered. (5) On approval of all or part of the estimates, Council shall direct the payment of the approved amount to the Board.
FINANCIAL MATTERS Financial Year 10. The financial year of the Board is the calendar year.
Budget Amendments 11. (1) Council may, in its approval of the Board’s budget, (a) authorize the board to amend the budget by (i) transferring amounts to or from the board’s reserves, and (ii) transferring amounts between expenditures so long as the amount of the total expenditures is not increased, and (b) establish conditions respecting the amendment of the budget under clause (a). (2) An amendment to the Board’s budget made in accordance with subsection (1) is deemed to be approved by Council.
Transfer of Money by Municipality 12. (1) After council approves the budget of the Board, the Town shall transfer to the Board the amounts identified in the approved budget. (2) The Town may make the payments in a method agreed upon with the Board.
Restrictions on the Board 13. (1) A board may only make an expenditure if: (a) the expenditure is included in the Board’s budget, and (b) the budget has been approved by Council. (2) The Board must not incur indebtedness extending beyond the current fiscal year of the Board without the approval of Council. In this section, “approved budget” means a budget of the Board of the Business Improvement Area that has been approved by Council. (3) A member of a board of a business revitalization zone that makes an expenditure that is not included in an approved budget is liable to the municipality for the expenditure.
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Non-Profit Organization 14. A board must apply all income and any profits to promoting the objects of the board and must not pay any dividends to any person.
Records 15. A board must ensure that proper financial records are maintained and that the minutes of its meetings and its resolutions are recorded.
Auditor 16. (1) The board must appoint an auditor. (2) An auditor appointed by the board is at all reasonable times and for any purpose related to an audit entitled to access to: (a) the records of the board, and (b) data processing equipment owned or leased by the board.
Financial Statement and Reports 17. (1) Each year following its financial year, the board must submit an audited financial statement to Council and any reports required by Council by the date agreed upon with Council. (2) On or before April 1st of each year, the Board shall submit its Annual Report for the preceding year to Council and that report shall include a summary of the year's activities and a complete audited financial statement of its affairs, with a balance sheet and a revenue and expenditure statement. (3) All books, documents, records of transactions, minutes and accounts of a Board shall, at all times, be open to inspection by the auditor and the Town. (4) The Board may: a) appoint one of its members; b) hire any person, or c) by agreement with Council, rely on the municipality to maintain any books, documents, records of transactions, minutes and accounts, and for making and receiving payments.
Insurance 18. The Board shall obtain Public Liability insurance or such other forms of insurance as deemed necessary by the Town and the Board.
ASSESSMENT AND TAX 19. (1) Council shall authorize by Bylaw the levy, on all Members in the Business Improvement Area shown on the Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll for the Zone pursuant to section 19(2) of this Bylaw, of a rate that Council considers sufficient to raise the amount required for the purposes of Section 9 of this Bylaw, and in accordance with the ALBERTA REGULATION 93-2016 BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA REGULATION. Amended 2007-05-15 Bylaw 18-2007
(2) The Town shall maintain a Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll of the Members in the Business Improvement Area that are subject to a Business Improvement Area levy, and in accordance with the
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 42 of 128 ALBERTA REGULATION 93-2016 BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA REGULATION. Amended 2007-05-15 Bylaw 18-2007
(3) The Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll shall be prepared and completed on a specific date. Supplementary assessments or amendments to the Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll shall not be made after this date as a result of businesses vacating premises or new businesses entering premises. Amended 2007-05-15 Bylaw 18-2007 (4) Once the Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll has been prepared by the Board, it shall be distributed to all Members (prior to submission of the annual budget to Council), together with information indicating how and to whom an appeal of an assessment may be undertaken. Amended 2007-05-15 Bylaw 18-2007 (5) Any appeal of an assessment contained in the Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll shall be made in writing by a Member, to the Board, within fourteen (14) days after the distribution of the Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll by the Board. Amended 2007-05-15 Bylaw 18-2007 (6) Appeals by Members shall be limited to the occupancy type, rate type and the business square footage. Appeals related to businesses vacating premises or new businesses entering premises after the date of the preparation of the Business Improvement Area Assessment Roll shall not be allowed or considered by the Board. Amended 2007-05-15 Bylaw 18-2007 (7) The Board shall meet to review the appeal and render its decision in writing to the appellant, indicating that the appeal has either been upheld and an amendment to the assessment will be made, or the appeal has been denied, providing reasons for the denial. Amended 2007-05-15 Bylaw 18-2007
DISSOLUTION 20. (1) In the event of this Bylaw being repealed, the Board shall cease to exist and its assets and liabilities shall be assumed by the Town in their entirety. (2) A Bylaw to repeal this Bylaw and to dissolve the Downtown Business Improvement Area and its Board shall be prepared and conducted in accordance with the ALBERTA REGULATION 93- 2016 BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA REGULATION. Amended 2007-05-15 Bylaw 18-2007
21. This bylaw shall come into full force on the date of third reading.
FIRST READING: November 1, 2005
SECOND November 1, 2005 READING:
THIRD READING: December 6, 2005
OFFICE CONSOLIDATION This document is a consolidation of a bylaw with one or more amending bylaws. Anyone making use of this consolidation is reminded that it has no legislative sanction. Amendments have been included for convenience of reference only. The approved bylaws should be consulted for all purposes of interpreting and applying the law.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 43 of 128 Bylaws included in this consolidation: 21-2005 Downtown BRZ Establishment 18-2007 Amending Bylaw Assessment and Tax Section 2016-09 Amending Bylaw Membership 2019-14 Amending Bylaw Change Name to BIA
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 44 of 128 Request for Decision
DATE OF MEETING: July 7, 2020 Agenda #: H-3
TO: Council
SUBJECT: Telephony Project Scope Change
SUBMITTED BY: Gordon Reid, Manager of IT
RECOMMENDATION: That Council amend the scope and budget of the proposed Telecommunications Study project (7062) by adding $20,000 from the IT Strategic Plan project (7127) to implement a telephony system.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Town’s telephony solution (land lines, desk phones) has not been able to meet the Town’s evolving needs for service. The system’s ability to enable a remote and mobile workforce has been poor and presented significant challenges during the recent COVID emergency. Significant enhancements have already been done by IT related to internal calling and messaging, as well as proposed changes related to cellular communications. IT is proposing to modify the scope of existing budgets and projects from a study to accelerate the deployment of a new telephony solution which will provide greater functionality and complete support for flexible, mobile and remote working solutions. The proposed re-scoping can be achieved within 2020 budgets and removes the need for a significant capital project in 2023.
RELEVANT COUNCIL DIRECTION, POLICY, OR BYLAWS a) The current telephony solution (Mitel/ShoreTel) was installed in 2012 at an original cost of $55,000. Further licences and handsets have been procured since the original install. b) Council approved a 2019/2020 capital project 7062 - Telecommunications Study for $40,000 that has not yet been spent. This project was intended to engage an external consultant with expertise in corporate telecom systems to review our telecommunication use and provide recommendations with the goal of finding efficiencies, improving service and reducing operational costs. Project 7127 – IT Strategic Plan Recommendations, will develop several strategies including a cloud strategy which this telephony implementation will help to address. c) The 5-year capital plan includes the replacement of the Telephony System in 2023 in the amount of $150,000.
DISCUSSION The IT team has been able to complete the telecommunications study internally rather than engaging an external consultant. Administration is seeking approval from Council to change the scope of this project from a study to immediate implementation of a telephony solution. This includes all incoming, outgoing and internal voice communications.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 45 of 128 While the existing telephony system has met the basic needs for voice communications, it has not been able to evolve in line with current technological trends. There has been growing demand and expectation that the system should support features including instant messaging, file sharing, screen sharing, conference calling, video calling and integrated meeting management. During the recent pandemic emergency, administration had an immediate and critical need to support a mobile and remote workforce while continuing to provide citizen services through our existing phone lines and new Emergency Call Centre. The current solution based on Mitel/ShoreTel was unable to adapt to the communications demands this emergency presented, and IT were unable to adequately support the organization and citizens with a fully functional telephony solution.
In the early days of the emergency, IT accelerated the planned deployment of the Microsoft Teams application to provide internal support for voice calling, instant messaging and the other functionality described above. This deployment to all staff and the transition has been extremely successful and well received across the organization.
The Microsoft Teams application can and should now be extended to handle incoming/outgoing calls. This will provide a common interface for staff to all calls and be a seamless transition for citizens and other external parties. The majority of licencing required is already supported by the Town’s existing agreement with Microsoft. The complexity associated to this phase of the deployment relates to the efficient ‘cutover’ of existing phone lines and the transition of calling groups and other features associated to the Town’s front desk(s). In addition, it is necessary to fully assess the compatibility and potential re-purposing of our existing telephony handsets.
The proposed solution will enable Town staff to receive and send calls from their Town extension via any computer or mobile device. Likewise, incoming calls can be routed to devices that are remote to the Town facilities. This solution will result in a fully seamless transition to a remote workforce in response to future emergencies.
As a result of the internal work already done by IT and the capabilities of the latest communications technologies, the IT department are confident that a solution can be deployed more rapidly and for significantly reduced costs from the original proposed projects and budgets.
ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES
IT had originally planned to assess alternatives to the Microsoft Teams platform which included Mitel, Cisco and Zoom. While all these options are viable, it is recommended that the Town focus on the Microsoft Teams application since:
• It is an industry leading solution worldwide and fully hosted and supported by Microsoft • The majority of licencing for users is already covered by the Town’s existing licencing • Teams has already been deployed and effectively used by Town staff internally • Microsoft Teams supports IT’s strategy to consolidate applications to optimize support effort.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 46 of 128 FINANCIAL IMPACTS As a result of the current experience with Microsoft Teams and its deployment internally, it is estimated that a full deployment of Teams for external calling, including hardware and calling plans., can be attained for a 2020 cost of approximately $60,000. There will be an increase to the annual Microsoft fees to cover the calling plans however this will be significantly lower than our current call costs with Telus.
Administration is seeking approval to change the scope of project 7062 from a telecommunications study to a system implementation. An additional $20,000 from Project 7127 would be required to complete this implementation. This proposed telephony work will contribute to the cloud strategy identified in this project.
By implementing the Microsoft Teams solution now, the 2023 project and budget of $150,000 would not be required.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The recent pandemic emergency has accelerated and highlighted the need for a telecommunications platform that not only delivers modern functionality, but which can adapt to rapid changes in the workforce and workforce practices. Through the rapid deployment of Microsoft Teams internally, IT engaged with all departments to understand the gaps that existed and the nature of the required solution. Ultimately transition from the current external calling methods to the new approach would be largely transparent to the end users with the exception of the headsets/handsets utilized.
ATTACHMENTS 1) Capital Detail Sheet – Telecommunications Study – 7062 2) Capital Detail Sheet – IT Strategic Plan Recommendations - 7127
AUTHORIZATION Submitted by: Gordon Reid Manager, Information Technology Date: June 16, 2020 Approved by: Chelsey Richardson Manager of Financial Services Date: June 17, 2020 Approved by: Therese Rogers GM, Corporate Services Date: June 16, 2020 Approved by: Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Date: June 18, 2020
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 47 of 128 Attachment 1 Telecommunications Study Project Summary Project Number
Budget Year: 2019 Budget: $40,000 Department: Information Technology Project Type: Consulting Questica Reference: IT-17-09 Priority: B Project Description: This project will engage an external consultant with expertise in corporate telecom systems to review our telecommunication use and provide recommendations with the goals of finding efficiencies, improving service and reducing operational costs. This review will include all land line services, Town owned telecommunication systems, mobile device use, and data-only devices (tablets, GPS units in vehicles, portable electronic signs, etc.). The study will also look at how we use our telephones from a customer service point of view and make recommendations about how calls could be handled to improve service as well as investigate implementing a 311 service.
END
Budget Funding:
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Total Operating (Capital) $40,000 0 0 0 0 0 $40,000 Total $40,000 0 0 0 0 0 $40,000
Operating Budget Impact: This project will likely lower costs in the Common Services operating budget. END
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 48 of 128 Telecommunications Study Project Summary Project Number
Project Rationale: Telecommunication and Cellular costs for the organization are in excess of $ 180,000 annually and demand for mobile devices to provide voice and data communication is continually increasing. Undertaking this study could result in savings in this area which are likely to result in cost recovery for the project within 2-3 years.
The Town Currently has multiple switchboards throughout the organization based on either departments or facilities. While it is believed that improvements in call handling and customer service are possible by centralizing this function, further information is required to verify this and provide methods for implementation.
Aligns with the goal of Service - Canmore’s services and programs respond to the aspirations of its residents and visitors and are delivered in an effective, innovative, and fiscally responsible manner.
END
Options Considered: Performing this study internally using existing staff resources has been considered. However, the expertise required does not exist within the organization and it is unlikely that enough resources exist to undertake this review.
END
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 49 of 128 Attachment 2 I.T. Strategic Plan Recommendations Project Summary Project Number
Budget Year: 2019 Budget: $100,000 Department: Information Technology Project Type: Studies Questica Reference: IT-17-12 Priority: B Project Description: This project will engage an external organization to work with Information Technology to implement recommendations from the Information Technology Strategic Plan in the specific areas of: - disaster recovery planning, - bandwidth assessment, - network assessment and security testing, - development of a cloud strategy, - development of an open data strategy, - development of business architecture standards.
END
Budget Funding:
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Total Operating (Capital) 0 $100,000 0 0 0 0 $100,000 Total 0 $100,000 0 0 0 0 $100,000
Operating Budget Impact: None, but development of guidelines and processes could impact how future capital projects are approached and implemented. END
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 50 of 128 I.T. Strategic Plan Recommendations Project Summary Project Number
Project Rationale: The Information Technology Strategic Plan makes recommendations for several projects to formalize I.T. operations in the organization. These initiatives address introducing new business capabilities into the Town, including a focus on new system implementations and an opportunities to improve levels of electronic service delivery.
A Disaster Recovery Plan is a documented process to recover an organization’s data and/or system infrastructure in the event of an incident or disaster in order to restore Information Technology based services as efficiently as possible. This process will involve an investigation of what operations and services are critical and public facing and establish how these functions can be delivered in the event of an unexpected disaster. Once completed, the Disaster Recovery Plan will inform a subsequent Business Continuity Plan.
The Town has not undertaken any sort of security testing to date and instead relies on the ability of perimeter network defenses to protect from malicious systems behavior. However, connections from internal systems to the Internet in general are becoming more complex to the point where the distinction between the Town Network and the Internet is becoming blurred. Proactively performing security testing would identify issues before they can be exploited and become impactful to the operations of the Town.
Although the current state of internet and network infrastructure is well known, an assessment of network and bandwidth should be conducted to determine the future needs of the organization. Network and internet reliability is critical to supporting Town operations, but also to support the expansion of future IT technology functions as new projects are rolled out. This assessment should include considerations for enhanced wireless solutions and community infrastructure.
Development of a Cloud Strategy will identify requirements guide the organization through the decision process when deciding on cloud versus on-premise solutions. Security, privacy, compliance as well as integration challenges will be considered and the resulting standards for cloud computing are to be be incorporated into the Town's Enterprise Architecture. Although this strategy was initially suggested to be undertaken in subsequent years, several other projects are currently being considered that this strategy can apply to.
Open Data and Business architecture standards will be an initiative to identify the major business areas and their relationships with one another with a focus on data and functionality. This will Examine the major business objects within each business area, how these objects relate to one another, and how each object is virtually represented in terms of data. These standards will also help IT focus and make sure that the architecture supports the current organization as well as any future organizational changes.
END
Options Considered: Continue operating as we are now using informal processes on a case by case basis.
END
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 51 of 128 Request for Decision
DATE OF MEETING: July 7, 2020 Agenda #: H-4
TO: Council
SUBJECT: Utility Services Review
SUBMITTED BY: Andreas Comeau, Manager of Public Works
RECOMMENDATION: That Council direct administration to negotiate a new Water and Waste Water Services Agreement with Epcor Water Services Inc.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Town of Canmore has had its water utility services provided by Epcor Water Services Inc. since May 2000. The agreement has been amended or renewed on several occasions over the past 20 years. Given the expiry of the agreement, it was deemed appropriate to complete a thorough review of the utility service. This included a review of the agreement language, financial details, interviews with key stakeholders and a scan of the utility service industry. The review concluded with two key recommendations: negotiate a new agreement with Epcor; and go to market if the Town’s expectations cannot be met through the negotiation.
BACKGROUND/HISTORY The following are dates for key decisions: 1999 Council agreed to contract the water utility operations to Epcor beginning in May 2000. 2005 Council agreed to an amendment to the original agreement. 2010 Council approved a new 10 year agreement that included an increase to the Basic Fee of $315,970. 2016 Council approved an amendment to the 2010 agreement that included a reduction to the Basic Fee of $14,309. 2019 Council approved an increase to the Basic Fee of $405,000 for 2020.
DISCUSSION Epcor Water Services Inc. (Epcor) has been a valued partner of the Town for over twenty years. Epcor is currently responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Town’s water and wastewater systems and delivery of utility related capital work, along with metering services. Epcor has provided critical support to the Town during some of our most challenging times, including in 2012 when a large pipe burst inside Pumphouse 1, and during and after the 2013 flood event. At the same time, costs have increased significantly over the years, and there have been challenges with delivering capital projects. Given this and the 20 year term of the agreement, it was deemed appropriate to complete a thorough review of services and costs, and determine next steps.
A consulting firm (NAD Consulting Inc.) was retained in January 2020 to complete the review on behalf of the Town of Canmore. A five step methodology was used by the consultant, and a summary of the findings for each step, is provided below. Findings are detailed in the full Utility Services Review document (Attachment 1).
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 52 of 128 1. Agreement assessment: a. The service, scope and fee definitions in the agreement are often unclear; b. The agreement is unnecessarily complex, difficult to administer and not easily adaptable to change; and c. The agreement does not reflect and promote a balanced relationship. 2. Performance assessment a. Fees for services for the next agreement term need to be redefined; b. Internal controls and oversight of the agreement must be strengthened; c. Several services (storm drainage, capital projects, communications, water metering and billing services) should be adjusted to better meet expectations; d. Operations and maintenance (O&M) capacity could be freed-up by modifying the allocations of local staff to capital projects and non-Canmore O&M; e. Accounting for water services fees should be improved to allow better reporting and monitoring; f. Water operations could be better aligned with the Town’s strategic direction. 3. Best practice assessment a. Maintenance activities could be optimized and performed by local resources; b. Technology could be further leveraged to improve operational efficiency and reduce energy and chemical usage; and c. Staff utilization and productivity can likely be improved. 4. Service delivery options analysis – options considered include: a. Extend the 2010 agreement for another 10 years b. Negotiate a new agreement with Epcor c. Go to market d. Bring water services in-house 5. Recommendations a. Negotiate a new agreement with Epcor b. Go to market (if a new agreement cannot be reached)
In accordance with the consultant’s report, it is recommended that Council direct administration to initiate negotiation of a new agreement. Upon that direction, the following next steps will be undertaken:
1. Complete negotiation strategy 2. Finalize roles and responsibilities for the negotiation team and its position 3. Notify Epcor with request to negotiate a new agreement 4. Begin negotiation process with Epcor and provide Council with updates at key intervals
FINANCIAL IMPACTS There are no direct financial impacts with the decision in front of Council today. However, the next stage of negotiating a new agreement will be critical. In particular, the mechanism with which the Basic Fees will adjust each year is vital to ensure expenses grow at a rate that can keep pace with reasonable utility rate increases – throughout the full term of the agreement.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The consultant’s report was produced with engagement from Public Works, the Town’s executive leadership, Epcor, and a cross-section of other municipalities as part of an environmental scan.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 53 of 128 ATTACHMENTS 1) Utility Services Review
AUTHORIZATION
Submitted by: Andreas Comeau Manager of Public Works Date: June 12, 2020
Approved by: Chelsey Richardson Manager of Financial Services Date: June 17, 2020
Approved by: Whitney Smithers GM of Municipal Infrastructure Date: June 17, 2020
Approved by: Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Date: June 18, 2020
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 54 of 128 Attachment 1
Public Works Department
Town of Canmore Public Works 902 7th Avenue, Canmore, AB T1W 3K1
Andreas Comeau Manager, Public Works Department
FINAL v2.1 May 21, 2020
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 55 of 128 NAD Consulting is a boutique firm that provides management consulting services to public sector organizations (i.e. municipalities, governments, education, and associations). Mission - We help our clients improve their processes and systems, prepare business cases and investment plans, design appropriate organizational structures to successfully deliver their programs and projects, and measure, manage, and improve their performance. Services - With over one hundred consulting projects delivered for executives and senior management of organizations across Canada, NAD Consulting has acquired broad expertise in the following service areas:
Management Consulting Services Our municipal sector expertise: • Organization structure reviews • Public Works • Business process improvement and redesign • Drinking Water • Program and efficiency reviews • Wastewater • Identification of issues and recommendations • Planning and Development • Strategic planning (mission, vision, and strategic objectives) • Permits and Licenses • Business improvement and cost reduction • Fleet Management • Business transformation • Waste Management • Performance management (planning, budgeting, and forecasting) • Parks • Business case development • Recreation • Performance measurement and development of KPIs • Client Service Centres (3-1-1)
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 56 of 128 NAD Consulting Inc. was retained by the Town of Canmore to conduct a value-for-money assessment of its water utility agreement and to recommend any changes or improvements for consideration by the administration.
This report documents the analysis of the agreement for services between the Town of Canmore and the current water services provider (EPCOR Water Services Inc.) in accordance with the approach, scope, and methodology described in this report. The review involved understanding the agreement and determining if the agreement should be renewed, renegotiated, or terminated (i.e. go to market or bring in-house).
This review does not constitute an audit or assessment the agreement from a legal, financial, or engineering compliance perspective. As such, NAD Consulting Inc. does not make any legal, financial, or engineering recommendations.
Various documents were obtained from the Town and its water services provider for the purpose of the review. Some may contain confidential information and may be referenced in this report. The report is therefore provided solely for the Town Administration’s use and should be kept confidential.
While sections of the agreement are summarized in this report, the wording in the agreement should always take precedence.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 57 of 128 Table of Contents
Page 30-Second “Elevator Pitch” Summary Executive Summary
1. Introduction 7 2. Analysis 23 3. Service Delivery Option Analysis 32 4. Recommendations 37 5. Next Steps 55
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 58 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 4 30-Second “Elevator Pitch” Summary
• At the highest level, the outcomes of the Utility Services review can be summarized as follows:
Objective – The main objective of the review was to review the current agreement, identify improvement opportunities and assess five service delivery options: (1) renew the current agreement; (2) negotiate a new agreement with the current provider; (3) go to market; (4) bring services in-house. Ten assessment criteria were used to determine which option the Town should pursue.
Relationship strengths – The current provider has earned the trust and confidence of the Administration and Council for its knowledge of the Town’s water systems, its ability to respond to operational issues and emergency situations, its compliance with regulations, the strength of its Health and Safety program, and the customer service it has provided the community for the last 20 years.
Findings – The 10-year Agreement for water services between the Town of Canmore and its current service provider expired on January 1, 2020 and is no longer fit-for-purpose. The Town is experiencing significant growth in its capital program, there was an unexpected request for an $840,000 (27%) increase in the Basic Work fee from the Provider in December 2019, and the Agreement has become increasingly challenging to administer. As a result, it is urgent to address the situation.
Improvement opportunities – A number of opportunities were identified from the assessments of the agreement, the service delivery performance and the practices used by the provider, including: (1) clarifying, simplifying, and re-structuring the Agreement to reduce potential conflict and simplify administration; (2) enhancing internal Town controls for monitoring the agreement; (3) better aligning operational priorities and performance measures with the Town’s strategic plan and pillars (e.g. climate change); (4) improving the provider’s O&M practices such as strengthening the local team, changing the maintenance mix, and improving the application of instruments and control strategies to reduce energy usage and trigger maintenance events.
Recommendation – Based on the assessment of the options, the Town should negotiate and develop a new, clear and fair agreement that provides service level and cost certainty for the Town for the duration of that agreement. If the negotiation fails to meet the Town’s expectations, the Town should go to market with clear requirements and expectations to select a new service provider. Additional recommendations were made to improve the agreement, internal controls, and operational efficiency.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 59 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 5 Executive Summary
Options 1. Extend 2. Renegotiate 3. Go to Market 4. Bring In-House
10 Evaluation Criteria (Compliance, competitiveness, availability of resources, risk, responsiveness, impact, affordability, community, strategy, control) Agreement assessment Performance assessment Best practices assessment Strengths • Proven expertise and understanding of Canmore’s infrastructure • Employee health and safety and training are taken seriously • Proven operational and emergency response capabilities • Water and wastewater services delivered to stipulated levels • Good employee morale and retention • 20-year relationship between the Town and EPCOR • Ability to leverage specialized experts on an as-required basis • Transparency and compliance with regulations • Excellent customer service and reputation in the community • Technology is leveraged to manage operations
Improvement Opportunities • Service, performance, scope, and fee definitions are often unclear • The Agreement is unnecessarily complex, difficult to administer, not easily adaptable to change, and does not reflect a balanced relationship • Fees for services for the next agreement term need to be redefined • Internal controls and oversight of the Agreement must be strengthened • Storm drainage, capital projects, communications, water metering and billing services should be adjusted • O&M capacity could be freed-up by modifying the allocation of local staff to capital projects and non-Canmore O&M • Accounting for water services fees should be improved to allow better reporting and monitoring • Water operations could be better aligned to Town’s strategic direction • Maintenance activities could be optimized and performed by local resources • Technology could be further leveraged to improve operational efficiency and reduce energy and chemical usage • Staff utilization and productivity can likely be improved
Recommendations 1. Establish Town’s expectations and develop negotiation strategy 2. Develop target agreement, incorporating the opportunities identified in this review 3. Negotiate with existing provider 4. Strengthen internal controls and monitoring of the utility services agreement If negotiations with existing provider fail to meet the Town’s expectations: 5. Go to market
RecommendedJuly 7, 2020 Option: Regular CouncilRenegotiate Meeting with9 a.m. the current provider; go to market if negotiation fails to meet Town’s expectations. Page 60 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 6 1. Introduction
• Context • Objectives and Scope • Approach • Methodology • Acknowledgements • Water Infrastructure Description • Wastewater Infrastructure Description • Organizational Structure
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 61 of 128 1. Introduction Context
Utility Services Agreement with EPCOR • The Town of Canmore (the “Town”) contracts out its water, wastewater and storm drainage operations and maintenance to EPCOR Water Services Inc. (“EPCOR”, the “water services provider”, or “Provider”). • EPCOR is a corporation owned by the City of Edmonton that provides water and electricity utility services in Canada and in the US where they own water and wastewater assets. EPCOR provides similar services to municipalities in Alberta and British Columbia including Edmonton, Red Deer County, Kananaskis, French Creek and Britannia Mine. • Canmore first signed a 10-year Utility Services Agreement with EPCOR in 1999. This agreement was updated in 2005 and ended January 1, 2010. The current 10-year agreement was signed in 2010, updated in 2016 and ended January 1, 2020. The 2010 agreement includes an 18- month notification clause under which each party must notify the other of an intent to terminate the service relationship. The Town and provider signed a memorandum of understanding on December 5, 2019 (Amending Agreement No. 2) to increase the cost of the basic work fee for the services provided. The parties to the agreement are currently working to the terms and condition of the 2010 Agreement and its subsequent amending agreements. Fees paid by the Town during the Agreement term (2010-2019) • The core operations and maintenance (O&M) services in the 2010 Agreement (defined as Basic Work) include water treatment, water distribution, wastewater treatment, wastewater collection, and storm drainage operations and maintenance. They also include meter reading, billing and account management services, communication services and basic maintenance and repairs services. • The fees for the core services in the agreement averaged $2.6M per year for the 10-year term of the Agreement, starting at $2.3M in 2010 and rising to $3.1M in 2019. Additional costs were paid directly by the Town for electricity and gas. Electricity costs averaged $501K per year, rising from $280K in 2010 to $543K in 2019, while costs for gas averaged $92K per year, reducing from $225K in 2010 to $72K in 2019. • Some of the work requested by the Town and delivered by the provider was outside of the core (basic work) scope of the Agreement (e.g. maintaining infrastructure assets). This additional work was separately defined in the Agreement as “Other Work” and included: • Rehabilitation Fund Maintenance and Repairs work – which averaged $913K per year ($580K in 2010 to $1,2M by 2019) • Building Maintenance and Repairs work – funded from the Rehabilitation Fund Maintenance and Repairs • Biosolids Services – which averaged $373K plus a $32K management fee per year, ($427K + $36K in 2010 to $327K + $33K in 2019) • Capital Works – which averaged $2.82M per year (including the provider’s management fee) ($397K in 2010 to $9.15M in 2019) • Other “Out-of-Scope” Work – which averaged $136K per year. • Over the 10-year term of the Agreement, the Town paid $75.2M to the Provider for services, or an average of $7.5M per year. Note: all numbers are based on accounting records provided by the Town. July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 62 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 8 1. Introduction Context
Town of Canmore’s Requirement • The following events triggered the need for this review: • The end of the 10-year term of the Agreement on January 1, 2020 • The request for an additional $840,000 per year for the Basic Work, (a 27% increase from the 2019 Basic Work fees) • The lack of specificity in the agreement of the definitions of the services and what work is considered in-scope vs. out-of-scope • The need for Council to approve additional funding for capital projects managed by the provider for which bids came in significantly higher than engineering estimates • The growth of the Town’s capital program as well as the value of the projects within the program • As a result, the Town would like to: • Review the agreement • Assess EPCOR’s service performance • Determine whether alternative service delivery options should be considered • Identify adjustments or additions to the content of an agreement with an external contractor that would provide one or more of those services. • The Town administration will use the results of the review to report back to Council with a recommendation on the best way to deliver water, wastewater and stormwater operations and maintenance as well as capital services in the future.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 63 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 9 1. Introduction Objectives and Scope
Objectives The objectives of this project are to: 1. Conduct a value-for-money assessment of the existing water, wastewater and stormwater services provided by the current service provider. 2. Identify and assess future service delivery options for water, wastewater and stormwater services. 3. Use the results of the assessment to make a recommendation to the administration on how to best deliver those services to customers in the future. 4. Recommend any adjustments or additions to the agreement if the recommendation is to renew or renegotiate.
Scope The scope of this review is limited to the following: • 2010-2019 agreement and amendments between the Town and the Provider. • Value-for-money assessment of the services rendered during the agreement period based on the assessment criteria described in this report. • Consultations with Town of Canmore management, Provider’s representatives, and three comparator municipalities.
The scope specifically does not include the following: • Financial compliance review or audit of the requirements defined in the agreement. • Legal compliance review or audit of the requirements defined in the agreement. • Technical or engineering compliance review of the requirements defined in the agreement.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 64 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 10 1. Introduction Approach
• The following approach was used:
1. Project Planning and 2. Information Gathering and 4. Report Development and 3. Analysis Initiation Consultations Presentation
• Conduct kick-off meeting and • Develop interview questionnaires • Review the agreement and • Develop draft validate project objectives, • Conduct interviews with approvals to operate recommendations based on work plan and scope management • Summarize findings from the analysis • Validate project status update • Conduct interviews with Town comparison with other • Develop draft report reporting frequency staff, contractors, or councillors municipalities • Present draft report to project • Identify and discuss any other • Conduct interviews with • Review financial records for in- sponsor, and GM, project or communication comparator organizations and out-of-scope work Infrastructure Services, adjust considerations • Conduct walkthrough of facilities • Conduct a high-level draft report as required • Identify key individuals to (i.e. treatment facilities and pump assessment of the capital • Finalize and submit report consult stations) project work • As required, be available to • Obtain and review • Conduct interviews with EPCOR • Compare current services answer questions during the background documents • Conduct follow-up calls or provided with the agreed-upon administration’s presentation • Schedule interviews and work interviews as required for assessment criteria of the recommendations to sessions clarification • Identify different models, pros Council • Summarize notes from each and cons, and associated risks • Conduct project closeout interview and identify key themes • Identify potential meeting • Develop a summary of findings recommendation options • Develop draft report structure, validate with project sponsor
Project Monitoring and Reporting Monitor and report on project progress; Provide regular project status updates (project risks, issues, budget, action items.)
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 65 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 11 1. Introduction Methodology
The methodology used to conduct the Utility Services Review includes the following elements:
1. Agreement assessment 2. Performance assessment 3. Best practices assessment 4. Service delivery options analysis 5. Recommendations
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1. Agreement assessment
During the Agreement assessment, we examine the structure and Typical Questions Answered style of the Agreement, the definition of the services and payment for those services, as well as the terms and conditions that govern • Is it clear what exactly is included in the base scope of the agreement? the commercial relationship between the parties. In the process, • Are services well defined, especially in the area of maintenance and we answer the types of questions shown in the graphic to the right, capital services? • Are deliverables clearly described? and determine how well the Agreement meets the following • Are there sufficient performance indicators specified? objectives: • Are potential additional services defined in the contract, along with clear 1. Creates and promotes certainty and reduces conflict through costs? clear definition of services and payments • Are the terms and conditions fair to both parties? 2. Reflects and promotes a fair and reasonable relationship in • In the case of a fixed price contract, is the band of variability in flow and the water services provider market loadings sufficiently broad to give the owner reasonable cost certainty? 3. Is easy to administer and adapt to change • Is the adjustment for flow or loadings changes reasonable? • Is the risk assumed by the owner fair? As a result of the assessment we make recommendations that can • Are the provisions of relief specific enough? be used by the Town to create a new agreement or improve the • Is the definition of indemnification for the Town broad enough? existing agreement so that it better reflects the expectations of the • Is clear ownership of hardware, software and data stipulated? Town and the desired future relationship with the provider.
2. Performance assessment During the performance assessment, we compare the outcomes achieved by the Provider to the outcomes to be reasonably expected by the community being served. This allows us to evaluate the Provider’s performance against outcomes specified in the agreement, such as public health and safety, environmental protection and a healthy sustainable partnership between the Town and the operator. The following specific outcome areas are examined: 1. Compliance with regulations – where we ensure regulatory compliance and quick response to operational and environmental issues 2. Provider staff skills and availability – where we make sure staff has the required skills and certifications, and is available when needed 3. Customer service and engagement – where we review responsiveness to customer needs and requests as well as community engagement 4. Compliance with the Agreement – where we examine the services and deliverables required (e.g. reports) as well as information provided 5. Fees and payments for services – where we review the payments made, inflationary adjustments used, and the process of managing change 6. Health and safety of staff and contractors – where we check for the health and safety training records of staff, site signage, time lost 7. Partnership growth potential – where we check the alignment of the Provider with the Town’s future strategic direction July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 67 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 13 1. Introduction Methodology
3. Best practices assessment
During the best practices assessment we compare the O&M service provider’s practices Best Practices Paradigms Examined to the best O&M practices in the industry to identify opportunities for improvement. The assessment enables us to examine the way that: 1. Total productive operations (and maintenance) • Operations and maintenance are being performed 2. Program-driven asset maintenance and • The Town’s infrastructure is being cared for and protected protection 3. Unattended facilities • Technology is being applied to enable efficient process performance and remote 4. Flexible work force is fully productive operations 5. Technology is seen as essential and applied for • Staff is organized and managed to be efficient and effective efficiency The assessment results in recommendations that help the system owner set reasonable 6. Organization leverages economies-of-scale and expectations for operator performance and reasonable expectations for the cost of the team-based decision-making services to be provided. The recommendations should also provide specific feedback that the operator can use to improve service delivery. 4. Service delivery options analysis During the service delivery options analysis, we identify and analyze options to deliver water, wastewater and stormwater services to the community based on prioritized and weighted criteria. The following options are considered: 1. Extending the existing services agreement with the existing provider to deliver the same services under the same terms and conditions and service descriptions 2. Renegotiating the terms and conditions of the existing agreement with the existing provider, including the same services, and clarifying service definitions 3. Going to market with an RFP to competitively select and procure a provider to deliver the same services included in the existing agreement under new terms and conditions 4. Assumption of water, wastewater and stormwater services in-house to be delivered by Town staff Each option is evaluated against the criteria prioritized in partnership between the consultant and Town stakeholders.
5. Recommendations • Recommendations are made in each assessment, such as improvements to the Agreement, better outcomes to be achieved, and improvementsJuly 7, 2020 Regular in the Councilpractices Meeting employed 9 a.m. to deliver the services. The preferred service delivery option is also recommendedPage to 68 the of 128Town. Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 14 1. Introduction Acknowledgements
• NAD Consulting would like to acknowledge and thank the following for their availability and participation in the information gathering process:
Town of Canmore Other Stakeholders • Chantale Blais, Municipal Engineer • Richard Bremmer, President, Bremmer Engineering • Andreas Comeau, Manager, Public Works • Therese Rogers, GM, Corporate Services • Town of Wasaga Beach • Sally Caudill, GM, Municipal Services • Town of Strathmore • Whitney Smithers, GM, Municipal Infrastructure • Town of Jasper • Lisa deSoto, Chief Administrative Officer • John Borrowman, Mayor • Janae Sheppard, Tax and Utility Office • Ric Irwin, Senior Finance Officer
EPCOR • Christian Madsen, Director, Western Canada • Dennis Letourneau, Site Manger • Ankit Bhargava, Capital Delivery Team • Brendon Jenner, Project Coordinator • David Zawierucha, Project Manager, Project Development and Delivery
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 69 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 15 1. Introduction Water Infrastructure and System Description
Water System • Canmore’s water system is used to draw water from a surface water and a groundwater source in approximately equal quantities, treat that water to acceptable standards, and distribute the treated water to an estimated population of 15,745(1) in Canmore for domestic, recreational, commercial and industrial purposes. The water system’s main contributions to the community are to ensure public health and safety while ensuring environmental protection and enabling economic development.
Rundle Forebay Reservoir - Source: TripAdvisor Water Sources • Canmore is located within the Bow River watershed and draws surface water from the Rundle Forebay Reservoir and groundwater from its Pump House No. 1 location. Water Treatment Systems • Pumphouse No. 1 (PH1): treats ground water and consists of well pump chlorination equipment and distribution pumps. PH1 treatment capacity is approximately 8 ML/d. • Pumphouse No. 2 (PH2): treats raw surface water from the Rundle Forebay Reservoir using a treatment process that includes coagulation, gravity filtration, chlorination and UV disinfection. PH2 treatment capacity is approximately 9 ML/d. Water Distribution Systems Pump House No. 2 - Source: 2018 Environmental • Performance Plan prepared by EPCOR There are five (5) pump stations containing a total of seventeen (17) pumps in the Canmore water distribution network. Each station is designed to increase the available head in the hydraulic network to assist in the adequate distribution of water at higher elevations. The pump houses and booster stations contain water distribution pumps and valves; pipes; and controls and systems to monitor pump operations and water levels. • There are three (3) finished water storage reservoirs in Canmore’s water distribution network. The reservoirs are stationed at specific locations throughout the distribution system to allow for additional storage of potable water. The water storage reservoirs have many of the same components as the booster stations; however, the largest element of the reservoir is the underground storage facility where potable water is kept in reserve for emergency fire protection, the buffering of periods of peak demand and for plant shutdowns. Reservoirs also Aquatics Centre at Elevation Place Source: RMO Today, February 12, 2020 Photo: EVAN provide water pressure to the distribution system. BUHLER RMO PHOTO July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m.(1) Source: The Bow Valley Crag & Canyon: Strategic Working Session Workbook Page 70 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 16 1. Introduction Wastewater Infrastructure and System Description Wastewater System • Canmore’s wastewater system is used to collect and convey wastewater from residential, commercial and industrial customers, treat that wastewater to acceptable standards, release the treated effluent into the Bow River and properly reuse the biosolids created during the treatment process. Wastewater’s main contributions to the community are to ensure environmental protection and enable economic development. Wastewater Collection System • A network of sanitary sewers convey wastewater to the Canmore Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). Lift stations pump wastewater to higher elevation to allow for gravity flow. Wastewater Treatment System • The Town’s wastewater treatment plant receives sewage via the various lift stations. The plant was commissioned in 1997 and includes screening and grit removal, primary treatment (clarification), and secondary and tertiary treatment (biological aerated filtration). The treated wastewater passes through a UV disinfection unit prior to being discharged to the Bow River, while biosolids are hauled away. • Since its original construction in 1997, the plant has undergone several upgrades, including: Stage I - Original Construction; Stage II - UV upgrade; and Stage III - BAF upgrade. The Stage III upgrade was completed in 2009. Following the Stage III upgrade, the Town’s build-out population has been increased as determined through approved development plans. Based on current development plans, a Stage IV upgrade is required to meet the build-out population of 31,000 people. As such, the WWTP is currently undergoing a multi-year upgrade and expansion. Stantec completed a report titled “Canmore WWTP Upgrade Treatment Evaluation” in October 2012, which outlines the scope of work for a Stage IV upgrade, to be implemented over the course of several years.
EPCOR operator cleaning pipes, manholes, and lift stations in the Screenings removal process Biological aerated filtration (BAF) process wastewater collection system. Source: Privatization Risk and Canmore Wastewater Treatment Plant Canmore Wastewater Treatment Plant July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 71 of 128 Rewards – Alan Shapiro Water Canada - Photo: Bluefish Studio March 11, 2020 plant tour March 11, 2020 plant tour Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 17 1. Introduction Storm Drainage Infrastructure and System Description
Stormwater Management System • Canmore’s stormwater system is used to collect and convey overland runoff from rain or melted snow on roads, parking lots and other sites to help mitigate the impact of flooding on municipal infrastructure, homes, roadways, as well as damage to landscaping and erosion, and possible pollution into the Bow River. Stormwater management’s main contributions to the community are the protection of properties and infrastructure as well as the protection of the environment by mitigating the negative impacts of flooding.
Stormwater Collection and Treatment Systems • Stormwater infrastructure assets owned by the Town(1) include: • 5,915 m of stormwater services to • 68 stormwater outfalls 2013 Canmore flooding convey stormwater into the collection Source: John Gibson/Getty Images • 188 drywells system • 14 oil and grit separators • 31,390 m of stormwater collection (stormceptors) for pre- system pipes to convey stormwater treatment or end-of-pipe safely to a receiving body treatment • 569 manholes and manhole covers to • 10 retention ponds for holding, provide access for maintenance and settling and passive filtration provide seals to minimize infiltration
Operations, Maintenance and Rehabilitation • The work required to properly maintain the stormwater management system includes keeping the capacity of the collection system available to ensure maximum preparedness for extreme weather events, inspecting and cleaning oil and grit separators and other treatment assets to minimize pollution on a regular basis (e.g. 6-monthly), cleaning catch basins and properly maintaining outfalls, dry wells and retention ponds (e.g. remove debris, silt and sediment).
Canmore Flood hazard map (1) Infrastructure assets listed as provided in 2010 Agreement – list needs updating, and depictions were not provided as Source: Alberta Environment referencedJuly in Agreement7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 72 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 18 1. Introduction Organizational Structure
• The Manager, Public Works is responsible for the Utility Services contract:
Chief Administrative Officer
Municipal Corporate Services Municipal Services Infrastructure General Manager General Manager General Manager
Planning & Community Social Facilities Human Resources Financial Services Protective Services Development Development Manager Manager 421Manager 421Manager Manager Manager
Economic Engineering Public Works Communications Recreation Development Utility Services Contract Manager Manager 421 Manager Manager Manager Admin Assistant Municipal Clerk
Clerk Solid Waste Streets and Roads Parks Operations Sustainability Services
The Utility Services contract is managed by the Manager, Public Works, with some support from the Municipal Engineer for capital projects (e.g. evaluate proposals and selection of consultants).
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• The following EPCOR positions are responsible for operating and supporting Canmore’s water infrastructure:
EPCOR Inc.
EPCOR Distribution EPCOR Energy Drainage EPCOR EPCOR EPCOR EPCOR Water Services Inc. and Transmission Inc. Alberta GP Inc. Services Ontario Technologies USA
SVP, Water Canada Director, Regional Operations Other staff on an “as Senior Manager, Senior Manager, Project required” basis Regional Operations Development & Delivery 5 Environmental Services 3 Quality Assurance Canmore Site (Other EWSI Clients) 2 SCADA Control & Automation Manager 5 Asset Management Office 6 Maintenance Oversight Project Manager 2 Process and Technical Services Certified Operator Certified Operator Project x3 10 Senior Management and Lead Hand and Lead Hand Coordinator Oversight Business 9 Health and Safety Development 2 Human Resources Admin Assistant 1 Certified Operator Certified Operator Retired Lead Hand Manager 6 Supply Chain (retainer) 2 Communications and Public Maintenance Affairs Manager 6 IT Admin Assistant 2 Certified Operator Certified Operator Retired Admin 2 Finance Assistant (retainer) 7 Risk Management Controls Tech 4 Staff Training & Development Certified Operator Certified Operator Programs 1 IT Security Electrical and 4 Legal Certified Operator Certified Operator Millwright 1 Insurance Note: EPCOR is asking Electrical and 3 Distribution & Technical Services for one additional Instrumentation Operator as part of the Total Count: 80 Summer Student Summer Student Tech next agreement Accurate as of April 2020 July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 74 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 20 1. Introduction Technologies and Systems
• There are a number of technologies and systems essential to the effective operation and maintenance of water and wastewater utilities. • When a service provider is delivering O&M services for a client, the hardware, software and data that comprise those systems are owned and used by a mix of the service provider and the client. It is important to reflect the ownership and stewardship responsibilities for these systems in any agreement between the parties. Key technologies, systems and data owned and used by EPCOR and the Town of Canmore Function Hardware Software Data
Utility Accounting, Financial Servers owned by EPCOR, local Oracle financials, configuration, licenses owned by Used and managed by Management, Timesheets workstations owned by Town EPCOR EPCOR, some access by Town
Bentley AssetWise (previously known as Ivara), Utility Work and Maintenance Servers owned by EPCOR, local Used and managed by config., job plans, general licence owned by Management workstations by Town EPCOR, owned by Town EPCOR, local license(s) owned by EPCOR Servers owned by EPCOR, local GE Proficy iFix HMI/SCADA and Historian, config., Utility Process Data Monitoring, SCADA/PCS workstations, PLCs/ general license owned by EPCOR, Used and managed by Control and Automation / Alarm controllers and communications PLC config, licenses owned by EPCOR, logic should EPCOR, owned by Town Management / Historian / PLCs equipment owned by Town be owned by Town Hach-WIMS data management systems (to be Utility Compliance Data Servers owned by provider, local implemented 2020-2021), general license to be Used and managed by Management and Reporting (done workstations by Town owned by provider, local licence to be owned by EPCOR, owned by Town manually today) EPCOR
Meters, meter reading Used and provided by meter Utility Water Meter Reading Read consolidation software owned by Town equipment, owned by Town reader, owned by Town
Microsoft Dynamics GP – Billing Module, license Provided by EPCOR/ATCO, Utility Billing (manual mailing) Owned by Town owned by Town used and owned by Town
Municipal Financial Management Owned by Town Microsoft Dynamics GP, licenses owned by Town Owned by Town and Accounting (of Utility Services)
July 7, 2020 Regular Council MeetingAssetWise 9 a.m. Page 75 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 21 1. Introduction Environmental Scan
• A high-level environmental scan was conducted to inform the analysis. This scan included a review of what service delivery choices similar municipalities have made, and how successful those choices have been (e.g. taking it in-house, going to another vendor), what the experience other municipalities have had with other suppliers (e.g. Suez, OCWA) and how they have found their relationships.
Population ~14,0001 ~30,000 ~20,000 ~14,000 ~5,000 ~21,000
Provider EPCOR In-house In-house EPCOR SUEZ2 OCWA
Satisfaction high high TBD3 high low high
Budget (W and WW) $6M $9M $8M $8.3M $3M $6.6M
1: Town of Canmore population basically doubles during most holidays, long weekends, and other vacation periods. 2: Jasper has hired EPCOR to address a number of issues with water services, and is still evaluating its preferred service delivery model for the coming years. 3: Chestermere brought water services in-house in 2019.
• The information gathered as part of the environmental scan was used to inform the analysis, but did not allow direct one-to-one comparisons as each municipality is in a different situation (e.g. Canmore’s source water quality is very high, which results in significantly lower drinking water treatment costs, Strathmore buys its water from Calgary, Chestermere and Okotoks are going through significant change as they have brought their water services in-house in 2019).
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• Agreement, Performance and Best Practices Assessments • Strengths, Improvement Opportunities
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 77 of 128 Analysis
Strengths Improvement Opportunities 1. Agreement assessment 1. Agreement covers many utility services and provided a framework 1. Service, performance, scope, and fee definitions are often unclear to govern the O&M relationship between the Town and Provider 2. The agreement is unnecessarily complex, difficult to administer, and for 10 years not easily adaptable to change 3. The agreement does not reflect and promote a balanced relationship
2. Performance assessment 1. Proven water service expertise and a comprehensive understanding 1. Fees for services for the next agreement term need to be redefined of the Town’s water system 2. Internal controls and oversight of the agreement must be 2. Proven capability to respond to operational issues and major strengthened emergencies 3. Storm drainage, capital projects, communications, water metering 3. Good work environment, employee morale and retention and billing services should be adjusted to ensure that they are 4. Ability to leverage specialized water experts on an as-required basis provided to expectations 5. Excellent customer service and reputation 6. Water and wastewater services are generally delivered, monitored, 4. O&M capacity could be freed-up by modifying the allocation of local and reported on to stipulated service levels staff to capital projects and non-Canmore O&M 7. Employee health and safety and training are taken seriously 5. Accounting for water services fees should be improved to allow 8. Twenty-year relationship between the Town and provider better reporting and monitoring 9. Transparent and quick reporting of operational and environmental 6. Water operations could be better aligned to Town’s strategic issues to the Town and regulators direction 10. Invoicing and payments for services were generally made as per the agreement for the 2010-19 term 3. Best practices assessment 1. Provider has a strong support organization with skilled resources 1. Maintenance activities could be optimized and performed by local and leading practices; job descriptions provide sufficient flexibility resources for required O&M activities 2. Technology could be further leveraged to improve operational 2. Technology is seen as essential to operations; industry-leading efficiency and reduce energy and chemical usage applications are used 3. Staff utilization and productivity can likely be improved 3. Asset information is generally well captured, structured and managedJuly 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 78 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 24 Analysis
1. Agreement assessment 1. Agreement covers many utility services and provided a framework to govern the O&M relationship between the Town and Provider for 10 years The Agreement included a wide scope to deliver water utility services and provided a governance framework for a smooth commercial relationship with minimal conflict for most of the duration of the agreement. The quarterly meetings have provided a formal checkpoint to ensure that the agreement is monitored. The Agreement included forward-looking concepts for performance and efficiency improvement incentives, even if those have not fully worked out as intended in practice.
1. Service, performance, scope, and fee definitions are often unclear
The information about each service cannot be found in a single, consistent location. Service terminology, related activities, service levels and performance measures are unclear and inconsistent. Descriptions of facilities/system assets and Town’s asset inventory need consolidation, clarification and updating. This lack of clarity added to the complexity of the Agreement, creates confusion, and makes the administration and performance monitoring of the agreement and aligning payment to services provided challenging.
2. The agreement is unnecessarily complex, difficult to administer, and not easily adaptable to change
The drafting of the Agreement and Amendments is unnecessarily complex and the use of schedules is not efficient, coherent and does not allow for easy updating. Within schedules, information is not always logically and consistently formatted or detailed. There is unnecessary repetition and inconsistent cross-referencing between terms and conditions. These issues make the Agreement cumbersome and difficult to monitor and update.
3. The agreement does not reflect and promote a balanced relationship
The agreement seems to favour the Provider over the Town, and there are no incentives built into the agreement to motivate the provider to improve performance. Examples include: • Indemnity clauses appear to assign more risk to the Town than to the provider • Agreement emphasizes control and influence of Provider over Capital Work • Payment for Basic Work departs from typical fixed fee structure with frequent reviews and a bias towards Provider Furthermore, the agreement does not clearly clarify the responsibility and process to classify work as an operating or capital expenditure. July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 79 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 25 Analysis
2. Performance assessment
1. Proven water service expertise and a comprehensive understanding of the Town’s water system
Provider is one of Canada’s largest water services operators and its expertise in operating and managing water and wastewater infrastructure is well respected in Canada and abroad. Provider has a strong understanding of the Town’s system and water infrastructure acquired over the last 20 years.
2. Proven capability to respond to operational issues and major emergencies
Provider is known for quickly and effectively responding to and fixing frozen or broken water mains. Provider continued to deliver water and wastewater service during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Provider mobilized additional resources and managed the all the impacts of the 2013 flood.
3. Good work environment, employee morale and retention
The provider has implemented a number of measures to successfully retain staff in the Bow Valley. Employees met at the wastewater treatment plant seemed happy and enthusiastic about their work. Turnover appears normal based on a high-level analysis of the list of employees for the past three years.
4. Ability to leverage specialized water experts on an as-required basis
The provider can bring in specialized water or wastewater staff to address issues or problems. They identified approximately 80 “corporate” (i.e. non-Canmore-based) employees who have supported the Town with water services over the past years in various areas such as SCADA, procurement, IT security, asset management, quality assurance and environmental compliance and others.
5. Excellent customer service and reputation
Provider’s operations team is very responsive, courteous, and professional with residents and contractors. Provider has an excellent reputation in the community, with Council, and with the Administration.
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2. Performance assessment
6. Water and wastewater services are generally delivered, monitored, and reported on to stipulated service levels
Activities were monitored and most of the required reports were produced. Water, wastewater, and supporting services were generally delivered to the stipulated service levels. Results captured in the reports communicated to the Town and meetings were generally timely and met the requirements in the Agreement.
7. Employee health and safety and training are taken seriously
Provider is perceived as an industry leader in terms of health and safety, and provides training to its staff in Canmore.
8. Twenty-year relationship between the Town and Provider
Provider has managed Canmore’s water services for more than 20 years. Local staff have made efforts to establish and nurture their relationship with the Town’s public works manager.
9. Transparent and quick reporting of operational and environmental issues to the Town and regulators
The Provider quickly reports any issues with water operations as required by legislation, and informs the Town administration, Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP), and the Regional Health Authority in a transparent manner. The provider committed one serious non- compliance event in December 2016 caused by overwhelmed N-side filters, and immediate action was taken.
10. Invoicing and payments for services were generally made as per the agreement for the 2010-19 term
Payments for services rendered were generally made as per the agreement for all services for the duration of the 2010-2019 term. While a significant billing error occurred over the first five years of the agreement (i.e. charging basic work as rehabilitation expenses), it was identified and rectified by the provider.
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2. Performance assessment
1. Fees for services for the next agreement term need to be redefined
The request for an additional $840,000 fee per year for basic work services represents a very large increase from the 2019 Basic Work fee (27%). The provider’s approach and communication of the additional Basic Work fee was poor and the rationale used to request the additional fees changed over time, which caused some confusion, frustration, and eventually resulted in the Town questioning the accuracy and validity of the fee increase. The Town’s delayed response also contributed to the issue and caused some frustration with the Provider, which had to invest more resources to develop documents and presentations to support its request. Finally, the process to request the additional Basic Work fees (and other Amendment No. 2 clauses) did not follow the agreed-to process for payment and adjustments to the Agreement.
2. Internal controls and oversight of the agreement must be strengthened
Monitoring and oversight of the complex water services agreement rests on a single person (i.e. the Manager, Public Works), and there is no succession plan for that manager. While the municipal engineer provides support for capital projects monitoring, a broader team approach is required for enhanced financial, legal, engineering, and performance monitoring. Several deficiencies were also noted in the oversight mechanisms and internal controls to ensure performance and financial compliance with the agreement.
3. Storm drainage, capital projects, communications, water metering and billing services should be adjusted to ensure that they are provided to expectations Storm drainage, capital project management, communications, and water metering and billing services were not delivered to the expected level for different reasons (e.g. prioritization, manual or paper-based processes, staff performance, etc.). Measures were put in place regarding capital project management, however, the results from these measures won’t be apparent until the next budget cycle. Work on environmental protection initiatives was also limited.
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2. Performance assessment
4. O&M capacity could be freed up by modifying the allocation of local staff to capital projects and non-Canmore O&M
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) capacity is limited and the Provider has asked for an additional resource to help alleviate that pressure. However, local staff are working on both plant O&M (billed through the Basic Work fee) and capital projects or out-of-scope work (billed separately at market rates). Capital project work is taking local staff capacity away from basic O&M work. This may be an issue stemming from the agreement structure, giving the Provider a bias to get local staff busy on capital project work, as it can charge for these hours at market rate, which is more profitable.
5. Accounting for water services fees should be improved to allow better reporting and monitoring
Accounting for water services fees is not optimal and several deficiencies were noted. Current accounting for water services costs does not allow an easy reconciliation of total costs to contract terms and makes it difficult to report on actual costs vs. agreement terms. Current chart of accounts structure does not allow for easy tracking of the major expenditure items by service and expenditure type. Management fees are not accounted for separately from the basic fee, which makes it impossible to determine if they were properly calculated and charged. There were incorrect classifications of some expenditures between accounts over the contract duration. Capital projects expenses are not coded to a sufficiently detailed level. Capital projects expenses are all coded to a single capital project expense account.
6. Water operations could be better aligned to Town’s strategic direction
Provider has not always reflected the strategic directions of the Town (e.g. environmental sustainability). Provider has not sufficiently considered global drivers, influencers, or water market trends (e.g. green infrastructure solutions).
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3. Best practices assessment 1. Provider has a strong support organization with skilled resources and leading practices; job descriptions provide sufficient flexibility for required O&M activities Provider has the capacity, skills and scale required to support the services provided to the Town. Operator job descriptions provide flexibility to do routine maintenance. The job descriptions for the dual trade millwright/electrician journeyman and the dual trade electrician/instrumentation journeyman are thorough and detailed; both allow significant flexibility. The operations and maintenance teams appear to work well together despite being in separate organizational units.
2. Technology is seen as essential to operations; industry-leading applications are used
Software applications used to enable essential operations and maintenance functions are generally modern, industry-leading and up-to- date with opportunities to improve the way they’re applied. Hardware is typically procured based on standard specifications and using an effective procurement process managed by Provider. All the SCADA and control system capabilities are in place to be able operate facilities remotely and only attend to perform maintenance tasks.
x3. Asset information is generally well captured, structured and managed Data about the Town’s 2,100 water and wastewater system assets is well captured and managed in the AssetWise asset database.
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3. Best practices assessment
1. Maintenance activities could be optimized and performed by local resources
There is unnecessary preventive maintenance performed (high at 92% rather than optimal at 75-80%). The maintenance approach should also be adjusted from time-based to more condition-based The local team performs some operational maintenance tasks (e.g. oiling and lubricating), the remaining maintenance services are provided through a separate business unit by resources that may have other priorities. Provider’s Canmore staffing plan does not anticipate future shift from operations work to mechanical, electrical, instrument and controls maintenance work.
2. Technology could be further leveraged to improve operational efficiency and reduce energy and chemical usage
There is no clear picture of Provider’s strategic direction in technology development and how that will benefit Canmore in the future. Ownership of IT technologies should be clarified. There is an opportunity to leverage technologies to increase remote operation of water facilities, and to reduce energy and chemical usage.
3. Staff utilization and productivity can likely be improved
There is likely an opportunity to improve staff utilization and productivity by providing better training and skills development beyond the health & safety training provided, by reducing manual activities, and by further delegating decision-making to front-line staff. The information required to analyze and quantify this opportunity was not provided by the service provider and as a result, further analysis is required to confirm if staff utilization and productivity can indeed be improved.
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July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 86 of 128 Service Delivery Options Analysis
Options and Criteria • As per the Town requirement, the following five service delivery options were analyzed:
1. Extend the 2010 agreement for another 10 years
2. Renegotiate with Provider
3. Go to market
4. Bring water services in-house
• The following criteria were used to conduct the service delivery options analysis. A validation session was held with the Corporate Strategic Team (CST) to rank the criteria in order of importance based on the Town’s priorities.
1. Compliance with regulations
2. Competitiveness of service delivery
3. Availability of resources
4. Risk
5. Responsiveness to customers
6. Impact of any change required
7. Affordability
8. Community engagement
9. Alignment with Town’s future strategy
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• Each criteria is described as follows: Considers how important it is for the water services provider to meet all regulations, including 1. Compliance with regulations environmental regulations, water quality regulations, effluent regulations, health and safety regulations and labour regulations.
Considers how important it is for the water services provider to be delivered in a competitive manner 2. Competitiveness of service where, when compared to the best service providers in the industry, the operations and maintenance delivery practices used, the technologies applied, and the organizational structure and processes result in efficient and effective use of all resources.
Considers how important it is for the water service provider to have staff that is available when 3. Availability of resources needed, with the right skills for the job, and with a good cultural fit with the Town.
Considers how important it is for the water service provider to manage and mitigate risks such as 4. Risk financial risk and operational risk. Considers how important it is for the water service provider to respond in a timely manner to 5. Responsiveness to customers customer requests and complaints, and to continuously improve service by anticipating and eliminating the causes of complaints before they occur. Considers how important it is to consider the amount of time, effort and resources required to move 6. Impact of any change required from the existing delivery model (outsourced to Provider) to another model.
Considers how important it is for the cost of water services to be reasonable and equitable so that 7. Affordability everyone has access to those services. Considers how important it is for the water service provider to meaningfully engage with the 8. Community engagement community (e.g. educational events, fairs, tours).
9. Alignment with Town’s future Considers how important it is for the water service provider to align with the Town’s vision and strategy strategic pillars.
Considers how important it is for the Town to have influence and control over the work being 10. Town control performed, decisions being made and services being delivered. July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 88 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 34 Service Delivery Options Analysis
• At a high level, the options are assessed as follows:
1. 2. 3. 4. Extend Renegotiate Go to Market In-house
1. Compliance with regulations H H H M
2. Competitiveness of Service Delivery L M H L
3. Availability of resources H H H L
4. Risk H H H L
5. Responsiveness to customers H H H M
6. Impact of any change required H M L L
7. Affordability L M H M
8. Community engagement M H H H
9. Alignment with Town’s future strategy M H H H
10. Town control H H H L
H (High) M (Medium) L(Low): meets Town’s preference for the criteria Renegotiating or going to market best meet the Town’s top requirements (i.e. 1 to 5).
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Analysis • Two preferred options were identified:
1. Extend the 2010 agreement for another 10 years • This option should not be considered by the Town as there are several issues with the current agreement that need be addressed (e.g. scope of work, significant increase in annual fees, unpredictability of costs, considerable political risks).
2. Renegotiate with Provider • This is a viable option because Provider demonstrated that it can operate the water and wastewater system, address issues, and provide good customer service over the last 10 years. However, there are significant issues to be addressed as part of the negotiation process.
3. Go to market • Going to market would provide a true indication of the cost of outsourcing the Town’s water services. While there is significant effort and costs associated with this option (RFP preparation, bid response evaluation, new contract development, etc.), the millions of dollars that will be spent over the next 10 years makes this option a very desirable one.
4. Bring water services in-house • This is not a desirable option for the Town because of the following key factors: 1. the Town preference is to rely on external expertise to manage the inherent risks associated with operating the facilities and providing water services, 2. the difficulty of hiring and retaining qualified and certified operators in the Bow Valley, and, 3. the organizational implications of bringing the services in-house.
• Based on the analysis, by renegotiating (option 2), the Town can attempt to arrive at an agreement with the Provider that meets its financial and non-financial requirements, and go to market if an agreement cannot be reached.
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Recommendations 1. Establish Town’s expectations and develop a negotiation strategy 2. Develop target agreement, incorporating the opportunities identified in this review 3. Negotiate with existing provider 4. Strengthen internal controls and monitoring of the Utility Services Agreement
If negotiations with existing provider fail to meet the Town’s expectations: 5. Go to market
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Recommendations 1. Establish Town’s expectations and develop a negotiation strategy 1.1 Define the Town’s expectations for scope, service level, and term for the duration of the next contract 1.2 Define the Town’s expectations for the cost for services for the duration of the next contract 1.3 Develop a negotiation strategy 1.4 Determine when the 18-month notice of termination of Agreement should be given to existing Provider 2. Develop target agreement, incorporating the opportunities identified in this review 2.1 Improve Agreement structure, tone and clarity 2.2 Better reflect performance requirements (e.g. strategic alignment) 2.3 Reflect need for best service delivery practices and operational efficiency 3. Negotiate with existing Provider 3.1 Negotiate a new agreement with existing Provider, starting with Town’s target Agreement 3.2 Finalize and sign new Agreement 4. Strengthen internal controls and monitoring of the Utility Services Agreement 4.1 Strengthen internal monitoring and controls of the Utility Services Agreement 4.2 Enhance accounting and reporting for water utility expenses If negotiations with existing provider fail to meet the Town’s expectations: 5. Go to market 5.1 Prepare and discuss preliminary RFP process 5.2 Develop and issue RFQ/RFP 5.3 Evaluate and prioritize respondents, and select water services provider 5.4 Negotiate a new agreement with selected Provider 5.5 Finalize and sign new Agreement
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1. Establish Town’s expectations and develop a negotiation strategy
1.1 Define the Town’s expectations for scope, service level, and term for the duration of the next contract • The Town should have clearly defined expectations going into the negotiation process in terms of scope of services, service level expectations, and preferred term to inform the negotiation of a new agreement. • The service catalog provided in 2020 by the existing provider could be used as a starting point and augmented to determine services and activities to include within the scope of the Agreement. All improvement opportunities identified in the Review (e.g. operational efficiencies, improved application of technologies, strategic alignment with Town) should be addressed in the expectations. 1.2 Define the Town’s expectations for the cost for services for the duration of the next contract - Competitive target ranges for payments for requested services and inflation factors should be established: • Base water, wastewater and stormwater operations and maintenance services (Basic Work) represent a major expense for the Town. • Tolerance for Basic Work fee increases over the next agreement period should be defined and measures should be developed to ensure that Basic Work fees are predictable over the Agreement duration to ensure water and wastewater rate stability for residents and businesses. • Because of the issues identified with the Provider’s recent request for a substantial Basic Work fee increase, we recommend starting with a blank slate and developing a fee model that considers the scope of services, fees paid over the past term, fees paid by similar-size municipalities, growth drivers (e.g. electricity, gas, employee compensation growth). 1.3 Develop a negotiation strategy – Plan and prepare for negotiations with Provider as soon as possible. The Town should develop a negotiation strategy that identifies its negotiation objectives, tolerance, and exit point, as well as a calendar with key milestones. The Town should also identify who will lead the negotiation process and who will be part of the negotiation team (a legal advisor will be required for Agreement development). 1.4 Determine when the 18-month notice of termination of Agreement should be given to existing Provider – The selected date should consider the estimated time to prepare for negotiation, time for the negotiation itself (e.g. three months), and the estimated time required to prepare and conduct an RFP process (e.g. nine months), and a transition period should the negotiations with the current provider fail. The Town should clearly establish its intent to negotiate and willingness to terminate the relationship should the negotiation not meet its expectations.
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2. Develop target agreement, incorporating the opportunities identified in this review
2.1 Improve Agreement structure, tone and clarity 2.1.1 The Town should lead the development of a new agreement (i.e. “hold the pen”) with professional legal support • Rewrite the Agreement using language that properly recognizes the role of the Town and the role of the service provider and reflects the nature of the intended partnership. Review and redraft indemnity clauses to more fairly apportion risk to both parties and simplify and clarify the language. • Consider reaching out to the Town of Strathmore, which recently (2019) negotiated a new agreement with EPCOR. 2.1.2 Restructure the Agreement for clarity, ease of reference and flexibility. Clean up and simplify the structure, including: • Separating base terms and conditions in the main body of the Agreement, which should remain constant • Separating each service, including definitions, levels, activities, outputs, outcomes and related payments for consideration, into separate schedules, for easy reference, easy services changes, and easy payments changes • Separate place to track changes and amendments, to keep a detailed record of changes that can be easily referenced • Separate out the descriptions of services and compensation structures from the main body of the Agreement and place in schedules to allow for stability of the main body and flexibility of the service relationship. • In the main body, establish that the vendor agrees to provide services in respect of the water, wastewater, and stormwater systems and related assets/appurtenances in exchange for compensation • In a Services schedule: • Describe the services in detail with any associated differential definitions, activity details and performance measures. • For each of water, wastewater and storm drainage, list the activities that are included in the Basic fixed fee • For each of water, wastewater and storm drainage, list examples of common activities that are offered as additional services if the Town requests them • In a Compensation schedule • Describe the fee structure for the included core services and • Describe the fee structure for any additional services offered
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2.1.3 Clearly define all services, service levels (e.g. meet regulatory compliance targets), outputs (e.g. compliance reports): Scope (Services) • Clearly define the scope of the Agreement clearly and completely: which services are included and which are optional. Consider including a service catalog that clarifies what is in-scope vs. out-of-scope, with some flexibility built in for unexpected work. All services should be reviewed, with special attention to those for which issues were identified (e.g. storm drainage, biosolids, water metering and billing, communication, capital project management, etc.). • Present all the information about each particular service in one section. • Indicate whether the service is included in the Basic Work fee or subject to an alternative payment structure. • List or briefly define all services not included within the scope of the Agreement and classify them as optional services within each relevant service section (e.g. if meter reading is included in a new Agreement scope, but billing is not, billing would be an optional service within a clearly defined water metering and billing service). • Eliminate the overlapping classification of excluded services and out-of-scope services, and replace it with a list of the optional services/activities for each service, including: any services/activities not included in service category, cost structure (e.g. time and materials) if requested by the Town and accepted by the Provider. • Clearly define all the assets that will be operated, maintained and used by the provider, and whether owned by the Town or the provider, including but not limited to: water systems, wastewater systems, stormwater systems, buildings, grounds, sites, mobile assets (e.g. fleet), technology assets (SCADA, PCS, IT hardware, software/licences, communications equipment), information assets (databases, files), including work and process management procedures. Levels • Define the expected service levels. Outputs and outcomes • Define the deliverables (outputs) expected. Roles • Clarify roles and responsibilities (e.g. add RACI table from Amendment No. 2). • Clarify how the allocation of expenditures for maintenance/capital work to funding sources (e.g. rehabilitation fund/buildings maintenance and repairs vs. capital program) is done and who determines this; this complements the need to define each of these types of work qualitatively rather than in terms of money.
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2.1.4 Clearly define performance expectations • Review and simplify reporting requirements (Schedule D-4 and D-5) to ensure that the Town can monitor the provider’s performance in an integrated fashion without creating a heavy administrative burden. • Define any service level growth factors or economic growth factors in relation to the service being provided and affected. “Growth” is not a service, as it is defined in the current Agreement. If there is expected to be an increase in flow or loadings to the wastewater plant over the term of the Agreement, then negotiate and attach that flow growth parameter or range to influent volumes and/or loadings. The same principle applies to additional assets to be operated and maintained for each service. • Clarify the Town’s expectations regarding the split between the Providers’ local labour O&M and capital project work. • Define the human resource commitment related to the services to be delivered, including how many full-time equivalents are allocated to each service by role (e.g. operator, mechanic/electrical technician, electrician/instrumentation technician, administrator, manager) as well as corporate overhead as a percentage of total cost (note: overhead may not be provided in a fixed-fee type of agreement). • Redraft the performance guarantee clause to be more practical for both the Town and provider. Integrate performance measures into a performance dashboard while preserving the incentives for the Provider to strive for efficiency improvements in energy (e.g. via the Power and Gas Report) in line with the Town’s strategic direction on climate change mitigation.
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2.1.5 Consider a different model for Basic Work fees • Restructure the Basic Work fee to be more like a true fixed fee to provide cost certainty and stability for the Town, to ensure the fixed fee stays fixed for longer periods of time. • Define and apply indices consistently and equitably to translate external inflationary pressures into increases in payments to the vendor (e.g. consumer price increases) so that they reflect the real impact (e.g. CPI to everything). • Existing Provider only offers fixed price financial arrangements modified by electrical cost “pass-through.” If negotiation is not successful with the existing Provider, the following industry standard financial arrangements should also be considered when issuing an RFP: 1. Cost plus a fixed management fee, in which: • The Basic Work fee is based on the actual costs of delivering the services • The management fee is a fixed annual amount paid monthly for the duration of the Agreement and typically adjusted by CPI • The client specifies the level of cost reporting (e.g. monthly costs of salaries and benefits, chemicals, energy, biosolids management, materials, management fee as a fixed amount) • The client has more oversight than with fixed fee arrangements, service cost variability risk is with the client, management fee is a known, fixed amount 2. Cost plus a % management fee, in which: • The Basic Work fee is based on the actual costs of delivering the services • The management fee is a fixed % of the actual costs of delivering the services • The Town specifies the level of cost reporting (e.g. monthly costs of salaries and benefits, chemicals, energy, biosolids management, materials, management fee as a %) • The client has more oversight than with fixed fee arrangements, service cost and associated management fee variability risk is with the client, where the provider receives a guaranteed profit margin 3. Optional services can be provided based on a negotiated labour rate table (e.g. operator at $60/hr regular time, $80/hr overtime, senior operations manager at $85/hr regular time, $115/hr overtime).
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2. Develop target agreement, incorporating the opportunities identified in this review
2.1.6 Other considerations for the development of a new agreement • Develop a combined schedule that defines ownership and responsibility for all essential components of technology and automation systems, including ownership rights and stewardship responsibilities between the Town and provider for hardware, software (e.g. licenses, sub-licenses, configuration, procedures), and data/information (e.g. SCADA and Historian data, asset and maintenance data, maintenance procedures and control strategies). This should include all process monitoring and control and information technology systems essential for the efficient and effective operation and maintenance of water and wastewater systems (e.g. SCADA/PCS, CMMS). This should be referenced to a transition schedule to ensure a clear and smooth transition should there be a change of provider. • Modify existing incentive and cost-sharing clause (s8.9) to better motivate both parties to improve efficiency (e.g. energy) and initiate other cost-saving and climate change mitigating initiatives that align with the Town’s strategies. • Modify the term and termination clause and eliminate the three-year plus 18-month bar unless the Agreement is with a new provider. After 20 years, the three-year notice bar for the exiting provider is not reasonable to the Town. Add provision to the term and termination clause that requires a written notification from one or both of the parties that they wish to renew or terminate the Agreement and give the other party a specified time period in which to respond and engage in negotiations to reduce risk. • Confirm if Town wishes to continue with an alternative dispute resolution escalation process, as it eliminates litigation as an option for dispute resolution. S15.1 and Schedule C-8 provide for an alternative dispute resolution process that allows the parties to choose a decision-maker with appropriate expertise and avoids potentially more costly and timely litigation through the courts. The Town should be aware, however, that, except for matters under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Alberta Utilities Commission, they have agreed that any arbitrator’s decision is final and binding. This likely eliminates litigation as a dispute resolution mechanism including on a question of law and even if it would leave them without a remedy. • Renegotiate terms that are not flexible enough to change and redraft Agreement to reset relationship with a new agreement, including drafting of a more general Material Change in Circumstances clause S14.6 that recognizes a situation (including due to Abnormal Circumstances or Regulatory Changes), where the persistent material change renders the current Agreement inadequate and triggers a mutual renegotiation.
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2.1.6 Other considerations for the development of a new agreement • Adjust the future capital program/rehabilitation schedule for BAF - Adjust the capital program to schedule in future rehabilitation in three stages starting in 10 years, so the filter piping systems don’t clog simultaneously again and cause another non-compliance event. This would also spread out the capital investments required. • Consider the implementation of an agreement management system to ensure: • Agreement and related documentation and information, including schedules and appendices (e.g. systems and assets, resources, approvals, notices of changes in regulatory requirements, financials) is complete, accurate and up to date (make sure no missing attachments). • Agreement and related documentation is located in one place and accessible to Town staff in Public Works, Finance and Engineering. • Incorporate changes introduced by Amendments into the Agreement so that it is updated: version control. • The Town’s accounting system can be more easily set up to properly track service payments in the Agreement.
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2.2 Better reflect Town’s performance expectations and strategic alignment • Review and adjust the mechanism used in the Agreement to measure performance against the outcomes the Town expects to be achieved. The new mechanism should reflect the Town’s key strategic priorities to which water, wastewater and stormwater services contribute: a strong economy; environmental sustainability/minimizing the impact on climate change; and financial stewardship. It should also reflect the public programs to which the services contribute, including public health and safety, environmental protection, and economic development. These should form the basis for the performance reporting against desired community outcomes. • Anticipate the impact of climate change and other key strategic influencers, drivers and trends. The Agreement should reflect the expectation that the Provider shares plans that anticipate how they will prepare for and respond to future challenges such as toxic compounds in water, stormwater management and green infrastructure solutions, resilience and sustainability, and smart technologies. In addition, they should provide plans on how the staffing mix between operations and maintenance will change as the water and wastewater systems are increasingly automated.
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2. Develop target agreement, incorporating the opportunities identified in this review
2.3 Reflect need for best service delivery practices and operational efficiency 2.3.1 Provider should consider adjusting local organization structure and culture • Add a journeyman millwright/electrician and a journeyman electrical/instrumentation and controls technician to the local Canmore team within the next year. This could be done by moving existing staff reporting relationships from regional operations to the Canmore Site manager. This should not add any cost to the Town, as the resources are already being paid for in the Basic Work fee, they just currently report into regional operations. • Maintenance specialists should report to the Canmore site manager. • Provide more authority to local management for team-based decision-making improved efficiency of operations. • Further change the local culture from command-and-control to team-based, including changing position titles in Canmore (e.g. Water Systems Manager, Operator-Mechanic). 2.3.2 Reduce the level of preventive maintenance • The % of preventive work orders should be reduced to 75-80% PMs (by # or by value) and move from time-based to condition-based trigger for critical equipment. 2.3.3 Further leverage SCADA • Consider operating all remote facilities through the SCADA/control system, and those facilities should only be attended when maintenance needs to be performed. 2.3.4 Optimize chemical and energy use • Install online DO probes and improve aeration control. Optimize BAF process based on ammonia and DO control for at least nine months of the year when the influent loads are not stressing the process. This would reduce BAF electricity usage by 15 to 20%. • Look for opportunities to reduce chemical usage and annual $110K/year cost. Chemical addition is flow-paced rather than based on feedback control from up or downstream quality parameters. • Leverage corporate expertise to reduce energy usage and costs.
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2.3 Reflect need for best service delivery practices and operational efficiency 2.3.5 Improve trend analysis • The WWTP exceeded its effluent permit limit in December 2016. The reason this became an emergency was that there was no proper process control and no one was paying close enough attention to important process trends – just operating the facility. The increases in loadings versus the ability of the filters to remove ammonia from the influent should have been noticed before it became an emergency. 2.3.6 Install improved communications link to the wastewater treatment plant, improving capacity/bandwidth, speed and reliability. 2.3.7 Install sensors on critical equipment to trigger maintenance activities (e.g. additional power monitors, vibration, heat sensors) and start using the SCADA system to enable reduction of time-based maintenance and maintenance cost. 2.3.8 Introduce handhelds and mobile software (work management, electronic log-books, integrated compliance reporting) to reduce manual work and redundant data entry. This would eliminate manual and duplicate data entry, improve accuracy and staff productivity. Examine opportunities to allow Canmore staff and management direct access to critical performance data (e.g. client portal).
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3. Negotiate with existing Provider
3.1 Negotiate new, competitive agreement with Provider • Communicate the Town’s decision to negotiate a new agreement when the Town provides notice of termination. • Share the negotiation calendar, including key milestones and a closing deadline with the Provider, explaining each step in the process. • Initiate the negotiation process by communicating the Town’s expectations to the Provider. Include the expectations that the Town has in regards to the opportunities to improve the efficiency of the services delivered (see Best Practices Assessment results). 3.2 Finalize and sign new agreement – This assumes a successful negotiation with the existing Provider is concluded.
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4. Strengthen internal controls and monitoring of the utility services agreement
4.1 Strengthen internal monitoring and controls of the Utility Services Agreement 4.1.1 The responsibility for monitoring the Utility Services Agreement should be shared by a team • The accountability for monitoring the Utility Services Agreement should stay with the Manager, Public Works. However, the responsibility for monitoring and compliance should be a team effort that includes several skills: legal interpretation, technical compliance, financial analysis, performance reporting, and communications with various stakeholder groups. These skills may be internal (e.g. financial analysis) or external to the Town (e.g. professional legal advisor and water industry/engineering advisor on an as-required basis). This team or committee should meet formally at least once a year to review key performance reports and assess results. A RACI chart should be developed to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the team. 4.1.2 Establish a succession plan for the Manager, Public Works • The Town should develop a succession plan for the Manager, Public Works so that a potential candidate can progressively be involved in monitoring compliance with the Utility Services Agreement and support the Manager with some of the analysis and administrative tasks related to it. • This recommendation is made to support the manger with some administration and analysis capacity and to ensure that the responsibility to understand and monitor the Utility Services Agreement does not rest with only one individual within the organization. 4.1.3 The Finance department should support the Manager, Public Works with financial analysis related to monitoring compliance with the Utility Services Agreement • The Town’s Finance department should provide financial advisory services to its internal department. With respect to the Utility Services Agreement, this analysis and advice could include coordinating audits of the provider’s expenses (or tracing information to supplier invoices for flow-through expenses), providing an annual actual vs. budget report for utility expenses, providing expense reports by service (e.g. water, wastewater, collection, distribution, etc.), providing financial analysis and advising the Public Works department when amendments to the agreement are required, conduct occasional audits of invoices to ensure that fees and expenditures are billed according to the terms of the agreement, etc.
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4. Strengthen internal controls and monitoring of the Utility Services Agreement
4.1.4 Develop an integrated tool or document to track and monitor all requirements from the Water Services Utility Agreement. • This could be a simple Excel spreadsheet; the idea is that there are so many requirements and performance measures to monitor that having all of them in a single place would simplify monitoring and ensure that all requirements are monitored. 4.2 Enhance accounting and reporting for water utility expenses 4.2.1 The Town should develop an internal schedule to conduct financial, performance and technical audits and be more specific on the records to be maintained and audited (e.g. all work and maintenance records for 5 years) – Audits can be done either with internal staff or external providers as described in the Agreement. 4.2.2 Consider including that the Agreement should undergo a performance review every 10 years and to go back to tender every 20 years. 4.2.3 Code invoices to a greater level of detail and according to Agreement terms for easier reporting of actual vs. budgeted costs • Invoices should be coded to a greater level of detail to track expenditures more accurately (e.g. separate management fee from Basic Work fees, separate capital project management from capital project expenses, code capital project invoices by type of expenditure [e.g. labour, materials, supplies, separately for Provider and for sub- contractors]). This would enable better reporting to monitor compliance with contract requirements and to inform capital project analysis. • Ensure that expenses are coded to the right account and avoid classification errors (e.g. biosolids management fee charged to biosolids account) to ensure that annual utility services reports are accurate. Request invoices and line items the Town would like to see from the service provider to be able to properly track costs by service and account type/code. 4.2.4 Adjust chart of accounts to enable reporting of expenditures by service and type • Adjust the Town’s chart of accounts for utility expenses to allow for easy tracking of the major expenditure items by service (e.g. water treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, stormwater management) and expenditure type (e.g. labour, electricity, chemicals – by type, materials and supplies).
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5. Go to market (if negotiations fail to meet the Town’s expectations)
5.1 Prepare and discuss preliminary RFP process – Consider the implications of going to market early in the negotiation process with the existing vendor, including: • developing a high-level plan to initiate an RFQ/RFP process that identifies what will be needed to initiate an RFP (e.g. RFP process steps, stakeholders, and timeline) that can be quickly implemented should negotiations fail by the deadline. 5.2 Develop and issue RFQ/RFP – including: • Set the conditions to attract the top providers. Consider any change in scope of services and agreement duration (e.g. include next-stage expansion, addition of resource recovery solutions, longer contract term, financing) to ensure process attracts all the top competitors in the industry. There are other competitors that would be interested in having a partnership with Canmore – this would become increasingly attractive if the term of the Agreement is longer and the scope larger. A combination of facility and system expansion with financing and a 20-year operations and maintenance would be substantial enough to bring in all major players in the water industry and would likely attract financing from the Canada Infrastructure Bank. A short list of potential service providers is provided on the next page for information • Revise the scope and term for the RFP as agreed • Decide the best RFP process to follow based on the market for water services (e.g. RFI/RFQ/RFP) • Advertise to reach the top water service providers 5.3 Evaluate and prioritize respondents and select water services provider with whom to negotiate – Keep second-ranked proponent on standby in case of failed negotiation. 5.4 Negotiate a new agreement with selected provider 5.5 Finalize and sign new Agreement
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5. Go to market (if negotiations fail to meet the Town’s expectations)
Potential interested operators – The following list is provided as an indication of the potential operators who may be interested in bidding on a contract to operate the Town’s water and wastewater facilities and establish a long-term partnership:
Veolia - Global leader in environmental services with 163K employees, annual revenues of $27.2B euros (CDN $41.3B). Provides water and wastewater O&M services to more than 600 North American communities and more than 10M inhabitants. Provides drinking water to 96M people, wastewater services to 62M people and operates more than 6,500 water and wastewater facilities around the world. Also manufactures equipment. Its Calgary office is focused on providing water treatment services and equipment to the oil and gas sector.
Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) - Crown agency of the Province of Ontario with more than 800 employees, annual revenues around $200 million (cost recovery basis). Operates more than 800 water and wastewater facilities representing 75% of Ontario’s outsourced facilities, more than any other Canadian operator. Trusted partner of more than 180 municipalities, First Nations, businesses and institutions that deliver water services to 4.5M people. Operates mainly in Ontario, some in Quebec, able to conduct business in Alberta but has no local office.
Aquatera - Municipally owned utilities corporation that provides water, wastewater and waste management services to more than 80K customers in the City of Grande Prairie (64K), County of Grande Prairie (23K), Town of Sexsmith (3K), and Town of Wembley (2K). The corporation welcomes the addition of new municipalities as shareholders and in 2018 paid $4.3 million back to its shareholders as cash dividends. Has stated an interest in adding the Town of Canmore as shareholder, but may have limited capacity to respond.
Suez - Large global environmental services provider with 90K employees, annual revenues of $18.0B euros (CDN $27.1B). North American office in Edmonton. 70 municipal O&M partnerships in North America plus operation of 15 Suez-owned facilities. Operator at the Municipality of Jasper until 2019 (did not perform well, EPCOR brought in to address issues). Has operated the Edmonton Waste Management Centre since 2011, will operate and maintain new anaerobic digestion facility to generate energy from biogas and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Jacobs - Large global consulting engineering and environmental services corporation with more than 52K employees and annual revenues of $13B. Ten offices in Canada (Alberta [Calgary, Edmonton], BC, Ontario, Manitoba, and Yukon) that are mainly focused on consulting engineering. Operations and maintenance services employ 4K employees and deliver more than 1.6B gallons of water and wastewater through more than 300 O&M contracts around the world. Designed the City of Calgary’s Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and recently added a wastewater research facility in partnership with the University of Calgary, and is working with the City to plan for future expansions needed for the city’s population growth. July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 108 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 54 5. Next Steps
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 109 of 128 Next Steps
The following next steps are suggested:
1. GM, Infrastructure Services approves report for Council presentation. 2. Manager, Public Works presents the report findings and recommendations to Council. 3. Begin to implement recommendations from the Utility Services Review.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 110 of 128 Town of Canmore| Utility Services Review | Version 2.1 FINAL| May 21, 2020 | © NAD Consulting Inc. 56 Limiting Conditions
This document was prepared by NAD Consulting Inc. (“NAD Consulting”) and is provided for the use of the Town of Canmore (the “Client”) alone. • The information contained herein is confidential. This information is not intended for general circulation or publication nor is it to be reproduced or used for any purpose other than that outlined above. NAD Consulting recognizes no responsibility whatsoever to any third party who may choose to rely on its report. • Unless stated otherwise within the body of this report, NAD Consulting relied upon information provided by the Client, and third-party sources. NAD Consulting is not a guarantor of the information upon which NAD Consulting has relied in preparing the report and NAD Consulting has not audited or otherwise attempted to verify any of the underlying information or data contained in this report. Although we have deployed our efforts to ensure a conservative, realistic and transparent approach, the analysis depends on the input from a number of third parties whose opinions may influence the conclusions. • All analysis, information and recommendations contained herein are based upon the information made available to NAD Consulting as of the date of this report and are subject to change without notice.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 111 of 128 359 Kent Street #301 Ottawa, ON K2P 0R6 613-889-1518
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. www.nadconsulting.caPage 112 of 128 Request for Decision
DATE OF MEETING: July 7, 2020 Agenda #: H-5
TO: Council
SUBJECT: South Bow River Loop Water Main – Construction Capital Project (7145) Scope and Budget Reduction.
SUBMITTED BY: Andreas Comeau, Manager of Public Works
RECOMMENDATION: That Council approve a change to the South Bow River Loop Water Main - Construction Project (#7145) to include a reduction in scope to complete the South Section; the Wastewater Treatment Plant Tie In; and the Wastewater Treatment Plant to Waste Management Centre section, with a revised budget of $3.6M, to be funded approximately $680,000 from off-site levy contributions and the remainder from debenture.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The South Bow River Loop Water Main project has been recommended in the past three Utility Master Plan updates. It is driven by many factors, including water system security, and the need to deliver water to the Waste Management Centre (WMC). The project would install a water line between the Three Sisters Parkway and Bow Valley Trail (BVT) via the Wastewater Treatment Plant. A public tendering process was recently completed, and all bids exceeded the approved budget of $4.2M. There is an opportunity to allow a portion of the project to proceed that would still provide water to the WMC by the end of this year. This is critical as the WMC is currently undergoing an expansion to accommodate a food waste diversion program and there is a requirement to have a water sprinkler system in place.
RELEVANT COUNCIL DIRECTION, POLICY, OR BYLAWS Council approved the South Bow River Loop Water Main project for $4.2M as part of the 2019 and 2020 capital plan.
DISCUSSION The South Bow River Loop Water Main – Construction project has been identified in the Town of Canmore’s past three Utility Master Plan updates as a recommended project to provide water system security and redundancy. The project achieves this by providing a link to supply water from Pumphouse 2 to the north side of the Bow River in the event a water main break occurs on an existing water main that crosses the Bow River. This loop has long been identified as a need in the Town’s water system. Key benefits of the project include:
1. Water System Redundancy 2. Fire Flow Improvements (at southern part of Bow Valley Trail / Water Pressure Zone 13) 3. Wastewater Treatment Plant – Potable Water 4. Waste Management Centre – Water Sprinkler System / Potable Water
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 113 of 128 Further, the expansion of the Waste Management Centre (Project 7102), which will support a new food waste diversion program is scheduled to be completed in the fall. The WMC expansion increased the size of the building such that it now requires a water sprinkler system, which cannot be accommodated by the current groundwater well.
During the detailed design phase for the South Bow River Loop and in preparation for tendering it was recognized that the project was complicated and included several risks:
1. Water main alignment has a significant drop in elevation (from Three Sisters Parkway to Tipple Mine), requiring a pressure reducing valve; 2. Utility Right-of-Way required landowner approval to cross the Tipple Site; 3. Condition assessment was required of an existing line under the Bow River (built in the late 1990’s in anticipation of this project); and 4. Installation of the water main under Policemen’s Creek and the CPR line (from WWTP to BVT) in high groundwater.
In preparation for the above noted risks, it was decided to tender the project in sections (see Attachment 1) in the event the bid submissions exceeded the budget. This would allow specific sections of the water main to be installed to ensure the expansion of the WMC could proceed to support the food waste diversion program. The four sections included:
1. South Section (Three Sisters Parkway to WWTP) 2. WWTP Tie In 3. WWTP to WMC Section 4. North Section (WWTP to BVT)
The project was first posted on January 30, 2020. Only two bids submitted, and both exceeded the approved budget. The Request for Quotations include a specific construction schedule and did not identify dewatering locations for the contractor. It was agreed by the project team to retender in the spring and allow a more flexible construction schedule and secure dewatering opportunities through the Province.
The project was posted again on May 7, 2020 with four bids submitted, again all of them exceeding the approved budget. Overall however, bid submissions were lower than the first tendering process.
The project team evaluated the proposals and determined there was opportunity to proceed with the project by reducing the scope to include the completion of the South Section, the WWTP Tie In and the WWTP to WMC section for a revised budget of $3.6M.
ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES There is an option to complete the North Section in place of the South Section of the water main. This was discounted because the normal direction of flow is from the South Section (Three Sisters Parkway) to the North Section (BVT). Installing the North Section first would require further design work to address water pressure zones. This option would be more expensive given the redesign that would be required to reverse the flow of the water main, and associated project delays. It would also trigger a delay in the expansion and commissioning of the WMC by approximately one year.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS The financial impact for approving the proposed recommendation would reduce the project budget to $3.6M from $4.2M, which is a net reduction of $600,000. However, there is a future financial impact that will
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 114 of 128 require approximately $2.2M (in addition to the $600,000 not financed in 2020) for an estimated total budget of $2.8M for phase 2 of the project. Given the challenges with estimating a budget for this project to date, Administration intends to refine the phase 2 budget once the actual costs of phase 1 are better known. Administration will propose completing phase 2 in 2021, along with an update to the Utility Rate Model. The model update would review and adjust the future capital plan to ensure funding capacity and future utility rate adjustments are reasonable.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The main stakeholders for this project include EPCOR, who are managing the project, Engineering Services and the design consultants. Three Sisters Mountain Village Properties Ltd. was engaged, and was key to securing the utility right-of-way through their property to enable work to commence in a manner that reduces project cost and timelines.
ATTACHMENTS 1) South Bow River Loop Water Main – Capital Project Map 2) South Bow River Loop Water Main – Construction project summary sheet
AUTHORIZATION
Submitted by: Andreas Comeau Manager of Public Works Date: June 26, 2020
Submitted by: Chantale Blais Municipal Engineer Date: June 29, 2020
Approved by: Chelsey Richardson Manager of Financial Services Date
Approved by: Whitney Smithers GM of Municipal Infrastructure Date: June 29, 2020
Approved by: Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Date: June 29, 2020
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 115 of 128 Attachment 1
South Bow River Loop Water Main – Capital Project Map
South Section WMC Section
WWTP Tie In
North Section
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 116 of 128 South Bow River Loop Water Main - Construction Project Summary Project Number 7145
Budget Year: 2020 Budget: $4,200,000 Department: Utility - Water Project Type: Growth Questica Reference: UTI-13-05 Priority: B Project Description: The project is a new feeder main connecting the Three Sisters area adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant to the south end of Bow Valley Trail (see Figure 1). This feeder main would tie the west zone to the central zone using an existing river crossing under the river near the wastewater treatment plant, and provide a secure water supply to downtown Canmore.
In addition to providing looping for the Town of Canmore this loop will provide the opportunity to provide potable water to the wastewater treatment plant. Connecting the wastewater treatment plant to the distribution system would meet the requirement from Alberta Environment to provide potable water to the wastewater treatment plant.
The design for both portions of the loop will be completed at the same time. The construction portion of the project will be completed in sections:
Section 1: The construction for tie-in to the existing 350 mm main line in the Three Sister Parkway to the WWTP (East Section) and connect to the wastewater treatment plant via the existing pipe under the river (see Figure 1).
Section 2: The construction for the tie-in to the 200mm main line along the Bow Valley Trail to the WWTP (South West Section) to complete the South Bow Loop.
In addition to the loop, to be able to provide potable water to the WWTP there will be modifications required to the existing water supply system to separate the potable water supply from the raw water/effluent water supply which is currently used for plant operations.
There are unknown risks associated with crossing the tipple site. The site is not owned by the Town, requiring an access easement and there is a high likely hood that the soils will be contaminated, to what extent is unknown at this time and cannot be determined until work begins /soil samples are analyzed. END
Budget Funding:
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total Debenture $3,520,000 0 0 0 0 0 $3,520,000 Offsite Levy Reserve $680,000 0 0 0 0 0 $680,000 Total $4,200,000 0 0 0 0 0 $4,200,000
Operating Budget Impact: Operational impact is unknown at this time and would include some additional power related to pumping. END
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 117 of 128 South Bow River Loop Water Main - Construction Project Summary Project Number 7145
Project Rationale: Growth and Water Security: Completing the South Bow Loop will accommodate future growth and redevelopment to the projected full build-out level and additional transmission and distribution mains required in the central area of the Town of Canmore. In addition, this loop serves to strengthen the overall performance of the west and central zones and provides for a more secure water supply to the business core of the Town of Canmore.
WWTP Potable Water: Currently, there is no potable water system at the WWTP. The South Bow Loop provides the opportunity to bring potable water into the WWTP. END
Options Considered: Option 1: (Recommended) Complete work as defined above.
Option 2: Utilize Cross Town Feeder Main (CTFM) by adding a booster station at PRV 32 (Pressure Reducing Valve). The CTFM is currently underutilized and the hydraulic gradeline at PRV 32 is not sufficient to overcome the elevation difference to effectively flow through the CTFM to supply from Pumphouse 1 to the Grassi Reservoir. This option would eliminate the need for the South Bow River Loop and maximize the use of the CTFM but still require a connection between the distribution system and the WWTP.
Option 3: Do nothing. If this project does not proceed it could possibly delay further development in the Town of Canmore as this work would need to be done prior to ensure sufficient water supply. END
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 118 of 128 Briefing
DATE OF MEETING: July 7,2020 Agenda #: I1
TO: Council
SUBJECT: Calgary to Banff Passenger Rail Project
SUBMITTED BY: Lisa de Soto, Chief Administrative Officer
PURPOSE: To share correspondence regarding the proposed Calgary to Banff Passenger Rail Project.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and Alberta Transportation (AT) recently announced funding for further analysis of a Calgary-Banff passenger rail project (see attachment 1). While the Town of Canmore supports developing efficient public transit as a means of reducing the number of personal vehicle trips and thereby reducing both GHG emissions and congestion, we also understand that passenger rail service could have significant impact on social, economic and environmental outcomes for Canmore and the Bow Valley. Therefore, the Town wishes to ensure that this next study addresses issues of importance to our community and the region.
BACKGROUND/HISTORY In 2016, the Town of Canmore partnered with the Towns of Banff and Cochrane, the City of Calgary, and Improvement District 9 (Lake Louise) to study the feasibility of establishing a mass transit service between the communities. The study was commissioned to advance the shared goal of reducing the number of vehicles travelling between Calgary, Cochrane and the mountain communities. Mass transit by passenger rail or bus coach has long been identified as a potential solution to reduce vehicle congestion in the Bow Valley corridor and Banff National Park.
The study findings were released in February 2019 and presented to Council in July 2019. The study confirmed that mass transit in the Bow Corridor is feasible, however both capital costs and operating subsidies would be significantly beyond the capacity of a single municipality to fund. Therefore, partnership between interested municipalities and other orders of government would be required should the concept of mass transit to serve Calgary and the Bow Valley be pursued further.
A regional mass transit working group has been established, which includes elected officials and administrative representatives from the partner communities. Representatives from Stoney Nakoda were invited to join the group in the fall of 2019. The group has been meeting on a regular basis to review the recommendations of the feasibility study and determine next steps in advancing the concept of a mass transit system forward.
On June 9, 2020, the CIB and AT announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to complete studies and due diligence for the Calgary-Banff Rail project. Work will include a review of the project's
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 119 of 128 estimated costs and revenues, exploration of financing options and assessment of environmental, social and economic benefits prior to any potential investment decision by the CIB.
DISCUSSION The Town of Canmore supports moving forward with further analysis of mass transit opportunities between the City of Calgary and the Bow Valley Corridor. We have been an active member of the Bow Valley Regional Transit Commission since its inception and are a supporter of the On-It Regional Bus Transit initiative which runs seasonally between Calgary, Canmore and Banff.
While we see enhanced transit services as essential to the efficient movement of people throughout the Bow Corridor, the proposed rail initiative raises a number of social, economic and environmental impacts that need to be fully understood before the Town could unequivocally support it. Therefore, in January of this year, Council elected not to sign a joint letter of support to the Minister of Alberta Transportation regarding this initiative. Instead the Town submitted its own letter to the Minister (see attachment 2) in order to draw attention to a number of important issues the Town wanted to ensure were included in the study terms of reference.
A recent letter from CP rail which was copied to all parties (see attachment 3) identified some significant challenges from the rail company’s perspective that also need to be addressed in order for the project to be successful.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS N/A
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Council has provided recent support for the establishment of two separate taskforces, one on economic recovery and another on sustainable tourism. The terms of reference for both are still in development however, it is very likely that the community conversation regarding impacts of passenger rail service would fit well into the mandate of one or both of these taskforces. It is also expected that there will be broad based community engagement by the CIB and AT as part of this next feasibility study.
ATTACHMENTS 1) June 9, 2020 Media Release from CIB 2) January 31, 2020 letter to Minister McIvor 3) June 11, 2020 letter from CP Rail
AUTHORIZATION
Approved by: Lisa de Soto Chief Administrative Officer Date: June 30, 2020
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 120 of 128 Attachment 1
Canada Infrastructure Bank and Government of Alberta Sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the Calgary-Banff Rail Project Français
NEWS PROVIDED BY Canada Infrastructure Bank Jun 09, 2020, 16:00 ET
Partnership is a step towards rail service from Calgary to Banff National Park for the rst time in 30 years
Disponible en français
TORONTO, June 9, 2020 /CNW/ - The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and Government of Alberta's Ministry of Transportation (Alberta Transportation) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to complete studies and due diligence for the Calgary-Banff Rail project. The project would support Alberta's economy by creating a critical airport-rail link to downtown Calgary and Banff National Park, increasing tourism opportunities and labour mobility, and reducing vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and congestion in the travel corridor.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 121 of 128 / Alberta Government (CNW Group/Canada Infrastructure Bank)
The MOU con rms the CIB will collaborate with Alberta Transportation to review the project's estimated costs and revenues, explore nancing options and assess environmental, social and economic bene ts prior to any potential investment decision by the CIB. This phase of work is consistent with the CIB's role to provide advisory services to governments.
The Minister of Transportation for Alberta, Ric McIver, emphasized the potential bene ts of this project. "Our government is creating an environment where investors and job creators can succeed in Alberta. We're pleased to be partnering with the CIB to complete a feasibility study for the Calgary-Banff Rail project. The CIB brings expertise and experience needed for a project of this scale. We look forward to learning more about this exciting project and hearing from our community partners about how this opportunity can support our tourism industry and get our economy back on track."
"We are pleased to be building a strong partnership with the Government of Alberta. An important part of the CIB's role is to work closely with governments across Canada to advance new infrastructure opportunities. The Calgary-Banff Rail project is the rst of many potential projects for the CIB in Alberta," said Michael Sabia, Chair of the Board, Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Infrastructure and Communities Minister, Catherine McKenna, highlighted the importance of the CIB's collaboration with Alberta. "It's great to see the partnership between the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the Government of Alberta on a train between Calgary and Banff. A train to Banff National Park would reduce congestion, lower emissions, protect the pristine environment while creating jobs and economic opportunity. This initiative is an example of how the CIB is moving to a new phase focused on accelerating investment in projects that will grow our economy and make Canada more competitive." July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 122 of 128 / "The Calgary-Banff Rail project would create a new transportation option from Calgary International Airport to one of our national treasures. A sustainable and commuter-centric transport system is essential to serve the growing travel demands of both tourists and Albertans alike. The new rail service would take cars off the road and increase the mobility of visitors and commuters to the park in a stress-free way," said the Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau.
Project Vision
The Calgary-Banff Rail project is a new, 130-kilometre sustainable passenger rail service that would potentially include six stops (Calgary International Airport, Downtown Calgary, Cochrane, Morley, Canmore and Banff) along a dedicated line built within the existing Canadian Paci c Railway's corridor. The service could have up to eight departures per day from the airport to Banff and the capability of running an express service from Calgary International Airport to downtown Calgary every 20 minutes.
The project would create an innovative, environmentally friendly public transit option and help the Town of Banff become more pedestrian friendly. Residents of First Nations communities would see increased employment opportunities with easier access into Calgary, Banff, Canmore and Cochrane. Visitors to tourism, cultural and recreational areas in Calgary and in the communities along the line would also bene t from more convenient and ef cient travel from the airport and nearby communities.
Bene ts of the CIB's Involvement
The CIB engages and builds relationships with all levels of government, Indigenous communities and private and institutional investors. It is uniquely positioned to conduct market analysis and provide specialized commercial and investment expertise, including innovative nancial modelling, creative project structuring and procurement options to support project sponsors. The CIB's Advisory and Investment team has specialized infrastructure insights in all the CIB's priority sectors (green infrastructure, trade and transportation, transit and broadband).
Quick Facts: July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 123 of 128 / The Government of Alberta intends to structure the project as a public-private partnership (P3) to attract investment, transfer risks and drive performance. The CIB is a Crown corporation mandated to invest $35 billion in federal funding and attract private sector investment into new revenue-generating infrastructure projects. The CIB is focused on transformational projects that are in the public interest. The CIB works to advance a new model of partnerships to help more projects get built.
Learn More:
Province of Alberta Canada Infrastructure Bank
SOURCE Canada Infrastructure Bank
For further information: Terence Foran, Canada Infrastructure Bank, [email protected], 416-847- 7743; Cole Hogan, Alberta Transportation, [email protected], 780-910-2707
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 124 of 128 / Attachment 2
January 31, 2020
Honourable Ric McIver Minister of Transportation, Deputy House Leader Office of the Minister of Transportation 320 Legislature Building 10800 – 97 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6
Sent via email: [email protected]
RE: Endorsement for Rail Project Feasibility Study
Dear Minister McIver,
I am writing on behalf of the Town of Canmore to voice our strong support for the provincial government to undertake a feasibility study on the proposed passenger rail service from the Bow Valley to the City of Calgary, with a direct link to YYC. The Town of Canmore continues to be a strong advocate in support of developing efficient public transit between our region and Calgary, in order to reduce the number of personal vehicles congesting our public infrastructure and reduce the GHG emissions resulting from individual vehicle travel through the corridor.
As you will know, the Calgary - Bow Valley Mass Transit Feasibility Study (November 5, 2018) presented a comparison between Rail and Bus options as separate models for providing service within this corridor. Given now that there is a rail project proposed, it is important that specific details be studied more closely in order to provide an informed basis for moving forward with rail as the preferred model.
To this end, the Town of Canmore would respectfully request that the terms of reference for the study address the following items:
• the direct and indirect economic benefit to all communities along the route; • the direct and indirect capital and operating costs to communities along the route; • the anticipated impact to GHG emissions resulting from the rail service, and how emissions may be mitigated; • the preferred location for train stations in municipalities along the route, the costs associated to locating and connecting new stations including land requirements, and the source of funding for the building, maintenance and operation of train stations; • the integration of rail with existing bus transit outside of Calgary (ROAM, COLT); • the impact to all communities resulting from increased passenger and freight rail traffic on a second line in the CP right of way; • the potential for bus service improvements as a bridge to a potential future rail system in order to address current issues and build ridership demand for rail; and • the expected timeframe within which to conduct the study and report back prior to decisions being required.
July 7, 2020 Regular Council Meeting 9 a.m. Page 125 of 128 Thank you for considering our request for more detailed information on the proposed rail project. We look forward to participating in the development of the proposed feasibility study.
With my best regards;
John Borrowman Mayor Town of Canmore cc via email: The Honourable Premier Jason Kenney The Honourable Tanya Fir, Minister of Economic Development, Trade, and Tourism Miranda Rosin, MLA Banff-Kananaskis Peter Guthrie, MLA Airdrie-Cochrane Mayor Karen Sorensen, Town of Banff Mayor Jeff Genung, Town of Cochrane Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra, City of Calgary Councillor Councillor Dave Schebek, ID9 Chief Aaron Young, Chiniki Nation Chief Clifford Poucette, Wesley Nation Chief Darcy Dixon, Bearspaw Nation Mr. Ryan Robb, CEO Stoney Tribal Administration
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