Katie May
Northern News Services
Published Friday, August 01, 2008

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Council defeated a motion to implement mandatory monthly performance reviews for city departments after only three of seven councillors voted in favour.

Coun. David McCann proposed the motion to encourage city staff to make more information public sooner, endorsing a Japanese strategy of continual improvement called "kaizen."

"That's what we have to focus on to increase our efficiency," for the public, he said.

"They expect us to be responsive, increasingly more responsive maybe, than we have been in the past."

McCann, Coun. David Wind and Coun. Paul Falvo supported the reviews.

Coun. Bob Brooks said he would have supported the idea if McCann changed the motion to quarterly reviews rather than monthly so that performance reporting doesn't take up too much of employees' time.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said city staff work hard even without mandatory reviews across all departments, he added.

"It never ceases to amaze me the amount of work that gets done here," he said.

Council allows $50,000 transfer

The city's planning department will be able to move up to $50,000 between two of its committees after council approved a recommendation to allow the fund transfer from the downtown enhancement committee to the smart growth development plan for urban design projects.

Downtown enhancement committee chair Jeff Humble said taking money from that reserve fund for the smart growth plan made sense because the two committees have similar goals.

Coun. Bob Brooks agreed.

"That's what we've mandated them to do, so I think this is more than appropriate. Not only that, but we've been pushing for the last number of years to find ways to clean up the downtown core," Brooks said. "They're really trying to do something and I don't want to refute their progress."

Coun. David Wind was the sole opposition to the motion.

"I have serious reservations about this recommended transfer," he said. "There has been no information before council to substantiate the need for additional funds."

Clear 'senior,' 'student' definitions needed

Council voted unanimously in support of a motion that requires city administration to streamline age definitions in its fee bylaw before Oct. 31 this year.

Coun. Shelagh Montgomery said the current bylaw, which lists fees for city services, contains several discrepancies in defining seniors and students.

For some services, seniors are defined as age 55 and up, but for other services seniors are 60 or 65. Montgomery had already raised the point during a committee meeting last week and had expected staff to change definitions before council's regular public meeting on Monday. She voted against the first and second readings of the bylaw because of the inconsistencies.

"If we're creating a consolidated fees and charges bylaw, then we should certainly create a consolidated set of definitions," she said.

Public Works Director Greg Kehoe said the city is working on matching the age definitions.

"The comments are certainly noted and it's in our job jar to rectify."

Coun. Paul Falvo agreed with Montgomery, proposing to lower the age for discounted transit passes from 65 to 55, but his amendment was defeated because he was the only one in favour.