PLANNING SERVICES
DEPARTMENT GOALS
To develop plans and policies which will guide the growth and development of the City of Kelowna and ensure a high quality of life for all residents and future generations.
To provide information and assistance to meet the needs of the citizens, Council, City department, developers and agencies regarding the development of the City.
To provide excellent customer service to applicants and the general public for all matters relating to the development process.
To process all applications in accordance with stated timeframe objectives.
To ensure maximum adherence to City policies, bylaws and objectives to ensure development occurs in a manner consistent with stated community direction.
To promote a working environment where learning is encouraged, new ideas are welcome, and a friendly atmosphere prevails as the most productive team approach to business.
CURRENT YEAR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES FINANCE
- Review application fees to ensure appropriate fees are being charged for various types of applications.
- Continue to refine development review process to ensure applications are being processed as efficiently as possible, therefore minimizing staff time (cost) per application.
FACILITIES/EQUIPMENT/TECHNOLOGY
- Implement changes to improve tracking system.
PARTNERSHIPS
- Work with UBC Okanagan on campus plan.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
- Explore new uses for GIS and computer aided graphics in the planning process.
IMAGE
- Maintain team spirit and professionalism.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
- Development of revised information sheets for application process. 2. Develop proactive communication policies for Department.
INSPECTION SERVICES
DEPARTMENT GOALS
To provide information and assistance to meet the needs of the citizens, Council, City departments, developers, and agencies regarding the development of the City. To provide a service to the community for protection of health and safety to persons and property. Administer and enforce City of Kelowna Bylaws.
CURRENT YEAR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
FACILITIES/EQUIPMENT/TECHNOLOGY
- A pilot project for electronics in the field will be reintroduced pending the release of new hardware and software.
- To investigate new electronic ticketing and computer software and to establish the use of transport computers and access for officers while in the field. This will permit more officer field time, less down time for office work and better productivity.
PARTNERSHIPS
- To work closely with the court services to re-establish and improve the handling of bylaw matters as outlined in the Charter and to increase the use of court services for enforcement purposes, in particular, the development of the summons for bylaw violations.
- To provide, develop and implement a variety of enforcement practices and procedures both in-house and with the RCMP to provide a greater sense of policing coverage within the city and in particular, the downtown business core and parks areas, and establish an earlier joint patrol program for transient related situations.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
- Plan Checking Division is developing a pre-screening program for complex projects such as commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family residential. The intent is to provide sufficient information with respect to all regulatory requirements to the applicant in a one-to-one meeting prior to submission of a building permit. The program outcomes will be a streamlined and efficient time management approval process, for both the customer and the City. This program will be introduced to developers and professionals in the winter of 2004/2005.
- To reduce the number of open permits.
CITY CLERK
DEPARTMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To allow, through the provision of both internal and external resources, for the official business of the corporation through City Council to be conducted in accordance with legislated and other requirements.
To ensure that the efficient use of Council’s time to conduct business is maximized by coordinating staff input, public input and Council consideration of issues before the corporation.
To ensure that the records of the corporation are kept secure and managed such that the requirements of Provincial legislation are met and public access to records is ensured to the greatest extent permitted by those requirements.
To ensure that Council business is conducted according to statutes and policy.
To facilitate the provision of information to the public in accordance with provincial legislation.
To ensure the protection of privacy in accordance with provincial statute.
To manage corporate records creation, retention, destruction and archiving.
As a division, develop a more recognizable identity to both internal and external clients.
CURRENT YEAR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
FINANCE
- Complete a review of all City fees and charges and consolidate where appropriate into an updated Fees and Charges Bylaw.
HUMAN RESOURCES
- Add a Records, Information and Privacy Coordinator to the Office to handle the volume of access to records requests, conduct a needs assessment for implementing a corporate Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) program and to prepare appropriate documentation.
PARTNERSHIPS
- Coordinate preparation of handover of Kelowna and Area Okanagan Fire Recovery Society executive from current members to staff.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
- Review and update as necessary Council Policies and Consolidated Bylaws.
- Improve inter-departmental communication to raise awareness within the Corporation of the roles and responsibilities of the City Clerk’s Office to ensure that the Clerk’s Office is kept abreast of issues and action items coming before Council and that the City is following appropriate legal procedures and processes.
- To look for efficiencies and, where feasible, to streamline procedures with other departments to create more seamless and efficient processes for ways of conducting Council business.
- Continue to offer access and privacy training sessions to departments and divisions within the corporation.
- Continue to work with the LGMA in presenting access and privacy workshops for local governments across BC.
- Update and standardize Clerk’s Office document templates.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND REAL ESTATE
DEPARTMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To create initiatives and formulate policy that will implement the City’s strategic direction for healthy and sustainable growth.
To promote City led projects that increase economic opportunities and increase employment.
To identify and maintain Kelowna’s land based assets, managed where appropriate through lease arrangements that will ensure that they are sustainable over the long term.
To manage an inventory of rental buildings in such a way as to maximize revenues in the short term until required for future city purposes.
To achieve an increase in the supply of affordable housing as defined by the Official Community Plan (OCP), through City initiated housing and mixed use projects.
To build and achieve improvements to city infrastructure by facilitating land transactions that will best provide for infrastructure works for all city capital projects and private sector developments.
To promote public and private sector partnerships to achieve sustainable development projects in an orderly and rational manner, balancing the environmental, social and economic needs of the community.
To act as catalysts for revitalization in the City’s Urban and Village Centres.
To resolve land-related issues that have previously hindered advancement of projects or initiatives that will benefit the community.
To prevent social problems from developing or worsening in the community by acting from a prevention perspective.
To ensure that staff have access to education and training necessary to complete assigned tasks.
As a division, develop a more recognizable identity to both internal and external clients.
CURRENT YEAR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
FINANCE
- Complete a review of all City owned land and ensure the existence of a record in the Government Property System.
- Identify City owned lands in the downtown core that may be available for sale or redevelopment.
- Complete a review of rent levels for all properties and apply increases to parallel market rates where applicable.
- Relocate a dwelling from another City owned property to the Manhattan Point property for rental purposes.
HUMAN RESOURCES
- Add an additional Property Officer and Administrative Clerk to the Division to handle the volume of transactions, and utilize contract staff where possible to complete real estate transactions in a timely fashion.
- Establish contracting service with the Central Okanagan Foundation for implementation of three community planning grant programs.
PRODUCTS / SERVICES
- Finalize an Option to Purchase Agreement for the former Kelowna Secondary School (KSS) property, and adopt a Comprehensive Development Plan for the entire property.
- Achieve a project at 260 Franklyn Road that includes affordable housing units subject to a housing agreement.
- Continue to complete land transactions required to facilitate W&U, Planning and Parks identified 2005 priorities:
NEC/Hwy 33 extension
Rutland Rd/ Hwy 33
Rutland Sewer Project
Burtch Road extension
KLO/ Benvoulin
Utility ROW’s
Subdivision related transactions
Parks acquisitions
Etc.
- Establish an administrative structure to implement affordable housing requirements imposed by housing agreements, likely by contract with an outside agency.
PARTNERSHIPS
- Coordinate preparation of Rutland Bluffs Linear Trail Overall Plan and implementation of Phase 2.
- Complete negotiations for redevelopment of the Richter, Lakeshore, and Swordy properties.
- Complete negotiations to achieve redevelopment at the foot of Cedar Ave.
- Complete negotiations to achieve redevelopment of the downtown waterfront.
- Complete negotiations to acquire land for Rails with Trails initiatives.
- Explore relocation alternatives for the Gospel Mission.
- Secure land tenures of outstanding portions of the Mission Greenway Phase 1.
- Complete land negotiations necessary for Mission Creek restoration project including: dyke setback, sediment trap, Benvoulin Woods.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
- Refine affordable housing policies in the OCP to provide greater direction on the generation of affordable housing units.
- Produce Community Indicators Report No. 3 that will explore crime statistics and comparative quality of life indicators for Kelowna relative to other Canadian cities.
- Continue to work with groups including the Central Okanagan Four Pillars Coalition, Homelessness Steering Committee and Homelessness Network, Poverty Task Force and others.
- Update leases and standardize city document templates.
- Coordinate long term planning efforts with other departments to identify land needs and priorities into the future.
INFORMATION SERVICES
DEPARTMENT GOALS
To provide the City of Kelowna with effective and up-to-date information systems and technology by:
- Developing and implementing an overall strategy for delivering integrated information systems to the employees of the city as an assist for them in their day to day business processes.
- Developing and implementing an overall strategy for the selection, implementation and support of software and hardware to meet the business needs of the city.
- Developing and implementing an overall strategy for the selection, implementation and support of our communications facilities and infrastructure.
- Developing and implementing an overall strategy for maintaining our investment in computing software and hardware.
- Training city staff in the competent use of standard desktop products.
- Providing operational support for computer operations and G.I.S.
CURRENT YEAR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
HUMAN RESOURCES
- Hold departmental reviews and develop appropriate work plans.
- Continue to provide support and training to city staff.
- Support other city initiatives such as the Training Advisory Group and the Job Evaluation Committee.
PARTNERSHIPS
- Participate on the financial systems replacement committee.
- Participate on the Airport committee to replace FIDS and billing.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
- Expand the use of our internet site for eBusiness and for the support of field staff. Specifically to claim the homeowner grant, issue simple heating and plumbing permits and apply for business licences over the internet.
FACILITIES/EQUIPMENT/TECHNOLOGY
- Continue to provide support to departments enabling them to meet their operational objectives.
- Continue to provide systems analysis and programming as per departmental requirements.
- Continue the expansion of our Intra/Internet capabilities using the Intranet as a focal point for providing information to our staff.
- Upgrade our core database servers, client desktops and network infrastructure to new hardware and software platforms as per budget.
- Complete upgrade of PeopleSoft Financials to version 8.4.
- Complete the conversion our GIS system to the ESRI suite of products.
- Upgrade ESRI products to release 9.
- Implement security tools that will increase our protection against viruses.
- Enhance or introduce new systems to streamline payment processing for taxes, directly post cash transaction to the GL, manage an operations log for the Airport safety management system, provide a water valve maintenance management system and to provide a system to manage rights of way for utilities.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
- Enhance our ability to store and retrieve image type documents that may have previously been on film or microfiche/film.
- Investigate and install more effective disk storage system.
- Investigate reality of having a laptop in the car for bylaw and inspections.