2013 CAMA E-Brief Partner: |
December 18, 2013 |
On behalf of President Savard, the CAMA Board of Directors
and National Office Staff,
there is no time more fitting to say "Thank You".
We wish you a Happy Holiday Season
and a New Year of health, happiness and prosperity.
CAMA Holds Quarterly Board Meeting in Gatineau, Québec
The Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) held their quarterly meeting in Gatineau, Québec on December 5th, 2013. We would like to thank Board member/Treasurer Ms. Marie-Hélène Lajoie (Directrice générale of Gatineau) for her warm hospitality.
The Board dealt with a multitude of issues, but what follows are the highlights of the discussions:
CAMA External Communications Plan
CAMA has engaged M5 Communications to be our organization’s consultant on this file. M5 Communications attended the recent meeting to discuss a number of tactics for the Board to consider.
The goals of the External Communications Plan are to heighten the image of CAMA among members and non-members, to encourage young people to consider a career in municipal administration and to position CAMA as the national authority on issues of importance to our members.
The Board considered a number of tactics from a menu of items under consideration and have recommended that M5 Communications provide the Board with a program that focuses on current members and assists the organization in attracting new members. It was also decided that any media should be in a digital format and video only. The Board also asked for a proposal that facilitated partnerships with provincial and territorial associations. This will be revisited at the next Board meeting being held in March 2014.
Strategic Plan
The Board is currently updating the Strategic Plan for the period 2013-2018 including the External Communication Plan tactics as well as the Five Year Financial Plan.
Finance and Innovations Subcommittee
The very popular jobscene broadcast service will see an increase in 2014 with the new rates being $250 for members and $400 for non-members. The new rate structure continues to be very reasonable compared to similar services elsewhere.
Review of Conference Registration Fees
In light of increasing costs, the Board has decided to increase the conference rates marginally for all categories of delegates. It has been many years since the rates have been adjusted. The rates are still among the lowest of any in the country. The new rates will be effective with the 2014 Conference and will be outlined in the conference registration materials which will be made available in February 2014.
Membership fee increases
At the 2013 Annual General Meeting, the membership agreed that the annual membership fees would increase by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year. This year’s CPI is approximately 1% and thus the new fees will be adjusted upwards very slightly. In most cases, the new fee will only be $5 more than in 2013. Watch for your membership renewal invoices the first week of January 2014.
Procedures for Electronic Voting for CAMA Board of Directors
The CAMA Board has adopted procedures that guide the National Office staff in implementing and monitoring the new e-voting process for prospective CAMA Board members. This new e-voting process will be used for 2014 and those interested in running for the CAMA Board should take note of information that will be in e-Brief in the coming months on upcoming vacancies.
2014 Niagara Falls Conference Update
Ms. Janice Baker and her Program Sub-Committee (Don MacLellan, Marc Landry, Jean Savard and Mark Brown) continue to work on the program for the 2014 CAMA Conference being held in Niagara Falls, May 26-28, 2014. The theme this year is “Cultivating a Positive Culture” and full details on the program will be available in February 2014. For those wishing to book their accommodations at the Conference Hotel (The Sheraton on the Falls) can do so by visiting the CAMA website: http://www.camacam.ca/en/conference/2014AnnualConference.asp
Future Conferences
The CAMA Board has confirmed the following locations for our future Annual Conferences:
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2015: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, Alberta
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2016: The Delta Winnipeg and Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
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2017: The Hilton Lac Leamy in Gatineau, Québec
ICMA Update
Mr. David Johnstone, Third ICMA Vice-President, was in attendance at the Board meeting to provide an update on the activities of ICMA. 2014 will mark the 100th anniversary of ICMA and CAMA wants to celebrate both ICMA and our strong partnership with them. Below is a photo of the CAMA Board sporting their ICMA “fun” glasses in support of their 100th anniversary.
The 2014 ICMA Conference will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina next September 2014 and we are hoping for a strong contingent of CAMA members in attendance. Watch for more details in the coming months.
From Left to Right: Mark Brown (BC and Yukon), Marc Landry (Alberta and NWT), Glen Davies (Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nunavut), Janice Baker (Ontario), Jean Savard (Québec), Keith Arns (Newfoundland and Labrador), Jeff Renaud (Director-At-Large), and Ron Shaw (Director-At-Large)
Website Advertising
CAMA has engaged a firm (Multiview) to sell advertising on our website. This initiative has proved very successful and is adding new revenues to our Association.
Long Service Awards
Our popular long service awards will once again be part of our 2014 Conference. Those eligible for an award will be contacted in the new year.
Membership Update
CAMA continues to have a stable membership of 492 Members from across the country. The Board also discussed various other topics that will be reported in upcoming e-Brief editions. These include the CAMA Awards of Excellence, CAMA/LGMA webinars and the CAMA Mentorship Program.
President’s Report
President Savard reported on his activities for the past quarter. Among some of his more notable activities he:
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Hosted the Canadian Dinner at the Annual ICMA Annual Conference in Boston in September 2013.
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Attended the SOLGM Conference in Wellington, New Zealand in November 2013.
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Hosted a meeting with Brock Carlton, FCM CEO regarding CAMA/FCM joint initiatives.
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Hosted Mr. Louis Levesque, Deputy Minister of Transport Canad,a while attending the December CAMA Board meeting.
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Met with Mr. Terry Goodtrack (CEO/President of AFOA) regarding the First Nations – Municipal CEDI/National Program and other initiatives of mutual interest.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all members a very happy holiday and warm wishes for 2014!
Jean Savard
CAMA President
President's Report: 2013 New Zealand Society of Local Government Managers Annual Summit & Industry Networking
CAMA President Jean Savard had the honour of attending the 2013 New Zealand Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM) Annual Summit & Industry Networking in Wellington, NZ from November 3-5, 2013.
The summit’s theme “Managing the Gap” was based on four key areas:
1. Fit for the future
2. Reality versus perception
3. Our changing environment
4. Leading transformation
New Zealand municipalities greatly depend on federal subsidies, which will be decreasing in the next few years. Local politicians do not want to compensate for that loss with an equivalent tax increase and are asking their chief executives to be creative when looking for solutions to decrease the impacts. Amalgamation plans are also being considered.
Speaker, Barry Quirk, Chief Executive, London Borough of Lewisham, easily moved from theory to practice, making his message very credible. Being asked to cut nearly 40% from his annual budget meant a need for numerous changes and for reflection. He anticipated that changes will come to the relationships among elected officials, the public and the administration. A balance must be found between service demands and their impacts on costs. The financial capacity of the country's public has greatly decreased in the past decade to the point that indebtedness is highly probable just to pay for basic goods. Quirk’s observations were that:
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Budget productivity must be prioritized over performance measurements;
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Strategic policies and plans must change;
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Our role is complementary;
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The gap between national policies (too often one-size-fits-all) and local problems must be reduced;
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We must win the public's trust;
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Social enterprises must be encouraged;
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We must administer with people’s happiness in mind.
Quirk believes in the doctrine of meliorism (making life better for everyone) by applying these three orientations:
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We must have a creative civil community.
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We have to encourage risk-taking.
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We have to align employees on moral objectives.
A brief summary on the other speakers:
Dr. David Keane: Looking in the Mirror Before Looking Outside
Targeting success; what we can conceive, we can achieve; successful people learn from their mistakes.
Dr. Ian Hunter: Innovation and Alternative Routes to Economic Development
Leadership; the only constant is change; innovation is a process for improving wealth; innovation is not the privilege of youth; adjust your innovation to your context and community.
Bob O'Neill & Barry Quirk: Civic Engagement and Amalgamation
Despite the recession, 76% of referenda have been adopted in the USA; programs to be funded must come from credible sources; in the United Kingdom, local governments have more credibility; in Charlotte, instead of amalgamating cities, they have amalgamated services.
Dr. Stephanie Pride: Negotiating a Decade of Transition
Due to climate change, everything is going to cost more; moving toward the use of common-use assets; moving from fixed to adapted infrastructures; collaboration and networking of employees among several employers.
Neryl East: Surviving the Fishbowl Environment
Being active in your ecosystem of influence; equipping your ambassadors of influence; building greatness and creating experiences
There was also a workshop held by the South Waikato District with respect to developing a corporate culture and finding positive solutions to paying taxes, delivering services, and community and social issues.
SOLGM has many similarities with CAMA regarding services to be rendered to members and their Strategic Plan. The following issues merging Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) were discussed:
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Improving the promotion of the profession
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Continuing to control and influence
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Professional development
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A political networking and annual summit
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International relations
Respecfully submitted,
Jean Savard
CAMA President
ICMA Message
Dear ICMA International Members, Affiliates, and Friends:
I am writing to request your help in broadening the international content of ICMA’s 100th Annual Conference, which will take place September 14-17, 2014, in Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. We invite you to participate in the Call for Ideas for educational sessions that fit into the tracks selected by the 2014 Conference Planning Committee.
To see descriptions of the tracks and instructions on how to submit your idea by the January 3, 2014 deadline, please visit http://icma.org/en/icma/events/conference/news/Article/103891/Call_for_Ideas_for_ICMAs_100th_Annual_Conference.
In the early Spring, once the conference’s educational program is finalized, we will be reaching out to you again as part of a Call for Speakers. At that time, we will be looking for your suggestions of individuals from outside the United States who plan to attend the conference and would be interested and able to contribute to the content of the sessions.
Thank you very much for your help.
Best regards,
Ross
Ross Hoff
Conference Director
Director, International Member Programs
Congratulations to CAMA Board Member & Treasurer Marie-Hélène Lajoie!
Congratulations to Marie-Hélène Lajoie, CAMA Treasurer, who was appointed as the Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Gatineau. At its first meeting held on November 19th, 2013, the new Municipal Council adopted a resolution whereby Ms. Lajoie became the first woman to head Gatineau’s administration.
Ms. Lajoie has been a senior manager at the City of Gatineau since the 2002 merger. During this time, she served as the head of legal services, a position that she also held in the former City of Aylmer, as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, as Acting Chief Administrative Officer, and most recently as the Assistant City Administrator of local services. At the regional level, since 2010, she has been working at the Fondation du Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Gatineau. She has served on the CAMA Board since 2011.
“As assistant director general of the Service de proximité, Ms. Lajoie was responsible for all aspects of Gatineau’s operational services. She has demonstrated her ability to rally her teams. Her leadership will help ensure that the vision and priorities set out by the Municipal Council will be swiftly implemented at every level of the administration,” indicated Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin. “This synergy among elected officials and municipal employees will help to more efficiently maintain and improve services for the public,” added the Mayor.
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