2014 CAMA E-Brief Partner:

November 27, 2014

 
 

 
TRANSPORTATION
 

Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver all have international airports that are serviced by major national and international carriers.  Delegates can get to Jasper by vehicle, rail or by bus.  Further details on transportation can be found at the following link:  http://www.jasper.travel/discover-jasper/getting-to-jasper-alberta
 
Please note that Sundog Tours operate a daily shuttle from the Edmonton Airport:  http://sundogtours.com/airport-shuttle/.  There are departures from the Airport at 3:15 p.m. arriving in Jasper at approximately 8:00 p.m. and departures from Jasper at 7:15 a.m. and arriving at the Airport at 12:30 p.m.  Please note that this is not a direct route and there are stops at the West Edmonton Mall, Edson and Hinton.  Round trip fares are approximately $99.00 per person.
 

CAMA will also be arranging three additional private shuttle buses departing the Edmonton Airport (at different times) on Sunday, May 31st, 2015 and the Jasper Park Lodge on Thursday, June 4th, 2015.  The registraton for this service can be completed when registering for the Conference at the end of February 2015.  More details will be posted soon.

     

             

  
December 2:  Media Relations: Tools, Tips & Techniques to Improve Your Media Coverage
Presenter: Jan Enns, Jan Enns Communications
 

New faces at your Council and Board table? Local elections often generate more media interest as they interview staff and newly elected Council and Board members to get their “take” on what your local government is doing. Help your team deliver a clear and consistent message, reduce misinformation and ultimately increase participation in your programs or services with this webinar on media relations. This engaging, interactive and informative webinar is designed to help you work proactively with the media and hone your skills when it comes to responding to media requests.
Key points covered include:
• How to develop strong, clear and consistent key messages
• What to do when the media calls
• How to answer media questions and stay on message
• Some dos and don’ts for damage control
• Ongoing discussion and sharing of ideas and experiences
Includes a special workbook with tips and techniques to use in your next media interview, helping you become a better media spokesperson!

Our front line supervisors provide our most critical interaction with employees and yet often they have not had training on the most effective way to deal with their teams and workload. In this interactive course we will explore the unique challenges of leading those that you may have had a peer relationship with, some of the labour issues that can arise (depending on whether supervisors are in or out of the bargaining unit), and coaching others in a respectful and supportive manner. In addition, we will discuss the most effective ways in which supervisors can get the support they might require from management in the organization, to ensure the organization operates efficiently and staff feel supported.

BONUS: Individuals will have the opportunity to complete an online assessment of their supervisory skills including: time management, listening skills, communication, planning and scheduling work, setting goals, assessing people and performance and coaching skills.  This report provides specific developmental suggestions unique to the individual.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) launched a campaign asking Canadians to showcase their hometown pride. FCM believes that the next federal election must focus on strengthening Canada through developing our cities and communities. The Hometown Proud Campaign is the start of a conversation about how we build the Canada of tomorrow.
 

"FCM recognizes that hometowns are the engines that drive our country forward," said FCM President Brad Woodside. "Hometowns create local jobs and local growth; they foster quality of life, and promote safe and sustainable communities."

Through the #HometownProud Campaign, FCM wants to hear from Canadians about how they are connected to their hometowns, and how we can make them the best that they can be. Canadians know what makes their cities, towns, and villages work best, and what they need to raise their family, work, and be involved in community life. These experiences, told through the stories that will be collected, are the building blocks of what makes Canada great.

"Through the stories that will be shared, FCM will design a roadmap for the building of a Canada of the future," said Mr. Woodside.  A dedicated website, hometownproud.fcm.ca, has been developed to capture all of the hometown stories that Canadians have been wanting to share with each other. The stories will be as diverse as the cultural, linguistic, and regional flavours that define Canada. Yet they will share a common thread - one that unites small towns with large cities. Whether in Western, Atlantic, or Central Canada, or in the Territories, Canadian are united in their belief that a strong Canada starts with strong hometowns. 

The campaign will kick-off with a contest where, through the support of Air Canada, the winner of the contest will win two round trip tickets to bring loved ones home. The contest runs until January 13, 2015.

 
Municipal Best Practices from CAMA Members
 

Each year CAMA recognizes the value of excellence and professionalism in municipal administration through the Annual Awards Program in three areas of Program Excellence.  Awards are presented to local governments and their Chief Administrators in recognition of their creative and successful programs, projects or services.

The Annual Awards Program has been designed to encourage excellence in the art of professional municipal administration.  All award submissions are available in the Best Practices Library located in the Member’s Section on the CAMA website and we would like to take this opportunity to feature these great initiatives in the next few editions of e-Brief:

 
Root for Trees is an enhanced tree planting initiative which aims to increase tree planting within the City of Edmonton. The program, started in June 2013, envisions a diverse and sustainable urban forest planted through new and ongoing partnerships with corporations, individual residents and community groups.

Edmonton’s urban forest is an important resource that provides environmental, economic and social benefits to the city and surrounding communities. The City of Edmonton recently identified a need to preserve and expand its urban forest to ensure this resource remains diverse and sustainable.

The City previously had many informal tree planting programs which played a significant role in maintaining Edmonton’s current tree canopy. It was decided that an additional strategy was required to bring these existing options together under one new branded program. The program would create awareness and streamline the processes and approvals required to plant trees on public property.

The City launched Root for Trees to address both issues in a cohesive, measured and accessible manner. Root for Trees now manages the City’s existing tree planting programs and promotes tree planting initiatives throughout the city.

The program encourages the growth of grassroots beautification, natural environments and greening of the City. There is a focus on planting native tree species, although some ornamental trees are also planted. Root for Trees’ target is to plant an additional 16,000 trees each year on public and private land. In 2013, 21,422 trees were planted by volunteers, far surpassing the initial goal. The success of the program’s first year continues to be built upon.
 

Measuring the economic value of natural capital assets is a relatively new field pertaining to economic indicators. Pioneers in this field include the David Suzuki Foundation and Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. Most of the current research pertaining to the economic value of natural capital assets applies to large geographic regions and is not easily scalable for individual municipalities or individual properties.

There is a growing consensus that all corporations should factor in the benefit of natural capital within the overall economic health of the corporation. The model developed by the Town of Aurora can be easily replicated by other municipalities and in addition, once developed is simple to keep up to date as the community builds out.

Natural Capital assets include wetlands, woodlands (and urban trees), grasslands, watercourses, floodplains and all other components of the natural ecosystem.  The stock of natural resources, environmental and ecosystem resources and land have been called natural capital – capital in the sense that these resources are assets that yield goods and  services that over time are essential to the sustained health and survival of our population and  economy.

Natural ecological areas within Aurora provide numerous benefits that have economic value. These areas of natural capital provide economic benefits such as clean water supply, natural filtration of contaminants, water flow stabilization, greenhouse gas mitigation, erosion control, nutrient cycling, habitat, recreation, health benefits and cultural pursuits.

A large portion of Aurora is located on the Oak Ridges Moraine which forms a portion of the  provincial Greenbelt. It is important for Aurora to quantify the economic benefits of ecosystem protection and understand the costs associated with replicating these natural functions in response to the loss or destruction of any components of the ecosystem.

The completed Economic Value of Natural Capital Assets report (the report) builds the case for the protection of natural capital assets from an economic prospective but also stresses the benefits of such protection such as reduction of greenhouse gases, reduction in pollution, clean water supply, public health benefits and overall climate regulation. In keeping with the directives of Canadian Institutes of Planners Climate Change Policy guidelines the report takes constructive action towards advancing knowledge on climate change and allows for sharing such information among municipal administrators, as well as with the science and academic communities.

Protection and investing in Natural Capital Assets along with the implementation of Low Impact Development Standards can yield significant overall economic benefits to the Town of Aurora.  These include the environmental benefits listed within the report, as well as the significant physical and mental health benefits associated with reduction of greenhouse gases, promotion of active transportation/ recreational pursuits and appreciation of nature.

CAMA Category:  2014 Environmental Award (Pop. over 100,000)

The City of Coquitlam has been developing an effective and adaptive approach to watershed management planning and implementation over the past decade. Going back to the 1990’s and the start of watershed based planning approaches, Coquitlam has put theories to the test and continued to implement concepts incrementally, each effort building on the successes or lessons of the last.
 
Some of the City’s first attempts at watershed based community planning were idealistic, prescriptive and
impractical. As a result the City faced significant challenges and could not implement what was proposed. In response, a strategy to work through the issues was developed. The efforts to persevere, progress and adapt culminated in a refined approach which integrates drainage, ecology and land use while balancing idealism with pragmatism for successful implementation.

The City of Coquitlam has set itself apart by first securing political support for a watershed based approach to community planning, and then developing, implementing and refining the process. With its tandem efforts in pioneering new rainwater management applications, the City demonstrates a commitment to building responsibly and sustainably while it grows.
 

Do you have a story for our next issue?
Let us know by contacting [email protected]

CAMA e-Brief is published every two weeks. Watch for the next issue on: The week of December 8th, 2014  To view the last CAMA e-Brief, visit: http://www.camacam.ca/en/ebrief.asp	Job Scene is distributed every week. The Next issue will appear on:  Monday, December 1st, 2014 To view the latest Jobs go to: http://www.camacam.ca/en/jobpostings.asp
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