2014 CAMA E-Brief Partner: |
December 11, 2014 |
CAMA Holds Quarterly Board Meeting in Ottawa, Ontario
The Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) held their quarterly meeting in Ottawa, Ontario on November 27th, 2014 where a number of items of the Association were discussed. The following highlights the key issues and provides a short description of each.
Infrastructure Canada
From Left to Right: Mr. George Claydon, Principal Policy Advisor with Infrastructure Canada
and CAMA President Robert Hughes
The Board had the pleasure of having Mr. George Claydon, Principal Policy Advisor with Infrastructure Canada in attendance at the meeting. Mr. Claydon made a presentation on the responsibilities of Infrastructure Canada including their current programs, specifically the New Building Canada Fund and the Gas Tax Fund. We are also pleased to have Mr. Jeff Moore, Assistant Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Canada, making a presentation at the 2015 Jasper Conference. We are looking forward to continuing this relationship and identifying issues that are important to the membership.
Strategic Plan 2014-2019
CAMA’s last full Strategic Planning exercise took place in 2011 and the plan is revisited by the Board each September. The annual review is to ensure the appropriate adjustments are made to work plans and that emerging issues are incorporated into the Plan. The Board will be undertaking a full review in 2016 and are starting now with plans to review such things as the Vision and Mission, and also to conduct an Environmental Scan. A survey of the membership is also planned for issues of importance to our members.
CAMA’s Code of Conduct
The Board has struck a Committee to review the CAMA Code of Conduct with a specific Terms of Reference. This Committee will be chaired by Mr. Jack Benzaquen and consist of other Board members Jean Savard and Jake Rudolph. Watch for a Call for an Expression of Interest to the membership in the future seeking two additional members for this Committee.
Membership Renewals for 2015-2016
Watch for your membership renewal invoices the first week of January 2015. As per the membership’s decision at the 2013 Annual General Meeting, the annual membership fees will increase by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) each year. This year’s national CPI is 2.4% and thus the new fees will be adjusted upwards slightly.
2015-2016 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. The vacancies on the Board of Directors for the 2015-2016 year will be noted in e-Brief in the coming months.
Website and Social Media
The Board also reviewed updates on website and member section statistics for the quarter and discussed a report on CAMA’s social media program. If you aren’t already following CAMA please visit our website to get signed up: http://www.camacam.ca/en/about/SocialMediaTools.asp
Update on Communications/Marketing Plan
The Board approved a new Communications/Marketing Plan in May 2014. Glen Davies, Chair of the Communications Sub-Committee, provided the Board with an update on the Membership Campaign. You will be seeing some of your fellow colleagues from across the country who have provided video testimonials, encouraging non-members to join CAMA. These will be the heart of our campaign to be launched in early 2015. The purpose of the new Communications/Marketing Plan is to help grow CAMA membership, to promote local government administration as an attractive career choice and to raise the awareness of municipal administrators and CAMA with government officials, elected Councils and schools with public administration programs.
Update on CAMA and Provincial/Territorial Association Communications Partnership
The following six Associations have confirmed their participation in the CAMA and Provincial/Territorial Association Communications Partnership: LGMA (British Columbia), AMCTO (Ontario), OMAA (Ontario), LGAA (Alberta), ARMAA (Alberta), and AMANB (New Brunswick).
This is a two year project, and the goals that we expect to deliver are listed below:
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To improve and facilitate communication with provincial and federal senior bureaucrats to foster understanding of the municipal point of view; having input into processes and documentation required to access programs.
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To increase awareness of municipal administration as a career choice for students among academia/leadership in institutions which offer Public Administration.
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To increase awareness of CAMA and provincial/territorial association membership benefits, to increase membership numbers and therefore strengthen the voice of municipal administrators across the country.
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To recruit the next generation of municipal leaders to see municipal administration as an attractive career choice.
Update on CAO Performance Management and Evaluation Committee
A Position Paper is being prepared on the issue of CAO Performance Management and Evaluation. A Sub-Committee has been struck to oversee this effort. The Sub-Committee is chaired by Janice Baker with members Robert Hughes, Don MacLellan, Donald Hrynyk, and Jason Gariepy. A special thanks to those of you that completed the survey that was sent out in October. Watch for an executive summary in the future of the results of this survey. The next step is to send a survey to the elected officials so that the Committee can also get their opinion on this process. An update on this project will be provided by Ms. Janice Baker at the 2015 CAMA Conference.
2015 Jasper Conference Update – A Casual Event
Mr. Robert Hughes and his Program Sub-Committee (Jeff Renaud, Marc Landry, Jake Rudolph, Dan Carnegie) have put together a great program for the 2015 CAMA Conference being held in Jasper, Alberta, June 1-3, 2015. The theme this year is “Celebrating Municipal Leaders” and full details on the program will be available in February 2015. Our Opening Keynote Speaker will be Michael Kerr who will be presenting on “How to Keep Employees Engaged During the Good, the Bad and Even the Ugly Times.” Award winning public speaker Michelle Ray will close the Conference and talk about “The Power of Personal Leadership: Attitude Makes the Difference”.
CAMA has also booked three private shuttles through Sundog Transportation departing Edmonton on Sunday, May 31st, 2015 at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. and then departing Jasper on Thursday, June 4th, 2015 at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. There is also a regular shuttle bus which runs once per day from the Edmonton Airport to Jasper (and return) that will also be offered. The cost will be $99.00 per round trip and you can sign up for the private shuttles when you register for the Conference.
It is very important to note that the entire Conference will be “Business Casual” including the President’s Dinner due to the beautiful setting at this facility! So leave your suits and dress attire at home and bring your guitars and jeans!
Future Conferences
Looking ahead, our 2016 Conference will be held at the Delta Winnipeg/Convention Centre, and the City of Gatineau, QC has been chosen as the location for the 2017 Conference. The 2018 Conference will be held in Atlantic Canada with a location to be determined over the next few months. The 2019 Conference will be held in Québec City, the same location as FCM.
Membership
The Board considered a status report from Ms. Jennifer Goodine, CAMA Executive Director with respect to the member services and the activities of the CAMA National Office. CAMA continues to have a stable membership of 504 members from across the country.
Long Service Awards
Our popular long service awards will once again be part of our 2015 Conference. Those eligible for an award will be contacted in the new year. If you have 20+ years of service then you will be presented with your award in Jasper.
Institute of Public Administration in Canada (IPAC)
From Left to Right: CAMA President Robert Hughes and André Juneau, IPAC President
Mr. André Juneau, President of the Institute of Public Administration in Canada (IPAC) joined the Board in Ottawa to discuss how CAMA and IPAC can work together with all three levels of government to play a larger role on policy innovation. Some follow up meetings will be held in the near future.
Treasurer’s Report
The Board heard the Treasurer’s report from Keith Arns and approved the financial statements for the period of April 1st to October 31st, 2014. CAMA continues to be in a strong financial position. CAMA also continues to update their Five Year Financial Plan and plan for the future.
2015 CAMA Awards of Excellence Program
Jake Rudolph, Chair of the 2015 Awards Committee, presented a report on this year’s program and members will be receiving the nomination packages in January 2015 with the deadline for submissions being February 27th, 2015. We are pleased to have Ravenhill Group Inc. as our gold sponsor for the Awards again this year.
ICMA Update
Mr. Marc Landry, ICMA International Regional Vice-President, and also the CAMA Board member for Alberta and the Northwest Territories, provided an update on the activities of ICMA. Mark your calendars for the 101st Annual Conference being held in Seattle, Washington from September 27-30, 2015. A Call for Expressions of Interest for ideas on innovative practices will also be sent to all ICMA members in the future.
Alliance for Innovation Affiliate Agreement
The Board was pleased to approve an Affiliate Agreement between CAMA and the Alliance for Innovation, an international network of progressive governments and partners committed to transforming local government by accelerating the development and dissemination of innovations. They seek out innovative practices, challenge existing business models, exchange knowledge, and provide products and services that help members perform at their best. Their partners are the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and Arizona State University (ASU). Currently the Alliance for Innovation has four Canadian municipalities (all CAMA members from Alberta) that are members: City of Airdrie, City of Edmonton, City of Lethbridge, and the City of Grande Prairie. Mr. Garth Sherwin, CAO for the City of Lethbridge is also a member of their Board.
The Alliance’s membership is predominantly US with a few Canadian and Australian members however the benefits of membership are universal. Please visit their website (http://transformgov.org/en/home) for further information.
President’s Report
President Hughes reported on his activities for the past quarter. Some of his activities included hosting the Canadian Dinner at the Annual ICMA Annual Conference in Charlotte in September 2014 and attending the SOLACE Conference in Liverpool in October 2014.
External Relations
Jake Rudolph attended the LGANT Conference held in Yellowknife on September 14-17, 2014 and the UBCM CAO Breakfast Forum on September 25th, 2014 in Whistler. At both events, he provided an update on CAMA and our activities.
Janice Baker also updated on the Board on her participation on the Report Card Advisory Board, a Committee that is trying to improve the various categories of infrastructure across the country. A survey is being sent to all municipalities so if you receive it please forward it to your asset management and finance staff for completion. Ms. Baker also participates on a focus group for the 2015 AMCTO Municipal Leaders Forum who are currently brainstorming on the theme for this event.
Future Board Meetings
The next Board meeting will be held in Mississauga, ON from March 18-20, 2015.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all members a very happy holiday and warm wishes for 2015!
Robert Hughes
CAMA President
Reminder: Contribute to the 2015 Canadian Infrastructure Report Card Survey!
On October 27, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities distributed the Canadian Infrastructure Report Card (CIRC) survey to municipal Chief Administrative Officers (CAO). If your municipality has not yet planned a response, we would encourage you to do so with your expert knowledge.
A number of resources have been prepared to help your municipality contribute to the survey, please visit our website to learn more about the project:
The Canadian Infrastructure Report Card is the product of an effective collaboration between the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), the Canadian Public Works Association (CPWA), and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) is the project manager for the 2015 edition, and the Report Card Advisory Board is chaired by the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM).
For additional questions regarding the 2015 CIRC survey, please contact [email protected].
Update: 2015 CAMA Conference Hotel Accommodations and Transportation
The 44th Annual CAMA Conference will be held in Jasper, Alberta at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge from Monday, June 1st, 2015 to Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015. This year's theme will be "Celebrating Municipal Leaders" and the Full Conference Program and on-line registration will be available at the end of February 2015.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
The original block of rooms relased in July 2014 at The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (the Conference hotel) located at 1 Old Lodge Road has been SOLD OUT. An additional room block of 10 rooms per night for May 31st, June 1st and June 2nd has been secured for the Junior Suite room category ($371.00 per night). Unfortunately, at this time there is no availability in the hotel for any reservations even outside the room block on Wednesday, June 3rd.
The special Conference rates are as follows:
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Room Type
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Single Rate
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Double Rate
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Fairmont
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$221.00
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$233.00
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Deluxe
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$271.00
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$283.00
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Deluxe with Sitting Area
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$321.00
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$333.00
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Junior Suite – Fireplace/woodstove
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$371.00
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$383.00
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Junior Suite – Lakeview
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$411.00
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$423.00
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Lakefront Suite
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$521.00
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$533.00
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Signature Cabins (per room)
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$521.00
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$533.00
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Please note that a mandatory daily service charge of $12.00/per person is included in the above rates. This charge is to cover porterage, housekeeping and conference services, therefore, no further out-of-pocket tipping is required when on property. Each extra person sharing a room will be charged an additional $30.00 per night.
To make a room reservation, please contact the Reservations Department at 780-852-3301 or the Global Reservations Centre at 1-800-441-1414. To ensure the special rate quoted above, please identify yourself as attending the CAMA Conference.
Overflow Hotels
CAMA has arranged for room blocks at two additional hotels that are located in the Town of Jasper which is approximately 15 minutes from The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. CAMA will provide a shuttle bus service from these hotels to the Fairmont during the Conference. If you plan to attend the Conference and haven't already made your hotel reservations, it is important that you don't delay as the room blocks noted below for the overflow hotels will only be available until March/April 2015.
Best Western Jasper Inn & Suites
A block of rooms has been secured at the Best Western Jasper Inn & Suites (www.bestwesternjasperinn.com) located in the Town of Jasper at 98 Geikie Street at a special Conference rate of $198.00 plus taxes. This rate is based on double occupancy. There are two types of rooms available:
One Bedroom Suite: A one level suite with one queen size bed in a separate bedroom, sitting area with double sofa bed (recommended for younger children only due to weight restrictions and comfort), wood burning fireplace and a kitchenette. Wireless internet access available in all rooms. Can accommodate up to four persons (two adults and two children).
Upper Loft Suite: A two level suite with one queen size bed in the loft area, and a sitting area with double sofa bed (recommended for younger children only due to weight restrictions and comfort), balcony, wood burning fireplace and kitchenette. Wireless internet access available in all rooms. Can accommodate up to four persons (two adults and two children).
To make a room reservation, please call the hotel directly at 1-800-661-1933 or direct at 1-780-852-4461 and ask for the CAMA Room Block rate. This room block will be open until April 15th, 2015.
Tonquin Inn
A block of rooms has been secured at the Tonquin Inn (www.decorehotels.com/tonquininn) located in the Town of Jasper at 100 Juniper Street at a special Conference rate of $180.00 + taxes (king bed or two queen beds). To make a room reservation, please call the hotel directly at 780-852-4987 or 1-800-661-1315 and ask for the group name “CAMACAM Convention Block”. This room block will be open until March 31st, 2015.
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
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. The cost for this service is $99.00 one-way or $189.00 return. Delegates will receive an additional 10% discount on one-way or return fares. To make a reservation on this shuttle call Sundog Tours directly at 1-888-786-3641 and mention the CAMA Conference or register on-line at www.sundogtours.com and note CAMA in the Comments Section (which will automatically apply the 10% reduction).
CAMA has also booked three private direct shuttles through Sundog Transportation on the following dates:
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Departing Edmonton (to Jasper) on Sunday, May 31st, 2015 at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
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Departing Jasper (to Edmonton) on Thursday, June 4th, 2015 at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m.
The cost for this service is $75.00 one-way or $140.00 return. These private shuttles can be booked through CAMA when you register on-line for the Conference which will be available at the end of February 2015.
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Gold Sponsors |
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