2017 CAMA & FCM CONFERENCE REVIEW
CAMA was pleased to have members of the Public Sector Digest team in attendance in Gatineau to provide an overview of the CAMA Conference. The same team also attended the FCM Conference in Ottawa. Please see below their review of both Conferences along with some interviews with some of our delegates. The webcasts from many of the speaker sessions that took place in Gatineau can also be found in the Member's Section of the CAMA website.
“We at the local level decide the quality of life in every community.”
- Hazel McCallion, former Mayor of Mississauga, addresses CAMA delegates
Watch our interview series with Canada's CAOs here.
CAMA Holds Quarterly Board Meeting in Gatineau, Québec
The Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) held their quarterly meeting in Gatineau, Québec in conjunction with the Annual CAMA Conference. The meeting was held on Sunday May 28th, 2017. Many thanks to our host Marie-Hélène Lajoie, Past-President, for hosting the Board.
The Board discussed a number of issues, and what follows are the highlights of those discussions:
2017 Gatineau Conference
The Board spent a significant amount of time reviewing the program and logistics associated with the Conference in a joint session with the CAMA staff. The Conference is the biggest event for CAMA and the Board and staff spend a great deal of time making sure the event runs smoothly for our members.
If you were unable to attend the Conference and would like to view some of the speaker sessions, the video recordings can be found in the Member’s Section.
2018 Fredericton Conference
The Board was updated on preparations for the Fredericton CAMA Conference scheduled for May 28th-30th, 2018. The hotel room block will be made available in the near future for this event. The Program Sub-Committee for this Conference will begin meeting in August 2017 and we are seeking two additional members to assist with the planning. Please consider applying for this opportunity or encourage one of your staff members (that are CAMA members) to get involved. The Board also discussed possible themes for the Fredericton Conference which will be forwarded to the Program Sub-Committee for consideration.
2019 Quebec City Conference
Conference and hotel facilities have been lined up for the Québec City Conference being held May 27-29, 2019.
2020 and 2021 Conferences
These Conferences will be held in the Toronto and Montreal areas respectively. The Board discussed a process for determining exact locations and the membership should expect more information in the coming months on where the locations will be.
Alliance for Innovation
 Sallie Ann Burnett, East Regional Director of the Alliance for Innovation, gave the Board an update of the Alliance’s activities over the past year. The Alliance is specifically focused on research around the next Big Ideas and best practices in local government. In strengthening and supporting the two Associations, the Alliance for Innovation, is offering a special discount to all CAMA members. Alliance membership complements CAMA membership and offers additional learning resources for your entire organization.
Take advantage of the Alliance’s new partnership with CAMA. Depending on your municipality’s needs you may choose from one of these two options:
- 30% off the first year of membership, or
- 15 months of membership for the price of the first 12 months.
Membership in the Alliance is beneficial to communities of all sizes. Alliance membership rates are based on the size of your community, as determined by the 2016 Canadian population census. If you are interested in this opportunity call 1-888-496-0944 or e-mail [email protected] for more information on how to leverage these benefits in your organization.
Strategic Plan
The Board reviewed its performance dashboard regarding specific activities related to the Strategic Plan. One of CAMA’s objectives is comprehensive outreach to members. This translates into the responsibility of Board members connecting with their Provincial/Territorial Associations and members in their region regarding the value of CAMA.
Many members may be interested to know that the Board is considering updating the sample CAO Employment Contract that the Association makes available to members currently in the Member’s Section of the CAMA website. The contract on the CAMA site is over ten years old and is in need of updating. CAMA will be looking for information from members, associations and others who can help with the research on this initiative. Watch for a survey in the near future.
Update from FCM
Alana Lavoie, Manager of Policy and Research/Policy and Government Relations, with FCM joined the meeting to provide the Board with an update on FCM’s activities including Phase 2 Advocacy, the progress of the MCIP and MAMP Programs, and FCM’s Legal Defense Fund.
Communications/Website
The Board considered a report from Louis Coutinho, Communications Chair, on the activities of the Committee. The Committee presented updates on the membership marketing campaign and the Provincial/Territorial Partnership. As of April of this year, CAMA membership stands at 574 which is a net gain of 61 members from the year previous. It is estimated that 80% of the new members joined as a direct result of the membership campaign. The Board was also updated on the LinkedIn initiative, and a new member retention tactical plan with a goal to maintain membership at 600.
A number of other updates were provided by staff on website and member section statistics, and our social media program which includes Facebook, Twitter and Linkedln.
CAO Performance Evaluation Committee update
Janice Baker, Chair of the CAO Performance Evaluation Committee, provided an update to the Board on the project. The toolkit completed its year long pilot phase and was launched publicly at the Conference. The Chair and Executive Director (Jennifer Goodine) introduced the toolkit to a number of Elected Official Associations while in Ottawa at their annual meeting. A brochure regarding the toolkit was also included in delegate kits at FCM. Starting this September, a series of presentations to the elected officials are planned to promote the toolkit across the country. Please note that the toolkit has been moved out of the Member’s Section to the public CAMA website.
Treasurers Report
Jeff Renaud, Treasurer reported that CAMA will finish the year on the positive side of the ledger and that the Association is in good financial shape.
ICMA Update
Marc Landry provided an update on ICMA activities including the election of Tim Anderson (CAO Waterloo) as Third Vice President in September 2017. Congratulations to David Johnstone, CAMA Past President, who also assumes his position as President of ICMA this Fall.
Future Board Meetings
- September 13-15, 2017: Portage-La-Prairie, MB
- November 22-24, 2017: Ottawa, ON
Call for Expression of Interest for CAMA Sub-Committees
The CAMA Board of Directors recognizes that CAMA members can play an important role in contributing to several of their Sub-Committees on various portfolios. There are currently two Sub-Committees that are seeking additional CAMA members. Please consider applying for these opportunities or encourage one of your staff members (that are CAMA Members) to get involved.
2018 CAMA Conference Program Sub-Committee
Our Annual Conference continues to be the single most important professional development initiative we deliver and is a fantastic networking opportunity. The Board spends a great deal of its time devoted to the programming of this event through the leadership of the Conference Program Sub-Committee which is responsible for developing the Conference theme and designing the speakers program. This year’s Conference will be held in Fredericton, NB from May 28-30, 2018.
President Janice Baker is this year’s Chair of the Committee along with Board members Marc Landry, Jean-Marc Nadeau, Tony Kulbisky and Cory Bellmore. We are seeking two additional members. The Committee work is completed through Conference Calls and by e-mail with a time commitment of approximately 3-4 hours per month for the months of August 2017 thru December 2017.
If you are interested in serving on this Committee and are a CAMA member, please complete the attached Expression of Interest form and submit it to Ms. Jennifer Goodine, CAMA Executive Director ([email protected]) no later than June 30th, 2017.
2018 CAMA Awards of Excellence Sub-Committee
CAMA’s Awards of Excellence Program encourages the improvement of the art of municipal management to recognize the specific contributions achieved by members of the Association, and to publicize these to other members as well as to the general public.
The 2018 CAMA Awards Committee is Chaired by Board member Jack Benzaquen and we are seeking five additional members. The time commitment is as follows:
- There are usually between 50-60 award submissions to review which are a maximum of 2,000 words in length (approximate time 8-10 hours). These submissions are evaluated based on set criteria and are forwarded to the Committee electronically.
- The submission deadline for the awards is February 23rd, 2018 with the Committee reviewing the submissions between March 5th-16th, 2018.
- A Conference Call will be held with the Committee the week of March 19th, 2018 to review the submissions and make a decision on the winners.
If you are interested in serving on this Committee and are a CAMA member, please contact Jennifer Goodine, Executive Director ([email protected]) and she can provide you with the appropriate forms. The deadline for submissions is no later than June 30th, 2017.
Janice Baker
CAMA President
Board Representative for Ontario
Inuvik Wins National Award for Municipal Innovation
Marie-Hélène Lajoie, CAMA President; Grant Hood, SAO, Town of Inuvik; Jean-Marc Nadeau, Chair of 2017 Awards Jury/CAMA Representative for Manitoba and Saskatchewan
The Town of Inuvik, NT has received national recognition for its East Channel Water Treatment Plant project from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA). The City was presented with the 2017 CAMA Willis Award for Innovation, in the Under 20,000 population category, during CAMA’s national conference in Gatineau, QC. The project eliminated the need for two separate water sources and allowed for a single year-round water supply.”
In November 2016, Inuvik put into production its new $19 million water treatment plant. Located 200 kms north of the Arctic Circle, the Town faced many challenges with its water system.
Existing 50-year old infrastructure needed replacing, and switching between two separate water supplies added significant costs to annual operating expenses. The goal was to use only water from the East Channel of the MacKenzie River.
A significant challenge for the project was constructing a large enough facility to handle current and future requirements, while not damaging the permafrost and keeping costs within acceptable limits. To accomplish this, several approaches were incorporated into the final design, including:
- utilising over 200 30-foot adfreeze pilings to allow for ventilation under the concrete foundation;
- utilising rectangular chlorine contact tanks versus circular to save on floor space;
- incorporating UV disinfection to reduce the size of the chlorine tanks; and
- utilising modular rectangular wastewater storage tanks – a first for northern Canada, which saved on transportation costs and building costs.
A new raw water pump station was also constructed, allowing for year-round withdrawal of water from the river. Located on the banks of the river, it was designed to take into account historic flood levels.
Congratulations to the Town of Inuvik. Please watch the video of their project. For additional information: Grant Hood, SAO, 867-777-8608, [email protected]
Street Lighting and Smart Controls Roadmap
In December IPWEA (Institute of Public Works Australasia) published its paper for Street Lighting and Smart Controls Roadmap authored by independent consultants Strategic Lighting Partners Ltd and Next Energy Pty Ltd.
The Roadmap addresses the substantial recent advancement in energy efficient and cost effective LED lighting, high reliability electronic power supplies and sophisticated control system whilst reviewing the risks involved, evaluating the capital outlay and the expected return on investment.
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