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2011 CAMA E-Brief Partner: July 12, 2011            

CAMA Awards of Excellence

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.  Success stories are circulated widely to provide CAMA members and other local government managers with new ideas that may prove useful for implementation in their milieu.   Because Canada has a unique mixture of small and large communities, awards are granted according to population.  This year we were pleased to offer three population categories: 

  • for municipalities with a population under 20,000;
  • for municipalities with a population between 20,001 and 100,000; and
  • for those municipalities with a population over 100,000. 

Three awards are granted in each of the categories of education, environment and innovation.  No applications were received for municipalities with a population under 20,000 or between 20,001 and 100,000 for the Education category.   We were pleased to receive a total of forty-five award nominations this year in which all were of excellent quality. 

Patrick Moyle was pleased to Chair the Awards Evaluation Committee which consisted of four other members.  The following evaluation criteria was used by the Committee when reviewing the submissions:

  1. The extent that the program, project or service involves innovation, creativity and exemplifies a significant change;
  2. The impact on the profession of municipal administration;
  3. The potential a program, project or service possesses to enhance the practices of administrators elsewhere and the degree of their transferability to other local governments;
  4. The impact of the program, project or service on the municipality and on the organization even if the innovation itself was not new to the profession;
  5. The sustainability of the results, their long lasting, positive, measurable effects on the success of the organization or milieu.

All award submissions are available in the Best Practices Library located in the Member’s Section on the CAMA website. 

Willis Award for Innovation for a Municipality with a Population Under 20,000 – City of Candiac/Ville de Candiac

Computerized Command Post / Poste de commandement informatique

Pictured:  Patrick Miron, Lieutenant and Inventor of the Computerized Command Post, Candiac-Delson Fire Department; Steeve Lamontagne, Director, Candiac-Delson Fire Department; Jacques Des Ormeaux, CAMA President

In December 2010, the Candiac-Delson Fire Department launched a new computerized firefighter tracking system to use at fire scenes.  The “Computerized Command Post,” developed by the department, replaces a manual system and has been deemed a success.

During fire calls, it is important to keep track of firefighters working at a fire scene.  In the past, the department used a manual tracking system that involved magnets, markers, and paper.  The commanding officer would note the firefighters’ names; keep track of work sectors, as well as crew communications and movement.  This made it difficult to get an overall picture of the situation. 

After one difficult call, Lt. Patrick Miron offered to find a solution to the problem.  Working with the Fire Chief and department officers, a computerized tracking software system for firefighters was designed. 

Now all firefighters carry a card with a quick reference (QR) code.  On calls, a firefighter’s card is scanned using a barcode reader and a high-quality weather-resistant computer.  The code carries the firefighter’s personal information, including blood type, allergies and other emergency contact info.

The system allows for automatic logging of events during the call, a printable report, the ability to review the call and provide information to insurance companies, improved on-site management, and a reminder system to check the building structure, firefighter air tank levels and ask for officer reports.

Since its implementation, fire call management has been more effective.  Other fire departments have expressed interest in the system, which has also won the 2010 Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec (CSST) Innovation Award. 

Past President Jacques Des Ormeaux will be attending the August 8th meeting of Candiac City Council to make the award presentation to Mayor and Council.

 Congraulations to the Candiac-Delson Fire Department!

Willis Award for Innovation for a Municipality with a Population Between 20,001 &100,000 - City of Powell River

Agreement in Principle and Business Plan – City of Powell River and Catalyst Paper Corporation

Pictured: Stan Westby, CAO; Mayor Stewart Alsgard; Jacques DesOrmeaux , President CAMA; Councillor Dave Formosa

Facing a steady decline in the pulp and paper industry, the City of Powell River has worked cooperatively with the community’s major employer, Catalyst Paper Corporation, to amicably negotiate an agreement over taxation concerns, while keeping the mill running and identifying new revenue streams to replace lost taxes.  The taxation issue began in 2004 with Catalyst’s warnings of a pulp and paper industry crisis.  Powell River promptly lowered the Class 4 Industrial Tax rate to ease the company’s tax burden. Catalyst later commissioned a study to look at the services they actually used.  As a direct result of this study, Catalyst looked to the provincial and local governments for assistance.  The City worked with Catalyst Paper executives and provincial government staff to resolve the matter.  A number of innovative solutions were actively explored to address the potential loss of a major employer.  The result of these meetings was a signed Agreement in Principle identifying ways to reduce the taxation and encouraging alternate ways of satisfying both the City’s and Catalyst’s financial needs.   In October 2010, the City developed and finalized a Business Plan identifying new revenue streams, which is now being discussed with the BC government.  Powell River has committed to making a sustainable future their priority.  The City has had to think outside the box in matters of economic survival and they challenge other communities to do the same.

Congratulations Powell River!  Mr. Kelly Daniels, CAMA Representative for British Columbia and Yukon will be attending the Council meeting on August 18th, 2011 to present this award to Mayor Alsgard and Powell River City Council.

Request for Proposals to host ICMA's 2020 Annual Conference in Canada

The ICMA Executive Board selected Canada to host ICMA’s 2020 Annual Conference.  Members in Canada are invited to submit proposals to host the conference. The Executive Board has adopted the following procedures for selecting a conference site:

  • Determine the region in which the conference should be held (board).  By tradition, the board provides for a rotation of conference sites among ICMA’s vice-presidential regions.
  • Invite members in the region to partner with convention and visitors bureaus to submit proposals to host the conference (staff).
  • Evaluate proposals (staff) and narrow to two finalists (board).
  • Visit finalist sites and prepare a recommendation (staff).
  • Select conference site (board).

The criteria normally used for selection of a conference site, as adopted by the board, are: the general and logistical strengths of competing sites, including hotels, meeting facilities, and transportation factors; the highest and best financial commitment from competing convention and visitor bureaus; and the expressed commitments of prospective host committees.  In preparing proposals, it is important to refer to two documents, “ICMA Annual Conference Site Selection Proposal Guidelines” and “ICMA Annual Conference Host Committee Guidelines,” which are posted on ICMA’s website (www.icma.org).

The convention and visitors bureau in the proposed city should be contacted early on in the preparation of a proposal.  Since it is their job to attract conference business, they will prepare most of the materials once you have expressed your wishes and provide a members’ perspective on an ICMA conference.  Please note that ICMA has engaged the services of Experient, Inc., a multi-management and consulting company that will work closely with ICMA throughout the site selection and contract negotiation process.  It is essential that you mention this relationship to the convention bureau during your initial conversation with them.

Please express your intention to submit a proposal in writing by November 4, 2011; final proposals are due by December 2, 2011.  If you have questions about submitting a proposal, please do not hesitate to contact conference planner Karen Rader ([email protected]; 602-268-8380) or Ross Hoff, Conference Director/Director, International Member Programs ([email protected]; 202-962 3646).

 


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