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1. 2009 OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET
BUDGETS D’IMMOBILISATIONS ET DE FONCTIONNEMENT 2009
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BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS
A. That
City of Ottawa Council approve the Ottawa Police Service 2009 Draft Operating
and Capital Budget as amended
by the following resolution:
WHEREAS economic circumstances have changed
abruptly in Ottawa causing pressure for the City’s taxpayers;
AND WHEREAS the Board and the Police Service
recognize the need to contribute to cost savings and reductions wherever
possible;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ottawa Police
Services Board approve a $1.6 million adjustment in the 2009 Budget consisting
of:
1. A reduction in the fuel provision to $0.90 per
litre ($0.9M)
2. Additional Provincial revenue ($0.7M)
plus the following changes to reduce the Budget
by $1,078,000:
3. The elimination of
extended wear / higher visibility uniforms for a savings of $252,000;
4. Funding of the following items from the 2008
operating budget for a savings of $125,000:
a.
Body armour for the
Weapons Range
b.
The Citizen Survey for
the Business Plan
c.
Early Intervention
Program
5. The allocation of SGI funds to the following
items for a savings of $401,000:
a.
Environmental
assessments
b.
Training
c.
Lead remediation,
weapons repair
d.
Audit services
e.
Street Crime Unit
operations and equipment
6. One-time funding from the Police Reserve Fund
for the Records Disposal Task Force for a savings of $300,000
for a total reduction of $2.678 million, thereby
reducing the initial Police Tax increase from 5.6% to 4.1%.
B. That the Ottawa Police Services Board
recommend to City Council that any funds received from the Federal Government
for policing be added to the City’s 2009 Budget as a revenue.
RECOMMANDATION DE LA
COMMISSION
A. Que le Conseil municipal d’Ottawa approuve
le projet de budget de fonctionnement et d’immobilisations 2009 du Service de
police d’Ottawa, tel que modifié par la résolution suivante :
ATTENDU
QUE la conjoncture économique a changé abruptement à Ottawa, ce qui a généré
des pressions sur les contribuables de la ville;
ET ATTENDU QUE la Commission de services policiers et
le Service de police reconnaissent la nécessité de contribuer aux économies et
aux réductions de coûts dans la mesure du possible;
IL
EST RÉSOLU que la Commission de services policiers d’Ottawa approuve un
rajustement de 1,6 millions de dollars dans le budget 2009 comprenant :
1. une réduction du montant
prévu pour l’essence pour le faire passer à 0,90 $ le litre (0,9 M$);
2. des revenus
supplémentaires de source provinciale (0,7 M$);
en plus des modifications suivantes visant à réduire le budget de
1 078 000 $ :
3. l’élimination des uniformes à port prolongé/haute visibilité, ce qui
représente une économie de 252 000 $;
4. l’élimination du
financement des éléments suivants du budget de fonctionnement 2008, ce qui
représente une économie de 125 000 $ :
a.
gilets pare-balles pour le stand de tir
b.
sondage auprès des résidents concernant le Plan directeur
c.
programme d’intervention précoce
5.
l’élimination des fonds de l’Initiative de dotation stratégique alloués
aux éléments suivants, ce qui représente une économie de
401 000 $ :
a.
évaluations environnementales
b.
formation
c.
traitement du plomb et réparation d’armes
d.
services de vérification
e.
activités et équipement de l’Unité des crimes de rue
6.
l’élimination du financement ponctuel provenant du fonds de réserve de
la police pour le groupe de travail sur l’élimination des dossiers, ce qui
représente une économie de 300 000 $;
soit une réduction
totale de 2,678 millions de dollars, ce qui fait passer le taux initial
d’augmentation de la taxe pour les services policiers de 5,6 % à
4,1 %.
B. Que la Commission de services policiers
d’Ottawa recommande au Conseil municipal d’inclure tout financement du
gouvernement fédéral destiné aux services policiers dans le budget 2009 de la
Ville à titre de revenu.
For the information of Council
The Board also approved the following Motions in
conjunction with the budget:
WHEREAS the 2009 Draft Budget document includes a listing of
Capital Budget Works-in-Progress, comprised of 38 projects with a total unspent
balance of $21.9 million;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ottawa Police Services
Board direct that an analysis of these projects be included in the 2009 First
Quarter Financial Report, with the goal of providing the Board with a clear
understanding of: 1) which projects can
be closed and funds returned to source; and 2) the purpose and expected
duration for projects which need to remain open so that work can be completed.
CARRIED
WHEREAS the 2009 Draft Operating Budget includes a provision
under the Strategic Growth Initiative (SGI 2013) to increase the number of
sworn police officers by 30 positions and the number of civilian staff by 15
positions;
AND WHEREAS there has been an abrupt change in economic
conditions which may have a harmful impact on growth in the near and medium
terms;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Chief be requested to
prepare staffing options for 2010 taking into account relevant economic and
operational factors and report to the Board during the second quarter of 2009.
CARRIED
That the Ottawa Police Services Board approve:
a)
The
transfer of $1,680,000 in unspent capital financing from the list of projects
identified in Table 9 to capital project 903448 "West Divisional
Facility".
b)
The
transfer of $85,000 in unspent capital financing from capital project 903796
"2006 IT Infrastructure" to capital project 904125 "Mobile
Workstation Replacement".
CARRIED
pour
l’information du conseil
La Commission a aussi approuvé les motions suivantes
conjointement avec le budget:
ATTENDU que le projet de budget 2009
comprend une liste de travaux en cours relevant du budget des immobilisations,
dont 38 projets dotés d’un financement non dépensé de 21,9 millions
de dollars;
IL EST RÉSOLU que la Commission de
services policiers d’Ottawa demande qu’une analyse de ces projets figure dans
le rapport financier du premier trimestre de 2009, afin que la Commission puisse
prendre connaissance des éléments suivants : 1) les projets qui peuvent
être clos et les fonds qui peuvent être retournés à la source; et 2) l’objectif
et la durée prévue des projets qui doivent se poursuivre afin d’être menés à
terme.
ADOPTÉE
ATTENDU
que le projet de budget de fonctionnement 2009 comprend une disposition en
vertu de l’Initiative de dotation stratégique (IDS 2013) visant à embaucher 30
nouveaux agents de police assermentés et à créer 15 nouveaux postes au sein du
personnel civil;
ET ATTENDU qu’un changement abrupt
de conjoncture économique est survenu et pourrait avoir une incidence négative
sur la croissance à court et à moyen terme;
IL
EST RÉSOLU que l’on demande au chef de police de préparer des solutions en
matière de dotation pour 2010 en tenant compte des facteurs économiques et
opérationnels pertinents et de les transmettre à la Commission au cours du
deuxième trimestre de 2009.
ADOPTÉE
Que la Commission de services policiers d’Ottawa approuve :
a) le transfert de 1 680 000 $ en fonds d’immobilisations
non dépensés de la liste de projets figurant au tableau 9 vers le projet
d’immobilisations 903448, « Installation de la Division de patrouille
Ouest »;
b) le transfert de 85 000 $ en fonds d’immobilisations non
dépensés du projet d’immobilisations 903796, « Infrastructure informatique
2006 », vers le projet d’immobilisations 904125, « Remplacement des
postes de travail mobiles ».
ADOPTÉE
DOCUMENTATION
1.
Ottawa Police Service Budget Book dated 4 November 2008 previously
distributed.
2. Extract of Minutes, 4 November and Draft Minutes, 24
November 2008 are attached.
1. 2009 DRAFT
OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET
Director
General’s report dated 4 November 2008
Presentation by the Chief of Police, the Director
General and the Acting Director, Financial Services
Chief
White and Director General Frazer guided Board members through the 2009 Budget
presentation entitled “Safer Tomorrow Than Yesterday”. (A copy of the presentation is on file
with the Board’s Executive Director.) Following the presentation, Ms. Frazer thanked everyone who
contributed to this budget process; it was challenging and all did an admirable
job.
Board members had
several questions following the presentation that resulted in the following
clarifications:
·
The Service has received notice that it has been
allocated provincial funding in the amount of $700,000 from the 2500 Officer
Program, but the money has not been included in the 2009 budget because the
funding criteria and details are not yet known. Once the details have been received and reviewed, the Budget will
be amended in time for the November 24th Board meeting.
·
Expenditure totals for the Khawaja trial have not yet
been calculated as additional costs related to the sentencing date have yet to
be determined. The OPS and partner
agencies involved in the court security will absorb all associated costs. The trial was not as long as anticipated so
court security costs will be lower than initially believed.
·
The recent provincial announcement that costs
associated with court security will be uploaded will not affect the 2009
budget, and it is not yet known whether the function will be uploaded to the
Province or whether the Province will provide funding to the municipality. Chief White noted he Co-Chairs a joint
OACP/OAPSB Committee on this subject and they have discussed the differences
between uploading a service and receiving funding. Current costs for Ottawa are approximately $5 million, however,
that will certainly increase over time.
There is time before the funding begins to develop options that could
include the provincial government taking back the court security function and
making it a sheriff’s department or similar entity; if the Province opts
instead to provide funding, the agreement should contain a guaranteed caveat
that at the end of every year the Service will be fully funded.
·
In response to a question from Member McRae, Chief
White indicated the joint committee working with Provincial officials are
asking that the Province upload the responsibility rather than providing
funding to municipalities for court security, as that will ensure the Province
covers the full costs as they increase over time. Member McRae indicated that she would move a motion at the
November 24th Board meeting directing the Chief to pursue that
position on a policy basis.
·
Many police officers are expected to retire in 2009 as
they will have five years of responsibility pay included in their salary and
therefore forming part of their pension.
A peak in retirement numbers is forecasted and has been provided for in
the 2009 estimate.
·
Current retirement levels are between 40 and 45
members for the next four to eight years.
There are individuals who have the factor to retire but have chosen not
to retire. It is expected that these
retirements will be activated over the next few years.
·
Depending on which former police service the retiree
was affiliated with, the value of their retirement package, including benefits,
would include approximately 195 days of terminal allowance and 260 days of
terminal leave, totalling 450 days of sick leave; if the candidate has that
time available in their bank they are eligible for payment upon retirement.
·
The OPS has averaged approximately 57 recruit hires
every year for the past four years, resulting in rank changes occurring at the
same time. No great savings are
generated between retirements and new hires in this type of cycle.
·
The OPS tax rate increase of 5.6% will be reflected as
a .95% tax increase on the municipal tax bill.
·
One-time funding in the amount of $300,000 referenced
on the slide titled “Element 2 Cost Drivers” reflects start-up/set-up costs for
the off-site records management initiative and is not a capital requirement; it
is included in the $1.3 million identified for operational improvements
associated with the Business Plan.
Member McRae suggested that for clarity, the $300,000 should be
identified opposite the entry for “off-site records storage” rather than being
lumped in with the $1.3 million.
·
The Federal Gun Registry start-up included in
Operational Improvements is mandatory, however, no funding is being
provided. Member McRae indicated she
would be moving a motion to direct the Chief to seek funding for this program
as well as for National Capital special events funding. She stated if the government mandates a
program they should ensure that, at a minimum, some type of cost sharing is in
place.
·
Based on the original three-year budget plan, OPS
operations are on point to maintain relevance in the community. The strategic deployment review will
identify an increased level of service on patrol while at the same time placing
a greater expectation on patrol officers, in an attempt to ensure that the
right number of officers are available at all times.
·
Any possible cuts that were appropriate or doable have
already been done in preparation for the 2009 Budget. There will be increased revenue from the 2500 Officer Program
that will ultimately reduce the net budget increase. It is preferable from a police service perspective to show a
level rate of growth from year to year rather than cutting drastically one year
and having to play catch-up the next.
·
The OPS is currently looking into using a propane
combination for fuel and is also testing hybrid vehicles. The challenge with hybrids is that the
front-end cost is much higher and savings are not realized until the break-even
point of 65,000 km. The number of
companies that can provide approved front line vehicles are limited by
mandatory requirements; there are currently only three makes of vehicles that
Ontario police services can use and none of them can provide all the options
the OPS is looking into.
·
Chief White undertook to obtain the actual number of
violent crimes in Ottawa in 2007 for Member Monette.
·
The difference in 2006 Police Costs per Capita between
Ottawa and Gatineau could be the result of factors such as what funding sources
Gatineau receives and whether the municipality included capital costs. Some
buildings in Gatineau are rolled into municipal costing and not police costing,
which would cause the cost per capita to appear lower than it actually is. Member Monette expressed an interest in
receiving a comparison between Ottawa and Gatineau’s costs per capita, although
he did not need it immediately or even for this budget deliberation; Chief
White indicated he would obtain the information.
·
The Financial Accountability Procedures Manual obliges
staff to bring forward for the Board’s approval any transfers that exceed 10%
of the amount of the capital project from which it is being transferred.
Moved
by M. McRae
That
the Ottawa Police Services Board receive and table the following for
consideration and approval at its meeting on 24 November 2008:
1.
The
Ottawa Police Service 2009 Draft Operating and Capital Budget.
2. a) Transfer of $1,680,000 in unspent capital
financing from the list of projects identified in Table 9 to capital project
903448 "West Divisional Facility".
b) Transfer of $85,000 in unspent capital
financing from capital project 903796 "2006 IT Infrastructure" to
capital project 904125 "Mobile Workstation Replacement".
CARRIED
1. PUBLIC
DELEGATIONS ON THE 2009 BUDGET
The Board heard from the following
delegations:
·
Mr. Harry Kingston, Chair, Ottawa Neighbourhood Watch Executive
Committee (ONWEC), stated he was here on behalf of the Neighbourhood Watch
community to offer full support to the OPS and the 2009 Budget as
presented. (A copy of his
presentation is on file with the Board’s Executive Director.)
·
Mr. Dick Stewart, Resident, City of Ottawa, is a retired municipal
public servant and an active volunteer working for and with community
groups. He said the Ottawa Police
Service is the poster child for how a municipal public institution should be
run. It has no outstanding lifecycle
maintenance debt and he commended the Director General and her staff for their
sound financial practices. However, he
asked that the Board not accept the 2009 OPS Budget as presented and offered
the following three amendments to be considered to achieve a better balance for
fiscal sustainability for the City: 1)
increase the efficiency target to $650,000; 2) add the total expected
Provincial funding for new officers to the budget; and 3) suspend indefinitely
the police pro rata share of assessment growth.
Community
services that are taking hits in the 2009 budget are actually the services that
build social inclusion and are targeted towards marginalized people; it is
imperative that those services be sustained and continue to have the capacity
to do their work with the police. The
OPS has an admirable record of working with the community, however, he stated
there is a growing level of anger and suspicion about the Police Service and if
the police continue as they have in the past to expropriate the level of
property tax at the expense of the community, the partnerships will become more
difficult as the integrity of the Service will be challenged.
Member
El-Chantiry thanked Mr. Stewart for his presentation and pointed out that the
new officer funding would be highlighted in the staff presentation and included
in the budget. He asked Mr. Stewart to
explain how he had come to the conclusion that community partnerships with the
police service are deteriorating. Mr.
Stewart explained that he was bringing to the Board what he perceived to be a
risk to the Police Service. To be very
effective, the Police Service must work with social services and when the
capacity of those agencies is threatened, people will resent where the money is
going.
Member
El-Chantiry asked the Chief to comment on the presentation, adding that he has
heard positive feedback from community members and he does not want the
perception to be that the OPS budget is taking money from social services. Chief White suggested that Mr. Stewart
contact him so that he can provide him with the number of social service
agencies, departments, and organizations who appreciate the relationships they
have with the OPS and are asking for increased service.
Member
McRae thanked Mr. Stewart for his comments and advised him that she would be
putting forward a motion regarding finding more efficiencies. In terms of suspending the pro rata share of
assessment growth, she indicated she would be working with other Board members
to craft a motion that would direct the Chief to come back to the Board in the
2nd quarter of 2009 to speak about the impact of the economic
situation in the City and how it relates to the budget process. She wanted to commend Chief White for
recognizing that fiscal prudence must be applied to the Service.
·
Mr. Paul Durber, Ottawa Witness Group, expressed concern that the
Board is not adding positively to the image of the Police Service at this time,
and in light of the economic situation facing the City he requested that the
budget increases be reviewed very closely with a view to trimming them. (A copy of his presentation is on file
with the Board’s Executive Director.)
Member El-Chantiry cautioned that each department budget should be
addressed on its own merit. He believed
the decline in crime that has occurred in the City is the result of the
investments made by the Board and Chief and these efforts do not come without a
price. He referred to an article
written by a Torontonian last year that warned visitors about the dire state of
the City of Ottawa; this is no longer true.
Mr. Durber clarified that the Witness Group has a positive relationship
with the police and would be the first to give them their due. The point of the presentation has to do with
the perception of what City services end up doing well on a yearly basis. Regardless of what happens in the rest of
the City the police service receives a large increase.
·
Ms. Linda Lalonde, Resident, City of Ottawa, had questions about a
number of specific areas in the budget, however due to the volume of her
questions, she was invited to send an email to the Chief for a response. Her questions related to such items as:
o
RCMP Federal funding formula for municipal police services;
o
Chief’s Operational Priorities, crime trends and hiring levels;
o
User Fee Increases;
o
Internal Budget Transfers for Capital projects;
o
Receptions & Luncheons referenced on page 80;
o
Staff training/development;
o
Dry cleaning; and
o
Public consultations and the Ottawa Police Budget.
·
Ms Jasna Jennings, Executive Director, Byward
Market BIA, began by saying that the Market area is home to the greatest
concentration of social services in the City.
According to consumer surveys, after parking and traffic congestion,
safety and security issues are the biggest hurdles for people shopping and
visiting the Byward Market. The BIA
along with community partners, colleagues and residents have all worked very
closely with the police to tackle these issues in a proactive and cooperative
way. She was very pleased to say that
they have seen great success. The
police have been significant partners in initiatives such as the Street
Ambassador Program and the Byward Market Safety and Security Committee. Neighbourhood officers, the Street Crime Unit,
and the Foot and Bike Patrols have made a big difference in the overall safety
and security of the Byward Market and Lowertown. Success does not mean that they can now sit back and relax;
ongoing work that addresses these issues needs to continue. The economic difficulties that face City
Council during this and every other budget and the need to find efficiencies
and ways to cut back are understood, however, the general safety and security
of the citizens and visitors of Ottawa cannot be compromised in this
process. Tough times ahead means the
services of the police will be needed more than ever as addicted individuals
become more desperate, as everyday families turn to drugs and alcohol to cope
with financial difficulties and desperate people turn to crime to find
money. The prospect of cuts to the
Police Service budget have business members concerned and frustrated that all
the hard work and resources that have recently been identified will be lost. They support the Police and their budget as
proposed and hope that the Board does the same.
That the Ottawa Police Services Board
receive and consider the public delegations on the 2009 Draft Budget.
RECEIVED
2. 2009
DRAFT OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET
2009 Draft
Operating & Capital Budget book previously distributed
Presentation
Chair Jensen read
from an article that appeared this afternoon on the Ottawa Sun website that
stated “… the Police Service has managed to cut its budget increase in half and
the Sun has learned the Chief will announce a decrease in its 2009 budget of
about $5 million which equals half a percentage point on the Municipal property
tax bill …” He asked the Chief if this
was a disclosure that he or any of his staff made prior to this meeting. Chief White did not know where the number or
announcement came from. He stated that
he and his staff did not disclose this information to the Ottawa Sun.
The Chair then
invited the Chief to begin his presentation.
Chief White stated a revised 2009 draft budget is being presented to the
Board including a $1.9 million reduction, which was achieved using several
strategies. The revised budget will
continue to allow the OPS to support achievements and focus on the 2009
operational priorities. It is
consistent with the Board’s Financial Framework and with the Board’s belief
that the Service be financially and fiscally responsible. (A copy of the presentation is on file
with the Board’s Executive Director.)
The
presentation was followed by a discussion with the following points of
clarification being made:
·
The fuel provision has been reduced from $1.20 to
$0.90 per litre.
·
Page 81, the $250,000 increase to “Investigative
Supplies” is for the CIS Project Fund.
With the proposed budget revisions this money would be withdrawn.
·
Referencing the “notes” that are attached to some
expenditures, Member Monette requested that a more detailed explanation be
provided in future. Director General
Frazer concurred with this request.
·
Page 81, the $70,000 increase in “Program Supplies”
relates to the Street Crime Unit and the acquisition of their operational and
equipment supplies for 2009.
·
Page 81, the $137,500 increase in “Ammunition and
Explosives” is the result of an approximate 100% increase in the cost of
ammunition. The cost increase is a
result of supply and demand that current world events have triggered. There is also a volume increase due to the
expansion of the range of weapons used by the OPS, the increase in the number
of officers, and the number of rounds used at Use of Force training.
·
The $272,000 associated with “Ammunition & Range
Supplies” on page 114 refers to the Professional Development usage only, while
the amount on page 81 refers to the entire organization’s budget. A requirement exists within the Adequacy
Standards for all officers to qualify to a certain level annually; it is
anticipated that volume will increase rather than decrease.
·
Page 84, the $81,500 increase in
“Computers/Peripherals/Software” is for the Early Intervention Program”
software that will be used by the Professional Standards Section (PSS) to help
identify and track ongoing files. The
system expands beyond the PSS to identify early detection of situations instead
of waiting for an event to occur that requires the reparation of a situation
rather than preventing it in the first place.
It is the standard that is used by large police services; the OPS is now
finding it very difficult to keep up without having an analytical component.
·
Page 86, the $207,500 increase in “Laundries &
Janitorial” is secondary charges posted by the City of Ottawa for police
facility charges that are referred to on page 88 “Program Facility Costs”. These are actually inflationary costs for
the facilities and buildings that the City charges back to the OPS.
·
Page 87, the $1,047,550 increase to “Police Related
Services” is the area of the budget that contains the non-compensation funds
for: the Strategic Growth Initiative
(SGI) ($500,000); the Records Disposal Task Force ($300,000) which is a one time
cost to complete work identified in the Provincial Inspection; and the Evidence
Task Force ($250,000) to enter all weapons that the OPS possesses into the
Federal Gun Registry.
·
Page 81, the $4,000 increase to “Reserve Funds –
Other” reflects the minor change in the Airport Contract. The contract highlights a predetermined
amount for the replacement of equipment during the lifecycle of the
contract. Much of the capital budget is
for the replacement of existing assets owned by the OPS and the capital plan is
based around contributing to the reserve fund so that funds need not be
borrowed to update owned assets.
·
Page 80, the $40,000 increase to “Medical Services”
marks a change made to the physician services contract. Current market prices and the considerable
increase in volume have resulted in a significant amount of business for the
organization’s new physician.
·
The proposed adjustments to the draft budget will not
put the Service in legal jeopardy. The
only concern Chief White has relates to the data retention audit item, which
staff will manage.
Member
El-Chantiry indicated he would be putting forward a motion to direct staff to
include an analysis of OPS capital projects in the first quarter 2009 financial
report in order to provide the Board with more information. Ms. Frazer supported this initiative and
added that the current strategy is if funds are unspent by September they will
likely be reallocated to projects under pressure.
Member McRae
wished to move the following motion, which is the result of her review of the
OPS Draft Budget over the past two weeks, and which was crafted with the
assistance of the Director General and the Chief of Police.
Moved by M. McRae
WHEREAS
economic circumstances have changed abruptly in Ottawa causing pressure for the
City’s taxpayers;
AND WHEREAS the Board and the Police
Service recognize the need to contribute to cost savings and reductions
wherever possible;
BE
IT RESOLVED that the following list of changes be implemented to reduce the
Police Services Draft Operating Budget by $1, 078,000:
1.
The
elimination of extended wear / higher visibility uniforms for a savings of
$252,000)
2.
Funding
of items from the 2008 operating budget for a savings of $125,000:
a.
Body
armour for the Weapons Range
b.
The
Citizen Survey for the Business Plan
c.
Early
Intervention Program
3. The allocation
of SGI funds to the following items for a savings of $401,000:
a.
Environmental
assessments
b.
Training
c.
Lead
remediation, weapons repair
d.
Audit
services
e.
Street
Crime Unit operations and equipment
4. One-time funding from the Police Reserve
Fund for the Records Disposal Task Force for a savings of $300,000.
Member McRae said
she was prepared to amend her motion to also include the following adjustments
identified by staff in their presentation: a) a reduction in the fuel provision
to $0.90 per litre ($0.9M); b) CIS Project Funding ($0.3M); and c) additional
Provincial revenue ($0.7M). She felt it
was important that the OPS budget include the appropriate funds to allow the
organization to do its job. It is also
prudent that the Board review the budget and ask tough questions to find
options that allow the delivery of some services without adding to the tax
base.
Chief White
stated the Police Service and the Executive Command support the motion as
presented.
The
items contained in Member McRae’s motion include the deferral of the CIS
Project Funding; a deferral is not a cut or a permanent saving but will push
the expenditure to 2010. Member McRae
asked Chief White if he viewed this as a significant amount of money to defer
from that project; depending on his response, she would be prepared to remove
it from her motion.
Chief
White said he was always concerned when deferring funding, particularly for CIS
projects, as they cannot predict the nature of the projects that might arise
throughout the year.
Member
McRae amended her motion by removing the CIS item.
Chair
Jensen stated as Board members, they have a very serious obligation to ensure
that the OPS can deliver on their obligations under the Police Services Act and
to the community. He asked Chief White
if that would be possible if this motion is carried. Chief White responded in the affirmative, saying that the Service
will continue along the same path of delivering a better service tomorrow than
yesterday and he will ensure that all legal requirements under the Police
Services Act and other legislation are met.
Moved by M. McRae
WHEREAS economic circumstances have changed abruptly in
Ottawa causing pressure for the City’s taxpayers;
AND WHEREAS the Board and the Police
Service recognize the need to contribute to cost savings and reductions
wherever possible;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ottawa Police Services
Board approve a $1.6 million adjustment in the 2009 Budget consisting of:
1.
A
reduction in the fuel provision to $0.90 per litre ($0.9M)
2.
Additional
Provincial revenue ($0.7M)
plus the following changes to reduce the
Budget by $1,078,000:
3.
The
elimination of extended wear / higher visibility uniforms for a savings of
$252,000;
4.
Funding of the following items from the
2008 operating budget for a savings of $125,000:
a.
Body armour for the Weapons Range
b.
The Citizen Survey for the Business Plan
c. Early
Intervention Program
5.
The allocation of SGI funds to the
following items for a savings of $401,000:
d. Environmental
assessments
e. Training
f.
Lead remediation, weapons repair
g. Audit
services
h. Street
Crime Unit operations and equipment
6.
One-time funding from the Police Reserve
Fund for the Records Disposal Task Force for a savings of $300,000
for
a total reduction of $2.678 million, thereby reducing the initial Police Tax
increase from 5.6% to 4.1%.
YEAS: D. Doran, E. El-Chantiry, D. Guilmet-Harris,
H. Jensen, J. MacEwen, M. McRae, B. Monette
NAYS: none
CARRIED
Member
El-Chantiry noted there is a verbal commitment from the Federal Government to
upload some municipal policing costs, but it cannot be formalized until the
Federal Budget is released in the new year.
He wished to propose a motion indicating the Board is willing to amend
the police budget by the $2M the City expects to receive from the Federal
Government before the end of its fiscal year.
Mr.
O’Connor advised that the Board could make any recommendation it saw fit with
regard to any potential funding that might be received from other levels of
government. However, City Council
reigns supreme with regards to its budget and will take these types of
recommendations under due consideration.
It may be premature at this point in time, however, this Board will
certainly be meeting prior to the Government’s 31 March 2008 year-end and would
be in a better position at that time to give a more direct recommendation to
City Council. Board members are aware
that City Council will make whatever decision it deems appropriate under all
the circumstances.
A
discussion ensued surrounding receipt of the funding, which cannot be paid
directly to the Ottawa Police Service, it must go to the City of Ottawa. Some members were not comfortable
considering a motion when a written commitment had not yet been received. The intent of the motion is to ensure the
funds are not added to the Police Service’s base budget but are booked by the
City to offset the tax rate.
Moved by E. El-Chantiry
That the Ottawa Police Services Board
recommend to City Council that any funds received from the Federal Government
for policing be added to the City’s 2009 Budget as a revenue.
YEAS: D. Doran, E. El-Chantiry, D. Guilmet-Harris,
H. Jensen, J. MacEwen, M. McRae, B. Monette
NAYS: none
CARRIED
Moved by E. El-Chantiry
WHEREAS the 2009 Draft Budget document includes
a listing of Capital Budget Works-in-Progress, comprised of 38 projects with a
total unspent balance of $21.9 million;
THEREFORE BE
IT RESOLVED that the Ottawa Police Services Board direct that an analysis of
these projects be included in the 2009 First Quarter Financial Report, with the
goal of providing the Board with a clear understanding of: 1) which projects can be closed and funds
returned to source; and 2) the purpose and expected duration for projects which
need to remain open so that work can be completed.
CARRIED
Moved by B. Monette
WHEREAS the 2009 Draft Operating Budget includes a
provision under the Strategic Growth Initiative (SGI 2013) to increase the
number of sworn police officers by 30 positions and the number of civilian staff
by 15 positions;
AND WHEREAS there has been an abrupt
change in economic conditions which may have a harmful impact on growth in the
near and medium terms;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED that the Chief be requested to prepare staffing options for 2010
taking into account relevant economic and operational factors and report to the
Board during the second quarter of 2009.
CARRIED
Member
McRae acknowledged that these are difficult times and she commended the
leadership Chief White and Director General Frazer have shown throughout this
process. She supports this budget as
amended and would be speaking with her Council colleagues and the Community
Advisory Team to support the budget as amended. She will be speaking favourably about this budget at Council when
they deliberate.
Member
Monette congratulated the Chief and Board Members for showing that the police
budget is not untouchable; this process has shown that the Chief is flexible
and willing to look at alternatives. It
should send a clear message to City Council that the Police do review their
budget and it is time for Council to start reflecting the same types of changes
instigated here this evening.
Moved by M. McRae
1. That the Ottawa
Police Services Board approve:
a) The
transfer of $1,680,000 in unspent capital financing from the list of projects
identified in Table 9 to capital project 903448 "West Divisional
Facility".
b)
The
transfer of $85,000 in unspent capital financing from capital project 903796
"2006 IT Infrastructure" to capital project 904125 "Mobile
Workstation Replacement".
CARRIED
2. That the Ottawa Police Services
Board and City of Ottawa Council approve the Ottawa Police Service 2009 Draft
Operating and Capital Budget as amended.
YEAS: D. Doran, E. El-Chantiry, D. Guilmet-Harris,
H. Jensen, J. MacEwen, M. McRae, B. Monette
NAYS: none
CARRIED
as amended
