Mayor's Annual Report - 2012 - City of Charlottetown

Mayor’s Annual Report2012w w w . c h a r l o t t e t o w n . c amayor@charlottetown.catwitter: twitter.com/ChtownPESearch us on facebook as: Charlottetown - Great Things Happen Here

January 2013Dear Resident,It is my pleasure to present to you the Mayors Annual Report for 2012.One of the things that makes Charlottetown such a great City is its people. Throughout the year, we take the opportunity tocelebrate and recognize numerous citizens of our City through the Natal Day awards, Veteran Recognition awards, Inclusionawards, volunteer awards and other special presentations. Feel free to contact me at any time should you wish to nominate orsuggest a citizen of our City for recognition. I understand that while bricks and mortar are important in a community, it is trulythe people that make our City so great.Speaking of bricks and mortar, Charlottetown is finding itself in the same position as many municipalities across this country inregards to its infrastructure system. In 2012, many improvements were made in our infrastructure program such as the SpringPark Combined Sewer Separation Project, street paving, creation of storm sewer systems, bike paths and many other projects.It’s no secret that there are many infrastructure needs in our City and City Council needs to find a balance to address all ofthese needs; we cannot do one project while compromising the other needs of our citizens.I believe we have found that balance in 2012 and I am committed to ensuring that this balance is maintained as we move forward.I want to recognize the contributions made by our federal and provincial governments in the past and assure you that Iam committed to working with them in the future to improve the quality of life here in Charlottetown.In closing, it has been a privilege and honor to serve as your Mayor. If, at any time, I can be of any assistance or you require anyinformation, please feel free to contact me at: 902-566-5548 or by email at: mayor@charlottetown.ca.Kindest regards,Mayor Clifford J. LeeCity of CharlottetownGuardian publisher Don Brander acceptedthe Key to the City from Mayor Clifford Leeat a special presentation to mark 125 years ofjournalism excellence and covering City news.Mayor Clifford Lee and Deputy Mayor Stu MacFadyen representedthe City and Council during National Child Day to recognize the UNDeclaration on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on theRights of the Child.World-renowned harness racing driver Wally Hennessey was presentedwith the Key to the City in recognition of his outstanding athleticaccomplishments, inspiring career, and for serving as an ambassador forthe Capital City.Page 1 • 2012 Mayor’s Annual Report

Economic Development, Tourism and EventsEconomic Development, Tourism and Events• Charlottetown hosted more than 200 events, withan estimated economic impact of $80 million. Highlightsof annual events include: the Charlottetown Festival,Spud Tournament, Summerfest, Old Home Week,International Shellfish Festival, Charlottetown ChristmasParade, Capital New Year in the Park, PEI Rocket events,Canada Day and Natal Day celebrations, and the HockeyDay in Canada festivities.• Through its sport tourism initiative - SCORE - the Cityhosted events such as the Canadian Wheelchair BasketballLeague Open Finals, Esso Cup, Legion Youth CanadianTrack and Field Championships, and U16 National SoccerChampionships.The Hockey Day in Canada festivities were held throughout the City. Thebanquet was one of the City’s highlight events of the year, and featured CBCpersonalities Don Cherry and Ron MacLean.• An Arts and Culture Task Force was established as part ofthe City’s Cultural Capital of Canada designation. Numerous cultural activities were held throughout the year. As a legacyproject, Art in the Open, which included live performances, creative installations and sculptures, was again a great success.• The City helped forge a new direction in tourism developmentwith funding assistance for Discover Charlottetown andMeetings and Conventions PEI, with which the City has astrong working relationship. The City also saw tremendousgrowth in cruise ship visitations, with over 50 cruise ship visits.The Charlottetown Christmas Parade was once again a huge success. Despitethe rain, crowds lined the streets and children enjoyed the lights and, of course,Santa’s float.• New companies in knowledge economy sectors, includingbiotechnology, IT and game development have chosenCharlottetown as their home.• The City has established new marketing, helped re-launchBizPal, and has taken a leadership role in dealing with thethreat of Federal job losses.• New developments have begun in the City, including there-development of the Kays Brothers building and thecontinued work on the new Convention Centre.The City participated in the Island’s biggest business-to-business tradeshowwhere it helped re-launch BizPal, an online listing of permitting and licensingto assist businesses. Economic Development Officer Ron Atkinson, left, andUtility Project Officer Ramona Doyle represented the City at the expo.2012 Mayor’s Annual Report • Page 2

Finance and Human ResourcesFinance2012 City BudgetThe Finance Department monitors the overalloperating budget for the City. The major activityfor the department is to consolidate all financialinformation and set in place policies and proceduresto ensure that the financial report to Council,committees, administration, auditors, financialinstitutions, and the general public is both timely andaccurate.• City budget: $43.1 million• Water and Sewer Utility budget: $10.4 million• City capital budget: $7.6-million worth of projects• Water and Sewer Utility capital budget:$7.4-million worth of projects19% Police Department16% Public Works12% Debt Servicing11% Parks and Recreation7.5% Fire Department6.2% Other4.2% Municipal Buildings4.1% City Government3.2% Urban Beautification and Forestry2.4% Street Lighting2.1% Transit System1.6% Mayor and Council1.6% Finance and Audit1.5% Economic Development1.5% Insurance1.5% Planning1.4% Human Resources0.6% Tourism0.6% Event Attraction0.4% Heritage0.3% Advanced Planning0.3% Community Sustainability0.3% Arts and Culture0.2% Traffic and Parking0.1% Emergency Preparedness0.1% Intergovernmental Affairs0.0% Reports and StudiesHuman ResourcesAs part of its annual Natal Day celebrations, the City hosts aService Recognition Ceremony to honour long-serving employeesat significant points in their careers and upon retirement. Thehonourees from this year’s ceremony were:20-year Pin RecognitionLinda Gallant, Water and Sewer UtilityMary Lou Hansen, LibraryCindy MacFadyen, Fire ServicesRandy Perry, Finance25-year Pin RecognitionRoland Ford, Wastewater Treatment PlantJoseph Coady was one of four retirees to be honoured at the Natal DayService Recognition Ceremony in 2012. He retired after working for theCity for 25 years.30-year Pin RecognitionIra Birt, Planning and DevelopmentRandy MacDonald, Fire ServicesMartin Stearns, Water and Sewer Utility35-year Pin RecognitionGail MacDonald, Police Services40-year RecognitionHelen McGuigan, Police ServicesRetirements (July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012)Sgt. David Cheverie, Police ServicesCst. Philip Claybourne, Police ServicesJoe Coady, Administration and 25-year PinGary Gallant, Water and Sewer UtilityGail MacDonald received her 35-year Pin at the Service RecognitionCeremony for her continued work with the City.Page 3 • 2012 Mayor’s Annual Report

Fire DepartmentFire Department and Police Services• The Fire Department responded to more than 440 calls in 2012. Five were structure fires, 36 were cooking-related fires.The remainder included false alarms, rescue and emergency services, and hazardous conditions.• Approximately 80 fire safety classes and 75 fire extinguisher training classes were held with close to 3,000 participants.• The residential Smoke Alarm campaign included visits to more than 2,900 homes. More than 65 smoke alarms were installed,250 batteries were replaced and 195 were reconnected.The “Charlottetown Fire Mo Bros” were 18 ‘staches strong in November, with 17firefighters and one honorary member participating in the Movember campaign toraise money for men’s health issues.Grade 3 students were chosen for the 2012 Fire Chief For A Dayprogram. They helped fire officials with an important public awarenesscampaign and participated in the Christmas parade.Police Services• A successful School Resource Officer Pilot Program was held at Colonel Gray High School. Const. Tim Keizer focused ondrugs, cyber bullying, and traffic and vehicle related issues in the area.• The Charlottetown Police take part in a number of outreach events and programs every year. An auction was held in the Fall,for example, and the money raised was donated to community-based programs run by the Charlottetown Police, such as youthoutreach and bicycle registration initiatives.• Four people retired from Police Services in 2012 including: Gail MacDonald, 36 years; Sgt. David Cheverie, 34 years; Cpl. MarvinCameron, 37 years; and Cst. Philip Claybourne, 32 years. Four new Constables were hired: Ashley MacIntyre, Mike McGee,Rob Schnarr, and Markham Long.Deputy Police Chief Gary McGuigan, left, and Police Chief Paul Smith, right,pose for a photo with a resident at the Sherwood Home. Police Services held apancake breakfast for residents and staff in October.Sgt. David Cheverie was one of four people to retire from Police Services in2012. Sgt. Cheverie retired after 34 years of service.2012 Mayor’s Annual Report • Page 4

Sustainability• A new online platform designed to promote and advance the City’s sustainability visions, goals, and actions was created. Themicro-site showcases local case studies and community champions who are working toward creating a more healthy, vibrant,and sustainable future in Charlottetown. (www.TheInspiredCity.com)• Local filmmaker Millefiore Clarkes worked with the City to create a three-part video series for Inspired City. It can be viewedon the City’s vimeo page at: https://vimero.com/charlottetown• The City’s community micro-grant program continued in 2012. Seven community initiatives demonstrated commitment to createa healthier, more vibrant and sustainable city. Some of the 2012 grant recipients were:- Building Mobility – a project designed to promote a culture of sustainable transportation- Community Culinary Workshops – The Holland College Community Garden and Culinary Institute of Canadateamed up to promote edible gardens and healthy eating- Island Fringe Festival – The Fringe creatd venues in unconventional spaces to showcase how theatre can enliven publicspaces and thrive outside typical cultural institutions- Inspired Garden – an urban garden site featuring edible landscapes grown to engage and involve the whole community- The Green Machine – a group of Holland College staff and students building a culture of sustainability through fun,informative and low-cost workshops and initiatives• Events and activities held in connection with the City’ssustainability efforts include:- The Atlantic Summer Institute’s Speakers Series;- Culture Days: Cardboard City;- Art in the Open;- World Water Day;- Energy Challenges;- Earth Day Community Expo;- Attendance at the Federation of CanadianMunicipalities’ National Sustainable CommunitiesConference.The widely successful Cultural Capitals of Canada legacy project, Art in theOpen was back again in August 2012. The event featured live performances andartwork throughout the City.As part of Culture Days, the City hosted an event to explore the urbandimensions of Charlottetown’s heritage, parks, public spaces and builtenvironment by building a Cardboard City.The Street Transformation project was a unique micro-grant in partnership withCycling PEI that created a welcoming streetscape with plants, chalk, art, benchesand games.Page 7 • 2012 Mayor’s Annual Report

Water and SewerWater and Sewer, and Public Works• The City adopted a Water Efficiency Policy and implemented water use restrictions to curb outdoor water use during the hot,dry months. The City’s various departments supported the Utility’s efforts to reduce consumption by adhering to therestrictions and focusing on conservation efforts.• The Voluntary Metering Program saw the highest uptake in2012 with over 350 applicants. Many people also tookadvantage of the Toilet Rebate Program, which has replaced500 high-flush toilets saving an estimated 17-million litres ofwater.• The Utility offered the first-ever Rain Barrel Sale to customersin 2012. The program was such a success, the barrels sold outwithin a short period of time. The Utility also began offeringlow-cost water-saving devices to customers in 2012.• The Utility moved ahead with a number of large projects,including: the Spring Park Combined Sewer SeparationProject; construction of new water and sewer systems along FoxRun Drive; and the purchase of 208 acres of land in Miltonvalefor the City’s future water supply.Blaine Parkman, Water and Sewer Utility Foreman, unpacks the rainbarrel delivery for the City’s successful rain barrel program.Public Works• The Public Works Department resurfaced approximately 12 kilometers of streets and performed 2,947.24 metric tonnes ofpatching in 2012. Driveway culverts were repaired in 132 locations, and the Malpeque Road was widened.• Crews completed storm water control projects for 2012 by installing 6.2 kms of ditch infill piping on 14 street and repairing/replacing 196 catch basins.• A new walkway was installed at the intersection of CapitalDrive and North River Road. Crosswalks, stop bars, street lines,and disability parking spaces were repainted.• The City has 27 roads with paved shoulders and 11.3 kms ofstreets with marked bike paths.• The City moved into the design phase for two roundabouts,including one in front of the Charlottetown Airport thatreceived 2/3 funding from the Province and Airport Authority.• Public Works maintained municipal buildings throughout theyear and assisted with a number of events, including Old HomeWeek, Capital New Years in the Park, CIBC Run for the Cure,International Shellfish Festival and the PEI Marathon.Public Works is responsible for a number of major projects, operationsand initiatives throughout the year, including the maintenance ofsidewalks, streets, storm sewers, municipal buildings and road signs.2012 Mayor’s Annual Report • Page 8

Success StoriesThe City of Charlottetown celebrated a number of successful projects and initiatives thisyear. Many are outlined by the departmental summaries in this report.This page is dedicated to other highlights from 2012.Tree Planting• Urban Beautification, Parks & Recreation and Water & Sewerteamed up on a reforestation project at the site of the City’sfuture wellfield in Miltonvale.• More than 9,570 trees and shrubs were planted thanks to thepartnership between the City departments, funding from TreeCanada and TD Green Streets, and approval from a number ofprovincial programs. About 130 volunteers participated in varioustree planting events and tours at the site in 2012.• A Forest Management Plan was drafted for the site, and a smallnative tree nursery was created for the reforestation project and thebenefit of the City’s parks.One of the City’s tree planting events included TD Green Streetsand TD Tree Days. A number of volunteers attended to help planthundreds of trees.City Transit• The City of Charlottetown entered into a transit agreement with the Town of Stratford, the Townof Cornwall and Trius Transit in 2012 to provide regional transit services for the three municipalities.• Transit was re-branded in 2012. The new logo and tag, “Take Transit Today”, depicts theinclusion of the three municipalities. New signage was created, uniforms were provided todrivers, and the buses were painted a bright green with yellow trim.• A new and more aggressive marking plan, along with route changes that provided moreoptions and frequency have helped with the success of the re-launch.• On Sept. 30, 2012, Charlottetown Transit celebrated its 7th anniversary, and in the samemonth, two ridership records were broken; the daily record was 1,677 passengers and the monthly record was 30,833.Transit Passenger Fares - 2011 & 2012 Comparison40,00035,00030,00025,00020,0002011201215,00010,0005,0000JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovember2012 Mayor’s Annual Report • Page 10

Your City CouncilMayorClifford Lee2012Councillor - Ward 1Edward RiceCouncillor - Ward 2Danny RedmondCouncillor - Ward 3Rob LantzCouncillor - Ward 4Mitchell TweelDeputy Mayor - Ward 5Sterling MacFadyenCouncillor - Ward 6David MacDonaldCouncillor - Ward 7Cecil VillardCouncillor - Ward 8Jason CoadyCouncillor - Ward 9Melissa HiltonCouncillor - Ward 10Terence BernardSeniorManagementChief Administrative OfficerRoy MainDirector, Corporate ServicesDonna WaddellDirector, Fiscal ServicesPhil HandrahanPO Box 98, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2Phone 902.566.5548 • www.charlottetown.ca