MCTS0211

municipal

Monitor

March/April 2011

Sharing the Municipal Experience

Coping with Change Shifting demographics and Ontario municipalities

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Monitor

March/April 2011

The Magazine of AMCTO (Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario) March/April 2011 VOL. 15, NO. 2 PUBLISHER

this issue

Robert Phillips

PROJECT MANAGER Alana Place

EDITOR Lisa Gordon EDITORIAL CO-ORDINATOR (AMCTO) Craig Wellington SALES REPRESENTATIVES Cheryll Oland, Anook Commandeur, Darryl Sawchuk, Grandolf Cuvos, Wayne Jury

FEATURES

LAYOUT & DESIGN Catharine Snell ADVERTISING ART Lelsey Helash COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING (CAM) COMMITTEE

John Baird, CAO/Clerk, Township of Laurentian Valley; Patricia Buffett, AMCT, Administrative Assistant, City of North Bay; Clay Connor, AMCT, Deputy City Solicitor, City of Brampton; Karen Ewart, Deputy Clerk, Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville; Rob Ford, AMCT, Director of Finance/Treasurer, Town of Ajax; Nancie Irving, CMO, Clerk, Town of Aylmer; J.P. Ouellette, CMO, CAO/ Clerk, Town of Cochrane; Yvonne Robert, AMCT, AdministratorClerk, Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley; Dean Sauriol, CMO, Chief Administrative Officer, Township of Whitewater Region; Larry Simons, AMCT, Retired Member; Carol O. Trainor, AMCT, Clerk-Administrator, Township of St. Joseph; LeeAnn Wetzel, CMO, Manager – Council & Administrative Services/Deputy Clerk, Region of Waterloo Municipal Monitor is published six times a year for the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO), 2680 Skymark Avenue, Suite 910, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5L6 Tel: (905) 602-4294 · Fax: (905) 602-4295 www.amcto.com AMCTO is not liable for any views expressed by the authors of articles or letters published in Municipal Monitor, nor shall these opinions necessarily be those of the Association, or the Communications and Marketing Committee.

AMCTO PRESIDENT Tony Haddad, CMO

AMCTO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Andy Koopmans, CMA

AMCTO DIRECTOR, CORPORATE SERVICES Craig Wellington

Municipal Monitor is published by

Naylor (Canada), Inc. 100 Sutherland Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R2W 3C7 Tel: (204) 947-0222 • Fax: (204) 947-2047 www.naylor.com ©2011 Naylor (Canada), Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

AMCTO encourages editorial queries, suggestions, and submissions concerning the field of municipal practice and the role of the municipal practitioner. Articles may be edited for space and clarity.

SUBSCRIPTIONS 2011 Calendar Year – 6 Issues Canada: $54.81 (Price includes $6.31 HST) Additional postage for shipping outside Canada: USA, $5 Cdn; International, $15 Cdn ISSN: 1191-906X CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40064978

7

Coping with Change Shifting demographics and Ontario municipalities

By Anne Cunningham

11

Nickels and Dimes In one form or another, eco fees are here to stay

By Michelle Morra-Carlisle

14

Story title to come Byline to come

DEPARTMENTS President’s Message Focus on Teamwork

By Tony Haddad, CMO

4

Viewpoint Article title to come

By Andy Koopmans

5

Your Turn

By Joel Lemoyre

16

Municipal Memos

17

Index to Advertisers

18

7

11

Published March 2011/MCT-S0211/5111

March/April 2011

municipal MONITOR · 3

President’s Message

Focus on Teamwork “Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” ~ Unknown

By Tony Haddad, CMO

T

eamwork is the process of working collaboratively with a group of people, in order to achieve a goal. Teamwork is often a crucial part of business, as it is often necessary for colleagues to work well together, trying their best in any circumstance.

Teamwork means that people will try to cooperate, using their individual skills and providing constructive feedback, despite any personal conflict between individuals. ~ Business Dictionary Diverse skills and personalities are factors in a team’s effectiveness. Teams work when diverse personality types balance and complement each other.

Another critical element of successful teamwork is when all members’ efforts are directed towards the same clear goals. Good communication and harmony among team members are critical to achieving this synergy.

The word team has been borrowed from sports and signifies being on the same side and pulling together. However, it seems the terms of reference for today’s teams are shifting and demand further thought. Synergy within a team, essential for success, was often achieved at the expense of a lack of synergy with other parts of the organization. Vision was restricted because members of the team always kept the same company, being pinned into their positions by restrictive job descriptions.

As these formal structures are increasingly falling by the wayside, new dynamic concepts are taking shape. First, it is now considered dysfunctional for the members of a team to remain static. Second, 4

· municipal MONITOR

perspectives and expertise within a team need to be expanded. Facilitating career moves within the organization offers employees a means of achieving this aim while also offering the opportunity for personal growth. Periodic member trading between existing teams expands horizons and deepens members’ understanding of the broader field. This in turn enhances the talent pool.

Teamwork has become the definition of success in today’s corporate world. A team driven by passion and a commitment to excellence will take an organization to new heights of success.

If a team is to be given a particular challenge, we need to ensure that the team consists of the right blend of players. For example, in hockey, the fans judge the quality of the players because they view the play and the ensuing results throughout the course of a game. But who can judge the quality of the players participating on organizational teams? There are no independent witnesses or spectators as there are in hockey. However, the board of directors, shareholders or media may have opinions to offer.

As managers in the public sector, we are supposed to be assessing team members. Common, practical experience suggests that managers are seldom positioned to do so effectively and are often embarrassed about conducting assessments and performance evaluations. So where does that leave the manager? Often in the unenviable position of being out of touch with their team members.

In future, it seems that teams will need to spend more time in mutual assessment

and be better prepared to accept collective responsibility for their achievements. In being accountable to a manager, teams will need to face up to the downside of greater levels of empowerment. The manager will be fully entitled under this scenario to dismiss a failing team and to assemble a new one.

In the past, the presumption was that managers were aware of everything going on in their department. Few managers today would dare to make such a bold claim. Technology advancements are changing the business culture. Some managers may feel they are being bypassed because websites and emails are generating a vast amount of information through lateral communication. As a consequence, the bedrock of traditional hierarchy is being relentlessly undermined. Thoughtful managers will inevitably feel the need to change the manner in which they approach their jobs. They will have to consider the nature of transparency, accountability and how responsibilities can best be transferred to well-developed, balanced teams.

The need for a better decision-making balance is gaining wider recognition, which is why understanding the attributes of the management team, and those in associated projects, is becoming one of the more promising and defining features of today’s public and private sector business environment.

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and selfrestraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt March/April 2011

VIEWPOINT

By Andy Koopmans

S

Can You Determine My “Intent”?

ometimes I find that what happens after municipal Election Day is more interesting than learning the actual election results. This has certainly been the case for me over the past few months as I have followed with interest some of the recount challenges in different municipalities across the province. Of particular interest to me have been those that have centered on the reliability and accuracy of automated vote tabulators.

For those of you who have not been following this matter, the issue has seemingly revolved around the ballots, fed through a vote tabulator, which have been rejected as over-votes (i.e. votes cast for more candidates in a particular race than are permitted). To the best of my understanding, the question put to the courts has been whether these rejected ballots should, in fact, be counted if the intention of the voter can be clearly determined by looking at the ballot itself. In at least one recent case, the courts have said that a physical review of the subject ballots was in order.

Admittedly, I don’t know all of the circumstances surrounding the particular elections in question, but nonetheless I have a problem with the idea that “voter intent” can be accurately determined by physically reviewing a rejected ballot.

Perhaps I am biased by an assumption that the process followed by most, if not all, municipalities that use automated vote tabulators at the polls was the same as the process followed in my home municipality. When I returned my ballot to the individual responsible for receiving the completed ballots, I was asked to wait until he had fed my ballot into the tabulator and confirmed that my ballot would not be rejected. I was advised that, if rejected, I would have the opportunity to recast my ballot, if I chose to do so. To me this made sense.

So, you may be thinking, if this was the process followed in every municipality, how could there be any rejected ballots?

Could it be that the voter chose not to wait until the ballot had been verified? Or perhaps a conscious decision was made to spoil the ballot? To my thinking, in either instance, the voter made a conscious decision to take the chance that their vote would not be counted and by doing so, made their “intent” clear.

In my opinion, the recount provisions that are set out in the Municipal Elections Act provide a fair opportunity to assure candidates in a close election that all the ballots that should have been counted have been counted. Running ballots through the tabulator a second time, in such instances, can ensure that the count of properly completed ballots was accurate. Introducing the requirement to physically review rejected ballots to determine voter intent, however, adds an aura of subjectivity that, to me, detracts from the fairness of the electoral process rather than enhancing it.

Everyone has their views about the best method for casting ballots in an election and I’m not suggesting that automated systems are infallible or that they are superior to the traditional paper-based systems. I just don’t like seeing the credibility of automated approaches being undermined unfairly. But that’s just my opinion. What do you think? ◆

I have a problem with the idea that “voter intent” can be accurately determined by physically reviewing a rejected ballot.

March/April 2011

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I

Shifting demographics and Ontario municipalities

t’s said that the most important skill for employees today is the ability to cope with change. Given the dramatic changes in Canadian demographics in recent years, the same can be said for municipalities. Within a generation, Canada has experienced a seismic demographic shift – from a society in which 2.3 children and Sunday roast beef dinner were the norm, to one in which the majority of people will soon claim a senior discount, and that same Sunday meal could include naan, dim sum, hummus, or tiramisu. Ontario municipalities are coping with new challenges that run the gamut from additional schools for

By Anne Cunningham

Seniors are now the fastest-growing age group in the country, with those over 80 experiencing the largest increase in population.

March/April 2011

Milton’s younger population, to safe transportation for St. Catharines’ older population.

Coping With “The Grey Tsunami” For some years now, everyone from academics to politicians has discussed the growing number of older people in Canada. Seniors are now the fastest-growing age group in the country, with those over 80 experiencing the largest increase in population (up 25% between 2001-2006).

What are the needs of this group, and how will they be met by the municipalities in which they live? David Cravit, Vice-President, Zoomer Media Ltd. and author of The New Old, says, “The topic goes far beyond simply tweaking the physical infrastructure to enhance safety and convenience.”

He explains that the World Health Organization’s 2007 study of the ideal age-friendly city depicted it as including policies, services, settings and structures that recognize the wide range of capacities and resources among older people; anticipating and responding flexibly to ageing-related needs and preferences; respecting their decisions and lifestyle choices; protecting those who are most vulnerable; and promoting their inclusion in and contribution to all areas of community life.

In 2001, four of Ontario’s municipalities were among the top ten “oldest” in Canada: Kingston, Greater Sudbury, Thunder Bay and St. Catharines-Niagara. By 2006, 17.9% of the St. Catharines population was aged 65 and older.

In A Policy Brief: Seniors in Niagara: Creating Age-Friendly Communities, seniors in the area listed their wants as: • Community engagement – meaningful work and life-long learning opportunities; • Independence – transportation services that allow them to move municipal MONITOR · 7

independently, plus cost-effective programs such as Seniors Helping Seniors; • Sound economic, social and physical planning policy – affordable, accessible, and energy-efficient housing developments close to needed services, which allow seniors to transition as they age to supported living; • Consumer-focused health care services – doctors trained in geriatrics; • Recreation facilities – close to where they live; • Libraries and other low-cost services that let them interact with people; • Open spaces and accessible buildings designed for the visually, hearing and physically impaired; • Alternative methods of communication; and • Safe communities.

It seems, then, that the bar has been set by members of the older demographic and professionals alike. Are Ontario municipalities meeting the challenge?

Ontario municipalities are adapting to the “new old” in different ways.

St. Catharines has adopted the Niagara Age-Friendly Community Initiative.

In Niagara, municipal authorities are considering increasing the number of handicapped parking spaces and sidewalk cutaways, and installing large community maps similar to “you are here” signs in shopping malls. Some cities are

considering providing islands at major intersections for people unable to cross the street during one light. Others are installing additional bench seating around the city. Mississauga is updating its website with larger, easier to read type. The County of Brant and City of Brantford have released A Master Aging Plan, a roadmap for the delivery of a comprehensive and coordinated set of community services to older adults. The Cities of Mississauga and Kitchener have undertaken focused planning studies to review the implications of an aging population.

Elliot Lake is a city that, rather than reacting to an existing older population, is actively attracting that demographic.

Blessed with high quality housing, recreational facilities, and health care services, the city marketed itself to retirees when its mines were closed. Today, 46% of Elliot Lake’s population is retired. These retirees generate tourism through visitors, and contribute to public revenues.

The town has enhanced its recreation facilities, added a seniors’ issues office to deal with problems such as security and fraud, offers seniors door to door public transit, and actively recruits and offers incentives to doctors.

Peter Humes, City of Ottawa Councillor and Chair, Planning and Environment, talks about Ottawa’s challenges in dealing with its aging population. He says that Ottawa’s over-65

population will increase to 21% in the next 20 years, placing pressure on the health care system, including the City’s own health services, paramedics and long-term care facilities. “The City’s ability to cope with pressures on the health care system depends on the provincial government providing adequate funding, since health care is a provincial responsibility. The property tax was never designed to fund health care.” He is also concerned about the resulting labour force shortages as a large experienced segment of the workforce retires.

Although older workers could continue to work part-time, current City policy does not allow retired worked to be rehired, even temporarily.

Ontario communities looking for assistance in becoming age-friendly can look to the Ontario Seniors Secretariat, whose website (http://www.culture.gov. on.ca/seniors/english/programs/agefriendlycommunities/info_action.shtml) discusses how to emulate Hamilton, the first Ontario city to formally begin the process of evaluating its age-friendliness.

In 2008, the Ontario Trillium Foundation awarded the Hamilton Council two years of funding to begin this project.

The Council is working with a variety of community partners, from Public Health to the Chamber of Commerce, and seniors are eager to participate in the evaluation. The Murray Alzheimer

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Research and Education Program at the University of Waterloo has developed a tool to help organizations evaluate their policies, and improve their responsiveness to older people.

The Other Side of the Coin

Not all municipalities are dealing with aging populations. Some, like Milton, are reacting to unexpectedly young populations. Bill Mann, Director, Planning & Development, Town of Milton, explains: “Starting in 2000, with the introduction of the “big pipe” from the lake, considerable development potential was released, resulting in a shift of demographics from an established, aging small-town population to one of first-time homebuyers – young families, who took advantage of reasonably affordable housing.” Faced with the news that Milton’s age distribution had lowered, Mann asked the School Board to revisit its funding formula, which identifies the number of students per household. Other services were also required. New homes also impact the number of cars on the road, the infrastructure needed to move people in and out of the community, the number of ice pads, swimming pools, soccer fields, and on and on.

The Changing Face of Ontario To see the other major shift in Ontario demographics today, simply take a ride on the Toronto subway – one glance will tell you why some call Toronto “North America’s most ethnically diverse city.”

In 2006 immigration represented close to 70% of Canada’s population growth, up from 20% in 1976. These immigrants have tended to settle in larger urban centres, such as Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa. In 2008, March/April 2011

44.9% of immigrants to Canada were destined for Ontario (110,895), and the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area is still destination number one for immigrants in Ontario.

In Putting Out the Welcome Mat: Why Immigration Matters to Ontario’s Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities states that, “The successful attraction, retention and settlement of immigrants in our communities is dependent on the availability of employment and social support systems, access to health care and housing, the opportunity for financial stability, participation in community life, language and skills training and most importantly, a community that is welcoming.”

Toronto has been a popular destination for newcomers for many years, and institutions have developed within the City to help. Cheryl May, Executive Director, Skills for Change, discusses how that organization started in Toronto: “Skills for Change began in 1983. Toronto had become home to many Indochinese refugees who faced a special barrier to employment or technical training

– English. With feasibility and project development funding from Employment and Immigration Canada, ESL teachers launched a program that integrated clerical skills training with the communication strategies and competencies that women from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos would need to find and keep jobs in Canadian offices. In May 1983, the Toronto Office Skills Training Project opened its doors with a grant from IBM to fund the purchase of seven typewriters.”

In areas where immigrants have been settling for a long time, there is a wellestablished network of settlement services that addresses newcomers’ needs, from job hunting and housing support to ethnicity-specific services dealing with religious services and burial rites.

Outside of large urban areas, the settlement sector is still maturing and in some instances lacks the capacity to address the many needs of communities.

As part of the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), programs designed to help newcomers bridge their international credentials and experience into Ontario qualifications

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Many communities in Ontario are creating support systems to help recent immigrants enter the workforce. are receiving $27.4 million in funding. In addition to gainful employment, immigrants need easy access to community services. To provide this, some municipalities are printing literature on their services in languages other than English and French. Durham Region has recently printed brochures outlining services provided by Ontario Works in Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish and Farsi.

North Bay created the North Bay Newcomers Network to fill gaps in the skilled and professional labour market, and attract new entrepreneurs and investors to the community. “Familiarization Tours” are organized to introduce business immigrants from Toronto to North Bay’s businesses for sale and potential investments. North Bay also tapped into Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for funding to assist a local analysis of newcomers’ demographics, the local Youth Host program, delivered by the Big Brothers Big Sisters charity, and the Immigrant Settlement & Adaptation Program (ISAP) that delivers settlement services to newcomers.

Smaller communities can also use Ontario’s Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration’s Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) to obtain funding to reach their immigration goals.

Another important provincial initiative that has assisted municipalities in promoting their communities to immigrants is the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration’s immigration web portals,

which offer information about programs and services, labour market facts and other tools to make a smoother transition to a new community.

Many communities in Ontario are creating support systems to help recent immigrants enter the workforce. From 2001 to 2006, more than 7,885 immigrants and refugees settled throughout the Niagara region. The Niagara Immigrant Employment Council (NIEC) is researching and helping to implement effective immigrant labour market integration, and encouraging prospective immigrants to settle in the region. It has created a forum for employers, immigrants and other stakeholders to assist in recruiting internationally-trained individuals. Its use of a multi-stakeholder collaborative approach includes all three orders of government, community business leaders, community stakeholders and immigrants themselves.

A similar program is WRIEN, the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network. Funded by Waterloo Region and other partners, WRIEN connects employers with skilled immigrants, and boosts immigrant visibility in the community. WRIEN has developed a mentorship program, an immigrant loan program, an immigrant web portal, and immigrant networking breakfasts and forums. With the help of its partners, WRIEN has developed a bridge program for internationally-trained social workers; a fast track program for Registered

Practical Nurses (RPNs); and is currently identifying other possible Fast Track opportunities.

As an example of an individual company responding to the needs of its immigrant employees, consider the London meat-processing factory Cargill.

With more than 60% of the plant’s staff of 900 having a mother tongue other than English, Cargill partnered with the London School Board to offer ESL classes for its employees.

From the examples in this article it’s clear that, although change will continue, Ontario municipalities will continue to cope through initiative, learning and working with other communities, and making the most of available support. ◆

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and

Nickels Dimes In one form or another, eco fees are here to stay

E

nvironmental initiatives are still relatively new, so it’s still hard to predict how people will react to them. Take for instance the plastic bag fee. A nickel – in a society where many of us pay thousands in mortgage interest without flinching – is currency we rarely stop to pick up off the sidewalk anymore. Who knew that five cents would matter when supermarkets started charging that much per plastic bag? Environmentally minded or not, the fee has been

March/April 2011

unattractive enough to make many consumers opt for reusable bags instead.

In passing its plastic bag fee bylaw in December 2008, Toronto City Council

By Michelle Morra-Carlisle encouraged retailers to reinvest any revenue from the sale of plastic retail shopping bags into community or environmental initiatives, and to let their customers know what they are doing with the funds. This was not mandatory, however. Retailers also had the option to keep the money. The point was to keep plastic bags out of landfills, and remarkably, it has.

Loblaws alone claims to have eliminated one billion bags across Canada. Does the plastic bag fee work because people are environmentally conscious, or do we really want to keep those nickels?

I n a much less publ ici z e d eco i n it iative, in July of 2008 the province of Ontario introduced Phase 1 of its Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) program. As of that time stewards – the manufacturers (brand owners) and impor ters of designated household hazardous or special waste materials – have been paying the non-profit organization Stewardship Ontario (SO) “end of life costs” for nine designated materials: paints & coatings; solvents; oil filters; oil containers smaller than 30L; single-use batteries; antifreeze; municipal MONITOR · 11

pressurized containers; lawn fertilizers; and pesticides.

The province gave stewards the choice of whether of absorb the cost or pass it along to retailers, who in turn could chose to absorb the cost or pass along an ‘eco fee’ to consumers. Some did the former, while others incorporated it into an increased sticker price on products.

Others, like Canadian Tire, chose to create a separate line on their cash register receipts, spelling it out to consumers; similar to how airlines sometimes externalize fuel surcharges or check-in baggage fees.

That was the start of the “eco fee,” which Ontarians have been paying on those products since 2008. The fee went largely unnoticed, however, until it made the news in July 2010 with the launch of phases 2 and 3 of the MHSW. This new “Consolidated MHSW” expanded the program to include 14 additional designated products, including fluorescent tubes and bulbs; fire extinguishers; mercury-containing devices; rechargeable batteries; pharmaceuticals; sharps; flammables; toxics; and corrosives.

It was as though Ontarians were hearing about an eco fee for the first time.

The way phases 2 and 3 were introduced – quietly on the same day as the HST – caused such public outcry that the government revoked the change in October 2010.

It is a myth that the government eliminated the eco fee in October. It only eliminated the fee on those Phase 2 and 3 products introduced in July. Retailers – and consumers – continue to pay the eco fees they may not know they’ve been paying since 2008.

What Does This Mean to Municipalities?

Municipalities are a collection site for MHSW materials. They are also an important communication channel for consumers to learn about the Orange Drop program. According to Stewardship Ontario: “Municipalities are service providers to SO and have no role vis a vis stewardship fees or eco fees.” Stewards pay 100% of the costs of the Orange Drop program to manage the collection, transportation, recycling or safe disposal of the nine designated MHSW materials (with the option to pass some or all of the fee visibly through their supply chain to the retailer and consumer).

York Region currently operates four depots in East Gwillimbury, Georgina, Markham and Vaughan where residents can drop off unwanted municipal hazardous and special waste (MHSW) for safe disposal.

“The way York Region residents use the Regional MHSW program has remained unchanged following the cancellation of [phases 2 and 3 of] the

Who knew that five cents would matter when supermarkets started charging that much per plastic bag?

‘EcoFees’ program by the Minister of the Environment on October 12, 2010,” says Laura McDowell, York Region’s Director of Environmental Promotion and Protection. She says as a municipality, York Region is involved in changes to the MHSW program through various mechanisms, including meetings and communication are ongoing with Ministry of the Environment staff, Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the stewards on this issue.

“York Region, along with other municipalities in Ontario, continue to call for further Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs to aid in the responsible and sustainable management of waste.” McDowell says the Province is currently considering various program planning options and it is anticipated that a revised funding structure will be provided in the near future.

While eco fees for Phase 2 and 3 products have been cancelled, critics to the program say someone has to pay for the recycling and disposal of those products, and that municipalities will have to foot the bill by raising taxes. Indirectly, they say, consumers will continue paying.

The Almost Tax Dubbed everything from a “secret taxation” to a “cash grab” to downright “illegal,” the eco fee is intended to fund environmental programs such as the Orange Drop Program for managing the collection, transportation, recycling or safe disposal of hazardous and special waste. Stewardship Ontario claims it’s working: “Designated materials and their containers require special handling at the end of their useful lives to ensure they don’t harm people, animals or the environment. In 2009 alone, the Orange Drop program diverted a total of 17,382,000 12

· municipal MONITOR

March/April 2011

Because it doesn’t go directly to the government, the eco fee is not by definition a tax.

It is, however, taxable.

kilograms and 2,226,855 litres of waste from landfills and waterways.”

The Consumers’ Association of Canada has called it a tax, because it’s an add-on fee, and has said no one except the government is allowed to do that.

The Conservatives, too, have called it a tax “because the fees are mandatory.”

Stewardship Ontario, on the other hand, says the eco fees are not mandatory; stewards are not required to pass along the cost to consumers (but stewards are required to pay it to Stewardship Ontario, and consumers who are charged the fee are required to pay it).

So which is it? Because it doesn’t go directly to the government, the eco fee is not by definition a tax. It is, however, taxable. Even the Environment Canada website says so: “The eco fee is taxable, as it is considered to be a part of the price of regulated products. While the PST and March/April 2011

GST are remitted to the government, no part of the eco fee itself is remitted to the government.”

Unlike a tax, the eco fee is not a percentage of the sale price. Steward fees to Stewardship Ontario are calculated on the basis of what it costs to manage these materials at the end-of-life (this cost is then translated into a unit fee based on the amount of goods sold). The government does not collect the fees, yet besides taxing them it also governs and enforces them.

Perhaps the greatest confusion is around where the money goes. Unlike the plastic bag fee, which is not about the money but about finding eco-friendlier alternatives to plastic bags, the eco fee (an unofficial term coined by retailers) is meant to generate funds to cover environmental initiatives. Retailers may charge consumers an ‘eco fee.” Stewards may

in turn pass on a charge to retailers to cover the “steward fees” they pay to Stewardship Ontario. As SO explained to Municipal Monitor, “stewards pay the fees to Stewardship Ontario, and Stewardship Ontario uses the funds to finance the collection and recycling of hazardous and special wastes created by stewards’ products, as well as cover Stewardship Ontario’s operating expenses.”

Here’s how they say it works: Stewardship Ontario operates as a ‘collective IFO’ (industry funding organization) that allows all stewards to discharge their obligations through a common service provider. They call their approach to recycling a “basket of goods approach” that lets everyone benefit from economies of scale, sharing a collection, transport and processing infrastructure and sharing proportionately in common costs, such as program administration, delivery, promotion and education.

If stewards are free to absorb the cost or charge it to their customers, how do consumers know they are being charged the right amount? Opponents to eco fees have suggested that because they are often hidden they can easily be increased without the consumer’s knowledge. The Ontario government has a team that’s responsible for investigating incorrect or misleading fees being charged to Ontarians. Anyone with a concern can call the consumer protection hotline at 1-800-889-9768 or TTY: 416-229-6086 to report unfair fees.

Back to Bags As for Toronto’s plastic bag levy – which mayor Rob Ford has considered eliminating – it has nothing to do with eco fees. It was implemented by the City of Toronto as a bylaw under the City of Toronto Act. It is not part of the Provincial Municipal Household Hazardous Waste plan.

Following the City of Toronto’s implementation, some retailers have chosen to enact it as a corporate policy – across the GTA, provincially and nationally.

The funds generated from the sale of plastic retail shopping bags are not remitted to the City of Toronto. As long as they’re helping to keep plastic bags out of landfills, retailers can do whatever they want with the money while it lasts. ◆ municipal MONITOR · 13

Feature story to come F

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eature story - farm tax rebate - to come - 2.5 pages â—†

¡ municipal MONITOR

March/April 2011

Continued on page 15 March/April 2011

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Your Turn

Conquer Workplace Challenges with a Positive Outlook M

By Joel Lemoyre

any readers would likely agree that working for a municipal government organization – regardless of their specific job duties – is challenging work.

Although stimulating and rewarding, working within a municipality can involve conquering some obstacles. Depending on your unique community and working environment, challenges might include: council-staff relations; interactions with the public; meeting daily operational demands while also planning for future programs and services; union-management negotiations; and limited departmental budgets due to the current economic climate. The list of possible situations is truly innumerable.

The onset of fatigue, frustration, and stress in response to these types of challenges happens to all of us. Despite being young in my career, I can recall feeling overwhelmed as a participant in AMCTO’s Municipal Internship Program, when trying to comprehend the massive list of responsibilities performed by municipalities. Similarly, learning to be flexible when dealing with unexpected issues or work tasks took some adjustment during my initial public sector experience.

The message I want to deliver to you – my fellow municipal colleagues – is don’t let workplace challenges wear you down. While inescapable at times, I believe that the best way to lessen the negative effect of work challenges is to maintain a positive outlook.

Consider the following techniques, which I use regularly: Energy: Stay energized by remembering why you chose your current line of work in the first place. Professional development opportunities also allow you to explore new areas, and avoid feeling too habitual in your work duties.

Interact with Office Colleagues: Even if it is just to say hello, I find that chatting with others makes me feel better about being at work. Knowing that I have lots of company in the workplace helps me to remember that everyone is in it together, and can support one another.

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· municipal MONITOR

Go Outside: Go for a walk before arriving at work or during a break. Fresh air helps to take the mind off work tasks, and paying attention to the things going on outside of the office is equally calming.

Sense of Humour: By sense of humour, I am not referring to teasing your fellow staff members or making jokes about your work. Instead, I am encouraging you to recall a tasteful joke that you might have heard recently (even if you only say it quietly to yourself). A previous office I worked in organized trivia contests, distributed to staff by e-mail. I think that remembering something funny is a good distraction from work stress.

Reward yourself: Reward yourself for your work efforts.

Go out to lunch, bring in a magazine or book to read during a break, or mentally plan your next vacation. There is no shame in recognizing your accomplishments, even if it is simply getting through the work day.

Keep A Proper Perspective: Perhaps most important, keep in mind that the efforts you exhibit at work are contributing to the betterment of the community, and will ultimately help local residents have a better quality of life. Likewise, I find that it helps to remember that our work challenges pale in comparison to the events which took place around the world this past year – such as flooding in Pakistan, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and the earthquake in Haiti. It is a privilege to work in such a generally prosperous and safe part of the world.

In my experience, using these techniques helps me remain positive despite workplace challenges.

Municipal issues are certainly difficult and enduring at times; however, I do not believe they are insurmountable. I am confident that resolutions will always be found eventually, especially with the continued hard work of municipal staff across Ontario. ◆ Joel Lemoyre is Deputy Clerk – Legislative Services, City of Kawartha Lakes.

March/April 2011

municipal memos

CONTINUING AS RETIRED MEMBERS ZONE 1 David Beasley, AMCT - Former Manager of Accounting, City of Sarnia Elinor Mifflin - Former Municipal Clerk, Chatham-Kent ZONE 2 William G. Roberts, AMCT - Former Clerk, Town of Halton Hills Katherine A. Young, AMCT - Former Accounts Payable/Payroll Officer, Severn Twp ZONE 3 Clay Connor, AMCT - Former Deputy City Solicitor, City of Brampton Cecily Elliott, AMCT - Former Deputy Treasurer, Town of Ingersoll Colleen McMullen, CMO - Former Research/Assistant to Council, Waterloo Region Gary D. Shay, AMCT Former Town Manager, Town of Grimsby ZONE 5 Ann Kubica, AMCT - Former Transit Secretary, City of Peterborough Sandra Lloyd, CMO - Former Deputy Clerk, City of Kawartha Lakes Dorothy Mulders-Langlois, AMCT Former Tax Collector, Township of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield ZONE 6 Carolyn Downs - Former City Clerk, City of Kingston ZONE 7 Ellen Jordan, AMCT - Former ClerkAdministrator, Township of SablesSpanish Rivers

NEW MEMBERS ZONE 1 Richard W. Holland - TreasurerAdministrator, Township of BrookeAlvinston Judith H. Smith - Manager, Municipal Governance/Clerk, Municipality of Chatham-Kent Melisa D. Whiting - Tangible Capital Asset Coordinator, County of Lambton ZONE 2 Gina Alexopoulos - Administrative Assistant, Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Michelle S. Brandt - Deputy Clerk, Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Brenda L. Falls - Administrative Assistant To The Clerk, Township of Clearview Susan L. Luckhardt - Planning Coordinator, Separated Town of St. Marys Glenn W. Schwendinger - CAO, Township of Perth East Lizet Scott - Deputy Clerk, Separated Town of St. Marys Barbara L. Springall - Administrator, Huronview & Huronlea, County of Huron Jamie Wilkie - Records Coordinator, Town of Innisfil ZONE 3 Christopher P. Harris - Deputy Clerk, City of Woodstock Joanne Hyde - Committee Clerk, City of Burlington Keith G. Vogl - Town Manager, Town of Grimsby

The online and paper version of the 2011 Ontario Municipal Directory is available. For anyone needing to place an order, the form is available in the “Resources & Publications” section at www.amcto.com, or call 1-800359-9778 to place an order by credit card or purchase order.

For a listing of key AMCTO contacts (including Staff, Zone Executives and Board of Directors) go to: www.amcto.com “About Us”.

March/April 2011

ZONE 4 Jason Ballantyne - Manager, Corporate Communications, Town of Aurora Margaret Beck - Legal Counsel, City of Mississauga James D. Parker- President, Parker Management Consulting Inc. Charlene Perrotta - Acting ManagerProsecutions-Legal Services, City of Mississauga Jeff D. Schmidt - Director of Finance/ Treasurer, Township of King ZONE 5 Dale M. Chipman - Corporate Secretary/ Records Manager, Municipality of Port Hope Trent D. Gervais - Fire Chief, City of Peterborough Tania Goncalves - Deputy Clerk, Township of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield Matthew MacDonald - Clerk, Municipality of Centre Hastings Jennifer Nielsen - Financial Assistant/AP Clerk, Municipality of Centre Hastings ZONE 6 Alison Collard - Deputy Clerk/Executive Assistant, Township of Champlain Janet George - Administrative Assistant/ Reception, Township of DrummondNorth Elmsley Fred J. Saunders - Records System Coordinator, City of Kingston Lindsey A. Taniwa - Deputy Clerk, Township of Greater Madawaska ZONE 7 Chas Anselmo - Municipal Advisor, MMAH Northeastern MSO Cindy Filmore - Office Assistant II, Administration, Town of Kearney ZONE 8 Veronique Dion - Acting Clerk, Town of Smooth Rock Falls ZONE 9 Crystal J. Gray - Deputy Clerk-Treasurer, Township of Chapple OUTSIDE ONTARIO Dennis M. Egyedy - CAO, Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17

municipal MONITOR · 17

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

continued from page 15

ASSOCIATIONS Ontario General Contractors Association..........................inside back cover BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS Thomson Rogers............................................................ inside front cover BARRISTERS/LAWYERS Lisa C. James Professional Corporation...................................................6 BUSINESS SERVICES Appraisal Institute of Canada - Ontario....................................................9 The Frank Cowan Company............................................ inside front cover CODE ENFORCEMENT Ontario Building Officials Association.....................................................20 CONSULTING ENGINEERS J.L. Richards & Associates Ltd................................................................6 DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS R.E. Millward & Associates Ltd................................................................6 EMERGENCY PLANNERS DRI Canada....................................................................inside back cover ENERGY SUPPLY Ontario Power Generation.............................................outside back cover ENGINEERS, PLANNERS & SURVEYORS MMM Group Ltd...................................................................................10 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Environmental Abatement Council of Ontario.................... inside front cover FINANCIAL - ECONOMICS Watson & Associates Economists Ltd......................................................8 INSURANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT SERVICES Robert Harder Insurance Consulting Inc...................................................6 INSURANCE SERVICES PlanDirect Insurance.......................................................inside back cover MUNICIPAL PLANNING MacNaughton Hermsen Britten TO........................................................18 MUNICIPAL SOFTWARE Vadim Software......................................................................................8 ONLINE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS Ontario General Contractors Association..........................inside back cover PLANNING CONSULTANTS R.E. Millward & Associates Ltd................................................................6

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March/April 2011

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