One of the 13 recommendations in the recently-completed municipal services and structural review is for the municipality to restructure its departments so it only has four directors.
That would mean merging Community and Family Services and Culture and Recreation into one "Community Services" department and turning Environmental Services into "Operational Services," a department that will cover everything from solid waste to information technology.
Four departments is typical for communities of Jasper鈥檚 size, according to Western Management Consultants, the company that completed the review.
鈥淭he primary benefit of a smaller senior leadership team means that the management structure is oriented under specific service areas with clearly delineated responsibilities,鈥� states the review. 鈥淎 smaller team is also more able to respond to changing circumstances and make decisions in a timely manner.鈥�
To fulfill that recommendation, the municipality needs to hire a director of operational services and it needs to find a way to merge the two community services departments.
鈥淚 have Yvonne [McNabb, director of Culture and Recreation,] and Kathleen [Waxer, director of Community and Family Services,] working together on a plan to see what is feasible and how it鈥檚 feasible [to merge those departments],鈥� said Peter Waterworth, chief administrative officer for the municipality.
Ultimately, the review suggests that not only should the two departments be merged, they should also be housed under one roof. That would mean moving Community and Family Services to the Activity Centre from its Patricia Street location.
鈥淐ombining the two departments might allow us to provide all social services in one location,鈥� said Martha Bell, manager of human resources, while noting that this isn鈥檛 the first time the municipality has amalgamated departments. Last year, bylaw and emergency services were joined in order to create protective services. She said that鈥檚 a good example of how merging departments can be successful.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what the result will be for [McNabb and Waxer] because they鈥檙e actually working together to put together a plan,鈥� said Waterworth, noting that 鈥渃ouncil has been very specific that this is not a job cutting exercise.鈥�
Rather, the review is a municipal health check that provides the municipality with recommendations to ensure it is working as efficiently as possible. The review looks at both what the municipality is doing well and what it can improve.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at how we can get the most out of what we have and move forward 鈥榝rom good to great,鈥欌�� said Bell, referencing Mayor Richard Ireland鈥檚 challenge to Waterworth when the review process began last August.
You can鈥檛 make that move to great until you know where you鈥檙e starting from, said Waterworth.
鈥淲e had a good look at what we do and how we do it and we鈥檙e going to use that to ensure that we do it better,鈥� he said.
Aside from restructuring some of the municipal departments, the review also recommends that council develop a five-year strategic plan that includes priorities for achieving its overall vision for Jasper.
It also suggests the municipality develop a standard for services, as currently most of the municipality鈥檚 standards aren鈥檛 formalized.
鈥淭he identification and definition of service standards would allow the municipality to gauge success in pursuit of service excellence, which is a council and administrative priority,鈥� the report states as rationale for the recommendation.
鈥淸Those standards] might be getting achieved already, but there is nothing tangible to say what those standards are,鈥� said Bell.
The services and structural review was initiated last year, recognizing that the municipality has never undertaken such a review in the 12 years since incorporation. The review was completed after extensive data collection and interviews with municipal staff to determine what services are provided by the municipality and how they are provided.
Now that the report is complete, municipal staff and the community are encouraged to review it and provide input. Input will be accepted until the end of June.
鈥淭he consultant鈥檚 recommendations are just that, recommendations,鈥� said Bell. 鈥淪o whether they鈥檙e implemented by Peter [Waterworth] partially, fully or not at all is absolutely dependent on all the feedback that we get by the end of June.鈥�
The report can be found in its entirety on the municipality鈥檚 website.
