AUDIT COMMITTEE

The City’s Auditor General Ken Hughes presented his Annual Report to the Audit Committee this week, with disappointing results. His audit included a review of City Leases; The Social Housing Registry; Corporate Security; Compliance With Ambulance Service Documentation; Public Works and Environmental Services Contract Management; Frozen Services And Hydrant Management And Maintenance; Recreation, Cultural And Facility Services Management Processes; and Building Engineering And Energy Management. Overall, the AG gave 30 recommendations where the City can and should improve, especially for management procedures; the City has agreed to all 30 of these recommendations. See the full report here.

The committee also received the Auditor General’s work plan for 2019, and received an update from the AG for investigation into a transfer of funds to a fraudulent supplier. See the media release for the investigation here.

CITY COUNCIL

At City Council, a new work plan  was approved for the City’s planning team that will result in a new Official Plan by the end of March 2021, 6 months sooner than the original November 2021 initially proposed by staff.

Council also approved funding to permanently staff the well-loved enhanced Temporary Traffic Calming Measures Program, and a streamlined study process for permanent traffic-calming plans. The new process will prioritize neighborhood streets where small changes would have big impacts, allowing the City to address traffic issues in more neighbourhoods with a goal of making streets safer for all users.

Other approvals included changes to the Road Activity By-law which includes restricting road cuts into pavement less than three years old, expanding peak-hour restrictions on road work, increasing notification timelines, and more.

To see all items that came to Council this week, see the City of Ottawa’s website here.