Initiatives Prince George and the city are coming to a new agreement.
On the agenda for the Dec. 17 city council meeting is a report from the finance and audit committee recommending council's approval of a revised three-year agreement between the city and its economic development arm.
The changes to the agreement, which covers Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2015, stem from recommendations in a 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers review of the existing contract.
The consultants found IPG delivering good service for the money, but that there were some areas that still needed work.
One of those was in the realm of communication. According to the report delivered to council Oct. 3, 2011, stakeholders felt the IPG's results were not transparent enough and that there was a "lack of appropriate communications between IPG and the City."
Among their recommendations, the consultants suggested expanding certain programs (such as business retention and expansion) that would provide direct, reportable results and considering an alternative reporting structure between the city and IPG.
At various points throughout each the fiscal year, IPG is expected to conduct a strategic planning session which council is invited to, submit an annual business plan and proposed budget, as well as annual financial statements and a written annual report. They are also expected to provide a mid-year report to council to "demonstrate that the Corporation [IPG] is meeting the requirements of the current year's business plan within the approved budget."
New to the agreement is a plan for the mayor and IPG board of directors chair to meet on a quarterly basis, in addition to the regular meetings already in place between the city manager and IPG CEO.
This year, the city paid $1,024,904 for IPG's services. The city typically funds roughly half of the agency's operations with IPG expected to pick up the rest through grants and other revenue sources.
Board appointments
With past chair Glen Wonders leaving the board of directors, Initiatives Prince George has holes to fill.
Council will be asked to approve two appointments to the board for 2013 vacancies. The proposed nominees are Ken Bebauer, an account manager with the Royal Bank, and Bob Redden, president of Environmental Dynamics Inc.
"Mr. Gebauer will bring considerable skills in the financing of business and major projects while Mr. Redden will bring to the board the perspective of small- to medium-size Prince George businesses, as well as significant knowledge of the variety of resource sector projects currently planned and underway in northern B.C.," wrote IPG chair Mark Feldinger in a report to council.
