The draft final report of the core services review and opportunities for savings exceeded expectations, according to the mayor.
The KPMG-led review indicated a range of annual savings or generated revenue totalling between $3.8 million and $7.6 million if council decided to implement every recommendation.
The draft final report was reviewed by the select committee on a core services review Monday afternoon and contained 38 suggested opportunities for change that could be realized in the immediate future and other 67 that could be discussed in the 2013 budget process.
"And yet I know we are not going to do every single thing on the list," said Mayor Shari Green. "So yes, there's savings by not doing some things, but for me it's money that we need to redirect into some priorities that we have in our community, particularly around our infrastructure deficit."
The report does not take into account any capital investment required to implement the suggested opportunities.
The select committee is composed of Green and councillors Cameron Stolz, Albert Koehler and Frank Everitt. On Nov. 14, the committee of the whole - which contains all members of council - will consider the 15 suggestions forwarded by the select committee.
"We'll know at that point which of those things council as a whole is prepared to move forward on," said Green. "We expect there will be some things that as a whole we decide, 'let's get that off the table.'"
Of suggested opportunities immediately moving forward for further discussion on Nov. 14 - KPMG staff were careful not to call them recommendations - include:
Consideration of reducing the size of council to six councillors.
Closing the Pine Valley Golf Course and selling the land.
Reviewing the scheduling of bylaw officers to have more after-hours enforcement.
More aggressively enforcing on-street parking bans during the winter and begin holding towed vehicles until fines are paid.
Outsourcing parking enforcement.
Finding a third-party operator for the Four Seasons Pool and Civic Centre.
Investigating the integration of 911 calls and fire dispatch.
Establishing a fee for the removal of extra household garbage.
Select committee members Stolz, Everitt and Koehler all praised the comprehensiveness of the draft report, which will be finalized with tweaked wording, dates and numbers before being released to the public later this month.
Of the suggestions Stolz said he was intrigued by, was the idea of charging for the use of city services by other users.
"For example, fire services, offering them to the Lheidli T'enneh and that there's an opportunity for additional revenue there," he said.
That additional revenue is crucial to addressing the funding shortfall for city infrastructure, he stressed.
"If we're able to save a million a year and put that towards roads, then it's another million dollars towards road rehabilitation," said Stolz. "The important thing to remember is that the core review is not about reducing taxes, it's about spending our money in areas the community has clearly articulated it wants money spent on."
Everitt said the report has given the committee some additional work to do.
"The report does say we're doing a number of things well and I think the citizens should take comfort in that and it also outlines some things that we need to examine as a committee and as a council and come forward with some recommendations," Everitt said.
Green said she was excited about the report and that even the controversial elements introduced during the process such as selling the Four Seasons Pool or reducing the level of staffing at fire halls - neither of which made it into the final report - at least got people talking about the city's services.
She said the residents elected her to start those conversations.
"They asked me to get the job done and I think that we see today that there's some really good ideas out there and our staff have been invigorated to be up to the challenge to take on some of the tough ones and figure out a way forward," Green said.
Janet Bigelow, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees local 1048, attended the select committee meeting along with CUPE 399 president Gary Campbell.
Bigelow said she couldn't comment on the report until they've had a chance to fully read through the 155-page document.
The I Heart Prince George campaign, in conjunction with Stand Up for the North and the Faculty Association of the College of New Caledonia are hosting a community conversation on the final report at CNC Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to take two minutes to voice their opinions. To register to speak, email [email protected].
