REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COSTS STARTS FEBRUARY 8

As part of the 2008 city budget, Council agreed to review the operational budgets for administrative services to see if additional savings can be found. There will be three days for the review: February 8, February 22 and March 7. At least eight hours a day has been allocated for the review, but the importance of the task means that more time may be needed.

The goal is to find new methods of achieving similar or better results and to identify tasks that can be cut/altered without impacting front-line services. Part of the review will also include looking at what is being done to meet the efficiency targets already approved in the 2008 budget.

Also present for the review will be a Third Party Review Panel consisting of seven to 10 experts in public sector management and performance measurement. They will also be listening to the presentations and providing feedback on how what is being done measures up.

Just a reminder that the Kanata South Ward Forum on snow ploughing will be on Wednesday, January 30 between 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Lion Dick Brule Community Centre. I hope to see you there.

Many cul-de-sacs or dead ends in Kanata have small “islands” at the centre of the end of the road. Under Ottawa’s parking by-law, parking is not permitted beside these islands.
Among the problems I have heard about from residents when people park by the islands is people having trouble backing out of their driveways.

While By-Law Services only enforce the parking by-law on cul-de-sacs when they receive complaints, not parking beside the island in the centre of a cul-de-sac is an easy way to avoid a ticket.

Because the 613 telephone number area code is running out of phone numbers, it will either have to be split in two or an additional area code will have to be added as an overlay.

Splitting the area code is what happened a few years ago in the Toronto area with the 416 area code. The City of Toronto continued to be 416 and the municipalities around it went into the 905 area code.

With an overlay, an extra area code - 343 - would be added to 613. People in any part of  the current 613 area code could end up with a 613 or 343 number. This is what is being done currently in the City of Toronto with the addition of the 647 area code as an overlay to the 416 area code.

Using an overlay has the advantage that no one has to change her or his phone number. Business groups have supported this approach and as has the city’s Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee.

WORKING FULL-TIME FOR KANATA SOUTH

I appreciate the chance to hear from you about issues affecting our community. You can reach me at 580-2752 (office), 580-2762 (fax), www.feltmateforkanata.com or peggy.feltmate@ottawa.ca