Please City Hall, An Abundance Of Clarity: JONES
The dictionary says abundance is a very large quantity of something. “The tropical island boasts an abundance of wildlife.”
That sounds like a good thing. Who could be unhappy about an abundance of wildlife?
The City of Ottawa – when speaking of municipal projects or operations, will often refer to an “abundance of caution.” Now caution is not to be disparaged. Caution is a good thing just so long as that caution is not a synonym for risk avoidance. Because many operations at all levels are risk inherent, and risk management must be part of both planning and operations. Risk management is not risk avoidance. But if you don’t take risks in your work, usually you are in stationary mode and nothing gets done.
Now while we are clearly enjoying an “abundance of caution,” we are seeing a need for another abundance. We need an abundance of clarity where there is often just questions and confusion.
What We Lost At Lansdowne: DOUCET
To that point, the change in municipal garbage pickup. Now garbage is a very democratic thing and it affects everyone. Like it or not, we all produce garbage. And we all want it dealt with properly and hopefully in an environmentally sensitive manner.
So we eagerly read the news on garbage. We are told “a new curbside collection contract is coming into effect. Beginning March 30.” Because we are eager and supportive, we assume this is a good thing but of course have zero idea of why this is happening.
We struggle through the elements of this charge and its impacts. We take copious notes, consulting calendars and container specifications and doing all that is possible to ensure we remain good, cooperative citizens.
The Ottawa City Hall release concludes with the note that because of the transition, some might “experience two weeks of the same waste stream being collected” and therefore ALL residents “may place up to six garbage items at the curb on your garbage day between March 30 and April 24.”
Sutcliffe’s Non-Campaign Campaign: POTTER
Since the e-news on garbage homes have now been provided with a written “Notice to Resident” and an 11-inch by 17-inch colour calendar to – uh – tack up on the wall? There’s also a confusing bit we came across about new garbage containers – size and shape and where to get them – but that went flying right over Alpha Centuri.
Now we’re just going to make a little bet here. Will or will not 50 per cent of the city population know what this all refers to, what it means and what they should be doing? We’re betting no. Maybe – just maybe City Hall should instigate an abundance of clarity. But please – no more high-cost door-to-door mailers. We have a city budget problem.
D.G. Jones was a senior municipal manager and federal government executive.
For You:
Back To The Office For Councillors: PATTON
Deal With The Real Ottawa: BENN
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Funny you should mention the upcoming change(s) in solid waste collection. My household, like every other one in the city, I assume, recently received a calendar showing my new pickup day for the rest of the year. On the calendar, every day of every week contained a garbage can icon which was illuminating and made things clear as mud. A week or so later I found in my our mailbox a white envelope labelled “To Resident” or something similar. The 8 1/2 by 11 sheet inside told me that my garbage collection day might be changing and I should visit the ottawa.ca website on March 30th to determine when my “new” collection day would/might be (I assume my “new” day might be the same as my “old” day). I guess that after I visit the website my next job will be to locate the page filled with garbage cans and circle the appropriate icon for each week until the cows come home – oops, until I reach the end of the calendar for the year. I wish we still had young children in our home, this would be an effective exercise for them, their first opportunity to deal with the subject of Civics. In my last job I spent time training new hires. To loosen the students up I would always ask them a couple of questions I had formulated before I began teaching the course material. My favourite (and one no one ever responded correctly to) was – “What is the biggest challenge for any organization?” The correct answer? “Effective communication”. ‘Nuff said.
Too often city communications start in the middle. Nothing on why the shift from a 5 day pickup schedule to a 4 day schedule. Just that something is happening and how that may or may not affect some residents.
Implicit in this mindset is that the residents recall the limited reports to council and even lower quantity/quality of discussion at council that led to the decision. All of which occurred a year or two ago.
I don’t remember anything about the Province assuming responsibility for urban garbage collection. All of it? Everywhere? Why? Is this at no cost to local government? Why is Ottawa buying a zillion dollar landfill if garbage is now Provincial?
david1 – the province is now paying the same company as before (Miller in our neighbourhood) to pick up the plastics, glass, metal etc. The city remains responsible for garbage, paper and compost/yard waste collection.
A quick look at my interim property tax bill shows a $133.50 charge, representing 50% of the expected total for the year. Upshot of it is that we are paying the city more this year, and they are doing less. Par for the course.