It’s a contentious document, to say the least, with many Peterborough County councillors unhappy with how a consultant handled the first portion of an organizational and service delivery review.
On July 8, MNP, a Toronto-based accounting, tax and business consulting firm, presented the findings of the review to county council.
But many councillors jumped on the fact that there was no public or First Nation consultation completed by MNP for the report.
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On Wednesday, the organizational and service delivery review was back on the agenda. This time, council voted in-favour of creating a working group to review and finalize the review, IT/GIS master plan and capital projects review.
The working group will be comprised of the warden, deputy warden, county staff and three additional members of county council.
“Even though it’s going to take a lot of extra time, it’s better to rescue what has already been done and complete the exercise,” said Karl Moher, Douro-Dummer deputy mayor.
As for public engagement, Peterborough County will move into it eventually, not in general terms but rather for specific projects within the service review.
As part of its mandate, the working group will inform council on how best to do that.
“Council had asked a public engagement strategy be prepared by MNP as part of their mandate for the project,” said acting chief administrative officer Sheridan Graham. “The real value of the public, First Nation and township engagement is in each strategy and project that we move forward.”
“We need to be respectful with those groups as we move forward in all matters political in nature,” Matthew Graham, the deputy mayor for Cavan Monaghan Township said.
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Matthew Graham warned that it was important that in all future reviews or work with consultants, that council be clear about engagement and that the municipalities that make up the county should be consulted as well.
“It’s a substantial loss – I think there was insufficient consultations,” he said. “That really frustrates me. I want to ensure we can figure out a way that this isn’t an unfortunate circumstance we have to relive.”
Cavan Monaghan Mayor Scott McFadden agreed.
McFadden said he was also uninterested in working with MNP on any future engagement.
“I’m not interested in going there. They’ve had their opportunity. They’ve been paid. They’re done,” he said. “I would move this to the committee so we can get some further information from the residents and First Nations and then move on with implementing.”
Another issue that was brought up was that public works and the roads were left out of the MNP document.
“I feel as though everything I said to the consultants disappeared,” added Jim Whelan, the deputy mayor of North Kawartha Township. “I asked for a review of the roads department — it’s 44 per cent of our budget and I asked for a review from the top down and there’s nothing in it. We can’t have 44 per cent of the budget with no comment on it.”
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MNP had recommended many cost saving measures including turning Lang Pioneer Village into a passive tourist attraction, consolidating waste management, improving communication and cutting council in half by eliminating the deputy mayor seats for each township at the county council table.
“It will be a big project and we need to look at what our priorities are and what we need to prioritize first and then move forward,” added Graham. “The First Nation consultation for the whole plan — MNP is still happy to do and we will be going back to them during the process.”
Asphodel-Norwood Mayor Rodger Bonneau told council he would like to see all councillors participate in the rollout of the review.
“We all need to be involved in this to make the right decisions going forward,” he said.
Warden J. Murray Jones agreed and said there would be subcommittees formed under the working group.
“I want every single member of county council in it. The working group can start the big picture and all of the little pictures can join together with everyone involved.”
Graham said the working group will also identify any gaps in service.
Council agreed that public works be included in the review.
There were no timelines discussed of how long the working group will take to do its work and when any public consultation will take place.
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