City of Hamilton Staff Survey- Then and Now

Our readers may recall that in 2013, the City of Hamilton released the results of a staff survey that, while not all bad, revealed some disturbing findings. As the city recently conducted another staff survey, we thought it appropriate to ask about some of the areas that posed concerns from the 2013 survey, to see if the situations described had worsened, remained the same or improved. We directed our queries to City Manager Chris Murray who ensured that a response was furnished by Lora Fontana, Executive Director of Human Resources & Organizational Development for the City of Hamilton.

Here are our questions and Ms. Fontana's answers: 

In a staff survey conducted between March and April of 2013, whose results were revealed in 2013, some troubling findings emerged. Amongst these:25.7 per cent of city employees felt they'd been pressured to compromise their ethics and values.

• Only 50 per cent of employees felt they can report misconduct without fear of retaliation.
• And almost 60 per cent were unsure or disagreed that their code of conduct concerns are handled properly.

Given the seriousness of those findings, and with respect to the more recent “Our People” survey, can you identify where in the “Our People:” survey that measurements were taken to determine whether the above mentioned indicators have improved, stayed the same or worsened.
Yes, we did include measures within the ‘Our People Survey’ to reflect those asked in the 2013 survey and to allow us to measure improvements. Specific questions pertaining to the City’s Code of Conduct are as follows, with respondents answering based on a 7-point Likert scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree:

• I would say my direct supervisor demonstrates high ethical standards consistent with the code of conduct
• I would say that I have not felt pressure to compromise my ethics and values while working at the City of Hamilton
• Overall, senior leaders (Directors and above) demonstrate high ethical standards consistent with the code of conduct
• I would feel comfortable reporting a breach of the code of conduct within my division
• I believe that a breach of the code of conduct would be handled appropriately

It is important to note that on the advice of the survey vendor, Metrics@Work, the questions asked in 2017 regarding the City’s Code of Conduct were reworded for greater clarity. As such, the questions differ slightly in wording from 2013, but have been designed to measure the same themes.

As indicated through the ‘Our People Survey’ results, City employees generally agree that their direct Supervisor demonstrates high ethical standards that are consistent with the City’s Code of Conduct and that employees have generally not felt pressure to compromise their integrity within the workplace. Having said that, there remain opportunities with respect to the application of the City’s policies and procedures as well as employees’ comfort level in raising concerns with Divisional leaders.

Can you cite those comparative measurements if they exist and what actions have been or are being taken, if follow up is necessary.

The 2017 ‘Our People Survey’ is the tool that we will be using to measure progress made since the 2013 Ethics Survey. In addition to the City’s Code of Conduct specific questions, the ‘Our People Survey’ also asked other questions pertaining to workplace ethics and integrity that are benchmarked against other municipalities. Through both measures, we will be able to assess any progress made, both internally and also against our comparators.

As we cascade the survey results throughout the organization, action plans will be developed that are specific to problematic areas, as appropriate. Any area of opportunity respecting our progress with matters arising out of the City’s Code of Conduct, will be actioned accordingly.

Can you describe all efforts that have been made since learning of the 2013 above mentioned findings, to address those concerns.

Since 2013, a number of initiatives have been put in place to address raised concerns. In 2013, we launched our Corporate Culture Pillars and began socializing them throughout the organization, making real and sustained changes to our Corporate culture. We also implemented a number of changes and enhancements to the City’s Code of Conduct. Specifically, the Code of Conduct was revised and reapproved by Council, a procedure was put in place, a number of controls were introduced including the introduction of disclosure processes, an annual review process, and the requirement of staff to review and sign off on the Code of Conduct annually. The City has also introduced Code of Conduct training for all new employees and City leadership, and will be developing an all employee training program.

In addition, there will be a number of action items flowing from the ‘Our People Survey’ responses, at the organizational, departmental, divisional and sectional levels, and such actions will be reflective of the specific issues raised through the Survey, as appropriate.

Your thoughts? Are you satisfied that things are being adequately addressed, or do you remain concerned? 

Media Release: City of Hamilton Releases City-Wide Employee Survey Results

HAMILTON, ON – Results are in from the City of Hamilton’s employee survey called the ‘Our People Survey’ held in the fall of 2017.

The overall City-wide results are positive, with Hamilton scoring higher on average than the survey vendor’s benchmark database of organizations, which includes other municipal comparators. There are areas for improvement as well, and the City will be working with staff to build action plans to address those areas.

The survey was open to all City staff (full-time, part-time, contract and temporary) to complete voluntarily and anonymously from September 22 to October 15, 2017.

The survey measured five key focus areas:

1. Engagement: to determine how employees feel about their role at the City.

2. Culture: to understand if employees feel our five culture values are lived in our everyday actions.

3. Workplace Ethics & Integrity: to determine if employees perceive our behaviours to be aligned with our Code of Conduct.

4. Health, Safety & Wellness: to understand how we are doing with regard to physical and psychological safety.

5. Workforce Census & Demographics: to understand the composition of our workforce.

Quick Facts

· The survey was administered by Metrics@Work, a leading provider of organizational measurement and consulting.

· In total, 4,877 surveys were completed by City of Hamilton employees – an overall response rate of 65 per cent.

· The average response rate within the City / Municipal Sector in the Metrics@Work database is 61.5 per cent. A response rate of 65 per cent provides valid information that is reflective of the organization as a whole.

Additional Resources

City of Hamilton 2017 Survey Results – This report provides high level findings for the organization, summarized as averages of all respondent scores.

Our People Survey Update Information Report (February 27, 2018)

Quote

“We appreciate that so many of our employees across the organization participated in the survey and took the time to provide their feedback. It’s important to us to understand their experience at work and how we can make it better. While we’re of course pleased to see that some of the results are positive, we can also see that we have some work to do in some areas, and we’re committed to doing that work and making the necessary improvements.”

Chris Murray
City Manager

Cuddy Delivers

At times you felt that Jim Cuddy and company were playing a song in your living room. Sunday evening's performance at FirstOntario Place, proved that Cuddy is still on top of his game. 

If Cuddy was out to show the world that he can deliver a captivating performance without Blue Rodeo, he certainly did that. Although he included a few BR songs, a lot of focus was on his new music. Cuddy was also joined by his sons who also performed. 

In a world where music is sometimes manufactured through computer technology, Cuddy proved there is no substitute for the real thing. Cuddy played an array of instruments including guitar, harmonica and piano. He is a gifted songwriter only paralleled by his signature vocals and his emotional and passionate delivery.  A must see!

Media Release:Most Common Recycling Mistakes and How Residents Can Avoid Them

HAMILTON, ON – More than 78 per cent of residents in Hamilton put out their blue boxes each week. The City’s recycling program is very successful, and contributes to the diversion of more than 94,500 tonnes of waste from the landfill each year.

Improving the diversion rate and the increasing the uptake of recycling programs is an important initiative at the City of Hamilton. To help residents better understand their recycling responsibilities, we’re sharing some of the most common mistakes and questions about recycling.

1. Papers in the container box; Containers in the paper box

In Hamilton, we have a “two stream” recycling program – one box for containers (bottles, cans, cartons and jars) and a second box for paper and cardboard. Cross-contamination is the biggest challenge we experience when disposing of recycling materials. Residents should avoid putting out bags filled with unsorted recycling, or bags filled with mixed recyclables.

2. Plastic film
Most plastic film is not recyclable. This includes black garbage bags, mattress covers or wraps, bubble wrap, Ziploc bags, cereal bags, and cheese wrappers. Plastic film also clings to and hides other recyclable materials, which makes sorting more difficult.

3. Paper products
Many residents put paper products in the blue bin when they actually belong in the green cart. Examples of paper that should go in the green cart are: paper towels, paper plates, greasy pizza boxes, paper take out containers. Hard cover books and hot beverage cups are not recyclable and belong in the garbage (unless the hard covers are removed – then they can go in the blue bin!)

4. Dirty recyclables
Residents should rinse out recyclables that once held food – a pickle jar, for example. The City is able to recycle the jar, but not the pickles. Cardboard boxes can be recycled in the paper recycling bin, but if they are greasy or have food scraps on them, they should go into the green cart.

5. Bulky unrecyclable items
Items such as metal and electronics should be properly recycled at one of the City’s three Community Recycling Centres. Bulky unrecyclable items clog up the sorting equipment. Common items we see: pots, pans, coat hangers, scrap metal, Christmas and outdoor lights, electronics, textiles and VHS tapes.

6. Home health waste

Home health products are not recyclable. IV tubing, diabetic supplies, syringes and sharps, and medications are not recyclable. The Ontario Health Product Stewardship Association has details on how to properly dispose of home health waste.

7. Special waste items
The City often receives special waste items that should be properly recycled at one of our Community Recycling Centres, and are not acceptable in the blue bin. This includes batteries, single use propane cylinders (e.g. small camping stove cylinders), compressed cylinders, metal paint cans (unless empty and dry), light bulbs, and ink cartridges.

Residents can download the City’s new mobile app atwww.hamilton.ca/CityApp. The app has information about waste collection, including an interactive waste collection calendar and sorting tools.

Additional Resources:

- Community Recycling Centre locations
- Waste and recycling at the City of Hamilton

Food for Thought with Alex Bielak - A Decade Supporting Taste of Burlington and Soupfest, the Region’s Two Most Important Food Events

A Decade Supporting Taste of Burlington and Soupfest, the Region’s Two Most Important Food Events

For the last decade West Plains Bistro, a higher-end restaurant situated in Aldershot, has been a quiet mainstay in the Region’s two most important food events, winning some top honours along the way.

Irene Burns is proud the bistro she opened in 2005 is part of the 10th-anniversary edition of Taste of Burlington running from February 19th – March 11th. She’s also thrilled her chef, Brandon Ashby, is defending his 2017 “Best, and Most Creative Soups” and “Foodies Choice First Runner-Up” Titles at the Living Rock’s Soupfest 2018 on Weds, February 21st. (West Plains is the only restaurant that is participating in both events this year and has done so consistently for years.)

The nuts and bolts of reservations/tickets etc. can be found at each website, but in essence both provide an opportunity to experience a range of offerings from a plethora of restaurants in Burlington and Hamilton. There are plenty of newcomers at both events, and many are featuring an eat-local component on their plates.

“Taste of Burlington 2018” is a prix-fixe dining program with 3-course lunch and dinner menus ranging from $15 to $40. It has grown from, shall we say, an intimate launch event in the Tourism Burlington office with a dozen restaurants showcasing a few apps, to a full-fledged sold-out launch party for 350 guests (and a waiting list of eighty more), and no fewer than 36 participating restaurants involved in the ongoing promotion. West Plains won the top prize at the 2014 launch event for a wonderful Cauliflower soup incidentally.

Soupfest now draws around 5000 guests, sampling soups from 27 restaurants, up significantly from its first go around in 2003. A major fundraiser in support of youth-at-risk, there’s some great music, and local celebrities and politicians can be found serving soup during the course of the event which runs from 11:30 am to 9 pm.

Restaurants compete in various categories: Julie Conway, the indefatigable senior Living Rock staffer overseeing the event, advises that in 2018 they’ll include “Best Soup, Most Creative Soup, Best Display, Tastiest Heart Smart (all as voted by the public), and then the Foodie Awards for best soup as well as 1st and 2nd runner-up, as well as Foodies Choice for Most Creative and Must Try soups.” She also notes that the judges will be virtually incommunicado as the Chefs take their verdicts “very, very seriously” and need to know judges are not receiving “secret” details before rendering a decision.

Irene Burns calls Taste of Burlington a “win-win.” She was in from Day 1, both to be part of the community and to help raise the profile of the Bistro, getting new customers through the door that might not have come otherwise. She says the growth of the event since it began has been amazing. “We’d bring a tray with two dozen of one item for the launch party, whereas now we are preparing 3-400 portions!”

The same is true for Soupfest where one of her staff now spends two days making 200 litres of soup. She says she doesn’t begrudge the cost – last year’s winning soup was a clever meld of zucchini, bacon and Stilton - as it is for a good cause, one she is passionate about.

West Plains Bistro’s peers, Downtown Bistro, Paradiso, Pepperwood, and The Water Street Cooker were also part of the very first Taste of Burlington event ten years ago. I dare say the motivations of many of the restaurants participating in these events – whether for the first, or tenth time are similar. And the lucky residents of Hamilton and Burlington are definitely winners too: because what’s not to love? Good food, the potential to experience something new, and to support a worthy cause.

Bon Appétit!

Full disclosure: I have been invited to cover Taste of Burlington for a number of years by the organizers, and was one of the judges at the launch event last month. Similarly, I have helped adjudicate Soupfest for the past few years and have been designated lead judge this year. Offerings at the latter event are judged blind, and – as with other participating restaurants - I have no idea what West Plains Bistro will be serving this year.

To see all past columns please see (and “like”) the Food for Thought Archives
Alex (Alex can be reached on twitter @AlexBielak)

Media release:Financial stability, digital transformation and value for money key focuses of City Manager’s and Corporate Services 2018 departmental preliminary tax operating budgets

Hamilton, ON – With an emphasis on taxpayer value for money, performance excellence, financial stability and digital transformation, the City Manager’s Office and Corporate Services Department presented their 2018 tax operating budgets today to Hamilton City Council’s General Issues Committee. Staff provided a summary of 2017 accomplishments, measurements of success, and a look ahead to 2018 and beyond.  

For the City Manager’s Office, which is made up of the corporation’s administrative, human resources, strategic partnerships, revenue generation, communications, corporate initiatives, digital strategy and audit functions, City Manager, Chris Murray, conveyed key focuses for the department for 2018. They include the development and execution of the City’s Digital Strategy, including a continued focus on Open Data and our Smart City Strategy, launch of the City’s Performance Excellence Dashboard and phase two of the City’s Trust and Confidence report, enhancement of the CityApp, a focus on leadership development and staff training, and continuing to build strategic partnerships and secure new revenue generation opportunities.

Overall, the City Manager’s Office is requesting a total increase of $139,956, or 1.3% from 2017.

City Manager’s Office Quick Facts for 2017:

• Lead department on the development of the City’s Amazon HQ2 bid, which has been downloaded almost 111,000 times to date and is being leveraged to pursue other investment in Hamilton
• Successful rollout of the Citizen Dashboard and the Trust and Confidence Report, which improve accountability to residents and provide information about City services and their performance
• Supported the City’s successful application to become a Top7 Intelligent Community, worldwide
• Development of the City of Hamilton’s “CityApp” (launched February 2018)
• Reached an agreement entering the Hamilton Farmers’ Market into a 5-year $750K partnership with Meridian Credit Union
• Launched solution-focused, collaborative learning space, CityLAB, with McMaster University, Mohawk College and Redeemer University College
• Developed our Citizen Survey to help us understand needs and perceptions of Hamiltonians and identify areas for improvement in City service delivery, quality of life and wellbeing (survey ran Jan 15-Feb 4)
• Realized $3.25 million in proceeds from sale of Hamilton Technology Centre
• Secured $7.7M/15-year deal with Outfront Media to promote City programs, services and initiatives and generate advertising revenue
• Development and implementation of the Human Rights, Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan, including the Transgender Protocol Agreement
• Conducted a Value for Money audit on the use of external consultants, which put forward 12 recommendations to improve how external consultants are managed and more effectively utilized

For the Corporate Services Department, which is comprised of the finance, customer service and provincial offences administration, IT, legal, risk management and City Clerk functions, General Manager Mike Zegarac outlined a number of initiatives the department aims to carry out in 2018. They include expanding the City’s new agenda management system and staff Customer Service training program, upgrading of various financial systems and enhancing online taxation services, administration of the 2018 Municipal Elections and the development and implementation of an IT Strategy.

Overall, the Corporate Services Department is requesting a total increase of $405,230, or 1.5% from 2017.

Corporate Services Quick Facts for 2017:

• Coordination of the new agenda management system and audio visual equipment to improve information sharing, flow of meetings and online experience of viewing City Council and Committee meetings
• 2017 Gold Marcom Award for Customer Service Training
• Multi-Year Business Planning and Budget implemented
• AA+ Credit Rating & Stable Outlook from S&P Global Ratings
• Procurement Policy Review

These are the final departmental presentations for 2018. Council is expected to consider final approval of the City’s overall tax operating budget in March. Learn more about the 2018 Budget.

Additional Resources
2018 City Manager’s Office Preliminary Operating Budget presentation
2018 Corporate Services Preliminary Operating Budget presentation
www.hamilton.ca/Budget2018

Quotes

“Through the budget presentations over the past few weeks, staff have done a tremendous job at highlighting our accomplishments in 2017, and our major initiatives for 2018 and beyond. We’re committed to continuing to provide residents with the transparency and accountability they deserve, and to ensuring they find value for their tax dollars through City programs and services, ongoing infrastructure improvements and economic development, prosperity and growth initiatives.”
Chris Murray, City Manager