3.             CREATION OF AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST POSITION

 

CRÉATION D’UN POSTE DE SPÉCIALISTE, RELATIONS INTERGOUVERNEMENTALES POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT ÉCONOMIQUE

 

 

 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

 

That Council approve the creation of an Intergovernmental Relations Economic Development Specialist position in the first phase of the Economic Development Strategy implementation, and that staff make efforts to accommodate this position within existing resources.

 

 

RECOMMANDATION DU COMITÉ

 

Que le Conseil approuve la création d’un poste de spécialiste, Relations intergouvernementales pour le développement économique, dès la première étape du plan de mise en œuvre de la stratégie de développement économique, et que le personnel s’efforce de le faire à même les ressources existantes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOCUMENTATION

 

1.                  Councillor Desroches’ report dated 9 September 2010 (ACS2010-CMR-CSE-0021).


Report to/Rapport au :

 

Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee

Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique

and Council / et au Conseil

 

9 September 2010 / le 9 septembre 2010

 

Submitted by/Soumis par : Quartier Sud Gloucester-South Ward

Councillor / Conseiller Steve Desroches

 

Contact Person/Personne ressource :Steve Desroches,

Councillor, Gloucester-South Ward / Conseiller, quartier Sud-Gloucester

(613) 580-2751, Steve.Desroches@ottawa.ca

 

City Wide / A l’échelle de la ville

Ref N°: ACS2010-CMR-CSE-0021

 

 

SUBJECT:

CREATION OF AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST POSITION

 

 

OBJET :

CRÉATION D’UN POSTE DE SPÉCIALISTE, RELATIONS INTERGOUVERNEMENTALES POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT ÉCONOMIQUE

 

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

 

That the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee recommend that Council approve the creation of an Intergovernmental Relations Economic Development Specialist position in the first phase of the Economic Development Strategy implementation, and that staff make efforts to accommodate this position within existing resources.

 

 

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

 

Que le Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique recommande au Conseil d’approuver la création d’un poste de spécialiste, Relations intergouvernementales pour le développement économique, dès la première étape du plan de mise en œuvre de la stratégie de développement économique, et que le personnel s’efforce de le faire à même les ressources existantes.

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

Councillor Desroches submitted the following motion for consideration at the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee meeting on 7 September 2010.

 

WHEREAS a recent analysis of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats to the Ottawa economy identified decentralization of Federal Government operations as a threat;

 

AND WHEREAS the Federal Government recently announced its intent to create a payroll centre in Eastern Canada, signalling decentralization of a function that has been almost wholly based in the National Capital Region;

 

AND WHEREAS analysis suggests this is likely the beginning of trend towards a general decentralization of the Federal Government bureaucracy;

 

AND WHEREAS the Council approved Economic Development Strategy includes provision for the creation of an intergovernmental economic development liaison position to, among other things, work with the Federal Government to encourage maintenance of a centralized Federal bureaucracy;

 

AND WHEREAS a function of this position would also be to build relationships with Provincial and Federal partners to capitalize on government funding for economic development programs for the city;

 

AND WHEREAS Council has directed staff to review Ottawa’s economic development service delivery model against best practices employed by other North American municipalities and bring forward a phased implementation plan for the strategy to Committee and Council in Q1 2011;

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City’s Economic Development Branch create the position of an Intergovernmental Relations Economic Development Specialist in the first phase of the Economic Development Strategy implementation plan within existing resources.

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

Economic Development Branch

 

Creation of this position is a key component of the City’s Economic Development Strategy. Staff support the motion.

 

 

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Economic Development Branch

 

There are several provincial and federal government programs targeted to boost economic activity in rural communities. This dedicated intergovernmental liaison position is expected to proactively highlight such opportunities to Ottawa’s rural communities and stakeholders. This increased focus and linkages between rural Ottawa and various government partners is expected to result in increased rural economic activity.

 

 

CONSULTATION

 

This item will be advertised in the local dailies as part of the Public Meeting Advertisement on Friday preceding the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee Meeting.

 

 

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no legal/risk management impediments to implementing the recommendation in this report.

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

As the recommendation is that the Intergovernmental Affairs Relations Economic Development Specialist position is created within the existing resources complement there would be no incremental financial implications.

 

 

DISPOSITION

 

Staff to take appropriate action as directed by the Committee and Council.