1.             AUDIT REPORT - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR IN-HOUSE SOLID WASTE COLLECTION        – 2010

 

                APPORT DE VÉRIFICATION – ÉTATS FINANCIERS POUR LA COLLECTE DES DÉCHETS            SOLIDES PAR LA VILLE – 2010

 

 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

 

That Council receive this report for information.

 

 

RECOMMANDATION DU COMITÉ

 

Que le Conseil prendre connaissance de ce rapport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Documentation

 

1.                  Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability report dated 25 January 2011 (ACS2011-ICS-ESD-0001).

 

 

 


Report to/Rapport au :

 

Environment Committee /

Comité de l'environnement

 

and Council / et au Conseil

 

January 25, 2011 / le 25 janvier 2011

 

Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability/Services d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités 

 

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Dixon Weir, General Manager

Environmental Services/Services environnementaux

(613) 580-2424 x22002, dixon.weir@ottawa.ca

 

Wards 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18 and 19

Ref N°: ACS2011-ICS-ESD-0001

 

 

SUBJECT:

AUDIT REPORT - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR IN-HOUSE SOLID WASTE COLLECTION - 2010

 

 

OBJET :

RAPPORT DE VÉRIFICATION – ÉTATS FINANCIERS POUR LA COLLECTE DES DÉCHETS SOLIDES PAR LA VILLE - 2010

 

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

 

That the Environment Committee recommend Council receive this report for information. 

 

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

 

Que le Comité de l’environnement recommande au Conseil de prendre connaissance de ce rapport. 

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

City of Ottawa Council approved and awarded one zone (Zone C3) of the six-year collection contract (June 2, 2006 through May 31, 2012) to City Staff (hereafter referred to as “In-house collection group”) following a managed competition process that was overseen by a fairness commissioner. 

 


In approving the use of the In-house collection group for Zone C3, Council also approved:

 

“That Council require an annual audit of expenditures for works awarded to the City, that Council require an annual information report, qualitative and quantitative in nature, relevant to this program, as suggested by the City Internal Auditor, and that such reports follow the usual Committee process.”

 

This report presents both the audited financial statement for the 12 months ended May 31, 2010, and the Department’s performance report.  Both the financial statement and performance report are the responsibility of management.  The Auditor’s responsibilities are discussed in each section.

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

Financial Results

 

As in prior years, the methodology used by management to prepare the financial statements is consistent with the Managed Competition Protocol and the Internal Auditor’s Report on incremental costs approved by Regional Council on May 27, 1998 and September 8, 1998, respectively.  There are four fundamental concepts used in preparation of the In-house collection statements:

 

1.      This is a “going concern” operation;

2.      This is a unit-based contract;

3.      Expenditures and revenues are recorded on an accrual basis;

4.      All incremental costs are included.

 

The Statement of Operations of the In-house collection group for the 12 months ended May 31, 2010, was audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the City’s external auditor.  Their audit was designed in accordance with the Generally Accepted Auditing Standards to provide reasonable, rather than absolute, assurance that the statements are free from material misstatement.  An unqualified opinion was issued on the statements.  The Statement of Operations and the Auditor’s Report are provided in Document 1.

 

The In-house collection for Zone C3 resulted in an operating surplus for Year 4 of $213,996 and a cumulative operating surplus to residents of $1,210,492 since the contract started in 2006.

 

Table 1 below presents the current and total contractual, operational and overall savings to area residents achieved by the In-house collection group.  The contract is structured to be paid at the bid unit rate for the actual tonnage collected.

 


Table 1: Financial Performance of the In-house Collection Group

 

 

Current Contract

Current Contract

Current Contract

Current Contract

Total Savings

 

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

 

 

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

 

Savings from City Bid

            $1,101,647 

$   977,689

 

$731,338

 

$781,024

 

$3,591,699

Additional Savings from In-house Collection Operations

$   254,367

$   498,847

 

  

$243,282

 

  

$213,996

 

 

$1,210,492

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Savings

$1,356,014

$ 1,476,536

$974,620

$995,020

$4,802,190

 

Total savings are a combination of the following: (1) savings as a result of the City’s bid price compared to the next closest bid, and (2) savings as a result of actual costs of the operation compared to the City’s bid price allocation (bid cost minus actual cost = operating savings). The total current savings of $4,802,190 plus savings of $1,474,641 from the last contract total $6,276,831.

 

Year 4 operating savings result from the reduced fuel prices, efficient route optimization, managed labour costs, and the productivity of dedicated and experienced staff.

 

Performance Results

 

In addition to the audited Statement of Operations for the In-house collection group, management prepares an annual report on the performance of this contract for Committee and Council. The performance report includes both quantitative and qualitative assessments identified for the program.  Ernst & Young LLP has reviewed the performance information to ensure it was prepared on a consistent basis with prior years and accurately reflects the result of operations for Year 4.

 

Ongoing qualitative analysis is conducted to ensure that residents receive the appropriate service level and that costs related to their response are minimized.   If a resident calls 3-1-1 with a service call, a work order is issued to the appropriate contractor for resolution.  Monthly reports are prepared for each service provider, including the In-house collection group, illustrating their performance and assisting in identifying trends that require attention.

 


Table 2 - Solid Waste Collection – Customer Service Requests

                 June 1, 2009 to May 31, 2010 (Year 4)

 

Call Type

In-house

Services

Zone C3

% of City Total

Contracted Service

(Zones C1, 2, 4 & 5)

% of City Total

City total

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Box collection

261

21.1

976

78.9

1,237

Blue Box collection

181

18.9

777

81.1

958

Garbage collection

698

21.6

2,537

78.4

3,235

Leaf & Yard collection

485

15.6

2,633

84.4

3,118

Organics

250

18.0

1,140

82.0

1,390

Total Calls/year

1,875

18.9

8,063

81.1

9,938

 

 

 

 

 

 

Households

45,127

17.2

217,801

82.8

262,928

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average daily Service Requests per 1,000 households

1.0

 

0.65

 

0.7

 

Zone 2 and Zone 3 (In-House Zone) both reported significant call reductions while Zones 1,4 and 5 reported significant call increases over the Year 3 figures (June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009). 

 

In Year 4, the In-house collection group received an average of 1 call per 1,000 homes per day or 52 calls per 1,000 homes/year. The main issues justifying the difference in call type data are:

 

1. The In-house collection group provides service in the urban core where calls are related to property standards and waste issues are historically higher than in suburban and rural areas; and,

2. Many homeowners in the contracted service areas (exact number not tracked) call the contractor providing service directly, rather than the City’s call centre, to have complaints resolved. 

 

 

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no rural implications from this report.

 

 

CONSULTATION

 

This report was prepared in collaboration with the Financial Services ISCS Unit and the Solid Waste Services branch.

 

 


COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR

 

Councillors for the affected wards were not consulted as this report is for information only.

 

 

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS:

 

There are no legal/risk management impediments to receiving this report.

 

 

CITY STRATEGIC PLAN

 

This report is in accordance with the Service Delivery priority to “Deliver agreed to level of service at the lowest possible cost.”

 

 

TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no technical implications from this report.

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no financial implications from this report.

 

 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

 

Document 1    Statement of Operations – City of Ottawa In-house Waste Collection – For the Twelve Months Ended May 31, 2010

 

 

DISPOSITION

 

City Council to receive this report for information.