Week Seven

I settled in at the Mirror Lake Centre (MLC) pretty quick. Everyone has been helpful and very welcoming. The office set up is quite different from the city hall as well as you get the extra bonus of having to view the mirror lake.

I have been researching the integrated Municipal Solid Waste initiative been pursued by Camrose. The idea is to have a master plan for a comprehensive municipal waste management. To achieve this, I am looking at what other municipalities in various provinces have, as well as the request for proposal (RFP’s) that was tendered by these municipalities. I did examine a total of 25 municipalities integrated waste management master plans. The plan the stood out to me is Halifax municipality and the Quinte West (Quinte West involved and collaborated with nine municipalities and counties in Ontario) plans. I am still researching some RFP’s because I am really not satisfied with what I came across. The research is going good but I might be constrained by some software problems when I start developing a plan and RFP next week. I emailed IT about it and they hope to talk to my supervisor to address these concerns. Moreover, the waste management project may possibly present some hiccups. I perceive some technicalities might develop with the research project because of the direction the Infrastructure department wants to go with it. It is not to say it is bad but rather there may not be easy fixes, so to speak, and a concise roadmap to meeting the expectations of the waste management project. There are numerous considerations that have to be factored in to achieve the objective of the project. Just to name a few: which municipal RFP may best suit this project; how will the project factor in the perspective and position of the various stakeholders and residents in Camrose in contrast to the recommendations made by various consultants to manage solid waste; what direction does the engineering department perceive to be feasible; which municipality in Alberta with a similar population has adopted or developed an integrated municipal solid waste master plan. These are all issues that might influence the research I am undertaking. To add to this, I might need some more consultations with Mark to clarify the objective of the project because I have to factor in time considerations and what is actually feasible to achieve within the time left to complete my internship. I believe I have more questions. On Monday, I will meet with the infrastructure department to discuss some of these issues.

This research has showed me how important it is to keep a constant communication line with a project manager about the scope, timing and purpose of the project because you could easily deviate from the expectations of the project.

I consulted with some departments on the purchasing policy. I consulted with the head of purchasing for capital items such as fleet and machinery, the head of the water treatment plant, the Camrose Police Deputy of Police and Administrator, and the heads of Municipal Engineering and Infrastructure Management. A common theme that was echoed was the need to bump up the authorization limit for the purchase of goods and services to about $75,000, and capital equipment @ $100,000. As well, allowing the city administrator to authorize at least $100,000 without having to go through council every time a purchase needs to be made. Simply put, eliminate the process whereby departments have to go back to council to ask for authorization again to spend when the purchase has already been approved in the capital and operating budgets. As well, they recommended the limits to credit cards be increased in order to make certain purchases (for example, miscellaneous items bought in the U.S.) a lot easier. I spite of the recommendations, one department was very satisfied with the way things were running with the purchasing process.

Regarding purchasing, I found out there are no one-fit-all process for all departments, as each department have unique needs, timing and specifications that needs to be met. Departmental purchasing do require some level of experience and astuteness, and going with what works. I think it will surely be a challenge to factor in the recommendations being made by the various department in the redrafting of the policy.