Peter Judd only got named as the head of engineering about 10 days ago, but he’s already moving on his ideas, as this internal memo that “anonymous” sent me shows.
I am thrilled to have been asked to lead our great Department. Before too much time passes I want to take a few moments to share with you my vision for Engineering as we move ahead and announce some key changes.
The next few years will be a transformative time.
To chart a path we will soon be embarking on a process to renew our strategic plan. In the meantime there are four basic objectives which we will focus on and that will guide our efforts. The objectives are to:
1. Be recognized as the most progressive, innovative and forward thinking municipal public works provider in the world.
2. Be transparent to Council, our citizens and our employees in how we operate.
3. Be aligned with Council’s objectives and direction.
4. Optimize strategic partnerships and connections and be team players inside and outside the department and city.
To help move us quickly toward these objectives I am very pleased to announce the appointment of two new Division Heads:
Karyn Magnusson
I am delighted to announce the appointment of Karyn Magnusson to the Departmental Services position. I am proud to be able to appoint her – our first female division head ever. Karyn’s experience and skills in our department and with the VSR project have prepared her well to take on this role. Her appointment also helps our senior management team begin to reflect the diversity of our community which is essential for our continued credibility as an organization. (And also supports objective 1)
Karyn’s portfolio will include the existing suite of Departmental services branches as well as Projects and Land Survey.
One of Karyn’s key priorities will be to guide Equipment’s current initiative to map out how we will radically change the make up of our fleet to support our goals around Green House Gas emissions and to support emerging zero emission technologies.
Paul Henderson
Paul has proven himself over the years. The Landfill gas project, which evolved over Paul’s tenure, is the single biggest reason why the City has met its Kyoto green house gas targets. Most recently everyone will be familiar with Paul’s tireless efforts to make the Olympics the success it was.
Paul will be heading up a new portfolio, which for now I call “Strategic Initiatives”. It is time to really take a serious look at what drives us and what we need to do to be a valued player in the City Organization. Paul’s focus will be a new strategic plan that aligns us with the overall city business plan. He will also oversee the development of green plans for each branch that will lay out how every aspect of our work will demonstrate world leadership in sustainability. Paul will also move us to be much better communicators externally on the innovation we are capable of but not necessarily known for.
In these two appointments you will have noticed that some of the Deputy’s roles have been subsumed by the new roles. I will be retaining the labour relations portfolio in order to strengthen connections with our unions as part of realizing objective 4. Consequently we will not have a Deputy City Engineer for the foreseeable future and I have made some adjustments to existing portfolios at the Division Head level as follows:
Jerry Dobrovolny
Jerry will retain the Transportation portfolio. However, in recognition of the high profile and onerous responsibilities that come with the position, it will be reclassified to be the “Director of Transportation”. This position is consistent with the Director of Planning role and should be compensated at a higher level than it has been.
I am asking Jerry to reorganize the Transportation Division to ensure that our resources, our creativity and our energy better reflect the priorities that this and previous councils have given us.
Neal Carley
Neal will retain the Streets portfolio and in addition will pick up some responsibilities around the series of labour initiatives already underway with CUPE 1004. There are a number of issues we need to work hard to resolve and which, with Neal’s, our Superintendant’s and Cupe 1004’s help, we have already made good progress toward.
Brian Crowe
Brian will retain the Sewer and Water portfolio and will manage the rapidly evolving Neighbourhood Energy file. There is enormous potential for the City to be a leader in energy utilities. Specifically we are going to look at alternative energy sources at a neighbourhood level, as well as alternate ownership models potentially including multi-stakeholder co-operatives. Brian’s experience with South East False Creek positions him well to help us explore and realize these emerging opportunities.
Rowan Birch
Rowan will now focus exclusively on Solid Waste, and in the short term the regional Solid Waste Management Plan. There is good alignment at the City and in the region that can take us beyond simply landfilling as a solution to managing future residuals. In our own city, there is a lot of work to be done over the next year to implement full kitchen waste composting, explore single stream recycling, and completely reinvent our solid waste, composting and recycling collection.
In addition to the above positions, I am also developing a new position at a high level that, for a period of time, will help us with a number of key initiatives related to Objectives 2 and 3. Transparency and alignment demand far different mechanisms for budgeting and reporting than we currently have at our disposal. At the moment it is not easily clear to Council what we are spending on their priorities of walking and cycling. As well there is no apparent connection between what we spend on operating vs on capital.
In addition, we have no real measures with which to manage our organization on an ongoing basis. From week to week we have no idea whether we are doing better or worse than budget, we don’t have a grasp on how much work is being done, we aren’t capturing all the benefits of 311 and we have no good mechanisms to assess the value of our various programs. Hansen provides us with a tool to do much better reporting and this new position will help us achieve the promise of Hansen and provide the transparency that we, our council and our citizens need.
I firmly believe that given where we are now, we CAN be the most progressive, the most innovative and the most sustainable Public Works department in the world. I know many of you are keenly interested in sustainable initiatives. I’m looking forward to working with you all and making this the most rewarding and engaging time in our department’s long history.
In the next few months I will be getting around to all parts of our organization to talk with you in more detail about the objectives I have described, and hear what you think we can do to make these real on the ground.
20 responses so far ↓
1 West End Blogger // Jul 20, 2010 at 11:21 am
Some of this is long overdue. The next step is for Engineering to go through their capital plan and flag projects that don’t align with or actually undermine current Council priorities, and immediately STOP wasting money on them.
From the information provided it sounds like the NPA will have to come up with a better campaign issue than their history of good management, based on the quotes below:
“Transparency and alignment demand far different mechanisms for budgeting and reporting than we currently have at our disposal.”
Well at least the City is finally being honest.
“At the moment it is not easily clear to Council what we are spending on their priorities …. As well there is no apparent connection between what we spend on operating vs on capital.
In addition, we have no real measures with which to manage our organization on an ongoing basis.”
Outsiders have been saying this for years, glad to hear it’s no longer falling on deaf ears.
“From week to week we have no idea whether we are doing better or worse than budget, we don’t have a grasp on how much work is being done, we aren’t capturing all the benefits of 311 and we have no good mechanisms to assess the value of our various programs.”
Wow!
2 Bill Lee // Jul 20, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Use 311 more? For statistical purposes? They get a nil vote from me as when I call it is busy. It was better in the “olde days” of calling a department in the Blue Pages and getting a human after 2 rings. Problem noted, discussed and results seen in two days.
Now? Feh.
Why not pump all the sewage and storm drain overflow to Little Mountain and The Crescent and let it flow daily down Cambie and Granville until we get full treatment of the mucky water before it is flushed straight into the ocean, and the two drains/pipes are fully separated.
The fish, crabs and people would be happier at the sudden clearing of outflow pipes and the “land” would be ripe for replanting in newly enriched ‘soil’
And how about having Burnaby take over the streets. Their roads are smo-oo-ooth, unlike Vancouver bu-mm-py, rough roads. Burnaby repaves after digging. Vancouver gets around to it eventually. Though what the re-smoothing of Hastings from Cambie to Heatley was for just before the Winter Olympics is still a mystery. (remember winter? remember some minor sports fest in what month?)
3 Tim Latanville // Jul 20, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Peter Judd is a great choice for this job and will totally make the change is required. The city has made a good choice [edited for unnecessary name-calling] with a formidable football player who will drive his agenda into the engineering department. Great choice and congratulations Peter!
4 mary // Jul 20, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Wow, wish we could clone him in the other departments. Real leadership, what a concept.
5 Wally // Jul 20, 2010 at 11:24 pm
311 is a great example of inefficiency and what not to do…but that is yet another one we can blame on Sam
6 MB // Jul 21, 2010 at 9:03 am
The action revolving around sustainability and accountability alone will push this municipal department ahead of every other municipal engineering department in the country, perhaps North America.
If memory serves, Mr. Judd was chosen for his long experience inside city hall, meaning a proven record beat outside qualifications and paper accreditation. This is a noteworthy component weighting factor in the evaluation process that needs to be adopted by other cities in the Metro who want to increase productivity. This is done by building employee loyalty and giving respect and recognition to an existing workforce.
All the best to you, Peter.
7 Tim Latanville // Jul 21, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Right on MB!
8 Michael Geller // Jul 21, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Wally, perhaps you would like to elaborate…please list 5 reasons why the 311 system is inefficient.
9 Michael Geller // Jul 21, 2010 at 3:53 pm
And yes, I too would like to congratulate Peter and all the people who are getting added responsibilities. I am encouraged by what I am reading.
10 x-insider // Jul 21, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Congrats to all of them indeed. However, I certainly hope all of these promotions were based on merit, NOT SEX . Karyn is also not the first female division head ever at the City. If memory serves correct, Mrs Plewes, P.Eng was and still is female, and was most certainly qualified for the position.
11 Charlie Harper // Jul 21, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Sheri Plewes was never a division head. Karyn is more than qualified.
12 Lorna B // Jul 22, 2010 at 9:30 am
Karyn was in equivalent division head position as director of VSR.
So far all that feels like an inaugural address by a newly elected politician. I would wait for the real results.
13 x-insider // Jul 22, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Suggest you check your City Hall employment history books again Mr Charlie Harper (or use that useful Google feature). Wouldn’t want you to unnecessarily insult a former female Assistant City Engineer
14 Wally // Jul 23, 2010 at 12:04 am
Michael Geller,
I as a citizen used to be able look in the blue pages of the phone book or simply google the city department of my choice. I would dial the number and speak directly with a city representative who usually knew what they were talking about. That has been lost.
I now call 311 and wait far too long listening to music before speaking with a polite but ignorant agent. 311 staff very often don’t know enough to be of any real help. The agents know a little about a lot but not alot about anything in particular. They end up transferring me to the very people I used to call directly, that is if I’m lucky that day and actually get pushed through to the correct person and or department.
I understand that part of the 311 funding was derived by taking over positions formerly held by the various departments they now answer for. The problem is those departments now spend time with fewer staff, yet they must prop up and train 311 agents and take transfered calls from citizens frustrated with their 311 experience.
The City originaly promised a 24/7 service. But wait, they don’t get enough calls to justify 24/7. What we end up with is a lack lustre 15/7 service for a reported cost of 15 to 20 million tax payer dollars. Another sad legacy of Sam.
15 Norman // Jul 23, 2010 at 10:57 am
311 seems to be a barrier to accessing city services. I have given up waiting (in excess of 10 minutes) on several occasions, and when you do get through, often the operator doesn’t know what you are talking about. The process seems to be to talk to the 311 operator, explain what you want, they generate some sort of ticket that involves you giving all sorts of information, and then waiting for a response that can take days. I really preferred being able to contact the department I wanted directly.
16 Joe Just Joe // Jul 23, 2010 at 1:36 pm
I’ve been lucky with 311, I have had to wait longer then I felt on a few occasions, but it is great to be able to just dial 311 regardless of the issue, and have them find the right dept. I’ve used it a half dozen times already on my walk to work when I’ve spotted something astray that needs attention, I don’t walk around with the blue pages on me so the 311 service has allowed me to call in things I would’ve just let slide otherwise.
17 Charlie Harper // Jul 23, 2010 at 5:40 pm
I stand corrected, Sheri Plewes was a division head (Sewer Water and Yards) before she left the City. You think Judd would have known that. Sorry Sheri.
18 Bill Smolick // Jul 25, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Now that we’re in a “post-racial” society (bullshit) I can’t wait until we’re in a “post-sexual” society so we can stop promoting people because they have tits.
Not that these women don’t have talent, but I really wish we could stop having conversations where a person being the first woman anything was relevant.
19 No Vision // Jul 25, 2010 at 4:07 pm
If 311 has issues, it is not Sam and the NPA to blame. Vision wanted to kill 311 the second they came to office, but the wasted money would be to much. So instead they leave it hanging in the wind. With no upper management and the message to City staff that they could not care a less about the service. Remember Roberts comments “&$#$ NPA Hack”, do you think Vision wants citizens to be able to talk to the city, you are living in a dreamworld. They have an agenda and do not care what anyone thinks. Unless you are there to tell them good job.
20 Jaymac // Jul 27, 2010 at 6:56 pm
I have to agree with those who have had difficulty with 311. As a person with many years experience in dealing with City Hall, one finds it very frustrating to have to (a) wait on hold, (b) explain to the operator what one is looking for, (c) re-explain because the issue is too refined for whatever list of FAQ’s has been issued to the operator, (d) wait while the operator discusses with a supervisor, and finally be asked to leave a message as “someone will get back to you.” Is that the kind of service for which one pays thousands in taxes every year? I also notice in using the staff contact list available on the City website that individual staff phone listings are starting to be removed. How helpful is that? I’d love to hear from someone, outside of City Hall, who enjoys 311.
Note, I am not blaming the operators. It is the system.