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City codifies rules for public-private partnerships Laura Mueller
R0012023770
laura.mueller@metroland.com
R0012026648
EMC news - Secrecy shouldn’t be part of the deal when it comes to partnerships between the city and private companies, a community representative told the city’s de facto executive committee last week. The city formalized its policy for public-private partnerships – or P3s, as they are known – during an April 2 meeting of the finance and economic development committee. For the most part, the rules codify what the city has already been doing when it comes to arrangements for companies to build and/or operate municipal facilities such as arenas, said Jeff Byrne, the city’s procurement manager. The policy also adds a requirement to report back to committee and council about the results of the partnership. Bob Brocklebank, a representative of the Federation of Citizens’ Associations and the Glebe Community Association, told the committee that the city needs to be open and provide as much information as possible to convince the public that a partnership is the best idea. “If a P3 is truly better than a traditional approach, let the public see that is the case,” he said. “Being open about it will reduce the strife that has plagued past projects.” Brocklebank said he has no “ideological objections” to P3s, but the community needs to be fully engaged in the process – both before and after a project is approved and completed – to ensure success. The committee supported an addition from Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans to include a line requiring details about proposed P3s to be released to the public for consultation and information as soon as possible in the process. The formalized policy came out of a request from the city auditor general’s office in 2006. The audit required the city to boost accountability, solidify the business case for partnerships and improve how the results are reported to councillors and the public. Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of city staff in that process was also suggested.
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Ottawa South News EMC - Thursday, April 11, 2013