a) Finance and IT Capital Overview

Finance Department: Capital Overview

2020 Overview and 2021 Projects Review:

The Projects within the Finance Department are under two areas:

General Processing, Financing and Accounting

North Perth currently uses a manual budgeting process that does not provide a multi-year forecast required legislatively or a secure database for departmental AMPs, Development Charges Background and all other Financial Planning. Through an RFR process, the Municipality has selected a budgeting software application solution for corporate use. Staff will be implementing this new application for the 2022 budgeting process. A Development Charges Background Study was completed and implemented in August 2019. With changes in legislative requirements, attention will be given to necessary amendments in 2021.

Our current payroll solution is web-based and includes direct employee data input, layered approvals, security, appropriate audit trails and legislative compliance. As well, it has been integrated with our current HR software, InfoHR, for shared data input. Unfortunately, the payroll application has proven to be less effective than we had hoped with regard to ease of use and maintenance. As well, the auditors do not feel that it has the security measures necessary to ensure the separation of duties and data from payroll to HR. In light of these concerns, new payroll/HR software will be reviewed and analyzed by staff and BDO for compliance and replacement. Department Heads and IT Governance Committee have rated this as a priority. Staff, in conjunction with BDO, are in the process of preparing a request for proposal for a new application for payroll and an integrated human resources application that will continue to provide the established employee services and needed improvements for maintenance and audit requirements. In consideration of current legislation, Council has established a Strategic Asset Management Policy based on approved levels of service, documented condition rating and risk assessments for all municipal assets. The 2020 plans to move forward with next steps were deferred due to Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) delayed funding announcements and redirected internal resources. For 2021, staff are planning on getting back on track to address data and information needs for each department and update this data, verify condition assessment for each asset category and refine levels of service as per Council’s service targets. North Perth is still making application for the FCM funding but will be moving forward with the work plan regardless of this funding approval.

Information Technology Services

During the spring of 2020, Information Technology (IT) projects were somewhat derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the IT needs of the Corporation for continued operation and service (i.e. remote access for Council, Staff and the public). IT staff provided new applications such

as WebEx, Jabber, etc. and new/updated hardware laptops, cell phones, etc. to enable working from home protocols. Over the course of 2020, 40 new laptops/tablets/phones have been updated/added to enable additional/remote accessibility for all services. The core network carryover was deferred and only 75% of the planned work has been completed to date. IT staff are trying to ensure that 90% of the 2020 work plan will be finished by year-end. For 2021, the updates will focus on routers and connectivity application with improvements for Jabber and WebEx capabilities. A part-time IT Information Officer consultant was employed through a request for proposal process in 2020. With the lead as the consultant, an IT Governance Committee was established in 2020. This Committee is made up of staff members representing most of the corporate services within the Municipality. The Committee members are to jointly provide a collective recommendation to CAO/Department Heads, for further annual recommendations to Council, regarding IT projects to improve levels of service and promote corporate efficiencies. The water tower has provided an ideal height option for connectivity equipment for municipal and other commercial uses. Unfortunately, the water tower is a hostile environment for the type of equipment needed for this purpose. As well, the space available within the tower is inadequate for the equipment and for staff to maneuver easily/safely. Given these two important factors, IT staff will be looking at relocating the equipment to a drier and more spacious location nearby the tower which is still partially needed for height. IT staff will be coordinating with Environmental Services and the other commercial customers to create an effective solution for Council’s consideration in 2022.

Respectfully submitted,

Frances Hale, Director of Finance/Treasurer