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Ottawa is creating a new Strategic Initiative department as the city grapples with the complex problems of senior staff retirements, rapidly changing federal and provincial legislation and ongoing crises such as housing and climate emergencies.
The new SI department will oversee three new branches of city government: Economic Development Services; Housing Solutions and Investment Services; and Climate Change and Resiliency Services.
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City Manager Wendy Stephanson unveiled the restructuring Wednesday after a lengthy in camera session of council.
“Given these realities, changes are being made to the city’s administrative structure to set the city up for success now and in the future,” Stephanson said.
The restructuring, which took effect Wednesday, will “ensure deliberate and focused efforts with and single points of accountability and streamlined governance,” Stephanson said.
The interim manager of the SI department will be Ryan Perrault, who led the city’s vaccine task force and is currently manager of business and technical support with Emergency and Protective Services.
With the change, the former Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development department will become a focused Planning, Development and Building Services department, what Stephanson described as a return to a “true planning department” — one that’s “laser-focused and can deliver on our housing targets.”
The reorganization is “FTE-neutral” Stephanson said, meaning no new positions will be created.
Like many municipalities, and even private-sector organizations, the city is weathering a wave of retirements by senior staff, something that’s draining the city’s “corporate memory.” In April alone, the city has seen the retirements of Don Herweyer, general manager of Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development; Kim Ayotte, manager of Emergency and Protective Services; and city solicitor David White.
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With so many organizations looking for senior executives, recruiting new leaders is a challenge, Stephanson said.
“We are not unique,” she said. “Everybody has to look at how they’re recruiting, what they offer as an employer what kind of an environment they’re coming into and what kind of work they’re going to do.”
Speaking after the council meeting, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe called the change a “huge opportunity” for the city.
“Every organization needs to go through renewal every few years in order to ensure the organization is structured in a way that aligns with priorities. And this term of council we’ve established specific priorities,” Sutcliffe said.
“it achieves renewal and brings some new faces into some new roles and prioritize the things that are important to members of council and people in the community.”
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