By Staff
November 9th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington is renaming two of its departments to more accurately reflect the services that are provided to the residents.
As of Jan. 1, 2018 Roads and Parks Maintenance will become the Roads, Parks and Forestry Department; and Planning and Building will become the Department of City Building – Planning, Building and Culture.
The services provided by each of the departments will not change.
The Roads, Parks and Forestry Department provides:
• Road and sidewalk maintenance including inspections, repairs and winter control
• Loose leaf collection and street sweeping
• Forestry operations including inspections, pruning, removals, planting and education
• Park maintenance including playgrounds, park furnishings and fencing, waste removal, and park buildings
• Storm sewers and creek maintenance
• Cemetery operations
The Department of City Building – Planning, Building and Culture provides:
• Building, plumbing, heating, swimming pool, septic system, and sign permits
• Bylaw customer service
• Building inspections
• Building permit customer service
• Business and lottery licensing
• Official Plan/planning policy
• Development application review
• Development customer service
• Zoning customer service
• Committee of Adjustment
• Urban design
• Mobility hubs planning
• Public art
• Culture planning and implementation
Mary Lou Tanner, City Planner making a point with Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor
Mary Lou Tanner, director of Department of City Building – Planning, Building and Culture, who now gets a new business card said: “Changing the name from Planning and Building to the Department of City Building – Planning, Building and Culture will help eliminate some confusion for residents who have questions, streamlining customer service.”
Mary Battaglia, director of Roads, Parks and Forestry Department tell us that: “The name change more accurately reflects what we do. The Department of Roads, Parks and Forestry provides three important services for residents that are all reflected in the new name. It’s a simple change and it just makes sense.”
This just means printing up a whole bunch of new business cards.
I can understand merging Parks and Forestry, but how does including Roads make sense? Similarly, linking Planning and Building is logical, but what does Culture have to do with that….unless Mary Lou Tanner believes that culture can be promoted via Mobility Hubs?
Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge and understanding of organizational design knows that in redesigning a organizational structure you look for logical connections and symmetries. You don’t slam things together just for the sake of it. There truly is an absence of business acumen at City Hall.
They forgot to include “Zen”, “People Happiness” and “Creativity”.
…and letterhead…and City Hall signage…and website updates…and all with tax payer money.
No waste here Pepper, Business cards will get replaced on an as required basis. The same with Vehicle ID