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Home My WebLink AboutOPS 29-23Report to Council Report Number: OPS 29-23 Date: November 27, 2023 From: Brian Duffield Director, Operations Subject: Regional Roads Boulevard Maintenance Review -File: A-1440 Recommendation: 1. That Report OPS 29-23 regarding Regional Roads Boulevard Maintenance Review be received for information. Executive Summary: At the Council Meeting of September 25, 2023, by way of Resolution #271/23, Council directed that the CAO reach out to the Region of Durham to discuss a willingness of the City of Pickering to assume the boulevard maintenance on Regional roads in Pickering on a contractual arrangement, similar to the other lower-tier municipalities in Durham, and report back to Council in advance of the preparation of the Mayor’s 2024 Current Operating Budget. Currently, the Region of Durham administers a contracted service to maintain all Regional road boulevards within the City of Pickering using their own scope of work and level of service standards. The contract is for the maintenance of urbanized boulevards, road islands, and medians. Based on frequent customer care calls to the City, and acknowledged by members of Council, the current level of service provided by the Region of Durham’s contractor has not been at an acceptable standard. This inconsistent level of service is obvious in locations where Regional and City boulevards abut, and the difference in maintenance can be compared. The level of service established by the City to maintain road boulevards, in an acceptable manner, appears to be well above the standard of service provided on Regional boulevards. The Region of Durham’s contracted service for road boulevard maintenance in Pickering is being performed by an external service provider that has completed year one of a three year contract term. Based on the improved contract performance reported by the Region and the term of the contract remaining, staff recommend that the City continue with the current boulevard maintenance program delivery model as is for 2024. Financial Implications: The Boulevard Maintenance program on Regional road allowances are the responsibility of the Region of Durham funded from the Region Levy contribution from Municipal property taxes. As such, there is no cost implications to the City for the delivery of the current regional boulevard maintenance program. OPS 29-23 November 27, 2023 Subject: Regional Roads Boulevard Maintenance Review Page 2 Discussion: Municipalities in Ontario are required to maintain grass boulevards within the road allowance of City roads. In Pickering, the grass maintenance of a boulevard is governed by the Boulevard Maintenance By-law 6831/08, which states that it is the property owner's responsibility to maintain the municipal boulevard. Under this By-law, the City has the responsibility to maintain the boulevards of rear frontages. The City’s current Grass Maintenance program utilizes the Public Works’ staff, vehicles, and equipment to maintain grass boulevards on City road allowances not adjacent to residential or business addresses. Boulevards on Regional road allowances are maintained by service providers contracted and paid for by the Region of Durham. On an annual basis, the maintenance of 19.5 hectares of Regional road boulevards, road islands and medians within the City of Pickering are contracted out by the Region of Durham. Based on frequent customer care calls, and as noted by members of Council, numerous complaints from Pickering residents have been received due to a lack of consistency with the quality of work where the service abuts Pickering roads. The Region of Durham is currently in year one of a three year contracted out service for the maintenance of Regional roads in the City of Pickering. City staff have had extensive conversations with Regional staff to explore options to correct the condition of regional boulevards in Pickering. Regional staff have reported that the contracted service provider was a new vendor to the Region and had experienced initial challenges establishing the Boulevard Maintenance program to an acceptable level of service. Regional staff have, throughout the first year of service, devoted time and resources to ensure that the vendor understands their contractual obligation for service, and Regional staff reported that in the last two months they consistently achieved this standard. The Region believe there to be no performance grounds to cancel the contract now that the vendor has achieved compliance and are recommending that the vendor continue with the service delivery subject to satisfactory performance in 2024. Based on the Region’s reported performance improvement of the current service provided and the term of their contract remaining, staff recommend that the City continue with the current boulevard maintenance program delivery model as is for 2024. At the Region’s request, City staff will actively collaborate with Regional staff to streamline the notification of Pickering residents’ customer care calls to the appropriate Regional contract administration staff to speed up response time. Regional staff have reported timely correction by the service provider to performance concerns but note significant delays in receiving action items arising from Pickering. City staff will commit the time to streamline this process. Additional staff will monitor the level of service performance for 2024 and report back to Council with further recommendation should it fall short of expected standards. Attachment: Council Resolution #281/23 OPS 29-23 November 27, 2023 Subject: Regional Roads Boulevard Maintenance Review Page 3 Prepared By: Endorsed/Approved By: Rob Gagen Vince Plouffe, OAA, MRAIC Manager, Parks & Property (Acting) Director, Operations BD:nm Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City Council Marisa Carpino, M.A. Chief Administrative Officer Original Signed By:Original Signed By: Original Signed By: Legislative Services Division Clerk’s Office Directive Memorandum September 29, 2023 To: Marisa Carpino Chief Administrative Officer From: Susan Cassel City Clerk Subject: Direction as per Minutes of the Meeting of City Council held on September 25, 2023 Regional Boulevard Maintenance Council Decision Resolution #281/23 Please take any action deemed necessary. Susan Cassel WHEREAS, Region of Durham Works currently contracts out the maintenance of Regional boulevards in the City of Pickering; And Whereas, the City of Pickering is the only lower-tier municipality in Durham that has not entered into an agreement with The Region of Durham to provide boulevard maintenance; And Whereas, the quality of work provided by the current contractor hired by The Region of Durham has not been satisfactory and has resulted in complaints from residents due to lack of consistency with the quality of work where it abuts Pickering roads; And Whereas, The Region of Durham has entered into contracts with all other lower- tier municipalities who provide boulevard maintenance in their respective Municipalities; And Whereas, The City of Pickering Operations/Parks Staff provides excellent service maintaining public boulevards; Now therefore be it resolved that the Council of The Corporation of the City of Pickering: 1.Direct the CAO to reach out to The Region of Durham to discuss a willingness of the City of Pickering to assume the boulevard maintenance on Regional Roads in Pickering on a contractual arrangement, similar to the other lower-tier municipalities in Durham; and, 2. That the CAO report back to Council in advance of the preparation of the Mayor’s 2024 Current Operating Budget. Attachment 1 to Report OPS 29-23 Copy: Director, Operations Chief Administrative Officer