200610 Recreation AGD The Corporation of the Town of Tillsonburg
Recreation and Sports Advisory Committee
June 10, 2020
7:00 p.m.
Teleconference
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Adoption of Agenda
Proposed Resolution #1
Moved by:
Seconded by:
THAT the Agenda as prepared for the Sports and Recreation Advisory Committee
meeting of June 10, 2020, be adopted.
3. Disclosures of Pecuniary Interest and the General Nature Thereof
4. Adoption of Minutes of Previous Meeting
Proposed Resolution #2
Moved by:
Seconded by:
THAT the Recreation & Sports Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of February 12,
2020, be approved.
5. Presentations/Deputations
6. General Business & Reports
6.1. Staff Liaison/Chair/Vice Chair meeting update
6.2. Year-end report to council
6.3. Covid-19 practices
6.4. Service review update
6.5. Projects - update
7. Correspondence
8. Other Business
9. Next Meeting
10. Adjournment
Proposed Resolution #3
Moved by:
Seconded by:
Committee: Recreation & Sports Advisory Page - 2 - of 2
Date: February 12, 2020
THAT the February 12, 2020 Recreation and Sports Advisory Committee meeting be
adjourned at _____ p.m.
TOWN OF TILLSONBURG
Recreation, Culture, Parks
Service Review – Final Report
April 22, 2020
Abstract
The Clarico Group Inc final report for Recreation, Culture, and Parks Service Review for the Town
of Tillsonburg final report and appendices.
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Executive Summary
This Executive Summary contains the key findings of the Service Review of Tillsonburg’s Recreation, Culture, and
Parks Department. The Service Review was performed by The Clarico Group Inc, an independent, Ontario-based
management consulting firm. The study took place between October 2019 and April 2020, and involved review
of documents and reports, onsite interviews and observation, and gathering data from Tillsonburg, nine
comparator municipalities, and two additional comparator museums.
Providing municipal services in communities the size of Tillsonburg requires a careful balancing act to make the
best use of a broad spectrum of resources including sports clubs and service clubs; non-profit entities, volunteers,
contractors, seasonal and part-time employees, and a core of full-time staff to deliver a mix of facilities and
services which best serves the needs of the community.
The service review team noted a number of challenges affecting the provision of parks, recreation, cemetery,
and museum services to the public. These include expectations for up to the minute information using the web
and social media. Increases in Ontario’s minimum wage levels also increased cost pressures, particularly given
the extensive use of seasonal and part time staff.
The service review team also noted Town-specific challenges, particularly those arising from Tillsonburg’s
relatively compact size and its role as a regional service centre; and the age and layout of the Tillsonburg
Community Centre (TCC).
The study found that RCP makes extensive use of best-practices including service contracts, extensive use of
seasonal and part time staff, the use of specialized equipment and software, partnering with community groups,
use of online registration, use of social media for outreach, and optimized use of volunteers.
In reviewing parks services, the study found that Tillsonburg receives a broad range and respectable level of
Parks services for an overall cost to the taxpayers that is a somewhat lower than usual for the comparators. The
study team was surprised to see the combination of high level of service - in higher-cost facilities such as baseball
diamonds – and lower per capita levy, particularly given the Town’s role as a service centre. Note that this costing
was based on a period when all positions were staffed; it is recommended that the vacant Parks Supervisor
position be staffed as soon as possible.
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The study’s review of cemetery service found that service levels and costs were somewhat difficult to compare
between municipalities as each has a specific number, size, layout, and usage level of active cemeteries; each
has a specific number, size, location, and age of inactive cemeteries; and some have arms-length organizations
that operate the service. That said, overall cost to the taxpayers was higher than the median for the comparator
municipalities. This study identifies modest opportunities to adjust service level in cemetery administration, and
recommends this be done and time saved be used to help address the Parks and Facilities team’s need for
additional technical and administrative support.
Analysis of the museum, heritage, and culture service area found that Tillsonburg’s Annandale National Historical
Site museum provides more hours of availability, and offers citizens affordable access, compared with other
municipally-owned museums. Compared to those comparator municipalities that generate revenue from the
Museum and Culture service areas, Tillsonburg’s operating revenue per capita was the median amount, while
municipal levy support per capita was above the median, reflecting Annandale’s important symbolic role in
providing much of the Town’s heritage face and brand.
Review of recreation services determined that the Town has more square metres of indoor recreational facilities
per capita that most comparators, and operates them at a lower cost per square metre. Tillsonburg raises more
recreation revenue per capita than most comparators, has higher per capita spending, and has a higher net levy
per capita than most comparators.
Looking at RCP’s combined operations for parks, recreation, museum, culture, and cemeteries services (and
therefore excluding their energy improvement work and their management of municipal non-recreational
facilities work), benchmarking analysis showed that the amount of 2018 levy support for this bundle was 17%
above the median, as would be expected from Tillsonburg’s role as a service centre for a geographic region
including portions of Oxford, Norfolk, and Elgin counties.
Because the Town’s services ‘spill over’ to residents outside municipal boundaries, the study recommended
charging higher fees to non-residents. It also recommends reviewing a number of services and service levels, and
utilizing technology for cost-avoidance, improved communication, and improved cost-effectiveness – and
proposes doing more in some areas e.g. to set service level standards by service, and to monitor and report on
performance in this area. Services recommended for review with an eye to improving value for money or
reducing their operating deficits include grass sports fields which are costly to maintain; Lake Lisgar; and the
Health Club.
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A key finding from the study was that the Town’s aging sports and recreational infrastructure – coupled with
expanded opportunities for infrastructure renewal funding from higher levels of government - has ramped up
the workload associated with capital upkeep and capital improvement projects – and that additional resources
need to be available to the department for managing this heightened workload, unless the Project Management
responsibilities are moved to another department (ideally one with in-house engineering capacity) or contracted
out to a professional organization which could be trusted to keep the Town’s long-term best interests as their
primary focus. If the responsibility for project management of capital projects in the parks, recreation, museum
and culture, cemetery services, energy improvement, and municipal non-recreational facilities is to remain with
RCP we recommend that a project management office be established with one dedicated employee, reporting
directly to the Director.
The study reviewed RCP’s mandate, and recommends the department be given an expanded mandate in keeping
with current responsibilities. Wording for such a new mandate is provided.
The study reviewed RCP’s organizational structure, and propose some relatively minor modifications to clarify
responsibilities, reduce overlaps, and address gaps.
A number of changes are recommended to how performance is monitored and reported, including that a select
group of new indicators be reported annually.
Recommendations were organized into groups for shorter term, medium term, and longer term
implementation.. Implementation risks were identified along with proposed mitigation strategies, and suggested
employee training was identified.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 1
Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Project Background............................................................................................................................................ 6
Importance of Recreation, Parks, and Culture for Cities and Towns .................................................................... 6
Overview of the Recreation, Culture and Parks Department .............................................................................. 7
Project Activities ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Benchmarking Introduction and Overview ....................................................................................................... 11
High level findings from benchmarking ............................................................................................................ 14
Service Profile - Parks....................................................................................................................................... 18
Analysis and Recommendations relating to Parks............................................................................................. 19
Service Profile – Cemeteries ............................................................................................................................ 31
Analysis and Recommendations relating to Cemeteries ................................................................................... 32
Service Profile – Recreation ............................................................................................................................. 38
Analysis and Recommendations relating to Recreation .................................................................................... 39
Service Profile – Museum and Culture ............................................................................................................. 49
Analysis and Recommendations relating to Museum and Culture .................................................................... 50
Service Profile - Energy & Facilities................................................................................................................... 54
Analysis and Recommendations related to Energy and Facilities ...................................................................... 55
Mandate .......................................................................................................................................................... 56
Is there a match between service levels and the resources deployed to achieve them? ................................... 58
Comparison of Tillsonburg's RCP Organizational Structure to Selected Other Municipalities ............................ 60
Departmental Organization Structure .............................................................................................................. 63
Customer service ............................................................................................................................................. 66
Tracking Metrics and Performance Indicator Recommendations ...................................................................... 68
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Proposed cost recovery model ......................................................................................................................... 69
Implementation Roadmap - Short, Medium, & Long-term Recommendations.................................................. 71
Barriers, Risks, and Transitional impacts .......................................................................................................... 76
Training and Skills development....................................................................................................................... 76
Appendix 1 – Staff Whose Direct Involvement Contributed to the Tillsonburg Services Review ........................ 77
Appendix 2 – Staff Survey ................................................................................................................................ 77
Appendix 3 – Senior Management Team Survey .............................................................................................. 77
Appendix 4 - Introduction to Service Profiles.................................................................................................... 77
Appendix 5 - Service Profiles ............................................................................................................................ 77
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Project Background
The provision of municipal services is becoming more challenging as citizen and staff expectations rise;
environmental, labour, and other regulations become more stringent; and the equipment and technology that
can be used evolves ever more rapidly. In this context, management approaches that were practical in the past
are no longer sufficient. The traditional tools and approaches often led to pockets of information, duplication of
effort, fumbled/delayed handoffs, unreliable service, and lack of transparency. As technology evolves there may
be new opportunities for the Town of Tillsonburg to apply information technology tools and modernized
processes to provide enhanced and/or more cost-effective services.
As a result of a growing, evolving, and increasingly diverse population, new pressures are being placed on the
Town of Tillsonburg’s local recreation, culture, and parks facilities, staff, and management. To address these
evolving pressures the Town commissioned this current review of all aspects of Recreation, Culture and Parks
(RCP) operations, including service standards.
This project also included benchmarking the Town’s services against selected comparator municipalities and
identifying if there are any mismatches between the expected service levels and the resources deployed to
achieve them. The review’s objective was to identify opportunities to improve service delivery models and/or
processes in order to best meet evolving community needs.
As a result of a competitive process, the Clarico Group Inc. was selected to undertake the review. The Clarico
Group Inc is a boutique, Toronto based management consulting firm specializing in Enterprise Business Analysis,
Lean Six Sigma, Project and Program Management. CLARICO has extensive experience in the Public Sector at
Federal, Provincial, and Municipal levels. All team members have over 20 plus years of direct operational and
consulting experience.
Importance of Recreation, Parks, and Culture for Cities and Towns
Municipal recreation programs and facilities, parks and open spaces, and museums and cultural resources help
citizens live healthier and happier lives, learn about cooperation and competition, learn about their shared local
heritage, and broaden/deepen community connections. They support the local economy by attracting residents,
investors and shoppers. And they support the inclusion of newcomers and disadvantaged groups.
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The town of Tillsonburg provides nearly 80 hectares of open space, 64 hectares of parkland, 14 neighbourhood
parks; 12 of those with playgrounds, and key indoor facilities, such as the Tillsonburg Community Centre and the
Annandale National Historic Site. Also, the Town provides extensive sport fields and park amenities, and a
comprehensive trail system connected to the Trans-Canada Trail. The Town also works with a strong base of
volunteer service clubs, community organizations and regional agencies to provide a number of recreational and
cultural services to residents of Tillsonburg and the surrounding area. The local arts and cultural community is a
vibrant sector providing programs out of facilities such as the Tillsonburg Theatre and the Station Arts Centre.
Overview of the Recreation, Culture and Parks Department
Figure 1 Recreation, Culture, and Parks Department Share of Town 2019 Spending
Tillsonburg’s Recreation, Culture and Parks Department (RCP) accounted for 28% of the Town’s budget in 2019,
second only to spending on Protective Services (OPP & Fire) at 31%. as can be seen in Figure 1 above. RCP is
organized into four functional teams: Recreational Programs, Facilities, Culture and Heritage, and Parks and
Cemeteries.
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The Recreation team directly delivers recreation programs and services including aquatics, fitness, preschool and
youth programs, seniors, day camps and adult sports leagues. Approximately 80 different programs are offered
with nearly 6000 participants. The indoor 25 metre pool is open over 92 hours per week (less in the summer)
with over 3600 registered swim students. The two indoor ice surfaces provide 130 hours per week of service for
both organized hockey (estimated to bring 226,000 spectator visits) and public skating. The Health Club is open
92 hours per week for all but one week of the year. Over 18,600 visits to the club are recorded each year. The
team also supports a popular Senior Centre that runs more than 30 different programs and is accessible during
the week for 8 hours per day.
The Facilities team provides access to safe, well maintained and inclusive facilities for community members,
organizations, and town staff through delivering maintenance and building operations at all 15 Town facilities,
including the Tillsonburg Community Centre (TCC). This group maintains all major systems (ice, pools, etc.) and
prepares these systems for public use. For example, cleaning and maintaining both indoor ice surfaces as
required/scheduled for tournaments and public skates. In a typical week, the TCC is open to the public well over
110 hours.
The Cultural Heritage team operates out of the Annandale National Historic Site (ANHS), which is also an
accredited museum. This team provides heritage programming and manages the museum’s artifact collection,
and the provision of tourist information. The Museum is open 38 hours per week, and can be toured on 319 days
per year. It hosts over 40 special events annually. The artifacts held by the Museum number about 22,000. Also,
nearly 12,000 visitors annually come to the ANHS for tours, programs, special events, to view the exhibits, or for
tourism information.
The Parks and Cemeteries team performs or manages contracted grounds maintenance of all the Town’s trails,
sports fields, parks, and beautification work. The team also delivers Cemetery services including sales, interments
(approximately 140 per year), searching of cemetery records, seasonal services such as the placement of flowers
and wreaths, and the installation/planting of memorial trees and benches. The Parks personnel also provide the
grounds maintenance services at the cemetery. The active cemetery is approximately 9 hectares. The inactive
(or Pioneer) cemetery is .4 hectares.
The Town works with community groups which deliver specific types of programming. Examples include Martial
Arts Canada, which provides karate training, the Tillsonburg District Craft Guild which operates the Station Arts
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Centre, and the Tillsonburg Soccer Club which organizes and delivers soccer training and games, and does all the
turf maintenance at the soccer park.
Project Activities
The consulting process involved the following steps, sometimes undertaken in parallel:
• Upon receiving notification that their bid had been accepted, the project team prepared detailed
information for a project launch meeting, including proposed agenda and record-of-decision formats for
weekly Project Management meetings, a list of materials requested, and an updated project schedule.
• A Project Launch Meeting was held, practical arrangements were made, and previous plans and reports
were provided to the project team.
• Interview guides were developed to prepare for meetings with key stakeholders.
• Interviews were held with all the Key Stakeholders (see Appendix 1) both within RCP and with the Mayor
and Council.
• Consultants undertook on-site visits and informal discussions with staff to gain an understanding of
issues and concerns.
• Clarico conducted a key document and data review.
• During the interviews and observations with the Key Stakeholders, Services Inventories were developed;
and observations and issues were documented. In some instances, preliminary recommendations were
identified.
• A 10-question survey (Appendix 2) was developed and sent to all full-time staff. Of the 43 staff members
surveyed, 29 responded.
• A 10-question survey was sent to the Senior Management Team. All 5 members responded. (The survey
is provided in Appendix 3)
• To enable apples-to-apples comparison, an organized structure, or taxonomy, of service areas was
developed. For example, the Cemetery service was split into Cemetery Administration, Cemetery
Operation, and Cemetery capital improvement project management. To assist in data gathering,
descriptions of activities and costs to be included in each area were drafted.
• A table of potential indicators for use measuring service quantities and quality for each of the detailed
service areas was developed.
• Using the information gathered in these processes, Service Profiles were developed providing a factual
overview of the department’s service areas, supported by detailed Sub-Service Profiles. (Service Profiles
can be seen later in the body of this report; Sub Service Profiles can be found in Appendix 5.)
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• The Draft Service Profiles were submitted to the Client Authority.
• Feedback was received from the client and used to clarify and improve the Service Profiles.
In parallel to the focus on Tillsonburg’s stakeholders and operations, preparations were made for
benchmarking. Steps included:
• A table of potential comparator Municipalities was developed, showing key information such as
population level and municipal area. The table contained two types of comparators – a selection of
nearby municipalities that are generally of different size than Tillsonburg, and a selection of more distant
localities which are similar to Tillsonburg based on population size and density.
• When refined, a list of 9 proposed comparators was provided to Council, with comments on why each
municipality was being proposed. This gave Council an opportunity to provide feedback.
• To test the difficulty of data collection, the draft data collection sheets were tested with Tillsonburg’s
staff.
• An invitation to participate in benchmarking was drafted, approved, and sent to the Chief Administrative
Officers of the selected municipalities.
• A series of follow up emails and telephone connections were made to further explain the purpose and
mechanics of the study, ideally including a walkthrough of the data collection instrument.
• For those municipalities who were able to commit to gathering and providing the requested information,
further calls and emails were then made with the professionals tasked with providing the required
information.
• Over several rounds, detailed comparative data was obtained.
• Comparative Benchmark data was analysed.
• An Implementation Roadmap exhibit was developed based upon the recommendations outlined within
the Sub Service Profiles.
• The current Draft Report was created detailing, summarizing and displaying the results of the Tillsonburg
Services Review.
• A Public Deck for presentation to council was developed summarizing findings and results.
Upcoming steps include:
• Presenting the project overview and findings deck to Town Council, to give them an opportunity to ask
questions and discuss the findings.
• Receiving consolidated feedback from the Client Authority.
• Providing an updated Final Report to the Town.
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Benchmarking Introduction and Overview
Benchmarking is the process of studying and assessing information about different operations to compare their
performance on dimensions such as cost, quality, and reliability.
Benchmarking can provide practical benefits when the operations to be compared are sufficiently similar so that
those performing less well are able to adopt approaches used by the better-performing operations. This points
to a potential risk from benchmarking – in some cases there may be practical realities which limit the ability of
organizations performing less well to emulate the leaders. For this reason, it is important to choose an
appropriate selection of comparators – and to take care to understand the full range of factors that underlie
differences in apparent performance.
Nine comparators were selected for the project:
• The Town of Ingersoll has similar population density to Tillsonburg and is located nearby. With a 2018
population estimated at 12,600, Ingersoll is smaller in size than Tillsonburg which had 16,000. It also
differs from Tillsonburg by being adjacent to the 401, giving its residents and employees easier access to
sporting, cultural, and recreational resources, thereby reducing some of the need for local facilities. In
addition, Ingersoll has benefited from the presence of well-paid automotive manufacturing employment
and the associated industrial tax base.
• The Town of Aylmer is located nearby, so that Tillsonburg residents may already be using it to informally
compare services, fees, and approach to service delivery. With an estimated 2018 population of 7500, it
is under half Tillsonburg’s size.
• Norfolk County is a nearby single-tier municipality with about four times the population of Tillsonburg
and spends a bit less than four times as much for Recreation and Culture.
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• City of Woodstock has similar population density to Tillsonburg and is located nearby. It is traditionally
used for comparisons, despite having approximately twice Tillsonburg’s population and, like Ingersoll,
benefitting from automotive manufacturing jobs and tax base, and a location near the 401.
• St. Clair is a township south of Sarnia. Its population and Recreation and Culture budget are similar to
Tillsonburg’s.
• Located east of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, on the shore of Lake Ontario, Port Hope is similar
in population size to Tillsonburg.
• Located east of Port Hope, also on the shore of Lake Ontario, the Town of Cobourg is similar in size and
population density to Tillsonburg.
• Located in the Muskoka District, Bracebridge has a population size nearly identical with that of
Tillsonburg.
• The Town of Lincoln is located within the Niagara region, and has population size about 50% higher than
Tillsonburg’s. The Town of Lincoln has a Museum and Cultural centre with programming, exhibits, and
special events. It also operates a municipal cemetery.
As the project progressed two additional benchmarks were added as informative sources for benchmarking
Museum services. Both are restored grand homes which are operated as museums and which have, like
Annandale, been designated as National Historical Sites:
1. Castle Killbride, located in the Township of Wilmot, and
2. Glanmore House, in the City of Belleville.
The project team used two sources to obtain information for benchmarking comparison:
1. The first source is Ontario’s Financial Information Return (FIR) system. All municipalities are required to
provide detailed information where they receive and how they use their money, using structured
definitions and tables. The FIR provides a very useful tool for carrying out comparisons of such things as
user fees charged by, and employee-related, service, material, and other costs by service area. Note
however that service areas are reported at a fairly high level - for example ‘Parks’, ‘Cemeteries’.
2. The second source was by inviting management at the selected municipalities to participate in a purpose-
developed benchmarking initiative using structured data collection spreadsheets. This approach allowed
comparisons to be completed at a more granular level, e.g. looking at more specific services (‘sub
services’) such as maintain trails.
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Note that collecting data at this level required participants to use judgement to estimate how resources such as
staff and management time was spent. Of course, the information was provided with the understanding that
care be taken to protect employee privacy.
As was expected, not all invited municipalities agreed to participate, and those that did participate used a range
of methods of doing so, sometimes providing exactly what was requested, in some cases providing information
grouped somewhat differently, and in other cases sending detailed financial reports which the consulting team
was able – with some to-and-fro for clarification – to use to enable benchmarking to take place at various levels
of detail.
Numeric comparisons must be used with care, as many factors can affect their usability. For example, if different
municipalities have different ways of accounting for the costs of the staff and software used for booking
recreational courses and facilities, this can make a significant difference when comparing revenue generated by
their recreational programs. Port Hope uses a full-service supplier for booking, thereby trading away a portion
of the revenue for the benefit of not needing to buy and maintain hardware and software and deal with a variety
of associated challenges. Other municipalities that perform these functions in house, as Tillsonburg does, may
allocate their booking costs differently, so that comparing the resulting numbers does not provide an apples-to-
apples comparison. As alluded to above, care has been taken during this project to understand the specific
factors that underlie differences in apparent performance.
A note on graphing
The bar graphs in this document use a black bar to indicate the median value, which is defined as the value
separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample. When the sample contains an odd number, the
median will be the municipality in the middle. When the sample contains an even number, the word ‘median’ will
be displayed, with a black bar showing the mid point between the municipality immediately above it and the one
immediately below. Median values were used because they avoid potential distortions from outliers.
When deciding which end would be ‘up’ in comparison graphs, the project team decided that higher in the graph
would, in general, show more service or less cost/lower cost per unit. It is important to note that there is no
implication that a lower amount of operating cost, revenue, or levy is better – each municipality must decide on
the best mix of services and community spending.
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High level findings from benchmarking
A starting point for benchmarking is to look at the highest available level, to see the overall picture. This can be
done by working with data from the Province’s FIR reports from other municipalities to determine their operating
costs, revenues, and levy amounts (to make up the gap between costs in revenues) for the bundle of services
provided by RCP. This bundle includes Parks, Recreation Services, Indoor Recreation Facilities excluding Golf and
Marinas, Museum, Culture, and Cemeteries. Note that it not possible to obtain numbers for the management of
municipal non-recreation facilities, or energy projects, but allows an apples-to-apples comparison for over 95%
of their operation.
Looking at these financial comparisons, Tillsonburg’s per capita activities are above the median, as would be
expected from its history and role as a service centre for a geographic region including portions of Oxford,
Norfolk, and Elgin counties. The amount of levy support is 17% above the median (Figure 2); this results from per
capita operating expenditure approximately 25% above the median (Figure 3) and revenue per capita at 46%
above the median (Figure 4). (Note: For brevity, clarity, and consistency this report will use the phrase operating
cost when speaking of spending. Also note that operating costs exclude capital investment and
depreciation/amortization.)
Figure 2 2018 Levy per capita for Recreation, Museum, Culture, and Cemetery Service
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Figure 3 2018 Operating Cost per capita for Parks, Recreation, Museum, Culture, and Cemetery Services
Figure 4 2018 Operating Revenue per capita for Recreation, Museum, Culture, and Cemetery Services
In the following sections we will benchmark activities on a service by service basis, in order to use information
available from the FIR system introduced above. Note that RCP’s teams are not structured to match the FIR For
example, as per Figure 5, one RCP team maintains Town parks and operates the cemetery, whereas the FIR
reports on parks separately from cemeteries. Also, in Tillsonburg the RCP Facilities team and the Recreation team
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both participate in operating the Tillsonburg Community Centre (the facilities team for example making ice,
providing cleaned and warmed water for the indoor pool; the Recreation team for example operating the front
desk, scheduling ice and pool time) whereas the FIR provides information on Recreational Programs as a service
and Indoor Recreation Facilities as a service.
Figure 5 RCP's Team structure compared with FIR services
Further benchmarking will begin by looking at the Parks service, starting with a one‐page Service Profile which
gives an overview.
How to read the Service Profiles in this report
The parts of this Service Profile are:
Service Overview (top of page) provides a general overview of what is included in this service.
2019 Preliminary Financials (mid left of page) – shows operating revenues and expenses, by category – e.g.
employee related operating expenses) in thousands of dollars and in terms of percentage of total operating cost.
2019 Staffing (lower left of page) – shows the number of Full Time Equivalents – essentially staff person years –
used to provide the service during 2019, broken into Full Time, Part Time, and Seasonal.
Cemetery
Parks
Recreation
Facilities
Recreation
Facilities
Cemetery
Parks
Town
Structure
FIR
Structure
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Service Value (middle of page) – states the reason that governments provide this service – the benefits received
by residents.
Net Levy/capita graph (lower mid page) – compares the levy amount (that is, the difference between total
operating cost and operating revenues other than the levy), per person, among comparator towns. Tillsonburg’s
bar is green and median spending shown by a black bar.
Sub Services Graph (Mid right of page) – shows the components – or ‘Sub Services’ that make up the overall
service, and shows each of the sub services as a bubble that indicates three things:
Left‐right/horizontal axis: Service Type ‐ Classification of whether service is:
Required (necessary for town function or by law),
Traditional (provided by most municipalities), or
Discretionary (not commonly provided)
Up‐down/vertical axis: Service Level – Rating of the level of service provided as:
Above Standard,
At Standard, or
Below Standard,
Bubble size: Levy amount. The area of the bubbles is proportionate to the net levy used for each sub service.
Looking at the Parks Service Profile one can see six bubbles, with the largest bubble, in blue, showing that the
largest levy is used for a traditional service delivered at standard: the combined sub services of: Maintain Parks,
Maintain Park Flowerbeds, and Maintain Park Trees.
Similarly, the second largest levy support goes to Maintain Grass Sports Fields, which is a traditional service
judged to be provided to an Above Standard Level.
Appendix 5 provides Sub service profiles for each of the sub services identified in this report.
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Service Profile - Parks
The Parks Service consists of 8 sub-services, namely: Maintain Parks, Maintain Grass sports fields, Maintain Non-grass sports fields, Maintain Park Trees, Maintain
Park Flowerbeds, Support Community & Park-based Special Events, Park Planning & Advising, and Park Capital Improvement Project Management.
The area of the bubbles in the Parks Sub Service graph above is proportionate to the net levy used for the sub service.
Revenue $000 %
User fees 61.5 7%
Grants 45.1 5%
Other 4.6 0%
Total Revenue 111.2 12%
Operating Expenses
Employee-related 315.5 34%
Services 188.3 20%
Materials 82.9 9%
Other 339.7 37%
Total Cost 926.4 100%
Net Levy 815.2 88%
Category FTE*
Full Time 3.9
Part Time 0
Seasonal 0
*Full Time Equivalent (FTE) time worked.
Source: Ontario's Financial Information Return system; 2018 operations
Service Overview
The Parks service includes development and upkeep of the Town’s parks, playgrounds, sports fields, park flowerbeds, and trails; and management of town-
owned trees not in road allowances.
2019 Preliminary Financials
2019 Staffing
Service Value
This service has a measurable positive
impact on quality of life including health,
contributing to an attractive, vibrant,
livable community for residents,
businesses, and visitors including
potential investors and potential new
residents.
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Analysis and Recommendations relating to Parks
What does benchmarking tell us about how the Town is doing?
For service level
As can be seen from the following figure, the Town is below the median of the comparators for Hectares of Park
per 1000 citizens. The amount appears to be adequate, particularly as residents have access to the Tillsonburg
Conservation Area, and can use town-maintained trails to enjoy the countryside outside of town.
Figure 6 - Park Hectares per 1000 population
Looking at the number of municipally-owned baseball plus soccer fields per 1000 citizens, the Town seems well
served, although the benchmark excludes non-municipal fields where citizens of some municipalities do not have
access.
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Figure 7 – Municipally-owned Baseball and Soccer Fields per 1000 population
In the area of non-grass sports facilities, the Town’s facility count is at the median level of the comparator group.
Figure 8 - Municipal non-grass outdoor sports facilities per 1000 population
Figure 9 Kilometers of municipal and partner trails per 1000 population
In looking at the trails that residents have access to, Tillsonburg residents do better than the median, although
the reported range of trail distance per 1000 citizens varies from under half a kilometre in Aylmer and Cobourg,
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to over 6 kilometers in Port Hope. Of note, residents and visitors also have access to kilometers of trails outside
the Town boundaries via the Trans-Canada Trail. The portion of the TCT in Oxford County that is outside of
Tillsonburg is maintained by Tillsonburg’s Parks staff through a 50/50 funding partnership with Oxford County.
For cost of service
Figure 10 2018 Operating Expense for Parks services, per capita
Tillsonburg’s operating costs for providing Parks services, at $47.24 per capita, was about 14% below median
spending in the comparator municipalities.
For revenue generated
Figure 11 Revenue as a percent of operating costs, 2018
Tillsonburg’s revenue at 8.1% of operating costs was near the highest for the comparators.
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For Net Levy
Figure 12 2018 Net Levy per capita for Parks services
The Town was 16% below the median of the comparators in terms of net levy per capita.
Overall conclusion on benchmarking findings for the Parks area:
The Town receives a respectable level of service, over a broad range of service areas, for an overall cost to the
taxpayers that is a somewhat lower than usual for the comparators. The study team was surprised to see the
combination of high level of service - in higher-cost facilities such as baseball diamonds – and lower per capita
levy, particularly given the Town’s role as a service centre, and believes that the numbers point to potential
unsustainability in how the area is resourced. This will be discussed in the sections on Mandate, Organization
Structure, and Service Level – Resources Match.
Good practices observed:
Good practices currently in use include:
• Working under the umbrella of a comprehensive Master Plan (which, however, has been in place since
June 2011, and would benefit from an update).
• Contracting out parks grass cutting.
• Redeploying two staff members to Public Works during winter months.
• Having a well-considered Trails Master Plan in place to guide the development of these important
facilities.
• Collaborating with other jurisdictions (e.g. the County) to share costs of maintaining trails, reducing
admin complexity and giving Town residents access to longer stretches of properly maintained trails.
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• Extensive collaboration with local non-profit organizations, e.g. the Tillsonburg Soccer Club; this
approach allows Town residents to benefit from soccer training and games, with limited support from
the Town budget.
Where are the Challenges?
• Large expanses, making the town reliant on citizens to report deficiencies – and reliant on its internal
systems to properly relay, prioritize, and trigger follow up to such reports.
• Changes to weather patterns are affecting the department’s ability to prepare the sports fields for use
as early in the season as users have come to expect.
• Evolving social phenomena and norms e.g. around issues such as vandalism, graffiti, and drug use make
it more challenging and expensive to provide high quality services, particularly in places which are not
visible to passing pedestrians or traffic.
• Increased litigation, and assessment of financial damages against government bodies.
• Another area where social norms appear to be evolving is around respect for referees and umpires. In
some parts of Ontario this is reflected in difficulties in attraction and retention, increasing the difficulty
of scheduling and holding league games.
Should level of service be reconsidered?
The upkeep of sports facilities can be costly relative to the ability to generate revenue. For grass sports fields,
fees charged during 2019 cover less than 15% of the costs of their care. For the Town to make best use of its
limited resources it could be worth shifting its portfolio of outdoor sports facilities in favour of sports that require
less field grooming and in which participants spend a higher proportion of their time in physical exertion. (Soccer
would be an example of such a sport. While the Town is well-supplied with soccer pitches, residents might also
enjoy playing sports such as ultimate Frisbee – perhaps recommended areas could be established for this.) Also,
worth considering for cost-effective outdoor recreational facilities such as beach volleyball.
When evaluating whether the Town gets value for money spent on sporting facilities, it is important to remember
the purpose of supporting youth sports – physically, emotionally, and socially-healthy development of the Town’s
young people. Peer reviewed research on participation in sport has found that the best outcomes flow from a
combination of organized sport and self-organized physical activity:
“Engagement in organized sports is associated with developmental factors, such as, healthy growth, cognitive
abilities, psychological well-being and lower substance use…the spontaneous free play that characterises self-
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organized physical activity…provides young people with opportunities to learn social skills, such as self-regulation
and conflict-resolution skills… engaging concurrently in both activities for at least an hour a week was more
developmentally beneficial than engaging only in one for the same amount of time.” (Wiium, Nora, and Reidar
Säfvenbom. “Participation in Organized Sports and Self-Organized Physical Activity: Associations with
Developmental Factors.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 16,4 585. 18 Feb.
2019, doi:10.3390/ijerph16040585)
So, it is important to ensure the Town has sufficient facilities for ‘pick up’ games as well as for league/organized
training and playing. One sport that lends itself to both sides of this equation is basketball, which has the added
benefit of being popular and accessible across a very broad socioeconomic spectrum.
Note on recommendation numbering:
The following prefixes are used to number recommendations in this report:
P: Parks
R: Recreation
M: Museums
C: Cemetery
O: Other (Energy Improvement; Non-recreational Facility Maintenance; Mandate, etc.)
Later in this report the recommendations are summarized in an Implementation Roadmap of short, mid, and long-
term recommendations.
Can and should more revenue be generated?
Consider charging even small amounts for parking at trail heads and in parking lots near special facilities e.g.
washrooms. If this is done, use the revenue to help support maintenance of parking lots and park facilities;
ensure that the signage communicates this to the users.
Fees charged for use of grass sports fields appear to cover less than 15% of the costs of their care, so it would be
desirable to revisit the rates with a view to generating higher net revenues, if this can be done without unduly
impacting the hours of use enjoyed by Tillsonburg youth.
Can the Town improve value by changing the operating model?
Yes. Opportunities for cost savings and service improvements are included in the following recommendations.
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Recommendations
P1. Review the Town’s portfolio of outdoor sports facilities and take steps to increase the proportion used
for sports that require less field grooming, and in which participants spend a higher proportion of their time in
strenuous physical activity. Also ensure that the grass and non-grass outdoor sports facilities provide ample
opportunities for self-organized as well as league sports.
P2. Consider using more seasonal employees, even as the primary mowers and groomers for baseball
diamonds and fields. Port Hope uses 2 summer students from May 1 to 1 Sept to maintain sports fields and uses
3 summer students in a horticulture team responsible for trees and flowerbeds. (Like Tillsonburg they also use
summer students to pull weeds, cut grass, and otherwise help to maintain their cemeteries.)
P3. Consider modifying the ‘normal’ baseball field grooming standards to allow for longer grass – and
charging extra for those who are willing to pay to benefit from the current grass length standard.
P4. Encourage the use of on-line, email, and cell phone apps (for registering citizen concerns or issues as
service requests. This helps to ensure that the concerns – as well as time to respond and time to resolve - can be
logged. (This approach will be discussed in more detail in the section on Customer Service later in this report.)
P5. Set priority-driven response times for issues such as responding to reported hazards and deficiencies,
and prioritize work based on these priorities. (This is recommendation is also covered in the Customer Service
section of this report.
P6. Use technology to provide helpful, accurate-right-now information to citizens and users. Best practices
include using the web, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and perhaps a special-purpose cell phone app to
communicate breaking news such as rain closures, cancellations, available time slots for recreation and sports
facilities.
P7. Fill the vacant Parks Supervisor position. RCP has been operating without a Parks Supervisor for months,
requiring the Parks and Facilities Manager to address daily urgencies. This pulls needed focus away from
important longer-term matters. The supervisor position should be filled as soon as possible.
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Freeing up the Parks and Facilities Manager from direct operational duties will enable better focus on managing
all three Supervisors, and on project execution.
Note: To some extent filling the Parks Supervisor position will help free up management attention for key
priorities including project management. That said, because the workload associated with project management
has increased across RCP there is a need to review the associated resources. This issue will be addressed in the
Structure and Service Level-Resources Match sections later in this report.
P8. Periodically review where and how outside service providers are used, for example for grass-cutting.
There can be great benefit to using outside suppliers, particularly from three sources:
• Certain potential service providers bring specialized capability, in the form of expertise, specialized
equipment, or other physical or intellectual capital that would be impractical for a municipality the size
of Tillsonburg to attempt to replicate in-house. Examples of this might include tree-care suppliers with
professional arborists, and equipment which facilitates safer work on tall trees as well as efficient
removal of cut materials.
• A second group of potential service providers are mission-focussed groups, sometimes organized as non-
profit corporations, who take a special interest in specific aspects of community life. Examples would
include organizations such as sports clubs, seniors’ groups, or “The Y”. In general, they have simpler
operating models that can be well-adapted to providing service to the public in areas where direct
municipal service provision may be less cost-effective.
• A third group of potential service providers focusses on providing cost-competitive services by focussing
on controlling costs.
That said, using outside suppliers comes with challenges, including avoiding producing Requests for Proposal
which so tilt the balance in favour of the buyer that they drive away the most reputable and service-oriented
potential bidders, and leave winners with insufficient resourcing to do the work that the Town attempted to buy.
The best practice for outsourcing is to seek ongoing relationships with a limited group of qualified suppliers in
which both partners benefit, and both have a stake in working together effectively.
P9. Relocate the report-to-work and equipment storage area from the cemetery to a more central location.
Enter into discussions with the Fair Board to repatriate the buildings currently held by them under By-Law 2284.
Reportedly, they are operating a “business” by renting out space for customer storage. The objective would be
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to reclaim the “Cattle Barn” (at least) which, by all accounts, would be a suitable new home for Parks Operations.
If successful, this should reduce considerably the amount of time Parks personnel need to travel to arrive at their
work zones. Moreover, maintenance costs of equipment and vehicles should also be reduced. Also, Breaks and
lunches would also be closer to the daily work zones. The Cemetery Parks Operator would remain at the
Cemetery; but remain available if required elsewhere.
A larger “Home Base” would also accommodate more efficiently the size of Parks workforce, especially in the
summer. The current location at the Cemetery is too small/crowded. The relocation of Parks to the Community
Centre area would also eliminate the requirement to add building(s) to the current location, as well as pave the
balance of the lot. The plow heads could be brought from PW to the new facility, eliminating the need to store
them off-site, and therefore going back and forth to get them. All, or most, equipment and vehicles could be
stored/parked indoors reducing the prep-to-work time by not having to remove ice and snow. General
maintenance should be reduced significantly by storing winter/summer changeover equipment out of the
elements.
In conjunction with the proposed move of Parks HQ to the TTC, Parks staff will be better positioned to assist with
larger events. Also, logistics for moving, set up and take down of some tables (that are currently stored at the
Cemetery) will improve, as tables and chairs would now be stored closer the events set-up.
P10. Revisit the Bag Tag program to determine its effectiveness considering the extra work required by Parks
personnel to retrieve residential garbage from public cans whereby the Town is paying 3rd, party contractors to
collect this garbage. Use of bag tags to reduce municipal waste costs does lead to increased utilization of park
garbage cans, and to dumping, thus shifting costs to Parks. The shifted costs need to be considered when budgets
are allocated.
P11. Continue to assess cameras, lighting, and waste bin design and location modifications to limit misuse of
park garbage bins.
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P12. If the Town does not have any plans to recycle, then remove the blue boxes from the Town managed
garbage areas. The operators must empty both bins/cans, however once introduced into the truck, all is
combined. Garbage collection time could be reduced, so provision of blue box in parks locations when there is
no separate waste stream creates unnecessary expense.
P13. Reassess the Town’s participation in providing a safe and functional toboggan hill annually to clarify and
manage the associated legal and financial risks as new information becomes available.
P14. Over time, develop a database of park trees. Like many municipalities Tillsonburg has not yet begun
treating its larger trees as assets to be tracked. While not without cost, the development of a tree database can
enable better tracking of non-urgent repairs for grouping when crews are sent.
P15. Over time, measure park and cemetery tree canopy percentage, and make plans to manage it. Some
municipalities measure and report on their ‘canopy’ – the percentage of their surface shaded by trees. This allows
them to monitor – and respond appropriately to – changes over time. It is recommended that the Town move
forward to measure park canopies and look for opportunities to increase canopy cover where this can be done
without undue reduction in accessibility, safety, and a rich balance of sporting and other recreational use.
P16. Consider the extent to which flowerbeds should be maintained using Town staff. Potential alternatives
include establishing an Adopt a Flowerbed program. Alternately the Town could seek bidders to provide turnkey
preparation, planting, and watering/weeding service for the Town’s flowerboxes and flowerbeds.
P17. Consider reducing the number of flower beds in parkettes in locations where this would have little impact
on the Beautification initiative. Flowerbed care including watering is very time consuming for Parks Operators in
terms of “doing the rounds” and looking after the beds.
P18. Consider modifying some flowerbeds to lower-maintenance perennials.
P19. Investigate installing automated watering systems to reduce the labour associated with flowerbed
watering.
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P20. Continue to move forward with initiatives that enhance sports field drainage, particularly as precipitation
volume and timing is affected by climate change.
P21. Consider using cameras and fines to discourage citizens from using sports fields before the ground has
dried sufficiently. Direct revenue raised from fines to support field drainage initiatives.
P22. Consider a lighting plan for poorly-lit Town properties to try and reduce Graffiti and vandalism. Within
that plan, strategically located cameras could be considered.
P23. Consider reducing the frequency of sports field grass cutting in order to reduce the use of labour and
fuel. This frees up labour, lessens wear and tear on equipment, and reduces the carbon footprint associated with
this service. Also, if this is done, consider offering a higher price for tournaments which wish to benefit from
shorter grass.
P24. Continue to explore potential to light more baseball diamonds and other outdoor sports facilities, to
enable increased utilization particularly in the early fall.
P25. Consider charging for access to the tennis/pickleball courts. For comparison, Wilmot charges $47.50,
plus HST, for a 10-visit membership; first visit is free.
P26. Consider charging even small amounts for parking at trail heads and in parking lots. Some organizations
provide parking areas with a daily parking fee for trail and park access; and some have daily and/or seasonal use
fees. These should be considered, with advance notice and public consultations.
P27. Consider initiating a trail sponsorship program where merchants or others can contribute and be
acknowledged.
P28. Consider holding Trail Enhancement days, perhaps with participation of snowmobilers and other trail
users. (If usage fees are charged, give participants discounts or allow them to earn and allocate free passes.)
P29. Consider requiring subdivision developers to submit independent studies and plans for new parkland
prepared by certified landscape architects – or as a minimum fill out forms – addressing project impact on access
to/demand for Parks and Recreation services and facilities.
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P30. Take steps to update Tillsonburg ‘s 2011 Community Parks -Recreation & Cultural Strategic Master Plan.
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Service Profile – Cemeteries
The size of the bubbles displayed in the graph above is proportionate to the net levy used for the sub services: Cemetery Administration, Cemetery Operation, and
Cemetery Capital Improvement Project Management.
Revenue $000 %
User fees 133.6 43%
Grants 0.0 0%
Other 6.5 2%
Total Revenue 140.1 45%
Operating Expenses
Employee-rel 163.9 52%
Services 21.2 7%
Materials 16.3 5%
Other 112.0 36%
Total Cost 313.4 100%
Net Levy 173.3 55%
Category FTE*
Full Time 1.4
Part Time 0.5
Seasonal 0.3
*Full Time Equivalent (FTE) time worked.
Source: Ontario's Financial Information Return system; 2018 operations
Service Overview
Contracted and employee-provided cemetery services include family consultation, sale of lots, sale and provision of columbaria niches and monument
foundations, interments, grounds maintenance, and mandatory recordkeeping.
2019 Staffing
2019 Preliminary Financials Service Value
Ontario municipalities are required by law to
maintain cemeteries within their boundaries which
are not being maintained by others.
$7.53
$7.48
$6.87
$5.86
$5.78
$5.71
$2.40
$1.05
$0.86
Tillsonburg
Port Hope
Ingersoll
Lincoln
Median
Norfolk C
Aylmer
St. Clair Tsp
Bracebridge
Cemetery Net Levy/capita
-
1
2
3
4
0 1 2 3Service LevelService Type: 1 Mandatory, 2 Traditional, 3 Discretionary
Cemetery Sub Services
Administration Operation Project Management
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Analysis and Recommendations relating to Cemeteries
What does benchmarking tell us about how the Town is doing?
For service level
For the level of service provided for Cemetery Administration, we found that neither the Town of Lincoln nor the
City of Bracebridge provide visitor centres at their locations. Port Hope does provide a visitor centre, but for 9
hours/week (Mon, Wed, and Fri 9AM to Noon). We judge Tillsonburg’s level of service for this aspect of the
Administer Cemetery service to be above standard.
The consulting team did not find a practical way to compare level of service for cemetery operation during this
study, however, it should be noted, that in Tillsonburg’s operational model the Cemeteries Operational budget
carries substantial cost relating to supporting the Parks team which skews the operational cost.
For cost of service
Tillsonburg’s per capita operating costs for the combined three cemetery sub services was at the high end of the
comparators:
Figure 13 Cemetery Operating Cost per capita, 2018
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For revenue generated
Tillsonburg’s revenue as a % of operating costs was near the median for the comparators:
Figure 14 Cemetery Revenue as % Operating Costs, 2018
For Net Levy
The Town was at the high end of the comparators in terms of net levy per capita:
Figure 15 Cemetery Net Levy per capita, 2018
Good practices observed
• The team uses seasonal employees to expand its capacity during the peak lawn and plant maintenance
part of the year.
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• The Cemetery Reception Centre provides a quiet, private location well-suited for conversations with
bereaved families.
• The Cemetery Registrar uses special-purpose software (aptly named Stone Orchard) to properly record
cemetery operations. (There may be an opportunity for Tillsonburg to help defer some costs by using
their expertise, tools, and processes to provide registration services to other less equipped cemetery
operators in the surrounding area.)
Can and should more revenue be generated?
The prices of lots do not reflect the replacement cost of the land. Even without accounting for this, less than half
the operating costs are covered by user fees, suggesting that fees be increased to reduce municipal subsidization
of those using burial lots. In particular it seems reasonable to ask non-residents to contribute a higher proportion
of their costs.
As an example, the Town of Lincoln charges 50% more for non-residents, as per their web site retrieved on April
4, 2020 at https://lincoln.ca/sites/default/files/2020_cemetery_fees.pdf
Can the Town improve value by changing the operating model?
Opportunities for cost savings and service improvements on Cemetery Administration include:
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• Providing more ‘self-serve’ information using the Web. Best practices include:
• Using a FAQ to provide answers to Frequently Asked Questions (As of April 4, 2020 Bracebridge’s
Cemetery FAQ was notable in this regard at https://www.bracebridge.ca/en/live-here/Cemeteries.aspx#
• Providing accurate, up to date pricing information, as provided by the Town of Lincoln
• Giving accessible, useful information about the cemetery location and layout, including photos of areas
available for selection, and maps (again, Town of Lincoln is a good model)
• Perhaps providing a brief video introduction, including explaining what is required to confirm internment
rights.
• Making it possible for the public to search cemetery records and find grave locations online, e.g. by
proactively encouraging student/volunteer projects to photograph and log gravesite information into
open-access online services.
• Directing persons wanting information about how to “Arrange a Funeral, Burial, Cremation or Scattering
Service” to a well-organized site provided by Ontario (this from the Town of Cobourg)
https://www.ontario.ca/page/arrange-funeral-burial-cremation-or-scattering
• Encouraging persons interested in family research to use other resources e.g., from Port Hope’s
Cemetery Board: “Those interested in family research might begin their searches at www.alivingpast.ca"
• Encouraging the use of on-line and email to register concerns or issues. This helps to ensure that the
concerns – as well as time to respond and time to resolve can be logged. However, note that for web
and email systems to be effective they must be frequently monitored and well responded to. Use of an
auto-response system to immediately confirm receipt of the message and set expectation for a human-
mediated response (e.g. our customer service agents will respond within three working hours) is a best
practice.
• Replacing the use of three manually updated calendars with a single electronic calendar (which can
update other electronic calendars if multiple calendars are required, as well as staff smart phones).
• Potentially scaling back visitor centre open hours. In the Municipality of Port Hope, a supervisor works
out of the visitor center Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 to noon – a total of only 9 hours per
week.
Opportunities for cost savings and service improvements on Cemetery Operation include:
• Potentially outsourcing of grounds maintenance (this is done in Bracebridge and has been the practice
in Lincoln). However, it is not a recommended at this time, as it generates administrative work to launch
and manage the contract and presents a number of issues relating to the municipality’s responsibility
and contractor's responsibilities. In addition, the labour most easily replaced is that of summer students,
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which is affordable to start with and may be subsidized by other levels of government. (Note that Lincoln
has decided to bring grounds maintenance in house this year due to the desire to offer consistent high-
level care of the grounds.)
• Consider using contractors for digging graves. While Tillsonburg currently uses contractors in situations
beyond the scope of their in-house equipment (typically when the ground is heavily-frozen), digging is
available commercially and it may be possible to identify good suppliers and negotiate contracts allowing
for convenient ‘call ups’ on an as-needed basis for reasonable cost.
Recommendations
C1. We recommend increasing revenue by charging higher rates to non-residents than to residents of
Tillsonburg. To increase convenience for many purchasers, and to eliminate unnecessary administrative work,
use the web site to provide detailed information e.g. about what specific lots and niches are available for
purchase, and their prices.
Note: Should it not be possible to keep up to date pricing information on the Town web site, a linked but
separately operated Cemetery website should be established.
C2. To improve access for the public and to reduce paid time spent (often for non-residents), steps should
be taken to enable the public to search cemetery records and find grave locations online, and to direct members
of the public needing assistance to their local librarians.
C3. Keeping 3 internment calendars risks them being out of synch and is inefficient. It is recommended that
a single ‘prime’ electronic calendar be implemented, with automated updating of other versions as desired. Use
of an electronic calendar may require providing an electronic display for clients at the reception centre.
C4. Given these potential efficiencies, there may be an opportunity to scale back open hours, to give the
Cemetery Registrar more uninterrupted time to deal with reporting – and to allow more real time support to
the Parks and Facilities team.
C5. Consider upgrading the Cemetery reception centre to provide a more functional office workspace and a
“Quiet Room” for visitors.
C6. A secure water and fireproof filing cabinet is required to increase the protection of onsite storage of
important current-year records at the visitor centre.
C7. Because non-compliant grave decorations interfere with timely and efficient grounds maintenance,
communicate with stakeholders and use periodic inspection and follow up by management to initiate improved
implementation of regulations.
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C8. With careful attention to maintaining the quality of service provided, consider outsourcing more or all
the gravedigging to reduce the complexity and potentially the cost of operating the cemetery.
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Service Profile – Recreation
The size of the bubbles displayed in the graph above is proportionate to the net levy used for the sub services: Recreation Programs excluding aquatics, Registration
& Booking, Indoor Aquatics, Outdoor Aquatics/Lake Lisgar, Arena, Fitness Centre, Community Centre, Seniors’ Centre, Recreation Planning and Advising, and
Recreation Capital Improvement Project Management.
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Analysis and Recommendations relating to Recreation
What does benchmarking tell us about how the Town is doing?
For service level
Tillsonburg is well-served in terms of the availability of indoor recreational facilites, scoring 22% above
the median for square metres of indoor recreational facilities per capita, and also above the median for
ice pads (not counting practice pads) per 1000 population. This reflects Tillsonburg’s role as a regional
service provider, similar to Bracebridge.
Figure 16 Square Metres of indoor recreation facilities per 1000 population, 2018
Figure 17 Indoor ice pads per 1000 population, 2019
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For cost of service
Tillsonburg’s operating cost per square metre of indoor recreational space in 2018 was 10% below that of
Coburg, which was the median of the comparators for this measure.
Figure 18 Operating cost per square metre of indoor recreation facility, 2018
Despite the lower operating cost per square metre of indoor facilities, the net result from the higher
number of metres was that Tillsonburg spent 8% more per capita than the median comparator
municipality to operate its indoor recreational facilities in 2018.
Figure 19 Operating cost per capita for Recreation Facilities, 2018
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Tillsonburg’s per capita spending on recreational programs was higher than most comparator
municipalities, which is also a reflection of Tillsonburg’s role as a regional service provider.
Figure 20 Per capita operating cost for recreational programs in 2018
For revenue generated
Fees for use of recreational facilities and programs help to offset the costs of providing these services.
Tillsonburg generated 31% more revenue per capita then the median.
Figure 21 2018 Recreation Program Revenue per capita
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For Net Levy
Despite it’s above median level of revenue generation, Tillsonburg’s net levy per capita for recreational
facilities and programs put it in a cluster of municipalities at the higher end of the range, as can be seen
in the following figure:
Figure 22 Net levy per capita for indoor recreational facilities and programs, 2018
To summarize, the benchmarking suggests that:
• In terms of indoor recreational facilities Tillsonburg residents have access to more than median,
that the operational costs of these facilities are somewhat lower than median, and together these
factors put the operating costs per capita about 8% above the median.
• In terms of recreational programs, Tillsonburg spends more per capita than the median, and while
its revenue per capita is higher than the median it is not enough to offset the higher spending.
• Altogether these factors result in a net levy per capita which is higher than in most comparator
municipalities.
Good practices observed:
Good practices currently in use include:
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• Working under the umbrella of a comprehensive Master Plan (which, however, has been in place
since June 2011, and would benefit from an update).
• Investing in a cogeneration facility that provides a significant portion of the electricity and heat
required to operate the TCC . The cogeneration system is more than recovering its capital cost in
ongoing savings – and which allows the TCC to operate on its own power when the grid goes
down.
• Using a crew of staff qualified to operate both the ice plant and the indoor pool’s circulation and
heating system.
• Reducing the need for on-site monitoring by turning off one of three compressors when outside
temperatures and the energy demands of ice-making permit.
• Making extensive use of part time and seasonal staff for public-facing duties, under the guidance
of a core of full time and long-term part time staff.
• Connecting with users through social media and using its two-way capabilities to help select new
program offerings to pilot.
• Keeping close watch on registration numbers, and downsizing offerings where the number of
registered participants can be accommodated with fewer sessions (contacting users in an effort
to assist them to transfer into the remaining timeslots).
• Using made-for-purpose software for registration (including online registration) and for booking
of facilities.
Where are the challenges?
• The age and layout of the TCC.
• Evolving social phenomena and norms e.g. around issues such as vandalism, graffiti, and drug use
make it more challenging and expensive to provide high quality services.
• Software issues which affect the functionality of the software used for registration and facility
booking.
• The growing popularity and availability of commercial health clubs, which offer highly functional
equipment, high-quality surroundings, convenient locations, and extended access.
• A growing range of recreational learning opportunities which individuals can participate in more
and more easily from home using through broadband internet and streaming utilities.
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• Improved at-home exercise equipment, which has evolved from primitive home weight
equipment and exercise bicycles and now includes to internet-enabled sports equipment that
allows users to participate in virtual group fitness activities from their own homes.
Should level of service be modified?
Opportunities to consider adjusting service levels to reduce funding required from the town include the
Lake Lisgar Waterpark service and the Health Club service.
The per visit cost of operating the Lake Lisgar Waterpark in 2019 was over $17.00. Users of the Waterpark
service paid for only 25% of its costs, leaving the Town to pay the remaining amount for residents and
visitors alike.
It may be possible to reduce the Waterpark deficit by significantly increasing the admission price, and by
adding a range of revenue-generating attractions, perhaps combining outdoor activities such a petting
zoo (with vending machines selling feed), mini golf, and pedal cars. Also, there may be potential for a
games area offering shelter from the rain, to extend operations when the weather requires the pool to
close early or not even open.
Yet eliminating the operating deficit would appear to be a tall order, particularly for the Town’s RCP
department which is already managing a broad range of challenges including an aging TCC. And even if
the deficit could be brought down to a level acceptable to residents and Council, operating the Waterpark
as a paid attraction keeps a significant piece of key park and recreational real estate behind a paywall.
The operating cost per use for the health club in 2019 was about $16.00, with users paying roughly 2/3 of
this amount. Not all municipalities provide fitness centres, and several private clubs in Tillsonburg offer
this service. Given the need for more change facilities for the pool, the cost of operating the Health Club,
and the fact that private operators have attempted or are currently attempting to provide health club
services, it would be logical to investigate the feasibility of contracting with an outside operator for this
facility.
In the longer term, one additional area could be reviewed for potential adjustment to the level of service
provided. Operating the Seniors Centre is not a large expense, but there may be an opportunity for
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Tillsonburg to achieve better value in this area. Both Port Hope and Cobourg generate significantly more
revenue from operating their Seniors Centres than Tillsonburg, despite having lower membership fees.
Their centres appear to attract more paying members; yet both municipalities report spending less than
Tillsonburg in operating costs. This review will need to be done in concert with the Tillsonburg Senior
Centre organization.
As healthy, active seniors are becoming to make up a larger proportion of Provincial and Town population
there is an opportunity to revisit what services are provided, where they are provided, how much outreach
effort is extended and how broadly the services are used, and of course the value for money attained.
(Note that seniors who are healthy and active, and who stay physically fit and do resistance training to
keep their muscles strong and maintain their balance are more likely to remain independent, contributing
members of society and to need less home care and health care).
Can and should more revenue be generated?
Yes – see recommendations R1 through R4 below.
Can the Town improve value by changing the operating model?
Opportunities for cost savings and service improvements for Recreation include continuing to use
technology to provide helpful, accurate-right-now information to citizens and users. Best practices include
using the web, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and perhaps a special-purpose cell phone app to
communicate breaking news such as rain closures, cancellations, and immediately available time slots for
recreation and sports facilities. Unfortunately, the Town site is not kept up-to-date, and upon occasion,
showing past events as if they are still upcoming. This creates a significant barrier to timely, accurate
information that informs potential visitors and motivates web visitors to attend events. If the Town site
cannot be reliably kept up to date with next day service for minor updates and additions, consider allowing
the Recreation team to manage their own pages, or to establish their own linked site.
Further opportunities are addressed in the following recommendations.
Recommendations
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R1. It does not seem fair to expect Town citizens to subsidize programs used by non-residents.
Consider adding a non-resident surcharge (perhaps by way of a price increase with a simultaneous,
partially-offsetting discount for residents).
R2. Continue to seek opportunities to generate revenues from sale of refreshments and merchandise,
perhaps directing part of them to supporting fee subsidies for those in need.
R3. To the extent possible, focus fee subsidies on situations where subsidized users are less likely to
displace full-fee participants. Consider using waitlists so that those wishing access to activities at
reduced fees can be registered into courses later in the registration cycle. (This will also be addressed
in the Revenue Model section later in this report.)
R4. Periodically review use of staff time for fund-raising, to ensure net value is positive.
R5. Move from printed to web-only course catalogue (with limited printing of specific sections on
request at TCC) to obtain the following benefits:
• Eliminate printing delays, so that residents can learn about offerings more quickly after the
catalogue is ready to go
• Enable errors to be corrected, potentially eliminating confusion, cost, and disappointment during
registration.
• Avoid printing costs and avoid creating wastepaper and the associated landfill/recycling expenses.
R6. Continue to encourage use of on-line systems to economize on staff time. This could be done by
giving on-line registrants a ‘head start’ for booking,
R7. Consider charging a small booking fee or convenience fee for online booking (e.g. Port Hope uses
an online service provider that charges users as well as the city).
R8. Continue to work with other municipalities to press the manufacturer of the current registration
software (Legend Software) to address product limitations.
R9. Also continue to work with other municipalities to develop and share effective workarounds for
limitations in the software.
R10. The pool pump room physical infrastructure is aging. Explore the potential to replace the
pumping, filtering, and chlorination systems with more modern systems which are more automated
and reduce the use of chemicals e.g. by utilizing Ultraviolet light to kill bacteria.
R11. If a replacement for the Community Centre is several years away, then consider a “public
eye” facelift, such as repairs to the Hardy Street Steps and installation of a ramp.
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R12. Targeted capital investment could help to address the limited capacity and flexibility of
change rooms, and limited accessibility to this part of the Recreation complex.
R13. It is recommended that the viability of the format of the Lake Lisgar Waterpark be
reviewed on an annual basis as visitor interest, insurance costs, and operational complexities continue
to evolve. The waterpark is an entirely discretionary service. None of the comparator municipalities
operated an urban waterpark. While Council recently decided that the Waterpark would remain
operational in essentially its traditional format, and the wheels have been turning to rebuild the
waterslide, the aging infrastructure takes a great deal of attention and effort to maintain.
It may be possible to broaden the range of revenue-generating attractions, perhaps combining
outdoor activities such a petting zoo (with vending machines selling feed), mini golf, and pedal carts.
Also, there may be potential for a games area offering shelter from the rain, to extend operations
when the weather requires the pool to close early or not even open. That said, should the waterpark
continue to operate at a significant deficit, replacing the outdoor pool and waterslide at some point
in the future, with admission free, should be considered as an option.
R14. It is recommended that the Town’s longer-term planning for the Lake Lisgar waterpark
include an option to replace the outdoor pool and waterslide with recreational resources that could
be offered to the public without the need to charge admission.
R15. If the Parks Operations relocation initiative moves ahead, it is recommended that the new
Parks storage facility be considered for housing the back-up Ice Surfacing machine, reducing the
resources required to bring it into and take it out of operation.
R16. Given the extensive layout of the Recreational Centre and its arenas, continue to upgrade
indoor security camera system, and to consider alarm systems to enhance security of staff and facility
users.
R17. Explore whether remote supervision from the upper floor could potentially reduce or
eliminate the need for a supervised entry desk at the Health Club. At present the staff member
operating the Health Club entry desk sometimes leaves the desk unattended, which can tempt users
to enter without payment.
R18. Not all municipalities provide fitness centres, and several private clubs in Tillsonburg offer
this service. Given the need for more change facilities for the pool, and the cost of staffing the Health
Club, consider studying whether this service could be eliminated or perhaps investigate an alternative
service delivery model (I.e. contracted provider).
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R19. It is recommended that the question of how to best provide Senior Centre services be
addressed when the Town’s Recreation, Culture, and Sport strategic plan is next updated.
R20. Use the Town web site (and continue to use social media) to provide helpful, accurate-
right-now information to citizens and users. As previously noted, this will require increasing the level
of service for web updating or giving RCP the ability to update its own pages on the site or linked sites.
Note: Due to the age and condition of the Town’s facilities, the workload associated with project
management has increased across RCP. There is a need to review the associated resources. This issue
will be addressed in the Structure and Service Level-Resources Match sections later in this report.
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Service Profile – Museum and Culture
The size of the bubbles shown in the graph above is proportionate to the net levy used for the Museum sub services, which are: Operate Museum,
Heritage Preservation, Heritage Planning and Advising, and Operate Tourist Information Centre.
Revenue $000 %
User fees 67.5 15%
Grants 21.4 5%
Other 24.5 5%
Total Revenue 113.4 25%
Operating Expenses
Employee-related 315.8 68%
Services 55.0 12%
Materials 13.5 3%
Other 78.0 17%
Total Cost 462.3 100%
Net Levy 348.9 75%
Category FTE*
Full Time 3.3
Part Time 0.1
Seasonal 0.6
*Full Time Equivalent (FTE) time worked.
Source: Ontario's Financial Information Return system; 2018 operations
2019 Staffing
2019 Preliminary Financials
Supports the local economy by attracting tourists and new
residents. Is a cultural resource and gathering place for local
residents. Provides exhibition space and a sales outlet for
local artisans, supporting fundraising for community groups.
Provides valuable learning experiences for school classes.
Service Value
Service Overview
This service involves managing and providing access to the Annandale National Historical Site; collecting, preserving, researching, exhibiting and interpreting information and artifacts
depicting the history of Tillsonburg; and informing visitors and residents about other local activities and attractions.
$36.48
$25.98
$23.34
$21.54
$20.12
$17.13
$16.07
$15.00
$12.10
$11.19
$9.37
$7.36
$5.56
Woodstock
Cobourg
St. Clair
Tillsonburg
Norfolk County
Ingersoll
Median
Wilmot
Belleville
Lincoln
Port Hope
Aylmer
Bracebridge
Museum & Culture Net levy/capita Service LevelService Type: 1 Required, 2 Traditional, 3 Discretionary
Museum Sub Services
Operation Tourist Information
Preservation Heritage Plan/Advise
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Analysis and Recommendations relating to Museum and Culture
What does benchmarking tell us about how the Town is doing?
There are significant challenges benchmarking Museum and Culture services, due to the different roles, layouts,
and operational approaches that the different institutions have. For example, of the six municipally-owned
museums in the comparator sample, three – Annandale, Castle Killbride, and Glanmore - are designated National
Historical Sites. This designation recognizes that there is a national importance of preserving them, making their
stories known, and opening their grounds and interiors for public visitation.
Also complicating benchmarking is the fact that not all comparator municipalities have municipally-owned
museums; those that do vary significantly on opening hours and whether admission is by donation or at a set
fee. In two comparator municipalities admission was by donation (Ingersoll’s Cheese & Agricultural Museum,
and the Woodstock Museum). At the Town of Lincoln Museum & Cultural Centre admission is by suggested
donation of $3.00.
The following figure compares the three admission-charging museums for open hours and adult admission price:
Municipality Museum Hours open
in 2019
Adult admission
Tillsonburg Annandale 2,010 $6.00
Wilmot Castle Killbride 1,476 $9.00
Belleville Glanmore House 1,359 $8.00
Clearly Tillsonburg’s Annandale National Historical Site museum provides more hours of availability, and offers
citizens affordable access.
In this context it can be useful to compare operating results on two dimensions – revenue generation and levy
support. Compared to those comparator municipalities that generate revenue from the Museum and Culture
service areas, Tillsonburg’s operating revenue per capita, at $2.95, was the median amount (figure 23), while
municipal support at $21.54 per capita was about $5.50 above the median (figure 24). This support reflects
Annandale’s important symbolic role for Tillsonburg, given difficult decisions made in the past which led to the
loss of the Carnegie Library, Post Office, and Town Hall - historical structures that would typically providing much
of the heritage face and brand for the town. Annandale’s attractive exterior, important and interesting historical
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roots, and incomparable interior makes it an appropriate and important location for cultural and heritage related
events, and for providing tourist information services. Having an authentic historical brand is a significant factor
for attracting visitors, investors, and new residents – a factor that differentiates Tillsonburg when decisions are
being made.
Figure 23 Museum and Culture 2018 Operating Revenue per capita
Figure 24 2018 Levy per capita for Museum and Culture
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Good practices observed:
Good practices currently in use include:
• Welcoming visitors in person, and then using a self-guided tour format which economizes on staff time.
• Using social media to engage with the community, including members of the Tillsonburg and District
Historical Society.
• Holding events that draw community members into the facility.
• Providing year-round access to the public six days per week.
• Teaming with local arts and crafts associations to display locally-produced materials – and using a portion
of sales revenue to support the Museum’s work.
• Using a long-term part time staff member to cover Sunday hours.
• Using seasonal staff to stretch resources during summer months, which are busier.
• Working effectively with volunteers and assigning individual duties in keeping with their capabilities and
level of interest.
Where are the challenges?
• It is challenging to inform potential visitors about what the museum offers, and to motivate those driving
along the heavily-traveled Highway 401 to take the 20 minute side trip to Tillsonburg.
• The Museum’s main web presence, the Town of Tillsonburg’s website, has limitations for communicating
current information
• The Museum’s role as a Tourist Information Centre generates telephone, email, and walk-in enquiries
which are not always well-articulated with Annandale’s core mission of preserving and publicizing
Tillsonburg’s unique history. Only one of the comparator municipalities, Cobourg, reported having their
Recreation and Parks group operating tourist information centres.
Can and should more revenue be generated?
There may be opportunities to use some additional fees to generate minor amounts of revenue and limit less
mission-oriented demands on staff time. For example:
• The Town of Aylmer charges a $10 fee for non-members to visit the archives.
• The Northumberland County Archives and Museum charges a fee of $30 per hour for up to 3 hours,
payable in advance, for research done on for individuals who do not visit in person.
That said, higher admission and participation fees can put a damper on visitation.
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Steps that attract more visitors would help to increase revenue. One approach being used by Glanmore House
in Belleville is to use some of their artifacts to create displays in other parts of the municipality, for example
putting a display of historical fire prevention and firefighting materials at a fire station.
Can the Town improve value by changing the operating model?
Yes. For example, Annandale’s web presence is housed within the Town site, which is not kept up to date, for
example showing past events as if they are still upcoming. This creates a significant barrier to timely, accurate
information that informs potential visitors and motivates web visitors to attend events. If the Town site cannot
be reliably kept up to date with next day service for minor updates and addition, allow the Museum to establish
its own linked site.
Additional improvements are itemized in the recommendations below.
Recommendations:
M1. Use the Town web site (and continue to use social media) to provide helpful, accurate-right-now
information to citizens and users. As previously noted, this will require increasing the level of service for web
updating or giving RCP the ability to update its own pages on the site or linked sites.
M2. Seek opportunities to showcase holdings in mini exhibits located at other municipal facilities or in public
places such as a rec centre, library, fire station, or shopping mall with informative posters and, where possible,
displays of artifacts.
M3. Some other museums close during their slow season. For example, Castle Kilbride in Wilmot will schedule
bus tours and school tours but does not keep regular open hours from early January to mid March. It is
recommended that the Town, as an experiment, schedule annual museum downtime for the next two years
during the low travel season to enable Annandale staff to intensify their focus on upkeep, improvement, and
outreach (see M2) projects. This would also enable a test of end of season (only 5 days left) and re-opening
marketing, and an assessment of the net effect on annual visitation.
M4. It is recommended that the development of a Museum and Heritage Plan proceed, to provide a renewed
or reconfirmed mandate for the important work being done.
M5. For the Tourist Information service, make a concerted effort to respond to phone and email enquiries by
providing links to helpful information sites, rather than by mailing brochures and flyers.
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Service Profile - Energy & Facilities
The size of the bubbles shown in the graph above is proportionate to the net levy used for the Sub services, which are: Manage Energy Projects and Maintain
Municipal Non-recreation Facilities.
Revenue $000 %
User fees 0 0%
Grants 0 0%
Other 100 35%
Total Revenue 100 35%
Operating Expenses
Employee-related 241.6 84%
Services 0 0%
Materials 2.5 1%
Other 45.2 16%
Total Cost 289.3 100%
Net Levy 189.3 65%
Category FTE*
Full Time 2.5
Part Time 0
Seasonal 0
*Full Time Equivalent (FTE) time worked.
2019 Staffing
Service Overview
Provide property management services for non-recreation municipal facilities including planning for, overseeing and delivering capital improvements,
janitorial (contract & staff delivered) service, routine building & grounds maintenance, and waste/recycling. Also planning for, overseeing, delivering,
and reporting on energy conservation projects
Service Value2019 Preliminary Financials
These essential services
enable in-person access to
Town services by the public,
facilitates the work done by
Town staff, and complies
with Provincial requirements
to monitor, report on, and
reduce energy consumption.
-
1
2
3
0 1 2 3Service LevelService Type: 1 Mandatory, 2 Traditional, 3 Discretionary
Energy Facilities Sub Services
Non-recreation Municipal Facilities Energy Projects
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Analysis and Recommendations related to Energy and Facilities
There is insufficient information to benchmark the service that RCP provides in providing project management
and implementation support for the Town’s energy and facility improvement projects.
Projects which improve the energy-efficiency of municipal work will, in most cases, pay for themselves over time
by reducing energy use and cost. The savings are enjoyed by the groups using the municipal facilities. How to
address the workload and costs of this responsibility will be discussed in the sections on Structure and Resource
Match below.
Port Hope has the only other Parks and Recreation department that reported managing energy-efficiency
improvement projects for the municipality. It is also the only one of the benchmarked communities, which
reported having the Parks and Recreation group take responsibility for maintaining municipal non-recreational
facilities. In their case as in Tillsonburg’s, the driver for the tasking is that indoor recreational facilities are already
being maintained and managed, and it is not unreasonable to seek to utilize their skills and vendor relationships
to look after other facilities as well.
Can the Town improve value by changing the operating model?
Currently the Town has contracts with three cleaning firms. Combining them into one or possibly two contracts
would simplify tasks associated with bidding, awarding, and overseeing service delivery. The 3 Custodian
Contracts currently in place are providing various levels of service, from poor to acceptable. This is requiring a
Facilities staff member to visit the Town facilities to do a quality check and take corrective action where needed.
Recommendation:
O1. At the next opportunity, when the 3 Custodial Contracts are close to co-termination, place them out to
tender and select one company with a proven track record of quality services. Make the term 2 years.
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Mandate
The Official RCP Mandate, as identified in the Town of Tillsonburg, Community Parks, Recreation & Cultural
Strategic Master Plan dated June 2011, is to:
• “promote participation in organized and non-programmed forms of sport and recreation through the
provision of appropriate facilities and services;
• enhance awareness and vibrancy of local arts, culture and heritage resources by recognizing their
importance, embracing their creative benefits and providing them with the necessary tools in which to
succeed; and
• provide a connected network of parks and trails that offer opportunities for active and passive forms of
leisure and also contribute to ecological health on a local, regional and global level.”
As can be seen in the following table, only part of the work performed by RCP fits with that mandate:
RCP Responsibilities Fit with current official mandate Comments
Plan for and provide
recreational facilities
and recreational
programs
Strong. This, in conjunction with the
Parks responsibility addresses bullet 1.
Continued alignment.
Plan for and provide
parks and open
spaces, outdoor sports
facilities, trails etc.
Strong. This directly addresses bullet
3, and in conjunction with the
Recreation responsibilities addresses
bullet 1
Continued alignment.
Plan for and provide
Museum and Heritage
Preservation services.
Strong. This responsibility directly
addresses the segment of bullet 2
which relate to heritage resources.
While RCPs Museum and Culture team
helps local artists and craftspeople by
displaying their wares and selling
objects for a small commission (which
goes to a fund), RCP is not resourced to
provide local arts resources all “the
necessary tools” to succeed, and indeed
many of the artists now seen as great
had limited ‘success’ during their lives.
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Provide tourist
information
Low. This service brings people to the
Annandale House vestibule and some
of them to the admissions desk
seeking brochures, maps, and advice,
much of which is unrelated to the
current mandate.
On the positive side, some of these
information seekers are attracted to
tour the Museum or visit the historical
and artistic displays there, some will
choose to visit other local arts, culture,
and heritage resources, to this extent
helping to address bullet 2.
The in practice mandate appears to be:
“use museum resources (parking lot,
vestibule, and staff) to offer visitors a
selection of brochures, maps, and on-
phone, in-person, or postal or email
guidance about local, regional, and
provincial attractions.”
A proportion of this tourist information
work e.g. mailing out Ontario roadmaps
and directions to Algonquin Park or
Niagara Falls does not fit the mandate.
Plan for and provide
cemetery services
Moderate. A cemetery can be viewed
as a form of parkland and provides an
area for walking and jogging in
connection with nature. Also, the
Tillsonburg Cemetery contains mature
trees which contribute to ecological
health.
Use park planning and operational
capabilities to serve the Town by
operating the active cemetery and care
for the heritage cemetery.
Manage Municipal
Energy Efficiency
projects
None The in-practice mandate appears to be:
Use capabilities for managing and
maintaining recreational facilities to
serve the Town by planning, procuring,
and implementing energy saving
initiatives such as LED lights, motion-
detecting light switches, and
improvements to overhead doors.
Maintain Municipal
Non-recreation
facilities
None The in practice mandate appears to be:
Use capabilities for managing and
maintaining recreational facilities to
serve the Town by participating in and
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overseeing the maintenance of
municipal non-recreational facilities
including the Elliott Fairbairn Centre,
the OPP station, the Fire Hall, and the
Municipal Airport.
Proposed Updated Mandate for the RCP Department
The proposed Recreation, Culture and Parks mandate is:
To enhance the quality of life for Tillsonburg residents through a wide range of inclusive and accessible
recreational, cultural, heritage, and park-related facilities and programming which provides opportunities for
physical activity, social interaction, and community engagement. In particular:
• to promote participation in organized and non-programmed forms of sport and recreation by providing
and publicizing indoor and outdoor facilities and services – and a network of parks and trails - that
balance wide choice, service quality and broad access with financial sustainability;
• to promote awareness and vibrancy of local heritage, arts, and culture through museum operation and
heritage preservation.
The proposed additional mandate of RCP is:
• To plan for, implement, and report on initiatives that save energy use in municipally operated facilities,
and thereby help contribute to the environmental sustainability of municipal operations.
• To participate in and oversee the maintenance of municipal non-recreational facilities including the
Elliott Fairbairn Centre, the OPP station, the Fire Hall, and the Municipal Airport.
The question of whether RCP is resourced to manage this broad mandate will be discussed in the sections on
Structure and Resource Match below.
Is there a match between service levels and the resources deployed to achieve
them?
Providing municipal services in communities the size of Tillsonburg requires a careful balancing act to make the
best use of a broad spectrum of resources including sports clubs and service clubs; non-profit entities, volunteers,
contractors, seasonal and part-time employees, and a core of full-time staff to deliver a mix of facilities and
services which best serves the needs of the community.
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Over time the expectations on municipal management teams have increased simply because evolving legislation,
public expectations, and technologies have increased their workloads, and this has been the case for Tillsonburg’s
RCP department. As discussed in the Mandate section of this report, the range of RCP department’s
responsibilities now extends well beyond the three areas in its name, to include the important services of
cemetery operations; managing energy improvement projects and maintaining municipal non-recreation
facilities.
With this broadened mandate and with the passing of time it is apparent that there has been workload ‘creep’
which, if not addressed, will possibly undermine effective management and successful service delivery. The creep
is threatening a ‘death by a thousand cuts’ situation, where each item individually would be reasonable, but the
combination results in overload.
During the project the study team observed that the Town’s aging sports and recreational infrastructure –
coupled with expanded opportunities for infrastructure renewal funding from higher levels of government - has
ramped up the workload associated with capital upkeep and capital improvement projects. Project management
work is complex, and cannot be done effectively by individuals who will be frequently interrupted and pulled
away to deal with urgent operational matters. For these reasons, the study team has concluded that additional
resources need to be available to the department to properly process the project-related workload.
Recommendation:
(Note that numbering continues using the ‘O’ prefix, which will be used for all recommendations in the rest of this
report.)
O2. Create a new role of Project Manager, or Projects Coordinator, reporting directly to the Director. This Project
Manager would provide the RCP with access to the project management body of knowledge and resources,
to support the implementation of proven project management disciplines and processes for the entire suite
of RCP-managed projects. As this office becomes operational it is suggested that RCP collaborate with
Finance and perhaps other functional areas to develop a consistent group of tools, digital tracking systems,
reporting dashboards, and standards. Ideally this should be a FT position but could be trialed as a fixed term
contract role. Solid organizational governance could be implemented allowing for transparent and
communicative projects status including strong scheduling and budgetary control.
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Comparison of Tillsonburg's RCP Organizational Structure to Selected Other
Municipalities
Current Tillsonburg Organization and Staffing Chart:
Recreation & Programs: 1 Manager, 2 Supervisors, 8 FT staff and 4 PT staff and many Summer staff and PT
student lifeguards
Culture & Heritage: 1 Manager, 2 FT staff, 1 PT staff and various Sumer staff
Parks & Facilities: 1 Manager, 3 Supervisors (incl. Chief Operator), 14 FT staff, 9 PT staff
Summary: 3 Managers, 5 Supervisors, 24 FT staff, 14 PT staff and various PT Lifeguards and Summer Staff
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Comparison to three Other Municipalities
Port Hope:
This structure is almost identical to Tillsonburg. Only “Culture” is buried in the Community Development
structure; with no indication of the presence of “Museums”. Also, there is no mention of Cemeteries. Note also,
there are only two direct functional reports to the Director, although does include an Administrative Assistant.
Community Development Programs: 1 Manager, 7 FT staff, 3 PT staff and various Summer staff
Parks and Facilities: 1 Manager, 4 FT staff, 1 PT staff and various Summer staff
Summary: 2 Managers, 11 FT staff, 4 PT staff and various Summer Staff
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Woodstock:
Woodstock has a relatively “flat” organizational structure with all Supervisors and Managers reporting directly
to the Director. Woodstock obviously is a much larger city than Tillsonburg. The other differences are related to
a different physical distribution of facilities.
Parks: 2 Supervisors, 2 Assistant Supervisors, 9 FT staff, 10 PT staff and 29 Summer students
Aquatics: 1 Supervisor, 2 Deck Supervisors, 5.5 FT staff, 50 PT staff (most likely seasonal variation)
Rec. Programs and Sponsorship: 1 Supervisor, 36 PT staff (most likely with seasonal variation)
Cowan Sportsplex: 1 Manager, 1.5 FT staff, 11 PT staff (including Custodians)
Arenas: 1 Manager, 1 Assistant Supervisor, 7 FT staff, 19 PT staff
Summary: 2 Managers, 4 Supervisors, 5 Assistant (incl. Deck) Supervisors, 24 FT staff, 126 PT staff (seasonal
variation)
Also, Woodstock has a Manager of Culture who reports to the Chief Operating Officer. The group providing
museum and heritage services uses 8.6 Full Time Equivalent persons; additional management time is devoted
to supporting the Arts.
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Ingersoll:
Ingersoll is another example of a “Flat” organization. In this case all 5 department heads are Managers and report
directly to the Director. As with Tillsonburg, coordinators/analysts also report directly to the Director.
Parks: 1 Manager, 1 FT staff, 3 seasonal and various Summer Students
Facility Operations: 1 Manager, 6 FT staff and various PT staff
Fusion (youth) Centre: 1 Manager, 1 Supervisor, 5 FT staff, various PT staff
Aquatics: 1 Manager and various PT staff
Recreation Programs and Fitness: 1 Manager, 1 FT staff and various PT staff
Summary: 5 Managers, 1 Supervisor, 13 FT staff, 3 seasonal and various PT staff and Summer students
Departmental Organization Structure
The study team views RCP’s current departmental structure, which divides the organization into three main
pillars, to be functional and workable. That said, the following observations lead to some suggested adjustments:
• The Facilities team is currently divided into two functional areas: 1) Operations – the provision of
services to the public (e.g. Pool, Ice, room set-ups) as usually scheduled by Recreation Programs &
Services, and 2) Facility Maintenance – The maintenance of building systems to ensure smooth and
safe experience to the public, and Town employees, without unexpected disruptions.
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• The Organization Chart below clearly shows this delineation, but in reality, it is somewhat of a hybrid.
Facility Operations (Supervisor - Chief Operator) perform most or all of their functions in or around
the Community Centre, including providing Facility Maintenance services and events setups. Facility
Maintenance (Supervisor – “Facilities Supervisor”) on the other hand is responsible for Maintenance,
but not the community Centre (although there is some sharing/overlap) but does so for the balance
(most) of the other Town buildings. Facilities Maintenance staff are also responsible for contracted
Custodian Services; Grounds (surrounding the Centre), and special Events. This hybrid arrangement
seems to work, but seemingly heavily reliance on the incumbent personalities, and also in the
absence of equipment failure metrics regarding efficiencies.
• There are a number of functional overlaps: 1) Flower beds are maintained on Town properties by
Parks, but at the Centre by Facilities Supervision. 2) event setups can involve Operations, Facility
supervision and Parks, depending on the nature of the event. 3) contract Custodian Services also
clean certain areas of the Centre. However, ice dressing rooms are cleaned by the Facilities
Supervisor’s staff, with the help from Operations staff when the Facility Supervisor’s resources are
unavailable. 4) light maintenance (HVAC filters, lights, toilets, water leaks, etc.) are performed by
Operations at the Centre and by Facilities Supervisor in all other Town buildings (although some
overlap exists).
• Parks and facilities supervisors are spending time on administrative tasks including accounts, PO
control, equipment and supplies acquisition, filing, and coding, which is far from the highest and best
use of their time and skills.
Recommendations:
O3. Clarify titles within the facilities team:
• FACILITY OPERATIONS, COMMUNITY CENTRE (Chief Operator). This would include Operations
(as defined above) and “Heavy Maintenance” (as defined below)
• FACILITY MAINTENANCE (Supervisor, Facilities Maintenance). This would include Town wide
Custodian services and “Light” maintenance (as defined below).
O4. Separate Maintenance into “Light” and “Heavy”. Heavy maintenance would consist of Plant (ice, pool),
turbines, boilers, HVAC repairs, etc., all within the TCC. Light Maintenance would consist of HVAC
Preventative Maintenance, lights, plumbing, etc. Town wide. The reasoning is twofold: 1) if PM contracts are
negotiated or tendered (or Preventative Maintenance Scheduling systems are developed), savings may be
Page 65 of 77
inherent with critical mass (e.g. all HVAC units within all Town buildings, electrical contracting, supplies, etc.),
and 2) Any future change of Supervisory personnel and subsequent alignment/realignment of skills. It was
observed that the current chief Operator and the Facilities supervisor communicated well.
O5. Reduce overlapping responsibilities between Parks and Facilities. For example, make all set-ups, both within
and outside the community Centre, be fully the responsibility of Operations, alleviating the need for Parks
personnel. Conversely, have Parks do all Town flower beds including those at the Centre. In the experience
of CLARICO, it has been found that reducing overlaps increases efficiencies especially if specialized
equipment is used.
O6. Provide administrative support for facility operations and facility maintenance. One possibility for this would
be expanding the role – and hours - of the Cemeteries Registrar to fulfill other RCP administrative duties.
This position already provides administrative support to the staff weekly team meetings. This additional work
most likely could be accomplished in the current cemetery's office with some travel during the week to the
Town Centre or other offices.
A revised Parks & Facilities Organization chart reflecting recommendations O2 through O6 is shown below:
Page 66 of 77
Customer service
The best practice for gathering and prioritizing citizen maintenance-need reports is gathering them through
municipal web sites and a “3-1-1“Customer Service Centre. Doing so reduces the number of calls to managers
(which can interrupt meetings or disrupt their workflow, affecting productivity), and reduce the potential for
such reports to be mis logged or unlogged.
Tillsonburg applies an informal customer service model in which customer inquiries, questions, and complaints
can be initiated in many formats, including emails, website form submissions, phone calls through the Town main
line phone number, and at times through direct calls to RCP directors and staff.
The Town does not currently use centralized ticket creation system. Such systems can easily link issues to assets
and to work orders (if they need to be raised). They can easily generate confirmations of work done both for
managers and to the individuals who reported the issue. They can provide metrics to management for monthly
reporting and ease of learning. Use of centralized ticket creation systems is becoming more common for
municipalities of this size as enterprise wide tools (such as ESRI and other on premise or cloud-based CRM-Asset-
Work Order-Customer Service tools) become the norm due to affordability and digital integrations across the
operation. It is noted that (MESH), a corporate work order system that could provide asset tracking, customer
relationship management, and issue management was in early stages of use, however firm implementation
timelines were not available.
However, the absence of a centralized ticket creation system does not mean that the present operation and
processes fail to address issues raised by stakeholders achieve timely and satisfactory resolutions. The present
review did not find evidence, either formal or anecdotal, that citizens were displeased or that the Town is
assuming unnecessary operational risks.
It is now becoming common for municipalities to establish clear customer service standards and communicate
them to their citizens. For example, if a citizen who experiences a fallen tree on their yard or sidewalk uses the
town website to report the issue, many municipalities have systems for quickly acknowledging receipt of the
service request with an email response that provides a request number, explains target time to inspect as well
as target time to remove the tree, and notes that the speed of tree removal can be affected by factors such as
effect to power grids, safety, and accessibility. In addition, many municipal web sites provide information on
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target action times early in the logging process, thus helping to establish reasonable expectations on the part of
those reporting issues – and allowing those with urgent situations to avoid unnecessary delays.
Some municipalities go a step further. For example: The City of London Ontario makes it easy for citizens to
identify issue locations on a city map – and has a check box for requesting a callback. It also allows citizens to
track the status of past service requests using a service request number.
Recommendations:
O7. Establish specific service standards for key areas of RCP’s operation, and, when approved by Council, publish
the standards on the town’s website. A few example service levels are provided in the following table.
Trigger/Issue Example Level of Service Targets
A non-urgent service request is
received by voice message, email or
web site utility.
Automated response within one hour, including a tracking number.
Human review to properly log service request into the work order
system including type of issue (tree/ playground/trail…) new
issue/previously-logged issue, urgency level, response owner, within
2 business hours, followed by notification to the requester citing the
initial tracking number and any new go-forward number.
An urgent new service request
involving danger to public is received
by voice message, email or web site
utility.
Requests flagged as urgent will be reviewed on a priority basis
during business hours and will immediately be sent as a work order
with follow up telephone notification to the group responsible for
resolving.
Potentially dangerous situations will be reported to citizens within
one business hour of receipt on the web site and using social media.
Following receipt of a non-urgent
service request to inspect a tree which
has been damaged by lightning, ice, or
disease, a work order for inspection is
received by the Parks team.
Completion of non-urgent tree inspections: within 15 days of service
request, March to November.
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O8. It is recommended that RCP seek to tie service requests to an enterprise wide ticket tracking system and a
work-order system such as MESH.
The team was impressed by the website feature inviting users to provide direct feedback at a web page level.
Metrics regarding the use of this feature was not available for further analysis at the time of study.
Tracking Metrics and Performance Indicator Recommendations
At three-month intervals the department develops an RCP Quarterly Activity Report to provide senior Town
leadership and Council insight into the activities, challenges, and accomplishments of the various teams and sub
teams. Clarico’s study team considers these quarterly reports to be worthwhile accountability documents. We
do suggest that information be presented in a consistent dashboard graphical/chart format where possible to
highlight notable growth or declines relative to targets and prior periods. Currently the narrative of the quarterly
reports highlights achievements but there may be a temptation to provide less information about challenges and
irregularities.
Recommendation:
O9. The study team recommends that the following information be tracked and reported on an annual basis -
but that the Town avoid setting required targets and never link consequences to measured performance.
This in order to avoid the well-documented unintended ill effects of such approaches (See, for example, The
seven deadly sins of performance auditing by S Kells.):
• Recreation program overall fill rate (registrations as a % of capacity)
• Participant hours per 1000 residents
• Arena peak and off-peak utilization rates
• Facility maintenance cost per square metre of non-recreational space
Measurement of service-user satisfaction has become a norm for many organizations because it has become
easier to do, and changes in satisfaction provide important information that helps managers identify when things
are working well and when problems have arisen. For this reason:
O10. It is recommended that user satisfaction be measured periodically (ideally on a regular basis) for key RCP
services.
O11. Once tools and processes have been put in place to track and report on service requests from the public,
the tracking and periodically reporting on the following Indicators should be initiated:
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Service request response measures
• % Initial response to Service Requests completed within service level standard
• % Service requests tasked within service level standard
• For those service requests with ‘investigate’ stage, % investigations competed within service level
standard
• % Service requests completed and closed within service level standard
• Average time to close service request
• Satisfaction ratings received at service request close.
Proposed cost recovery model
Charging user fees help to enable the Town to provide a broad range of facilities and services also helps to ensure
that those who utilize them find them to be of value. Additionally, it provides a way to ration and allocate
desirable time slots.
At the ‘recover full costs’ end of the spectrum there are services for which service users are the primary
beneficiaries, where use can be measured, and where users can therefore be expected to pay the full costs of
what they consume. Tillsonburg Hydro provides a good example of this, as are virtually all private sector goods
and services.
That said, it is entirely appropriate that the Town provide a broad range of free and ‘by donation’ facilities and
resources, as is the normal approach for such resources as parks – excepting groomed sports fields, bookable
pavilions, and some or all non-grass sports facilities. It is also consistent with how the town deals with
transportation facilities such as streets, sidewalks, and bridges (partly because charging for use can be too costly
to make it worthwhile, and partly as these are viewed as services that all should have a ‘right’ to use).
When looking at a cost recovery model for RCP it is important to note that there are community benefits as well
as individual benefits from most or all of the services provided. There is a significant community benefit
component to services to vulnerable groups (children, youth, newcomers to Canada, disadvantaged groups, the
elderly) as well as services that teach young people important life skills such as water safety, to be physically
active and fit, to collaborate in teams, and to play by the rules. For these reasons, municipalities find it prudent
to pay some portion of the costs, rather than adopting a ‘100% user pay’ model.
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There are also practical issues with seeking to recover all costs. Some activities and services which would fail to
be viable trying to charge the same price to every customer can cover most of their costs from full-price
customers and then sell last minute seats priced below the average cost in order to make up the rest of their
costs and even generate some surplus. Theatres, airlines, hotels, and bus companies are examples of
organizations that have developed ways to use a mix of full-price and low-price tickets to generate the best
returns on their available flights, shows, rooms, and seats.
It is proposed that Tillsonburg adopt the following cost recovery model:
Use full cost recovery where possible.
Where conditions allow, set fees at levels that cover the full cost of service provision. Note that ‘full cost’
includes provision for maintenance and eventual replacement of capital assets used for the service.
Conditions allowing for fees that cover full operating costs include:
• having a scarce resource to which access can be controlled (swimming pool, water park, indoor ice,
health club, Kinsman Bandshell, Memorial Park Pavilion, Bert Newman Gazebo, columbaria niches)
• benefits to the individuals using the services strongly outweigh the community benefits,
• being able to attract enough users willing to pay fees at this level,
• finding it acceptable to charge full cost to those willing and able to pay (noting that this could impose
hardships on some segments of the community),
• being willing to accept the resulting mix of users including age range, geographic mix, socio-
economic mix, gender and community of origin mix, etc. – and that others will not receive this service
from the Town
An example of fees which would hopefully be set at full cost recovery would be those for Columbaria niche
utilization.
Note: The Town may in some cases choose to use full-cost pricing, and also mitigate user mix and fairness issues
using need-based, age-based, or situational fee reductions/subsidies, or by offering admission by donation
periods.
Set fees to recover operating costs where this is possible but full-cost recovery is not.
Operating cost recovery ignores capital costs as well as costs unaffected by providing the service and focusses
on recovering the out of pocket costs of providing a service. Examples could include adult recreation programs
and the dog park.
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Use fees set to recover partial operating costs where there are significant community benefits from
participation, or when below operating cost fees allow the service to be provided with the lowest overall level
of support from the levy.
Examples of services with significant community benefits include youth programs and sports facilities.
In situations where fees are set to levels which do not cover operating costs, ensure that there is periodic review
to ensure that the level of subsidy matches the level of community benefit, and to explore whether there may
be options to obtain similar benefits at lower costs, or to generate additional revenues (e.g. Aquatics).
Implementation Roadmap - Short, Medium, & Long-term Recommendations
The recommendations of this report have been made with the awareness that each proposed operational change
involves a one-time workload to prepare for and implement the change, and then an ongoing impact that can
result in simplicity and sustainability, or more effort, complexity, and risk of management burnout.
For this reason, the following action plan prioritizes initiatives with that are easier to implement and have quicker
payoffs.
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Short Term Opportunities
Category: Action can be completed in less than 60 days with own forces, with low costs.
Opp.
No.
Description
C3 Implement a single ‘prime’ electronic internment calendar
C4 Increase Administrator’s support to Parks and Facilities teams
C6 Provide a secure water and fireproof filing cabinet to protect records
C7 Enforce regulations to control non-compliant grave decorations
M5 For the Tourist Information service, respond to phone and email enquiries by providing links to helpful information sites
O2 Create a new role of Project Manager, or Projects Coordinator, reporting directly to the Director.
O3 Clarify titles within the facilities team.
O4 Separate Maintenance into “Light” and “Heavy”.
O5 Reduce overlapping responsibilities between Parks and Facilities.
O6 Provide administrative support for facility operations and facility maintenance.
P10 Revisit the Bag Tag program to determine its effectiveness
P12 If the Town does not have any plans to recycle, then remove the blue boxes from the Town managed garbage areas.
P16 Consider the extent to which flowerbeds should be maintained using Town staff
P23 Consider reducing the frequency of sports field grass cutting
P25 Consider charging for access to the tennis/pickleball courts
P7 Fill the vacant Parks Supervisor position.
R8 Continue to work with other municipalities to press the manufacturer of the current registration software
Medium Term Recommendations
Category: Action can be completed in less than 120 days, in some cases using contracted resources, with moderate costs.
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Opp.
No.
Description
C1 We recommend increasing revenue by charging higher rates to non-residents
C2 Enable the public to search cemetery records and find grave locations online
C8 Consider (study) outsourcing more or all the gravedigging
M1 Use the Town web site (and continue to use social media) to provide helpful, accurate-right-now information to citizens and users
M3 It is recommended that the Town, as an experiment, schedule annual museum downtime during the low travel season
O1 Tender the 3 Custodial Contracts and select one company for a 2 year term.
O10 Periodically measure user satisfaction (ideally on a regular basis) with key RCP services.
O7 Establish specific service standards for key areas of RCP’s operation.
O9 Track and reported on an annual basis -
• Recreation program overall fill rate (registrations as a % of capacity)
• Participant hours per 1000 residents
• Arena peak and off-peak utilization rates
• Facility maintenance cost per square metre of non-recreational space
P 1 Review the Towns portfolio of outdoor sports facilities
P 2 Consider using more seasonal employees, even as the primary mowers and groomers for baseball diamonds and fields
P11 Continue to assess cameras, lighting, and waste bin design and location modifications
P13 Reassess the Town’s participation in providing a safe and functional toboggan hill
P17 Consider reducing the number of flower beds in parkettes in locations where this would have little impact on the Beautification initiative
P19 Investigate installing automated watering systems
P24 Continue to explore potential to light more baseball diamonds and other outdoor sports facilities
P27 Consider initiating a trail sponsorship program
P3 Consider modifying the ‘normal’ baseball field grooming standards to allow for longer grass
P4 Encourage the use of on-line, email, and cell phone apps (for registering citizen concerns or issues
P5 Set priority-driven response times for issues
P6 Use technology to provide helpful, accurate-right-now information to citizens and users.
P8 Periodically review where and how outside service providers are used
P9 Relocate the report-to-work and equipment storage area from the cemetery to a more central location
R1 Consider adding a non-resident surcharge to subsidize programs used by non-residents
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Opp.
No.
Description
R11 Consider a “public eye” facelift to the TCC
R16 Continue to upgrade indoor security camera system, and to consider alarm systems to the TCC
R17 Consider remote supervision of the Health Club
R18 Consider studying whether the Health Club could be eliminated or perhaps investigate an alternative service delivery model
R2 Continue to seek opportunities to generate revenues from sale of refreshments and merchandise
R20 Increase the level of service for web updating or provide RCP the ability to update its own pages
R3 Focus fee subsidies on situations where subsidized users are less likely to displace full-fee participants
R5 Move from printed to web-only course catalogue
R6 Continue to encourage use of on-line systems to economize on staff time
R7 Consider charging a small booking fee or convenience fee for online booking
R9 continue to work with other municipalities to develop and share effective workarounds for limitations in the software.
Longer Term Opportunities
Category: While action may be more quickly initiated, full implementation will require more than 120 days. In some cases costs may be significant.
Opp.
No.
Description
C5 Consider upgrading the Cemetery reception centre to provide a more functional office workspace and a “Quiet Room” for visitors
M2 Seek opportunities to showcase holdings in mini exhibits
M4 Proceed with the development of a Museum and Heritage Plan
O11 Once tools and processes have been put in place to track and report on service requests from the public, periodically report on:
• % Initial response to Service Requests completed within service level standard
• % Service requests tasked within service level standard
• For those service requests with ‘investigate’ stage, % investigations competed within service level standard
• % Service requests completed and closed within service level standard
• Average time to close service request
• Satisfaction ratings received at service request close.
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Opp.
No.
Description
O8 Seek to tie service requests to an enterprise wide ticket tracking system and a work-order system.
P14 Over time, develop a database of park trees
P15 Over time, measure park and cemetery tree canopy percentage, and make plans to manage it.
P18 Consider modifying some flowerbeds to lower-maintenance perennials.
P20 Continue to move forward with initiatives that enhance sports field drainage
P21 Consider using cameras and fines to discourage citizens from using sports fields before the ground has dried sufficiently
P22 Consider a lighting plan for poorly lit Town properties
P26 Consider charging even small amounts for parking at trail heads and in parking lots
P28 Consider holding Trail Enhancement days
P29 Consider requiring subdivision developers to submit independent studies
P30 Take steps to update the 2011 Tillsonburg Community Parks, Recreation & Cultural Strategic Master Plan
R10 Explore the potential to replace the pool pumping, filtering, and chlorination systems with more modern systems
R12 Address the limited capacity and flexibility of change rooms, and limited accessibility to the applicable areas of the Recreation complex
R13 We recommended that the viability of the Waterpark be reviewed on an annual basis as visitor interest, insurance costs, and operational
complexities continue to evolve.
R14 It is recommended that the Town’s longer-term planning for the Waterpark include an option to replace the outdoor pool and waterslide
with other recreational resources
R15 Store the back-up ice-surfacing machine in the new centrally located Parks facility
R19 How to best provide Senior Centre services should be addressed when the Town’s Recreation, Culture, and Sport strategic plan is next
updated
R4 Periodically review use of staff time for fund-raising, to ensure net value is positive
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Barriers, Risks, and Transitional impacts
In general, any serious consideration of significant changes to how work is organized is stressful for those
whose work is potentially affected, particularly if there is possibility that there will be involuntary changes.
This was seen during the period when corporate ‘downsizing’ was considered to be an effective strategic
and operational tool; changes in organization size and structure were preceded by Change Readiness
training, and individuals being redeployed were provided with coaching and assistance in finding their
way forward. If this is not done there is a significant risk that the staff morale will be negatively affected
before, during, and even after the potential changes are explored, decided on, and either moved ahead
with, postponed, or abandoned.
To remain a trustworthy employer, if RCP were to discontinue providing certain services attempts must
be made to find other providers, and where possible to redeploy affected staff either to work with the
new provider or – where possible – to fill vacancies in municipal administration in Tillsonburg or
neighbouring towns.
There is a risk that the selection and hiring of a new Parks Supervisor can affect the morale of the staff
which will report to the new Supervisor. One approach to help address this would be to ask the direct
reports for their input on the selection criteria, and – if possible – to offer some amount of input into the
interview and selection process.
There is a risk that stakeholders currently benefiting from services which are suggested for review will be
suspicious of the review and decision-making process. This risk can be mitigated but not eliminated -
through careful, consistent messaging to stakeholders regarding the motivation for the review, through
having clearly stated decision criteria, and a multi step process that includes public input before final
decisions are taken. An additional risk mitigation is to provide some lead time before action is taken (but
note that there are times when speedy action can lead to the best overall outcomes).
Training and Skills development
Training should be key elements of any initiative which proposes to change how work is done and to
change the allocation and distribution of responsibilities. One reason for this is that training pulls
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individuals away from their everyday duties and responsibilities, and the training room is a place where
work processes and tasks can be discussed and assessed, and where everyone’s opinion can be given a
fair hearing.
So where new systems, responsibilities, or modes of operating will be introduced it would be wise to
schedule a training session with the full impacted teams – pausing other work when necessary – so that
the reasons can be explained and so that the staff most directly involved can be brought up to speed on
the new processes, procedures, and work tools.
Training needs to be supported by informal coaching by direct superiors, who need to be touching base
with staff to see how they are doing, identify and take action on unexpected issues, to encourage
productive teamwork, and to express appreciation for progress being made
Appendix 1 – Staff Whose Direct Involvement Contributed to the
Tillsonburg Services Review
Appendix 2 – Staff Survey
Appendix 3 – Senior Management Team Survey
Appendix 4 - Introduction to Service Profiles
Appendix 5 - Service Profiles
Appendix 1
Staff whose direct involvement contributed to the Tillsonburg Services Review
Director of Recreation, Culture and Parks
Parks and Facilities Manager
Culture and Heritage Manager / Curator
Recreation Programs & Services
Manager Sales & Services coordinator
RCP Financial Analyst
Parks & Cemetery Operator II
Parks & Cemetery Operator II
Parks & Cemetery Operator I
Cemetery Registrar
Chief Operator
Facilities Supervisor
Aquatics Supervisor
Recreation Program Supervisor
Acting CAO
Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Councillor
Councillor
Councillor
Councillor
Rick Cox
Corey Hill
Patricia Phelps
Andrea Brown
Margaret Puhr
Annette Cattle
Chris Gowman
Dave Phillips
Matt Johnson
Allison Jakobi
Carl Kristensen
Karen Patenaude
Julie Dawley
Mark Salt
Ron Shaw
Council Members
Stephen Molnar
Dave Beres
Penny Esseltine
Deb Gilvesy
Pete Luciani
Christopher Parker
Chris Rosehart Councillor
Q1 In your opinion, how well do Tillsonburg's Parks and Trails meet the
needs of Tillsonburg's families?
Answered: 29 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
27.59%
8
55.17%
16
13.79%
4
3.45%
1
29
3.86
#IF YOU WISH, LET US KNOW WHY THE LOW OR HIGH RATING:DATE
1 A family changeroom at the community centre would be good 12/7/2019 1:06 PM
2 I believe that our parks are beautiful and provide a natural setting for residents to explore.
However, I would add that some of our playgrounds are outdated and the lack of paved pathways
is concerning due to the fact gravel pathways can become pitted, are high maintenance and aren’t
always wheelchair accessible
12/5/2019 12:10 PM
3 Could be better lighting with it getting dark out so fast. But the trails are awesome. I love the
workout equipment along some of the trails.
12/4/2019 3:33 PM
4 Washrooms required on trails.11/29/2019 7:26 PM
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
1 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q2 In your opinion, how well do Tillsonburg's outdoor sports fields meet
the needs of Tillsonburg's outdoor sports teams?
Answered: 29 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
17.24%
5
51.72%
15
24.14%
7
6.90%
2
29
4.07
#IF YOU WISH, LET US KNOW WHY THE LOW OR HIGH RATING:DATE
1 There’s always room for improvements. The ball diamonds are spread out over two locations.
Would be nice to have a central area. The playing fields are nice but the areas outside the playing
areas need attention ie trees, defined pathways, canteen exterior upgrades etc
12/5/2019 12:10 PM
2 never used 12/4/2019 5:24 PM
3 There are so many for such a small town 12/4/2019 4:01 PM
4 I only use the Out Door Pad. It is usually full of water even if it didnt rain.12/4/2019 3:33 PM
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
2 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q3 In your opinion, how well do the recreational programs provided by
RCP meet the needs of Tillsonburg's adults?
Answered: 28 Skipped: 1
3.57%
1
7.14%
2
21.43%
6
39.29%
11
21.43%
6
7.14%
2
28
3.73
#IF YOU WISH, LET US KNOW WHY THE LOW OR HIGH RATING:DATE
1 Have a wide variety of classes offered, some areas that are high in demand could use more
options for days/times
12/6/2019 6:24 PM
2 Not familiar 12/5/2019 12:10 PM
3 volleyball is the only 12/4/2019 5:24 PM
4 could have more adult pool programs at night 12/4/2019 1:04 PM
5 The recreational programs do not fit into the schedule of most working people.11/29/2019 7:31 PM
6 Need more evening and weekend programming 11/29/2019 7:24 PM
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
3 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q4 In your opinion, how well do the recreational programs provided by
RCP meet the needs of Tillsonburg's teens?
Answered: 28 Skipped: 1
0.00%
0
28.57%
8
32.14%
9
25.00%
7
0.00%
0
14.29%
4
28
2.96
#IF YOU WISH, LET US KNOW WHY THE LOW OR HIGH RATING:DATE
1 We have a lot of options for kids under 12 and adults but not a ton for teens, I think a teen
volleyball or basketball league could be fun
12/7/2019 1:06 PM
2 Not aware of all programs offered by different departments, but there is room for growth here 12/6/2019 6:24 PM
3 Not familiar 12/5/2019 12:10 PM
4 there really aren't any 12/4/2019 5:24 PM
5 We could offer more Teen programs depending on participation 12/4/2019 3:33 PM
6 There are not alot of choices for this age category 11/29/2019 7:24 PM
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
4 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q5 In your opinion, how well do the recreational programs provided by
RCP meet the needs of Tillsonburg's children aged 12 and under?
Answered: 29 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
17.24%
5
37.93%
11
31.03%
9
13.79%
4
29
4.16
#IF YOU WISH, LET US KNOW WHY THE LOW OR HIGH RATING:DATE
1 Lots of different activities to take part in 12/6/2019 6:24 PM
2 Not familiar 12/5/2019 12:10 PM
3 We to offer sports, crafts, cooking and construction to try and suit different childrens needs. It just
all depends on participation
12/4/2019 3:33 PM
4 There is alot of Aquatic Programs and few Youth Programs but there could be more opportunities
for this age category outside of the pool
11/29/2019 7:24 PM
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
5 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q6 In your opinion, how well do the Culture & Heritage services provided
by RCP (Annandale historical monument self tours, exhibits, and events)
meet the needs of townspeople?
Answered: 28 Skipped: 1
0.00%
0
3.57%
1
10.71%
3
53.57%
15
17.86%
5
14.29%
4
28
4.00
#COMMENT HERE IF YOU WISH:DATE
1 Would like to see more historical plaques around town and maybe a tour of the towns history
implemented if not already in place. I think more outdoors information plaque would be beneficial
as well.
12/5/2019 12:10 PM
2 never been 12/4/2019 5:24 PM
Very Poor Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POOR POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
6 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q7 In your opinion, how well do the Culture & Heritage services provided
by RCP (Annandale historical monument self tours, exhibits, and events)
meet the needs of out of town visitors?
Answered: 29 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
3.45%
1
17.24%
5
41.38%
12
27.59%
8
10.34%
3
29
4.04
#COMMENT HERE IF YOU WISH:DATE
1 Although I am unaware if we have pamphlets distributed throughout southern Ontario at info
kiosks, I do believe that when out of towners visit it hard to find all our historical sites. New
signage?
12/5/2019 12:10 PM
Very Poor Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POOR POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
7 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q8 In your opinion, how well do the Culture & Heritage team's archiving
services meet the needs of other Town departments?
Answered: 28 Skipped: 1
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
10.71%
3
39.29%
11
17.86%
5
32.14%
9
28
4.11
#COMMENT HERE IF YOU WISH:DATE
1 Unfamiliar with this 12/5/2019 12:10 PM
2 Not sure what archiving services means 12/4/2019 8:43 PM
Very Poor Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POOR POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
8 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q9 In your opinion, how well does the Town's cemetery services meet the
needs of families wanting to use the cemetery?
Answered: 28 Skipped: 1
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
21.43%
6
57.14%
16
21.43%
6
28
4.00
#IF YOU WISH, LET US KNOW WHY THE LOW OR HIGH RATING:DATE
1 I think that the cemetery provides a great service to the community. Small adjustments such as a
digital message board at front gates and a information booklet for customers would be a start.
12/5/2019 12:10 PM
2 Never been - haven't really heard anything 12/4/2019 5:24 PM
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly Well Well Very Well
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
9 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q10 We would like your suggestions about how RCP could do things
better and/or provide better service. Please share your ideas with us,
either here (briefly) or in an email to guus.saaltink@claricogroup.com.
Or give us your number and we will call you. Thanks!
Answered: 6 Skipped: 23
#RESPONSES DATE
1 Needs assessment that offers citizens of the town to suggest new programs, or provide list of
services that are offered in surrounding areas the town would be able to introduce here
12/6/2019 6:24 PM
2 I will be sure to email.12/5/2019 12:10 PM
3 - offer programming directed to teens - release the recreation guide earlier -12/4/2019 5:24 PM
4 To serve the needs of a growing Tillsonburg the RCP needs to better deploy its manpower and
resources. There is a need for more hours and resources to be given to specific area. An example
would be to have individual town workers assigned solely to areas such as trails, ball fields, etc.
This would allow for better and timely maintenance
11/29/2019 10:09 PM
5 RCP needs more effective staff roles. Certain team members are run off their feet and it shows in
the department. Where this is most noticeable is in facilities where it negatively reflects on all staff
when buildings aren't properly maintained.
11/29/2019 7:31 PM
6 Trails are awesome but could use washrooms & signage 11/29/2019 7:26 PM
10 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Staff Survey
Q1 In your opinion, how well do Tillsonburg's Parks and Trails meet the
needs of Tillsonburg's families?
Answered: 4 Skipped: 1
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
50.00%
2
50.00%
2
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
4
3.50
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
1 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Q2 In your opinion, how well do Tillsonburg's outdoor sports fields meet
the needs of Tillsonburg's outdoor sports teams?
Answered: 5 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
20.00%
1
40.00%
2
20.00%
1
20.00%
1
5
4.00
#IF YOU WISH, LET US KNOW WHY THE LOW OR HIGH RATING:DATE
1 soccer fields 12/6/2019 6:59 PM
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
2 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Q3 In your opinion, how well do the recreational programs provided by
RCP meet the needs of Tillsonburg's adults?
Answered: 5 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
20.00%
1
80.00%
4
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
5
2.80
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
3 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Q4 In your opinion, how well do the recreational programs provided by
RCP meet the needs of Tillsonburg's teens?
Answered: 5 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
60.00%
3
40.00%
2
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
5
2.40
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
4 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Q5 In your opinion, how well do the recreational programs provided by
RCP meet the needs of Tillsonburg's children aged 12 and under?
Answered: 5 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
40.00%
2
40.00%
2
20.00%
1
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
5
2.80
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
5 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Q6 In your opinion, how well do the Culture & Heritage services provided
by RCP (Annandale historical monument self tours, exhibits, and events)
meet the needs of townspeople?
Answered: 4 Skipped: 1
25.00%
1
0.00%
0
25.00%
1
25.00%
1
0.00%
0
25.00%
1
4
2.67
Very Poor Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POOR POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
6 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Q7 In your opinion, how well do the Culture & Heritage services provided
by RCP (Annandale historical monument self tours, exhibits, and events)
meet the needs of out of town visitors?
Answered: 5 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
40.00%
2
20.00%
1
20.00%
1
20.00%
1
5
3.75
Very Poor Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POOR POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
7 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Q8 In your opinion, how well do the Culture & Heritage team's archiving
services meet the needs of other Town departments?
Answered: 5 Skipped: 0
20.00%
1
20.00%
1
40.00%
2
0.00%
0
0.00%
0
20.00%
1
5
2.25
Very Poor Poorly Fairly well Well Very Well N/A
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POOR POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL N/A TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
8 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Q9 In your opinion, how well does the Town's cemetery services meet the
needs of families wanting to use the cemetery?
Answered: 5 Skipped: 0
0.00%
0
40.00%
2
40.00%
2
20.00%
1
0.00%
0
5
2.80
Very Poorly Poorly Fairly Well Well Very Well
S
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
VERY POORLY POORLY FAIRLY WELL WELL VERY WELL TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE
S
9 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Q10 We would like your suggestions about how RCP could do things
better and/or provide better service. Please share your ideas with us,
either here (briefly) or in an email to guus.saaltink@claricogroup.com.
Or give us your number and we will call you. Thanks!
Answered: 2 Skipped: 3
#RESPONSES DATE
1 Better health club hours and later adult programming. It’s almost impossible to make it to any of
the fitness classes when the work day does not end until 5pm.
12/9/2019 9:39 PM
2 more community engagement and focus groups with families, teens and seniors 12/6/2019 6:59 PM
10 / 10
Tillsonburg RCP Survey for Town Senior Leadership Team
Appendix 4a – How to Read Service Profiles
A Service Profile provides the following information:
Service Overview (top of page) provides a general overview of what is included in this service.
2019 Preliminary Financials (mid left of page) – shows operating revenues and expenses, by category – e.g. employee related operating expenses) in thousands
of dollars and in terms of percentage of total operating cost.
2019 Staffing (lower left of page) – shows the number of Full Time Equivalents – essentially staff person years – used to provide the service during 2019, broken
into Full Time, Part Time, and Seasonal.
Service Value (middle of page) – states the reason that governments provide this service – the benefits received by residents.
Net Levy/capita graph (lower mid page) – compares the levy amount (that is, the difference beween total operating cost and operating revenues other than the
levy), per person, among comparator towns. Tillsonburg’s bar is green and median spending shown by a black bar.
Sub Services Graph (Mid right of page) – shows the components – or ‘Sub Services’ that make up the overall service, and shows each of the sub services as a
bubble that indicates three things:
1. Left-right/horizontal axis: Service Type - Classification of whether service is:
• Required (necessary for town function or by law),
• Traditional (provided by most municipalities), or
• Discretionary (not commonly provided)
2. Up-down/vertical axis: Service Level – Rating of the level of service provided as:
• Above Standard,
• At Standard, or
• Below Standard,
3. Bubble size: Levy amount. The area of the bubbles is proportionate to the net levy used for each sub service.
Looking at the Parks Service Profile one can see six bubbles, with the largest bubble, in blue, showing that the largest levy is used for a traditional service
delivered at standard: the combined sub services of: Maintain Parks, Maintain Park Flowerbeds, and Maintain Park Trees.
Similarly, the second largest levy support goes to Maintain Grass Sports Fields, which is a traditional service judged to be provided to an Above Standard Level.
Appendix 4b – How to Read a Sub Service Profile
Name and
Description 2019 Operating Costs and Revenues $000 Service Level Notes
Name of the
program,
followed by a brief
description of
what this sub
service includes.
Comments
As needed,
information about
challenges
involved in
providing this
service.
Indicator
Sources
Most indicator
values were
provided directly
by Tillsonburg
staff. In other
cases the sources
are shown here.
Employee Related
Wages and benefits
for staff including
Parks & Recreation
management but
excluding corporate
overheads.
User Fees Funds
that come in from
fees and service
charges.
Rating of the
level of service
provided as
Above
Standard,
At Standard,
Or
Below
Standard,
And the basis
for this finding.
Service Type - Classification of whether service is
Required (necessary for town function or by law),
Traditional (provided by most municipalities),
or
Discretionary (not commonly provided).
Indicators
Selected measures of level of service quality and quantity.
Opportunities
Areas where the Town has an opportunity to adjust service
levels in order to manage costs; and areas where the
consulting team believes beneficial changes to delivery
approach can be made to improve value for money.
Services
Costs of contracted
services
Grants Provincial
grants and other
external funding.
Materials
Costs for supplies
and purchased
‘materials’ including
hydro and cell
phone service.
Other revenue
Funds received
from other
sources.
Other Costs
Operational costs
not included above
Tax Levy
Operating costs
not covered by
other revenue
sources.
Total Total
Delivery Approach
Brief overview of what
work is done by what
staff, types of software
and equipment utilized,
and tasks contracted
out, done by non-profits,
shared with other
governments, etc.
Revenue Model
How prices are set for
those services where
fees are charged.
Benchmarks
Selected
indicators and
median for
comparator
municipalities.
Service Profile – Parks
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Revenue $000 %
User fees 61.5 7%
Grants 45.1 5%
Other 4.6 0%
Total Revenue 111.2 12%
Operating Expenses
Employee-related 315.5 34%
Services 188.3 20%
Materials 82.9 9%
Other 339.7 37%
Total Cost 926.4 100%
Net Levy 815.2 88%
Category FTE*
Full Time 3.9
Part Time 0
Seasonal 0
*Full Time Equivalent (FTE) time worked.Source: Ontario's Financial Information Return system; 2018 operations
Service Overview
The Parks service includes development and upkeep of the Town’s parks, playgrounds, sports fields, park flowerbeds, and trails; and management of town-
owned trees not in road allowances.
2019 Preliminary Financials
2019 Staffing
Service Value
This service has a measurable positive impact
on quality of life including health,
contributing to an attractive, vibrant, livable
community for residents, businesses, and
visitors including potential investors and
potential new residents.
Sub Service Profile – Maintain Parks
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Operating Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Maintain Parks
Maintain and
operate parks and
open space
including grass
maintenance,
waste collection,
washroom
cleaning including
repair and graffiti
removal.
Indicator
Sources
All indicator data
provided directly by
Tillsonburg except:
*Ontario MPMP 2013
**June 2011 Strategic
Master Plan
*** Town web site
Employee Related 144.7 User Fees 7.5 At standard
4.0 hectares
per 1000
residents
(median 4.9)
Service Type - Traditional
Indicators
- 80 hectares of Town-owned open space*
- 63.8 hectares of parkland**
- 14 neighbourhood parks***
- 12 parks with playgrounds***
- Target: park within 800 metre walk from major residential
area**
- 60 garbage pails/blue boxes
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Relocation of the staff home base – and winter storage facilities
– from the cemetery to a more central location. This would bring
many operational benefits.
Reconsider trash bag tag program which may lead to some
residential trash being misdirected to park trash bins. Also
consider lighting, cameras and reconfigured waste bins to help
address this issue.
Consider removing blue bins until a separate waste stream is in
place.
Implementation of a 311 type issue reporting system would ,
over time, provide benefits for RCP, for those reporting issues,
and overall to the Town.
Services 94.3 Grants
Materials 13.7 Other Revenue 3.0
Other Costs 57.5 Tax Levy 299.7
Total 310.2 Total 310.2
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Parks & Facilities
team provides and
oversees this service.
Maintenance and inspection
of parks and playgrounds is
done by RCP staff.
Grass cutting is sub-
contracted.
During winter staff members
are redeployed, for example
to assist with maintenance
work and cemetery
operation.
With Golf Course
cooperation, during the
sledding season staff sets
up a toboggan hill and
provides daily inspection
and maintenance.
Revenue Model
Rates for renting the three
bookable park facilities –
Memorial Park Pavilion, Bert
Newman Park, and Kinsmen
Bandshell - are set to help
recover wear and tear as
well as the Town’s out of
pocket costs.
Other than this, parks are
provided as a public service
which is freely available to
all citizens and visitors.
Benchmarks
Benchmarked
in
combination
with park
flowerbeds
and park
trees.
Levy/capita
$3.99 Median
$4.88
Sub Service Profile – Maintain Park Trees
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Maintain Park Trees
Plant and maintain
municipally-owned
trees and shrubs
excluding trees on
roads, medians, and
other transportation
infrastructure.
Employee
Related
9.7 User Fees At standard Service Type - Required
Indicators
Level of service for tree maintenance is to respond based on
the level of urgency and risk.
Opportunities:
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
As previously mentioned, implementation of a 311 type issue
reporting system would , over time, provide benefits for RCP,
for those reporting issues, and overall to the Town.
Also beneficial over time – developing a database of park
trees for use in monitoring condition and canopy coverage.
Services 50.0 Grants
Materials 3.0 Other
Revenue
Other 3.0 Tax Levy 65.7
Total 65.7 Total 65.7
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Parks & Facilities
team provides and
oversees this service,
using in-house and
contracted resources.
All cemetery and park
field staff are certified to
operate chainsaws.
Crews of 2 or 3 are
deployed with necessary
equipment to cut and
clear damaged trees and
limbs.
Subcontractors are used
to deal with higher-
volume requirements
and specialized
situations e.g. trees near
buildings.
Revenue Model
Park trees are provided
as a Town service.
Approximately 14
memorial trees are
sold by the cemetery
administrator for $650
and planted by parks
staff each year.
Benchmarks
Benchmarked
in
combination
with park
flowerbeds
and park
trees.
Hectares per
1000
residents 4
Median 4.9
Levy/capita
$3.99 Median
$4.88
Sub Service Profile – Maintain Park Flowerbeds
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description
2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Maintain Park
Flowerbeds
Plant and maintain
park flowerbeds.
Comments
The beauty of flowers
can exert highly
positive emotional
effects on residents,
visitors, and potential
investors, and can
transform otherwise
drab spaces, providing
a return on investment
for municipal spending.
Employee
Related
9.7 User Fees At standard Service Type - Traditional
Indicators
Flowers are planted at 9 locations plus at town signs.
Opportunities:
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
There are opportunities to reconsider the number and locations
of park flowerbeds, to move some flowerbeds to lower
maintenance perennials, to install automated watering systems,
and to consider using contractors to deliver this service.
Services Grants 28.0
Materials 44.5 Other
Revenue
Other 2.9 Tax Levy 29.1
Total 57.1 Total 57.1
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Parks & Facilities
team provides this
“Beautification” service
in the downtown area
and in most parks with
flowerbeds using full
time staff. (Note:
flowerbeds and
flowerboxes at the TCC
are tended by seasonal
staff as part of their daily
duties – the workload
rounding down to zero
tenths of an FTE.)
Revenue Model
The Business
Improvement
Association provides
financial assistance,
covering the cost of
maintaining flowerbeds
and planters in the
downtown area.
Benchmarks
Benchmarked
in
combination
with park
flowerbeds
and park
trees.
Hectares per
1000
residents 4
Median 4.9
Levy/capita
$3.99 Median
$4.88
Sub Service Profile – Maintain Grass Sports Fields
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Sub-service Name
and Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Maintain Grass
Sports Fields
Maintain and
operate outdoor
grass sports fields
including baseball
diamonds and
soccer fields.
Employee Related 45.8 User Fees 25.0 Above
standard at
1.4
fields/1000
(Median .7)
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
9.5 Hectares of sports fields, consisting of:
- 9 baseball diamonds (3 lit)
- 14 soccer fields
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Consider moving forward with field lighting and drainage
projects.
Consider reducing frequency of grass maintenance.
Look at options to reduce cost of service, such as utilization of
seasonal staff or contractors.
Review Town’s mix of outdoor sports facilities; consider
increased focus on sports that are less maintenance-intensive.
Services 34.9 Grants
Materials 12.5 Other
Revenue
1.6
Other 87.6 Tax Levy 154.3
Total 180.9 Total 180.9
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Parks & Facilities
team provides and oversees
this service.
Maintaining baseball
diamonds is the seven day a
week priority for two staff
who shift over to the Works
Department during winter.
After spring care to the
grounds, sod, fencing, and
infields is complete, each
baseball diamond is
inspected and groomed
every morning, with extra
attention before and during
tournaments.
For soccer fields, once
spring maintenance is
complete, the Gyulveszi
Park soccer fields are
mowed weekly. The
Tillsonburg Soccer Club
does all the turf
maintenance at the soccer
park.
Revenue Model
For baseball, fees have
been set in general at
par with those in
neighbouring
municipalities, and to not
discourage use.
Seasonal League Fee
$472.25
Youth Team
Fee/Occasional Fee
$81.20
Tournament Fee
$557.10
For soccer, a local not-
for-profit, volunteer run,
soccer club, maintains
and operates the fields
and facilities. The club
does its own fund
raising, including renting
their facilities and
charging for registration
and participation.
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita.
Sub Service Profile – Maintain Outdoor Non-grass Sports Facilities
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Maintain Outdoor
Non-Grass Sports
Facilities
Maintain and operate
outdoor non-grass
sports fields, including
tennis and pickleball
courts, basketball
courts, skate parks,
and pump tracks.
Employee
Related
2.5 User Fees
At standard
based on .31
facilities/1000,
which is the
median.
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
523 square metres, made up of:
- 3 tennis/pickleball courts
- a skatepark
- a paved pump track
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Consider charging a fee to use the tennis/pickleball courts.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other Tax Levy 2.5
Total 2.5 Total 2.5
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Parks & Facilities
team provides and
oversees this service.
These facilities are
adjacent to the
Community Centre
which simplifies
identifying and
responding to service
needs.
Revenue Model
No fees are charged.
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita.
Sub Service Profile – Maintain Trails
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Maintain Trails
Maintain trails/trail
segments the
municipality is
responsible for,
including managing
trees and brush,
waste collection, and
washroom cleaning
including repair and
graffiti removal.
Comments
Trails provide as-
desired access to
outdoor activities
including hiking, off-
road bicycling,
birdwatching, dog
walking, and cross-
country skiing in
winter.
The length of trails
available to
Tillsonburg residents
has been growing in
response to local and
regional enthusiasm
for this resource.
As trails age they
come to require
growing spending for
brush clearing,
pruning
dangerous/obstructive
trees, repairs of wash
outs, upkeep of
bridges, etc.
Employee
Related
5.6 User
Fees
Above
standard at
1.5 Km per
1000
residents;
median .8
Service Type - Traditional
Indicators
- 24 kilometers of trails are owned and maintained by the
Town.
- The Town manages and (50% cost shares) maintenance
for a 22 Km additional stretch of the Trans Canada Trail.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Explore options for charging for parking at trail access
points, or for trail access.
Services 9.1 Grants
Materials 7.2 Other
Revenue
16.3
Other 85.6 Tax
Levy
91.2
Total 107.5 Total 107.5
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Parks & Facilities
team provides and
oversees this service,
using in-house and
contracted resources.
Some segments of trails
cross private property and
are maintained by the
owning golf club.
Tillsonburg manages –
and equally cost-shares
with Oxford County –
responsibility for
maintaining a stretch of
Trans Canada Trail which
extends beyond the
Town’s boundary.
In general maintenance is
done in response to
user/user group
maintenance-need
reports. At present these
can be phoned in to the
Manager, Parks &
Facilities, but not via 3-1-1
or the Town Website.
Revenue Model
Trails are provided as a
service to residents and
visitors. No fees are
charged for parking at trail
access areas or for trail
use.
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita.
Sub Service Profile – Support Community & Park-based Special Events
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Support Community
& Park-based Special
Events
Screen applications;
co-ordinate with other
departments, other
governments, and
private organizations;
negotiate with
applicants; provide
permits. Drop off and
pick up trash bins,
tables and chairs, etc.
Comments
Other municipalities
have seen a transition
away from community-
groups providing
turnkey management.
As community groups
have stepped away,
the municipalities have
taken on the
coordination role.
Employee
Related
12.7 User Fees .7 At standard,
based on 21
events held.
Service Type - Traditional
Indicators
• 34 applications were reviewed in 2019
• 21 events were held
• There were 29 days of activities
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Relocation of parks equipment storage should reduce the
cost and complexity of Special Event set up and put away.
Services Grants 29.1
Materials 2.0 Other
Revenue
Other 103.1 Tax Levy 88.0
Total 117.8 Total 117.8
Delivery Approach
Review of permit
requests is done by RCP
administration,
negotiations with other
organizations is done by
senior management.
Bookings are done by the
Recreation team, general
set up, clean up, and put
away is done by the
Parks and Cemeteries
team, and all teams may
be involved for the largest
events such as Turtlefest.
Revenue Model
In general fees are set
to cover the extra out of
pocket costs that flow
from the activity,
mindful that the event
is enjoyed by many
residents and that fees
higher than nearby
communities can cause
resentment and, if high
enough, affect event
viability.
Benchmarks
# of events
held ranges
from 2 in
Alymer, to
high of 53 in
Cobourg.
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita.
Sub Service Profile – Park-based Planning & Advising
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Sub-service Name
and Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000
Service
Level &
Source
Notes
Park-based Planning
& Advising
Advise on the potential
impacts on
development proposals
on parks requirements,
investments, and
operation; and manage
and contribute to the
development of plans
for/involving parks.
Employee
Related
44.4 User Fees At standard
as a required
service
Service Type - Required
Indicators
- Initiated community outreach re homelessness in response
to homeless sheltering in parks.
- Worked on 7 policies, and updating 1 manual
- Supported 2 advisory committees as well as Future Oxford
and Community Oxford.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Take steps to update the 2011 Tillsonburg Community
Parks -Recreation-Cultural Strategic Master Plan.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other Tax Levy 44.4
Total 44.4 Total 44.4
Delivery Approach
This is time-sensitive
and quality-sensitive
service to council, to
citizens and
organizations wishing to
develop, and to all
citizens whose access to
– and need to pay for -
parks may be positively
or negatively affected.
The service is provided
by senior RCP
management.
Revenue Model
N/A.
(The Town collects fees
for planning and zoning
applications, but
revenues go to the
Planning department,
which lacks the
expertise to assess
impacts on – and
potentially negotiate
improvements – to
parks, trails, as well as
Recreational programs
and facilities.)
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita.
Sub Service Profile – Park Capital Improvement Project Management
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Park Capital
Improvement Project
Management
Provide project
management for capital
improvement projects
associated with Parks.
Employee
Related
40.3 User Fees
At standard
as a required
service
Service Type - Required
Indicators
- Managed 6 park capital improvement projects
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Because the workload associated with project management
has increased across RCP there is a need to review the
associated resources.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other Tax Levy 40.3
Total 40.3 Total 40.3
Delivery Approach
This is time-sensitive
and quality-sensitive
service to council,
provided by senior RCP
management.
On a case-by-case basis
contracts are issued for
in-depth engineering,
planning, and consulting
services.
Revenue Model
When possible the
Town avails itself of
grants or other external
funds to help pay for
expenses associated
with park capital
improvement projects.
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita.
Service Profile – Cemeteries
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Revenue $000 %
User fees 133.6 43%
Grants 0.0 0%
Other 6.5 2%
Total Revenue 140.1 45%
Operating Expenses
Employee-rel 163.9 52%
Services 21.2 7%
Materials 16.3 5%
Other 112.0 36%
Total Cost 313.4 100%
Net Levy 173.3 55%
Category FTE*
Full Time 1.4
Part Time 0.5
Seasonal 0.3
*Full Time Equivalent (FTE) time worked.
Source: Ontario's Financial Information Return system; 2018 operations
Service Overview
Contracted and employee-provided cemetery services include family consultation, sale of lots, sale and provision of columbaria niches and monument
foundations, interments, grounds maintenance, and mandatory recordkeeping.
2019 Staffing
2019 Preliminary Financials Service Value
Ontario municipalities are required by law to
maintain cemeteries within their boundaries which
are not being maintained by others.
$7.53
$7.48
$6.87
$5.86
$5.78
$5.71
$2.40
$1.05
$0.86
Tillsonburg
Port Hope
Ingersoll
Lincoln
Median
Norfolk C
Aylmer
St. Clair Tsp
Bracebridge
Cemetery Net Levy/capita
-
1
2
3
4
0 1 2 3Service LevelService Type: 1 Mandatory, 2 Traditional, 3 Discretionary
Cemetery Sub Services
Administration Operation Project Management
Sub Service Profile – Cemetery Administration
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Operating Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Cemetery
Administration
Sell lots, niches
and memorials;
provide
customer
service for
individuals,
families, and
funeral homes;
register sales
and use, this to
be in
compliance
with Provincial
laws.
Employee Related 33.7 User Fees 32.3
Above
standard
based on
office hours.
Service Type – Required
Indicators
- The reception centre is open Monday-Friday from 9 to 1,
excepting holidays.
- “Calls returned within 24 hours” is the service level target for
phone messages received.
- There are approximately 140 internments per year.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
There are opportunities to divert enquiries by providing more
information on the web site, including current pricing.
There is an opportunity to review pricing and the amounts paid
by non-residents.
Services 8.5 Grants
Materials Other Revenue 6.5
Other Costs 24.4 Tax Levy 27.9
Total 66.6 Total 66.6
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Parks & Facilities’
permanent part-time Cemetery
Registrar provides this service
from an onsite Visitor Centre.
Back up is provided by the
cemetery operator.
According to the web site
“Cemetery staff can search
cemetery records and assist
you in finding grave locations.”
While the Town web site
provides general information,
office hours, and a phone
number, it does not support the
initiation of transactions. The
web site does not even show
prices (apparently due to
inability to update pricing in a
timely way after the annual
prices changes).
Special-purpose Stone
Orchard software is utilized to
track lot and niche ownership
and use.
Revenue Model
Lot and columbarium
prices have been set at
levels intended to cover
current and future costs,
as regulated by provincial
legislation and Ontario
Regulation 30/11.
Management periodically
compares their prices
with that of other
cemeteries nearby and
further afield.
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita at the
sub service
level.
Sub Service Profile – Operate Cemetery
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Sub-service Name
and Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Operate Cemetery
Maintain the
properties, support
internments.
Responsible for
cemetery-owned
flowerbeds,
benches, and
trees.
Comments
Cemetery
operation and the
condition of
individual grave
sites is a matter of
great interest and
concern for the
public, so changes
to quality of care
require careful
public consultation.
Employee Related 109.0 User Fees 101.3 At standard
as a required
service
Service Type – Essential
Indicators
- 8.9 Hectares of active cemetery
- 0.4 hectares of non active cemetery
- approximately 140 internments per year
- Summer grass cutting cycle is 2 weeks.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
As per notes regarding Cemetery Administration, there is an
opportunity to review pricing and the amounts paid by non-
residents.
There is also an opportunity to consider utilizing contractors to
do a larger proportion of the digging.
Services 12.7 Grants
Materials 16.3 Other
Revenue
Other 71.3 Tax Levy 107.9
Total 209.3 Total 209.3
Delivery Approach
Services provided in-house
by RCP’s Parks & Facilities
team: grass, leaf, snow
management, grave digging
except when ground is
frozen beyond the capability
of their equipment, and plot
preparation/restoration. They
also tend cemetery
flowerbeds, and undertake
some equipment
maintenance.
Funeral home operators
provide internments. Hard
winter digging is done by
subcontractor.
Revenue Model
Lot and columbarium
prices are set at levels
intended to cover
current and future costs,
as regulated by
provincial legislation and
Ontario Regulation
30/11.
Management
periodically compares
their prices with that of
other cemeteries nearby
and further afield.
Prices charged to
funeral homes for
weekend operation are
set on a cost-recovery
basis.
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita at the
sub service
level.
Sub Service Profile – Cemetery Capital Improvement Project Management
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Cemetery Capital
Improvement Project
Management
Provide project
management for
capital improvement
projects associated
with cemeteries.
Employee
Related
21.2 User Fees
At standard
as a required
service
Service Type – Required
Indicators
2019 projects managed included a facilities condition
assessment, and acquisition of a new columbarium.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Because the workload associated with project management
has increased across RCP there is a need to review the
associated resources.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other 7.1 Tax Levy 28.3
Total 28.3 Total 28.3
Delivery Approach
Senior members of RCP’s
Parks & Facilities team
provide and oversees this
service for the CAO and
Council.
Revenue Model
n/a
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita at the
sub service
level.
Service Profile – Recreation
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Sub Service Profile – Provide Recreation Programs
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Operating Costs and Revenues $000 Service Level Notes
Provide
Recreation
Programs
excluding
aquatics
Plan, publicize,
and oversee
delivery of
recreation
programs
including day
camps but
excluding
aquatics.
Employee Related 266.5 User Fees 185.3
At Standard
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
81 Titles were provided, including:
• youth - 32
• Dance/gymnastics - 31
• bus trips - 7
• Certificate programs - 7
• Adult programs - 4
163.5 course hours were provided.
968 participants took part.
230 hours of drop in activities were provided (4 programs),
with participation by 3481.
2453 children and youth participated in March Break, PA day,
and Summer Camps.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Considering different fee levels for residents and non-
residents, reflecting that residents also provide financial
support through the local levy.
Moving to all-electronic course catalogues.
Services Grants
Materials 58.5 Other Revenue 20.0
Other Costs 133.5 Tax Levy 253.2
Total 458.5 Total 458.5
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Recreation Programs
team provides this service using
a core of FT and long-term PT
staff to manage and oversee
programs, and as-needed PT
staff to deliver many rec
programs. Summer students
are used for summer camp.
Activities offered are reviewed
every season as new offerings
are considered and offerings
attracting fewer participants are
scaled back.
Soccer and karate are provided
by arms-length organizations.
Revenue Model
For adult programs,
activity prices are set at
levels intended to
generally cover variable
costs and provide similar
price levels as nearby
municipalities.
Youth programs are
priced to contribute to but
not necessarily cover
program costs.
Individuals and families
can request financial
assistance; town staff
participate in fund-raising
initiatives that cover the
cost of the assistance
provided. Use of staff’s
paid and personal time
for this purpose needs to
be periodically reviewed
to ensure net value is
positive.
Benchmarks
Per capita
spending on
recreational
programs was
above the
median for
comparator
municipalities,
reflecting the
Town’s role as
a regional
service
provider
Sub Service Profile – Registration and Facilities Booking
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Sub-service Name
and Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Registration and
Facilities Booking
Provide registration
service, and
facilities booking
service.
Comments
Employee Related 114.7 User Fees
At standard Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
- 4358 in-person registrations
- 1282 online registrations
- 725 room rentals
- 63 pool rentals
- 130 rink hours booked
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details)
include:
Consider charging a small convenience fee for online
booking – and giving online bookers a head start.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other 14.5 Tax Levy 129.2
Total 129.2 Total 129.2
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Recreation Programs
team offers on-line,
telephone, and in-person
registration and facilities
booking.
The on-line registration
system is a made-for-
purpose system, but is
incurring some functionality
issues such as problems
with automated links to the
financial system, and
absence of insightful reports.
Revenue Model
For analytical purposes
funds coming in are
attributed to the activities
and facilities being paid
for.
However, when fee
levels are established for
recreation activities and
for facility use it will be
important to include a
cost for the
booking/registration
activity.
Benchmarks
No specific
comparators
were
available for
this service.
Sub Service Profile – Indoor Pool Physical Operation
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Indoor Pool Physical
Operation
Manage water
cleaning, heating, and
circulatory equipment.
Employee
Related
57.5 User Fees 100.3
At standard Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
One 25 metre pool provides 6 lanes of lane swimming.
Open 92.25 hours per week Sept to Father’s Day, with
reduced hours while the Lake Lisgar Waterpark is open.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Explore more modern pool water-processing systems.
Services 64.0 Grants
Materials 13.1 Other
Revenue
Other 100.0 Tax Levy 134.3
Total 234.6 Total 234.6
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Operations team
is responsible for the
physical plant at
Tillsonburg Community
Centre, which houses the
indoor pool, the arena
with 2 ½ ice pads, a
Health Club, and a
Seniors Centre.
The pool circulation,
heating, and cleaning
systems are physically
inspected by a qualified
operator every other hour
while the pool is
operating.
Revenue Model
N/A. For analytical
purposes these
services are treated as
a fixed cost. Arena-
related revenues are
credited to the Indoor
Aquatics sub service.
When fees are set it is
important to include the
cost of operating the
physical plant along
with the other aquatics
costs to understand
expected average cost
per swimmer and swim
student.
Benchmarks
.71 Sq M of
indoor rec
facilities
including
pools and
arenas
/capita
(Median is
.58)
Sub Service Profile – Indoor Aquatics
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Indoor Aquatics
Provide lifeguarding,
swim and Aquafit
training, and security
desk operation for
indoor pool.
Employee
Related
417.4
At standard
188.2
At Standard Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
- 74.75 hours of weekly aquatics programming is provided
Sept to Father’s Day, with reduced hours while the Lake
Lisgar Waterpark is open during June toAugust.
- 44.5 hours of swimming instruction is provided weekly Sept
to Father’s Day, with reduced hours while the Lake Lisgar
Waterpark is open.
- 3677 swim students were registered
- 803 Aquafit sessions were held, with 10,349 participants
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Considering different fee levels for residents and non-
residents, reflecting that residents also provide financial
support through the local levy.
Services Grants
Materials 20.0 Other
Revenue
Other 3.0 Tax Levy 252.2
Total 440.4 Total 440.4
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Recreation
Programs team provides
this service, mainly using
PT and summer staff for
instruction and life-
guarding.
Revenue Model
For adult programs,
activity prices are set
at levels intended to
generally cover
variable costs and
provide similar price
levels as nearby
municipalities.
Youth programs are
priced to contribute to
but not necessarily
cover program costs.
Individuals and families
can request financial
assistance; town staff
participate in fund-
raising initiatives that
cover the cost of the
assistance provided.
Use of staff’s paid and
personal time for this
purpose needs to be
periodically reviewed to
ensure net value is
positive.
Benchmarks
.71 Sq M of
indoor rec
facilities
including
pools and
arenas
/capita
(Median is
.58)
Sub Service Profile – Outdoor Aquatics/Lake Lisgar Waterpark
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Outdoor Aquatics
Operate outdoor
pools, including
lifeguarding.
Employee Related 221.3 User Fees 70.0 Above
standard Service Type – Discretionary
Indicators
- 553 hours of service were provided
- 15,511 visitors paid admission
- Trip Advisor ratings averaged to 4 out of 5, based on 39
reviews (accessed Feb 9 2020)
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Explore a range of options to attract visitors and generate
additional revenue, in order to improve financial viability.
Review the current format on an annual basis.
Develop longer term plans that feature a range of uses for the
site.
Services 1.0 Grants
Materials 13.0 Other
Revenue
Other 33.1 Tax Levy 198.4
Total 268.4 Total 268.4
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Recreation Programs
team looks after admissions,
lifeguarding, and daily
operation of the attraction.
RCP’s Operations team
assists with preparing Lake
Lisgar for its annual opening
on Father’s Day, and for the
seasonal put away after
Labour Day.
The Facilities team is
responsible for cleaning.
While Lake Lisgar is open,
hours at the indoor pool at
Tillsonburg’s Community
Centre are scaled back to
allow Recreation team staff
to focus on the outdoor
centre. Summer Students
and Part Time staff are used
to operate and supervise the
waterpark.
Revenue Model
Admission prices are
set at historical levels,
adjusted over time to
reflect inflation.
When the stairway to
the waterslide was
determined to be
unsafe and the slide
was taken out of
service, prices were
lowered to reflect the
reduced functionality.
Cost per visitor in 2019
was over $17.00, with
the user paying roughly
25% of this amount.
Benchmarks
Service level
is rated
above
standard as
most
municipalities
do not
provide
waterparks.
Sub Service Profile – Arena Physical Plant
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Arena Physical Plant
Manage icemaking
plant; mark ice;
maintain ice surface.
Employee
Related
431.4 User Fees 412.2
Above
standard
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
- Two pads provide 130 hours per week
- 238 hours of public skating during 2019; 2126 skaters
- Mini practice pad also provided
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details)
include:
Consider central storage location for the back up Ice
Surfacer.
Services 27.5 Grants
Materials 15.5 Other
Revenue
10.0
Other 262.9 Tax Levy 315.0
Total 737.3 Total 737.3
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Operations team
is responsible for the
physical plant at
Tillsonburg Community
Centre, which houses the
indoor pool, the arena
with 2 ½ ice pads, a
Health Club, and a
Seniors Centre.
As required by Ontario’s
regulators, when the ice
plant is operating at full
capacity it is checked at
opening and every two
hours by qualified
operators.
Overnight the plant
usually can be operated
using just 2 of the 3
refrigeration units,
eliminating the need for
onsite staff.
Revenue Model
N/A. For analytical
purposes these
services are treated as
a fixed cost. Arena-
related revenues are
credited to the Arena
customer service sub
service.
However physical plant
operating costs do
need to be considered
when setting fees.
Benchmarks
.13 ice
pads/1000
population
(median .09)
Sub Service Profile – Arena Customer Service
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Arena Customer
Service
Staffed arena
customer service
desk, providing
customer information.
Employee
Related
183.8 User Fees 102.8
Above
standard
Service Type – Required
Indicators
- 238 hours of public skating during 2019; 2126 skaters
- Spectators estimated at 226,000
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details)
include:
Continue to upgrade security camera and alarm systems.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other Tax Levy 81.0
Total 183.8 Total 183.8
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Recreation
Programs team provides
this service using a core
of FT and long-term PT
staff to manage and
oversee, and as-needed
PT staff for supervising
the Tillsonburg
Community Centre
including Arena customer
service desk.
Revenue Model
User and spectator
admission prices and
arena booking fees are
set at levels intended
to generally cover
operating costs and to
be comparable with
prices in nearby
municipalities.
Benchmarks
.13 ice
pads/1000
population
(median .09)
Sub Service Profile – Operate Fitness Centre
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Operate Fitness
Centre
Manage admissions
and provide customer
service.
Employee
Related
238.3 User Fees 201.9
Above
standard
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
- The Health Club is open 92.5 hours a week for 51 weeks a
year, i.e. 4496 hours.
- Usage was by a pass or on a membership basis.
- The club was used 18,636 times.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details)
include:
Explore potential for remotely monitoring the entry desk.
Explore collaborating with a private operator to reduce the
required levy.
Services Grants
Materials 17.5 Other
Revenue
Other 45.4 Tax Levy 99.3
Total 301.2 Total 301.2
Delivery Approach
RCP’s Recreation
Programs team provides
this service using a core
of FT and long-term PT
staff to manage and
oversee, and as-needed
PT staff for providing
access to and oversight
of the Health Club facility
at the Tillsonburg
Community Centre.
Revenue Model
Fitness club fees are
set at levels intended
to generally cover
operating costs and to
be comparable with
prices in nearby
municipalities.
Some discounts are
offered e.g. for a family
with two adults buying
an annual family pass
any students or youth
would essentially be
free.
Cost per use in 2019
was about $16.00, with
the user paying roughly
2/3 of this amount.
Benchmarks
Several of
the
comparator
communities
do not
operate
fitness
centres.
Sub Service Profile – Provide Community Centre
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Provide Community
Centre
Provide safe,
supervised access to a
community centre.
Employee
Related
97.8 User Fees 80.7
Judged to be
at standard
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
- The Tillsonburg Community Centre is open 70 hours/week.
- It offers 6 rentable spaces, one with kitchen.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Consider renovating the Hardy St. Steps and installing a
ramp.
Services 136.9 Grants
Materials 5.0 Other
Revenue
Other 697.5 Tax Levy 856.5
Total 937.2 Total 937.2
Delivery Approach
The Recreation team
uses a core of FT and
long-term PT staff to
manage and oversee,
and as-needed PT staff
for providing access to
and oversight of the
Tillsonburg Community
Centre, which houses 6
rentable spaces.
The Facilities team is
responsible for building
cleaning and
maintenance.
Revenue Model
Community centre
booking fees are set at
levels intended to
generally cover
operating costs and to
be comparable with
prices in nearby
municipalities.
Benchmarks
Sub Service Profile – Provide Seniors Centre
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Provide Seniors
Centre
Provide a seniors’
centre.
Comment
1. Age for access to
seniors’ facilities
varies by municipality,
ranging from 45 in
Bracebridge
to 55, with 50 and 55
the usual cut-off.
2. Annual membership
fees range from $10 in
Lincoln to $145 in
Woodstock.
Employee
Related
42.3
Above
standard
Above
standard
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
- Tillsonburg has an active, member-run Senior Centre.
- The centre offers more than 30 programs, plus game and
hobby facilities.
- It is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 to 4PM with some
evening programs.
- Membership fee is $40 per year; membership is open to
those aged 50 and above.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details)
include:
As this is an important service and town population is
growing, review services provided in the next planning
cycle.
Services 72.0 Grants 42.7
Materials 2.0 Other
Revenue
Other 81.0 Tax Levy 154.6
Total 197.3 Total 197.3
Delivery Approach
The Facilities team is
responsible for building
cleaning and
maintenance.
Both Facilities and
Operations support use
of booked areas by
setting up/putting away
chairs and tables.
Revenue Model
The Seniors’ Centre
receives sole access to
the facility, plus
services including
maintenance, repairs,
cleaning, and set
up/put away service, at
no cost.
Benchmarks
Several of
the
comparator
communities
do not
provide
seniors
centres.
Sub Service Profile – Recreation Planning & Advising
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Recreation Planning
& Advising
Advise on the potential
impacts on
development
proposals on
recreational
requirements,
investments, and
operation; and manage
and contribute to the
development of plans
for/involving
recreation.
Employee
Related
68.2 User Fees
At standard
as a required
service
Service Type – Required
Indicators
One plan was developed/reviewed during the year.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Take steps to update the 2011 Master Plan, given its age.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other Tax Levy 68.2
Total 68.2 Total 68.2
Delivery Approach
Recreation planning and
advising is provided by
senior staff including the
Recreation Programs
and Services Manager
and the Director of
Recreation, Culture &
Parks.
On a case-by-case
basis contracts may
from time to time be
issued for planning and
advising services.
Revenue Model
When possible the
Town avails itself of
grants or other external
funds to help pay for
expenses associated
with recreation
planning and advising.
Beyond this there is no
revenue source other
than the Tax Levy.
Benchmarks
Project
value/1000
residents
Sub Service Profile – Recreation Capital Improvement Project Management
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Recreation Capital
Improvement Project
Management
Advise on the potential
impacts on
development
proposals on
recreational
requirements,
investments, and
operation; and manage
and contribute to the
development of plans
for/involving
recreation.
Employee
Related
84.2 User Fees
At standard
as a required
service
Service Type – Required
Indicators
9 projects were started, underway, or completed during
2019.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details)
include:
Because the workload associated with project
management has increased across RCP there is a need
to review the associated resources.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other Tax Levy 84.2
Total 84.2 Total 84.2
Delivery Approach
Recreation capital
improvement project
management is provided
by senior staff including
the Recreation
Programs and Services
Manager and the
Director of Recreation,
Culture & Parks.
Revenue Model
When possible the
Town avails itself of
grants or other external
funds to help pay for
expenses associated
with recreation capital
improvement projects,
and this could in
principle extend to part
of the costs of project
management.
Benchmarks
Service Profile – Museum, Heritage, and Tourist Information
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Revenue $000 %
User fees 67.5 15%
Grants 21.4 5%
Other 24.5 5%
Total Revenue 113.4 25%
Operating Expenses
Employee-related 315.8 68%
Services 55.0 12%
Materials 13.5 3%
Other 78.0 17%
Total Cost 462.3 100%
Net Levy 348.9 75%
Category FTE*
Full Time 3.3
Part Time 0.1
Seasonal 0.6
*Full Time Equivalent (FTE) time worked.
Source: Ontario's Financial Information Return system; 2018 operations
2019 Staffing
2019 Preliminary Financials
Supports the local economy by attracting tourists and new
residents. Is a cultural resource and gathering place for local
residents. Provides exhibition space and a sales outlet for
local artisans, supporting fundraising for community groups.
Provides valuable learning experiences for school classes.
Service Value
Service Overview
This service involves managing and providing access to the nationally-recognized Annandale Historical Site; collecting, preserving, researching, exhibiting and interpreting information and artifacts
depicting the history of Tillsonburg; and informing visitors and residents about other local activities and attractions.
$36.48
$25.98
$23.34
$21.54
$20.12
$17.13
$16.07
$15.00
$12.10
$11.19
$9.37
$7.36
$5.56
Woodstock
Cobourg
St. Clair
Tillsonburg
Norfolk County
Ingersoll
Median
Wilmot
Belleville
Lincoln
Port Hope
Aylmer
Bracebridge
Museum & Culture Net levy/capita
-
1
2
3
4
0 1 2 3Service LevelService Type: 1 Required, 2 Traditional, 3 Discretionary
Museum Sub Services
Operation Tourist Information Preservation Heritage Plan/Advise
Sub Service Profile – Operate Museum
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Operating Costs and Revenues $000 Service Level Notes
Operate
Museum
Provide
regularly
scheduled and
appointment-
based access
to a museum.
This includes
providing
special events
hosted at the
museum.
Comment
Tillsonburg has
a rich social,
cultural, and
business
history which
helps to build
its brand with
residents,
visitors, and
investors.
The Tillsonburg
and District
Historical
Society
supports the
work of
Annandale
House with
guidance,
volunteering,
participation,
and fundraising
events.
Employee Related 180 User Fees 15 Rated At
Standard, as
no valid
service-level
comparison
was identified.
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
The Annandale National Historic Site museum is open 38
hours/week, year round. The museum was open to the
public on 319 days during 2019.
43 Special events designed to inform and involve
participants were developed and offered to the public.
Visit statistics include:
• 2935 paid visits
• 6734 free/by donation visits
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Continue to seek effective outreach opportunities, and to
expand the use of web-based tools.
Services 15 Grants 20
Materials 12 Other Revenue 24
Other Costs 65 Tax Levy 213
Total 272 Total 272
Delivery Approach
Given the specialized
knowledge and abilities
required, the Culture &
Heritage team consists of three
FT and one long-term PT staff.
Two summer students are
brought on to help with the
summer busy season.
Museum operation provides the
prime focus of a Culture and
Heritage Programs
Coordinator, a long-term PT
staff person, and one of the
team’s two summer students.
Most visits begin with
introductory information,
continue with a self-guided tour
of the House, and end with an
opportunity to ask staff
questions.
Team staff maintain an active
and up-to date Annandale
Facebook page and twitter
account, and publish periodic
printed and email newsletters
to maintain contact with
interested members of the
public.
Volunteers participate in
preparing for and holding
special events and exhibits.
Revenue Model
Admission and event
prices are set at levels
intended to contribute
towards operating costs
and to yet to be
affordable by local and
tourist visitors.
Members of the non-profit
Tillsonburg and District
Historical Society gain
unlimited free admission
to Annandale [House]
National Historic Site, and
provide a significant
annual donation that
helps further the
museum’s work.
Benchmarks
There is
insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per capita
related only to
operate
museum.
Net levy per
capita for
museum,
culture and
heritage was
$21.54, 34%
above the
median for
comparator
towns.
Sub Service Profile – Heritage Preservation
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Sub-service Name
and Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Heritage
Preservation
Solicit, screen,
collect, document,
preserve, store,
publicize, share,
and de-access
heritage objects
and information.
Employee Related 83 User Fees 53 Rated At
Standard, as
no valid
service-level
comparison
was
identified.
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
- 547 objects were offered for donation during 2019.
- 50 heritage enquiries were addressed.
- 247 were added to the collection.
- At year end the collection size was 22,000 objects.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Continue efforts to bring more of the collection – and
more knowledge of local history – to a broader section of
the community.
Services Grants 1
Materials 15 Other
Revenue
Other 1 Tax Levy 32
Total 86 Total 86
Delivery Approach
Given the specialized
knowledge and abilities
required, the Culture &
Heritage team consists of
three FT and one long-term
PT staff. Two summer
students are brought on to
help with the summer busy
season.
Heritage preservation is the
primary focus of the team’s
Collections and Exhibitions
Specialist.
Volunteers participate in
logging items from the
collection into the special
purpose collection
management system.
Revenue Model
No fees or grants are
received for providing
this service.
Members of the non-
profit Tillsonburg and
District Historical Society
gain unlimited free
admission to Annandale
[House] National Historic
Site, and provide a
significant annual
donation that helps
further the museum’s
work.
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita related
only to
heritage
preservation.
Sub Service Profile – Heritage Planning and Advising
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Heritage Planning
and Advising
Advise on the potential
impacts on
development
proposals on heritage.
Manage and contribute
to the development of
plans for/involving
heritage.
Employee
Related
37 User Fees At standard
as a required
service
Service Type – Essential
Indicators
This task formed a relatively small part of the workload of
the Culture & Heritage Manager/Curator during 2019.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
It would be beneficial for development of a Museum and
Heritage Plan proceed, to provide a renewed or
reconfirmed mandate for the important work being done.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other Tax Levy 37
Total 37 Total 37
Delivery Approach
Given the specialized
knowledge and abilities
required, the Culture &
Heritage team consists
of three FT and one
long-term PT staff, plus
2 summer students.
Limited attention was
given to heritage
planning and advising
during 2019, but there is
a desire to begin work
on a Museum and
Heritage Plan during
2020.
Revenue Model
No fees or grants are
received for providing
this service.
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita related
only to
heritage
planning and
advising.
Sub Service Profile – Operate Tourist Information Centre
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Operate Tourist
Information Centre
Operate a designated
Tourist Information
Centre, including
providing well-curated
racks of information for
local, regional, and
provincial attractions.
Provide advice and
materials on request to
residents and non-
residents.
Comments
Tillsonburg has two
tourist information
centres, one at the
Station Arts Centre
provided in return for
use of the facility, and
one operated by RCP.
This means that two
sets of information
displays need to be
managed, organized,
and replenished – and
that two groups need
to be able to provide
advice.
Employee
Related
16 User Fees Rated At
Standard, as
no valid
service-level
comparison
was
identified
Service Type – Traditional
Indicators
- 1232 visitors (plus a number who purchased Museum
admission) were advised in person
- 55 phone enquiries were responded to by phone during
2019.
- 208 tourist information packages were mailed or emailed
in response to phone, mail, email, and webmail requests.
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Use online and electronic methods to reduce the workload
and costs associated with this sub service.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other 3 Tax Levy 19
Total 19 Total 19
Delivery Approach
The RCP-operated
Tourist Information
Centre is located in the
vestibule of Annandale
House and operated by
the Culture & Heritage
team as a ‘side of the
desk’ item.
During summer months
one of the two summer
students take the lead in
answering enquiries,
which include mail,
email, phone, and walk-
in sources. This student
also looks after tidying
and restocking the
display of flyers,
brochures, and maps in
the vestibule.
Revenue Model
No fees or grants are
received for providing
this service.
Benchmarks
Insufficient
data to
benchmark
levy per
capita.
Service Profile – Other Responsibilities
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Revenue $000 %
User fees 0 0%
Grants 0 0%
Other 100 35%
Total Revenue 100 35%
Operating Expenses
Employee-related 241.6 84%
Services 0 0%
Materials 2.5 1%
Other 45.2 16%
Total Cost 289.3 100%
Net Levy 189.3 65%
Category FTE*
Full Time 2.5
Part Time 0
Seasonal 0
*Full Time Equivalent (FTE) time worked.
2019 Staffing
Service Overview
Provide property management services for non-recreation municipal facilities including planning for, overseeing and delivering capital improvements,
janitorial (contract & staff delivered) service, routine building & grounds maintenance, and waste/recycling. Also planning for, overseeing, delivering,
and reporting on energy conservation projects
Service Value2019 Preliminary Financials
These essential services
enable in-person access to
Town services by the public,
facilitates the work done by
Town staff, and complies
with Provincial requirements
to monitor, report on, and
reduce energy consumption.
-
1
2
3
0 1 2 3Service LevelService Type: 1 Mandatory, 2 Traditional, 3 Discretionary
Energy Facilities Sub Services
Non-recreation Municipal Facilities Energy Projects
Sub Service Profile – Manage Energy Projects
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Name and
Description 2019 Operating Costs and Revenues $000 Service Level Notes
Manage
Energy
Projects
Provide project
management
for energy
improvement
projects.
Comment
The province
requires that all
municipalities
undertake and
report on this
work.
Employee Related 29 User Fees
At standard Service Type – Essential
Indicators
- Eight energy projects were initiated or completed during
2010
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Recognize the workload that these worthwhile initiatives
place upon RCP
Services Grants
Materials Other Revenue
Other Costs Tax Levy 29
Total 29 Total 29
Delivery Approach
RCP management provides
project management for
municipal energy-
conservation projects all
municipally-owned facilities.
Responsibilities include
overseeing project
identification and validation,
design, initiating and
coordinating procurement/
contracting, oversight of
implementation, and reporting
on results.
The Facilities team facilitates
contractor access and
sometimes implements
energy-improvement projects
using own staff.
Revenue Model
In general energy projects
are expected to pay for
themselves over time. Note
however that savings go to
the departments using the
facilities; none are typically
directed back to RCP to
cover the ‘hidden costs’ of
managing design and
implementation.
Benchmarks
At standard as
default, since
no valid
comparators
were
identified.
Sub Service Profile – Maintain Municipal Non-recreation Facilities
Note: Financial and service level information for 2019 was provided to Clarico by Tillsonburg.
Sub-service Name
and Description 2019 Costs and Revenues $000 Service
Level Notes
Maintain
Municipal Non-
Recreation
Facilities
Maintain municipal
non-recreational
facilities, including
cleaning and
repairs and
maintenance
Employee Related 241 User Fees 100
At standard Service Type – Essential
Indicators
- 10 facilities are maintained
- Area of these facilities is 8812 Sq Metres (94,850 sq ft)
Opportunities
Potential opportunities (see project report for details) include:
Currently the Town has contracts with three cleaning firms.
Combining them into one or possibly two contracts would
simplify tasks associated with bidding, awarding, and
overseeing service delivery.
Services Grants
Materials Other
Revenue
Other 48 Tax Levy 160
Total 260 Total 260
Delivery Approach
The Facilities team is
responsible for cleaning
and maintenance of
municipally-owned non-
recreation facilities,
including the Tillsonburg
Airport.
Much of the hands-on
cleaning and maintenance
work is done by contractors.
.
Revenue Model
RCP collects a
negotiated rental fee for
the Elliott Fairbarn
Centre.
The service provided for
other municipal facilities
is part of the RCP
annual budget allocation
process.
Benchmarks
At standard
as default,
since no
valid
comparators
were
identified.