Mayor Linnsie Clark is hoping to see a "3-1-1" style phone line considered for the next budget cycle.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
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Mayor Linnsie Clark wants consideration for a “3-1-1” style phone line for city service inquiries on a list of new spending items considered for the 2025 and 2026 city budget.
The entire list of more than 80 items, 55 of which are recommended, is now back in the hands of administrators after councillors asked for a trimmed version that would lessen the effect on tax rates.
Only one item was added during a new local budgeting process which asked that council members consider merits and timing of staff-suggested projects.
Clark said a one-number service for Hatters seeking information about the municipality should be investigated and added.
“It’s in our strategic plan … for administration to implement a one-window system,” Clark told council on Monday. “Because of the timing I want to give administration the opportunity to cost it and provide options for our current budget deliberations.”
Clark said a “3-1-1” system is a general term for “a single point of entry” regardless of residents using telephone or email.
A full list of regularly called phone numbers, including departments and topics of inquiry, appears on the city’s website, under a prominent “contact us” tab, as well as under “report a problem” on the roads and utilities page.
The phone book also includes a page of contact.
Other councillors appeared interested, but questioned the timeline, considering a new budget is needed in five months.
“I think it’s worthwhile as it appears, but … it could be a big project to take on,” said Coun. Andy McGrogan.
Clark said the existing list excludes the idea but should be added if only to get it into the project queue for future years.
Corporate services managing director Dennis Egert said the service was considered during a previous budget – to streamline communications efforts, and included estimates of “incremental costs,” but also potentially complex work to implement.
“It’s more than doing a scan of anecdotes” from other city’s with the system, such as Calgary and Lethbridge.
City manager Ann Mitchell said that actual change to such a system might sound simple, but would likely involve some level of operational change at every level and department.
“I’ve said before that some of our processes are archaic … having an over of time and work involved, we’d be able to do that,” she said.
Chair Ramona Robins summarized the direction for administrators to “start the process of looking into it and let us know how long it will take” on Sept.16.
Council also requested staff prepare options and batches of projects that could be deleted from the new spending list to lower estimated tax increased of 5.6 per cent each year. Major portions of the budget will be discussed in late October.
Council will take a traditional break after the second meeting in July this week. They next meet on Aug. 18.
