Mayoral candidate envisions ‘neighbourhood action teams’

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/06/2022 (1481 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mayoral candidate Scott Gillingham has announced a plan to create up to 30 new full-time maintenance positions with the City of Winnipeg by 2024.

The new initiative, which Gillingham will implement if elected as mayor, would see teams of 10 city workers form “neighbourhood action teams.” These would be specialized, cross-trained workers capable of landscaping, operating heavy machinery and carrying out road and curb repairs.

“City hall keeps trying to fix problems (from the) top down and not the way residents see them: from the street up,” Gillingham said Friday morning on a median near 150 Burrows Ave. “Strategically investing a little more in front-line services can help with those problems, and I’m proposing that we start to do that today.”

The program would begin with a $3.5-million investment and the creation of 30 new, permanent positions in 2023. That’s enough to accommodate up to three visits to each official Winnipeg neighbourhood annually, Gillingham said.

If the program is successful, it could continue to expand into 2026, for a total estimated investment of $15.6 million.

Gillingham did not comment on how the city may fund the program, but promised to provide a budget detailing his campaign commitments before residents vote in October.

The city’s rigid scheduling and inability to backtrack or expedite work on targeted areas is a motivating factor behind the initiative, the St. James councillor said.

“We need to be the kind of city where a team shows up to fix whatever they see that needs to be fixed. Not just do one part of a job and then drive away as if the rest of the work is someone else’s job… to be done by another department, on another day.”

Action teams staff will review 311 info line complaints, conduct site visits and consult with local organizations to develop work plans. The teams would report directly to the chief administrative officer and remain available to support city-wide operations, such as snow clearing after major winter storms.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca