Preventing roads from being ripped up multiple times for different construction work. Doubling bulky waste collection in back lanes and vacant lots in targeted neighbourhoods. And cutting wait times for Transit Plus bookings by over 70%.
These are just a few highlights of the City of Winnipeg’s efforts to improve efficiency, deliver better services, and manage resources smarter, as detailed in the Annual Report on Continuous Improvement and Innovation released this week.
“We often hear calls for the City to ‘work smarter’ and ‘find more efficiencies’ and this report is proof we’re doing that,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “A lot of these innovations are happening behind the scenes, but they’re cutting costs by millions, saving thousands of hours of staff time, and improving the customer service experience for residents.”
The report outlines dozens of improvement initiatives across nearly all City departments. Some of the major current projects include:
- Bulky Waste Collection Improvements: The City has doubled collection hours and moved to year-round sweeps to improve community cleanliness and reduce waste buildup, particularly after winter.
- Citizen Portal: Launching in 2025, this online platform will provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for all city services, eliminating the need for residents to use multiple logins and passwords to check various accounts, pay bills or make 311 requests.
- Transit Plus Booking System Upgrade: A new booking platform has reduced call wait times by over 70%, achieving 97% on-time service performance and enhancing accessibility for users.
- Right-of-Way Management System: A comprehensive new system will help reduce complaints about streets being “under construction” for multiple years in a row as different departments or utilities do different work. It will reduce traffic delays, streamline permit processes, and reduce 311 service calls related to street cuts by 10%.
- Zoning By-law Modernization: Simplified permit processes will accelerate housing development, reduce housing costs, and allow the City to qualify for up to $122 million in federal funding.
- Retro-Commissioning of Municipal Facilities: Energy efficiency measures will improve occupant comfort while significantly reducing energy consumption, yielding environmental and financial benefits.
- Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal System Replacement: A modernized property appraisal system will increase efficiency, ensure assessment accuracy, and better serve residents while reducing operational risks.
The City’s Public Service has also responded to the Mayor’s AI challenge issued earlier this year and has developed pilot projects to use AI for services like chat agents, permit application reviews, invoice processing, and street condition monitoring.
“As we work to finalize our 2025 budget update, our focus remains on investing in services and providing value for every dollar spent,” added Gillingham. “This report demonstrates how innovation is delivering results that benefit all Winnipeggers.”
The Annual Report on Continuous Improvement and Innovation is on the agenda for the December 4, 2024, meeting of the Executive Policy Committee. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2024ImprovementReport.
For more information, please contact:
Colin Fast
Director of Communications
Office of the Mayor, City of Winnipeg
cfast@winnipeg.ca / 204-803-6406