Archive for March 9th, 2012

Following The Chief And Other Newsmakers

- March 9th, 2012

When Chief Charles Bordeleau started a Twitter feed just minutes after being sworn in earlier this week, it was largely celebrated, including by yours truly.

Other city officials have come onboard in recent months, including deputy city manager Steve Kanellakos and more recently Alta Vista Coun. Peter Hume.

Then there was a kinda/sorta drive to get other non-tweeting councillors to join the craze.

What do we want from “officials” on Twitter?

Personally, I’m looking for information, but I’m more interested in candid observations. Just having a presence on Twitter can impress people. For that reason alone, I don’t understand why more city politicians don’t take advantage of it. What we really want, I suppose, is to know that the people whose names are on those Twitter accounts are actually the ones sending the tweets.

The press pays a lot of attention to tweets from the usual newsmakers. Heck, there was even a news story today that was pretty much one councillor’s tweet!

As for Bordeleau, police staff today told me he — after learning the ins and outs of the broadcast tool — is now sending his own tweets.

So, what should we expect from Bordeleau on Twitter? What do people want to hear from the police chief? Former chief Vern White, who didn’t take to Twitter, made it his thing to respond to emails from the public with a phone call back. Maybe Twitter will be Bordeleau’s thing.

Still, I’m not expecting many unreserved tweets from Bordeleau, who comes across as someone keenly aware of the weight of his words as chief of police.

(Right: Power tweeter Mayor Jim Watson chats with rookie tweeter Chief Charles Bordeleau before Friday’s swearing-in ceremony at City Hall. Photo by Tony Caldwell)

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Follow City Hall reporter Jon Willing on Twitter at @JonathanWilling.

Categories: Technology | No comments

Catering Our Boards

- March 9th, 2012

On one fishing expedition I came across the food and beverage expenses for some city boards. Most meetings are catered and some have wider offerings than others. Fair to say when Mayor Jim Watson said in his 2011 budget speech that there would be a $300,000 reduction to discretionary spending, including luncheons, it didn’t mean catering would completely disappear. A lot of the time catering is provided by the cafe in City Hall. Public health also used a non-profit off-site supplier.

The usual theory for the food is meetings largely happen over the dinner hour or last through the lunch hour. (However, lunches for city council ended with Watson’s 2011 budget.)

Here are some hospitality figures from 2011, for your viewing pleasure. One board not captured here is Crime Prevention Ottawa, which also has its meetings catered by the non-profit supplier, according to a testimonial on the website.

Ottawa Police Services Board

January meeting: $150.53
February meeting: $54.00
March meeting: $149.35
(No April meeting)
May meeting: $149.95
June meeting: $149.35
July meeting: $91.24
(No August meeting)
September meeting: $157.62
October meeting: $157.62
November meeting: $165.77
December meeting: $149.35
TOTAL: $1,374.78

Ottawa Community Housing Board

January meeting: $306.81
February meeting: $225.05
March meeting (community board meeting: $324.89
April meeting: $194.87
May meeting: $194.87
June meeting: $144.12
(No July meeting)
August meeting: $200.48
September (community board meeting): $680.65
(October meeting)
November meeting: $197.91
December meeting: $200.48
TOTAL: $2,670.13

Transit commission

January special meeting: $29.97
January regular meeting: $45.66
February regular meeting: $33.73
February special meeting: $101.38
March regular meeting: $47.28
April orientation: $35.18
April regular meeting: $88.11
May regular meeting: $41.27
June regular meeting: $92.67
(No July meeting)
August regular meeting: $69.72
September regular meeting: $41.63
October regular meeting: $68.72
October special meeting: $41.63
November regular meeting: $60.56
December regular meeting: $44.32
TOTAL: $841.83

Ottawa Public Health Board

March orientation session #1: $393.93
March orientation session #2: $281.28
April regular meeting: $398.42
May regular meeting: $173.16
June strategic planning meeting: $661.31
June regular meeting: $166.79
June special meeting: $41.90
July special meeting: $166.28
August regular meeting: $146.50
August training: $118.35
September regular meeting: $125.32
October special meeting: $140.35
November regular meeting: $133.79
TOTAL: $2,947.38

Ottawa Public Library Board

January: $243.21
February: $185.80
March: $341.46
(No April amount)
May: $265.97
(No June amount)
July: $600.45
August: $25.00
September: $651.34
October: $345.83
November: $387.98
December: $1,312
TOTAL: $4,359.76

Categories: Budget | No comments