Comox council has begun the process of reviewing which major projects it will undertake in the coming years.
At the Nov. 10 strategic planning committee meeting, council reviewed the capital and special projects budget presented by Jordan Wall, the town’s chief administrative officer.
In a report to council was a list of projects for their consideration with a few underlying themes: IT infrastructure; modernization of processes; road upgrades, conveyance and roundabouts.
Wall explained the town is in the midst of a large-scale IT infrastructure upgrade which will serve as a backbone to operations for years to come.
Much of the work was completed this year with a shift to connecting all town buildings into one high-speed server system.
In terms of modernization, Wall said many departments are lacking, and a request for funds is in the works for the creation of new digital permitting processes for building, variance, development and zoning applications which “are all currently paper-based and wouldn’t be out of place in an early 90’s organization,” he added.
A new website and brand refresh will assist with planned services also being brought online including tax payments, Wall noted in the report.
Other departments and processes are in need of digital upgrades such as the corporate department. He said it is at risk of falling behind in the digitization of files and processes and may fall out of line with provincial regulations and in the future may face fines.
As the projects will impact staff’s ability to handle other community and council-based projects, the 2022 budget includes funds for the support of a systems analyst with expertise in municipal systems.
The strategic plan will be altered to include major projects upon the final passage of the 2022-2026 financial plan.
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