March 8, 1999

To:Works and Utilities Committee

From:Barry Gutteridge, Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

Subject:Promotional Funding of Environment Days on a Per Capita Basis and Promotional

Guidelines

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to show the effects of per capita funding on the amount of money available to each ward for the promotion of Environment Days and to establish general guidelines for Councillors to follow when promoting their Environment Day.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Funds for Environment Day promotion are provided in the Works and Emergency Services, Support Services Operating Budget.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the Works and Emergency Services Department maintain its current practice of providing Councillors with up to $1,000.00 per ward to promote their Environment Day event, rather than providing funding to each ward on a per capita basis, during the months of April through October 1999;

(2)to be eligible for funding, promotion of an Environment Day must include one or more of the following: an Environment Day ad in a community newspaper, a ½-page or larger Environment Day ad in a Councillor's constituency newsletter, or an Environment Day flyer distributed door-to-door;

(3)each ad, newsletter or flyer must contain the following information: Host Councillors names, date, location, time, list of items to be dropped off, picked up or purchased at an event, prices, contact numbers and a Works and Emergency Services word mark; and

(4) to guarantee reimbursement of funds for advertising in a community newspaper or constituency newsletter(s) or for distributing a flyer, the arrangements for the promotions should be made by Works and Emergency Services communications staff or a copy of the ad or flyer along with the print or distribution invoice must be provided to Works and Emergency Services communications staff.

Council Reference/Background/History:

At its meeting of January 13, 1999, Works and Utilities Committee approved a motion to request the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services to submit a report to the committee at its meeting to be held on March 24, 1999, on the allocation of the costs of Environment Days on a per capita basis for future years.

Environment Days are an important component of the Department's public education strategy to promote waste reduction in the City of Toronto. Since 1991, the events have been organized by the Department and hosted by Toronto Councillors. This partnership has been successful and has helped to establish a good relationship with the public with respect to these local community events and promoting the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle).

Currently, Works and Emergency Services allocates $1,000.00 per ward to Councillors for the promotion of Environment Days. This amounts to $28,000.00 annually. Councillors may use this $1,000.00 to promote their Environment Day to their constituents using community newspaper advertising, door-to-door flyers and/or Councillor newsletters. In addition, the Department spends approximately $50,000.00 to promote Environment Days through newspaper advertisements (six ¼-page ads in the Toronto Star), radio advertisements (five series of English ads and five series of multi-lingual ads from end of April to September), distribution of posters, recorded telephone messages, listings in Waste Watch, and information dissemination at displays.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

The $1,000.00 that is currently provided equally to each ward is based on the average ward size in Toronto. The total Councillor promotional budget ($28,000.00) is divided by the city population (2,331,170) to arrive at the per capita amount of $.012. The average ward size (83,256 residents) is multiplied by $.012 to give us $999.07 which is then rounded up to $1,000.00.

Using a per capita-based formula to calculate the amount of promotional funding distributed to each ward would affect the amount of funding received by each ward. In some instances, a ward could receive up to approximately 25 percent more or approximately 25 percent less depending on the size of its population. A formula based on the population size in each ward would be $.012 x ward population = amount of promotional funding for each Environment Day. As an example, the three equations below demonstrate the effect on funding of the smallest, average and largest ward sizes (by population):

Ward 9 -- $.012 x 60,230 = $722.76

Ward 17 -- $.012 x 83,370 = $1000.44

Ward 18 -- $.012 x 109,350 = $1,312.20

The calculations for each ward are attached in the appendix at the end of this report.

The variations in funding may make it more difficult to ensure that residents receive consistent, accurate information, regardless of the ward in which they live. It would also make tracking and administering the budgets more complex. Therefore, staff recommend that we continue to provide funding for Environment Days based on the average ward size (i.e. $1,000.00) rather than per capita funding based on specific ward populations.

It is also important that key messages about Environment Days are consistent and prominent in all communication pieces and that information about the events remain current and up-to-date. For that reason, the Department encourages Councillors and their staff to work with Works and Emergency Services communications staff in writing and producing their promotional materials. In most cases, departmental communications staff can provide camera-ready material and will assist with production and distribution. To allow for optimum planning and production, Councillors or their staff should contact the department at least eight weeks prior to their event (where possible).

Conclusions:

A per capita funding formula would significantly alter the amount some wards receive for Environment Day promotion and would make administration of the budgets more difficult. Maintaining the current practice of allocating $1,000.00 per ward ensures that there is adequate funding to cover the costs of basic promotion in all wards.

The success of the Environment Day events relies on consistent, effective promotion in each ward. The consistency and effectiveness of promotions will be enhanced if the recommended guidelines are followed.

Councillors and their staff are encouraged to work with Works and Emergency Services communications staff to provide clear, consistent promotional messages.

Contact Name:

Nicole Dufort

Manager, Communications

Works and Emergency Services

Phone: (416) 392-2963, Fax: (416) 392-2974

Angelos Bacopoulos, P.Eng.Barry Gutteridge

General ManagerCommissioner

Solid Waste Management ServicesWorks and Emergency Services

Appendix

Promotional funding of Environment Day events based on ward populations:

Ward 1$.012 x 100,930 = $1,211.16

Ward 2$.012 x 78,370 = $ 940.44

Ward 3$.012 x 76,230 = $ 914.76

Ward 4$.012 x 73,180 = $ 878.16

Ward 5$.012 x 92,360 = $1,108.32

Ward 6$.012 x 87,490 = $1,049.88

Ward 7$.012 x 93,440 = $1,121.28

Ward 8$.012 x 82,300 = $ 987.60

Ward 9$.012 x 60,230 = $ 722.76

Ward 10$.012 x 74,310 = $ 891.72

Ward 11$.012 x 91,740 = $1,100.88

Ward 12$.012 x 88,250 = $1,059.00

Ward 13$.012 x 90,150 = $1,081.80

Ward 14$.012 x 65,230 = $ 782.76

Ward 15$.012 x 105,110 = $1,261.32

Ward 16$.012 x 96,950 = $1,163.40

Ward 17$.012 x 83,370 = $1,000.44

Ward 18$.012 x 109,350 = $1,312.20

Ward 19$.012 x 80,710 = $ 968.52

Ward 20$.012 x 68,060 = $ 816.72

Ward 21$.012 x 84,100 = $1,009.20

Ward 22$.012 x 81,700 = $ 980.40

Ward 23$.012 x 69,520 = $ 834.24

Ward 24$.012 x 94,870 = $1,138.44

Ward 25$.012 x 84,310 = $1,011.72

Ward 26$.012 x 80,340 = $ 964.08

Ward 27$.012 x 76,990 = $ 923.88

Ward 28$.012 x 61,580 = $ 738.96