OC Transpo to get peer review of operations, review panel to look at procurement policy(
Posted Mar 5, 2010 By Theresa Fritz
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Tweet ThisEMC News - Ottawa city council has agreed to a peer review of OC Transpo as well as the creation of a review panel to look at procurement at the transit service provider.
Both motions, passed unanimously by council Feb. 24, were put forward by Ward 5 West Carleton-March councillor Eli El-Chantiry.
Referring to the procurement issue, El-Chantiry said his motion sees the city's procurement officer, city's solicitor and city manager Kent Kirkpatrick to "review the process that took place" with regard to the new and controversial OC Transpo garage.
"I understand we (city) agreed to build a garage for $52 million and then they started to add on. So, the spending of that 'add on' was probably following procedures. We should see if we did it properly. Did we get value for our money?" El-Chantiry asked. "I want to make sure the money we spent over the original contract was money that went for the tender and we got value for it."
The OC Transpo garage on Industrial Avenue is now costing $97 million, up from the originally approved $52 million.
The councillor believes proper process was followed to get the (original) contract out but he wants to make sure all the changes that were made followed procedure as well.
"I want to task the procurement officer to take a look at this and also, the auditor general is directed to review these findings and make his report after we have all the review on the garage," he noted.
The second motion approved by council deals directly with the operation of OC Transpo. El-Chantiry said the peer review will look at virtually all elements of transit operations. The review is expected to be complete in time for the 2011 budget debate.
This review will be undertaken by the American Public Transit Association (APTA), at no cost with the exception of travel expectations.
"Nineteen ninety-eight was the last time we had a full review of OC Transpo...that means everything from the way we talk to customers, the way we handle customers, the way we charge, the way we operate, the way we show up on time, the way we don't show up on time," said El-Chantiry. "Quite frankly, I feel comfortable and confident, doing this (asking for peer review) instead of a full review again."
APTA will review the entire OC Transpo report from 1998 completed by the firm KPMG.
"Let's do this first...and let's review it all and give us (city) a report and then we will see if there is the gap and did we do due diligence," El-Chantiry noted. "It is a big step and I'm hoping we can achieve something without spending more money. Believe me, at the end of the day I am not a fan of spending more money on things like this."
Councillors defeated a motion by Ward 21 Rideau-Goulbourn councillor Glenn Brooks that would have instructed the city's auditor general to complete an audit of OC Transpo and the Ward 2 Innes councillor Rainer Bloess reminded councillors that they had the opportunity to vote down the bus garage project multiple times.
He didn't think an audit of the garage project was necessary.
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