|
1. bILLBOARD ADVERTISING
PROGRAM PROGRAMME DE PUBLICITÉ SUR
PANNEAUX-RÉCLAMES |
Committee
Recommendations as amended
That
Council:
1. Direct
the Deputy City Manager of City Operations to work with the Deputy City Manager
of Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability and staff from Building
Code Services to identify additional City-owned properties suitable for signage
opportunities;
a) that
any costs incurred to identify suitable locations will be offset by revenues
generated from the Billboard Advertising Program;
2. Direct
the Deputy City Manager of City Operations to return to Council by the 2nd
quarter of 2009 with a list of proposed sites for Council’s consideration;
a) that
once Council has approved the proposed site locations, that a Request for
Proposal process be utilized in order to solicit bids from the outdoor sign
industry;
3. Direct
staff to explore opportunities for corporate sponsorship within City of Ottawa
buildings.
Recommandations
modifiÉes du comité
Que le Conseil :
1. Enjoigne
le directeur municipal adjoint d’Opérations municipales de travailler avec la
directrice municipale adjointe de Services d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités et le personnel
des Services du Code du bâtiment afin de désigner d’autres propriétés de la
Ville convenant à des possibilités de signalisation;
a) Que
tous les coûts encourus par la désignation d’emplacements convenables soient
compensés par les recettes générées par le Programme d’affichage;
2. Enjoigne
le directeur municipal adjoint d’Opérations municipales de se présenter devant
le Conseil d’ici le deuxième trimestre de 2009 avec une liste des emplacements
proposés aux fins d’examen par le Conseil;
a) Que,
une fois que le Conseil aura approuvé les emplacements proposés, un processus
de demande de propositions soit utilisé afin d’obtenir des offres de
l’industrie de fabrication d’enseignes extérieures;
3. Donne une directive au personnel
d’explorer les possibilités de partenariats municipaux entre les bâtiments de
la Ville d’Ottawa.
Documentation
1. Executive Director, Business Transformation
Services report dated 30 September 2008 (ACS2008-BTS-EXD-0011).
2. Extract
of Minutes 33 from the meeting of 21 October 2008.
Report to / Rapport au:
Comité des services organisationnels et du
développement économique
and Council / et au Conseil
|
City-wide / À l’échelle de la ville |
Ref N°: ACS2008--BTS-EXD-0011 |
SUBJECT: Billboard
advertising program
OBJET: PROGRAMME DE PUBLICITÉ SUR PANNEAUX-RÉCLAMES
That the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee and
Council receive this report for information.
Que le Comité des services organisationnels et du
développement économique et le Conseil
prennent connaissance du présent rapport.
BACKGROUND
On 2 September 2008,
the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee considered a report
on Billboard Advertising, as outlined in Appendix 1. Following discussions on the report, Councillors approved the
following referral motion (CSE 08-08) as put forward by Councillor El-Chantiry:
That this item be referred to staff for a report back on a policy with respect to :
a) The possibility of allowing the Ward Councillor the ability, like with Planning issues, to veto a proposal; and
b) The possibility of allowing the ability to direct the use of the funds generated from signs towards projects within the ward where those signs are located.
The purpose of this report is to provide information
required to discuss the relevant issues related to the Billboard Advertising
program, and to provide additional details as to the possibility of an
individual Councillor being able to veto a proposal, as well as using funds
from billboards to initiate projects within the ward where the signs are
located.
DISCUSSION
Item 1-Councillor Veto
Councillors requested clarification regarding their ability to “veto” a proposal, such as the installation of billboards within their ward. The intent of this request is to ensure concurrence from the Councillor prior to the installation of any new billboards in their ward. This request also allows Councillors the ability to reject billboards, if they believe there is a low level of tolerance among their constituents for new signage. For the reasons set out below, there is sufficient legislative authority for Council to delegate such a veto to Ward Councillors with respect to billboards.
The amendments to the Municipal Act, 2001, which
expanded the powers given to municipalities, included provisions related to
delegation of authority. Section 23.1
of the Act establishes a general legislative authority to delegate powers and
duties to a person or body. It provides
for an ability to establish limits and conditions to a delegation and also
provides that a delegation can be revoked at any time. Furthermore, delegated authority must be
exercised in accordance with any limits established to the authority and with
any procedural requirements such as conditions, approvals and appeals.
In light of such a broad power, it would be
possible for Council to delegate to individual Ward Councillors the authority
to reject or "veto" a potential billboard location on City owned
property within their respective wards during the consultation process that
will precede the creation of the list of potential sites for review and
approval by Council. As indicated
above, Council could establish limits to the delegation such as the veto may
only be exercised in circumstances where the community has indicated that it is
not in favour of a particular location in the ward, or there are aesthetic
concerns regarding the location of a billboard on the site such as loss of a
significant number of trees, and the Councillor reports to Committee and
Council the exercise of the veto and the rationale for same.
As the enabling legislation outlines, delegated authority may be revoked at any time. As such, Council may wish to build in ability for the Committee to revoke the delegated authority and consider reinstating the location on the list of potential sites. This situation could arise where the Committee is of the opinion that the general public interest of raising revenue to benefit the City at large should override the initial rejection of the site by the Councillor or concerns regarding the rejection of the site have subsequently been raised by community members.
By
comparison, a form of revocation of authority is included in the procedures for
the exercise of delegated authority for certain planning approvals. The Delegation of Authority By-law requires
that the concurrence of the Ward Councillor as a condition of the Director of
Planning approving various development applications. Therefore, if the application does not meet with the approval of
the Ward Councillor, the Planning and Environment Committee must consider the
application. The by-law also provides that Planning and Environment Committee
may withdraw the Director’s delegated authority. While there is no final
"veto" of a development application by a Ward Councillor, delegated
authority is effectively removed from the Director or other named delegates.
Should
City Council wish to establish delegated authority for individual Councillors
to veto a proposed billboard location in their respective ward, staff would
suggest the following process to reach a final conclusion on the potential sites
for billboards:
This approval process will also include a resolution mechanism for proposed billboards located on City owned properties that cross-ward boundaries, and there is disagreement between the Councillors as to whether or not the site should receive further consideration.
The purpose of the Billboard Advertising project is to maximize revenues while safeguarding the City’s image, values and interests of the community. If Councillors have the ability to veto billboards within their ward before discussion at Committee/Council, it would be difficult for staff to maximize revenues, as marketable locations with the ability to generate substantial revenues will not receive fair consideration.
Item 2-Ward
Specific Revenue allocation
CSEDC also requested staff to report back on the possibility of
allowing Councillors the ability to direct funds generated from billboards
toward projects within the ward where those signs are located.
Council has the authority to allocate billboard revenues to ward specific accounts. If Council approves directing billboard revenues to specific ward accounts, staff will establish a process to enable this arrangement.
The revenue from billboards cannot be considered permanent due to the fact the Signs By-law restricts the permit term to five-years (to enable reconsideration of the appropriateness of the sign location once every five years). The Billboard Advertising program further restricts extensions to one optional five-year extension, subject to satisfactory performance, approved sign permit renewals, and financial terms deemed acceptable to the City. Also at any point during the five-year term, the income from billboards could be discontinued due to a land sale, redevelopment, or the City terminating the contract due to what is deemed to be unsatisfactory performance by the vendor. Consequently, billboard revenues should not be considered permanent revenue and they should not be used to fund permanent operating expenditures. Instead these funds should be directed to a capital account to allow for incremental capital work in the ward.
Notwithstanding, ward specific revenue allocation will create inequity among residents of different communities. In direct terms, Councillors whose ward have billboards and therefore access to new revenue, will be in a position to initiate capital projects designed to enhance the quality of life for citizens in their ward. Citizens residing in predominately residential wards, areas where billboards are not permitted or where the Councillor has rejected the installation of billboards will not have the opportunity or access to these capital enhancements. The inherent inequity may cause concern by individual ward Councillors as well as the general public.
As well, ward specific revenue allocation may result in Councillors approving or rejecting billboards based on anticipated revenues, rather than community based issues, such as saturation or an adverse reaction by constituents to the installation of new signs.
This type of revenue allocation is
incongruent with the objective of the Billboard Advertising project, which is a
strategic initiative designed to maximize new revenues in order to offset
budget pressures and maintain current service levels benefiting all
citizens. Whereas ward specific revenue
allocation will only benefit those citizens residing in geographic areas where
billboards are located.
Corporate
Sponsorship and Advertising Policy
Billboard
Advertising initiatives are covered under the Corporate Sponsorship and
Advertising Policy that was approved by Council in July 2005, and outlined in
Appendix B. Although the policy does
not make reference to a possible veto power or the ability to direct revenue to
ward specific accounts, it does not need to be amended as the Delegation of
Authority By-law states that billboard advertising initiatives require Council
approval.
Next Steps
The Billboard Advertising report presented to
the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee on September 2nd
was referred back to staff for the reasons noted above. In order to proceed with the expansion of
the Billboard Advertising program, a motion will be required to consider the
recommendations outlined in the report put forward by Councillor
Desroches.
The recommendations contained in the
Billboard Advertising report #ACS2008-CMR-CSE-0040 are as follows:
1. Direct the Executive Director of Business Transformation Services to work with the Planning, Transit and the Environment department to identify additional City-owned property suitable for signage opportunities;
2. That, any costs incurred to identify suitable sites, be offset by revenues generated by the Billboard Advertising Program;
3. Direct the Executive Director of Business Transformation Services to return to Council by the 1st quarter of 2009 with a list of proposed site locations for Council’s consideration; and
4. That
once Council has approved the proposed site locations, that a Request for
Proposal process be utilized to solicit bids from the signage industry.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
If Council approves ward specific revenue allocation, net revenues will be distributed.
CONSULTATION
Legal and Financial Services staff provided the content of this report.
Staff will implement Council’s decision(s) / direction(s).
APPENDIX
1
Report to / Rapport au:
Corporate Services and Economic Development
Committee
Comité des services organisationnels et du développement
économique
and Council / et au Conseil
20 August 2008 / le 20 août 2008
Coordonnateur de comité
|
City-wide / À l’échelle de la ville |
|
Ref N°: ACS2008-CMR-CSE-0040 |
SUBJECT: Billboard
advertising program
OBJET: PROGRAMME
DE PUBLICITÉ SUR PANNEAUX-RÉCLAMES
That the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee recommend
Council approve the following:
1. Direct the Executive Director of
Business Transformation Services to work with the Planning, Transit and the Environment
department to identify additional City-owned property suitable for signage
opportunities;
2. That any costs incurred to identify
suitable sites be offset by revenues generated by the Billboard Advertising
Program;
3. Direct the Executive Director of
Business Transformation Services to return to Council by the 1st
quarter of 2009 with a list of proposed site locations for Council’s
consideration; and
4. That once Council has approved the
proposed site locations, that a Request for Proposal process be utilized to
solicit bids from the signage industry.
Que le
Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique recommande
au Conseil municipal d’approuver ce qui suit :
1. De donner instruction au directeur
exécutif des Services de transformation des activités de collaborer avec le
Service de l’urbanisme, du transport en commun et de l’environnement afin de
répertorier d’autres propriétés de la Ville pouvant convenir à l’installation
d’enseignes;
2. Que les coûts de repérage des sites
convenables soient compensés par les revenus engendrés par le programme de
publicité sur panneaux-réclames;
3. De donner instruction au directeur
exécutif des Services de transformation des activités de soumettre la liste des
emplacements projetés au Conseil d’ici au premier trimestre de 2009; et
4. Que l’on ait recours à une demande
propositions pour solliciter des offres d’entreprises de publicité une fois que
le Conseil aura approuvé les emplacements projetés.
WHEREAS
City Council approved, in July 2005, the Corporate Sponsorship and Advertising
Policy and an 18-month workplan to pursue revenue opportunities;,
AND
WHEREAS City Council approved a Billboard Advertising Program in July 2006 that
included the installation of 20 new signs on City-owned properties, which are
generating nearly $1.2 million over a period of 5 years,
AND
WHEREAS the City owns other properties that can potentially be used to generate
new billboard advertising revenues for the City;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED that Council direct the Executive Director of
Business Transformation Services to work with the Planning, Transit and the
Environment department to identify additional City-owned property suitable for
signage opportunities;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any costs incurred to identify suitable
sites be offset by revenues generated by the Billboard Advertising Program;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Council direct the Executive Director of
Business Transformation Services to return to Council by the 1st
quarter of 2009 with a list of proposed site locations for Council’s
consideration;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that once Council has approved the proposed site
locations, that a Request for Proposal process be utilized to solicit bids from
the signage industry.
CONSULTATION
This item will be advertised in the local dailies as part of the Public Meeting Advertisement on Friday preceding the Committee meeting.
Business Transformation Services
The Business Transformation Services department agrees with this motion directing staff to seek additional billboard advertising opportunities, as the City owns numerous properties that can be used to generate new revenues. City staff acquired valuable knowledge and experience from the initial Billboard Advertising Project undertaken in 2005, and as a result are better positioned to maximize advertising revenue opportunities while at the same time safeguarding the corporate values, image, assets and community interests.
Therefore if it is resolved that Council directs the Executive Director of Business Transformation Services to work with the Planning Transit and the Environment department to identify additional City properties suitable for signage opportunities, staff recommend the following approach:
·
The
City will issue a Request for Proposal to retain the services of an external
consultant familiar with the signs bylaws and permit application process to identify
suitable sites, conduct investigations, and short-list sites for further
consideration. The selected consultant will have no vested interest or
stake in future bids on signs and the cost incurred will be one-time only.
·
City
staff will ensure the sites identified by the external consultant comply with
the relevant signs and zoning bylaws, and consider urban design guidelines as
outlined in the Official Plan.
·
City
staff will consult extensively with key internal stakeholders (i.e. forestry
services, facilities management, hydro) in order to ensure all issues are
resolved prior to billboard installation.
·
City
staff will also conduct appropriate consultation with elected officials and the
general public as required and directed by elected officials.
·
A
report and recommended list of proposed sites will be submitted for Council’s
consideration by the first quarter of 2009.
· City Council will provide final approval on the specific sites to be selected for placement of billboards, at which point an Request For Proposal with be issued seeking the highest bid/revenues for this method of advertising.
This approach will result in a better use of staff resources, preserve the integrity of the bidding process, limit up-front investigative costs and ensure the City receives all due revenues, rather than just a portion of the revenues if the process was managed by an outside agency.
Planning, Transit and the Environment
The Planning Transit and Environment department concurs with this motion and will work collaboratively with the Business Transformation Services department to achieve the stated deliverables.
From an
urban design perspective, the Department has three key areas of interest: general locations in the city and sign
design issues. The Sign By-law
addresses these concerns and all sites will be vetted by the Sign By-law.
Locational
issues: There are a number of locations
in the city which would be unsuitable for billboard signs, such as, but not
limited to, scenic entry routes, parkways and driveways, traditional main
streets, heritage areas, certain town centres, etc. While many of these may already be prohibited in the Sign By-law,
locational issues beyond the Signs By-law will be considered when reviewing
potential locations.
Sign design: While the Sign By-law would typically permit a certain size and height of a sign, there is little ability to influence the design of the sign itself. However, as these signs would be on City-owned lands, it would be appropriate, within the restrictions provided by the Sign By-law, to use this initiative as an opportunity to set an example to the signs industry of well-designed billboard signage that is very respectful of its immediate context.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
Any costs incurred during the implementation of the project will be offset by future revenues.
Staff to implement Council’s decision(s) / direction(s).
Policy
Statement
The City of Ottawa welcomes and encourages sponsorships and advertising undertaken to assist in the provision of City services and projects. All sponsorships and advertising shall be consistent with the City of Ottawa’s vision, mission and values and will not compromise or contradict any by-law or policy of the City, or reflect negatively on the City’s public image. All sponsorship and advertising agreements shall be established in a manner that ensures access and fairness, and results in the optimal balance of benefits to the City and the community.
Purpose
The primary objective of the policy’s parameters and
guidelines is to safeguard the City’s corporate values, image, assets, and
interests while increasing the opportunities for revenue generation.
Scope
This policy applies to all relationships between the City of Ottawa and businesses, organizations and individuals that contribute either financially or in-kind to City programs, services or facilities in return for recognition, public acknowledgement or other promotional considerations. The policy applies to the following:
· Program and special event sponsorship
· Naming/renaming of City property, buildings, and structures
· Pouring Rights
· Paid advertising on City property, at City events, and in City publications
· Preferred Supplier Status
Application
This policy applies to all City employees. Exceptions to parts of this policy are extended to the Office of Protocol and the Public Health Branch. These are described in Appendices A and B.
This policy does not apply to the City’s Elected Officials.
General
Requirements
All sponsorship and advertising agreements must comply with federal and provincial statutes, municipal by-laws, and the standards set out by the Canadian Advertising Standards Council.
The following conditions apply when establishing
sponsorship and advertising relationships:
·
The City will
maintain control over the planning and delivery of sponsorship activities.
·
Agreements shall
not in any way invoke future consideration, influence, or be perceived to
influence the day-to-day business of the City.
· The relationship must not cause a City employee to receive any product, service or assets for personal gain or use.
· Advertising devices must not impact the quality and integrity of the City’s properties, buildings, streetscape, and provide no added risks to safety.
· The advertisement of a product or service does not act as the City’s endorsement of any one product or service over another.
· All political advertising will indicate that it is paid by a party or candidate, so as to avoid any impression that the City is supporting any particular party or candidate.
· The sponsorship and advertising opportunity should be appropriate to the target audience
The City will not solicit or accept sponsorship or advertising from companies whose reputation could prove detrimental to the City’s public image and/or whose main business is derived from:
·
The sale of
tobacco.
· Pornography.
· The support of, or involvement in the production, distribution, and sale of weapons and other life-threatening products.
The City will not allow advertising, either directly or through third party arrangements that:
· Convey a negative religious message that might be deemed prejudicial to religious groups
· Promote alcohol and other addictive substances, at venues geared primarily to children.
· Present demeaning or derogatory portrayals of individuals or groups or contain anything which, in light of generally prevailing community standards is likely to cause deep or widespread offence.
The City may, at its discretion, bring any proposals to
Council for their approval even if they do not meet the guidelines of this
policy. Council may also consider any
proposal or direct staff to pursue any opportunities for sponsorship and
advertising that do not strictly adhere to this policy.
Administrative Requirements and Authorities
Solicitation and Allocation of
Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities
Sponsorships activities should continue, as always, to be
the result of direct solicitation by the City or elected officials to
sponsors.
As a general rule, the following sponsorship and
advertising opportunities should be competed:
·
Opportunities that
will offer a significant corporate profile.
· Agreements of a lengthy duration (3 years and beyond).
· Agreements that allow for exclusive benefits and recognition.
Non-competitive arrangements may be considered for the following opportunities when:
·
An unlimited number of sponsors are
being sought.
·
It is a unique,
innovative or experimental sponsorship opportunity.
·
Only one suitable
sponsor can be identified.
· The value of the sponsorship or advertising opportunity is less than $50,000.
· The value of an In-kind media sponsorship is less than $100,000, or
· The need is justified in a business case, approved by the relevant Deputy City Manager or the Chief Corporate Services Officer and, the Supply Management Division.
Unsolicited sponsorship and advertising proposals received
by the City will be reviewed and evaluated by the relevant program director as
per the provisions of the policy.
The City reserves the right to reject any unsolicited
sponsorships that have been offered to the City and to refuse to enter into
agreements for any sponsorships that originally may have been openly solicited
by the City.
The selection of a preferred supplier will be consistent with the City’s procurement policy. There will be no requirement to obtain quotes or undertake a proposal and staff can initiate opportunities without the requirement to test the market further.
All sponsorship and advertising agreements shall be evaluated on an
annual basis to determine continued benefit. The term of all agreements shall
not exceed three years unless authorized by the appropriate Deputy City Manager
or the Chief Corporate Services Officer.
The City reserves
the right to terminate an existing sponsorship or advertising agreement should
conditions arise that make it no longer in the best interests of the City.
City staff is
authorized to enter into sponsorship and advertising agreements that do not
exceed the following pre-authorized limits.
Agreements that exceed these pre-authorized limits will require City
Council approval.
Supervisors and Program Managers are responsible
for approving all agreements for amounts up to $10,000 provided they satisfy
all provisions of this policy.
Managers are responsible for approving all
agreements for amounts up to $50,000 provided they satisfy all provisions of
this policy.
Directors are responsible for approving all
agreements for amounts up to $100,000 provided they satisfy all provisions of
this policy.
The Deputy City Managers, and the Chief
Corporate Services Officer are responsible for approving all agreements for
amounts over $100,000 within their respective Departments. The Deputy City
Managers, and/or the Chief Corporate Services Officer will determine when it is
appropriate to seek the authority of Council prior to a sponsorship being
signed.
City Council approval is required for any contract that does not satisfy the provisions of this policy and for opportunities involving the naming/renaming of City property, buildings and structures.
Responsibilities
Departments
are responsible for soliciting, negotiating and administering their own agreements. Staff approving sponsorship and advertising
proposals must ensure that all relevant by-laws and policies are adhered to,
appropriate consultation and approval authorities are respected, and where
applicable that insurance, indemnification, ethical scans, and permits have
been obtained. Departments are
responsible for ensuring that third party advertising relationships abide by
the restrictions noted in this policy.
Departments
are responsible for maintaining a log of all sponsorship and advertising
contributions and for issuing a written acknowledgement of the agreement to
each sponsor or advertiser. All
sponsorship contributions in excess of $25,000 in total value shall be
confirmed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or other legal agreement.
Contraventions
Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action.
Definitions
Sponsorship
A mutually agreed to arrangement between the City of Ottawa
and an external company, organization, enterprise, association or individual evidenced
in writing whereby the external party (sponsor) contributes money, goods or
services to a City of Ottawa facility, program, project, or special event in
return for recognition, acknowledgement, or other promotional considerations or
benefits. This does not include
donations and gifts, or advice to the City where no business relationship or
association is contemplated or is required and where no reciprocal
consideration is being sought.
·
Cash – A sponsorship received in the form of money.
·
In-kind – Goods or services of value to the City are
received rather than cash.
Advertising is the sale to an external company,
organization, enterprise, association or individual of advertising space on City
printed materials or property, at City events, or in conjunction with a City
program. Unlike sponsorship,
advertising involves the simple purchase by an advertiser of advertising space
sold at rates determined by the City.
The purchaser of this space is not entitled to any additional benefits
other than those accruing from access to the space purchased.
A naming right is a type of sponsorship in which an
external company, organization, enterprise, association or individual purchases
the exclusive right to name an asset or venue (e.g., a library building, sports
facility or part of a facility - an ice pad within a multi-pad facility, etc.)
for a fixed or indefinite period of time.
Usually naming rights are considered in a commercial context, which is
that the naming right is sold or exchanged for significant cash and/ or other
considerations under a long-term arrangement. This arrangement is usually
documented in a written agreement signed by the interested parties and has a
specified end date to the contractual obligations.
Pouring Rights
A pouring right is a type of sponsorship in which a
corporation, an organization or an individual purchases the exclusive right to
supply beverages at a City facility in exchange for significant cash and/ or
other considerations over a long-term agreement.
Preferred Supplier
Agreements
Preferred Supplier Agreements are multi-year contracts
between the City and outside firms in which the firms agree to provide value-added
support to the City in exchange for preferred status. Value-added support is typically provided by discounted pricing
as well as cash, and/or goods and services.
This process allows for a consistent approach to all current and
potential supply line arrangements, which in the long run, will see the City
lower its operating costs while at the same time generating additional revenue.
A search of a
potential sponsor’s main company and subsidiaries, if any, that is performed to
determine if the sponsor/advertiser meets the requirements defined by the
Corporate Sponsorship and Advertising Policy or is otherwise affected by the
“Restrictions on Sponsorships” section of the Policy.
References
Delegation of
Authority By-law No. 2001-12, January 8, 2001
Code of Conduct,
April 26, 2002
Purchasing By-Law No.
2001-72, April 11, 2001
Equity and Diversity
Policy, July 19, 2004
Ontario Human Rights
Code
Visual Identity Usage
Policy, June 25, 2003
City of Ottawa
Harmonized Signs By-law
Corporate Sponsorship
and Advertising Procedures
Key Word Search
Sponsorship
Advertising
Gift-in-Kind
Naming Rights
Pouring Rights
Preferred Supplier Status
Contact
Business Transformation Services Department
City of Ottawa
Program Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Project Management
Telephone: 613-580-2424 ext. 22658
Billboard advertising program
PROGRAMME DE PUBLICITÉ
SUR PANNEAUX-RÉCLAMES
ACS2008-BTS-EXD-0011 city-wide / À l’Échelle de la ville
(Deferred
from the meeting of 7 October 2008. / Reporté de la réunion du 7 octobre 2008)
Councillor Desroches referenced the previous
agenda item and the fact that the City would face continuing pressures during
difficult economic times. He indicated
staff continued to believe that there were more opportunities for billboard
advertising throughout the City and he believed Council should look for other
revenue opportunities. For these
reasons, he moved a motion directing that staff look, across the City, to see
if there were any opportunities for new billboards. He noted that his motion had been circulated to Committee members
and that there would be opportunities, for both Councillors and the public, to
comment on any new billboards.
Councillor Monette expressed support for
Councillor Desroches’ motion and a desire to see it expanded to include a
direction to staff to look at naming rights and corporate sponsorship for
City-owned buildings and structures. He
believed a great amount of revenue could be generated from such a move and that
the City should look at it. He
suggested that an inventory be prepared to see if any buildings or structures
could be renamed.
Councillor Deans wondered if the motion was put
forward in the context of the staff report currently before Committee; whether
it was anticipated that Councillors would have some measure of veto powers over
the implementation of new billboard signs within their wards. Councillor Desroches confirmed that he
envisioned a situation where ward Councillors would have input into the
billboard process. However, he noted
that his motion did not speak to how or where the revenue would be directed. He believed the revenue should go into the
City’s consolidated revenue because if it were to go to stay within the
specific wards, it would be used for pet projects instead of the City as a
whole. In closing, he re-iterated that
Councillors and the public would have input into any new billboards.
Councillor Deans felt the report provided very
limited veto power to the ward Councillors because ultimately, Council as a
whole would make the decision. She
indicated she would not support the motion because she felt the City already
had enough billboards.
In closing, Councillor Desroches indicated he
accepted Councillor Monette’s suggestion as a friendly amendment to his motion
and therefore, he moved a revised motion.
Moved by Councillor S. Desroches
WHEREAS
City Council approved, in July 2005, the Corporate Sponsorship and Advertising
Policy and an 18-month work plan to pursue revenue opportunities;
AND
WHEREAS City Council approved a Billboard Advertising Program in July 2006 that
included the installation of 20 new signs on City-owned properties, which are
generating nearly $1.2 million over a period of 5 years;
AND
WHEREAS the City owns other properties that can be used to generate new
billboard advertising revenues for the City;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED that Council direct the Deputy City Manager of City Operations
to work with the Deputy City Manager of Infrastructure Services and Community
Sustainability and staff from Building Code Services to identify additional
City-owned properties suitable for signage opportunities;
AND
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any costs incurred to identify suitable locations
will be offset by revenues generated from the Billboard Advertising Program;
AND
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Council direct the Deputy City Manager of City
Operations to return to Council by the 2nd quarter of 2009 with a
list of proposed sites for Council’s consideration;
AND
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that once council has approved the proposed site
locations, that a Request for Proposal process be utilized in order to solicit
bids from the outdoor sign industry;
AND
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff explore opportunities for corporate
sponsorship within City of Ottawa buildings.
CARRIED with Councillors Deans and Hume dissenting