Halifax Regional Municipality Focus Group
June 28, 1999
William Spry Centre

Session One - Future Online Possibilities For HRM
Information to be provided to and gathered from citizens

Summary of Proposed Site Locations

1. Planning and Development:
   • Information to provide
     • Development information
     • Planning Acts and Regulations
     • Growth rates
     • Ability to check land titles

   • Information to gather
     • ACD reports (MTT)
     • Changes to building codes. How we do business, equipment.
     • Complaint site (buildings, problems)
     • Building reports

2. Health:
   • Information to provide
     • Prenatal information for couples (classes today)
     • Health education resource materials for parents, youth and teachers
     • Public reports of health hazards (environment, food, safety, etc.)
     • What to do in case of heart attacks
     • Availability of first aid courses

3. Safety and Protection:
   • Information to provide
     • Information alerts for target groups: physicians, educators, international travelers.
     • Missing persons notices
     • Crime alert

   • Information to gather
     • Notification of minor crimes

4. General Information:
   • Information to provide
     • Access to library services (reference services, access to library materials)
     • Community database e.g. clubs, organizational directory
     • Online reference
     • Entertainment in HRM
     • A Frequently Asked Questions Section
     • Activities in the communities making up HRM
     • Information on HRM programs
     • Employment rates
     • Positions available

   • Information to gather
     • Applying for positions online

5. Licenses and Permits:
   • Information to provide
     • Marriage license applications/information
     • Burning permits: requirements and where to access (nice to have electronic, then stations go out to verify)

6. Transportation and Travel Information:
   • Information to provide
     • Transit maps
     • City street maps

   • Information to gather
     • Suggestions for route changes or transit improvements

7. City Council Information:
   • Information to provide
     • Index to all government services
     • A Frequently Asked Questions Section
     • Full Council packages including the agenda for each meeting
     • Council Minutes
     • Electronic copies of all reports to Council

   • Information to gather
     • Public feedback on policy issues
     • Electronic democracy discussion forum
     • Citizens survey arrangement
     • Citizen Forum
     • Chat room for community groups to share information and ideas

8. Elections:
   • Information to provide
     • Municipal election information to be made available

   • Information to gather
     • Register to vote

9. Tax Information:
   • Information to provide
     • Information on tax rates
     • General information on taxes and assessment
     • Tax roll

10. Education and Training:
    • Information to provide
      • Information on prenatal classes
      • Online prenatal information
      • Help with support training
      • Availability of first aid courses
      • Training on the digital divide

11. Online Services (e-commerce):
    • Information to provide
      • Payment of dog licenses
      • Multi-level government information
      • Community activities listing (interactive)
      • Provide vaccines to physicians, PH clinics (online ordering)
      • Interactive Council meetings public input online - audio/video
      • Wider range of applications e.g. Permits, etc, Drivers license
      • Check out land titles
      • Tax payments
      • Offsite access to licensed databases *
      • Increased public access to internet *
      • Booking of program rooms, internet terminals, etc - PRIORITY
      • Payment for programs - recreation, taxes, water bills - PRIORITY
      • Register for programs - PRIORITY
      • Book facilities - PRIORITY
      • Priority is e-commerce online services - interactive
      • Interactive forms (building permits, recreation programs
      • Procurement (tenders, quotes) email response and download
      • Equipment gathering, acquiring *
      • Ease of access to information *
      • Human resource services - applications - work done and maintained by ? *
      • General departmental information
      • Financial statements, budget *
      • Summary points/issues from all groups
      • Site must be more interactive
      • Better indexing - don't reinvent the wheel / not just search engine
      • Training and support must be available
      • Resources for the disadvantaged (80% resources to 20% population)
      • What motivates people to get involved (suggestion - get them through their interests)
      • Input - ask people what they want and in what form
      • HRM internal organization
      • HR resources for assigning maintenance duties - some centralized, some decentralized
      • Input - invite feedback into design & provider loop
      • What is the cost/benefit of this approach - who's going to deal with and manage this arrangement?
      • E-commerce - how to crack the stages e.g. those who fear loss of security
      • Help develop a volunteer group to serve as troubleshooters

General Notes:

• There will need to be multi-level co-ordination
• Wherever possible initial access should be at the local level then moving to the general HRM information.
• The site should reflect the HRM/Nova Scotian culture
• There needs to be special resources to engage/include those in digital divide.

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In Dartmouth Mic Mac Mall (2) K-Mart Plaza Gallery Mall (Highfield Dr) Dartmouth Shopping Centre Highfield (no location) Shubie Fairbanks Kennedy Drive Dartmouth Sportsplex Dartmouth Ferry Terminal (2) North Woodside Community Centre (2) South Woodside (Laundry?) (2) North Dartmouth Community Centre Findlay Community Centre, Elliott St Westphal Black Cultural Centre (2) Port Wallace Church Dartmouth Boys and Girls Club (group2 - #12) Burnside Burnside Industrial Park (Location? - Small Business Centres) (3) Le Brun Community Recreation Centre (Burley Crt Burnside) Cole Harbour Cole Harbour Place (2) Erik Graves Junior High, Dorthea/DownviewDrives Cole Harbour Shopping Centre Bayers Lake Industrial Park: (Location? - Small Business Centres) (2) ParkWest Plaza Bedford: Bedford Mall Bedford Library Clayton Park: Northcliffe Centre Rockingham Community Centre Fairview: YMCA Centre for New Canadians HRM Community Service Centre - Dutch Village Road Fall River: HRM office HRM Committees Community and Race Relations Status of Persons with Disabilities

Halifax North: Veith House George Dixon Centre Northwood Centre Needham Community Recreation Centre (Mulgrave Park Citizen's Group) (2) St Andrews Church or Bayers Road Shopping Mall (2) West End Mall Halifax Center/South: MicMac Friendship Centre Salvation Army - Gottingen Street Chebucto School (2) (partners: Youth Live, Shambhala School, Muslim Academy, PTA Oxford School, Continuing Ed) Downtown Business Findlay Community Centre (Sullivan's Pond) YWCA - Barrington St International Visitors Centre - Barrington St (2) IWK/Grace Hospital Library (Friends of IWK/Grace) HRM Community Service Centre - Scotia Square Scotia Square Mall Pier 21 Halifax Ferry Terminal (visitor information) Hammonds Plains: Hammonds Plains School or Recreation Centre Lakeside/Timberlea: Beechville Community Centre (Black Educators Association) New Timberlea School Lakeside/Timberlea Community Recreation Centre Brookside Community School Sackville: Sackville Sportsplex Cobequid Mulitpurpose Centre General (specific locations not identified) Hospitals/Medical Centres Storefronts - CSS (?) Communities of interest Youth, Employment, Culture Spryfield: Chocolate Lake Community Recreation Centre (3) Cowie Hill (no location) Captain William Spry Community Centre (2) Metro Housing Authority (Greystone) South Centre Mall

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