Urban Community Access Program

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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HRM Focus Group
Summary of Proposed Site Locations:

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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