Proposed cuts to 311 could mean longer waits, closure of city hall desk to meet budget targets

Changes could be coming to Winnipeg's 311 service that might mean longer wait times for callers and shutteringthe 311 customer service desk at city hall, in an effort to meet tough spending targets over the next four years.

The changes proposed by theCustomer Service and Communications department Wednesday includeslashing 6 full-time equivalent jobs at the 311 call centre and all four at the city hall desk, where residents can pay for city services likewater bills or pet licence fees.

The department waschallenged to come up with ways to save $2.4 million over four years, as part ofa new four-year budget processin which all city departments were asked to make presentations to council committees with ideas to keep spending hikes within specific targets.

Director Felicia Wiltshiretold the Executive Policy Committee the change would mean people who prefer to pay those bills in personwould have to go to 311's other location at the Bilingual Service Centre on Goulet Street. The service is required by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Services to offer those services in both English and French.

The department would also work to make city information more accessible online. Wiltshire said about half of 311 calls are requests for information.

"We're really trying to do a deep dive and look at how we're providing that information, so that residents are able to access it on their own," she said.

Wiltshire said Wednesday the proposal which hasn't been approved by council would also includecutting a further three full-time equivalent jobs from its French Language Service staffing, relying more on outsourced translation services to provide materials to residents in French.

"The reduction that we're proposing is not in any way to reduce service," Wiltshire said. "It's just looking at re-aligning and how we're providing that service in terms of translation."

'Difficult decisions' to come: Bowman

In previous years, departmental budget presentations have been donebehind closed doors, prior to the presentation of a draft budget. This year, it's happening in public.

Departments facing the new budget targets made proposals last week including closing three libraries, five public pools and dozens of wading pools. Representatives from the police service said the new budget targetswould force it to put fewer officers on the street, Winnipeg Transit said it would cut routes and public works said it would stop collecting garbage from apartment buildings.

On Wednesday, a handful of the city's top bureaucrats made their presentations to the city's Executive Policy Committee. Proposals include eliminating two full-time equivalent jobs in theIndigenous Relations Department and dropping out of theMunicipal Benchmarking Network Canada.

The service measures services of major cities in Canada. Dropping out of it would mean the city's corporate finances team could eliminate a full-time equivalent job and save money on the membership fee.

One of the few areas where departments hoped to spend more was Legal Services.Interim DirectorHarold Dick told the committee the city's 18 lawyers have long been"significantly underpaid," and he hoped boosting their salaries would allow the city to save on external legal counsel.

Mayor Brian Bowman said he couldn't say for sure which of the proposals would make it into the final budget in their current state.

"I'll be considering all of them in due course, reviewing them in more detail. I couldn't provide you with a definitive response at this time in any of those matters. We're hearing that today. We'll consider them, we'll hear from delegations and then we'll go from there," Bowman said.

"There still are, ultimately, difficult decisions that have to be made."

The city has to pass a final budget by the end ofMarch.