On February 25th BRAG sent the following email request to Ms. Jacqueline Johnson, Commissioner of the City of Burlington’s Community Services Division.
Ms. Jacqueline Johnson
Commissioner,
Community Services Division
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Ms. Johnson:
I represent a Burlington citizens’ organization, the Burlington Residents’ Action Group (BRAG), and one of our particular areas of interest is the implementation of ‘open government’ measures and products to increase both the transparency and ease of citizen contact with municipal administrations. We witnessed, through at least two Burlington Strong Mayor budget exercises and multiple citizen delegations, including several by BRAG, that there is a need for a better view to municipal government operations and a popular desire for greater accountability. As such, we would appreciate your proactive posting on the City’s website of a COB staff directory, identifying program personnel and their contact information (email and telephone extensions at minimum). This ‘open government’ information utility has been in use at the provincial level for more than twenty five years (InfoGo) and a very serviceable municipal version is present on the City of Toronto’s website.
We believe the City of Burlington must have a version of a Staff Directory to guide the connection efforts of the clerks in the ServiceBurlington organization. An online version of this tool would be very valuable as an initial offering on the COB website. Posting of this information does not violate any privacy or personal information provision under the MFIPPA and since the product already exists and must have regular updates, there should be minimal effort required in creating an online presence.
BRAG would also appreciate receiving a copy of the staff listing to post as an information product on its own website. Ideally, as the City updates its directory, a copy could be provided to BRAG as well. Alternatively, a monthly update could be arranged. We would like to post the directory on our website by April 11th and look forward to advising our membership in our March newsletter.
Thank you for your time and effort in consideration and hopefully fulfillment of our request.
Yours respectfully,
… K. Blair Smith
Since that initial email, a flurry of exchanges has occurred. Yesterday (March 5th), BRAG received a response to its latest reply (March 4th) to Ms. Johnson’s answer (March 3rd ) to BRAG’s follow-up (Feb. 28th ) to Ms. Johnson’s opening response (Feb. 27th) to our initial request of February 25th. Apologies if you are getting dizzy. In future, and there shall be one, we may provide a flowchart.
The March 5th email was from the well-known, ubiquitous functionary, City of Burlington Communications. Many Burlington residents have dealt with this “staff member”, usually with little productive result. Understandably. It is quite difficult to have an engaged discussion with “Mailbox, Communications”.
The email read:
March 5, 2025
Hello K. Blair.
Thank you for reaching out for further clarification. As noted in Commissioner Johnson’s earlier reply, the City has a centralized customer service model to ensure the most efficient and effective service possible for Burlington residents contacting the City. Centralized customer service response systems are common throughout Halton Region, Peel Region and many municipalities across the province.
For Burlington residents, this means a single point of contact through Service Burlington. The department contact information is online, as we have noted previously.
If the City’s approach to customer service changes, the public will be informed through our standard communication channels.
We believe we have answered your questions and have no further information to provide at this time. Given this, we now consider this matter closed.
Best regards,
City of Burlington Communications
A reply was immediately sent:
March 5, 2025
I am responding to the reply sent by “Mailbox, Communications” and received today, March 5th, at 9:00 am.
I believe that you (Ms. Johnson and the City of Burlington) have rejected the offer to work with BRAG to create a more fulsome access utility for the citizens of Burlington.
I believe that the rationale that you provide for not posting online an existing directory and program organization guide, or allowing BRAG to do so, does not address the open government access benefits that we identified. Moreover, the alternative that you have offered (i.e. the department directory) is qualitatively and functionally different from what we have proposed and, we believe, insufficient to enabling a better-informed public.
I believe that an unsigned reply from a faceless organizational unit (i.e. the “City of Burlington Communications”) simply proves our original premise that true accountability can only be achieved through organizational transparency. The City’s organization remains largely opaque and hidden. I do not consider “Mailbox, Communications” to be an identifiable or accountable individual. In my view, the reply is dismissive and fundamentally disrespectful.
Finally, since you have not provided the information requested nor answered the questions posed, we do not consider this matter to be closed.
… K. Blair Smith
It is unfortunate that the City of Burlington has chosen to be seen “as through a glass darkly” (paraphrase of 1 Corinthians) rather than accept a more open, transparent and accountable relationship with its citizens. It had an opportunity to become a leader in open government reform; a position that could only be of benefit to all involved. Not only would the residents of Burlington become more familiar with the services and service providers on whom they depend, the city would have deeper insight into those it serves. Indeed, as Corinthians continues, “but then shall I know even as also I am known”.
The efficacy of centralized client and service contact, such as that referenced in the city’s response, has been challenged for some time. Current wisdom, born of field practice and operational experience, is that organizations have a more acute and detailed understanding of service needs and trends when there is direct contact between program/service areas and the client. A centralized customer communications structure is like the receptionist in a doctor’s office when you are trying to explain why you need attention.
BRAG is committed to the adoption of serviceable, realistic and practical open government reforms at the municipal level. As such, the City of Burlington’s position on the staff and organizational program directory, a record that already exists, is unfortunate but, given the history of the current administration, not unexpected. And there are many options that we will now pursue. The matter is by no means closed.
Addendum:
In the interests of keeping the integrity of the record of communications between BRAG and the city, Ms. Johnson’s prior reply and our response follow:
Johnson, Jacqueline
Re: Municipal Staff Directories and Organization/Program Guides
To: Blair Smith <kblair.smith@gmail.com>
Cc: “Mailbox, Communications” <Communications@burlington.ca>, “Basit, Hassaan” <Hassaan.Basit@burlington.ca>, “Galbraith, Kelvin” <Kelvin.Galbraith@burlington.ca>, “Meed Ward, Marianne” <Marianne.MeedWard@burlington.ca>, “Kearns, Lisa” <Lisa.Kearns@burlington.ca>, Rory Nisan <rnisan@gmail.com>, “Stolte, Shawna” <Shawna.Stolte@burlington.ca>, “Sharman, Paul” <Paul.Sharman@burlington.ca>, “Bentivegna, Angelo” Angelo.Bentivegna@burlington.ca
March 4, 2025
Good afternoon Mr. Smith,
Thank you for following up. The communications team will reach out to you this week.
Best Regards,
Jacqueline Johnson
Commissioner, Community Services
Office : 905-335-7777 ext. 7340
Cell: 289-208-8854
Our working hours may be different. You are not obligated to reply outside of your typical working hours.
BRAG replied with the following:
Jacqueline Johnson
Commissioner,
Community Services Division
City of Burlington
Tuesday March 4, 2025
Ms. Johnson:
Thank you for your response with redirection to your communications staff.
I note for the record, which is becoming somewhat lengthy, that you have still not answered any of the questions that I posed in my initial email of February 25th. In order for us to finally move forward, are your staff prepared and empowered to provide the answers that I requested and commit to the directions that I have proposed? I suppose those questions are largely rhetorical.
I assume that they will email first to arrange a convenient time for our discussion.
Respectfully,
… K. Blair Smith