A County that works together

• + A welcoming community for newcomers

  Opening the doors to Oxford County and making the community more welcoming to newcomers. That's the goal of the Oxford Workforce Development Partnership, which brought settlement services to the County in 2013 to help new Canadians access community services, employment and education. The WelcometoOxford.ca web portal is a cornerstone of this work, supporting the attraction of skilled workers and immigrants to the County.

• + Addressing housing and homelessness in Oxford County

  The County's preliminary 10-year shelter plan, submitted to the provincial government in January 2014, puts forward recommendations on how to address housing and homelessness in Oxford County. Community consultation on the plan took place in the fall of 2013. More

• + Geo-adventuring app promotes local attractions and events

  Tourism Oxford, in partnership with TecVana, announced in July Oxford County would be the pilot site for a new geo-adventuring mobile application aimed at promoting tourism in rural communities. With an emphasis on outdoor adventures, the "app" allows users to earn rewards for merchandise and services for getting involved.

• + Tillsonburg library joins County system

  Tillsonburg Public Library returned to its home on July 30. After joining the Oxford County Library system on January 1, the Library was fully renovated with expanded library services and programming, better access to technology, and an interior design aimed at establishing the Library as a welcoming community hub.

A County that is well connected

• + Cycling as recreation and transportation

  As an outcome of the Master Transportation Plan, the County established a Cycling Advisory Committee to foster a more bike-friendly community, one that promotes the use of bicycles for recreation and as an environmentally-friendly mode of transportation. "Share the Road," launched in 2013 as one of the Committee's early recommendations, uses public education and signage on well-travelled cycling routes to remind drivers and cyclists to be cautious and courteous with all who travel our roads. More

• + Trails Master Plan

  The groundwork for future trail development in Oxford County began in 2013 with the first steps of the Trails Master Plan, a project to map all existing trails; identify opportunities for trail improvements, including linking trails and communities; and explore funding options for maintaining a viable trail network. Public comment on the draft plan took place in early 2014. More

A County that thinks ahead and wisely shapes the future

• + County's first Strategic Plan unveiled

  The County's first Strategic Plan was accepted by Council in March 2013, bringing into focus a vision for vibrant communities working well and growing stronger together. The six strategic directions outlined in the Strategic Plan correspond to the way we are reporting back on our achievements in this annual report. See "A County that Perfoms and Delivers Results" in this summary for an update on our early progress on putting the plan into action.

• + Investing in source water protection

  Public works received funding agreements from two conservation authorities, Grand River and Upper Thames River, in 2013 to complete scientific and technical work on sensitive well fields in the County. The County received $76,091 in provincial funding to implement source water protection policies around municipal wells that are intended to protect existing and future sources of drinking water. More

• + Responding to community concerns about the private Southwestern Ontario Landfill proposal

  A proposed landfill by Walker Environmental Group has emerged as a major concern for many Oxford County residents these past two years. The County has been working with municipalities-particularly the directly affected communities of Zorra, Ingersoll and South-West Oxford-to encourage residents to review and comment on the Terms of Reference, the first stage of the environmental assessment (EA) process. The Joint Municipal Coordinating Committee, or JMCC, which is the municipal committee leading Oxford's response, has been active advocating with the provincial government and overseeing the work of the Peer Review Team, the body of experts charged with critiquing Walker's EA report. The Peer Review report on the draft Terms of Reference was released in July 2013, with a second report on the final Terms following in October.

• + Growth forecasts key part of Official Plan Review

  As a key component of the Official Plan Review, the County's draft growth forecast report in 2013 set out the predications for how Oxford County is expected to grow in population, household, employment and employment lands. The final report was tabled at Council in early 2014. More

A County that informs and engages

• + Tools to help us better inform and engage

  The County introduced two new communication tools to better inform and engage its audiences in 2013. Council this Week, a bi-weekly briefing on the upcoming Council agenda, is intended to help people understand the breadth of services and activities the County undertakes, and help them decide if they would like to attend the upcoming Council meeting or seek participation in other ways. Speak Up, Oxford! is fashioned after the idea of a "town hall" in which citizens can arrive at a set location to learn more about topics they're interested in, and then decide if they want to be heard on the issue. Citizens can make their comments known through a number of means, including electronic messages, surveys, meetings, and more.

• + Annual Report moves to e-publication format

  The 2012 Annual Report was released as an e-publication in May 2013, an entirely online publication designed for a fast, friendly viewing experience. In customizing the report to the way more people are choosing to receive information, the 2013 report also included two online infographics that showcased services and shared financial information in a succinct and visually compelling way. This year's report follows the same format as the 2012 publication, but look for revamped style and content in the 2014 edition. More

A County that performs and delivers results

• + Employee task teams to bring Strategic Plan to life

  Committed to the idea that its Strategic Plan was an active, living document and not just a report on a shelf, the County moved quickly to take action on the first set of priorities endorsed by Council. They included task teams focused on:
  • Better informing people about County activities and accomplishments through planned communication;
  • Better engaging citizens by enhancing opportunities for public participation;
  • Delivering results through exceptional customer service founded on positive customer interactions and memorable experiences;
  • Enhancing performance through the continual review of services, an initiative that takes shape in 2014 through the "Services That Work" project;
  • Working to become an employer that attracts and develops highly qualified employees (more in next section); and
  • Monitoring and reporting on our progress through key performance indicators and tools to communicate our achievements to the public in a meaningful way.
  Five volunteer employee teams were pulled together mid-year to develop work plans in these areas so they could be considered as part of the 2014 budget process. Look for updates in the 2014 annual report.

• + Reporting on the quality of our drinking water

  The County's annual drinking water system summary reports are released each year for the communities serviced by Oxford County's 17 municipal water systems. As in previous years, the Public Works reports continue to affirm the safety and reliability of Oxford's drinking water. New in 2013 was the move to issue health information advisories on an annual basis whenever there are elevated levels of sodium or fluoride in a system. The health advisories, issued by the County's Acting Medical Officer of Health, provide information about the health effects associated with elevated levels of fluoride and sodium. The decision by Public Health to release them more frequently was a response to community feedback and goes above minimum reporting standards required by the provincial government.More

• + Management policies that underpin performance

  Oxford County introduced several new management policies in 2013, further moving it along the path of becoming a high performing organization with clear standards for customer service, operational performance and employee conduct. Key among these was a risk management policy that offers a decision-making framework to help assess and manage financial risk, and an employee code of conduct that brings clarity to the County's expectations for ethical behaviour among employees. More

• + Help for Oxford's families without dental care

  In November 2013, Oxford County Public Health's Community Dental Services team released a new bi-annual report that highlighted the more than 2,300 families who accessed free or low-cost dental treatment since 2011 under the province's Healthy Smiles Ontario program. It is estimated that roughly one-third of Oxford County residents do not have a dental plan. More

• + Woodingford Lodge service review begins

  In February 2013, County Council endorsed a service review of Woodingford Lodge that would provide an in-depth study of the operations at all three Woodingford facilities. Regularly reviewing service level standards to look at how services can be improved is one way the Strategic Plan directs staff to perform and deliver results. In 2014, a review of all other programs and services launches with "Services That Work." Woodingford's final report outlining service review options for providing cost-effective delivery of long-term healthcare was tabled in early 2014. More

A County that is an employer of choice

• + Employee engagement survey

  In 2013, Council authorized a corporate-wide employee engagement survey to lay the groundwork for the County's "employer of choice" strategic priority. The survey, which took place in early 2014, is a foundational step in continuing to move the County towards higher levels of staff engagement, performance and customer service. More