Item - 2022.AU11.9

The Audit Committee:

1.  Received the report (February 1, 2022) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation for information.

At its meeting on July 7, 2021, the Audit Committee requested the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to report back to the Audit Committee with an update on the status of completed and uncompleted recommendations. This report provides updated management responses and explanations for delays in implementing recommendations related to the following Auditor General reports:

- Review of Urban Forestry - Ensuring Value for Money for Tree Maintenance Services (2019)

- Review of Urban Forestry - Permit Issuance and Tree By-law Enforcement Require Significant Improvement (2018)

- Parks, Forestry and Recreation - Capital Program - The Backlog in Needed Repairs Continues to Grow (2009)
 

Recommendations from the Auditor General's Getting to the Root of the Issues: A Follow-Up to the 2019 Tree Maintenance Services Audit, brought to City Council in April 2021, were not included in the Auditor General's July 7 update on outstanding recommendations and therefore are not in scope of the Audit Committee's request.

Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR) continues to make significant progress on implementing recommendations. While a number of recommendations have been fully implemented, others are not fully implemented but significant progress has been made and full implementation is dependent on the completion of cross-divisional technology solutions and policies, approved staffing complement, and continued monitoring to demonstrate effectiveness.