Cambridge may ditch private firm to investigate complaints

Councillors see it as a possible cost-saving move if it can get the same level of service from provincial ombudsperson

CAMBRIDGE — City council deferred its decision to renew a contract with a private ombudsperson after councillors expressed concern about how much it cost.

The city of Cambridge uses a private firm, Agree. Inc., for investigations into complaints against the city. At a council meeting on Tuesday, Coun. Jan Liggett asked why the city couldn’t use the provincial ombudsperson instead.

“I would like us to turn this down. I would prefer that we go with the provincial ombudsperson that is of no cost to the taxpayers of this community,” Liggett said.

“They are served exactly the same whether we do it by contract with a private organization or whether we do that with the province.”

Other area municipalities such as Waterloo, the Region of Waterloo, and three local townships use the same firm.

The two-year contract costs the city $12,000 a year in retainer fees plus a fee-for-service when investigations are completed.

“It doesn’t seem responsible to me that we would be incurring costs that are unnecessary,” Liggett said.

If the contract is not renewed for another two-year period, the provincial ombudsperson will become the city’s investigator.

Agree Inc. has not yet submitted a report about complaints from this past year, but between June 2018 and May 2019, it investigated four inquiries and complaints. The complaints were about tree upkeep, taxation and municipal building and zoning matters.

That is a drop from the previous year, when the company received eight inquiries and four complaints, according to a report from Agree Inc.

Council asked city staff if the provincial ombudsperson takes longer to respond to investigations, and if the level of service is better with a private firm.

“I think it is comparable. I just think it is a broader scope because they have a different lens on matters … they are looking at it province-wide,” city clerk Danielle Manton said.

She said she could not find a municipality in the province that does not use a private firm.

“It seems to be we have a lot of questions around this we do not have answers to,” Coun. Donna Reid said.

“I don’t have all the information I need to make a decision on this.”

Councillors voted to defer the decision to renew the city’s contract with Agree Inc. until city staff can return with more information about what it would look like to use the provincial ombudsperson instead.