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20 - September 26, 2023 County Council Agenda Packaged/o zuiuull�lr, o,�fir D+ NA101 Elgin County Council Regular Council Meeting ORDERS OF THE DAY Tuesday, September 26, 2023, 9:00 a.m. Council Chambers 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas ON NOTE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC: Please click the link below to watch the Council Meeting: https://www.facebook.com/ElginCountyAdmin/ Accessible formats available upon request. Pages 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ADOPTION OF MINUTES 3 3. DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF 4. PRESENTING PETITIONS, PRESENTATIONS AND DELEGATIONS 4.1 10:00 a.m. - St. Thomas -Elgin Social Services - 2023 Update 10 5. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE 6. REPORTS OF COUNCIL, OUTSIDE BOARDS AND STAFF 6.1 John Mascarin, Aird & Berlis LLP, Integrity Commissioner for the County 27 of Elgin - Integrity Commissioner Report on Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 6.2 Director of Community and Cultural Services and Director of Financial 39 Services/Treasurer - County Websites Hosting and Redevelopment Project Award 6.3 Manager of Procurement & Risk - Ambulance Vehicle Replacements - 102 2023 & 2024 6.4 Manager of Corporate Facilities - Natural Gas Standby Power 105 Generators (POA Courthouse and EMS Headquarters) (Tender No. 2023-T34) - Tender Award 6.5 Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Strategic Initiatives - 108 Request for Support - Elgin Business Resource Centre for "The Pitch" 6.6 Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Strategic Initiatives - 113 Request for Support - Young Entrepreneurs Initiative 7. COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE 7.1 Items for Consideration 7.2 Items for Information (Consent Agenda) 7.2.1 Accessibility Open House Event Flyer 116 8. OTHER BUSINESS 8.1 Statements/Inquiries by Members 8.2 Notice of Motion 8.3 Matters of Urgency 9. CLOSED MEETING ITEMS 9.1 Closed Meeting Minutes - September 12, 2023 9.2 Director of Human Resources - Human Resources Update Municipal Act Section 239 (2) (b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees. 9.3 Director of Legal Services - Advice re OLT 23-000770 Municipal Act Section 239 (2) (f) advice that is subject to solicitor -client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose. 10. MOTION TO RISE AND REPORT 11. MOTION TO ADOPT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE 12. CONSIDERATION OF BY-LAWS 12.1 By -Law No. 23-37 - Appointment of Community Emergency 119 Management Coordinator 12.2 By -Law No. 23-38 - Confirmation 120 13. ADJOURNMENT Page 2 of 120 I:IItlll►K91901►IW01901►INII MINUTES September 12, 2023, 9:00 a.m. Council Chambers 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas ON Members Present: Warden Ed Ketchabaw Deputy Warden Grant Jones Councillor Dominique Giguere (virtual) Councillor Mark Widner Councillor Andrew Sloan Councillor Todd Noble Councillor Mike Hentz Members Absent: Councillor Jack Couckuyt (with notice) Councillor Richard Leatham (with notice) Staff Present: Don Shropshire, Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk Michele Harris, Director of Homes and Seniors Services Nicholas Loeb, Director of Legal Services Peter Dutchak, Acting Director of Engineering Services Jenna Fentie, Manager of Administrative Services/Deputy Clerk Mike Hoogstra, Manager of Purchasing and Risk (virtual) Carolyn Krahn, Manager of Economic Development, Tourism & Strategic Initiatives Ryan Terpstra, Manager of Corporate Facilities Paul Hicks, Acting Manager of Planning (virtual) Stefanie Heide, Legislative Services Coordinator CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. with Warden Ketchabaw in the Chair. 2. ADOPTION OF MINUTES Moved by: Councillor Sloan Seconded by: Councillor Noble RESOLVED THAT the minutes of the meeting held on August 8, 2023 be adopted. Motion Carried. 3. DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF 4. PRESENTING PETITIONS, PRESENTATIONS AND DELEGATIONS None. 5. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Page 3 of 120 Moved by: Deputy Warden Jones Seconded by: Councillor Hentz RESOLVED THAT we do now move into the Committee of the Whole Council. Motion Carried. 6. REPORTS OF COUNCIL, OUTSIDE BOARDS AND STAFF 6.1 Warden Ketchabaw - Warden's Activity Report August 2023 Warden Ketchabaw presented the report detailing his activity for the month of August 2023. Moved by: Councillor Noble Seconded by: Councillor Widner RESOLVED THAT the report titled "Warden's Activity Report August 2023" dated September 12, 2023 from Warden Ketchabaw be received and filed. Motion Carried. 6.2 Acting Manager of Planning - Town of Aylmer Official Plan Amendment No. 24, 245 and 249 John Street South, Aylmer The Acting Manager of Planning presented the report that provides County Council with the information required in order to consider granting approval to Official Plan Amendment No. 24 to the Town of Aylmer Official Plan. Moved by: Deputy Warden Jones Seconded by: Councillor Noble RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin approve Official Plan Amendment No. 24 to the Official Plan of the Town of Aylmer; and THAT staff be directed to provide notice of this decision in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act. Motion Carried. 6.3 Acting Manager of Planning - Redline Revision, Creek's Edge Subdivision, Municipality of West Elgin, County of Elgin The Acting Manager of Planning presented the report that provides County Council with information required to consider granting approval to a proposed modification to the existing draft plan of subdivision. Moved by: Councillor Noble Seconded by: Deputy Warden Jones RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin grant approval to a revised Draft Plan of Subdivision, as prepared by Strik Baldinelli Moniz, and dated June 28, 2023. Motion Carried. 6.4 Manager of Procurement & Risk - Procurement Activity Report Q2 (April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023) The Manager of Procurement & Risk presented the report that summarizes the County's procurement activity for the second quarter of 2023 in accordance with the reporting requirements as set out in section 12.2 of the Procurement Policy. Page 4 of 120 Moved by: Councillor Hentz Seconded by: Councillor Sloan RESOLVED THAT the report titled "Procurement Activity Report Q2 (April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023)" dated August 21, 2023 from the Manager of Procurement & Risk be received and filed. Motion Carried. 6.5 Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Strategic Initiatives - Request for Support - Fanshawe Corporate Training Solutions (CTS) The Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Strategic Initiatives presented the report detailing the request for support from Fanshawe Corporate Training Solutions for their application to the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network's (OVIN) Content Partnerships (CP) Program, and for County staff to participate on a program advisory committee. Moved by: Deputy Warden Jones Seconded by: Councillor Widner RESOLVED THAT the Warden be directed to provide a letter of support for Fanshawe Corporate Training Solutions' (CTS) application to the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network's (OVIN) Content Partnerships (CP) Program; and THAT staff be directed to participate in the program advisory committee. Motion Carried. 6.6 Director of Homes and Seniors Services - Homes - Pharmacy Services The Director of Homes and Seniors Services presented the report seeking Council approval for the execution of an amending agreement with CareRx Pharmacy to extend pharmacy services until January 29, 2024. Moved by: Councillor Noble Seconded by: Councillor Hentz RESOLVED THAT the report titled "Homes — Pharmacy Services" dated September 5, 2023 from the Director of Homes and Seniors Services be received and filed; and THAT Council authorize the Warden and Interim Chief Administrative Officer to execute an amending agreement with CareRx Holdings Inc. to extend pharmacy services for a term ending on January 29, 2024. Motion Carried. 6.7 Director of Homes and Seniors Services - Meals on Wheels Agreement Elgin/VON The Director of Homes and Seniors Services presented the report seeking Council approval for execution of the Meals on Wheels Supply Agreement between Elgin (County) ("Elgin") and Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada — Ontario Branch ("VON"). Moved by: Councillor Noble Seconded by: Councillor Sloan RESOLVED THAT the report titled "Meals on Wheels Agreement Elgin/VON" dated September 5, 2023 from the Director of Homes and Seniors Services be received and filed; and Page 5 of 120 THAT Council authorize the Warden and Interim Chief Administrative Officer to execute the agreement between Elgin and Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) for the time period of October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2025. Motion Carried. 6.8 Director of Homes and Seniors Services - Revised HR Policy 8.60: Asbestos in Buildings The Director of Homes and Seniors Services presented a revised HR Policy 8.60 for Council's consideration. The revisions to the policy flow from requirements of the Ministry of Labour arising out of a field visit. Moved by: Councillor Sloan Seconded by: Councillor Noble RESOLVED THAT the report titled "Revised HR Policy 8.60: 'Asbestos in Buildings"' dated September 12, 2023 from the Director of Homes and Seniors Services, Director of Human Resources, and Manager of Corporate Facilities be received and filed; and THAT County Council approve the revised HR Policy: 8.60 Asbestos in Buildings. Motion Carried. 6.9 Manager of Corporate Facilities - Terrace Lodge Asbestos Abatement - Tender Award The Manager of Corporate Facilities presented the report recommending that Schouten Environmental Inc. be selected for the Terrace Lodge Asbestos abatement. Moved by: Councillor Widner Seconded by: Councillor Sloan RESOLVED THAT Schouten Environmental Inc. be selected for the Terrace Lodge Asbestos abatement, Contract No. 2023-Q35 at a total price of $113,350.00 exclusive of H.S.T.; and THAT Funds from the Terrace Lodge Redevelopment Project contingency budget be allocated towards the Terrace Lodge Asbestos abatement. Motion Carried. 6.10 Acting Director of Engineering Services -Environmental Assessment - Highway 3 and 4 Widening and Talbotville Bypass The Acting Director of Engineering Services presented the report that discusses recommended design alternatives and other study considerations to be presented to the MTO for consideration as part of their public consultation phase of the Preliminary Design, Detailed Design and Class Environmental Study (Class EA) for improvements to Highway 3 from Highway 4 to Centennial Avenue within the City of St. Thomas. The report also discusses staff's remarks regarding the preliminary design options for County Council's consideration and input so that a formal submission can be provided to the MTO during the study's public comment period. Moved by: Deputy Warden Jones Seconded by: Councillor Hentz RESOLVED THAT the report titled "Environmental Assessment — Highway 3 and 4 Widening and Talbotville Bypass", dated July 25, 2023 from the Page 6 of 120 Acting Director of Engineering Services be received and filed; and THAT the interchange alternative preferences and other study design considerations identified in the report and by County Council regarding Wonderland Road at its September 12, 2023 meeting be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation's study design team and for inclusion in their Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR). Motion Carried. 6.11 Manager of Administrative Services/Deputy Clerk - December 2023 Council Meeting Schedule Amendment The Manager of Administrative Services/Deputy Clerk presented the report seeking Council's approval to change the December 7, 2023 County Council meeting to December 6, 2023 as requested by a member of Council. Moved by: Councillor Sloan Seconded by: Councillor Hentz RESOLVED THAT the report titled "December 2023 Council Meeting Schedule Amendment" dated September 12, 2023 from the Manager of Administrative Services/Deputy Clerk, be received and filed; and THAT County Council consent to amending the 2023 Council Meeting schedule by changing the second meeting in December from December 7, 2023 to December 6, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.; and THAT staff be directed to provide public notice of the schedule change. Motion Carried. 6.12 Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk - Physician Recruitment The Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk presented the report seeking Council's support for the request to collaborate with several neighbouring Ontario Health Teams on a proposal aimed at international physician recruitment. Moved by: Councillor Sloan Seconded by: Deputy Warden Jones RESOLVED THAT the report titled "Physician Recruitment" dated September 6, 2023 from the Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk be received and filed; and THAT Council approve the invitation to collaborate on the international physician recruitment. Motion Carried. 7. COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE 7.1 Items for Consideration None. 7.2 Items for Information (Consent Agenda) Moved by: Councillor Widner Seconded by: Councillor Noble RESOLVED THAT Correspondence Items #7.2.1 - 7.2.5 be received and filed. Page 7 of 120 Motion Carried. 7.2.1 Resolution from the Township of Malahide regarding road safety concerns on Imperial Road between Glencolin Line and College Line 7.2.2 Resolution of the Municipality of Bayham regarding dangerous driving on Plank Road, Eden 7.2.3 Association of Municipalities Ontario 2022 Annual Report 7.2.4 Quad County Support Services Summer Newsletter 7.2.5 Letter from OPP Municipal Policing Bureau regarding the distribution of police record check revenue to municipalities 8. OTHER BUSINESS 8.1 Statements/Inquiries by Members 8.1.1 Warden Ketchabaw - Birthday Wishes Warden Ketchabaw wished Councillor Noble a happy birthday. 8.1.2 Warden Ketchabaw - 2023 Warden's Golf Tournament Warden Ketchabaw congratulated and thanked all participants and sponsors for their involvement in the Warden's Charity Golf Tournament. The Warden informed Council that the tournament raised $19,000 for four local charities across Elgin County who address the worthy causes of homelessness and inclusivity. The Warden thanked staff volunteers who contributed their time to this effort. 8.2 Notice of Motion None. 8.3 Matters of Urgency None. 9. CLOSED MEETING ITEMS Moved by: Councillor Sloan Seconded by: Councillor Noble RESOLVED THAT we do now proceed into closed meeting session in accordance with the Municipal Act to discuss the following matters under Municipal Act Section 239 (2): Closed Meeting Item #1 - August 8, 2023 Closed Meeting Minutes Closed Meeting Item #2 - Advice - Facilities (f) advice that is subject to solicitor -client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose. Motion Carried. 9.1 Closed Meeting Minutes - August 8, 2023 9.2 Director of Legal Services - Advice - Facilities 10. MOTION TO RISE AND REPORT Council recessed at 9:59 a.m. and reconvened at 10:12 a.m. Moved by: Councillor Hentz Seconded by: Councillor Sloan RESOLVED THAT we do now rise and report. E^ Page 8 of 120 Motion Carried. Closed Meeting Item #1: August 8, 2023 Closed Meeting Minutes Moved by: Councillor Noble Seconded by: Councillor Widner RESOLVED THAT the August 8, 2023 closed meeting minutes be adopted. Motion Carried. Closed Meetina Item #2 - Advice - Facilities Moved by: Councillor Sloan Seconded by: Deputy Warden Jones RESOLVED THAT the confidential report from the Director of Legal Services be received for information. Motion Carried. 11. MOTION TO ADOPT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Moved by: Councillor Widner Seconded by: Councillor Hentz RESOLVED THAT we do now adopt recommendations of the Committee of the Whole. Motion Carried. 12. CONSIDERATION OF BY-LAWS 12.1 By -Law No. 23-36 Confirmation BEING a By -Law to Confirm Proceedings of the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin at the September 12, 2023 Meeting. Moved by: Deputy Warden Jones Seconded by: Councillor Noble RESOLVED THAT By -Law No. 23-36 be now read a first, second, and third time and finally passed. Motion Carried. iK�e1B1119111d►1LTA 1:I►III I Moved by: Councillor Widner Seconded by: Deputy Warden Jones RESOLVED THAT we do now adjourn at 10:42 a.m. to meet again on September 26, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. Motion Carried. Don Shropshire, Ed Ketchabaw, Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk. 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E a� N }, a N V v a- J s O � }' a E N 4 E �N v C a) 4- _ c .� O - v 4- E •�' O V Q x (1) N H� w a-j Od a-j (10 A Do-- L 40 N v� to cn r-I V M N C: N N a) 0) LM o E w n = c� r — all 00 ' > rn 0 Ln �u w Ln vn O CL CU CL L- O cn V_ L N to 'tom Ln V S.. w w Al Q LA 1 W 01 ' i i" If ry) r\j CD r\j (3) (3) V) 76 u 0 co E (3) 0 co 0- Z) 4-J ry) C) 0 4-j 76 > 0 - p ._ m s 4-j E E E o E L53 E o 4-j 0 0 Q O �-j 4-; V) -7 a) >1 4a) --j a) 0 > L- a) NO-0, a) L- > C) u LL LL rn CY) Lr) U rn ro E fo 0 = fo f>, LA a) V) (D u rn dj E CU -C >, ca ca co z 4--J m u 0 R m a) E 0 V) 0 E 0 :t 0 _0 E 0 V) 4—a V) E 0 _0 _0 O� � Q) -0 LU I. Z3 -I V) .O C) Lu E O � 0 Z3 E E 4-A c 0 O u LU LU -0 -0 -0 t f V) V) 0 0 0 _0 C- >1 V) 0 V) _0 V, o 4-a Ln 6 E 0 u O O F— .N fu 0--o C: u m r- u m to 0 x u u 0 _0 0 -F 4--J C: c- m CO U V 4-J 0 < LA T- >1 >1 uj _0 C- u _0 O *F u 0 0 0 u 4-j 0 u LA 4-J L- 0 -1--j u _0 LLJ u (3) >1 LU E E -0 0 0 0 4-j 0 O 4-j -1--j 0 C- E 0 kn LL Ln � V V 0 0 V S 0 Z3 to 0 N � N N O � • to L N C: C: •— � O _ +-' � m m c� m z � N E E o E 4- O s s V M o '�4-; O COL rn @ o s 0_a E M O 4- Oco to 0 N O N co a M N O N N N v i N V) John Mascarin Direct: 416.865.7721 E-mail: jascarin@airdberlis.com INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER REPORT ON CODE OF CONDUCT COMPLAINT 2023-01 THE CORPORATION OF THE COUNTY OF ELGIN Aird & Berlis LLP John Mascarin September 19, 2023 AIM & BeirlIs IV II P, Brookfield Place, 1£31 Bay Street, Suite'1800, lorontcr, Canada P 5,J: 19 416.P a.1':00 416.863.1515 airdberliscoin Page 27 of 120 AIRD BERLIS TABLE OF CONTENTS A. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 1 B. PREFACE...........................................................................................................................1 C. APPOINTMENT & AUTHORITY......................................................................................... 1 D. THE COMPLAINT............................................................................................................... 2 E. CODE OF CONDUCT PROVISIONS AT ISSUE................................................................. 3 F. REVIEW OF MATERIALS AND INVESTIGATION.............................................................. 3 G. REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE & FINDINGS....................................................................... 4 (a) Allegations................................................................................................................... 4 (b) Background Circumstances and Context..................................................................... 4 (c) Complaint regarding Inappropriate Verbal Communications ........................................ 5 (d) Complaint regarding Inappropriate Text Communication .............................................. 6 (e) Complaint regarding the April 17, 2023 Street Incident ................................................ 8 H. CONCLUSIONS..................................................................................................................9 I. RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................................................................................9 Aftd, 9 BeIrlis LLP IBroakH W V'9,vu r '181 EZ)Y .,UOM SWtO Vtix00, l rrony .a, .. un;c a P'fi5J , -F9 416x,863.81i 00 4"I6a..63,l515 auudlbcn1js,c vn Page 28 of 120 AIRD BERLIS INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER REPORT CODE OF CONDUCT COMPLAINT 2023-01 AGAINST WARDEN ED KETCHABAW A. INTRODUCTION A formal complaint was received by the Integrity Commissioner on May 2, 2023 alleging that Warden Ed Ketchabaw (the "Warden") of The Corporation of the County of Elgin (the "County") contravened the Code of Conduct for Members of Council and Local Boards for the Corporation of Elgin County (the "Code"). B. PREFACE 2. The County is an upper -tier municipality. Council for the County is composed of nine members. It includes the mayors of each of the seven lower -tier municipalities within the County and the Deputy Mayors of the Municipalities of Central Elgin and the Township of Malahide. 3. The Warden was first elected to office in 2006 as a councillor for the Municipality of Bayham ("Bayham"), one of the lower -tier municipalities. The Warden served three terms in this capacity. Thereafter, the Warden has served as Mayor of Bayham. This is his second term as Mayor of Bayham, and his fifth term in office. The Warden was elected to serve as Warden by the County Council at the commencement of this term of Council. Service in the capacity of Warden is for a one-year term. A total of two consecutive one- year terms may be served as Warden. 4. As set out below, for the reasons that follow, this Report finds the Warden has contravened Sections 8.1 and 8.2 of the Code. 5. We recommend that Council reprimand the Warden and that his remuneration at the County be suspended for ten (10) days. C. APPOINTMENT & AUTHORITY 6. Aird & Berlis LLP was appointed as the County's Integrity Commissioner pursuant to subsection 223.3(1) of the Municipal Act, 2001 on October 11, 2022 by By-law No. 22-43 following a public procurement process. 7. The Integrity Commissioner is a statutory officer, created under Part V.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001. Municipal councils are required to establish codes of conduct for members of council and of their local boards and are required to appoint or retain an integrity commissioner who is independently responsible for, among other duties, investigating and reporting to council on complaints that a council member has breached the code of conduct or any other ethical rules, procedure, policies or guidelines.' ' Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, ss. 223.2 & 223.3 ft w BeIrlis LLP IBroakH W V'9,vu r '181 EZ)Y .,UOM SWtO Vtix00, l rrony .a, .. un;c a P'fi5J , -F9 416x,863.81i 00 4"I6a..63,l515 auudlbcn1js,c vn Page 29 of 120 September 19, 2023 Page 2 Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 8. As Integrity Commissioner, we are appointed to act in an independent manner on the application of the Code and other rules and procedures governing the ethical behaviour of members of Council. We are required to preserve secrecy in all matters that come to our knowledge as Integrity Commissioner in the course of our duties. Pursuant to subsection 223.6(3) of the Municipal Act, 2001, the municipality is required to ensure that reports received from the Integrity Commissioner are made available to the public. 9. This is a report on the investigation of the Complaint made in accordance with the Code and subsection 223.6(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001 (the "Report"). 10. In conducting an investigation, procedural fairness requires us to provide reasons for our conclusions and recommendations, which we have done in this Report. Our investigation was conducted in accordance with the Code and with a process that was fair to all parties. We have assessed the evidence in an independent and neutral manner. 11. We provided an opportunity to the Warden to respond to the allegations set forth in the complaint, as restated by our office following a preliminary inquiry, and which complaint our office delivered to the Warden. The Warden fully co-operated in this process, as did all witnesses. The Warden provided written responses to all allegations put to him for a response. Moreover, he participated in an interview with out office. 12. In accordance with our standard practice, the Warden was also provided a copy of our draft report, without recommendations, so he could review and make submissions on our preliminary findings and conclusions prior to the Report's finalization. D. THE COMPLAINT 13. As noted above, a complaint alleging the Warden had contravened the Code was filed with our office on May 2, 2023 (the "Complaint"). 14. Many of the allegations contained within the Complaint were hearsay. We conducted an initial interview with the Complainant to better understand the allegations. Thereafter, we proceeded to conduct a number of preliminary interviews with those persons we understood to be witnesses to determine whether or if there were reasonable and probable grounds to proceed with some or all of the allegations. 15. Based on this review, we concluded that there were reasonable and probable grounds to proceed with an inquiry were respect to two (2) allegations. We otherwise exercised our authority to dismiss a number of allegations as failing to establish reasonable or probable grounds for Code violations. 16. We sent the Warden a Notice of Code of Conduct Complaint and Partial Summary Dismissal on August 11, 2023, containing the complaint as restated by our office. Similarly, we sent the Complainant the Notice of Partial Summary Dismissal on the same date. 17. The Complaint alleges that the Warden contravened Sections 8.1 and 8.2 of the Code with respect to his dealings with the County's former Chief Administrative Officer (the "Former CAO"), described more fully later in this Report. "I"I I Page 30 of 120 September 19, 2023 Page 3 Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 18. As noted, we followed our standard practice and provided the Warden with a copy of our draft report on September 6, 2023, to allow him the opportunity to review and provide final submissions on our preliminary findings.2 The Warden provided his final submissions to us on September 15, 2023, which we have carefully considered and have addressed in this Report. E. CODE OF CONDUCT PROVISIONS AT ISSUE 19. The Complaint alleges that the Warden contravened the following provisions of the Code with respect to the identified matters, described later in this Report: 8.1 Members have a duty to treat members of the public, each other and staff with respect and dignity and without abuse, bullying or intimidation; 8.2 Members have a duty to ensure that the County's work environment is safe and free from discrimination and harassment; F. REVIEW OF MATERIALS AND INVESTIGATION 20. In order to undertake our investigation and prepare this Report, we reviewed and considered the following materials: • the Complaint; • a timeline of events prepared by County staff; • text correspondence; • three closed session staff reports; • interview with the Warden on August 20, 2023; and • the written response from the Warden in response to the Notice of Complaint and written submissions on the draft report which contained our preliminary findings. 21. We also conducted virtual interviews with the Complainant and the Warden and with a number of individuals with knowledge or potential knowledge of the circumstances giving rise to the Complaint. We clarified factual matters through e-mail correspondence. We confirm that at all times we had full co-operation throughout the investigation, including from witnesses who were neither staff (current or former) nor elected officials with the County. 2 This is the final opportunity provided to a member to make submissions on the investigation as the delivery of the final report to Council concludes the investigatory function of the Integrity Commissioner. The member will be entitled to make submissions on recommendations contained in the Report but the findings of the Integrity Commissioner are final and Council has no authority to question or contest them: Assaly v. Hawkesbury (Town), 2021 ONSC 1690 (Div. Ct.) at para. 11: If the Integrity Commissioner concludes that a council member has contravened the Code of Conduct, the municipality has no power to contest or question that conclusion. Its only power is to determine whether a penalty should be imposed and, if so, to issue a reprimand or suspend the member's remuneration for up to 90 days under s. 223.4(5). "I"I I Page 31 of 120 September 19, 2023 Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 Page 4 G. REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE & FINDINGS 22. When evaluating the ethical conduct of a member, the Integrity Commissioner must apply the rules of the Code to the facts gathered throughout the investigation and make a determination, based on a balance of probabilities, as to whether there has been a breach of the Code. 23. We have set out below the background facts and assertions related to each allegation set out in the Complaint, the Warden's response to the allegations, evidence provided to us in interviews with relevant individuals, and our determinations with respect to whether, on a balance of probabilities, the Warden has contravened the relevant sections of the Code. (a) Allegations 24. We investigated two main allegations made against the Warden. 25. The first allegation relates to inappropriate verbal communications with and an inappropriate text message to the Former CAO about her performance and/or which applied inappropriate pressure on her (the "Communications") during the period between the new term of Council taking office to the time of the Former CAO's resignation on May 4, 2023. 26. The second allegation relates to an incident on April 17, 2023, while the Warden, the Former CAO, and others, were in attendance at the Ontario Good Roads Conference (the "OGRA Conference"). Specifically, the allegation is that while outside walking back from a lunch with a group of others, the Warden grabbed the Former CAO by the arm and pulled her away from the group she was walking with and proceeded to "dress her down" in front of others (the "Street Incident".) 27. On April 28, 2023, the Warden wrote an apology to the Former CAO for comments he made to her on April 18, 2023, while attending the OGRA Conference, unconnected to the Street Incident. 28. The Former CAO had been in her position for almost six years at the time of her resignation, which was on May 4, 2023, noting in her resignation letter that she was "resigning to focus on [her] health, safety and wellness following several weeks of very challenging circumstances." 29. As noted above, the Complainant alleges that the Warden contravened Sections 8.1 and 8.2 of the Code with respect interactions with the Former CAO. (b) Background Circumstances and Context 30. Through the investigation, we became aware of background circumstances and events which we have concluded did influence the conduct of both the Warden and the Former CAO and likely contributed to the events complained of. Notwithstanding this, we have concluded that the Warden committed a breach of the Code. In our view, these background circumstances and events are relevant to some of the allegations and our findings, as well as the ultimate penalty we recommend to Council. "I"I [ Page 32 of 120 September 19, 2023 Page 5 Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 31. We consider these circumstances in reflection of the Code provisions that when Council is determining what penalty to impose, it will be determined by the Council on the advice of the Integrity Commissioner, and Council shall take into consideration the nature and degree of the current breach of the Code and any prior non-compliance with the Code.3 32. It is our understanding from the Complainant, who had known and interacted with the Former CAO from the time she took the position almost six years earlier, that during approximately the last two months of the Former CAO's tenure, she was behaving in a manner that was not entirely in character; one other witness suggests the Former CAO's behaviour had changed sometime earlier, specifically as of Fall, 2022. 33. We note that as it relates to the two -month time frame noted by the Complainant, this coincided with concerns being raised with the Former CAO by the Warden regarding high employee turn -over and, then, the initiation of a workplace investigation related to a personnel matter, which matter the Warden was made aware of by the Former CAO before Council as a whole was provided notice of the matter. 34. It is our overall assessment of the evidence that we heard from witnesses that the Warden had become more invested in this personnel matter than he should have become — choosing to speak directly to the Director of Human Resources about it — and further, that although these were likely well-meaning attempts to assist, his involvement likely exacerbated, rather than alleviated stressors for the Former CAO, and may have potentially interfering with an ongoing investigation. 35. At the same time, the Former CAO's decision to raise this with the Warden likely contributed to the Warden's response and his conduct at least as it related to the Street Incident, described more fully later in this Report. 36. We also conclude that while the Former CAO had withdrawn from interactions with the Warden following the Street Incident, and that there was some evidence that she was unable to continue working with the Warden following this occurrence, there were other factors that may have contributed to her leaving the County, at least at the particular time that she resigned. 37. As our investigation is limited, we are unable to and specifically do not draw firm conclusions on whether the Street Incident was the sole motivating factor in her resigning her position as CAO or even a factor in her decision to leave the County. 38. However, we have determined there is a reasonable basis to conclude that the Street Incident contributed to her sense of safety in the workplace, and specifically, that she felt, if not unsafe, at least vulnerable, in the presence of the Warden. (c) Complaint regarding Inappropriate Verbal Communications 39. Our office was provided with a number of statements allegedly made by the Warden to the Former CAO. Each of these was responded to by the Warden. There were, in general, denials that these statements were made, although additional context was provided which 3 Code of Conduct, Part 19: Compliance/Accountability/Enforcement, sub -clause (x). "I"I I Page 33 of 120 September 19, 2023 Page 6 Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 reflected similar comments that may have been made by himself or another person present during the communications, which statements were misinterpreted as criticisms or displaying a lack of confidence in the Former CAO or were simply mis-stated or mis- remembered by the Former CAO. In light of our limited ability to fully assess these statements with the relevant parties, we cannot make any findings of a breach of the Code based on any of these alleged verbal comments. (d) Complaint regarding Inappropriate Text Communication 40. In the lead -up to the texts in issue, which are described more fully below, the Warden, Deputy Warden, Former CAO and former Deputy CAO ("Former Deputy CAO") were scheduled to attend a meeting on March 31, 2023. 41. From our interviews, we understand that a meeting had been scheduled by the Deputy Warden to discuss a particular matter. Prior to the Warden arriving at the appointed time, the Former Deputy CAO and Former CAO had already arrived and were in the meeting room, which we are advised is a board room with glass walls. Upon seeing the Deputy Warden, the Former Deputy CAO and/or Former CAO waved the Deputy Warden into the room. 42. Thereafter, the Warden arrived at the specified time for the start of the meeting. Two attendees of that meeting advise that the topic of discussion, upon arrival of the Warden, concerned unrelated matters. However, it appears that the Warden had formulated the view that the meeting had started without him, even though he had arrived on time. A witness described the Warden as becoming progressively more upset as the meeting continued. 43. It is unclear on what basis the Warden believed that the subject matter of the meeting was already being discussed, but our assessment, following the interviews, is that the formal meeting had not, in fact, commenced prior to the Warden's arrival. 44. We do note, however, that even if it had, unless there was some clear reason for the Warden to believe that the parties were seeking to exclude him from the discussion or hide information from him — which would be inconsistent with the Deputy Warden having invited him to the meeting — this would not seem to be a significant transgression, warranting either his response to it or the text message he subsequently sent to the Former CAO at 3:30 a.m. in the morning. 45. The Warden sent the following text to the Former CAO and Deputy Warden at 3:30 a.m. on April 1, 2023. We note that the Former CAO was the designated emergency contact for the County and was, therefore, responsible to be available 24/7: Folks, I've been troubled all night and have to get this off my chest. I believe Friday afternoon's meeting, scheduled for 2:30, for which I arrived at on time, only to find it well underway when I got there. [Deputy Warden], you asked for the meeting, and set the time for it to begin. To be well underway before my arrival I find disrespectful. Rather peculiar behaviour should you want the Warden's support on an initiative. So the question for you both, is it the office of the Warden you disrespect, or just me in particular. "I"I [ Page 34 of 120 September 19, 2023 Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 Page 7 46. In response, the Former CAO sent the following text message to the Warden and Deputy Warden at 7:26 a.m. on April 1, 2023: I've drafted a dozen different responses since 3:30 am, when I received your message. I opted not to send any of them because texts are often easily misinterpreted — perhaps a meeting is better? It was never my intention to make you feel disrespected and I'm very sorry. I can make myself available quite a bit over the weekend and next week. 47. At about 8:00 a.m. on April 1, 2023, the Warden and Deputy Warden spoke about the matter. The Deputy Warden advises that he sought to assure the Warden that they did not start the meeting without him, that they were "only shooting the breeze" while waiting for him. By contrast, the Warden in his written submissions, suggests that the Deputy Warden confirmed he was right that the meeting had started without him and, further, that the Deputy Warden asked him not to blame the Former CAO, as it was the Deputy Warden's fault. 48. We made the Warden aware that this was not the evidence of the Deputy Warden and he specifically denies this and confirmed that he advised the Warden that the meeting had not started prior to the Warden's arrival. 49. Following the call between the Warden and Deputy Warden, the Warden then spoke with the Former CAO. It is alleged that on this call the Warden stated that the Deputy Warden had "died on a sword" for her and "that can never happen again". The Warden has denied making these statements. 50. It is further alleged that he was frustrated with the Former CAO, as a result of a "culmination of a whole lot of things", but could not provide examples of these things when asked by the Former CAO. He denied, this, too. However, he regretted that the Former CAO had understood or come to believe that he was frustrated with her and admitted he was having difficulty expressing himself during that conversation which he indicated had become emotional. 51. The Warden did admit that he communicated something to the effect of that he had been "walking on eggshells" around the Former CAO since January, 2023. We are aware of certain events in January 2023 which were extremely stressful to the Former CAO, Warden, the then Deputy Warden, which would plausibly explain the Warden's statement. 52. The Warden did also indicate in his response that during that conversation he was feeling embarrassed and regretful that he had sent that early morning text to her and the Deputy Warden. He reiterated this during the interview. 53. Finally, the Warden also admitted that he did suggest at the end of the conversation that they would just put it behind them and move forward. He did so because the Former CAO was distraught and he wanted to resolve the matter. 54. Ultimately, it is our conclusion, on the totality of the evidence, that the Warden improperly concluded that a meeting had started without him, though even if it had, his response was unwarranted. We thus conclude that contrary to Section 8.1 and 8.2 of the Code, the Warden created an unsafe and intimidating working environment by virtue of both the "I"I I Page 35 of 120 September 19, 2023 Page 8 Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 content of his text — which accused the Deputy Warden and the Former CAO of disrespecting either the office of the Warden or him specifically — and by the fact that it was sent at 3:30 a.m. in the morning, when he would have or should have known the Former CAO would have received it, given she was the County's emergency contact. (e) Complaint regarding the April 17, 2023 Street Incident 55. In the lead -up to the Street Incident, the Warden advised he had observed the Former CAO appeared to be preoccupied, tense and was "working the phone". He was concerned there was a problem at the office. He advised during our interview that he considered that if there was a problem at the County, he thought he might be of assistance in taking care of something. 56. A witness to the Street Incident described it as "a little weird". The witness elaborated on the incident as follows: the Former CAO, herself, and the Warden were walking back from lunch with councillors from West Elgin. They were standing on the corner to walk across the street. The Warden then grabbed the Former CAO by the arm, pulled her aside and spoke to her off the side. The witness indicated that it seemed she was not supposed to be listening to this conversation, which she described as "intense". As a result, she walked across the street and waited inside at the hotel. 57. The Warden, in his written submissions, recalled the incident quite differently. The Warden indicated that he "guided" the Former CAO "out of the pedestrian stream" to have a private conversation with her. He further indicated that he spoke to her in a "normal tone" asking if there was a problem at the office, and that she replied "no". The Warden stated that he was satisfied with her answer and they walked back to the hotel. 58. The Warden further offered that because he and the Former CAO had previously had physical interactions, such as a hug and that she was quick to offer her hand in a greeting, he did not consider it inappropriate to take her arm and guide her out of the way of pedestrian traffic. 59. While we understand the Warden may have been concerned about issues that may have been occurring at the office, we accept the evidence of the witness that the interaction was out of the ordinary and that the discussion between the Warden and the Former CAO was "intense". We decline to accept the degree of familiarity that Warden described from the other physical interactions he cited as comparable and that such consensual physical contact, not uncommon in a workplace context, appears to have been very different from what occurred at the Street Incident. 60. The Former CAO had travelled with the Warden to the OGRA Conference, but following the Street Incident, she made other arrangements for his return to the County from Toronto and she left the conference on her own. 61. Not long after the Street Incident, the Warden became fully aware that something had significantly altered in his relationship with the Former CAO, but he explained did not know what. He stated that he believed that change in their professional relationship resulted from the comments that he had made to the Former CAO on April 18, 2023, for which he later sent a written apology to her. "I"I Page 36 of 120 September 19, 2023 Page 9 Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 62. The recollection of events with respect to the Street Incident is conflicting between the Warden and the Former CAO. The independent witness who described the incident as "a little weird" and used the same term as written in the Complaint (i.e., "he grabbed her arm"), coupled with the ensuing depiction of the discussion between the two as "intense", corroborates the description of an altercation that appears something less than the kindly gesture that the Warden recalls. We view the actions as hostile and aggressive. 63. It is our conclusion that the Warden breached both Section 8.1 and 8.2 of the Code and created an unsafe and intimidating work environment when he grabbed and pulled the Former CAO out of a group and "intensely" sought an answer to his question about what might be occurring back at the office at the County. H. CONCLUSIONS 64. In summary, for all of the reasons noted above, we conclude that the accusatory text sent by the Warden at 3:30 a.m. to the Former CAO and Deputy CAO constituted a breach of Sections 8.1 and 8.2 of the Code. We further conclude that the Warden's decision to pull the Former CAO out of a group of municipal colleagues while walking back from lunch to the OGRA Conference to ask about his workplace concerns also constituted a contravention of Sections 8.1 and 8.2 of the Code. 65. In his final submissions to us, the Warden wrote that he was disappointed that the statements we received did not align with the evidence that he offered as to the events of April 1, 2023 and April 17, 2023. He indicated that he continues to stand by his written responses and the oral statements he provided during the interview. However, the Warden also wrote: "It is therefore with a heavy heart that I hereby acknowledge and accept the findings of the Integrity Commissioner in this report." RECOMMENDATIONS 66. Subsection 223.4(5) of the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Code authorize the Integrity Commissioner to recommend, and Council to impose, the following penalties if a member has been found to have contravened the Code: (a) a reprimand; and (b) a suspension of remuneration paid to the member for up to 90 days. 67. The Code itself also specifies that penalties can include a written reprimand or suspension of remuneration of up to 90 days for a contravention of the Code. 68. On the totality of the evidence before us, the Warden's conduct may not have been intended to harm and was no doubt clouded by stressors related to workplace matters, and, although misplaced, by his desire to personally assist in the resolution of those workplace matters. This does not excuse what we have determined was ultimately wrongful conduct, but militates against any financial penalty on the higher end of the spectrum. "I"I I Page 37 of 120 September 19, 2023 Page 10 Code of Conduct Complaint 2023-01 69. It is our recommendation that Council issue a formal reprimand to the Warden for these contraventions of the Code and also suspend his remuneration for ten (10) days, in light of all the circumstances. We are specifically recommending the penalties for the purpose of general deterrence and maintaining public confidence in the County's ethical framework. 70. The Warden cooperated fully and courteously with us during the investigation and has, in our view, particularly in his final submissions, shown respect for the process, the ethical and accountability framework of the County and the ultimate conclusions in this Report. The Warden has, in our view, demonstrated his understanding of the situation, taken responsibility for his actions and expressed his contrition for his actions. 71. We have considered whether to recommend remedial measures or corrective actions to Council. Such measures or actions are expressly not penalties or sanctions and have been authorized by the courts for measures or actions at are not punitive in nature. We have determined not to make any such recommendations in this case. 72. In closing, we have investigated and reported on this Complaint as a neutral, objective and independent statutory officer of the County. Council has a decision to make: it can accept the Integrity Commissioner's recommendations in full, it can accept them in part and modify them, or it can reject them in their entirety. In considering the decision that Council will be making, we remind the members that they alone are ultimately responsible for maintaining the integrity of adopted accountability framework that they have adopted for the County. 73. This Report has been prepared for and is forwarded to Council for its consideration of the recommendations set out herein. 74. Subsection 223.6(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001 provides that this Report be made public. Respectfully submitted, AIRD & BERLIS LLP John Mascarin 111"°mom,""f rity Commissioner for the Municipality of the County of Elgin Dated this 191h day of September, 2023 54175115.5 "I"I m Page 38 of 120 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL ^�a M& FROM: Progressive by Nature DATE: RECOMMENDATIONS: Brian Masschaele, Director of Community and Cultural Services Jennifer Ford, Director of Finance September 19, 2023 SUBJECT: County Websites Hosting and Redevelopment Project Award THAT the Warden and Chief Administrative Officer be authorized to execute an agreement for the redevelopment of County of Elgin websites pertaining to all County services, including tourism and economic development, to Sandbox Software Solutions at a total cost of $114,725 plus unrebated HST and annual maintenance costs with funds drawn from 2023 and 2024 budget years subject to the terms, costing analysis and conditions laid out in the report titled "County Websites Hosting and Redevelopment Award"; and, THAT the Warden and Chief Administrative Officer be authorized to execute an agreement for the immediate transfer of all existing County websites to a hosted solution through Sandbox Software Solutions at a cost of $4,800; and, THAT the Province of Ontario be notified of this award under the terms of the funding agreement with the County of Elgin through the Rural Economic Development Program for the project "Re -Imagining Elgin County's Websites: Creating Tech -Forward Municipal and Tourism Hubs". INTRODUCTION: County websites need major redevelopment in light of considerations such as accessibility upgrades, cyber-security concerns and new program interfaces for all departments. The last rebuild of County websites took place in 2017 and was intended to have a four-year lifecycle. However, challenges associated with the pandemic, the development of an Intranet site in 2021 and the County's cyber-security incident in 2022 all made it necessary to defer this work. However, it is now time to re-engage in this project to meet contemporary needs and to establish a new platform that will serve residents, staff and County Council for a lifecycle of at least three years beginning in 2024. The County's Economic Development Department recently secured $50,000 of funding through the Province of Ontario's Rural Economic Development Program (RED) to support the re -development of the County's main site, along with tourism and economic Page 39 of 120 K development sites, by the end of 2024. The success of this application and its terms further supports the need to engage in a major rebuild of County websites. This report outlines to Council a recommended path forward for this redevelopment project by leveraging the existing investment and knowledge base already in place as a result of the development of the County's Intranet site launched in 2021 by utilizing the same vendor (Sandbox Software Solutions) who already has the necessary expertise, familiarity with County operations and proven value -for -money approach to successfully compete this project on a timely basis and in a cost-effective manner. DISCUSSION: The County currently maintains the following websites and on-line tools: •........".ILI�;:L.!Lif:.R....:.::�.«:.!Lif:..R..n:.....�...:.e.�. This is the County's main website under which each department forms a subsection. wlllw­�Y Il2ii °1 Pii `° siivel[) ue 1huu M ��ui�R.This is the County's economic development website. This is the County's tourism website. • Staff and Council Intranet site. This is an internal tool (not public facing) that is utilized by staff and County Council for access to information such as policies, workplace events and a staffing directory. The Pressing Need for Redevelopment The three external websites now require major redevelopment in light of the following considerations: Accessibility upgrades. The County's Accessibility Coordinator has informed County Council through the most recent annual report of the need to redevelop current websites to a minimum standard of AA under Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) before the end of 2024 in order to meet provincial accessibility requirements. The County's three main sites do not currently meet this requirement. Security upgrades. The County's main website is currently hosted on County servers and the economic development and tourism sites are hosted on external servers. All of these sites are vulnerable to destabilization or cyber-attack. The County's website was down approximately five weeks during the network security incident in 2022 which caused major disruptions to many County services like the library and has been off-line periodically since that time due to network stability issues. Inability to fully integrate Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) which allow for the integration of external applications like GIS and on-line payment services within the web environment. This is impeding the ability to move ahead with digital initiatives like on-line permits, digital payments for services and posting of jobs within Dayforce (to name a few). The programming language for the economic development and tourism sites is currently based in Drupal 7. This language will no longer be supported as of Page 40 of 120 191 January 2025, meaning that a migration and re -build of these sites must be completed before that time. Essential Features for Re -Development of the County's Websites In response to these pressing issues, and at the direction of the County's CAO, a Website Redevelopment Taskforce has convened for the purposes of leading this project and developing a comprehensive list of essential features that any website re- build must encompass. These features include: • Robust accessibility features and tools — All sites must meet or exceed under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilties Act by meeting WCAG 2.1 AA criteria with AAA standing wherever possible. This means it must have features such as text resizing tools, a text -to -sound reader and colour contrast tools. • Ability to integrate with existing County software such as Laserfiche, eScribe, Salesforce, Encore/Sierra, Engage Elgin, Dayforce and social media feeds through API integration; and ability to integrate future web and Cloud -based software solutions through similar API integration. • An open -source platform based on a non-proprietary content management system (CMS) that is easy to use and gives County staff creative licence to maintain and update the site. A WordPress platform is being recommended in this regard. • A Cloud -based hosted solution in Canada with robust security protocols and user permissions. Cloud -based hosting is the most secure solution and comes with the assurance of regular security updates and back-ups. • The ability to develop micro -sites at minimal or no cost for special initiatives like fundraising campaigns or emerging services (such as the fire training school). • Robust and easy to use analytics tools to monitor usage and integrate improvements based on user feedback. • Optimization for platforms such as tablets, smart phones, desktop computers and apps. • Integration of current external websites for tourism and economic development under a single unified site for the County as whole, yet a site that is also able to deliver on the distinct service needs and audiences of each department. The complete list of requirements as developed by the taskforce is attached to this report as Appendix A. Single -Source Procurement to Sandbox Software Solutions Staff are recommending that this redevelopment project be awarded to Sandbox Software Solutions based on the following considerations: The company was the successful proponent through a competitive Request for Proposal process in 2021 for the development of the corporate Intranet site. The scope of work and budget allocated to that project is similar in scope to the Page 41 of 120 C! .nt website redevelopment project given that the Intranet was a completely initiative. Four proposals were received and Sandbox demonstrated best value for money during that recent process. The County is already paying Sandbox for external hosting of the Intranet site at an annual cost of approximately $17,495 + unrebated HST per year. The company has confirmed that capacity exists to host the County's websites as part of this existing service for an additional cost of less than $6,620 plus unrebated HST annually. A hosted solution for all the County's websites could not be achieved at this cost if the project were awarded to another vendor. In other words, this project leverages an existing and on -going County investment. Staff are already trained on CMS tools and procedures employed by Sandbox as a result of the Intranet project. Synergies will be achieved in terms of staff training and support to maintain both the redeveloped websites and the Intranet site. A trusted business relationship already exists between the two parties. Sandbox has extensive experience developing website for corporations of various sizes in the public sector. Clients include Hamilton Health Sciences, Kitchener Public Library, Barrie Public Library, Region of Halton and the Town of Espanola. The County's Manager of Procurement & Risk recommends proceeding with this contract renewal on a single -source basis according to Section 4.7.c(iii) of the County's Procurement Policy which states as follows: "There is a need for compatibility with goods and/or services previously acquired or the required goods and/or services will be additional to similar goods and/or services being supplied under an existing contract (i.e. contract extension or renewal)." Proposal summaries from Sandbox Software Solutions Attached to this report as Appendix B are two proposals from Sandbox; the first to engage in immediate migration of all existing sites and the second to complete the redevelopment work leading to the launch of a new website. These proposals can be summarized as follows: • All existing County websites, including those for tourism and economic development, will be migrated to Sandbox's Cloud hosted solution immediately in order to mitigate major security vulnerabilities with these sites. This migration will also allow Sandbox to complete ensuing redevelopment work within an environment that is under their control. • Redevelopment work will take approximately 26 weeks from the date of engagement in phases that will involve interviews with key County staff, design, build, quality assurance, staff training and formal launch. • The site will then be hosted in the Cloud through Sandbox as part of an annual maintenance and support agreement. County staff will have access to up to 8 hours of technical and maintenance support per month as part of an annual maintenance agreement. This agreement may be cancelled by the County upon 30 days written notice anytime after the site is launched. Page 42 of 120 61 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: There are four costs associated with the entire scope of work being proposed by Sandbox: • Migration of existing websites (www.elgincounty.ca, www.elgintourist.com and www.progressivebynature.com) from locally hosted solutions to a secure Cloud - based solution - $4,800 + unrebated HST (2023 budget year). • Redevelopment of all County websites - $114,725 + unrebated HST (2023 and 2024 budget years). • Possible additional microsites such as Elgin Middlesex Fire School - $2,500 + unrebated HST • Annual maintenance and hosting fees - $24,115 + unrebated HST annually (2023 budget year and beyond). Note: Fees for the existing Intranet site are already being experienced annually at a cost of $17,495 + unrebated HST. As a result, the impact to the annual County budget is potentially $6,620 + unrebated HST beginning this year. After the retirement of current external site hosting for tourism and economic development, the annual increase in costs for the new site are expected to be $3,600 + unrebated HST. Associated costs will be spread out between 2023 and 2024 budget years. Project revenue of $50,000 will be received from Province of Ontario's Rural Economic Development Fund to offset the above implementation costs of $114,725 and current website hosting of $4,800 + unrebated HST, leaving the County share at approximately $69.525 plus at least one microsite is $72,025 + unrebated HST. The remaining costs will be contained within the County's existing budget from a Capital project that has been carried forward for website development with a budget in the amount of $57,000. This will leave approximately $15,025 + unrebated HST left to cover. Given the delay in redevelopment of the current website, the 2024 Capital project contains a placeholder for Website development in the amount of $42,000. During the budget process, staff will reduce the 2024 project to $21,000 to accommodate the remaining portion of this project plus unrebated HST. Given our experience with this project, staff recognize that future project budgets are underfunded and suggest that the remaining budget be moved forward to support future website development costs. Staff conducted a market analysis for similar redevelopment work in other municipalities, the results of which further validate Sandbox's proposal in terms of value for money: Haldimand County $198,000 (2023) Dufferin County $111,000 (2023) Hastings County $119,980 (2022) City of Quinte-West $105,250 (2020) Township of King $155,000 (2019) Page 43 of 120 [1 ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: Serving Elgin Growing Elgin ® Ensuring alignment of ® Planning for and current programs and facilitating commercial, services with community industrial, residential, need. and agricultural growth. ® Exploring different ways of addressing community need. ® Engaging with our community and other stakeholders. ❑ Fostering a healthy environment. ® Enhancing quality of place. LOCAL MUNICIPAL PARTNER IMPACT: Investing in Elgin ® Ensuring we have the necessary tools, resources, and infrastructure to deliver programs and services now and in the future. ® Delivering mandated programs and services efficiently and effectively. The scope of work being proposed in this report pertains to County websites only. However, local municipal partners will always have the option of joining the County's hosted solution through Sandbox should they wish to explore this option. County staff are willing to facilitate such discussions should there be interest from local partners in this regard. COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS: Council and the public can expect to receive further updates as the redevelopment work proceeds, including through social media channels. CONCLUSION: The total scope of work outlined in this report will set the course for the next generation of the County's website. In the short-term, it will result in critical security updates to existing sites by hosting them in a more secure, Cloud -based environment. Subsequent work will then see the redevelopment and launch of a completely re- designed County website which will overcome pressing challenges with regards to accessibility by meeting and exceeding existing standards. It will unify existing sites for the first time under a common homepage and it will position the County to be future ready when it comes to the integration of existing and emerging program interfaces and applications. The County will continue to own the data and programming content associated with this work and it will be based on open -source tools that will make future migrations and updates easier whenever contemplated. Page 44 of 120 N All of which is Respectfully Submitted Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services Approved for Submission Don Shropshire Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk Page 45 of 120 Appendix A Elgin County Website Redevelopment Requirements Category Requirement J All websites must be AODA compliant by meeting \/A,A.QAG` w ' AA��,A Accessibility criteria as per Q g:: j 2 L`I 1, we are looking for an accessibility first approach. The Solution provides features/functionality to promote the Accessibility development of accessible content, such as the ability to require fields/meta data (alt tags, captions, descriptions, etc.) when uploading assets such as images, videos or other media. The Solution supports responsive design (PC, mobile, tablet) and is able to be viewed with a full and consistent experience across all Accessibility platforms without limitation, including all accessibility features/settings and the ability to complete forms. Ability to work with commonly used assistive technology products. Ability to integrate with Laserfiche, eScribe, Salesforce, Encore/ Terra Ban the Table � g (; q..p �,:,i.e.,;i.0 `°.0 `°.IL,;i.il..l!:::!L:.� :'.e �., an external CMS engagement tool, possibility of embedding) and the ability to integrate with future external tools. The Solution supports the ability to create pages using dynamic data where content is managed from external lists, databases, files, Web APIs, etc. CMS The Solution allows for the creation of image galleries. The Solution allows integration with Salesforce OR includes the functionality for a local business directory that can be used to promote local industry and businesses. The directory should be an CMS interactive index that can include name, address, links, photos, etc. Business information should be able to be entered by our staff, submitted by the business (subject to approval by County staff), or imported from another source (Salesforce). The Solution has document controls such as the ability to lock pages CMS for editing, to prevent overwriting changes or other conflicts by two or more individuals attempting to simultaneously edit the same page. CMS The Solution has the ability to include social media widgets for displaying social content/feeds. J The Solution implements a crawler to parse and index all textual content (e.g. web pages, metadata, documents such as PDFs, etc.) CMS posted on the County website in order to support robust search capabilities. The Solution can exclude a specific web page, document, image, etc. from being crawled and indexed so it does not appear in any search results. The Solution includes a highly configurable cashing mechanism CMS within its core platform to maximize the performance and responsiveness of the County's website. Page 46 of 120 Category C Requirement e uirement The Solution includes advanced search capabilities including the ability to perform full text search within webpages, documents, images, and other assets on any combination of the following: a. All CMS specified keywords b. Exact phrases c. One or more specified keywords d. Date specified e. None of the specified keywords. The Solution is able to display alternate search results for a misspelled query. The Solution is built upon an easy -to -use CMS that allows non - CMS experts to create, edit, and delete all types of content. The CMS must allow pages to be saved in various states, including but not limited to draft, approved, unpublished, and published (live). CMS The Solution provides a method to publish emergency alerts throughout the site on demand via banner or similar approach. J The Solution provides a method to view website analytics, either CMS through a tool native to the CMS or integration with Google Analytics 4. CMS The Solution provides features and functionality to maximize Search Engine Optimization (SEO). J CMS The Solution provides grammar and spell -checking tools. CMS The Solution provides online help for template creation and support. The Solution provides the ability for site administrators (or content CMS editors with appropriate permissions) to add, edit, update and move menu items, affecting overall site structure and organization. CMS The Solution provides the ability to accept submissions in different formats (database, PDF, html). J CMS The Solution provides the ability to auto generate metadata (e.g. author, date, status, etc.). The Solution provides the ability to create calendars that: a. Can be added/edited by multiple contributors; b. Allow visitors to sort/filter based on specified criteria; c. Events can be added through APIs CMS from other applications; d. Allow members of the public to submit events, e. Provide approval functionality; f. Ability for visitors to "add to calendar" through .ics or ical; g. allows for event registration (this could be facilitated through an online form); h. occurs in multiple instances across various sites and functions separately CMS The Solution provides the ability to define mandatory page elements. CMS The Solution provides the ability to edit individual elements of the template (e.g. navigation, top navigation, footer, etc.). CMS The Solution provides the ability to embed third -party applications via Frame. J The Solution provides the ability to integrate with a variety of CMS payment engines, and the ability to change payment engines. Our current tool is BrainTree but we are interested in switching to a more Page 47 of 120 IM Category Requirement robust tool or receiving further training on how to make BrainTree work for our needs. J CMS The Solution provides the ability to manage, update, and repair hyperlinks. CMS The Solution provides the ability to schedule the delivery of data (e.g. email, FTP, API). J CMS The Solution provides the ability to support live chat, such as Formilla. The Solution provides the ability to track and report on the lifecycle of content, such as providing the ability to archive pages; a prompt to review and potentially delete large media files no longer active on CMS any live page to conserve space. The Solution supports functionality to identify, track and preserve any digital assets (webpages, images, documents, etc.) that have been deleted from the content repository and allow the recovery of digital assets which have been deleted. The Solution provides the ability to trigger workflows and actions based on visitor website behaviours and activities (e.g. the CMS submission of a form, uploading of a document, etc.) either through native capabilities or integration with other third -party systems via APIs. The Solution provides users the option to subscribe to content CMS update notifications for any page on the site in order to automatically receive any updates to that page via email. The Solution provides functionality for an E-newsletter tool. CMS The Solution supports client -side scripting languages. The Solution supports complex form creation with and without CMS programming that are AODA compliant. With automatic response ability upon user submission. CMS The Solution supports linking and the upload of multiple media types (audio, video). Ability to display YouTube videos. J CMS The Solution supports scheduled automated publishing and unpublishing of content pages. The Solution supports the ability to create user roles and groups to CMS ease user administration. The Solution supports the ability to control and increase the number of site administrators and editors as required. CMS The Solution supports the ability to create, modify, and save templates, master pages, and layouts. J CMS The Solution supports the capability of authorized users to manage permanent and temporary redirects of pages. Information The Proponent confirms that Elgin County website content and data Management ownership remains with Elgin County and can be exported to Elgin County at the end of the agreement. Page 48 of 120 11 Category Requirement The Solution provides a quick review feature that allows visitors to p q p Nice -to -have hover over an individual search result to display a preview of the matching web page, document, etc. without having to click through. The Solution provides an out -of -the -box, fully accessible "e-book Nice -to -haves viewer" solution for viewing online magazines, newsletters or catalogues (e.g. community guide, wish book). Nice -to -haves The Solution provides the ability to create areas of the site where user consent is required to proceed for a Tourism Member Portal. Security The Solution has the ability to collect sensitive data from forms securely. Security The Solution supports two -factor authentication (21FA). The County would need to review the Service Level Agreement to Technical be aware of items such as uptime guarantees, business continuity, recovery plans, etc. The Solution allows the ability to manage and license current domains and URLs, along with any future additions. The Solution Technical has the ability to add sites, sub -sites, and sub -domains quickly, without additional costs (beyond fees related to incremental storage and/or traffic increases). The Solution is scalable to host other organizations or agencies in future. The Proponents is able to provide recommendations and assist in Training and the development of reference materials for website governance, Documentation including: roles, style guidelines, content governance, policies, and standards. Training and The Solution provides online documentation for content providers, Documentation administrators, technical staff, and developers as well as training prior to and following launch of live completed site. List of tools that require various levels of integration: Formilla, Sierra/Encore, Laserfiche, eScribe, Salesforce, Bang the Table, BrainTree Page 49 of 120 IN Appendix B — Sandbox Website Hosting and Redevelopment Proposals Page 50 of 120 PROPOSAL: SSP-2309177 Website Redevelopm & Hosting ELGIN COUNTY September 8, 2023 PREPARED FOR Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultura e: bmasschaele@elgin.ca' Jennifer Ford Director of Financial Services/Treasur e: jford@elgin.ca PREPARED BY: Drew Edwards, Director of Web Servi e: drew.edwards@sandboxsoftware.c Brittney Hoang, Proposal Writer & Cc e: brittney.hoang @sand boxsoftware.( Sandbox Software Solutions Inc. 150 Wellington St E #101 Guelph, ON N1 H O135 U af iiiii teri is [ xec u 6ve Suinr ire uairy Coinq')air y Oveirvr ew 4 History & Structure 4 Capacities, Services, & Skills 5 Our Web Development Technologies 5 Experience in Various Sectors 5 Your Team: People Involved 6 Sandbox's Partners 10 Iirojec t II`4airnageineir t '1'1 Our Developmental Approach 11 Sandbox's Dedicated Project Manager 12 Elgin County's Project Responsibilities 12 Post -Project Review & Close Out 12 Desgin fix'. IDeveb� ini eir t'1 Elgin County: What You'll Get at a Glance 13 The Discovery Process 14 Word Press Content Management System 16 Product Features 18 Web Pages and Content Migration 18 Change Requests 19 Update Procedures 19 Techirk,.dl IIFequlireineir is 2 Security Protocols 20 Accessibility 21 Quality Assurance Testing 22 Hosting 22 Support fix'. Seiryes 24 Post -Launch Maintenance and Support 24 Training Services 26 :IIiropused IIIirojec t Tfinelhine 27 Ii lding IBireakdovr n 24 Core Services & Deliverables 29 Annual Fees 29 Queslloin r, 30 Appein(fix A ..... Case Stu6es 31 Appein(fix II3 ..... Tes6noirc ,. lls 35 IIIIV SANDBOX Page 52 of 120 2 III III i,xecu IIIIII The team at Sandbox Software Solutions Inc. is proud to present Elgin County with our proposal for the design, development, and hosting solutions of the new Elgin County site. It would be a privilege for Sandbox to aid the County in their digital growth through the construction of innovative, dynamic, and user-friendly web products that emphasizes the County's commitment to providing their community the ability to access information and services with ease. Sandbox recognizes that Elgin County wishes to undergo the redesign and redevelopment of the following websites: https�//www IIg1iricoujirit ci/II1II:)r:iry/ https�//www g1 itour1stcoiren/ https°//www �:)rogr ssloreIl:,)yiri,.ituir .coiren/ Sandbox is a full -service web development agency that does extensive work in WordPress and our proprietary content management system, Oasis. In partnering with Sandbox, the County would have access to an entire digital team that includes team members with skills in project management (primary point of contact), digital strategy, web and software development, quality assurance, accessibility, and infrastructure and security. As an experienced team, Sandbox is familiar with many of the integrations that will be implemented into the new site including Laserfiche, eScribe, Salesforce, social media, and Google Analytics 4 (GA4). The process our team follows is also engaging and iterative to help ensure the unique needs of each of our partners is met. In building the website in WordPress, Sandbox will ensure web best practices are followed, including those associated with accessibility and mobile -friendly design. Notably, Sandbox strives to develop to the WCAG 2.2 Level AA standard, exceeding the expectations of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The Elgin County would be the primary source of contact and supply the content for the site, while Sandbox would be responsible for the design, build, and maintenance of the website, including all plugins and integrations. Prior to launch, a thorough quality assurance process will be completed. It will include accessibility reviews, cross device and cross browsers audits, performance testing and security evaluation, which ensures security best practices are enforced. Sandbox will empower the County's team members through training and offers a 90-day warranty on the company's work. To support ongoing maintenance of the website, Sandbox is offering an optional support and maintenance program as a part of this proposal. As a smaller team, Sandbox is nimble and driven by achieving results. We are passionate and proud of the close, and long-term, relationships that we build with our partners. Sandbox would be proud to work with the Elgin County in building an innovative and dynamic website that best reflects the County's government, administration, services, tourism, and community. The Sandbox team is grateful for the opportunity and eagerly awaits next steps. Sincerely, Brittney Hoang Drew Edwards Proposal Writer and Coordinator Director of Web Services SANDBOX Page 53 of 120 IIIIC IIIII IIIII IIIIII °°°°° History & Structure With over 19 years of experience, Sandbox Software Solutions Inc. continues to bring technological expertise and a commitment to providing excellence in customer experience to its work. Our team provides targeted digital solutions that help our partners better communicate, gain efficiencies, overcome challenges and succeed in their marketplace. Our solutions are strategic — carefully thought through to meet your needs and requirements. Our engaging processes ensure that your project is on time and on budget. Our approach relies on small, focused teams that excel at building relationships, and we communicate in plain talk. We strive to be the fast web development partner you will ever need. Sandbox Corporate Name Sandbox Software Solutions Inc. Company Structure Federally Incorporated (4 shareholders who are also team members) Office Location 150 Wellington St E #101, Guelph, ON N1 H 0135 Employees 21 — including a dedicated Help Desk/Support team Incorporated May 4, 2004 Our Website hltp s�// ° ° .sairndll:Msoftaire ca Social Media httt:)SWwww twv tteir cairn /SairndI[)oxSo t Insurance Coverage $10M Commercial General Liability $51VI Professional Errors and Omissions Underwritten by Lloyd's of London Focus oin III in .. III°'I Ilr - iii f Woid< We are extremely proud of the work we do across sectors. At the same time, we are grounded by the rewarding projects we do to support our non-profit partners in amplifying the good they do in their communities by using our tools and technologies. To further support good causes, Sandbox employees are encouraged to participate in ourAmplifyingGood volunteerism program, that allows them to take two paid days off a year to support charities and non- profits focused on causes important to them. SANDBOX Page 54 of 120 rd Capacities, Services, & Skills Sandbox is a digital agency, providing a broad scope of services that includes: T Consulting on digital strategy and technologies T Discovery for digital projects, including survey research, key informant interviews, focus groups, advisory boards, environmental scans, community interactions and journey mapping T User experience and creative design T Digital project management T Implementation of web content management solutions (Word Press or Oasis) T Programming/coding for the web, software, and apes for mobile devices, leveraging coding languages such as Java and C#, scripting languages such as PHP, JavaScript and jQuery, and web standards such as HTML5 and CSS3 T Responsive and accessible web design/development T Ongoing support and maintenance through our dedicated Help Desk team T Hosting provision and management (for web -based solutions) with AWS Our Web Development Technologies HTML Cos RWD� IIII rfffllllllll �"� 1„' JS 10111 ,fi SQLServer M SQ Mot) .11 m:;lti1i'm J WORDPRESS Experience in Various Sectors Sandbox Software is proud to have worked with dozens of organizations in varying sectors in developing web -based solutions to meet their unique needs including sophisticated websites, portals, intranets, and custom software solutions. Our partners include: T Municipalities T Post -Secondary Institutions T Libraries T Conservation Authorities T Health Systems T Hospitals and Health Centres T Family Health Teams T Long-term care and Assisted Living Organizations T Health Agencies T Medical Researchers T Medical Educators T Continuing Medical/Professional Education T Various special interest not -for -profit organizations SANDBOX Page 55 of 120 5 �'m. 7��� People Involved . ~~V�� . ~~=��� . ~~����n�� v Sandbox would be proud to have the following team members support your website: ~ U�re��Edwards �� ��s ilk, DKrectoir of Web Services He/Him Drebuilt his first websiteusing dipartand HTML code inthe 1990sand has been noodling around with various content management systems ever since. A journa|ist by training, Drew spent two decades as an award -winning reporter and editor before shifting his focus to digital projects. With plenty ofexperience with the creative process, Drew also enjoys thetechnica| challenges and analysis involved with building truly great sites. Pro*ect Roles Drew will act asyour liaison throughout your relationship with Sandbox. His primary focus will bekeeping your team educated and well informed while ensuring our execution team(s)are meeting timelines and deadlines associated with your maintenance program. Drew takes acollaborative and energetic approach toworking with clients, taking them through every phase ofthe process tosuccessfully execute their vision. Sample Pro*ect Experience: Mackenzie Health, Mackenzie Health Foundation, Scarborough Health Network, Scarborough Health Network Foundation, Royal Victoria Regional Health [entne,4H Ontario, Unity Health Toronto (Intranet and website)' SherbourneHealth, and more. ~ Jacqueline -��=� ��r n«��n Web earn 1 ead She/Her Shortly after graduating from Ryerson University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management, Jacqueline joined the project management team at Sandbox. Her experience working in project support positions combined with her experience from school make her an excellent addition tothe Project Management team. Pro*ect Roles Jacqueline will act asyour day-to-daycontact atSandbox, keeping your team informed ofproject progress and upcoming milestones. Jacqueline will also create your User Guide and support intraining your team. Sample Pro*ect Experience: North York General Hospital, Conservation Halton, Glen Eden' Scarborough Health Network, Scarborough Health Network Foundation, Groves Foundation, [ouoeForceand St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton annual report. �NP{�X --- 6 Page 56 Of 120 Riley Edwards Diiigii'italll IlRroject Cooirdiiiinatoir She/Her Riley spent a few years doing data entry work which allowed her to develop a specific eye for detail which comes in handy when entering content for web projects. When Rileyjoined the Sandbox team in 2021, she quickly adjusted to our fast -paced industry with ease. Since then, she has taken on many responsibilities outside her original duties including quality assurance and building our content control workbooks. With such a broad range of abilities and creative talents, Riley is right at home with the Sandbox team. Project Roles Riley will act as a liaison between the Web Team Lead and your team. She will be responsible for preparing documentation, communicating with your team as directed and ensuring project timelines and milestones are met. She will also ensure your team is informed throughout the project lifecycle, from project kick-off and requirements gathering through to testing, deployment, and training. Finally, Riley will lead content entry on your project and be providing copywriting services. Sample Project Experience: Conservation Halton, Ecojustice, Insight Medbotics, Sherbourne Health, St. Joseph's Research Institute, TLC Pet Food, UHN Diabetes College, and Women's College Hospital. Brenden Demetroff Help IlDeslllc Srrppoir ""IIII""eauran 1 ead iieur "'III & 2 He/Him Brenden graduated from the Computer Programmer Analyst program at Durham college in 2018. Since graduation, and before joining Sandbox, he worked in the healthcare and education fields as a web developer. Brenden started in first tier support, assisting our WorclPress partners, before becoming the Support Team Lead. Brendan has been using and experimenting with computers since his first computer at age 6. Project Roles Brenden will manage the upgrades to your site and support in the coordination of Help Desk tickets submitted by your team. He will also ensure all monthly reporting is properly managed and provided to your team. Sample Project Experience: St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton Health Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, 4-H Ontario, Mackenzie Health, and Kitchener Public Library. SANDBOX Page 57 of 120 7 Denise se UKDKD �� �� Director of Hinainceaind AdmmKinis"bratioin Denise ]uppisavalued member ofthe Sandbox team, with over 15years of experience inMarketing and Advertising onboth the client and agency sides. Before joining Sandbox, she turned her love of gardening into a successful organic landscape gardening firm, maintaining over 30 gardens in the Guelph area. With apassion for details and process efficiency and getting things done, Denise shares her unique skill set with Sandbox Software'sdiverse client base. Pro*ect Roles Denise will support your project, with broad responsibility for all project scheduling, and keeping the Sandbox team aligned with client needs. She monitors performance against our best practices and processes and develops new processes and procedures sothat our efforts and re|ationshipskiUsets continuously improve. Mark George "�eor��e � ledhinKcaU 1 ead— UinfiramlbrLuCftumeaind SeWiri'ty Specialivit He/Him Mark holds aB.ScinComputing and Information Science from the University ofGuelph. He is highly skilled in web application development, server setup and maintenance, database, database architecture and development, integrated systems, web -based graphical user interface development, requirements gathering and management, technical support, and e-commerce. He makes use of programming languages including Java, ]2EE,and PHPand ishighly capable with [33'HTML, ]ava3criptAJ/O< XK4L X3[[j[)uery,and Terminal Services. Heisexperienced with databases in K4vS[)LSQL Server. Heisalso well versed inconfiguring and hardening AVVS web hosting environments. Pro*ect Roles Mark will support the Sandbox team inmeeting with your technical team members and assist in the development ofrequirements associated with technical infrastructure. Sample Pro*ect Experience: St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton Health Sciences, Unity Health Toronto,4-H Ontario' Deafb|ind Network of Ontario in partnership with Ministry ofChildren, Community and Social Services (K1[[SS). SANDBOX Page 58 of 120 8 ����Graham n�o�8~~��nna00 1 ead Web Developer He/Him Matt isabrilliant web developer who started programing inhigh school. He never had any doubt that hewas going into web development. He graduated from multimedia design atDurham College and over the past 14 years he has gone back and forth between Intranet development and web appdeve|opment. Sandbox islucky tohave him onthe team. Being anatural born griller, don't turn Matt down if he's inviting you to a summer BB{\ Don't besurprised ifthe music isperfect atthe BBQeither ashealso mixes audio in his spare time. Pro*ect Roles Matt will support the Help Desk team ofdevelopers with larger initiatives and more complex deliverables, such as API integration. Matt will lead the developers who are responsible for the technical implementation aspects of larger projects and services, along with leading quality assurance testing. Sample Pro*ect Experience: Women's College Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and Sherbourne Health. �� Harding n�o���� n n��n v�UK��� � � Meg joined the team atSandbox in2017and loves what the tech industry has to offer. They started as a production associate assisting with the implementation and testing ofseveral web solutions. |n2020'she moved into aProject K4anagementro|e.|n2022'K4egshiftedro|estohead accessibility initiatives and coordinate quality assurance across the web team. Meg isan1AAP Certified Professional imAccessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) and has a passion for creating inclusive online spaces. They believe that everyone should be able toenjoy a website or intnanet regardless of how that site is accessed' navigated' or perceived. Pro*ect Roles Meg will assist inevaluating work completed onthe intnsnetand will play a critical role in making recommendations associated with user experience and accessibility. Meg will assist in training efforts. Sample Pro*ect Experience: Project Support and/or Quality Assurance associated with web solutions for: VVomen'sCollege Hospital, Kitchener Public Library, Hamilton Health Sciences, Conservation Halton, Guelph Police Association' Southwestern Public Health, World Vision International, and more. SANDBOX Page 59 of 120 9 Sandbox's Partners Institutional Sites — Website Development + Ongoing Maintenance and Support Sandbox has built the following websites and maintains ongoing relationships with these partners through their maintenance programs: * 10[anden: https1/10cardenca/ * 4H-Ontario: h11ps1/4-ho1r11a110ca/ * 8rimacombe: h11ps1/brimacombeca/ * Hamilton Health Sciences: h11ps�//www hami|1onhea|1hscienoesca/ * Oak Valley Health: h11ps�//www oakva|1eyhea|1hza/ * Scarborough Health Network: h11ps�//www shnCa/ * SDGOties: h11ps1/www sdgci1iesca/ * SherbourneHeahh: h11ps1/ herbourneonca/ * SHNFoundation: h11ps1/www shnfounda60nca/ * St. Joseph's Health System: h11ps1/sjhsca/ * TLC Pet Food: h11ps�//t|cpe1foodoom/ * UHNDiabetes College: h11ps�//www diabe1eso6|1egeza/ * Unity Health Toronto: h11ps�//uni1yhea|1h1o/ w VVomen's College Hospital: h11ps�//wwwwomensco||egehospi1aica/ Institutional Microsites — Microsite Development +Ongoing Maintenance and Support * Glen Eden: * https1/g|enedenonca/ * Protecting Water: * h11ps�//www pro1ec1ingwa1erca/ * Centre for Minimal Access Surgery: h11ps�//wwwzmasCa/ * * Ontario 8ariatric Network: h11ps�//www za/ w * Centre for Surgical Invention & Innovation: * h11ps1/wwwzsiica/ * Mackenzie Health Foundation: * h11ps1/www ca/ suppo�-us/founda1ion/ Canadian Critical Care Trials Group: h11ps1/www ccc1gca/ McMaster[hi|dren's Hospital: h11ps�//www ca/ mcmas1er-chi|drens-hospi1a|/ SHNFoundation Campaign: h11ps�//www ovescarboroughca/ RVHFoundation: h11ps�//www keep|ifevvi|dza/ |'m Ready— H|V Self -Test Kits: h11ps1/ready1oknowca/ Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative: h11ps1/www he|1ioanadacom/ ___10 �Rirqiject Mariageimeri Our Developmental Approach Sandbox Software builds custom digital solutions using a modified Agile Software Development methodology. This iterative development approach breaks a software project schedule into brief concentrated Sprints of activity (typically 2 to 4 weeks in duration). After each Sprint, the client is provided a concrete set of deliverables to be evaluated and revised in a document referred to as a Sprint Backlog. The agile methodology also allows redirection of subsequent functional specifications/requirements based on learnings from the previous Sprints, and a re -prioritization of project activities. As a result of the project being broken up into a number of iterations, control over the priorities for each iteration and the project budget, are defined and managed by the client. To start a project, all desired requirements are listed in a document known as the Product Backlog. Features to be developed during an iteration are selected from the Product Backlog and placed in a Sprint Backlog. Once finalized, the Sprint Backlog is unchangeable and handed over to the developers who carry out a Sprint (a set period of time for development). During a Sprint, daily "Scrum Meetings" are held to manage risk. At the end of the Sprint, the client is provided with access to the product, at which point the priorities and expectations for the next iteration can be adjusted. Agile Development solves many of the problems experienced using traditional development approaches because it provides: • Client satisfaction through early and continuous delivery of valuable software • The option to do phased production deployments of the solution over the project lifespan • Improved risk management • Flexibility in priorities and requirements • Client control over project budget and priorities • Improved transparency and client collaboration Unlike a traditional Agile Development approach, this project timeline will allow for some fundamental activities to be completed before agile sprint development begins (such as deployment of the CMS to a development environment and configuring the CMS. Several milestones will also be defined (most aligned with the completion of a Sprint). At the completion of each milestone, the website will go through formal testing. Further, before the site launches, general quality assurance activities across the site will be completed including the execution of usability testing. SANDBOX Page 61 of 120 11 Sandbox's Dedicated Project Manager Having completed over 500 successful web development projects, Sandbox Software has refined its project management processes to ensure as effortless an experience as possible for our clients. Your project will be overseen by your project manager, Jacqueline Taylor, who will be responsible for overseeing the project plan, risk management, communications, and strategy. Jacqueline will also support your team in managing and coordinating daily communications, meetings, status reports, content collection, testing, sign -offs, and approvals. Your Project Manager will be supported by a Project Coordinator. Project milestones are coordinated using a case management software, TeamWork. Meetings will be held through web/phone conferencing. Elgin County's Project Responsibilities In undertaking this project of this scope, your team should expect to participate in and contribute to the following activities: • Establishing a Steering Committee • Providing a day-to-day contact • Coordination of engagement activities (locations and participants) • Participation in engagement activities • Making available Analytics • Reviewing and providing feedback on the Website Solution Overview • Reviewing and providing feedback on Creative Designs • Signing off on milestones (Solution Overview, Designs, UATs, Launch, etc.) • Introducing Sandbox to Elgin County's IT team/representatives Developing and providing content for each Sprint Post -Project Review & Close Out • Providing media (photos, videos, etc.) • Participating in Check Point Meetings and Sprint Reviews • Mapping out Website Governance • Content Entry (in partnership with Sandbox) • Coordination and location of Usability Testing • Supporting performance and security audits • Completing usability testing • Completing user acceptance testing • Participating in Training Sandbox Software is continuously looking at ways to improve its processes and the quality of service provided to our clients. At the completion of your project, Sandbox Software will request a post -project review meeting with your team to discuss what worked well and where improvements could be made. In addition, Sandbox Software will send a post -project Client Satisfaction Survey to the Project Sponsor to obtain feedback on their experience. Sandbox Software values this input and uses it to improve business processes and client relations. Sandbox Software will also hold a Project Close Out meeting with your team to deliver all documentation and resources developed to support the project and establish a plan for maintenance moving forward (if desired). IIIIV SANDBOX Page 62 of 120 12 III III ��� � II IIirn e III "" Elgin County: What You'll Get at a Glance Sandbox Software is proud to support our clients in all aspects of their website redevelopment project, from requirements gathering through to post -launch promotion and support. Sandbox will provide both the services and technologies needed for your website project to succeed including the following: Elgin County Site Requirements gathering through four stakeholder interviews (up to five people per session) 2 home page creative design concepts for consideration including design of mobile states Business directory, events calendar and document/resource library that can be shared across the Elgin web infrastructure structure Integrations with third -party applications including Laserfiche, eScribe, Salesforce, Elgin County Library Site Requirements gathering through two stakeholder interviews (up to five people per session) 1 home page creative design concept for consideration including design of mobile states 1 round of revision to the home page creative concept Elgin County Tourism Site Requirements gathering through one stakeholder interview (up to five people per session) 1 home page creative design concept for consideration including design of mobile states Integration with calendar and directory tools developed for main Elgin site Encore/Sierra, Bang the Table (subject to plug-in and API availability) Integration with payment tools 1 round of revision to the home page creative concept 8 designed interior page templates Build of up to 100 pages in English, and 50 items of structured content (news posts, events etc.) Pre -launch change requests (up to 28 hours) 6 designed interior page templates Build of up to 50 pages in English, and 50 items of structured content (news posts, events etc.) Integration with Library catalogue Pre -launch change requests (up to 16 hours) 1 round of revision to the home page creative concept 4 interior page templates based on Elgin County designs Build of up to 12 pages in English Pre -launch change requests (up to 6 hours) 111111bSANDBOX Page 63 of 120 13 Economic Development Site Requirements gathering through one stakeholder interview (up to five people per session) 1 home page creative design concept for consideration including design of mobile states 1 round of revision to the home page creative concept Included in All Sites • Project planning and account management including kick-off and checkpoint meetings • Recommendations for site map, wireframes, information architecture, features, functions, integrations, and security • Build of site framework in the Word Press • Application of creative design to the website • Scheduling of content publishing • Permission and access management groups/users The Discovery Process 4 interior page templates based on Elgin County designs Build of up to 12 pages in English Integration with calendar and directory tools developed for main Elgin site. Pre -launch change requests (up to 6 hours) • Embedding or integration with third -party platforms • Google analytics installation • AODA and WX compliance • Cross browser compatibility • Cross device compatibility • Deploying key features • Pre -launch user testing • Deployment to production • Training • 90-day warranty • Ongoing support/maintenance Before design of the new website begins, Sandbox Software will support Elgin County in completing efforts towards better understanding the needs of the various audience stakeholders as they relate to the website development. The information learned from these efforts will be used to your team with recommendations that will guide content structure, information architecture, functional specifications, the creative design of the new website and supporting technical infrastructure. CZegd llr lirneiints Gath url ing AcCVides Sandbox Software will complement any understanding already identified by your team in generating user input by completing the following activities. These activities will help solidify our understanding of your diverse audiences' needs, and surface some new insights which will help guide our recommendations including: • Examination of existing web statistics and recommendations based on those statistics • Identification of who will be using the existing site and how they will use it • Facilitating up to eight key informant interviews (Elgin County's team, Web Developers, and another group to be determined based on initial discussions) • Discussion with Elgin County's Web Developers to review technical, privacy, budgetary, security and other requirements for the website IIIIV SANDBOX Page 64 of 120 14 • Review of 3rd party integration requirements, documents and video assets that are needed to support the site • Review of branding guidelines Eight Key Informant Interviews Sandbox Software will conduct up to eight key informant interviews with representatives of key stakeholder groups. Each session may include up to 5 individuals, would last approximately 1 hour, and may be conducted by phone or web conference. These interviews focus attention on the specifics of favourable and unfavourable experiences, aesthetic preferences, and understanding specific needs, processes, and expectations for outcomes. Sle Structureu~u III':: s l gin a III'° ul a°mule°m ul a �lii ul u Once requirement gathering activities have concluded, Sandbox Software will analyze all materials collected and begin mapping out their recommendations and strategy for the new website. These proposals will be documented in a Solution Overview which will include: • Consultant evaluations and analysis (with references to best practices) • Content analysis and categorization to ensure accessibility • Content governance and gathering/review/deployment processes • Draft Information Architecture/site map (a site map is a hierarchy diagram representing that pages that will make up the website) • Wireframes for home page concepts, and proposed internal page template types for the new website (wireframes are fine diagrams representing the makeup of specific page types) • A list to features and tools to be build • A list of platforms with which the site will integrate • Content templates to help guide content writers in creating new content which aligns with the website templates lulu-f urulrna d o in AirdNtectuire aindIII' lii g do in Defining an optimal information architecture can be one of the most challenging aspects of a complex website redevelopment project. To inform that process, Sandbox Software relies on data from several sources during our discovery phase (as outlined in the sections above) including: • An inventory of current content • A review of current web traffic statistics • An understanding of key audience members and their needs through persona development • Findings from stakeholder interviews • Sandbox's experience developing complex website information architecture From the data collected, Sandbox will propose a new information architecture and adjust based on feedback from your team. IIIIV SANDBOX Page 65 of 120 15 Website Governance To support the continued development and maintenance of the new website, it will be important to establish a website governance approach so that all stakeholders are aware of the expectations and standards associated with requesting and publishing new content and features. In helping Elgin County establish (or refresh) their Website Governance approach, we will work through: • Objectives • Roles and responsibilities (content requests through publishers) • The CMS • New Web Content Requests • Training • Website Policy • Website Accessibility Policy • Content Guidelines and Standards WordPress Content Management System Sandbox Software will be responsible for building the new website in WordPress CMS. This includes building out page templates, developing web pages, coding features and system integrations, as well as migrating all plugins, DNS entries, and networking configurations from the previous website. Sandbox has developed more than 200 web properties in the WordPress CMS. This includes small promotional microsites and annual report sites, to large-scale institutional websites with complex functionality including, but not limited to, flexible directories, programs and service libraries, and member portals. Sandbox has also developed Intranet sites in the WordPress CMS that feature employee (member) engagement tools and capabilities. By using the WordPress CMS and installing, configuring, and styling select plugins, Sandbox Software will ensure the new website will meet the functional and performance objectives including, but not limited to, the following: • Advanced Site Search • Search Engine Optimization Support • Supports high -resolution media/mixed media flexibility (video, large images, audio files and slideshows) • News and announcements • Instinctive and easy to use • Safe and secure using HTTPS • Social Media sharing tools • Content Preview • Spell -Check • Multi-lingual Support* • Online Forms & Survey Tool* • Google Analytics Integration • Can view HTML code • Metadata • Scheduling capability (specific time and date for auto -publishing) • Management of user roles/Approval rights • Mobile responsiveness • Cross -browser compatible • Accessibility (AODA) • Consistent use of brand style guide • Searchable Document Repository (upload/download) • FAQs IIIIV SANDBOX Page 66 of 120 16 II' Ike C inteiut Mainageirneint Systeirn I,,I,Ase of Use Based on our understanding of Elgin County's requirements at this time, we propose developing the new website in the WordPress CMS. WordPress is the world's most popular open -source CMS, and it is extremely easy for non -technical content publishers to use. It supports publishing workflow which will enable you to execute a centralized website governance approach to ensure consistency, quality, and adherence to technical and accessibility standards. Benefits include: • Functionality Ability to meet the requirements defined in the RFP with the support of reputable plug - ins or custom coding by Sandbox • Affordability An Open -Source solution with no initial or ongoing license fees • Scalability Allows the addition of new features, users, and content over time while increasing site usage Why We Choose ur 111°'lures • Adaptability Plug -and -play plug-in management allows for continuous growth of the site. • Maturity WordPress has the largest online community and user base of any content management system • Flexibility in Vendors There are several regional WordPress vendors limiting the reliance on a single supplier We believe WordPress to be best suited open -source CMS for this project because: WordPress now accounts for over 60% of the CMS market. The next highest market share is Drupal (4.7%) • WordPress is easier for non -technical users • Ease of getting help from multiple vendors and online resources • Other CMSs like Drupal have more overhead • There are more WordPress developers (reducing cost and increasing flexibility) II in 0 uuur 'Veineince • Sandbox manages and maintains several WordPress and Drupal websites. We have far fewer HelpDesk tickets per client for WordPress than Drupal clients • Update process is less risky in WordPress • Easier to create custom plugins, themes, and functionality • Our confidence in Drupal has been diminished with previous significant vulnerabilities Sandbox will also make recommendations around securing the server above and beyond Elgin County's own security protocols. SeedIII°I it a A CFlll kii 11 111 g ""'III"" IIIrn p11 t -w 11 s Ill a utb in -four IINkkirosles For the creation of project -specific microsites and rapid website development, Sandbox uses SeedProd, an easy -to -use WordPress website builder that will enable Elgin to develop, edit and update microsites quickly and easily, with no coding required. Sandbox will work with your team to identify an appropriate template from the SeedProd library of templates, and then configure it to build a template site than can then be re -used for subsequent project sites. SANDBOX Page 67 of 120 17 Product Features In developing the main Elgin County website, Sandbox will ensure the following functionality is available (through plugins or custom development): Site Features 0 Website Features • News (with tagging/categorization 0 Key team member profiles and search) 0 Program and services pages • Hero banner (rotating banner) 0 Real-time chatter • Programs and Services Listings 0 Website Integrations Navigator Laserfiche • Media (video/image) gallery (with • Salesforce tagging/categorization and search) • Filterable/searchable Resource Library • Social Media • Accordions (collapsible and . Payment Engine (TBD) expandable content) 0Mailchimp (E-newsletter) • Comprehensive site search 0Google Analytics / GA4 (Relevansii plugin) Additional Integrations, Embeds or Linked • Printer -friendly pages Platforms • iFrame • Campaign Monitor Web Pages and Content Migration In building the new web website, Sandbox will support Elgin County in building up to 100 web pages for the Elgin County site and up to 50 web pages for the Elgin County Library site in English. It is understood that some pages will be created from new content while other content will be migrated directly from the existing site. In developing pages Sandbox will ensure that: v' The appropriate page template is applied to the page developed (for consistent user experience) v' Pages include provided meta data v' Pages are "tagged" accordingly to support relating content and search features v' Pages meet accessibility and web development best practices v' Pages have a print friendly style sheet v' Pages are optimized for load time v' Permissions are applied as specified Where Sandbox has access to database tables behind the current website for structured content such as news articles, migration scripts may be developed to support the automatic migration of the existing content. Page copy, documents, and media to support pages will be provided by Elgin County. Sandbox can develop additional pages at a cost of $52.50 per page or Sandbox can train your staff to create additional pages during development. 111111bSANDBOX Page 68 of 120 18 Change Requests Under the scope of this project, Sandbox will provide up to 56 hours of development time (28 hours for the Elgin County site, 16 hours for the Elgin County Library site, 6 hours for the tourism site, and 6 hours for the economic development site) to accommodate change requests identified by the Elgin County team. Hours utilized against change request will be tracked separately and Elgin County's team will be notified when hours consumed reaches 14 hours on the Elgin County site, 8 hours on the Elgin County Library site, 3 hours on the tourism site, and 3 hours on the economic development site, to facilitate prioritization of any outstanding changes. Should additional development hours be required to address additional changes, those hours will be billed as Sandbox's appropriate hourly rates. Update Procedures To ensure that your Word Press site is secure and all plugins are up to date, Sandbox offers optional, and flexible, support and maintenance packages wherein a select number of hours are allotted for service each month. Of those allotted hours, four (4) of those hours will be dedicated to managing content management system and plugin updates. 111111bSANDBOX Page 69 of 120 19 T °°°°° IIIII IIIIII °°°°° IIIIII IIIIII °°°°° IIIIC IIIII ""s Security Protocols Security is a primary focus at Sandbox. We provide ongoing system monitoring (performance and security) on an ongoing basis under our managed hosting and support/maintenance programs. In guiding security best practices, including monitoring, Sandbox's security framework is defined through several policies, templates, and standard operating procedures: 1. Company Employment Policies (associated with securing data) a. Confidentiality and Non -Disclosure b. Mobile Device Usage Policy c. Work from Home Policy d. Data Classification and Handling Policy e. Secure Development 2. A collection of policies and Standard Operating Procedures including but not limited to: a. SOP Development and Training b. Setting up a New Employee c. Securing Development and Test Sites d. Linux Server Setup and Hardening e. AWS EC2 Tomcat Template — New Server Setup f. Security Assessments g. Vulnerability Scanning and Flaw Remediation h. System Monitoring and Alerts i. Server and Site Triage Process j. Incident Responses and Disaster Recovery k. Password Management 1. Configuration Management m. Remote Access n. 2FA Setup for Word Press o. Monthly Maintenance Clinic Process p. AWS EC2 Security Group Whitelist IP q. Server Checklists and Maintenance r. Guelph Office Internal Monitoring and Response s. Word Press Launch t. Server Access 3. RACI tables that define employee responsibilities and accountabilities responsibilities 4. Training of new employees and re-training of existing employees on Standard Operating Procedures 5. Annual employee reviews of OWASP guidelines 111111bSANDBOX Page 70 of 120 20 Accessibility Accessibility will be a critical component of your next website, meeting current provincial requirements (WCAG 2.2 Level AA) wherever possible. Sandbox is uniquely positioned to develop accessible solutions through actively working with the Deafblind Network of Ontario in building an online solution to support individuals who are deafblind in obtaining Intervenor services. We have also supported both the Deafblind Network of Ontario and the Canadian Helen Keller Centre in developing their accessible websites. sslidbl illhly CoirnpIHaince Wth WCAG 2.2 aindIII evdII AA Before launching the new site, an accessibility review and testing towards technical compliance of WCAG 2.2 Level AA for the site will be undertaken to support those with impairments or disabilities. The following activities will be undertaken in this review: • Audit tools such as WX Validators, and Wave will be used to reinforce technical best practices as they relate to accessibility • Audit of primary pages with style sheets turned off to ensure content is readable • A common text -to -speech reader may also be used on the top tier pages to ensure content is read in the proper order icessliII ldhly Featuires The new website will include the following accessibility features: • Text resizing tool • Optional: Colour contrast tool (swap out style sheets) • 'Skip to' link, allowing users to jump the navigation structure and go directly to the content (used by text -to -speech readers) Access liill lll7 Structured aunt lr tteiin C inteiut ssliHUl l III',,l,d]l ulrnei uts of hirnpoirtaince in In applying content to the new website, Sandbox will support your team and this project in ensuring the content is created and added to pages such that: • Proper page structure for headings is utilized to support common screen readers such as JAWS and braille keyboards • Content, applications/tools, and embedded elements are navigable in a logical manner and through a keyboard (Note: Sandbox cannot ensure that embedded tools can be navigated easily once the user enters the third -party tool) • Alternative text and labels are properly applied to media and form elements • Sandbox will provide a guide for writing accessible content which will provide best practices such as writing in simple language, structuring your content properly and spelling out acronyms on first use Note: Elgin County will be responsible for ensuring that content is written in an accessible manner and that all PDFs are in an accessible format before uploading to the website. IIIIV SANDBOX Page 71 of 120 21 Quality Assurance Testing Adheireince & WebsliteIlBest III°')urzcdc z ""'III""' zfliiing In advance of launch, Sandbox will test the new website to ensure it: v' Conforms to WK standards v' Contains no broken links v' Operates efficiently v' Meets accessibility standards Results of testing will be made available and provided to your team at the completion of the project. Cross ':: i ice III""'e zfiiing The new site will be built using Responsive Design best practices. This will ensure users of mobile devices and tablets have an easy -to -use experience with the site. We will ensure cross -device compatibility among the latest generation of mobile phones and tablets running the latest releases of the iPhone and Android operating systems as of the date of project approval. Cross Browser ""'III""' esding �.f' ung The new site will be built to operate seamlessly across web browsers. As part of our standard cross - browser compatibility policy we review our solutions in the latest full version releases of Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari as of the date of signing. Hosting Gouud-wllbased III °°°°Ill zfliiing With Airnazoin Web Se14ices aws Sandbox partners with Amazon Web Services with servers located at their Montreal data r centres to ensure an extremely high level of performance, up -time, and data storage within Canada through cloud -based hosting services. Sandbox manages the hosting services on behalf of our clients so there is only one point of contact. Benefits of hosting with AWS include: v' AWS is ISO 27001 and SOC1/2/3 certified v' AWS adheres to PIPEDA v' Your website will be encrypted using an SSL Certificate v' Sandbox's data handling policies will be reinforced v' Sandbox invites Elgin County to complete any threat risk or privacy impact assessment they wish to undertake on the solutions developed by Sandbox Software For more information, visit AWS' secuIr ity alad data II:aIrx)Vec'V:i )in ceirtfficatk)ins SANDBOX Page 72 of 120 22 '�Zdease Strategy When hosting with Sandbox, we monitor infrastructure requirements on an ongoing basis. All of our infrastructure is on the latest versions. When new releases come out, whether that be of PHP, Ubuntu, or more, we test it ourselves to, and then push the updates. As part of the maintenance and support package, four (4) hours per month will be used by our team to ensure security and platform/plugin updates are regularly performed. All updates will be handled by Sandbox. Badkup aind Iveir7 Strategy When hosting with Sandbox, your web product will be monitored both by AWS and Sandbox. Sandbox has a proven system of monitoring, and taking backups, which keep our sites running. Our backup strategy includes: Retaining 7 daily backups (last 7 days) Retaining 12 monthly backups Any outages to be communicated in advance (including upgrades, patches, and updates managed by Sandbox) With this strategy, Sandbox may restore and recover the site to any of the daily or monthly backups. l sding aind l inglihng liidoinau 11 Se14kes When hosting with Sandbox, there are varying hosting packages with a virtual private server (VPS), offering difference storage, transfer, and memory capacities. When hosting all of the County's sites in one ecosphere, being the VPS, all sites would be hosted and managed with ease. Sites that may be transferred onto the Sandbox Software infrastructure include: https�//www IIg1icourir tyra/ https�//www g1icourir tyra/II E)i—ary/ https�//www g1itourr1stcoirrn/ https°//www �:rrcrgresslveIl:ryn,:iturii-e coirrn/ Unlike shared hosting, a VPS allows for the County to increase storage capacities and hardware, as desired, which facilitates the County's growth as additional sites are launched and there is an overall increase of traffic on such sites. IIIIV SANDBOX Page 73 of 120 23 IIIIr °°°°° IIIII IIIIII Post -Launch Maintenance and Support Over the years, Sandbox has developed several comprehensive websites and intranets within the Word Press and Oasis Content Management Systems. Nearly all of them have post launch website maintenance and support programs in place. Hours for these monthly maintenance programs range based on our partners' inhouse capabilities and team size, website complexity/size, the number of web properties covered by their maintenance program, and their commitment to continuous development of their site(s). These maintenance programs range between 2 hours a month and 120 hours per month. In supporting these partners, Sandbox: • Monitors their site(s) for vulnerabilities and security breaches • Provides CMS and plugin updates and patches • Provides ongoing support for content publishers • Assists in building on new graphics, pages, and features/tools • Completes audits and reviews including accessibility reviews, SEO reviews and Google Analytics • Offers training services • Develops integrations with third -party platforms (including secured portals) • Provides managed hosting services through Amazon Web Services (including EC2 and Lightsail solutions — some of our partners also use CloudFlare as their CDN) To service these customers, Sandbox relies on its dedicated Help Desk team led by our Director of Web Services. The team includes three web developers who work on Word Press -related requests, and an Infrastructure and Security Specialist who assists in managing hosting and security of our clients' websites. To manage tickets, Sandbox uses the TeamWork Help Desk software suite, which provides our partners with full visibility into their requests. II he Saindbox'stgjl l urt aind I '" �� ul unteunune III'�uhg uh urrm To support clients in maintaining their websites Sandbox offers optional maintenance packages for post - launch support. Based on our experience, we propose a plan which includes up to 8 hours of service each month. Four (4) hours per month will be used by our team to ensure security and platform/plugin updates are regularly performed. Four (4) remaining hours can be used to support: v' Managing content management system updates v' Monthly accessibility review and enhancements v' Supporting the client in making updates to the site v' Suggesting ongoing recommendations to enhance the user experience v' Making changes and enhancements to your site (text, visual and/or interface changes) v' Developing additional features/functionality v' Providing real-time support to content editors (during business hours) v' Debugging and resolving issues identified post warranty v' Training (beyond initial session) to designated staff about use of the CMS v' If you do not use all your support time in a month, you can 'carry forward' the equivalent of 1 month's support time (i.e., 4 hours) to the next month. SANDBOX Page 74 of 120 24 G t d ing Support fir irn Ouiir III °°°°III III p I':: s IIIk Requesting support from our dedicated Help Desk team is quick and easy. Requests can be made by phone, email or directly through our support portal. All tickets are entered and managed in our TeamWork Desk ticket management solution. Further, Elgin County will also be provided with a secured portal account where they can monitor the progress of their support requests. Monthly status reports will also be issued as our formal means of keeping your team informed. These reports outline hours consumed, work completed, and the status of tickets in progress. kf ur-wIII°°°IIb uurs Curliidcai II Support Sandbox provides maintenance program partners with access to our 24/7/365 on -call phone number to obtain after hours support for critical issues such as a website outage. 14ii III evdII Agireeirneints It is anticipated that Help Desk inquiries will be responded to within 4 hours or less unless the inquiry is made to the After -Hours Critical Support Line. For each project/initiative requiring more than 6 development hours, a Scope of Work will be defined which will include the statement of work, associated pricing, timelines associated with deliverables, as well as the dependencies which Sandbox will require from your team to complete the work. For larger projects, thorough project plans with milestones will be established and used to define the Service Level Agreements. Every initiative, including pricing and SLA for those initiatives, will be authorized by Elgin County before work begins. in lii in f s aind I Ilin lii in f CZepoirts Should code developed by Sandbox be suspected of playing a role in an incident such as an outage or data breach, Sandbox will promptly investigate, identify the root cause of the incident, resolve/patch the root cause, restore service and issue a formal Incident Report. Our Incident Reports document the date/time of the incident, response time, resolution time, context information, root cause, resolution actions taken, preventative measures, and if appropriate and available, details of potentially breached data. un f 11K1 y IZepoirding Webslemrupport III°'I ur g ur irn Through Sandbox's TeamWork Desk platform, Elgin County will be kept informed of hours consumed against the ongoing design and development program, including a list of all tasks and their status. Upon ticket/task resolution, your team will be sent a link to provide feedback on that task. Data collected through this service is important in helping Sandbox as part of its ongoing efforts to continuously improve our service delivery and ongoing relationships. IIIIV SANDBOX Page 75 of 120 25 Training Services C intei t Mainageirneint Systeirn ""'III ""'ur liiunlihng Sandbox Software is committed to a successful transfer of capability to your site administrators and publishers. In achieving this goal, Sandbox will provide one comprehensive administrator training session for up to 6 participants. This is a 1-2 hour training session recommended for the core communications teams. The following topics, at a minimum, will be addressed: • Introduction to the CMS • Administrator tools • User management • Workflow management • Module management • CMS updates • Reports • Audit logs ice s s li II li III lil7 ""'III""' iira lii in lii in • Creating/modifying/removing pages and modules • Page layout management • Managing content components • File, image, and video management • Getting support from Sandbox Sandbox is committed to designing and developing websites that are accessible to all types of users, including those navigating with disabilities. We believe that everyone deserves equitable access to features and information regardless of how they navigate a website. We comply with the AODA and follow the latest standards set by W3C's WCAG. To ensure that your website can remain compliant at the required Level AA, we offer a 1-2 hour training session on content maintenance with our Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies. All sessions are developed and leg by Sandbox's Certified Professional, who is always learning about and keeping updated with the discourse surrounding accessibility. The following topics are covered during these accessibility training sessions: • The importance of accessibility and maintaining accessible website content • Types of assistive technology and/or tools used by different types of website visitors • How to write text alternatives for non -text content • Image alternative text • Video and audio transcripts and/or captions • Identifying colour contrast barriers • Maintaining compliant text and backgrounds • Animation and movement • Content readability and education level • Meaningful link and button text • Meaningful headings for navigation • The barriers of using layout tables For those who are unable to attend a synchronous training session with Sandbox's administrator, Sandbox will ensure that a Content Management System User Manual and a Custom "How To" Sheet, pertaining to the unique and custom features of the new site, will be developed and distributed to our clients. SANDBOX Page 76 of 120 26 �Ririirqiject The following is a tentative project schedule to highlight deliverables and milestones associated with projects of similar Estimated # of Weeks: 26 scope. A refined project schedule for all projects will be finalized in collaboration with your team at the onset of the project. II111;n SANDBOX Page 77 of 120 27 Sprint 1 content due Week 14 Sprint 1 content entry complete Week 15 Sprint 2 content due Week 16 Sprint 3 content entry complete Week 17 Development of the Core Website Framework Week 20 Content Entry Buffer and Development Buffer Week 21 Sandbox Audit of the Solution (Cross -browser and Cross -Device Compatibility, Broken Link Week 22 Checks, W3CAudit) Site Ready for Review by Stakeholders (Beta Review) Week 22 Change requests from Elgin County Week 23 Client Change Requests Made Week 24 Final Launch Deployment Approval Week 25 Deployment of the Site Week 26 Training Workshops TBD Warranty Support 90 Days from Final Launch *If Sandbox Software is hosting the site, Elgin County will have a limited role in these activities. IIIIV SANDBOX Page 78 of 120 28 1 Nkd owri Core Services & Deliverables Estimated Cost of Services $66,91080 $ 26,842.50 AmplifyingGoodDiscount(5%) $-].345.50 $ 1.34213 Total Estimated Cost of Services $ 63'564'50+HST $ 25'500'38+HST Estimated Cost of Services $12.8]080 $ 12.83080 Anrp/byingGoodDiscount (596) $641.50 $ 641.50 Total Estimated Cost of Services $ 12'Q30'00 $ 12'830'00 (includes discount + HST) Annual / Optional Fees VVondPressP|ugins(final number T8D) $50080/vear+HST Optional :Additiona| micoosite using template (10pages maximum) $2.500/each +HST Audddoina�� ���Iiddhng Notes • Pricing isinCanadian Dollars • Pricing is valid for 60days from issuance of this quote • HST applies to all of Sandbox's services Sandbox will issue invoices monthly in equal installments based on the total projectcos (minus 10%)and the estimated number ofmonths required todevelop the solution. 10%ofthe total project cost will be held back until launch ofthe website. Should the project be placed on hold at the client's request, invoicing will be paused starting in the month following the request toplace the project onho|d.|nvoidngviUvesumewhenthep jectisvestarted.Due to the cost incurred bvSandbox tostop and restart oproject once it is underway, should thisproject's progress behatted otany time for J0mmore days bvthe client, for any reason, urbvclient-related delays /nthe client's deliverables, oproject restart fee uf$2,500.00ur4%ufthe total project cost, whichever is greater, will bedue and payable immediately upon project restart. _BOX 11111, __­­­ F�29 @Q�7�Of��� Hosting, license, and support/maintenance fees would be billed separately, upon launch, and could be billed quarterly orannually atthe client's preference. Note- If the work �scancell1ledfor any ireasoioatthe cDeiot'mirequest,aDthme spent tothat date miUThe biUed.Payment !is due ^nirecei[tufinvuice.|meirestunuverdueaccounts wiUThe chargedata%permumh. �XC ��I Us ��� 0 Ins The following services/expenses are not included in the pricing provided in this proposal: • Copywriting • Translation services • Animation development services • Photography • Photo editing • Videogmphy • Any third -party screen reader service or license fees • Stock photos • Testing ofthe site with subjects who use assistivetechnologies daily • Travel costs (we anticipate all work to be done remotely for this project) • Third -party tool/software licenses Sandbox Software will, atnncost tnthe Elgin County, resolve any bug ovmissed requirement identified within 90 days of launch date. Sandbox Software does not warrant any bugs inthe core VVnnjPvess Content Management System nrplug-ins used. Requesting support under your Warranty is quick and easy. Simply contact our Help Desk through email, by phone or by placing a ticket through our Help Desk Portal. �= � �N NN�s NoNn S� If you have questions about our proposal, please contact us: Drew Edwards Director of Web Services dnew edwards@sandboxsoftwareoa (519)821-8866 150Wellington StE#101.Guelph, ONN1H085 Guelph, ON N1H085 All work for this project will be completed by Sandbox employees. ---­­, 30 iiiiX A Case St iiiii The following pages provide detailed case studies associated with projects that Sandbox believes will be helpful to Elgin County in evaluating Sandbox as a potential partner for their website design, redevelopment, and support needs. II111;n SANDBOX Page 81 of 120 31 H All Ubrarke's are opera from 100 aura to cM D pan today p'ruPa�9.uc Art Co mpetifiouu Kitchener Public Library (KPL) is a large library network in Kitchener, Ontario. The brand represents six locations across the Waterloo region. KPL required a newly redesigned modern mobile -friendly website in a new content management system. Their current site was outdated and developed in Drupal, making their site difficult to manage and update. They also wanted to have a more accessible and streamlined event listing better suited for a new CMS than just a third -party tool. The newly redesigned KPL website features an accessible modern look with iconography navigation on the home page. Other navigation tools such as accordions and tabs keep pages on the site from being cluttered and requiring more unnecessary scrolling. Library viewer can search anything in their entire catalogue based on ID. Now, pages like 'books' and 'award winners' much easier for them to build and maintain. This feature also works for their movies page. The events are in a column template with advanced search capabilities for users to find events within specific interests and categories. All KPL social media has been integrated seamlessly along with the library's extensive blog catalogue. The new site also features a live chat function for user support. Key Features: • Modern redesign • Carousel navigation tool • Text resizing tool • PDF printable pages • Event listing & calendar • Social media integration IIIIV SANDBOX Page 82 of 120 32 In 2019 the town established a new Strategic Plan focused on better serving the needs of its citizens, maximizing economic growth, attracting new residents and businesses, and promoting its strategic location and natural beauty. As part of meeting these objectives, Espanola mandated a full redesign of the current town website. The new www.c rlaanIla.ca leverages a custom, responsive design that reflects the Town's brand and is aimed at attracting new residents and businesses. The improved look and feel of the site allow for not only a streamlined user experience across a range of screen sizes, but improved access to public services and public domain information. This includes the Town Library, where users can access online resources, their Library account, the online catalogue and view the dedicated Library events calendar. Key Features: • Robust search capabilities • Communication tools for the public and administrators • Concierge Tool (alternative content access from primary navigation) • Social Media Integration 111111bSANDBOX Page 83 of 120 33 H A.w A-. 01°l l it l lM111112 Borrow LaGPp4M Library Pragr:amra & Evem s Community unity About SPIL >��1��a�7��i�i�i��pr��u����uu��' ..... .... ... ....r ..... ....u. �µ IiIJD I•C a , .� Whi'A' IlHapp�erdimwr� >4r Lwr.ir ii.x.iaa; �aarra, 1 L�MPirirs� �. Sandbox helped Barrie Public Library redesign their site with a user focused, simplified navigation structure that allowed patrons and staff to easily source the digital resources they needed across different devices. We delivered a contemporary, visually appealing design that highlighted a distinct homepage, simplified content presentation to reduce site 'busy-ness" and showcases the services available. With a user-friendly content management system, library staff may control the site and have the ability to keep the content current and fresh. The site now acts as a virtual branch, mirroring what the physical branch is trying to accomplish by connecting and enriching its local community and providing access to a wealth of information in the library and beyond. Key Features: • Custom Responsive Design • AODA and WCAG compliance • News & Events • Integration with CanadaHelps for Online Donations • Deep Search • Integration with Library Catalogue 111111bSANDBOX Page 84 of 120 34 IIIIII W IIIII ""t IIIIII irn o III IIIIII "From start to finish, Sandbox overdelivered! The Sandbox team worked closely with Municipal staff to understand our website objectives, our internal capacity, and long-term goals. The community consultation process was inclusive, earnest, and efficient. Sandbox found creative and efficient solutions to design an easy to navigate site within a tight Municipal budget. The after -care service program provided invaluable to support existing and onboarding staff, Sandbox builds websites, and in the process, supporting and lasting relationships." ............ Cheir ll Keininellll , Conninnuinity IlEcoii onniiiic Devellopinneint Officeir, „III'owin of I:Sp inoll "Halton Region engaged Sandbox to deliver a long-term implementation plan, effective and sustainable information architecture, and an exciting creative design for our next website which supports Halton's Digital Customer Access Strategy. We found Sandbox well organized, extremely knowledgeable, and well positioned for this project. They brought with them a vast library of tools, an engaging approach which allowed multiple stakeholders to provide input and were professional in their work. Together we developed a comprehensive long- term strategy, a compelling customer centric web site design, and a clear path to build a leading -edge Public -sector website." ...........Lorii Brown, Project Manager, H Iltoin Region "We found Sandbox well organized, extremely knowledgeable, and well positioned for this project. They brought with them a vast library of tools, an engaging approach which allowed multiple stakeholders to provide input and were professional in their work. Together we developed a comprehensive long- term strategy, a compelling customer centric website design, and a clear path to build a leading -edge public -sector website." ...........I Callyin Petit, Manager, Dfii iitall Conninnuiniic tiions, Hanniiiilltoin Heallth Sciences II111;n SANDBOX Page 85 of 120 35 'Website projects have many moving parts and it's important to work with an organization that understands the complexities, and the excitement, of developing unique, meaningful, and effective web and digital experiences. Sandbox was always responsive; they understood the big picture and all the little details that go into a successful project. They provided great input and insights and listened to the client's and audiences' needs. They were a great project partner, and I would work with them again in a heartbeat." ........... 1.odd III„each, 1T urunneir Illinteii inrm Coinninnuinications IIlAir, ctour, St. Joseph's III°� 4Illtllhm Centre 1" ur into "Sandbox has become a true partner on our team. Our timeline was short and our budget low, but the quality of work was high! Ongoing support has also been an important part of rolling out a new solution. The thoroughness and quick response in adapting our changes on deployment is also a credit to Sandbox's care in their customer's success." Bind Cireed, „III'eclhinfiicall Services Operations Manager "ITI N, WoirIld Vision finteirinatiion ll "Sandbox is good at explaining complex concepts to non -technical staff, has superb problem -solving skills and shows an uncanny ability to foresee a potential problem to prevent unexpected hurdles from delaying the project's implementation. The team is really well organized, and he was able to focus on the stated objectives of the project and prioritize every task necessary to accomplish the desired end result." ............ Whii t Kuirinfii win, Director of finfoirinnthan "IlFe hinollo y, Baptist SANDBOX Page 86 of 120 36 PROPOSAL: SSP-2308158 County of Elgin WEBSITE MIGRATION, HOSTING AND SUPPORT August 15, 2023 PREPARED FOR: Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services e: bmasschaele@elgin.ca Jennifer Ford Director of Financial Services/Treasurer' e: jford@elgin.ca County of Elgin AM 150 Welli Pu 01POINEINw iPu 0i OSAII County of Elgin, a municipality in Southwestern Ontario, is considering a web development partner to host and maintain several external facing websites as well as provide support on an as -needed basis. The County of Elgin is currently in the early stages of a redevelopment project that includes these web properties but requires these sites to remain functional and secure in the interim. Two of the sites are built in the Word Press CMS: II ���pwn:�`�`wvvvv.rellci Il Ir�c:c�� Ir���r.c:��` II ���pwn:�`�`wvvvv.rellci Il Ir�c:c�� Ir���r.c:��`II Il II�Ir� Ir�r�° Two of the sites are built in the Drupal CMS (version 7): Il���pwn:�`�`www.��lrc�cilr� wnwnll�rell��rlr����lrre.call„�n�` Sandbox is a full -service web development agency that builds, hosts, and maintains websites in Word Press and its proprietary content management system, Oasis. Sandbox also maintains several Drupal sites. Sandbox currently hosts and maintains the County of Elgin intranet, which was developed by Sandbox and launched in 2021. This migration project would leverage both the existing maintenance agreement and hosting environment to include the above sites, providing Elgin with cost savings and efficiencies, as well improved security of its web properties. Sandbox has extensive experience in web and hosting infrastructure security, and routinely updates its standard operating procedures with the latest developments in best practices of web security. As a smaller team, Sandbox is nimble and driven by achieving results. We are passionate and proud of the close, and long-term, relationships we build with our web and maintenance program partners. The team at Sandbox is grateful for the opportunity to provide County of Elgin with our proposal and we look forward to working together. Sincerely, Drew Edwards Director of Web Services Sandbox Software T4 SANDBOX Page 88 of 120 c11101P INEINw icu 0icO xu.. IIII IIIII IIIi IIIIIew: Saridbox Sollflltwaiae History and Structure With over 19 years of experience, Sandbox continues to bring technological expertise and a commitment to providing excellence in customer experience to its work. Our team provides targeted digital solutions that help our partners better communicate, gain efficiencies, overcome challenges and succeed in their marketplace. Our solutions are strategic — carefully thought through to meet your needs and requirements. Our engaging processes ensure that your project is on time and on budget. Our approach relies on small, focused teams that excel at building relationships, and we communicate in plain talk. We strive to be the last web development partner you will ever need. Sandbox Corporate Name Sandbox Software Solutions Inc. Company Structure Federally Incorporated (4 shareholders who are also team members) Office Location 150 Wellington St E #101, Guelph, ON N1 H 0135 Employees 23 — including a dedicated Help Desk/Support Team Incorporated May 4, 2004 Our Website l)ttpw,:Hwww.w,aii,)dll)c)xw,c)f wxlrre.c:a Social Media l)ttpw,:Hwww.twllttrelr.call„�n/Sxlr)dll)c)xSc)f Insurance Coverage $10M Commercial General Liability $21VI Professional Errors and Omissions Underwritten by Lloyd's of London T4 SANDBOX Page 89 of 120 Pu 01POINEINw iPu of OSAII Cb us oin Noind��Iirofit Woid< We are extremely proud of the work we do across sectors. At the same time, we are grounded by the rewarding projects we do to support our not -profit partners in amplifying the good they do in their communities using our tools and technologies. To further support good causes, Sandbox employees are encouraged to participate in ourAmpfifyingGood volunteerism program, that allows them to take two paid days off a year to support charities and non- profits focused on causes important to them. Capacities: Services and Skills Sandbox is a digital agency, providing a broad scope of services that includes: • Consulting on digital strategy and technologies • Discovery for digital projects, including survey research, key informant interviews, focus groups, advisory boards, environmental scans, community interactions and journey mapping • User experience and creative design • Digital project management • Implementation of web content management solutions (Word Press or Oasis) • Programming/coding for the web, software, and apps for mobile devices, leveraging coding languages such asjava and C#, scripting languages such as PHP, JavaScript and JQuery, and web standards such as HTML5 and CSS3 • Responsive and accessible web design/development • Ongoing support and maintenance through our dedicated Help Desk team • Hosting provision and management (for web -based solutions) with AWS 111T4 SANDBOX Page 90 of 120 r11101POINiEIN w irurcircrAII Your Tea m Sandbox would be proud to have the following team members support County of Elgin's website: Drew Edwards (Lead Contact) II"��tl irectollr of Web Seirvices He/Him Drew built his first website using clipart and HTML code in the 1990s and has been noodling around with various content management systems ever since. Ajournalist by training, Drew spent two decades as an award -winning reporter and editor before shifting his focus to digital projects. With plenty of experience with the creative process, Drew also enjoys the technical challenges and analysis involved with building truly great sites. Project Roles Drew will act as your liaison throughout the relationship between County of Elgin and Sandbox. His primary focus will be keeping your team educated and well informed while ensuring our execution team(s) are meeting timelines and deadlines associated with your maintenance program. Drew takes a collaborative and energetic approach to working with clients, taking them through every phase of the process to successfully execute their vision. Sample Project Experience: Mackenzie Health, Mackenzie Health Foundation, Scarborough Health Network, Scarborough Health Network Foundation, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, 4H Ontario, Unity Health Toronto (Intranet and website), Sherbourne Health Brenden Demetroff I°Ielllp 1)esk SLflppoirt °"tealii m Illeab Nellr "'III & 2 He/Him Brenden graduated from the Computer Programmer Analyst program at Durham College in 2018. Since graduation, and beforejoining Sandbox, he worked in the health care and education fields as a web developer. Brenden started in first tier support, assisting our WordPress partners, before becoming the Support Team Lead. Brenden has been using and experimenting with computers since his first computer at age 6. Project Roles Brenden will manage the upgrades to County of Elgin's WordPress or Oasis site, and support in the coordination of help desk tickets submitted by County of Elgin. He will also ensure all monthly reporting is properly managed and provided to County of Elgin. T4 SANDBOX 11111bPage 91 of 120 r11101rOINEINw irurvirvrAII Sample Support Program Experience: St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton Health Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, 4-H Ontario, Mackenzie Health and Kitchener Public Library. Mark George tealll iniicalll Illead hinfirastirLiCtUire aumd SeCUirity Specialist He/Him Mark holds a B.Sc. in Computing and Information Science from the University of Guelph. He is highly skilled in web application development, server setup and maintenance, database, database architecture and development, integrated systems, web -based graphical user interface development, requirements gathering and management, technical support and e- commerce. He makes use of programming languages including Java, J2EE, and PHP and is highly capable with CSS, HTML, JavaScript, AJAX, XML, XSLT, JQuery and Terminal Services. He is experienced with databases in MySQL, SQL Server. He is also well versed in configuring and hardening AWS web hosting environments. Project Roles Mark will support the Sandbox team in meeting with technical team members from County of Elgin and assist in the development of requirements associated with technical infrastructure. Sample Project Experience: St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton Health Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, 4-H Ontario, Deafblind Network of Ontario in partnership with Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS). Matt Graham ll..ead Web I1)evelllopelur He/Him Matt is a brilliant web developer who started programing in high school. He never had any doubt that he was going into web development. He graduated from multimedia design at Durham College and over the past 14 years he has gone back and forth between Intranet development and web app development. Sandbox is lucky to have him on the team. Being a natural born griller, don't turn Matt down if he's inviting you to a summer BBQ. Don't be surprised if the music is perfect at the BBQ either as he also mixes audio in his spare time. Project Roles Matt will support the Help Desk team of developers with larger initiatives and more complex deliverables such as API integration. Matt will lead developers responsible for the technical implementation aspects of your larger projects T4 SANDBOX 11111 Page 92 of 120 Pu 01POINEINw iPu 0i OSAII and services along with leading quality assurance testing. Sample Project Experience: Women's College Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and Sherbourne Health. Meg Harding Accessibility allnd Quality ll..ead She/They Meg joined the team at Sandbox in 2017 and loves what the tech industry has to offer. She started as a production associate, assisting with the implementation and testing of several web solutions. In 2020, she moved into a Project Management role. In 2022, Meg shifted roles to head accessibility initiatives and coordinate quality assurance across the web team. Meg is an IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) and has a passion for creating inclusive online spaces. They believe that everyone should be able to enjoy a website regardless of how that site is accessed, navigated, or perceived. Project Roles Meg will assist in evaluating work completed on the website and will play a critical role in making recommendations associated with user experience and accessibility. Meg will assist in training efforts. Sample Project Experience: Project Support and/or Quality Assurance associated with web solutions for: Women's College Hospital, Kitchener Public Library, Hamilton Health Sciences, Conservation Halton, Guelph Police Association, Southwestern Public Health, World Vision International, and more. i,- Over the years, Sandbox has developed several comprehensive websites within the Word Press content management system (CMS.) Nearly all of them have post launch website maintenance and support programs in place. Hours for these monthly maintenance programs vary based on our partners' inhouse capabilities and team size, website complexity/size, the number of web properties covered by their maintenance program, and their commitment to continuous development of their site(s). These maintenance programs range between 2 hours a month and 120 hours per month. In supporting these partners, Sandbox: • Monitors their site(s) for vulnerabilities and security breaches • Provides CMS and plugin updates and patches T4 SANDBOX Page 93 of 120 c11101P INEINw ic11101P SAII • Provides ongoing support for content publishers • Assists in building on new graphics, pages, and features/tools • Completes audits and reviews including accessibility reviews, SEO reviews and Google Analytics • Offers training services • Develops integrations with third -party platforms (including secured portals) • Provides managed hosting services through Amazon Web Services (including EC2 and Lightsail solutions — some of our partners also use CloudFlare as their CDN) To services these customers, Sandbox relies on its dedicated Help Desk team led by our Director of Web Services. The team includes three web developers who work on Word Press- related requests, and an Infrastructure and Security Specialist who assists in managing hosting and security of our clients' websites. To manage tickets, Sandbox uses the TeamWork Help Desk software suite, which provides our partners with full visibility into their requests. Example Partners Institutional Sites — Website Development + Ongoing Maintenance and Support Sandbox has built the following websites and maintains ongoing relationships with these partners through their maintenance programs: • Ecojustice: • Conservation Halton: • Rainbow Health Ontario: • Kitchener Public Library: II �����wn://www.Ilc��Il.c�Irci/ • Unity Health Toronto: • Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre: • Oak Valley Health: Il�����wn://www.c��Ilc��Illlce�rll�ce�Il�ll�.c:�/ • 4H-Ontario: • Hamilton Health Sciences: Il�����wn:�`�`www.11��ll„�nllll�c�lr�ll��e�ll�ll"�wnc:ll�elr���eCn.c:��` • St. Joseph's Health System: • Scarborough Health Network: • Women's College Hospital: Il�����wn://www.wc�lr�ncelr�wnc:c�llllcecicell�c�wn��ll��Il.c:�/ • St. Mary's General Hospital: • UHN Diabetes College: 1)tt�)w-,/Hwww.dalal)cetcew,c:c)Illl ecie.c:a/ Institutional Microsites and Related Organizational Websites • Glen Eden: Il�����wn://cillcelr�cecicelr�.c�lr�.c:�/ • SHN Foundation: • Centre for Minimal Access Surgery: • Ontario Bariatric Network: Il�����wn://www.c�Ir���Irllc�Il��Irll��lrllc:lr�ce�wc�Irllc.c:�/ • RVH Foundation: Il�����wn://www.11ccecn��Illl�cewllllci.c:�/ • The Boris Clinic: II�����wn://www.11�c�lrllwnc Illllr�llc:.c:�/ • I'm Ready — HIV Self -Test Kits: I)tt��)w,:Hii-ceadytc)Ilclr)cw.c:a/ • Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative: Il�����wn://www.11�cell�Ilc�Ir��ci�.cc�Il„�n/ T4 SANDBOX 8 Page 94 of 120 • Canadian Critical Care Trials Group: • McMaster Children's Hospital: Il�����wn:�`�`www.11��ll„�nllll�c�lr�ll�ce�ll�ll�wncllcelr�cceCn.c��`r�nc:r�n�wn�ce Ir-cll�llllclu�cell�wn ll�c�wnpll��ll/ • SHN Foundation Campaign: Il ���pwn://www.11c��rceCnc:� Irll�c�lrc�� till �.c:�/ • Centre for Surgical Invention & Innovation: )t4)s://www.c sJ Ilea/ • Mackenzie Health Foundation: Il���pwn://www.Ir�n�c:llccelr�llcell�ce�Il�ll�.c:�/wn�ppc�u t-us/foui dafior) County of Elgin: What You'll Get at a Glance Sandbox will provide both the services and technologies needed for your website project to succeed including: • Coordination with the County of Elgin website redevelopment task force and IT teams to facilitate the transfer of the following websites from their infrastructure to the Sandbox Software infrastructure: Il ���pwn://www.cellci Il Ir�c:c�� Ir��)r.c:�/ • Il ���pwn://www. ce II ci Il Ire c:c�� Ir���r. c:�/II Il Il �lr� Ir�r/ Il���pwn://www.��Irc�cilrceCnwnll�cell��rlr����Irce.cc�Il„�n/ Launch of a new development environment on the Sandbox Software infrastructure • Installation of the four County of Elgin sites and updates where warranted / possible • Testing and Quality Assurance of the sites • Deployment of the sites to County of Elgin's Sandbox -based production environment • Support in repointing the County of Elgin domain to the Sandbox production environment • Post -launch checks • Project planning and account management Post -Launch Support Couddbased II l o f lii lin g wlif h Airnazoin Web Se14kes aws Sandbox partners with Amazon Web Services with servers located at their Montreal data centres to ensure an extremely high level of performance, up -time, and data storage within Canada through cloud -based hosting services. In this scenario, Sandbox manages the hosting services on behalf of our clients so there is only one point of contact. Benefits of hosting with AWS include: AWS is ISO 27001 and SOC1/2/3 certified AWS adheres to PIPEDA Your website will be encrypted using an SSL Certificate Sandbox's data handling policies will be reinforced Sandbox invites County of Elgin to complete any threat risk or privacy impact assessment they wish to undertake on the solutions developed by Sandbox Software T4 SANDBOX 9 Page 95 of 120 Pu 01POINEINw iPu of o au.. For more information, visit S' secui,JLy ai,icl claLa pr°ouecfiolru c eul ffiiic aLlolris. II lie Saindbox Support aind NUhi teinainIII°Tiro it irn To support clients in maintaining their websites Sandbox offers maintenance packages for post -launch support. County of Elgin currently has a four-hour maintenance plan to support the intranet and, based on our experience, we propose expanding that plan to include up to 8 hours of service each month to cover the additional four sites. Four (4) hours per month will be used by our team to ensure security and platform/plugin updates are regularly performed. Four (4) remaining hours can be used to support: Managing Content Management System updates Monthly accessibility review and enhancements Supporting the client in making updates to the site Suggesting ongoing recommendations to enhance the user experience Making changes and enhancements to your site (text, visual and/or interface changes) Developing additional features/functionality Providing real-time support to content editors (during business hours) Debugging and resolving issues identified post warranty Training (beyond initial session) to designated staff about use of the CMS If you do not use all your support time in a month, you can 'carry forward' the equivalent of 1 month's support time (i.e., 4 hours) to the next month. Secuidly pIlro o 6 Security is a primary focus at Sandbox and we provide ongoing system monitoring (performance and security) on an ongoing basis under our managed hosting and support/maintenance programs. In guiding security best practices, including monitoring, Sandbox's security framework is defined through several policies, templates and standard operating procedures: 1. Company Employment Policies (associated with securing data) a. Confidentiality and Non -Disclosure b. Mobile Device Usage Policy c. Work from Home Policy d. Data Classification and Handling Policy e. Secure Development 2. A collection of policies and Standard Operating Procedures including but not limited to: a. SOP Development and Training b. Setting up a New Employee c. Securing Development and Test Sites d. Linux Server Setup and Hardening e. AWS EC2 Tomcat Template — New Server Setup f. Security Assessments g. Vulnerability Scanning and Flaw Remediation h. System Monitoring and Alerts i. Server and Site Triage Process j. Incident Responses and Disaster Recovery T4 SANDBOX W Page 96 of 120 Pu 01POINEINw iPu 0i OSAII k. Password Management I. Configuration Management m. Remote Access n. 2FA Setup for Word Press o. Monthly Maintenance Clinic Process p. AWS EC2 Security Group Whitelist IP q. Server Checklists and Maintenance r. Guelph Office Internal Monitoring and Response s. Word Press Launch t. Server Access 3. RACI tables that define employee responsibilities and accountabilities responsibilities 4. Training of new employees and re-training of existing employees on Standard Operating Procedures 5. Annual employee reviews of OWASP guidelines Getting Support furoulr°m Ouiir IIP°°°III III p I,,)esIk Requesting support from our dedicated Help Desk team is quick and easy. Requests can be made by phone, email or directly through our support portal. All tickets are entered and managed in our TeamWork Desk ticket management solution. Further, the County of Elgin will also be provided with a secured portal account where they can monitor the progress of their support requests. Monthly status reports will also be issued as our formal means of keeping County of Elgin's team informed. These reports outline hours consumed, work completed, and the status of tickets in progress. ft Ilr dh IIbuirs CiddcaIII Support Sandbox provides maintenance program partners with access to our 24/7/365 on -call phone number to obtain after hours support for critical issues such as a website outage. It is anticipated that help desk inquiries will be responded to within 4 hours or less unless the inquiry is made to the After -Hours Critical Support Line. For each project/initiative requiring more than 4 development hours, a Scope of Work will be defined which will include the statement of work, associated pricing, timelines associated with deliverables, as well as the dependencies which Sandbox will require from County of Elgin in order to complete the work as planned. For larger projects, thorough project plans with milestones will be established and used to define the Service Level Agreements. Every initiative, including pricing and SLA for those initiatives, will be authorized by County of Elgin before work begins. T4 SANDBOX Page 97 of 120 hinddeints aind hinddeint CZq ollrt Should code developed by Sandbox be suspected of playing a role in an incident such as an outage or data breach, Sandbox will promptly investigate, identify the root cause of the incident, resolve/patch the root cause, restore service, and issue a formal Incident Report. Our Incident Reports document the date/time of the incident, response time, resolution time, context information, root cause, resolution actions taken, preventative measures, and if appropriate and available, details of potentially breached data. l' oun lKIII'Zq ollrdiling Webslle Support III°Iirogir irn Through Sandbox's TeamWork Desk platform, County of Elgin will be kept informed of hours consumed against the ongoing design and development program, including a list of all tasks and their status. Upon ticket/task resolution, County of Elgin will be sent a link to provide feedback on that task. Data collected through this service is important in helping Sandbox as part of its ongoing efforts to continuously improve our service delivery and ongoing relationships. SandboxMilestone . - -. Finalizing the Agreement (Contract) Week 0 Coordination with task force and County of Elgin IT on Week 1 gaining access to sites Deployment of the development environment Week 2 Installation of the County of Elgin website Week (Ilupwn: www.rellcilllruc:c�lrur.c:u/) WorPress d Sandbox fixes and testing Week 2 Site Ready for Review by County of Elgin (Beta Review) Week 3 Deployment Approval from County of Elgin Week 3 Deployment of the Site to production Week 3 Installation of the County of Elgin Library website Week 4 (https� //www. Ilgiincou intyca/Ilill[)i- i-y/) Word Press Sandbox fixes and testing Week 4 T4 SANDBOX �2 Page 98 of 120 P11101POIN EINT P11101POSAII Site Ready for Review by County of Elgin (Beta Review) Week 5 Deployment Approval from County of Elgin Week 5 Deployment of the Site to production Week 5 Installation of the County of Elgin Tourist website (Drupal 7) Week 6 Sandbox fixes and testing Week 6 Site Ready for Review by County of Elgin (Beta Review) Week 7 Deployment Approval from County of Elgin Week 7 Deployment of the Site to production Week 7 Installation of the County of Elgin Tourist website (https�//www 6glintoui1st coinr /) (Drupal 7) Week 8 Sandbox fixes and testing Week 8 Site Ready for Review by County of Elgin (Beta Review) Week 9 Deployment Approval from County of Elgin Week 9 Deployment of the Site to production Week 9 �Budgellt Core Services & Deliverables Migration of four sites to Sandbox infrastructure, updates where possible* $4,800.00+HST *Only hours consumed will be billed. Current Annual Fees Hosting for Intranet (Virtual Private Server) $4,235.00/year T4 SANDBOX U, 111110 ....... Page 99 of 120 rnoromcmrrnorosAII Support and Maintenance Program $5J60.00/ye r Oasis Intranet Licencing $7.500.00/vear Sub total $17.495.00/vear HST $2.274]5/year Total $19'769'35/yeer Proposed A� . �0C�����^� ^^00��n Fees " Hosting of|ntmnets plus four public sites (Virtual Private Served $5,095.00/vear Support and Maintenance Program (8hours per month) $11.520.00/vear Oasis Intranet Licencing $7.500.00/vear Sub total $24.115.00/vear HST $].1]4.95/year Total $27'249'95/yeer ��Iiddhng Notes * Support and Maintenance program can be billed quarterly or annually at the client's preference. Hosting isbilled annually inadvance ofservice. * All work will be invoiced upon completion of the work * Payment is due on receipt of invoice. * Overdue accounts will be charged 2% interest per month. * If the work is cancelled for any reason at the client's request, all time spent to that date will be billed. • Pricing on this Work Request is valid for 60 days. QN Ne�� �� � NNis? If you have questions about our proposal, please contact us: Drew Edwards �T4 W �»���� Page 100Of120 rnoromcmrrnorosAII Director ofWeb Services 150Wellington 5tE#101.Guelph, ONN1H085 Guelph, ON N1H085 www.sandbousofhware.ca T4 �s �»���� Page 101Of120 1 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL ���nm.«� FROM: Mike Hoogstra, uuim ����a p,, � Manager of Procurement & Risk Elgin,,,,,,,DATE: September 15, 2023 roglre',s'° ive by Nature, SUBJECT: Ambulance Vehicle Replacements — 2023 & 2024 RECOMMENDATIONS: THAT the September 15, 2023, report titled, Ambulance Vehicle Replacements — 2023 & 2024, submitted by the Manager of Procurement be received; and, THAT the Manager of Procurement & Risk be authorized to issue a purchase order to Crestline Coach Ltd., for two ambulances to be purchased in 2023, at the quoted price of $524,708, plus applicable taxes, as approved in the 2023 Capital Budget; and, THAT staff be authorized to purchase two ambulances in 2024 from Crestline Coach Ltd., subject to capital budget approval and sufficient funding; and, THAT two ambulances each be declared surplus in 2023 and 2024 and be disposed of according to the Asset Disposal Policy. INTRODUCTION: The County of Elgin currently has an ambulance fleet consisting of twelve (12) ambulances and two (2) emergency response vehicles. This report will concentrate on the ambulance fleet replacements scheduled for 2023 and 2024. DISCUSSION: County Council previously awarded contracts to Crestline to supply ambulances for the period of 2014-2017 and again from 2018-2020 using a competitive RFP process. During the last RFP process, only one proposal was received from Crestline. In 2021, Council approved a sole source request from staff, based on the same reasons indicated in this report, to purchase ambulances in 2021 and 2022. In Ontario, the Emergency Health Regulatory and Accountability Branch of the Ministry of Health regulates ambulance vehicle use to specific standards and requires that manufacturers be certified. At the present time there are only two (2) manufacturers certified for Type 3 ambulances, Crestline Coach and Demers Ambulance. In late 2018, Page 102 of 120 K Demers Ambulances acquired Crestline Coach and this acquisition resulted in only one company certified to provide Type 3 ambulances in Ontario. Staff reached out again to other municipalities to discuss their procurement strategies due to the absence of competition. Most municipalities are currently sole sourcing with either Crestline or Demers, depending on their fleet. All ambulances in the County's fleet were manufactured by Crestline. Given the reasons noted above, staff are recommending that the County sole source the supply of ambulances to Crestline for a two-year period. The County's Purchasing Policy allows for sole sourcing when the goods/services are available from only one supplier by reason of a statutory or market -based monopoly (section 4.7b). FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Pricing for ambulance vehicles and equipment continues to increase at or above the current rate of inflation. Current pricing received is detailed below: Qty Description Unit Price Extended Price 2 GM 3500 - FleetMax Type 3 Ambulance with Power Load Lifting System $262,354 $524,708 2 Stryker Stair Chair* $3,269 $6,538 2 Stryker Power Stretcher (Cot)* $21,829 $43,658 Net HST (1.76%): $10,119 Total Cost: $585,023 The County's approved 2023 capital budget includes $569,673 for the replacement of two ambulances and related equipment. The total cost is $585,023, resulting is a project deficit of approximately $15,350. Funds realized from the sale of the existing ambulances will be returned to the EMS capital budget to offset the budget shortfall. It should be noted that these funds will require a carry forward due to the current delivery date of December 2024. For Council's information, the 2023 ambulance cost is approximately 6.5% higher than the 2022 purchase. * Stair chair and power stretcher purchased directly from the manufacturer and no longer through Crestline. Page 103 of 120 191 ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: Serving Elgin ® Ensuring alignment of current programs and services with community need. ❑ Exploring different ways of addressing community need. ❑ Engaging with our community and other stakeholders. Growing Elgin ❑ Planning for and facilitating commercial, industrial, residential, and agricultural growth ❑ Fostering a healthy environment. ® Enhancing quality of place. LOCAL MUNICIPAL PARTNER IMPACT: No Local Municipal Partner impact. COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS: No communication requirements. CONCLUSION: Investing in Elgin ® Ensuring we have the necessary tools, resources, and infrastructure to deliver programs and services now and in the future. ® Delivering mandated programs and services efficiently and effectively. The purchase of two (2) ambulances per year ensures that the fleet is refreshed every six (6) years. Given the market conditions in the Ontario ambulance industry, it is recommended that the purchase of ambulances for 2023 and 2024 be sole sourced to Crestline. The ambulance vehicles being purchased will meet the needs for Elgin -St. Thomas EMS and will be identical to the new ambulances received earlier this month. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Mike Hoogstra Manager of Procurement & Risk Jennifer Ford Director of Financial Services/Treasurer Approved for Submission Don Shropshire Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk Page 104 of 120 1 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL ��nm.� FROM: Ryan Terpstra, Manager of Corporate uuim� ��wa i& 0001Facilities n; Mike Hoogstra, Manager of Procurement & roglre,ssi ve Py Nature, Risk DATE: September 19, 2023 SUBJECT: Natural Gas Standby Power Generators (POA Courthouse and EMS Headquarters) [Tender No. 2023-T34] - Tender Award RECOMMENDATIONS: THAT Clark-Haasen Electric be selected to complete the installation of Natural Gas Standby Power Generators at the POA Courthouse and EMS Headquarters, Tender No. 2023-T34 at a total price of $258,300.00 exclusive of H.S.T.; and, THAT the Warden and Chief Administrative Officer be authorized to sign the contract. INTRODUCTION: As part of the 2023 Capital Budget, tenders were advertised and issued as per the County's Procurement Policy for the supply of all labour, equipment and materials for new Natural Gas Standby Power Generators for the Provincial Offences Administration (POA) Courthouse and for Elgin -St. Thomas EMS Headquarters on Edward Street. A tender was issued earlier this year however it was cancelled due to only one bid being received and the bid was higher than the approved capital budget. Staff worked to revise the specifications and scope of work and re -issued the revised tender on August 22, 2023. DISCUSSION: A total of nine (9) contractors downloaded tender documents for this project from the ounty's bidding system ii �h^„�, „�i�i� �„�„p,s. Three (3) contractors submitted electronic bids for this tender which closed on September 15, 2023. Bids were received as follows: Company Bid Price (exclusive of HST) Clark-Haasen Electric $258,300.00 Page 105 of 120 K Dielco Electric Ltd. $300,700.00 ComTrade Electrical Contractors $370,400.00 Clark-Haasen Electric submitted the lowest compliant bid for the project at a total price of $258,300.00 exclusive of HST. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The following summary of projected estimated costs is provided for review and will be confirmed throughout the project: Tender Value $ 258,300.00 Net HST (1.76%) $ 4,546.08 Total Projected Costs $ 262,846.08 Combined 2023 Capital Budget Allocations' $ 361,278.00 Forecast Budget Surplus/(Deficit) $ 98,431.92 ' Cumulative budget allocations for POA & EMS Generator capital projects. ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: Serving Elgin ® Ensuring alignment of current programs and services with community need. ❑ Exploring different ways of addressing community need. ❑ Engaging with our community and other stakeholders. Growing Elgin ❑ Planning for and facilitating commercial, industrial, residential, and agricultural growth. ❑ Fostering a healthy environment. ❑ Enhancing quality of place. LOCAL MUNICIPAL PARTNER IMPACT: None Investing in Elgin ® Ensuring we have the necessary tools, resources, and infrastructure to deliver programs and services now and in the future. ® Delivering mandated programs and services efficiently and effectively. Page 106 of 120 191 COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS: None CONCLUSION: A revised tender was issued for the installation of a new generators for the Provincial Offences Administration (POA) Courthouse and for Elgin -St. Thomas EMS Headquarters. Clark-Haasen Electric is the recommended contractor to complete the work. Due to current supply chain issues, the commissioning of both generators is anticipated to be achieved by September 2024. As per the County of Elgin's Purchasing Policy, if change orders are required and the cost increases above the tender amount approved by Council by less than 10%, and the amount is within the overall budgeted project amount, work will proceed upon authorization by the Director. However, if the cost increases above the tender amount approved by Council by more than 10%, the Director will prepare a further report to Council outlining the expenditures. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Ryan Terpstra Manager of Corporate Facilities Mike Hoogstra Manager of Procurement & Risk Peter Dutchak Acting Director, Engineering Services Approved for Submission Don Shropshire Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk Page 107 of 120 .gn RECOMMENDATION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Carolyn Krahn, Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Strategic Initiatives DATE: September 19, 2023 SUBJECT: Request for Support — Elgin Business Resource Centre for "The Pitch" THAT Elgin County Economic Development sponsor the Elgin Business Resource Centre's annual business competition "The Pitch" in the amount of $1,000. INTRODUCTION: "The Pitch" is an annual Dragons' Den -Style business plan competition hosted by the Elgin Business Resource Centre (EBRC). The Pitch features five (5) local businesses or aspiring entrepreneurs who compete for a grand prize package, including cash and in - kind prizes, to support their ventures. The competition is open to businesses in Elgin County and St. Thomas. Applicants must submit their business plans to the EBRC, and the plans are reviewed and evaluated by staff who select the finalists. BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION: The competition features five (5) finalists, who present their business plans to a live audience and field questions from a panel of four (4) judges. The grand prize winner is determined through voting by the judges. The competition takes place live and welcomes a diverse audience, including EBRC staff, Board of Directors, local businesses, the general public, media representatives, and family and friends of the finalists. Finalists are tasked with delivering presentations and crafting a one -page executive summary for the judges. Prizes, including cash and in -kind contributions, are awarded to the grand prize winner and the remaining four (4) finalists, with the specifics of the prize package disclosed at the finale, alongside the names of the sponsors. Page 108 of 120 rasa winners are: 2 2015 Sarah Foshay, Smart Dental Hygiene (Aylmer) 2016 Ryan and Krista Harris, Century Chocolates (West Lorne) 2017 Jane and Chuck Magri, Wildflowers Tea (Central Elgin) 2018 Doris and Gabriel Chordekar, Shebaz's Shawarma (Central Elgin) 2019 Maria Fiallos Castillo, Streamliners Espresso Bar (St. Thomas) TimberNook Elgin (Southwold) 2022 Markus Hawco, The Ice Box (St. Thomas) 2023 Tanya Buttinger, Dogs on 3 (Southwold) "The Pitch" returns on Wednesday January 24, 2024 for its 8t" annual event. The EBRC is seeking support from sponsors to help with the prize package. Elgin County Economic Development has supported this event in the past with a contribution of $1,000 towards the prize package. The EBRC's goal this year is to raise $35,000 ($25,000 cash; $10,000 in -kind) for the prize package. The Sponsorship Proposal Package is attached to this report. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Economic Development has a budget for special events and projects, and the event sponsorship would be contained as part of this budget. ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: Serving Elgin ® Ensuring alignment of current programs and services with community need. ® Exploring different ways of addressing community need. ® Engaging with our community and other stakeholders. Growing Elgin ® Planning for and facilitating commercial, industrial, residential, and agricultural growth ❑ Fostering a healthy environment. ❑ Enhancing quality of place. Investing in Elgin ❑ Ensuring we have the necessary tools, resources, and infrastructure to deliver programs and services now and in the future. ❑ Delivering mandated programs and services efficiently and effectively. Additional Comments: The Elgin County Economic Development and Tourism Strategy also identifies leveraging current partnerships and building new partnerships to promote sustainable economic growth in Elgin County as a priority. Page 109 of 120 3 LOCAL MUNICIPAL PARTNER IMPACT: "The Pitch" is open to businesses in all Local Municipalities, and six (6) winners in the past seven (7) years have been from the County. COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS: Elgin County Economic Development will help promote the competition to the local entrepreneurs. CONCLUSION: "The Pitch" is a great opportunity for businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in Elgin County and St. Thomas to expand their businesses. It is a platform where innovation meets exposure, and the competition not only assists businesses in developing their plans but also provides a stage for them to gain invaluable exposure. "The Pitch" has a proven track record of empowering local entrepreneurs, as seen in the success stories of past winners. To learn more about this competition, visit II Puy "IiiV:�,:rlPu II: «.,u^ ,liir.u� , �,^ II "Ile �ir.0 p �':::@ ,;�ir.uiV:� ^ ,iV and explore the achievements of last ear's winner, Dogs 3 at II:::: ,:�¢,:, ^ ,�ir.0 "^ .................................... t, p Y g ............... i........................................... All of which is Respectfully Submitted Carolyn Krahn Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Strategic Initiatives Approved for Submission Don Shropshire Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk Page 110 of 120 uuuuIlff uuuoW/ C uulrfJ rr IIIII r r ri ri umwrrC r rra rr�a taliw iw IIIII w ou IIIIIrri(".'(! fi,�, �iij, r p �i fi,�, �i fi,�, /f� «I(r riij. //. rr �irii rrrp. V pj. r p. rr rirj.�, ��iomrq �� ,%/G, i�iomrq i�iomrq uuuul(/`r rv������ II �JJ//�/�, � a,%/Gr I�I I�I �. �JJ �� ml(((r` ���imrr//aaa "Jirmai IIIII IIIII avrvi: �lirma�i� 'lirmai ���irr, ;u,: IIIII rrrAl//a IIIII ��� IIIII i� avriH' ���lun, IIIII ���liim rrrAl//a IIIII Your opportunity to build local business together! T h //////� 1111111111111111JJJ1)l�j///// »J»1101 uuuuuuuu»»J 1JJ1 o �llJDll,, ��i�ia/ll r , The Pitch Returns Wednesday, January 24, 2024! Important Dates: October 31, 2023 - Business Plan submissions due November 30, 2023 - Finalists selected January 24, 2024 - The Pitch Finale - Live & In -Person The Pitch is an annual business plan event to showcase Elgin County businesses or business idea for a chance to win '°°°°°"`�������M a grand prize package of cash and in -kind prizes. -. I, A 3 For a list of past winners and recording of The Pitch 2023, visit our ........JI. . ... .......jii.:....... .:. ELGIN A Community FUtUres Development Corporation I�i��UumON SO I'll 11 P EVE mUiuUUuquUim mUiuUUuquUim Help us help entrepreneurs! Be part of the 8th annual The Pitch where Elgin County entrepreneurs pitch their business plan to a panel of judges to win cash & in -kind prizes ALL generously donated by people and businesses like YOU! ELGIN BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTRE A Community Futures Devclopment Corporation .gn RECOMMENDATIONS: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Carolyn Krahn, Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Strategic Initiatives DATE: September 5, 2023 SUBJECT: Request for Support — Young Entrepreneurs Initiative THAT Elgin County Economic Development sponsor the Young Entrepreneurs Initiative in the amount of $1,000. INTRODUCTION: The Elgin St. Thomas Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC), funded by Elgin County, the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation, and the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, offers a team of business advisors providing valuable support, resources, business counseling, loans, and youth -focused programs like Summer Company and Starter Company Plus to small businesses in the region. BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION: This year, SBEC launched the Young Entrepreneurs Initiative (YEI), a dynamic group focused on supporting and connecting entrepreneurs under the age of 40 in Elgin County and St. Thomas. Recently, they hosted an event in West Elgin and have officially partnered with the St. Thomas Chamber of Commerce, making YEI a committee of the Chamber. With two successful events already, YEI has engaged with over 150 young entrepreneurs in the region. Their primary goal is to organize quarterly gatherings where young entrepreneurs can network, learn, and collaborate. These events provide a platform for founders and aspiring business owners to connect, share experiences, and gain insights from successful local business leaders. In order to continue building momentum for this group, SBEC is seeking a small number of sponsors at $1,000 that will support the group for the entire year. Sponsorships will go towards hosting their quarterly events with 50-100 young entrepreneurs attending each event and all of the funds will be spent sourcing from and showcasing young entrepreneurs. Page 113 of 120 2 Sponsorship benefits include the following- 1 . Marketing at all YEI events and on -site branding at the event. 2. Standing invitation for representatives from sponsor to attend YEI events (including those over 40). 3. Opportunity for representative from the sponsor organization to speak at one of our YEI events. 4. Dedicated GreenMail promotion from the St. Thomas Chamber of Commerce. 5. Social Media Recognition on official St. Thomas Chamber of Commerce accounts. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Economic Development has a budget for special events and projects, and the event sponsorship would be contained as part of this budget. ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: Serving Elgin ® Ensuring alignment of current programs and services with community need. ® Exploring different ways of addressing community need. ® Engaging with our community and other stakeholders. Growing Elgin ® Planning for and facilitating commercial, industrial, residential, and agricultural growth. ❑ Fostering a healthy environment. ❑ Enhancing quality of place. Investing in Elgin ❑ Ensuring we have the necessary tools, resources, and infrastructure to deliver programs and services now and in the future. ❑ Delivering mandated programs and services efficiently and effectively. Additional Comments: The Elgin County Economic Development and Tourism Strategy also identifies leveraging current partnerships and building new partnerships to promote sustainable economic growth in Elgin County as a priority. LOCAL MUNICIPAL PARTNER IMPACT: The Young Entrepreneurs Initiative is open to young entrepreneurs in all Local Municipalities. Page 114 of 120 3 UUMMUNIUATION REQUIREMENTS: Elgin County Economic Development will help promote the program through our communications networks. CONCLUSION: The Young Entrepreneurs Initiative provides young entrepreneurs with a valuable platform for personal and professional development. With our support, YEI can continue to foster a supportive environment where young entrepreneurs can learn, grow, and build strong connections within the St. Thomas and Elgin County business community. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Carolyn Krahn Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Strategic Initiatives Approved for Submission Don Shropshire Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk Page 115 of 120 partnershipHosted by the St.Thomas Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee In r. ElginCounty-Central joint Accessibility Advisory Committee eThursday September 28, 2023 e2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. St. Thomas Memorial Arena 80 Wilson Ave, St. Thomas, ON f ". PT T H ! ME ;i M A� IiW= M /0,011111111 Page 116 of 120 Open House e M A �,*'-"-"TTH0,..MAC!; ) Thursday September 28, 2023 iiiiiiIl 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. St. Thomas Memorial Arena 80 Wilson Ave, St. Thomas, ON or Online Via Zoom (link to be provided) IIIbouttlhe 11p Illkeii'*G David Lepofsky is the volunteer Chair of the AODA Alliance, lawyer, professor, and advocate. Since the late 1970s, David has been actively advocating for new laws on the rights of persons with disabilities in Canada. His work includes pushing for protections for persons with disabilities in the Ontario Human Rights Code and campaigning for the passing of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act in 2005. m Page 117 of 120 Open House IIIIIIIIIIIIII I IIIIIIIIIIIIII I I IIIIIII Ca����Vune IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I IIIIIIIIIIIIII I Sltudi���D G /` Ib io m mini scot iru u i u u iu u u io m ./ f ". M A T T HQ= i cl; ) Thursday September 28, 2023 iiiiiiIl 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. St. Thomas Memorial Arena 80 Wilson Ave, St. Thomas, ON or Online Via Zoom (link to be provided) About the Stud ikx The Dreams Come True Music Studio creates opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in high -quality productions and to transform their lives through the performing arts. The studio celebrates diversity, inclusion acceptance, and all abilities. p� �� aa�l�r�rlo�l% fn 4� 1" qlP0"cVdl"wlAf essive byNzOvve'i& Page 118 of 120 IN �9111►IVK910�1Er11►1 By -Law No. 23-37 "BEING A BY-LAW TO APPOINT A COMMUNITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR (CEMC) FOR THE COUNTY OF ELGIN AND TO REPEAL BY-LAW Ll 191f'*'Z1ElFTTi'1i W1.1i WHEREAS Section 5(3) of the Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, Chapter 25 as amended grants municipal power to exercise its capacity, rights, powers and privileges by by-law; AND WHEREAS Section 2.1 (1) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) requires every municipality to develop and implement an Emergency Management Program; AND WHEREAS Section 10 (1) of O. Reg. 380/04 requires that every municipality designate an employee of the municipality as Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) to coordinate the development and implementation of the municipality's emergency management program; AND WHEREAS by By -Law No. 22-44 and 21-08, the Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin last appointed a Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) for the Corporation of the County of Elgin; AND WHEREAS it is deemed appropriate that the aforementioned appointment be revised to accurately reflect current operation for the Corporation of the County of Elgin NOW THEREFORE the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin enacts as follows: 1. THAT Andrea Loughlean be appointed as Manager of Emergency Management & Elgin Middlesex Regional Fire School (CEMC) for the County of Elgin. 2. THAT By -Law No. 22-44 and By -Law No. 21-08 are hereby repealed. 3. THAT, where provisions of this By -Law are inconsistent with the provision of any other By -Law, the provisions of this By -Law shall prevail. 3. THAT this By -Law becomes effective on September 26, 2023. READ A FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TIME AND FINALLY PASSED THIS 26th DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2023. Don Shropshire, Ed Ketchabaw, Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk. Warden. Page 119 of 120 COUNTY OF ELGIN By -Law No. 23-38 "A BY-LAW TO CONFIRM PROCEEDINGS OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CORPORATION OF THE COUNTY OF ELGIN AT THE SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 MEETING" WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 5.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O.2001, c.25, as amended, the powers of a municipality shall be exercised by its Council; AND WHEREAS pursuant to Section 5.3 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c.25, as amended, the powers of every Council shall be exercised by by-law; AND WHEREAS it is deemed expedient that the proceedings of the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin at this meeting be confirmed and adopted by by-law NOW THEREFORE the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin enacts as follows: THAT the actions of the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin, in respect of each recommendation contained in the reports and each motion and resolution passed and other action taken by the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin, at its meeting held on September 26, 2023 be hereby adopted and confirmed as if all such proceedings were expressly embodied in this by-law. 2. THAT the Warden and appropriate officials of the Corporation of the County of Elgin are hereby authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to the actions of the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin referred to in the preceding section hereof. 3. THAT the Warden and the Chief Administrative Officer, or alternate, are authorized and directed to execute all documents necessary in that behalf and to affix thereto the seal of the Corporation of the County of Elgin. READ A FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TIME AND FINALLY PASSED THIS 26TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2023. Don Shropshire, Ed Ketchabaw, Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk. Warden. Page 120 of 120