PUBLIC – Minutes of the Gatineau City Council committee of the whole meeting held in the committee room of the Maison du citoyen, 25 Laurier Street, Gatineau, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 9:33 a.m., at which were present,

Audit Follow-up Process

1. Audit follow-up process

2. Current situation

3. Desired situation

4. 2025 Report

5. Conclusion

A question and comment period was held. The context provided was appreciated, and the work of the General Management and the Auditor General was highlighted. The City must take action to improve. Today's meeting was important to provide full information and ensure the bond of trust is maintained. The presentation was reassuring, but follow-ups will be required.

The Auditor General noted a lack of information provided to elected officials to allow for informed decision-making, and examples were given. The role of elected officials has evolved in recent years, now becoming a local government. Evolution is therefore required; steps have been taken, but challenges remain at this level. The question was asked how we can do better to help council members in their duties. There is the element of the bodies and the role of the elected officials. General Management proposes to set up a working session for this purpose, with the goal of improvement, notably to identify different needs. Policy PO-024 could notably be revised. Elected officials do not all have the same needs, which poses a challenge; communication is therefore all the more important. This report from the Auditor General allows for a dialogue to be opened on this matter.

Councillor Timmy D. Jutras joined the meeting at 10:55 a.m.

We heard the openness and the desire for improvement from the administration following the filing of the report. It is, however, important to ensure that this report does not remain a dead letter and that follow-ups are carried out.

The following four mandates were proposed to the plenary committee by Councillor Steve Moran, seconded by Councillor Adrian Corbo:

• That all presentations made to the municipal council in connection with the Centre multifonctionnel de l’Ouest and the Quartier général du Service de Police de la Ville de Gatineau (SPVG) projects contain a specific section on the Auditor General's recommendations until all recommendations are implemented;
• That a specific update on the application of the Auditor General's recommendations within the framework of the Centre multifonctionnel de l’Ouest and SPVG headquarters projects be made to the municipal council by April 30, 2027;
• That the filing of the 2026 financial statements be accompanied by a presentation on the implementation of the Auditor General's recommendations concerning operating surpluses, reserves, and reserved funds;
• That a written report on the progress of the implementation of the recommendations from previous Auditor General reports be filed with the council at the same time as the filing of the annual report of the Auditors General.

The process put in place over the last few years for following up on the Auditor General's recommendations was highlighted. Regarding the management of surpluses and reserves, a concern was raised regarding the follow-up that will be provided to elected officials to ensure compliance with legal obligations. Long-term responses to the Auditor General's findings may be provided in response to the recommendations made. The main actions of the proposed plan were named. It was also noted that there is an annual report produced by external auditors on the City's financial activities. A diligent review of processes and mechanisms will notably be put in place.

Questioning was raised regarding calls for tenders made without available funds (with a generic year). This procedure will only be used for exceptional situations, authorized by General Management. An automation in the system exists, allowing for the validation of available funds prior to the awarding of contracts. The work of the Auditor General was again highlighted. Positive elements of the report can emerge. It is hoped that political allegiances will be set aside to allow for changes, to become a reference in Quebec.

Questions were addressed regarding risk management and project management, with responses from the administration:

• What are the projects, measures, tools, and training put in place or that will be put in place to allow for effective project management;
• Is there an action plan concerning risk analysis and management;
• What will be the next projects for which this analysis could be put in place.

It is important to properly capture and structure all data in the various projects; measures will be put in place for this purpose. Rigor in project governance will also be improved. Explanations on the standards used were presented.

The main concerns are knowing what the real impacts of the lack of information to elected officials are in allowing for decision-making. Examples were listed by an elected official for this purpose, transmitted in advance to General Management. The discussion is difficult at this stage but necessary to allow for improvement. It is therefore desired that measures be put in place for this purpose, considering the issues experienced. The administration must be able to put itself in the place of the elected officials to understand the need for information. Other examples were noted regarding possible lack of information to allow for decision-making during municipal council meetings.

Questioning was raised regarding the content of resolutions as well as the role of the Executive Advisor to General Management for follow-up with the Auditor General. Clarifications were given on complete, reliable information presented at the right time to allow for informed decision-making. Clarifications were also given on the role of the Executive Advisor, who notably provides support for the implementation of action plans.

In the report, it was noted that four organizations had benefited from grants without a signed memorandum of understanding. It was also asked if accountability reports are requested following the granting of subsidies. Another question was raised regarding the use of Excel files. Explanations were given on the possible use of the PIVO system for budget entry, among other things. Excel remains a work tool allowing for analysis. Clarifications were given on the requested accountability reports; improvements to practices have been made. The signed protocol must be attached to allow for disbursement. Verifications will be made regarding the examples given.

Today's meeting is unprecedented; there is added value to the work carried out publicly. The collaboration of all was highlighted. Questioning was raised regarding the prioritization of the various recommendations; clarifications were given for this purpose, with examples. It was noted that no malicious act was raised in the report, but that it pointed to the control mechanisms allowing for protection against them. Explanations were presented regarding the control measures put in place and those that will be. The structure of the Finance Department is currently under review and a presentation will be made later to elected officials regarding its optimization (transformation of the Finance function). It is hoped that everyone can work in collaboration for the benefit of the citizens. It is interesting to be able to share the recommendations and actions with the citizens to demonstrate the achievements in various files. It would be desired that training on reserves be offered to council members. This avenue could be done contemporaneously with decision-making.

The public plenary committee was suspended at 12:05 p.m. Resumption of the public plenary committee at 12:20 p.m.

It was noted that the timelines for setting up the committees for the QG (Headquarters) and CMO (Centre multifonctionnel de l’Ouest) seem late; explanations were requested. It would also be desired to have more regular follow-ups on these projects, and it was asked why all information is not available upstream, possibly causing additional costs. It was explained that there was an evolution in the CMO project following certain decisions of the municipal council. A follow-up will be done to verify if the timelines can be revised.

With the goal of moving into a proactive rather than reactive structure, it would be desired that there be less siloed work. It was asked how elected officials are involved in following up on recommendations. It was explained that implementation can be suspended temporarily and not definitively in the face of a particular situation. In a case where an old recommendation could not be met, a presentation would be made to the municipal council. Since 2023, teams have been involved in action plans. Explanations were also given regarding the processes deployed to break down silos.

It was mentioned that it could be interesting to separate the teams working on major projects from those involved in smaller projects, in reference notably to the Bureau des grands projets (Major Projects Office) that once existed. Previously, elected officials had access to presentations via territorial directors. It would be desired to have more information on the structural changes presented to the municipal council. It was also proposed to better popularize the actions put in place in 2026 and for the various years for the benefit of the citizens.

Questioning was raised regarding the content of information transmitted to elected officials to allow for financial decision-making. It was asked who decides on the content of this information. A question was also raised regarding financial follow-ups presented to the council and if General Management would be favorable to the implementation of a global financial framework that would include the various applicable documents. Budgetary follow-ups are presented to the executive committee in accordance with the Régie interne (Internal Regulations). Accountability is also presented annually to council members during budget week. Regarding bylaws and policies, these are documents adopted by the council. Several tools seem obsolete; however, it was noted that there are regular updates. It was noted that certain decisions could have been made with a lack of information. It was asked how many files would be concerned by this lack of information. This is an individual commitment; the documents considered relevant are attached. It is up to the elected official to request clarifications so that improvements can be made. Decision summaries and attachments are available in advance, and sector caucus meetings take place before municipal council meetings. A file is also transmitted to elected officials, and there is a monthly preparatory caucus during which questions can be addressed. It happens that documents are available on Friday rather than Thursday due to workload and considering that operations must continue. The support of elected officials is requested for this purpose.

Questioning was again raised regarding errors noted in the financial statements and questions raised last June. It was proposed to work jointly on joint parameters and standards. The frank and honest discussions of this day in public were appreciated. It was asked if the City has sufficient internal resources to carry out all projects and if there is sufficient expertise to manage change. The organization will have to establish priorities to be able to respond to the recommendations. The mobilization survey shows that we are overloaded. Questioning was raised regarding the availability of a global portrait of the various reserves and the various funds available and the possibility of revising all regulations with the goal of consolidation. A presentation is planned for October for reserves and funds. Regarding the drafting of bylaws, follow-ups will be done according to the recommendations made. The relevance of the documents shared with elected officials and citizens is important. It is desired that elected officials be involved as much as possible, with an example of the collaboration put in place during the floods. It would also be important for territorial directors to have access to more information from the departments. Regarding the role played by support services for their contribution to the various projects, it is important that they register as business partners. To allow for working upstream and not being seen as a brake at the end of the process. It is desired that there be recognition of missing information and that there be a commitment to receive the information sought by the elected official to allow for their decision-making.

There is a desire for improvement following the findings. A proposal would have been presented to the administration and certain elected officials by Gatineau ensemble to have a global financial framework. It was asked if it is desired to adopt such a framework. Certain measures could be analyzed by the Finance Committee, some being already in place. Today's presentation will allow for working on various elements for the future. It is desired that the transparency and rigor of the administration can confirm the trust between the political, the citizens, and the administration.

End of the public plenary committee at 1:20 p.m.

Me Véronique Denis Greffière Service du greffe