Toronto's new ombudsman has been busy.
Fiona Crean reported Tuesday to Etobicoke York Community Council that her office has investigated more than 600 citizen complaints and inquiries since it opened in April."I'm not the solid waste ombudsman..." Crean explained to councillors while giving them an orientation on her office. "I get at issues that need a systemic fix."Crean adjudicates between Torontonians dissatisfied with city services, or lack thereof, and the bureaucrats in charge.Crean's office is to be considered "an office of 'last resort' - not your first resort," the city admonishes residents on its website.Residents must take any complaint directly to the division or agency involved. If an issue is not resolved, the matter can then be heard by the ombudsman.Complaints received relate to every aspect of city service, Crean said."We're busy. There's a high demand for this work," Crean said. "But as for vexatious or malicious complaints, I've yet to come across one. However, there is a lot of miscommunication."An example? Crean said she repeatedly finds city staff voicemails full, and that the staffer's assistant is on vacation.Crean reports directly to Toronto City Council. Investigations are confidential.A staff of seven help triage calls and emails, and direct simpler calls to the respective departments. Next week, Crean plans to speak about her role to residents at a public meeting at Scarborough Civic Centre. Details of that meeting were not confirmed at press deadline.While resolving individual complaints, Crean is focused on systemic issues."My bias is to deal with systemic change. That is much more cost-effective and results in individuals not repeatedly complaining about the same thing," she said.This winter, Crean tables her first report to Toronto City Council.