That's It

The election has come and gone and Congratulations are in order to the newly elected council.

Thanks for following along on this blog.

As they say in the media world

-30-

Last Posting-October 17

This is the last message on this blog until after the election tomorrow. I wish all the candidates good luck and I will wait patiently. (But, what is it with all those signs leading up to the polling stations? As a friend of mine sometimes says-EGADS!)

Today was a very interesting day, as we met with people in three neighbourhoods. First, we met with residents in Sunset Ridge. The main issue concerned the twinning of Highway 22. People want long term solutions nad not bandaids as we are seeing with the turn lanes. I also heard a great deal about growth management and taxes. People in Sunset Ridge want to know what infrastructure is going to be built with the taxes they contribute. They want to know if it is fair for current residents to have to pay for infrastructure that is necessary only because of growth. Overall, people in Sunset Ridge say they are happy they moved here and enjoy the community, and the community events.

In Gleneagles, similar issues were raised about caring for current infrastructure needs before more growth is promoted. People asked questions about Walmart, and again the people were divided on the question, with youth still saying they wish big box stores did not have to locate in the downtown core.

Finally, in the East End, I talked with many neighbours, and it was a great way to end the campaign-chatting and laughing among friends.

My campaign team and me door knocked for almost two months and went to over 4,000 homes. We spoke to many people, and those discussions and ideas have been presented here. We had a wonderful time meeting everyone and hearing your stories and suggestions for improving Cochrane. Tonight, we rested and shared some tales of being on the trail. I am so thankful for my team, because without their help I would never have accomplished so much.

After two months, I can say that I am proud to live in this community, and it remains my community of choice for many years to come.

Tomorrow-please go and vote.

Today in Bow Meadows and West Valley

At 9:30 I started canvassing in Bow Meadows-despite the early hour, people answered their doors and took time to talk to me about the issues. I met some interesting people, and some old friends. Thanks to those who took time to vote today, especially Janet, my friend who made sure she voted! I was impressed.

Some of the issues there are speeding on the Bow River by speed boats, congestion on the Bow River, the pathway system that the Town just got finished, partying in the park until wee hours by young people, parking in the residential neighbourhood by people using the park, lack of maintenance of the public lands behind the houses, weeds, bylaw enforcement, and lack of bylaw enforcement, inability to get out of the neighbourhood easily during peak hours, lack of a second exit into the area, etc.

It was a full, and busy morning, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent chatting with people.

This afternoon, I went back again to West Valley. I really enjoyed the time talking with Wayne, Ken, Della, Colleen, and others who I don't know by name, and I know they will keep me on my toes if I am elected. I enjoyed sharing storied with everyone and look forward to representing all of you on council, when elected. (If elected?)

I enjoyed learning about concerns and issues that have already been dealt with elsewhere in this blog many times. The "painted pony" continues to raise its head, for example. Development and growth are also raised time and time again.

Thanks to everyone I met today for tkaing the time-it is greatly appreciated. Thanks to Myrna for the coffee and Judy for the great sign location!

The Bethany and Gleneagles Villas

On Friday, I spent the day in the snow! It was odd that Thursday was so warm and sunny and then Friday turned cold and wintery. I just wanted to put on a cozy fire and stay home, but with just three days left before the election I hit the streets instead. First, I visited the Bethany. Then I spent the rest of the day visiting people in the Villas. There is a story to be told there, but not on this blog. Generally, the people in the Villas are very supportive.

The pathways and weed issues are prevalent in that area, and the Town has done little if anything to control thistles and maintain a pathway system that connects the Villas to the golf course pathway system. I told people that CEAC does engage in weed pulls on a regular basis and that we currently have two CWY participants who are available for weed control. I know that this issue can be easily addressed given the new Weed Control Act. I would like to ensure that the Town has a stand alone weed control bylaw in place to help with this problem. Many invasive species can be controlled by hand pulling, so pesticides may not be required unless the weed infestation is out of control. There is one species that is out of control all along Highway 1A up the big hill, and as it was not dealt with this year will be worse next year. I hope to be able to work on those weeds next spring.

Like many people in other parts of Cochrane, people in Gleneagles really want the Town to lead by example and control weeds on public lands.

The issue of bareland condominium property taxes was raised loud and clear. People feel that if their condo property is not hooked up to and receiving similar services as other lots that they should not have to pay so much property taxes because they ahve to pay their own road clearance, park maintenance, sewer and water line upkeep, etc. I would like to look into this problem. There are 181 units in the Villas, and all pay significant property taxes. That is quite a bit of money collected by the Town for municipal purposes. They also pay the same water, sewer and other service distribution utility fees. In addition, their condo fees and maintenance fees are excessive. This is just to live in their homes. No-one explained the total impact of fees and taxes to many of these residents when the properties were purchased. I wonder why not?Perhaps it is time to reconsider the impact of all these fees and taxation policies on bareland condominium properties. Perhaps it is time to reconsider whether development of bareland condominium properties ought to be encouraged within our community. Just a thought. What do others think?

In August I was honoured to be profiled as a sustainability ambassador

Here is the link:

http://cochranesustainability.ca/take-action/ambassadors-judy/

I posted this in August, but maybe some new readers would like to learn more about the Cochrane Sustainability Plan- would be glad to chat to you about it.

Glenbow and West Valley-Visting Seniors

The last two days have been spent in Glenbow and West Valley and visiting seniors. Tomorrow I will get a chance to visit at the Bethany, and I hope to encourage people to get out and vote on Monday. Both days, I was helped out by Grace and Andy who make my job so easy-they are wonderful canvassers and I would be lost without them.

The two biggest issues in both Glenbow and West Valley were the brand and continued land development without services in place. People made many comments on the brand and as it turns out, this is a hot topic during this campaign. Many people are so upset that they will not be voting for anyone on the current council. It is not the expense, it is the fact that council did not listen to public feedback. This is the cornerstone of a number of issues. People feel that council does not care about public opinion. I want to work hard to restore public trust and have shared many ideas on how to do this.

I also heard a lot about unmanaged growth and lack of services. A few people stressed that the pool is an important facility, but they want a plebiscite. I heard loud and clear that people want an opportunity to vote on whether taxes should be increased to pay for the pool. We talked about options and partnerships and fundraising and people are quite excited about the possibility of being able to contribute in that way. One thing is for sure: if we have a plebiscite and the people vote against the pool, this council will not be able to proceed to develop it. That is an important consideration.

One person commented that I would add some knowledge and expertise to the planning process at the Town and she hopes I would ask to be a member of the Planning Commission. I am certainly interested, but first, I want to be elected and will be honoured to do whatever I can to improve my community.

Overall, the days have gone by quickly and, I think positively. I went to vote in the advance poll and it was very quiet. The next advance poll is Saturday 10-4 at the RancheHouse, and I hope to get to as many doors as I can before people go and vote.

Hope to see you at your door over the weekend if I haven't been by yet. Today I handed out my 3,450th brochure. I have about 650 to go so I hope I don't run out before Sunday at 7:30!

Monday and Tuesday

On Monday, Thanksgiving, I stayed home all day, made a turkey, pies, and all the fixings and had family and friends over for a feast. It was also my friend's birthday, and I made her a special cake which made her happy. I forgot how much fun it is to just sit and chat and play board games with family and friends.

Tuesday, I was out and about again. I visited people in Cochrane Heights, Glenbow and Riverview. Everywhere I went, people were happy to see me and I have never felt so appreciated as I feel after those visits. In some cases, people said they knew I would show up and had been waiting for the bell to ring. The smiles have been wonderful, and I feel like I am rediscovering so many friends.

The main issues in Cochrane Heights were the brand and the feeling that no-one on Council is listening to the people. One woman feels that the senior's centre being moved so far from the town centre is foolhardy and she wants it to be located in the old Rexall building. She says that the town has not really considered all the options and feels as if this is being pushed through like the brand-the public feedback is being ignored by the group designing the senior's centre at the rec centre. I need to learn more about this issue, to be sure.

On the other hand, I spent about a half hour talking with a senior in Bow Ridge who is pleased to move to the rec centre but feels the proposed space is multi purpose and too small. She wants the space dedicated to the seniors for their projects and programs and they don't want it to be used by every other group who needs space. That will interfere with their ongoing projects that they like to elave out and pick up to work on when they come and go. This facility will not resemble the current 50 and Over Club, which has many seniors feeling upset.

I also had a telephone call tonight from a senior who has taken part in the deliberations over the senior's centre and she is not pleased that I have not taken a stand on this issue in my newspaper ads or brochure. I said that I need to see the information and listen to everyone before I can decide anything. I have heard from several people that the centre is a done deal and that all decisions have been finalized. It is hard to get a good picture on this topic, given the different stories from people, all of whom I admire for their love of community and volunteerism.

In Glenbow, taxes was the main issue. People are worried that the council will want everything and raise taxes out of control and that people will not have a say. One woman said that we all need to learn that we can't have everything. She thinks that we need a plebiscite to determine whether to build a pool or not. We talked about facility cosntruction, partnerships and tax rates.

I talked with several people in Glenbow who say that they are pleased to have me on the ballot and that they are considering one vote for me because who else could they support? I am curious about this.

This sentiment was echoed in several senior's residential complexes. People there said no-one else has bothered to come by and explain anything about the election and so they were happy I stopped in. All in all, the last two days have made me more confident and hopeful that I may be elected. I must keep at the doors and allow people to tell me their issues-and if elected I must get to work to get some resolution to these matters. Council must rebuild trust and faith in the electoral system as a first step.

Tomorrow I will be at the doors from 11:00-7:30 with three different members of my campaign team. I am truly blessed to have such a committed group and I hope having us stop by is helping everyone learn more about the process.

Sunday I was in Bow Ridge

Last Sunday I canvassed from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm without a break in Bow Ridge. The area is very beautiful, well laid out and the people were wonderful to chat with, welcoming me into their homes and spending time chatting. I felt very honoured with the many compliments and encouragement I received. it was great to see people out raking leaves and cleaning their yards for winter.

Some folks were concenred with the lack of sidewalks and pathways in Bow Ridge and how people have to walk in the streets to get from one level to another and then down the road to conenct to the park. We did find two different sets of staircases, but what people are talking about is the ability to push a carriage and have a smooth surface to travel over to get to the park area.

One woman really feels we need more recreation programs for little people that are unparented-where she can drop her kids for a few hours where they can play and socialize. I talked with her about the preschools and playschools in Cochrane and some of the activities offered by different businesses, like dance and gymnastics. She said she would check those out as well. I also talked to her about the Parent Link and that seems to be well used by her and her friends with small children.

The concern about traffic and lack of access while growth continues in Jumping Pound Rise was a common issue repeated at almost every home where I stopped. People want to be able to get out of that area in an emergency, and feel that the development is adding to a growing traffic problem.

Most people want the town to enter a phase of growth management with "getting the house in order" before more residential growth is approved. They want the existing developments finished before we start developing any more lands.

One woman told me that she finds the people who work at the recycling depot very rude and unfriendly-she says that as a result she takes all her recycling to Calgary and she shops there too. We chatted about the blue box program and she was very excited about that because she will not have to deal with the recycling depot staff. I use the depot all the time, and do not find the operators rude, but my husband sure does and has complained to me about it. Interesting!

I was very happy with the response I received in Bow Ridge and am very sorry if we disturbed anyone's Thnaksgiving Dinner. Thanks for all the time you spent with me at your doors.

On Saturday last weekend I was in West Terrace

I was very fortunate to be able to canvass most of West Terrace last Saturday-I still have a few homes to go in that neighbourhood, and I did go back there this morning to chat with people in a cul de sac and make sure my signs were still up. It seem like someone likes my signs because several have gone missing from private property.

The conversations I had in West Valley were mostly with respect to the brand. People were not impressed with the process council used to push that through. They want council to listen to public feedback and not ignore it.

One woman is concerned with the density of day homes in one part of West Terrace. She feels that Council should look at where these facilities are being developed and the imapct they have on residential communities for parking and traffic.

Traffic was a big issue for almost everyone I talked to, as well as speeding and lack of a second access to the area. Another huge issue was weeds in public areas and the lack of maintenance of these public spaces by the town.

I had a long chat with two people about the warm water pool and we discussed the possibilities for funding its development as a stand alone private facility, or as a part of the leisure pool being proposed-also know as the aquatic centre. Both saw the value in having such a facility in Cochrane and believe that it could be operated by Alberta Health.

Five different people complained that there is a lack of responsiveness when they send issues to the council for resolution. Many feel that they are ignored.

One man spent a great deal of time talking to me about my term as mayor. He explained the issues and how he was unsure about whether he could support me this time around. I enjoyed the conversation and learned a lot from it-generally, he, like everyone else I met in West Terrace, wants to feel that council members care, listen to the public and have the best interests of the citizens at heart. He was very pleased that I want to keep taxes as low as possible-this is a huge issue for many people.

Again, two younger families are concerned that Walmart will locate in Cochrane and destroy the downtown business community. I am surprised by the number of younger families who do not want Walmart. This morning a senior echoed their view. Generally, seniors I meet do want a Walmart in town because they feel they can afford to shop at Walmart for many goods and services and prefer not to travel to Calgary.

I also met a number of families who like the current council and feel they have done a good job. Generally, people support the current mayor and will probably vote for him because he is sticking to his platform.

I enjoyed West Terrace, and will be in that area and West Valley again tomorrow-all day! I hope to see you when I come by!

Black henbane

In case anyone wants to know what this plant looks like, here it is. The seeds are poisonous to animals and people.

On Saturday, West Terrace

All day Saturday, we campaigned in West Pointe and West Terrace. It was interesting to talk to so many people about new issues that had not surfaced elsewhere. I spoke with many old friends, and I was surprised by some of the things they had been hearing, gossip mostly.

In West Pointe, the biggest issue is the lack of care of the municipal reserves and lands along the Bow River. Weeds are everywhere. People want to know if the Town has issued the final acceptance certificate, and if so, why hasn't the Town done anything to maintain the area? They would also like a tot lot closer to West Pointe. There is a small municipal reserve near the pumphouse that could accomodate a tot lot, and it seems to me that space should be used for that purpose. Right now, it is just a weed patch. Last year, I went into that area on two occasions and pulled black henbane and thistle. As a result, there is very little black henbane left and the thistle is manageable with another weedpull this spring. I hope the Town will follow through, as the riverbank ought to be properly attended to. There is also a storm water outfall that is causing significant erosion of the river bank and sedimentation of the water. The Town should look after that right away.

October 9-10: West Terrace and Bow Ridge

The last two days, my sister Michi and I canvassed in West Terrace and Bow Ridge. We met so many people (and their dogs and cats, all of which were wonderful animals) and discussed so many issues it is hard to know where to start. I will do my best to summarize our visits in the tomorrow when I get my notes in order. Right now, my thoughts are on the turkey I will be serving tomorrow for Thanksgiving, the pies I have to make, the vegetables to peel, etc. All in all, I have plenty to be thankful for. Especially my sister, Michi! She is fantastic.

To all the people who follow this blog-Happy Thanksgiving. To all who may have had their dinner interrupted today when I came by, sorry for the disruption and I hope your Thanksgiving with family and friends was delightful.

October 8, 2010-West Pointe and Riverview

Yesterday, I canvassed during the day in West Pointe and met several families who shared their concerns with me. More on that later.

Sunterra

I campaigned in Sunterra with my friend Sharon and her son Cairan. We were able to finish the entire area in about two hours, and we talked with about 25 families. Generally, the people who live in Sunterra who took time to chat with us were encouraging and offered several suggestions for improvements in the Town.

First, they recommend that the Town be more responsive to citizens when citizens file complaints. For example, they would like their pathway system improved to ensure that the kids can get to school quickly. They say that they complaints are not properly addressed, and the Town and councillors regularly ignore their requests.

Second, they want a marked crosswalk for the kids when they come down the hill from Sunterra because it is a very dangerous place for the kids to cross 4th Avenue to get to their schools-apparently there was a crosswalk that the town deliberately removed. This is a big question mark-why?

Third, the Town needs to do better maintenance in the cemetery, especially with respect to headstones that seem to be sinking. This is very stressful to the families of thoe who are buried there. The residents also complained of burning odours from the processes being used at the cemetery to maintain the area. I checked out the issue, and could not detect any smell, but it should be investigated if it is a recurring issue.

Fourth, several people asked what I think about the new logo, and I was candid in giving my opinion on that-I am not a fan. The new logo does not reflect my sense of community or what Cochrane is all about. I am not sure why we need to "rebrand" at all-it was, in my opinion a colossal failure and waste of time and money.

There were many questions about the pool, performing arts centre, transit and growth: generally, people want the Town to get its hosue in order before allowing any more growth.

Many thanks to Sharon and Cairan. Your help and support mean a great deal to me. To those in Sunterra who spent time talking with me, I would love to be your voice on council for the next three years.

October 6-9, 2010

This has been an intense period of door to door campaigning in three areas of Town: Riverview, Sunterra and West Pointe/West Terrace. Overall, support has been excellent with many different issues raised at the doors. I am trying to get to talk to everyone, and I am making good progress.

On Wednesday evening, I campaigned in Riverview by myself until dark. The next evening I went back with Andy, and on Thursday, I went back to finish the final cul de sac. Issues raised included everything from use of the greens for more housing, which I strongly oppose now and into the future, to raising taxes, and growth. The Riverview entrance sign is in terrible disrepair and citizens want the Town to clean it up and restore to its original state.Citizens want to know if the Town is checking to ensure that the developer of the condos in the east side of Riverview is meeting the conditions that were imposed on the development. Apparently, there are a number of conditions that were never met, and the developer has failed to come through on his promises of trees, landscaping and improvements on the greens.

Two families in Riverview had similar questions about ensuring that there are blue box type receptacles along the Riverview pathways for pop bottles and cans-they say that everyone just throws these valuable recyclables into the garbage cans, and the town could be collecting and returning them for cash if the Town provided these receptacles-sounds like a good idea.

The same two families made inquiries about the gravel being cleaned and separated on the Domtar lands. They want to know who owns that gravel and why the Town is not charging the developer business taxes for gravel mining operations and gravel products that are being collected and sold to LaFarge. Why is the Town deferring all taxes on this site when the developer who owns the land is clearly profitting from the sale of minerals, no different than Burnco or Robinson extraction operations. Great questions. I hope to find out more and post here later.

There were many questions about the dumping of gravel and topsoil in the floodplain area near the recreation centre and why that is being done and by whom. Generally, there is dust and noise associated with all the operations in the Domtar and industrial area, and people want to make sure air quality is safe and that the Town enforces its noise bylaw.

Overall, people are happy to see me in Riverview and are saying that they will be voting. I was asked about advance polls:

October 12: RancheHouse 4-8
October 14: RancheHouse 4-8
October 16: RancheHouse 10-4

Also, if a person wants to find out more about mail in ballots they can call (403) 851-2526.

Monday, October 4, 2010-East End Cochrane

I had the pleasure of campaigning in the East End on Monday before attending the Legion Ladies Auxillary meeting, where I was made a member. My friend Mona has been after me for years to come on board and I am glad I finally did it in memory of my family members who participated in World War II. I have to say I look forward to the November Poppy Tea at the Legion, and I have raffle tickets to sell. For $1.00 you can buy a ticket and if you win, a basket of goodies put together by the Ladies is yours. The Ladies Auxillary provides all the food for the events they host and man can they cook! You don't want to miss it!

In the East End I talked primarily with young families (between the ages of 20-30) about the issues. They were very concerned about the length of time it has taken the developer on Mountain Street to finish the condos there, and the condition of their streets. Apparently, they called the Town many times about the project and nothing has been done-like paving the back alley and keeping Mountain Street open for normal traffic. It does appear that the condos are now complete, but the lack of Council's and adminsitration's responsiveness to their calls made people cranky. This is a common problem throughout Town as I go door to door. Council has not listened-they have made empty promises and spoken platitudes but nothing gets done. One man said that Council may pretend to hear but if you disagree or continue to call on issues you are put on the do-not-respond-to-this person list! Wow! I must be on that list, too!

In the East End, people are concerned about Centre Avenue and the intersection with Highway 1A, as well as the failure of the Town to keep up with services and infrastructure given the extensive sprawl. One young man said "Sustainability! Really! What does that mean to you? This is not sustainability when it takes a half hour to get from one end of a 17,000 population town to the other end." I said I would come back and talk to him more about the Sustainability Plan, and he was agreeable.

I had many discussions about what should be Council's priority projects, and most people I talked to want existing infrastructure improved and maintained before we go into debt for major projects. This is important, as the media seem to think that Council priorities should be big ticket items like the pool and arts centre. What people are telling me is that they want safety, mobility and security of basic services like water and sewer as first priorities. Not new expensive tailored parks: instead, they want existing municipal lands maintained and weed free before we invest in any grandiose new infrastructure! Interesting indeed, and I have to agree with what I am hearing.

Tuesday, during the afternoon, I campaigned in the East End again, and the issues were the same. One woman remarked that we need to look at tax incentives to get more commerce and industry to locate here. She noted that we have a lot of empty commercial space in the East End and industrial area and she is concerned that the current council has not attracted more business. I was reminded that a woman on Chinook Drive where I talked to people before the Forum on Sunday night, had discussed with me the possibility of getting a panel of downtown businesses together to form a Downtown Business Association to create a strategic plan for maintaining the historic downtown while attracting compatible and supportive businesses in the industrial area. I know where to start to get this going when elected.

Generally, people of all ages in the East End are encouraging me to keep up the pace, and are glad to see me. One couple said they were so disillusioned with the current Council that they were not going to vote until I came and talked to them. They said that the time I spent and the attitude of respect I showed them as "ordinary citizens" has convinced them to vote. I am humbled. They also said if I am on Council, they want to help, not only in the community association, but in projects across Town.

I apologize to anyone who is disturbed by my door knocking at 7:45 because I do try to make 8:00 my cut off.

Long Time Since the Last Posting-Campaigning

I will be writing a new post later about the Forum. The newspapers certianly glossed over the issues raised, and I would like to inform my blog followers of the important questions that were raised there. Wait for me on this.

I have been out campaigning every night since the Forum, getting back late with work and all my other volunteer work to attend to until late in the wee hours of the morning. Some of you may be receiving email responses from 3:00 am. So, this blog has had a repose. But I am ready to fill you in on my walk abouts. Look to the latest post above.

Cochrane Heights and the All Candidates Forum

Yesterday, I knocked doors in Cochrane Heights with my friend Grace. Some of the issues we heard from citizens concerned old sewage infrastructure, issues with tree cutting and lack of tree cutting, Domtar land redevelopment and the process involved from a historic perspective, the lack of growth management to ensure facilities and services are in place, and lack of follow up and follow through by Town council members and adminsitration to address citizen issues. Some people in Cochrane Heights feel that the town does not care about them. High taxes and lack of explanation of the net benefit of taxation were also raised as issues: one person wondered why the Town did so much hiring and consultant engagement during a recession and queried why our staff are not able to do some of the work given to consultants.

The Town really should take a good look at underground infrastructure that is being put to the limit in older parts of Town when tied into new pipelines and underground services from newer communities. This common concern that we do little to maintain our existing infrastructure and to ensure it can handle tie ins from newer areas, was expressed as a major problem that causes thousands of dollars to homeowners in the area without any hope of compensation by the Town.

There was some discussion about the branding process and how that was handled by the current council. Overall, the old friends I saw again, and the new people I talked to were encouraging and wished me success, and I am grateful to everyone who took the time. I will get back into Cochrane Heights before the end of this week.

In the evening, I attended the All Candidates Forum at Frank Wills Hall that was hosted by the Cochrane Settlement Community Association. It was well attended by people from all over town, and I will submit a separate posting for some of my observations from that event. It was very good of the community association to hold the forum and give candidates an opportunity to meet with interested and engaged citizens and with each other.

Riversong

I was delighted with Riversong, but agree with the citizens I met there that the residential road into their community should not also be an industrial road for gravel trucks. This has been an ongoing issue for many years, even before the development started, and still nothing has been done to ensure that the gravel pit operator has more appropriate access to his lands that does not interfere with residential peaceful enjoyment of property. Gravel truck operations so close to a school is also not appropriate-this is a residential neighbourhood; not an industrial area.

Since the developer turned the residential road over to the Town, the Town does not sweep the streets or keep the dust down like the developer used to. The Town is not monitoring the industrial traffic to ensure that the road is not being damaged-it is being damgaed already by heavy truck usage. The operator runs fulltime, and the dust and noise are huge problems for citizens in the area.

Like people in Gleneagles, the people in Riversong are very concerned about high taxes and are not sure why the Town can contemplate an increase in taxes when they are already so high. They would like to see the Town enter into a public consultation process so that they can understand the benefits they receive for the high taxes paid. They want the Town to stop the urban sprawl and get facilities in place before continuing to grow if it means more increases in their taxes.

Tomorrow I will be in Cochrane Heights with my friend Grace. I wonder what issues I will discover in that part of Town? See you there.

Gleneagles and Riversong

Thanks for following this blog. I hope you are finding it informative as you prepare to make your choices for council members in the election on October 18th. If you are unsure of where to vote, you can email me at stewart.jmm@gmail.com. You can also link in to the Town's website and find election information there. http://www.cochrane.ca/

Today, Kelsey canvassed with me in Gleneagles and we finished two entire communities and part of a third. What a varied and interesting neighbourhood, and Kelsey is a wonderful and motivating canvasser to be out and about with, to be sure.

In the first neighbourhood near the Mormon Church, I met many young families with so many interesting ideas. The area was developed as a bareland condominium property, and there are many concerns and issues arising from that property arrangement.

First, the entrance into Gleneagles off Highway 1A is an accident waiting to happen. It is time for the Town to put traffic control lights at that intersection-it is impossible to turn left to go down the hill into Cochrane on a Saturday. Turning right requires steady nerves and a sense that anything could happen-something must be done as soon as possible to rectify the situation there. Maybe some traffic lights?

Second, if you live in those houses, your children have to use acrosswalk that is dangerous to get to the school bus, and it is not appropriate for use by children. People who turn into Gleneagles from Highway 1A, or who are approaching Highway 1A from below the hill in other phases of Gleneagles speed along without paying much heed to that crosswalk. It needs to be better controlled, and perhaps some speed attenuation bumps or other devices to slow people down there is required. I watched traffic at that intersection and I would not allow my children to use that crosswalk to get to the bus unattended. Something more must be done, and a set of overhead flashing lights to remind drivers that pedestrians use that crosswalk are required.

Third, taxes are extremely high, given that the bareland condo has its own charges for internal street cleaning, snow removal etc. People wonder what they receive from the Town that justifies the high taxes. I explained the market value assessment process, the taxation process and the taxation review process. I hope people will take advantage of the information I provided.

Fourth, there is no pathway connection to the rest of the community-there is no where to walk safely, as there are no sidewalks and the only road to town is a windy two lane connector down the hill that is not suitable for pedestrian traffic given there are no sidewalks or associated pathways that run parellel. There are no paths, trails, garbage cans, snow removal-so what are citizens in the bareland condo paying such high taxes for? There is no room to park on the streets and there would be a problem if emergency vehicles had to access the neighbourhood. I am surprised that the Town planners allowed this bareland condo development that obviously does not meet the standards for other developments in Cochrane. What were they thinking?

Fifth, the noise!!!!! The homes adjacent to the fence that abuts Highway 1A are subject to so much noise that it is unpleasant to be outside. The Town will need to look into noise attenuation barriers soon-and I wonder why proper noise attenuation was not required of the developer. Why do the general taxpayers have to pay for something that was so obviously necessary and the responsibility of the developer at the time the lands were developed? THis has not resulted in a higher standard of living or better quality of life for these young families. It makes no sense to me that this development proceeded without sound attenuation from the onset.

People who live in these houses are very happy with their view and their neighbourhood, but they really feel that the council has not listened to them or addressed their concerns appropriately.

In Phase 1 of Gleneagles, people tended to be more concerned with growth, the need for a pool and taxes. Many people talked with me and encouraged me, and I was truly motivated. If elected, I will work hard to ensure that the citizens of Gleneagles are properly represented at the council table, as they do have a wonderful neighbourhood, but need to be listened to and their issues addressed.

I also began canvassing in the Estates of Gleneagles before running out of time. I was pleased with the reception there, and I think I encouraged a few people to attend the Forum at Frank Wills tomorrow night to see all the candidates in action.

I will address Riversong in a different post.

West Valley

Last evening, I canvassed in West Valley. I am pleased with the reception I am receiving, and thank everyone who took time to speak with me. It was nice to meet a family who are excited about the possibility of public transit and community gardens. Generally, people I talk with are unsure if we can afford a new transit system given the costs of maintenance. The same family was very concerned about urban sprawl and the new developments that are destroying natural habitat. We talked about the possibility of restoration of these environments, and I was able to explain about the CEAC project that is underway at the Toyota wetland that is an amazing partnership to restore the pond there.

Generally, the main issue raised in this community in West Valley was traffic congestion downtown, especially when there is a train passing through, and the amount of growth we are experiencing without proper services in place to accomodate all the new people.

Today, (Saturday) I convassed with Kelsey in three different communities in Gleneagles and then went off to Riversong in the evening. I missed the CEAC Film Festival, (I hope CEAC members will forgive me) but attended the Cochrane Music Society Barbeque with my husband who plays in the band and sings in the choir. The food was great, and it was great to chat with and see all my band friends again, as I used to play a trombone in the band until 3 years ago. Two of my friends told me I better come by their neighbourhood soon!!! I will create another post for what I learned from citizens today in Gleneagles and Riversong.

Tomorrow is the All Candidates Forum at the Frank Wills Hall from 7-9, everyone is welcome. Please come out! During the day I will be canvassing in Cochrane Heights.

Glenbow again!

Tonight I spent all evening in Glenbow. The power was off when I first arrived in that community so it gave a new meaning to door-kocking. Thanks to everyone who spoke with me. The only new issue raised this evening was with respect to communciation. Several citizens hope that communciation between the Town and citizens will improve.

September 28-29, 2010

For two days I canvassed Glenbow during the day and the East End at night. It will take me three more days to finish these areas, and I am enjoying the good weather and friendly people.

In Glenbow, people's interests in the election ranged from dissatisfaction with decision making by the past council with respect to the brand and council pay hikes, to unhappiness with the current RV Bylaw, to growth management and taxation policy. People did not understand the difference between tax increases and user fee increases or how these decisions are made as it all seems arbitrary. For example, what were the increased costs associated with delivery of potable water that necessitated the user fee increase in water rates? I was asked, if elected, to keep taxes as low as possible-a big task to be sure, given all the infrastructure and facilities we need.

In the East End, the pathway connector is a big issue due to the uncertainty of when CPR will allow construction, as location as been decided. There is some issue with respect to "whistle blowing policy" that is being resolved. I was able to let folks know the process that the Cochrane Settlement Community Association engaged in with the Town and residents to ensure everyone could live with what the council was proposing. Some people think I am personally against the pathway connector and that is balderdash-I was opposed to the connector being built without community consultation with residents who may be directly affected. A line on a map is not public consultation-it is confusing and misleading to draw a line on the map and not explain what is being proposed. Now that consultation is being addressed, I am satisfied that process will be followed through. As well, as a note, the community association was also able to ask the town to extend the connector pathway west along the south of the tracks so that East End residents could go to Safeway, the Library etc. This is an added bonus in my view, and work done by the community, not the council. I am discovering purposefully planted misinformation about me and my motivations on a number of issues, which is saddening to me, but there is little I can do except continue my door to door campaign with integrity.

Last night, the lack of public consultation on the brand was the topic of discussion in the East End, as well as the Town's failure to keep the sidewalks user friendly for seniors at the Big Hill Lodge. It seems that the lack of sidewalks on Baird is a big problem as people walk down the streets and speeding is a problem, meaning people fear for their safety.

In Glenbow, citizens were concerned that the Town does not control the beavers which means that mature poplars are disappearing at an alarming rate along the Big Hill Creek. CEAC engaged the Canada World Youth to help a subcommittee put wire mesh around some poplars last year, but that program is not being continued by parks. People are frustrated that natural areas are not being maintained by our parks staff.

Two younger voters do not support Walmart in the downtown core-they believe that Walmart will wipe out the local shops in the downtown core-they both stated that they shop locally and support the local economy and wish the Town would do the same. From our youth, this was hopeful to me. One man suggested that we review the entire RFP process to ensure that local contractors can compete for town projects. His words, "what is wrong with the Town's RFPs: local contractors are not able to compete". He talked about the business licensing aspect that requires small businesses such as piano teachers to have licenses to teach 3 students in their homes, and whether this is discouraging these enterprises due to hefty fees. This bylaw should be reviewed, as should all of the town's bylaws to ensure they are still reflective of community values.

Thanks you to all of you who have taken time to talk to me about your issues and concerns. I will be out and about in Bow Ridge tonight and tomorrow, and Gleneagles over the weekend. Hope to see you on one of my walks. September is almost over-only 18 days to election.

September 27, 2010-West Valley

Tonight I was in West Valley and heard a lot about traffic and noise caused by trucks on Highway 22 and the CPR trains. Apparently, trucks on Highway 22 are using jake breaks at all hours of the day and night when they approach the Quigley Drive intersection. This could be dealt with through signage and bylaw enforcement. The West Valley community may require sound attenuation fencing or berms soon if the traffic noise continues to increase. It is very noisy to stand there and listen to the highway noise. When a train went by, we could not talk when standing outside.

I also heard quite a bit about how unhappy some folks are with the brand and how the decision was made to change our Men of Vision "Discover the Natural West" logo. I was interested that two different families said they would agree to pay to have the old brand re-instated, even though so much money has already been wasted to change everything over. We talked a lot about how the change has affected feelings of trust for the current councillors who went against public opinion to push the new brand through. Others are unhappy with the brand, but agree that we could live with it for a few years and then review the whole process when the Sustainability Plan comes up for review. If the new brand has not worked to attract new businesses to this community as the council claimed, then maybe the community could be involved in a new branding project to re-instate the Men of Vision as our rightful icon. I know I am personally not at all happy with the "painted pony" as it has been called, but I can wait a few years to see if it does help with marketing our community to outsiders. I am very disappointed that council did not listen to the public on this one when they had the chance.

I was able to invite many new people to the Forum at Frank Wills Hall that is scheduled for Sunday, October 3, 2010 from 7-9. I hope all candidates will be in attendance to give new citizens an opportunity to hear them answer questions. I know of no other forums this election, which is a shame, because some people make their decisions about voting for candidates based on these events.

Tomorrow I plan to continue in West Valley, and then head into Gleneagles in the evening.

Thanks to everyone who took time to talk with me about your issues. I learned a lot.

Campaiging in Heritage Hills with Margaret

Last night, I campaigned in Heritage Hills with my friend Margaret. We heard many comments from new citizens who have moved into the community recently. Mostly they were concerned about the Highway 22 and Highway 1A intersection. They want a pathway connection to the rest of Town and they want to feel part of the community.

There was plenty of discussion about the possibility of a Walmart coming to the Domtar lands, some were for and some were against it. Generally, people want to know that they are welcomed to Cochrane, and that there are opportunities for them to become involved. We enjoyed chatting with some young voters who were convinced to vote for the first time in a municipal election. I did hear from one gentleman who said he will not vote for me in the election and I was very pleased that he felt he could be so candid about his reasons. This is a good sign that people take the time to explain their ideas and let me know how I might improve as a local politician. Several other citizens told me why they will be voting for me, and the discussion was therefore very balanced and useful.

I really enjoyed talking with a resident who recently moved here and works in Calgary. He talked about how lucky Cochrane is to have such a vibrant history and culture. Listening to him, I was very proud of the community and our ability to attract folks from all over Canada as the community of choice.

Yesterday, I campaigned in Glenbow and Heritage Hills

Glenbow residents I talked with have a range of issues, from growth and highway intersections to the possibility of a Walmart and community gardens. I was interested that the citizens who live closest to the community garden in Glenbow were not asked before hand whether they supported a garden in their community-odd that! But, overall people were ok with the garden and it looks well maintained and fruitful-pardon the pun. I wonder what other voters think of community gardens generally? I really would like to know.

At least five families I spoke with are very dillillusioned with politics and said they may not vote because their vote never changes anything. I was reminded by these folks that when I was mayor, many of the things I wanted to achieve were defeated by the majority vote of my council. I hope I was able to encourage those folks to try one more time. The motto: only those who try can ever fail-failure is a learning tool. I was encourgaed by the people who said how happy they are that I have thrown my hat back in and so on we go!

I will post later about the campaign in Heritage Hills. There were many conversations worth recalling here. I am taking a legal course today in Calgary but I hope to be around to chat with people in West Terrace/West Valley tonight. Tomorrow I will be in Gleneagles. Better get going!

Opinions on Public Transit

As I go around town, many citizens talk about public transit and the buses being proposed for purchase by this Council. People are for and against the buses in varying degrees, but the overwhelming statement is that they hope we can afford it. For some people, they just want more open disclosure and information.

People are concerned that we are competing with private enterprise and that perhaps Council should not make any decisions with respect to expenditure on buses until after the election. It is quite a hot topic no matter where I go in Town. I have to agree that Southland should be brought into the picture and they must be on board with the Town's plans.

Public transit is something I support in principle for a number of reasons as stated in the Cochrane Sustainability Plan as a long term solution to many social, economic and environmental problems. However, it would be great if the community could be asked for their support of such a system before any significant money is spent. With community support, the Town can do anything successfully. Without community buy-in and request for such a service, introducing public transit at this time may lead to a divided community. Maybe more time is needed to properly review the proposals. If public transit as is proposed is a good thing for Cochrane and the region given the money during this "green trip" funding opportunity, it will still be a good thing after the election. What's the rush? I just hope nothing is rammed through to avoid a reasoned debate with all opinions and interests on the table. That is what people are saying, and I agree with them.

The last Saturday in September

Yesterday, as I campaigned around town I noticed the golden leaves everywhere along Cochrane's ravine systems and the Bow River. This is truly a lovely town, and fall displays the wonderful natural environment we enjoy. I spent half the day in Glenbow, the other half in Bow Meadows and the evening in the East End. I find that by meeting with citizens in all different parts of Town, I am able to get a better picture of the real common issues and shared community values.

In Glenbow, most people aare concerned about increased traffic and unmanaged growth, and several comments were made about vandalism of fences and yards. Several citizens were concerned with the Town's failure to maintain park areas. Of particular note, the Town has removed the playground equipment from a tot lot and never replaced it, nor did the Town take the time to re-landscape the area. As a result, the area has a garbage can and a few large rocks, and is empty space with an uneven surface for any kind of physcial activity, for example soccer or ball. The Town has done something similar in Cochrane Heights, whereby they removed all the playground equipment from a tot lot next to a residential area and simply did not replace it, even though the original developer dedicated the land for that purpose. The community association in Cochrane Heights has asked repeatedly for it to be replaced and the Town has done nothing about it.

I find it interesting that the Town asks community associations to attend meetings with a few members of council and adminsitration. The associations attend and relate their concerns, but nothing ever changes. I have to wonder if there is any point in these meetings or if they are just opportunities for certain councillors to extend offers to help to raise their political profiles. For example, in the East End, our community association has asked that the noise bylaw be enforced many times, and the noise issue seems to grow rather than lessen. It is really a problem for people who live adjacent to the industrial lands which were developed after the residential neighbourhood. We also told this group of councillors that we have serious concerns about the location of a proposed sidewalk, and the Town did nothing to assist the landowners to learn more about their plans-it was the community association that took over citizen notification and education about what Council was doing. If the Councillors really want to continue these meetings, they should make sure that the community associations have their issues addressed promptly so that there is something new on every agenda rather than posturing and rehashing and new promises every meeting. I would sure like to help make those sessions more collaborative and effective-and get something done!

In Bow Meadows, some citizens are still conerned that a promised pathway system in the Jumping Pound Creek floodway that was washed out in 2005 and again in 2008 has not yet been built. It seems as if the Town takes forever to get some of these simple projects done. I sure hope they have proper provincial and federal permits to work in the Jumping Pound floodway to reinstate the pathway there using the proposed culverts and hard infrastructure, all of which will likely be washed out again if the area floods in the future. There were more environmentally friendly and effective methods available to ensure that citizens had access to those hydrologically sensitive lands, but those were rejected by Council at the time. Hopefully, this project gets done quickly.

One citizen in Bow Meadows commented that he is tired of "fighting city hall", because it seems like every time there is an issue in Bow Meadows the whole community is expected to attend meetings to express their community opinions.

In Bow Meadows, I was greeted with enthusiasm and much support, and it was the first community where anyone brought up the "brand" issue. People there are not very happy with how this Council pushed the new brand down our collective throats. It has left a bad taste to many citizens, and a "tendency to gag"! I have to agree.

In the East End, citizens were concerned about the Highway 1A and Centre Ave intersection where they have to wait for long periods to turn onto Highway 1A to leave for work in the city or to get off Highway 1A into town at night on the way home. There are near misses everyday. Probably the most important note from two families I talked with was the need for some part time jobs in town for stay at home moms who may want to work while the kids are in school. People look forward to the Walmart shopping complex and see this development as an opportunity to work part of the day at retail and other jobs as a means of second income. Everyone I talked to in the East End is worried about taxation and cannot understand the system or why taxes fluctuate. There is a great need for education on the market value system and the taxation rate and why the Town seems to continue to raise taxes unchecked. People do not want Cochrane to become an elitist community where only the wealthy can continue to live here.

One woman in the East End wants to have a pesticide bylaw put in place to control the cosmetic application of pesticides on both public and private lands, and I agreed that we waste a lot of money on pesticides to get rid of dandelions and the like. Of note, those chemicals flow directly off our lawns into the storm drains and into the Bow River and tributaries. I would be happy to help the Town to get such a bylaw in place to regulate and control the cosmetic application of pesticides, and promote naturescaping as an alternative to pesticide application as well as a water conservation strategy.

That's all for now! See you out there in a bit! Thanks to all of you for taking the time to chat with me. I am enjoying every moment.

Signs

In case anyone wonders, I do not have any signs on public lands this election. I am only putting signs on private property where someone asks for a sign from me. This is to prevent vandalism and I refuse to litter public lands with signage.

I noticed today that someone has torn down all the signs that were posted by the Alliance Church, and I would ask people to stop doing such a wasteful and destructive act. These signs are paid for by the candidates and are valuable private property. There is no need to touch what does not belong to you, as my mother would say.

Please, let's all be respectful of one another this election and support the candidates who are working so hard to become your representatives. To show how serious I am about this, I will take the time to stop by the Alliance Church on my campaign today and put those signs back up-and candidates-I know you read this-use screws instead of staples on your stakes-staples don't work and give vandals a means to destroy your hard work keeping signs in place-if you have used staples I won't be able to put them back if I see them lying flat!.

Let's work hard together and play fair for the next three weeks! Elections are about community building, not wasteful and childish vandalism or stupid acts of retaliation and vengence!

East End and Glenbow

Last night, I worked in the East End. There are many concerns about traffic and noise, and of particular interest, one family raised concerns about a tow truck business and day homes operating from residential areas in other parts of town without proper office in the home permits. Bylaws are another concern, because people think no-one enforces the bylaws and complaints are not resolved in any way anyone can predict.

The entire transportation network throughout the community is questioned because of increased traffic due to growth in all sectors. People using Griffin Road to access recreational facilities are competing with industrial traffic, logging trucks, school buses, etc and the intersections need improvements-for example, why not have right turn lanes at the four way stop at River and Griffin so that people can move through the intersection without having to wait at a four way stop for those going through the intersection east west? There is plenty of room to accommodate these right turn lanes. I thought the issues raised were very helpful and the proposed solutions reasonable.

Today I will be in Glenbow and Bow Meadows. I hope to get everywhere before the election so I better get a move on!

Riverside Place; Riverview and Carolina Drive

When canvassing, it sometimes gets dark before you complete a neighbourhood. Somedays, I spend the whole time circling the community and finishing off neighbourhoods where this has happened. Yesterday, I really enjoyed all these visits, despite the rain.

In Riverside Place, I met Paul and Ed who took the time to tell me about their common issues with the Millenium Creek restoration which has altered the nature of the spring fed creek they used to enjoy. I will definitely be looking into this matter. Sometimes, these restoration projects can interfere with nature, so to speak, and this is what seems to have occurred. Apparently, that area used to have several species of birds and now they are gone. This indicates interference with food sources and nesting habitat. It is worth looking into. As well, while the sound barrier is much appreciated, it is a concern that the bottom of the barrier was never finished properly. That should be attended to. The concern is that the Town does not follow through on its construction contracts to completion and we get substandard installations. I checked the sound barrier on the way out, and the residents' concerns are valid.

In Riverview, several citizens spoke with me. I did not find those missing eyeglasses on my tour-sorry! However, I did speak with two families quite extensively. The major concern is speeding, but second to that is the concern that the neighbourhood is being redeveloped without Area Structure Planning. For example, Rocky View is selling its property near the bridge, and the Town is not acquiring it as was assumed. Who is buying that land, and for what purposes? While some citizens welcome Walmart, some are worried about the fate of the local business community who cannot compete with such a large retailer downtown. All are pleased to have the Domtar lands redeveloped after clean-up, and hope that the Town will require a sidewalk on Griffin Road to connect them to the new commercial area and the Safeway/Canadian Tire complex. They were also concerned that there is no direct connection between Riverview and Bow Valley School where their children attend. I agree that there should be walking paths to enable a healthier lifestyle for the kids to get to school rather than having to be bussed.

People I spoke with in Riverview are concerned with the Fireside development in the southwest corner of Town. They were worried about the Town's treatment of wetlands and natural habitat, and don't understand why development was allowed to leapfrog over the country residential homes adjacent to George Fox Trail. I too am concerned by this development and have spoken out many times about the issues. The development should not have preceded a proper Area C Area Structure Planning process that was promised during annexation talks with Rocky View. It seems that the last two councils have breached that annexation agreement in several ways. The relationships between Cochrane and Rocky View were fantastic in 2004, and I wonder what is going on.

There are also issues with lack of maintenance of green spaces and playgrounds, and care for trees that were planted in the park areas. This issue is common everywhere I go-the Town is not maintaining the parks and common areas with any level of attention that people can enjoy.

I finished off the evening on Carolina Drive. Great conversations there. I was very happy to chat about the Town's Request For Proposal process that does not seem to target local entrepreneurs and businesses. The "shop local" mantra of the late 1990s has been set aside, even though shopping locally is one of the 13 Pathways of the Cochrane Sustainability Plan. The Town needs to ensure that local entrepreneurs are sought out in the RFP process and can fairly tender on projects. For example, if the Town wants Dell computers, no local company can bid on that because only Dell sells Dell. Maybe what the Town needs to do is look at what they want the computer system to achieve and then ask for proposal from local companies who can provide those exact specifications at the most reasonable price. If you say you want IPads and IPhones only Mac can provide those. If you want the computer capabilities of those specific models maybe we could ask the local computer agencies to tender on the required specifications. As well, introducing Macs into the Town is not cost effective because we have PCs throughout the corporation. Interesting, huh!?

The Town's RFP process is something I want to look at carefully. It is unacceptable to have 2-5 people tendering proposals for the work we need done in any project. Why are we not attracting a whole bunch of tenders? Who is on the RFP list? How do you get on the RFP list? Great questions that I will review once elected.

Water supply was the topic of the evening with one citizen. We discussed the transfer system and the selling of water. Cochrane needs a secure water supply, and once elected I will go after it. We cannot continue to grow without a secure water supply in place.

Nomination Day

September 20 was nomination day. There are 10 people running for 6 council seats and the Mayor is challenged by one person. This will be an interesting election after all.

Immediately after filing my nomination papers, I hit the trail. First, I finished canvassing a neighbourhood in Sunset Ridge. Major intersections, speeding, lack of bylaw enforcement, developer apathy towards common areas, and extensive erosion were common concerns. I was shocked to see the amount of erosion that is happening there and really concerned that the Town does not require better storm water management and erosion control from the developer. There is construction debris in the ravines and the common areas are full of weeds as noted in an earlier post. It seems that there is a lot of talk and no action, and people are "fed up". One citizen said he doesn't believe anyone at the Town cares about the new residents, and he said given the troubles they have, their taxes (around $4,000 a year) should be pro-rated. I was very concerned that his street floods when it rains-in a new subdivision this is a red flag that the storm drainage system is defective-the Town's engineering department should make sure this is addressed before the Final Acceptance Certificate is issued for that infrastructure, otherwise the community will have to pay to fix that drainage system in the future.

Of interest, there are fossils in the area that don't seem to have gathered any attention from the Town or Province. One landowner was concerned that the developer was given permission to strip and grade prior to proper historical resource investigations. I will look into this once elected, and will visit the area where he said the fossils are located when I canvass further into the subdivision.

When I left Sunset Ridge, I went to Riverside Place, then into Riverview to finish a neighbourhood there, and in the evening I canvassed among my neighbours on Carolina Drive. My box of fliers is diminishing, and I feel great. Thanks to everyone who is keeping pace with me on this blog, for all the laughter and encouragement. I will post the other conversations I had last night in a new posting.

Thank you for following my blog

For all of you who are following my blog, thanks a million! It is great to meet you and talk to you about what you are reading here. I hope it is providing you with food for thought and information about other parts of your community.

Last Weekend

For two days on the weekend, I canvassed in West Valley. I was surprised by all the new people in that neighbourhood, the several houses that were vacant and the ones for sale. I was able to talk with a number of folks and spent some time having one on one visits. The issues really centre around urban sprawl, lack of planning for growth, and Highway 22. One gentleman suggested that the Town use cost benefit analysis when making investments into infrastructure, services and facilities. His suggestion fits within the new taxation policy that I would like to implement.

He provided that we often do not account for the incidental economic spinoffs that we achieve by investing in facilities that attract people to our community-such as swimming pools that are big enough for tournaments, hockey arenas, and of course performing arts facilities. He suggested that for every development proposal, we should investigate all the potential benefits and costs associated with the project, and then determine net benefit or cost. His idea is that we might change our priorities and invest more appropriately if we actually work through such an exercise every time decision making is employed. Short term gains we achieve through some projects may actually lead to long term costs for generations-a perfect example of this is the sewage pipeline to Calgary that Cochrane will be re-negotiating soon-it was only a 10 year agreement at the time it was finalized. For ten years, Cochrane has benefitted from that agreement-but long term costs may be another story.

The urban sprawl comments were very common. Our facilities and infrastructure are not planned in advance of the growth. We allow development pressures from landowners to push development along that has no associated services, commercial aspect, or connection to the town. In many cases, the developments in the "suburbs" of Cochrane do not produce net benefits to our community, but lead to further and further costs associated with servicing the residents who move there. The resident in West Valley believes that residential development is a net cost to the community.

Highway 22 is a bit of a problem as it runs through Cochrane, but also provides a wonderful opportunity for Cochrane to have a vibrant highway commercial district because goods and services can move along the north south highway to all parts of Alberta. To maximize these opportunities we have to plan developments that do not create traffic hazards to industrial traffic. I agree.

Overall, West Valley citizens I talked to are engaged citizens who want the opportunity to be responsible citizens who contribute and make things happen-they embrace the culture of responsibility. I look forward to several more days and evenings in that part of this wonderful community.

Today I canvassed in three areas of Cochrane, and I have many comments from those citizens-time for a new post!

Campaigning in Sunset Ridge with Andy

Tonight, I met some of the most friendly, diverse and interesting people ever in Sunset Ridge. They certainly have a lovely view. I was most impressed with the passion that I heard about the neighbourhood and the sense of pride and ownership people demonstrate. Almost every home has some element of naturescaping, and the ingidenous species used in rain gardens are hardy and well selected and assembled for water conservation. The neighbours are truly land and water stewards.

There were five main issues:
1. The lack of care of common areas by the Town and the developer-there are weeds everywhere and the little lansdscaping of boulevards that has taken place has been let go wild with no maintenance-this is not naturescaing-it is absolute neglect of common lands. There is debris in the ravines, thistles and other invasives everywhere and no matter what the citizens do, nothing gets cleaned up. Everyone just blames the other guy. I suggested forming a community association or neighbourhood stewardship group and those ideas were met with excitement. I sense that people just want permission to get out there and help take care of these lands. Erosion and lack of proper storm drainage management is obvious. Something needs to be done-enough talk and empty promises!

2. Speeding. While I stood there, five drivers went through a stop sign without so much as tapping the brake. I was absolutely appalled, given the large number of pre-schoolers who live in those houses. The Town should immediately get out there and give out some tickets and do so on a regular basis. That entrance way to the neighbourhood off the main drag is like a freeway! Speed bumps may be something to explore. Certainly the Traffic Control Bylaw needs to be enforced, and not for errant RVs!

3. Getting through Highway 22 and Highway 1A intersection takes citizens in Sunset Ridge anywhere from 10 minutes to 25 minutes during busy rush hour times on week days and even longer on weekends-they want some left turn lanes-so do I!

4. Using the storm pond for recreation-some citizens would like the Town to help them mainain the storm pond as a skating pond during the winter. Right now the citizens who like to gather there for winter events are told that they cannot skate on that pond. This is a wasted amenity.

5. Lack of proper access and no connectivity-any pathways they do have are finished with pea gravel so bikes and baby carriages cannot be used safely. The pathway slopes are too steep and erosion is rampant. 4th Avenue has been closed and is not maintained even as a connector pathway to the rest of Town.

There is a lot to be done in Sunset Ridge and yet, the people were interested in the election, telling jokes, welcoming, happy and overall optimistic. Thank you to everyone who took the time to stop and chat with Andy and me. We truly enjoyed it. I will be back.

East End and Sunset Ridge

Yesterday, I canvassed in the East End of Cochrane. The primary issue raised was about the traffic problems getting out of the East End in the morning and getting back into the East End in the evening due to trains, school buses and main intersections not being properly controlled. Of particular concern is the Highway 1A and Centre Ave intersection, followed closely by the Highway 1A and Highway 22 intersection. These issues are also of concern to me.

I heard from one family about noise caused by a neighbour and how hard it is to get bylaw officers to enforce the nuisance bylaw. Noise in the East End is a real problem due to the industrial sector, and the community association has filed numerous complaints with the Town about this matter to no avail. Nothing seems to change. The radios at All Span still pour out music and the work vehicles still start up before 8:00 am on Saturday with beepers, etc.

Three families asked about whether the pool will be built before their pre-school aged children graduate from high school and I said I certianly would work on getting that facility developed if elected. We have needed a pool and a performing arts centre for over 10 years-enough studies-let's pool (no pun intended) all resources from all levels of government, and all adjacent communities who use our facilities and get these facilities built.

The location of the pathway connector from the rec centre troubled a few citizens who want a pathway across the tracks but not if it means trees will be cut down or established landscaping disturbed. I was able to talk about the meetings the community association has had with the Town to try and resolve those issues with the people who will be affected.

Generally, I thank my friends and neighbours in the East End for all their interest in my campaign, wishes for success and ideas. Without your support, I would feel lost.

Tonight I campaigned in Sunset Ridge. Somehow, no matter how far apart these neighbourhoods are, the issues are similar. I will post a new post about Sunset Ridge.

Town's Agreement with Springwood

In Riverview, I chatted with a number of people who are pleased to see the Domtar lands currently owned by Cochrane Properties being cleaned up by Springwood, the developer who is purportedly ready to purchase the lands from Cochrane Properties.

One of the common concerns people have is that the Town is picking up the tab for the costs of the Centre Street connector, and all the underground utilities through these lands that would normally be the requirement of the developer to construct at its own cost and then turn over to the Town upon completion, and the Town is using taxes, and grant monies from the province and the federal government to do so. People also ask about what kind of tax concessions the landowner is getting. There are several tax deferrals and tax concessions. People also want to know whether Domtar remains liable for the contamination in the groundwater that so far the Town and the Province do not require to be cleaned up. The "hotspot" will be "capped", but not cleaned up.

Domtar will remain liable for the contamination, even though all the subsequent purchasers also remain liable for the contamination. That is the excuse that Springwood has given why the lands could not be subdivided and why the Town could not be transferred any municipal reserve lands. Springwood offered the Town $79,000 as cash in lieu for an equivalent of almost 8 acres of developable lands they would have been required to provide for Town purposes, and the council accepted that amount of money. This seems rather odd. Municipal reserves are typically lands ready to be developed, and in the downtown core area, these lands would be worth significantly more than $79,000. Don't you think? At least if municipal reserved were required to be dedicated. Was there a market value assessment of the developable lands done?

Springwood provided, apparently, that their development plan would only work if the lands are not further subdivided. In such a case, the Town would not be entitled to any municipal reserve lands, because it is only if the lands are subdivided that municipal reserves can be taken from a landowner without paying compensation to the landowner. Something makes no sense here-I cannot imagine why the money was offered as cash in lieu for something the Town was not entitled to in this case?

I have pasted the link to the recently announced Memorandum of Understanding between the Town and Springwood below. Please note that Springwood was still not the landowner, but remains a propsective purchaser. This was clarified in section 8 of the MOU itself.

There has been a lot of chest thumping and cheerleading about what a great cooperative arrangement this is and how Cochrane citizens will all benefit so much from this deal. I do see the benefits of having the lands developed, but at what cost to you and me, the average taxpayer? Are we subsidizing this development, and why? Is this developer being treated differently than other developers, something this council said would not occur-all developers were to be treated the same? What do you think? I really would appreciate your thoughts.
http://www.cochrane.ca/municipal/toc/webcms.nsf/AllDoc/B5C80B023FE38489872577740058F99D/$File/MOU-304GriffinRoadMar2010.pdf

RVs and Trailers in residential areas

When campaigning in Riverview yesterday I met a few people who had received tickets under section 12 of the Land Use Bylaw, with respect to storage of RVs and trailers on private property. The link to the relevant provision is pasted below:
http://www.cochrane.ca/municipal/cochrane/cochrane-website.nsf/AllDoc/7B997B2E4FF4843D8725757D0054452C/$File/RV%20Section%20-%20Land%20Use%20Bylaw.pdf

There are also provisions that regulate and control parking of RVs and trailers on the town's streets and laneways-all are called "highways" under the Traffic Control Bylaw and also the provincial Traffic Safety Act.

The problem with section 12 of the Land Use Bylaw is that the provisions are completely arbitrary and senseless, and even discriminatory. If you live in a residential district with a strip of yard next to the driveway, you can park an RV, but if you don't have such an arrangement, you have to find some way to park your RV in the backyard or sideyard or not at all. The provisions do not reflect any safety considerations, any aethsetic issues or any real concerns that I heard when on council previously. These provisions need to be thoroughly examined, because they are causing real hardships to people who use their RVs and trailers during the fall and winter.

I hope to be able to have a review of these provisions. I have never agreed with the logic or illogic of the provisions and why they were enacted in the first place.

The provisions under the Traffic Control Bylaw are also needing a good review.

Riverview

Today, I went door to door in Riverview most of the afternoon. It is always difficult to judge whether campaigning on Sunday afternoon is beneficial, but today's response was very favourable. I enjoyed all the conversations, the offers to help and encouragement.

The issues I heard about today centered on whether Cochrane is ready for a Walmart on the Domtar lands, and public transit, especially for seniors.

Some citizens remain adamantly opposed to big box stores in the downtown core, and feel that by introducing big boxes we will lose our small town feel. I was able to share that the new proposal does include some residential development, fewer big boxes and a mall similar to what you see on Stephen Avenue in Calgary. Some were upset that the Town is building the road for the developer at taxpayer's expense. On the flip side, two families can't wait for the Walmart because it will be in walking distance from their homes. Both these families are seniors on fixed budgets and they welcome facilities close to where they live where they can shop for products that are more affordable.

Public transit within Cochrane is welcomed by the seniors I met today who would love to have such a service for doctor's appointments and shopping, as well as getting to the RancheHouse and the rec centre. Public transit to Calgary where people have more options to leave home and return home at different times of day are also championed by seniors. One person was very opposed to the double decker buses and thinks Cochrane will lose money over time in operations. She was concerned about the Town subsidizing a public system in competition with Southland. We talked a lot about this problem and we both agreed that Southland should be given the opportunity to provide whatever service the Town proposes as the main contractor given their entrepreneurial spirit. We also talked about a comparable problem with town operated door to door recycling that would compete with a local service provider. It was great to discuss the issues with knowledgeable, engaged citizens who look at all sides of the debate.

One woman I met needs a tutor for grade 11 mathematics for her high school child. If you or someone you know provides mathematics tutoring, let me know and I can get you connected. Make sure you have some references.

I talked with several families about the Sustainability Plan and I will post the link here again because it seems to be very interesting to people I talk to.
http://cochranesustainability.ca/

Generally, the people I met today want to be more involved. As I would expect, no-one was thrilled with the condominium development on the driving range that goes against what they were promised back in 2004-2007 when that development was being approved. For example, they were promised that there would be no access onto Riverview Circle, and of course there is. However, the owners of the condos where I visited so far are pleased to have that kind of housing option, and enjoy the development.

I will post more about my visits today tomorrow night, as this entry is getting long.

Highway 22 and Highway 1A Intersection

I have to thank Rory for his excellent comment below on whether the intersection is the responsibility of the Province.

The reconstruction, or attention to improving that intersection is the responsibility of the Province. However, it is the responsibility and jurisdiction of the Town to have traffic safety reports done and notify the Province if provincial highways are causing safety concerns within the municipality. In this case, the safety issues must be addressed as soon as possible. This matter should be of highest priority to this council until the matter is resolved.

On past councils, I was always able to work well with the Province to ensure that traffic lights were installed at interstections that had become safety concerns within our community. Janis Tarchuk, our MLA worked with us, and I wonder what has happened to that relationship. For example, I was told when mayor that it would be ten years before we had lights on Griffin and Highway 22, and at George Fox Trail and Highway 22, but the council of the day was able to move that forward. It took time, resolve and perserverance! As you all know, I have plenty of all three when it comes to safety to Cochrane citizens.

The Highway 22/Highway 1A intersection does need major redesign to accommodate future growth, however there are some obvious improvements that can be done immediately that may address the ongoing issues. For example, there are no advanced left turn lights. This encourages people turning left coming down the hill or turning onto Highway 1A from Highway 22 to dart through the intersection in front of oncoming traffic. I have seen many close calls. It is also an obvious solution to ensure that people who want to turn right onto Highway 1A from Highway 22 have a dedicated lane to do so. This would allow people turning right to move out of the northbound lane and ease up the line of traffic. Getting through that intersection can take 25 minutes during busy times of day!

The most important thing for the Province to do is to stop people from passing on the right to get around the people who are trying to turn left onto Highway 1A from Highway 22. There is no dedicated lane to allow people to pass northbound traffic on the right, and therefore, that maneouver is actually illegal and dangerous. That is where all the darting happens with near misses where someone may be killed, when people decide they have waited too long to turn into Town when coming down the hill, or to get onto westbound Highway 1A. Some days there are line ups all the way past the Quigley Drive intersection and all the way up the hill past the Sunset Ridge developments coming south. These traffic issues are not going away. The Council must address these matters asap. Someone will be seriously hurt if nothing is done!

When elected, I plan to make improvements to this intersection priority number 1. At the AUMA Convention in Edmonton the newly elected council must meet with the Minister and ensure this matter is addressed before winter.

On another point, I will immediately investigate why the Town has not yet secured a water supply, and will get onto ensuring there is one in place. Enough procrastinating. If we desire to continue to grow and encourage economic development, we need a long term solution to water supply-conservation alone will not suffice.

On the Campaign Trail

Today was a busy day-after the Mutt Strut, Maggie joined me and we went door to door in Heritage Hills. Many thanks to Maggie, and to all the people who chatted with me and encouraged my campaign.

The issues raised were diverse, but shared by most people in that new subdivision. First, every person who spoke to me was concerned for his or her safety when using the Highway 22 and Highway 1 intersection during rush hours. They also commented on the lack of connectivity with the Town as there is no pathway system that they can follow to get into the core-everyone must have a car.

It was interesting that the citizens said the development is wonderful and they deliberately chose their neighbourhood-they like the diversity of housing options. However, they want the developer to follow through with the amenities that they were promised. They do not want their residential community to become a commercial area. The noise and traffic from construction crews is also a nuisance, but they do understand that this will continue until full build out. I was surprised to hear that construction is allowed on Sundays and that crews start as early as 7:00 am. My understanding is that we do have a bylaw regarding work crew start up and the hours when construction noise is permitted. Here is the link to the Town's Noise Bylaw. Section 4.2 provides that "noise" is not permitted in the night. Night is the period from 10:00 pm to 8:30 am on a weekend.
http://www.cochrane.ca/municipal/toc/webcms.nsf/AllDoc/4D1FA8763B40896E872572A00079B4FE/$File/03-2007%20noise%20control.pdf?OpenElement


After dropping Maggie back home, I went back out on the campaign trial and ended up in West Valley. The issues raised there were the Highway 22 and Highway 1A intersection, and the lack of emergency access at Horse Creek Road. Two different families were excited about the possibility of serving as PALs-public at large representatives- on Town Boards and Committees. This was very refreshing news. As well, I had the opportunity to hear from some folks who want to learn more about sustainability. I will find the link to the town website where PAL positions are posted.

I moved into the Riverview area, and canvassed one neighbourhood before my feet told me to head for home-I think I have walked about 15 km today. No issues were raised, but I reconnected with some great supporters and that was a wonderful way to end the day.

More tomorrow. I'm on a roll....... May go back out after dinner.

September 11, 2010

Last night I went door to door in east end Cochrane. Two interesting issues were raised:

1. The need for door to door recycling pick up; and
2. Concerns about the location of the so-called east end connector pathway from the Spray Lake Rec Centre to Dewey Blainey Park.

Door to door recycling pick up is currently handled by a private collection company, Cochrane Recyclers for a modest fee. Here is the link to their website:
http://www.cochranerecyclers.com/

I was able to pass on that information as well as let the new citizens who recently moved here know that all people in Cochrane can drop off their recycling at the depot. Here is the link to the town's recycling depot:

http://www.cochrane.ca/municipal/toc/webcms.nsf/AllDoc/E6B2A4C70DB629E3872576FE0075A1F9?OpenDocument

This is an interesting topic that has been discussed many times in the past by different councils. Certainly, it is an issue worth raising again. If recycling were to be picked up by the Town on the same day as garbage is picked up, then instead of every citizen making the trip to the depot, there would be one company dropping materials there. In that case, the depot would be required to sort the materials into bins, which is done right now by citizens when they drop off. On the other hand, think of the fuel emissions and fuel savings to the community if everyone is not driving their recycling to the depot in private vehicles. Which program would provide the most beneficial service to society overall? Would more citizens participate and therefore, remove more product from the waste stream and Calgary's landfill? Would the increase in landfill fees be offset by the increased saleable product?

The east end pathway connector is a plan the current council has to extend a pathway over the CPR tracks across from Carolina Drive. Citizens who live on both sides of Carolina Drive do not want a sidewalk extended from First Street in front of their homes. The reason stated adamantly is because the residents would lose their substantial landscaping, including 20 year old trees, and there simply is not sufficient room to accomodate a sidewalk on an already narrow street. The proposed neighbourhood solution is to run a pathway in the alleyway behind the homes on the east side of Carolina Drive. Other ideas include signage and letting people know that they can walk up that short distance of road and connect to the pathway in Dewey Blainey park. Certainly, that would be the cheapest and would have least impact on the existing neighbourhood, providing a reasonable solution for everyone involved.

A third issue raised was about getting involved in the community association. Many people are aware of the group and work that is going on to sustain the east end community. The citizens who talked to me all thanked Andy Marshall for his dedication to this community.

Overall, I was warmly received and had an opportunity to meet 12 new neighbours who have moved to town in the last year or so.

Today was the Mutt Strut! There were so many people out, with dogs of every breed and size. I want to comment on how much Jack Tennant does for this community, but especially for the Cochrane Humane Society. Jack is truly a sustainability ambassador and community builder.

What is a sustainability ambassador?

Some of you may know by now that I am a "sustainability ambassador" for the Cochrane Sustainability Plan. What that means is that I have committed to implementing the plan and to teaching others about the plan and asking them to make a similar commitment. This plan is a community plan, developed and being implemented by volunteer citizens like you and me. It is about making sure Cochrane will remain a vibrant and prosperous community in all the years to come because of our culture of responsibility and our willingness to collaborate and cooperate to make the Cochrane community the best it can be. This has nothing to do with Town Council, other than Council is a partner and has spearheaded the development of the plan. The Council does not own this plan-you do!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with two local businesses to walk them through the plan and request that they become "sustainability champions". Both businesses are already on the 13 pathways to sustainability and are involved in all aspects of implementation-they are already champions. What I discovered in both cases was that they just are not aware of the plan or what it means to them. It was an honour to be able to tell them more and engage these people into what is possible-how they can be identified champions of the process and move Cochrane forward as a sustainable community. I was able to show them how they are already leaders -they are already engaged and that this is about citizenship and having fun-celebrating our successes and learning from our trials. There is no financial commitment required-nothing required except a commitment to the plan!

One of my commitments as an ambassador is to ensure that everyone becomes more aware of how involved they are in citizenship activities and sustaining this community. The Activettes, the people who organize the Footstock, our arts community, the Spray Lakes Rec Centre people, the Humane Society, the organizers of the parade, the Lions, the Rotary, people who naturescape or donate to charities or attend community events, our wonderful volunteers etc. etc.-we have so many people involved at the ground level in community building that it is hard to know where to start.

This is not about environmental citizenship-it is about citizenship in every respect. It is about how we live, work and play in this community, and how we use and share resources, whether those are human resources, economic resources, cultural resources, environmental resources, etc.

The plan itself can be found online at:
http://cochranesustainability.ca/

Please read the plan and if you want to learn more, email me or call me and I will be there with the plan and time to walk you through it-to listen and teach and assure you that your contributions have not gone unnoticed.

Everyone who reads this blog is actively engaged in Pathway 1. Everyone who takes time to read the plan is actively engaged as a Sustainability Citizen-without doing one more thing!

I encourage you to be involved-every day. Start each day knowing you can do better-because, you can!

Providing needed facilities and infrastructure

Although this may seem like an obvious commitment, a council must purposefully determine what "services, facilities or other things are necessary or desirable for all or part of the municipality". In fact, providing these services or facilities is one of three purposes of having municipal corporations in place, according to law. This is a core purpose and function of the municipal corporation. These services and facilities are not luxuries, they are deemed necessary to support the quality of life of the citizens who live here.

I have been teased in the past for stressing how crucial this aspect of governance is to sustaining a viable community. People say, everyone knows that! But, at budget time when councillors sit to deliberate about which services and facilities can be provided in the short, medium and long term given revenues and expenses, confusion and angst over what to fund is common. No interest group likes to be told that their pet project is not a council priority. No one likes to be told to wait until a plan is finished or a funding proposal complete. I know I don't.

There are a number of needed services and facilities that I would like to get done in the next three years. Some I would like to start, some to get underway and some to finish. Our staff are already involved in day to day activities to provide us with good community services such as policing, water, garbage collection, etc. The list of services or facilities I would like to see completed is provided below:

To start and finish-short term 1-2 years
Secure water supply for full build out
Highway 22/Highway 1A intersection
Downtown public washrooms
Performing arts centre
Public transit service to Calgary
Lights at Centre Ave and Highway 1A
Seniors centre
Taxation policy
Wetland and riparian land conservation and management implementation plan
Comprehensive bylaw/ bylaw enforcement review
Comprehensive consultant recruitment and RFP process review
Implementation of Cochrane Sustainability Plan
Review statutory plans for consistency with Land Use Framework and regional plans
Revised storm drainage management plans-introduce low impact development/naturescaping/xeriscaping/green roof technology on commercial buildings
Investigate use of geothermal energy in large commercial industrial and multi family or institutional buildings
Volunteer recognition program
Revitalize the area around the Men of Vision statue/build a proper pathway


Get started- 1-3 year project
Pool (with therapy)
Public transit internal
Review of middle managment team/ Sustainability Plan
Implementation of low impact development strategies and technologies
Water conservation review and implement tax incentives/technologies
Review election process and requirements to prove residency

Long term-ongoing
Public consultation process to understand shared community values
Comprehensive riverside natural conservation areas and parks
Integrated water and land conservation and management plans
Cumulative effects management of land base
Improved communication tools and outreach to all sectors

Sometimes studies are required to ensure that projects are needed and can be accomodated within municipal budget. Sometimes studies help council to prioritize which projects can be done quickly and which projects require more sources of income or design considerations. For many of the projects listed above, I think we have had too many studies and too little action over the last ten years. Time to get them done. For example, the idea of public washrooms downtown was suggested every budget year that I served on council, and I understand that this year we may actually get them. This is an item that the downtown business community has asked for every single year.

I would be happy to know what you think are priority services or projects that we need to put in place over the next three years. Your priorities are my priorities.