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.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
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.
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.
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.
Friday, September 10, 2010
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!
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!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
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.
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.
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