Friday, January 28, 2011

WL Council "In a Vacuum" over Snow Removal....?

This past Tuesday, WL Council received an update from the City's Director of Municipal Services on Snow Removal Procedures.  The City of WL CAO also commenting that residents of Williams Lake need to temper their expectation for snow removal, given the amount of snow that came down in a short period

Mayor Cook then went on the Rush this past Thursday, during their "Town Hall" program singing the praises of City Staff on the great job they're doing on Snow Removal

However on Friday - Cliff Wyatt, in a unprecedented move, took out a full 1 page ad in the Williams Lake Tribune Weekend slamming the City of WL over its' snow removal procedures in the downtown core and expressing frustration that he can't access downtown businesses (you can find the advertisement on Page A29 in Friday's Tribune Weekend).  I've also been the recipient of several frustrations expressed by local residents' over poor snow removal over on Cameron St and asking if they can bill the City for salt they've had to purchase, in order to get their vehicles out of their parking spots and get mobile - I've stated you can try but you're likely to find the City will not reimburse you for your costs for salt, etc

Again - City Staff/WL Council really need to sit down with the public over snow removal procedures when the winter season is over so all (the public) understand what the City is capable of on snow removal and how to make the snow removal service the very best it can be

In the meantime - if you find the snow removal service to be lacking and wish to complain, you can contact the following persons:

Kevin Goldfuss (Director of Municpal Services) Ph - 392-2311 or email: kgoldfuss@williamslake.ca

Sue Zacharias (City Councillor/Chair of Planning & Ops Council Committee) Ph - 989-0310 or szacharias@williamslake.ca

Kerry Cook (City of WL Mayor) Ph - 398-7213 or mailto:kcook@williamslake.ca%20or mayor@williamslake.ca

Anyone wishing to contact the Mayor directly via cell can contact me at (250) - 303-0951 or sforseth000@hotmail.com and I'll provide them with the information

SBF

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think we can add snow removal to the list of a drop in services. In light of the Fire Hall cost overruns I thought I would try and get a bit more informed with our local government and what is happening within the City of Williams Lake. I took the opportunity to read the council agenda and then review the outcome.
I have to say I am now really concerned about what is happening. Where as I tend to be apolitical by nature I think someone needs to step in and review the city's operations.
First off I am confused as to how the City could just allow an outside party to have complete say into a capital project funded by the taxpayers....isnt that what got Jack in trouble when he bought those beans. I agree with a previous post in wondering what exactly happened in the meetings when all the senior staff met weekly to discuss the project. Now to find out that the project was 3/4 of a million dollars over in costs....that has to be way more then just a "calculting error on soil removal". Someone is not being up front and transparent to the taxpayers.
I then noticed on the agenda a report brought forward from staff asking that they be provided a higher per diem for travel. I was shocked as most people in the region are with out jobs or working at substandard wages City staff felt they should be given more money for their travel. I looked at the communities they compared WL too and was shocked even further in that they compared us to communites that are bigger or have a bigger tax base...who makes those decisions and shame on you who ever did.
Further on down the line I noticed a letter to City Council outlining the status of grants awarded to the City of Williams Lake. One of them was for Tourism and according to the report the deadline for a report to be submitted is now 8 months overdue and if not submitted by January 31, 2011 we will lose over $80,000. I thought the need to diversify our economy was a priority, yet the City let this money slip away. The letter went on to indicate that the City did not even pay the courtesy of asking for an extention. If the City was not going to act upon the grant they applied for they should have informed someone so someone else could use the funds. This to me presents egg on our face....and that in light of what has been happening in our beautiful City is not something we need.
Why was staff's priority putting effort into a report that would give them more money and not a report that would further the City's tourism concerns. Hats off to Council for rejecting the recommendation for an increase in per diems and in particular to Councillor Rathor for continuing to ask for accountablity. A bit of concern expressed to Mayor Cook and Councillor Hebert who feel it unessesary to review the misplaced priorites and the fire hall over runs. Now all of current Council should ask themselves if you are sensitive to what the community is going through and are you representing your constituents in the best way possible. It is one thing trusting staffs recommendations it is another thing following them with blind faith. Taxpayers only have the power to hold you accountable.