Williams Lake Council:
1) Referendum Bylaw (Fluoride) - I did an blog post on this yesterday, but I congratulate the City for putting this item to referendum at the same time as a general election vote. The voters' should ultimately decide on this. Note - City Staff feel that asking the Minister of Health to permit Council to repeal Bylaw #250,1963 (Original Fluoride Bylaw) would be rejected in favour of a referendum, given the mandatory vote this November. Also - a "focus group" tested the following questions to put to the voters:
1. "The cost to add fluoride to the City's water system is increasing from $22,000/yr to approximately $94,000/yr. Are you in favour of the City continuing to add fluoride to its water supply?"
2. “Should the City continue to add fluoride to its municipal water system?”
3. "Are you in favour of the City continuing to add fluoride to its water supply, at triple the current cost of $22,000?"
After testing, it was determined "Question #1" was best for voters' to make an informed decision
2) Letter from UBCM re: 2011 Resolutions (see the letter here). Interesting to see Mayor Cook addressed as "Mayor Crook". Of course, it was a spelling mistake, but still funny nevertheless. A better "spelling mistake" was done by the City's Executive Assistant when Kerry Cook was referred to as "Mayor Cool"
Cariboo Regional District:
1) Letter from Stefan Hoezler (Concrete Fitness) re: Review of Services at the CMRC (See his letter here and scroll to Page 4). While I agree that a review is timely and should happen immediately, I note a number of issues I have some concerns with, including:
a) Letter addressed in May, why is it coming out now (Sept)?? That's 5 months later...
b) Why does the CRD/City think it is "ok/appropriate" to compete against private business that does the same programming as the CMRC provides...? Mr. Hoezler, backed by letters from the BIA and the Chamber of Commerce, say that the City/CRD should be in the recreation business of providing pool/ice services and get out of recreational programming or recreational-type programming that already exists in the community
Also - if a formal service review is done - a formal process is triggered under Section 813 of the Local Government Act, which you can read here
I wonder if this item will be forthcoming at Wednesday's Joint Committee Agenda...
Update at 7:56 pm on Sept 10th - Stefan Hoezler will be appearing as an official delegation at this Wednesday's Joint Committee meeting to request an official review of all services at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex (CMRC)
2) CRD Directors' Remuneration Process - see the item here. While I sympathize with the rising cost to do official business on behalf of the public, I still think raising rates, at this time and the state of the economy, would be a bad move on the Board's part, from a perception point of view, and the rates should remain where they are, for the moment
3) Code of Conduct - see this item here. This item has now been updated after a full Board review at its' August 26th, including a well-thought out "Enforcement" Section. Many thanks to Janis Bell (CRD CAO) and her staff for their considerable work on this item. This item will put the CRD "heads and shoulders" above other local governments in BC. CRD Staff are recommending this item be adopted Thursday
4) New Election Communication Policy - see here. While this policy is a good initiative and I support it and this should be policy, over at the City of Williams Lake, I wonder if the period of "non assistance" to elected officials should be extended from "3 months prior to an election" to no assistance "in the year of the election" which would include no assistance to elected officials, no photos with local government staff, etc...?
5) Non-Partisan Policy for Volunteers of CRD Services - see here. This item is to prevent those, who may work for rural Fire Departments (primarily in my opinion) from using their uniforms, logos, etc, to influence CRD Electoral Area Director elections and this is another good policy brought forward for adoption and I hope it'll be adopted on Thursday
"Why does the CRD/City think it is "ok/appropriate" to compete against private business that does the same programming as the CMRC provides...?"
ReplyDeleteThe City/CRD has been in this business for as long as I can remember ands have provided these programs/services long before Mr. Hoelzer..how long has Mr. Hoelzer been in the business?? He obviously has no clue about the way this business works all across BC in almost every community out there.
I've lived in a number of communities and ALL of them offer the services offered here and much more. I expect these services for my taxes and I suspect many others do to. A private gym will not, and cannot, offer the services a community wants/needs in this area and to suggest so is pure folly.
Mr. Hoelzer is obviously in this for self serving purposes only and doesn't give a care about the community as much as his bottom line, contrary to what he would have us believe.
Perhaps Mr. Hoelzer should spend a bit more time on a business plan rather than try to punish the rest of his for his lack of one.
Jim:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment...
With respect, I don't agree with your comments as I've heard from many businesses who say that they shouldn't be forced to compete against the same local government that taxes them for the services that they, themselves, are trying to make a living from
Furthermore - this issue has only come into play in the last few years. As I've lived here for the last 33 years - the CMRC has only offered, as best I can recall, pool/ice services and other recreational services that one desires, a member of the public sought out those services, via private business. And I support wholeheartedly what Mr. Hoezler and his supporters, including the local BIA and the local Chamber of Commerce are trying to achieve which is getting local government to provide recreation services that the private sector could never offer (ie: pool or ice services)
Thanks
Steve
There's lots of private schools....maybe government should be out of that business.
ReplyDeleteStarting to be lots of private medical clinics...maybe government should be out of that business.
Plenty of private places to get MRIs and X-Rays...maybe government should be out of that business.
I hear there's a new rink being built privately...maybe government should get out of that business. I'm sure minor hockey and figure skating won't mind paying double (or more) of what they pay now.
I'm sure private businesses would provide EI, social security, pensions, etc.....yeah right!
I expect all of these for my tax dollars and I also expect affordable and quality recreation and I have no interest in going to a private gym and paying much more to get it.