Happy spring, everyone!  The tulip greens are up two inches in the front flowerbeds.  I searched the high ground by Johnson Lake yesterday for prairie crocuses -- no luck there, but I did, to my utter amazement, see seventeen swans on Two-Jack Lake.  So I guess the calendar is right, and spring is on the way.

HALF-WAY THROUGH THE TERM

Karen Sorensen reminded me the other day that we are half-way through this term of council.  High time for a report card!  I have always felt that councillors (and all elected representatives) should be regularly reminded of what they promised at election time and, for that reason, I had my election pages archived.  You can see them here:

www.lataylor.com/campaign.htm

Before the next email update, I'll do a little self-assessment on how I think I'm doing.  But I'd love to hear from you as well!  Please take a look at the election page, and tell me what you think I'm doing well and where I should improve.  I value your feedback.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BANFF HOUSING CORPORATION?

Two parallel streams of work are going on.

First, council, the BHC and others are working on how best to provide for the homeowners the future security that was promised in Council's motions of February 23.  The BHC directed a bunch of questions to the town's lawyer about different possible mechanisms, and has shared the response.  A local lawyer, volunteering his time to help a BHC homeowners' group, has proposed an alternative mechanism, and this has been sent to the town's lawyer for comment.  Once an idea has been found that seems workable to the various parties, it will need to be reviewed with everyone who needs to agree to it or will be affected by it.  Then we can implement it.

Second, a facilitator with substantial mediation experience has been hired to manage the working group process that will review the remaining recommendations and the many other good suggestions that have been made.  Many of you will remember Dave Gould, who worked here in town from the mid-70s until 1988.  Dave has already discussed possible process ideas with members of council, will be meeting with BHC homeowners on March 25, and will be working with a range of people to lay out a process that is workable for everyone.

WHAT'S COMING TO COUNCIL ON MONDAY?

Here are a few highlights:

Borrowing bylaw for the Recreation Centre renovation and addition of a second ice sheet:

Council will be asked to give second and third reading to a bylaw allowing for the borrowing of up to $15.6 million over a ten-year period to add to the $15.3 million in provincial and federal funding that is supporting this project.  This will provide for the renovation of the existing arena, the replacement of lobby/changeroom areas, the replacement of the curling sheets with 4 new curling sheets, and the addition of a second hockey-sized rink.

Administration is working hard on additional grants to support this project, in the hopes that we will not have to borrow as much as the full $15.6 million.  The intention is to pay back the loan over the next ten years with the money we expect to receive from the province's Municipal Sustainability Intitiative (MSI) fund. 

I support this borrowing, because I feel that the project is now a reasonable balance between saving what can be saved, replacing what needs to be replaced, and adding a rink that we know will be fully used.  I will be checking once again tomorrow for assurance that the MSI funding is going to continue, even though the economic climate has changed.  I will also ask for the references in the borrowing bylaw to be changed from "multiplex recreation facility" to "renovation and upgrading of recreation centre", because I want to be clear about the limits of the project we are voting for.

Land Use Bylaw review process:

The Land Use Bylaw controls aspects of the town that are very important to all of us:  density, building design, signage, bed and breakfasts, and so on.  The current bylaw has been in place for some years, and is due for review and - if n4ecessary - updating to meet the needs of the community.

This review will take place starting in April, and is designed to reach a conclusion before the next election in the fall of 2010.  There will be lots of opportunity for public input.  You can read about the proposed process by clicking on

http://www.banff.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=1913

and scrolling or bookmarking down to item 8.1 (page 60)

Lots of other items

To read minutes from the Banff Housing Corporation, the Library Board, the Public Art Committee,  to peruse a letter from an artist suggesting street vending in Banff, or to read any of the other items in the council package, just go to:

http://www.banff.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=1913