Hello, everyone:

Happy Valentine’s Day in advance!  I’m just back from an inspiring and informative conference – the Federation of Canadian Municipalities ”Sustainable Communities” conference.  You can see the conference program here http://www.fcm.ca/home/events/2012-sustainable-communities-conference-and-trade-show/program.htm  to get a sense of why I’m feeling all charged up and full of ideas.

THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE CHOICES IN A NUTSHELL

There’s a lot of discussion around this right now.  I put up an entry on my blog at http://www.lataylor.com/node/189 to provide links to all the past public discussion that I could find.  I hope this may be helpful.

Let me try to summarize the present situation as I see it (the background and costing for everything said below is in the reports referenced in the blog entry):

A.  There is a proposal sitting on the books to build a pedestrian bridge from Central Park to the Rec grounds.  This bridge is priced at 2.55 million for a ped bridge only (no access for ambulances).  It has been on hold for some time because hoped-for grants and donations did not materialize.  Nothing has changed around this proposal.  It has the go-ahead from the majority of Council, and if the money materialized tomorrow, it could conceivably be built.  I have severe concerns about what it would do to Central Park, but that’s just me.

B.  There is a requirement to replace our sewage pipe that crosses the Bow River between the end of Muskrat Street and the YW.  We have looked at a multitude of options:
1.  Pipe-jacking or directional drilling:  these are options that do not require trenching through the river.  Engineering review has concluded that these are not appropriate for our situation, largely for geo-technical reasons.  You can see this information in the reports referenced in the blog entry above.
2. Trenching through the river bed and laying new pipe:  we are very concerned about the environmental impacts of doing this.  Picture coffer-dams to dewater the river bed, coupled with heavy equipment working in the river bed for weeks.  You can see what this would be like in the reports referenced in the blog entry above.
3. Trenching up the side of the river to the existing bridge, providing pumping stations, and hanging the pipes under the existing bridge.  To use a metaphor, this puts yet another egg into the one basket that we have crossing the river.
4. For the same price as option 3, building a structure above the river, following the line of the existing pipe, to hang the water and sewer pipes on. 

Because options 1 and 2 have been explored and found to be impracticable, we are choosing between option 3 and option 4.  Making either choice does not affect the Central Park-Rec Grounds bridge project, which continues to be as described under A.

If we choose option 4, we can make the structure just a pipe-hanging structure OR we can make it capable of carrying people, bicycles, and ambulances.  We can achieve one objective with option 4 (utility crossing only) OR, at the same cost to Banff taxpayers, three objectives with option 4 (ped/cycle bridge, utility crossing and emergency vehicle crossing).

Council has chosen to achieve the three objectives with option 4.  I think this is the right choice.  However, it still needs to go through environmental assessment (with public input encouraged) plus there will be an open house on February 16 (seniors’ centre, 3:30 to 6:30) for people to look at the proposed concept and comment on what is needed (approaches, lighting, etc etc) to make it work well.

MONDAY’S COUNCIL MEETING

Council has a relatively short meeting on Monday.  You can see the full package at this link:
http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2012+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-120213.pdf

Here are a few highlights ...

Petition from out-of-town photographers regarding non-resident business licenses

Starting on page 5 of the package, you can read a petition stating that out-of-town wedding photographers should not have to pay non-resident business license fees when they work here.  Just to clarify a bit, our bylaw requiring this is nothing new, and it’s nothing unusual.  The City of Calgary charges non-resident business license fees as well, and I’m told (although I haven’t researched this myself) that they are higher than ours.  We do offer options, so that non-residents who want to do business here don’t have to buy a license for the full year if their work here is short-term.  I will be interested to hear the presentation that will be made by Calgary photographer Edward Ross http://edwardrossphotography.com/   In general, I feel that local businesses pay business license fees to work here, and should not have to compete with businesses that do not.  That’s why, if a business that I don’t know offers me goods or services, I ask to see their local license first.

Revenue licensing and leasing policy

Council is being asked to update this policy about how the Town issues leases or licenses for town-owned property – you can see the report starting on page 49 of the package.  I’m really pleased to see new clauses on how we will determine the market value of the proposed lease or license, and also new clauses (6.1 and 6.2) making the whole process more transparent.  These new clauses will ensure that everyone gets a fair crack at any leases or licenses that the town has to offer.

OTHER COUNCIL DOINGS ON MONDAY

Council will also be having a strategy session about how we work with the BHC board going forward, and a strategy workshop on the potential street lighting policy.  These are not decision-making meetings.  Any decisions needed on these topics will be discussed and voted on in future public meetings.

A BRIEF HIATUS

I will be on vacation from February 16 to March 7, and so will miss the February 27 council meeting, therefore there will be no “council update email” the weekend of February 25/26.  I do apologize for that, and will resume my council emails in time for the first meeting in March. 

THE FINE PRINT

As always, this email represents my opinions only, and does not constitute an official communication from the Town of Banff or its Council.  I welcome your comments and questions.

All the best until next time -- Leslie

Because of interest in the pedestrian bridge project, I thought a one-stop source of information might be useful to people.  I have summarized below some of the information that has been publicly available about this project over the past few years.  I apologize if I have missed some – this was just what came up when I used the search function.  In each case, I’ve briefly noted what the information is, then provided a link to the original.

COVERAGE IN MY BLOG SINCE THE 2007 ELECTION:


April 12, 2008:  Caribou Properties pledges $100,000 donation for bridge between Central Park and Rec Grounds, say they will give $200,000 for a bridge in the Muskrat Street location – town still needs to fundraise $384K
http://www.lataylor.com/node/69
April 27, 2008:  I describe my concerns with the Central Park location
http://www.lataylor.com/node/70
July 12, 2008:  bridge project is put on hold because the tenders came in way above the budget
http://www.lataylor.com/node/77
August 9, 2009:  Central Park bridge project to be awarded for 2.55 million, contingent on the Town getting a grant for it.  I express my concerns about what it will do to Central Park
http://www.lataylor.com/node/122
April 24, 2011:  I describe the ped bridge/sewer siphon idea for the Muskrat Street location
http://www.lataylor.com/node/171
July 17, 2011:  The ped bridge/sewer syphon project is coming to council for approval
http://www.lataylor.com/node/175
January 21, 2012:  Name of the contractor and bridge sketch coming to council for information
http://www.lataylor.com/archive/201201

SAMPLES OF COVERAGE ON THE TOWN’S WEBSITE:


To see how a Central Park/Rec Grounds bridge would cut into Central Park and the riverside trail, go to this link and scroll down to page 55:
http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2009+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-090810.pdf
To see the report that first introduced the idea of a joint ped bridge/sewer siphon at Muskrat St location, go to this link and scroll down to page 59:
http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2011+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-110509.pdf
To see the report exploring four different options for replacing the sewer lines across the Bow River, go to this link and scroll down to page 166.  You can see comparative cost estimates starting on page 173.  Please note that options 1, 2 and 3 provide a sewer crossing only – no ped bridge, no ambulance access.  Cost for a ped bridge at Central Park (no sewer crossing, no ambulance access) was $2.55 million the last time it was tendered, exclusive of any work to be done on access trails etc.
http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2011+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-110718.pdf

COVERAGE IN THE CRAG AND CANYON SINCE 2007 ELECTION:

April 1, 2008:  Caribou Properties pledges $100,000 donation for bridge between Central Park and Rec Grounds, say they will give $200,000 for a bridge in the Muskrat Street location
http://www.banffcragandcanyon.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=2367390
July 16, 2008:  Ped bridge put on hold because donations/sponsorships have not materialized
http://www.banffcragandcanyon.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1117269
June 16, 2009:  Town applies for a grant for a pedestrian bridge
http://www.banffcragandcanyon.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1615130
Aug 11, 2009:  Tender for Central Park/Rec Grounds bridge awarded, contingent on the grant coming through
http://www.banffcragandcanyon.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1695079
July 20, 2011:  Ped bridge/sewer syphon in Muskrat Street location approved for inclusion in the capital budget
http://www.banffcragandcanyon.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=3222352

COVERAGE IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN OUTLOOK OVER PAST YEAR:

April 28, 2011:  Ped bridge/sewer siphon in Muskrat Street location suggested as a good option
http://www.rmoutlook.com/article/20110428/RMO0801/304289994
July 21, 2011:  council votes to construct Ped bridge/sewer siphon in Muskrat Street location
http://www.rmoutlook.com/article/20110721/RMO0801/307219984
Dec 1, 2011:  capital budget debate includes ped bridge/sewer siphon project
http://www.rmoutlook.com/article/20111201/RMO0801/312019999
Jan 26, 2012:  Residents in neighbourhood oppose ped bridge
http://www.rmoutlook.com/article/20120126/RMO0801/301269979