Hello everyone:

What a gorgeous, snowy day!  It's probably got you thinking about ...

SNOW REMOVAL PRIORITIES

I hear from people fairly regularly with questions about the Town's snow removal.  There's a helpful page on the website:  http://www.banff.ca/locals-residents/streets-parking/snow-removal.htm  that gives you lots of information about how the Town deals with snow.  It includes a link to the "snow management map" -- click on that to see where your street sits in the priorities for clearning.  If you disagree with how council has set the snow priorities, let us know -- the map comes up for review around the end of every snow season.

ACTION REQUEST REMINDER

I know that I've mentioned this before, but a reminder won't hurt.  On the town's website, at the very top of every page, you'll see a white band with a string of words in black.  Among those words is "Action Request".  If you want to let the town know about a backed-up storm sewer or a burnt-out street-lamp or a broken Stop sign or your neighbour's dog that never stops barking, the Action Request is a great feature.  Clicking on those words takes you to a quick and simple online form, so that you can let the town know what the problem is.  If you request a callback, town staff will call you to let you know what action was taken.  Using the Action Request is a quick and easy way to make your concerns known.  It also lets us easily track complaints over time, so that we can identify areas that need more attention.

BISON RE-INTRODUCTION -- YOUR HELP, PLEASE!

Next Friday, February 18, I'm part of a public round-table discussion about bison re-introduction to Banff National Park.  I've been asked to be part of the panel to represent the "typical resident".  (Yes, I know, I'm waaaay older than the typical resident!)  I want to be able to raise the comments and/or concerns that residents may be thinking about.  Can you please take a couple of moments to let me know what you think about bison re-introduction and what questions you may have?   A quick email from you would help me be better prepared for this discussion.  Please click Reply on this email to send me your thoughts!

COUNCIL ON MONDAY

How will Council celebrate Valentine's Day?  You can find out by taking a look at the council package, which you can see at this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2011+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-110224.pdf

Highlights include ...

A request for exemption of charities from waste collection fees

The YWCA will be making a presentation to request exemption from garbage collection and recycling fees for all charities.  You can see the letter making their case, starting on page 4 of the package.  They're also suggesting that all town departments have their waste and diversion billed for in the budget, as a way of encouraging accountability.

Community Art Committee appointments

Five great candidates have put their names forward for the three vacancies on the Community Art Committee.  This is the group that has done such a super job of picking Banff's well-loved and popular public art, such as the Thunderbird and Eagle sculpture in front of Nesters, and the Mountain Camp sculptures near Safeway. 

Community Services Fund-raising

Every year or so, Community Services gives us a list of all the grants they have successfully applied for to support town priorities.  You can see the report and the list, starting on page 36 of the package.  The department raised an impressive $271,618 in 2010, for everything from youth programs to seniors' fitness equipment.  This list also highlights the support and generosity of service clubs, businesses and other organizations in town.

A request for more enforcement of sidewalk clearing

A letter to council, on page 40 of the package, asks council to be tougher with penalties for those who don't clear their sidewalks.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INPUT

A couple of important consultations are going on right now, and you can easily put in your thoughts online:

Land Use Bylaw - Phase 2

The Town staff are working away on Phase 2 of the Land Use Bylaw revisions.  This is the phase that covers the regulations for commercial development.  These regulations affect the look of the town, its future environmental and economic sustainability, and the quality of life for each and every resident.  Have your say!  You can see the various proposals, and comment on each one, at:

http://www.banff.ca/business/planning-development/land-use-review/phase_two_outreach.htm

If you prefer to see presentations and comment in person, there will be public open houses on this phase, and I'll be sure to let you know when they are.

Mt. Norquay Draft Site Guidelines

Parks Canada is working on the document that sets parameters for the future of Mt. Norquay -- you may have seen the article in the paper about summer use, just one part of this important document.  You can read all about it, and comment (until February 11) at this link:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/plan/norquay-2011.aspx

The public meetings have already been held for this consultation, so online is your best mode of input at this point.

SHAMELESS PROMOTION

A couple of my favourite community events are happening soon:

Jon Whyte Spelling Bee

25 January:  the Jon Whyte Spelling Bee, 7 pm at the Whyte Museum.   Whether you choose to enter a team of six for this spelling and trivia challenge, or whether you choose to come as a spectator, the Bee is a wonderful community event and a lot of fun!

Ideas Bank/Conversation Cafe

2 February:  Conversation Cafe, 7 pm at the Wild Flour.  Have you had a really interesting conversation lately?  Moderators Colin Funk and Kim Bater always propose great questions, and the format ensures that you explore those questions with a diverse group of people. 

 COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW

Council meets tomorrow at 2 p.p. and, as always, you are welcome to attend!  You can see the whole package for Monday's council meeting at this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Minutes+PDF/2010+Minutes+PDF/council-agenda-110124.pdf

Here are a few highlights:

Off-leash dog park

A delegation will be coming to council to talk about this -- there's no written information in the package yet.

Council's 2011 priorities

Every year, council identifies a few areas for special attention, above annd beyond the normal day-to-day operations of the town.  You can see the draft write-up of these priorities starting on page 16 of the package -- you'll see such items as waste diversion, sustainable transportation, the land use bylaw, etc., along with comments about the steps proposed for 2011.  Council will tweak the wording and vote on approving these priorities.

Commercial floor space administration

As we get ever closer to build-out (the point at which we hit our commercial development cap), it becomes more important to have an accurate inventory of existing space as a management tool.  The Hotel-Motel Association has offered to cost-share 50-50 with the Town in order to create this accurate inventory.  You can read all about it, starting on page 19 of the package.

 Eco-kiosk for Town Hall

 If you have trouble finding the right low-flow showerhead or compost bin liner, this proposed kiosk at Town Hall may be a help to you.  The idea is to showcase and offer for sale environmentally friendly household products that are not easily available in Banff.  You can read the proposal starting on page 37 of the package.

2011 Fees

As part of budget discussions, Council approved changes to some of the Town's fees.  The report that starts on page 50 of this package details those changes and lays out the bylaw required to enact them.

Planning and Development Annual Report

Starting on page 67 of the package, you can see a colourful and engaging report about the 2010 activities of the Planning and Developmment team at the Town.  This is an information briefing for council and for the community.

Finance Committee Scheduling and Topics

Since establishing a Finance Committee, council has been busy elsewhere with the election changeover and with the budget process.  Now we're ready to begin a schedule of regular meetings, open to the public, to explore various aspects of the town's financial planning and policy.  You can see the proposed schedule in the package, starting on page 81.

And Housing Corp, too!

On Monday, Council will also be meeting as the shareholder of the Banff Housing Corporation.  You can see the package for this meeting at this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Committee+Agendas+PDF/BHC+Shareholder+Agendas/bhcs-agenda-110124.pdf

The most interesting part of the package starts on page 16.  Council, acting as the shareholder of the BHC, had asked the BHC Board to provide an action plan of how they are and will be implementing the recommendations of last year's working group.  The action plan is presented in this package.  Many of you have talked to me about these recommendations, and I know you are anxious to see them go forward.  I think you will be pleased to see how many are already in effect, and what is planned for the others.

Because we met on December 29, there are few reports to come forward to council for tomorrow, so the council meeting is cancelled.  The next council meeting is on January 24.

Hello everyone:

I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season, and finding time for relaxing with family and friends.  Council is meeting on Wednesday, December 29, and you can see the agenda package at this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2010+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-101229.pdf

Here are some highlights of what will be on the agenda:

Report from the Banff Ideas Bank

The October discussion (why do we love to hate politicians?!), the November discussion (what is one thing we need to get right in Banff in 2011?), and the December discussion (what makes you happy?) will be summarized for Council by Colin Funk.  There are lots of great ideas in these discussions -- you can see the report starting on page 2 of the agenda package.

Bow River Basin Watershed Management Plan, Phase 2 Terms of Reference

Banff is a long-term member of the Bow River Basin Council, a group that brings together decision-makers from all along the Bow and its tributaries to work together on ways to protect water quality and quantity.  As one of the stewards of the headwaters, we have a special responsibility to ensure that we are doing this right.  We've been active in this group, and -- along with our partners in the Bow Corridor Ecological Advisory Group -- we recently presented to them a complete report of the ways in which we are working to implement the BRBC objectives on water quality. 

The BRBC is asking for all members to approve a Terms of Reference for Phase 2 of the watershed management plan, which will concentrate on land use, headwaters and wetlands.  You can see the report starting on page 15 of the package.

Waste and Recycling Utility

As you know, Banff is moving toward a user-pay approach to waste and recycling in the commercial areas.  Up until now, waste and recycling have been paid for through taxes.  If this new utility is approved, over the next three years we will phase in user-pay fees and phase out the tax coverage of commercial waste and recycling.  Several questions were asked about the proposed approach and rate structure at the last meeting, and we will be discussing the responses to those on Wednesday.  Council is being asked to approve second and third readings of the bylaw to start the transition to the utility at the beginning of 2011.

You can see the reports on this item starting at page 46 of the agenda package.

2011 Municipal Fee Structure

Starting on page 69 of the package, you can see the full range of municipal fees being proposed for 2011 -- everything from cemetery interment fees to dog licence fees to builidng permit fees to the cost to rent a town parking stall.  As you'll see, many of the fees will remain at 2010 levels.  There is a proposed increase to the cost of transit for seniors and children (from $1 to $1.50), and I will be asking council to keep those fees at the 2010 level.  We want people to ride transit, and many tourism destinations provide transit free to customers.

BUDGET MEETING

After the regular council meeting is over, council will go right into a budget meeting.  It looks to me as if we are getting close to approving an operational and a capital budget for 2011.  You can see the agenda package at this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2010+Agendas+PDF/council-budget-agenda-101229.pdf

Several capital projects proposed for 2011 seem to me to be very supportable (for example, the rebuilding of the cracked tennis court at the Rec Grounds, and the planning for a safe ped/bike crossing of the CPR tracks near the compound).  I've asked administration to show us how the balances in capital reserves would look if those projects went ahead, and they have provided that information in the package. 

 THE FINE PRINT

As always, this blog entry represents only my personal opinion.  It does not purport to represent the official position of the Town of Banff or its Council.

Hello everyone:

I know you're all very busy preparing for the holiday season, but there is also a lot going on at council ...

BUDGET

The next budget meeting is Monday from 9 to noon in council chambers.  You're very welcome to attend.

We've been working on the operational budget -- the part that covers day-to-day programs and services -- and have finished the line-by-line review.  At the last meeting, we asked administration to bring us a list of options to cut up to $179,000 from the budget.  On Monday, we'll be looking at those options and deciding on a target figure we would like to hit.

We'll also be looking at the capital budget -- the one that covers building new projects (or renovating old ones) and acquiring or replacing assets such as vehicles and equipment.  At our last meeting, we got some good news from administration:  a variety of factors have made it possible to avoid some of the borrowing that was in the capital plan.  However, as you know, we also have some important projects (such as Cave Avenue reconstruction, St Julien sidewalks, etc) that have had to be pushed back over the last couple of years.  I'll be checking to see whether we now have an opportunity to move any of those up the timeline a bit.

You can see the whole package for the budget meeting at this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/council-budget-agenda-101213.pdf

The operating budget starts on page 2 of the package, and the capital budget information starts on page 64. 

Monday is the last scheduled budget meeting, but we'll see how we do -- it seems possible that we may need to schedule one more.

MONDAY'S REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

The regular meeting of council starts at 2 pm on Monday.  As always, the public is welcome.

You can see the whole package at this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2010+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-101213.pdf

Here are a few of the highlights:

Business licence bylaw

Council got lots of feedback (thank you!) on the proposed new rates and structure.  In response to what we've heard, administration is suggesting three additional changes:  lower the proposed rate for businesses that gross under $30,000 per year, create a graduated structure in the reservations/guiding/activities/DMC/event planner category, and add a rental car category.  You can see the report,  the bylaw, and the feedback we received starting on page 15 of the package.

 Electrical franchise fee

Council will be voting on whether to put a "municipal rate rider" on to electrical bills, as is done in many other Alberta municipalities.  This is proposed for 2% in 2011, going to 4% in 2012.  It is expected to cost around $9/year for the average residence, and around $12 - $36/year for the average business.  It depends on consumption, so the more your conserve, the less you pay.  I can support this, as long as council dedicates the money to energy-related projects, such as switching streetlights over to LEDs, or burying power lines.  You can see the whole report, starting on page 37 of the package.

Implementing the waste utility

We'll be voting on the proposed bylaw that will bring the waste utility into effect.  In the past, waste and recycling activities were all funded by property taxes.  If this new approach passes, we will phase in a user-pay approach over three years.  Businesses have been trying this out this past fall -- they get to pick the types of bins they need and their frequency of pickup.  Administration tells us that this is already leading to better waste diversion (businesses pay less for cardboard and organics than for mixed garbage, so there is an incentive to sort).  As well, it looks like we will see some operational efficiencies, as the trucks won't have to stop at every stop, every day.  You can see the report starting on page 65 of the package.

 2010 Visitor Experience Plan

Starting on page 76, you can see the draft plan for how the town will respond to identified visitor needs over the next few quarters.  This includes ideas such as helping visitors find washrooms and parking, adding audio commentary to the Roam transit, providing one-stop contact with the town for groups planning events, and so on.  In this discussion, I'll be expressing the opinion that all residents are stakeholders in this process, and that we should make a regular practice of consulting broadly, not just with identified organizations.

 Resident satisfaction survey

 You can see the results of the recent survey, starting on page 232 of the package.  It's great to see that, compared to 2007, 25% more residents rate the value they receive for their muncipal tax dollar as good or very good.  People ranked the library as the service that they're most satisfied with, and public safety (fire, ambulance, RCMP) as the service area that is most important.  This is very interesting reading -- many thanks to those of you who got involved in the survey!

Community measures report

The town tracks how we're doing on our Community Plan by reporting on various indicators -- those ones that we're measuring anyway, so that we don't incur extra expense for monitoring. You can see this year's report summary at this link:

http://www.banff.ca/town-hall/banff-community-plan/community-measures.htm

You'll see encouraging numbers (waste diversion is up) and discouraging numbers (water consumption per person is also up).  It's an interesting report card.

 DO COUNCILLORS EARN THEIR MONEY?