Council update, September 7, 2008
Hello everyone:
I hope you're enjoying the first days of the school year, getting back into the autumn groove, and remembering to cover your flower boxes at night!
Here are some of the highlights of life on Council from the recent past and imminent future ...
BANFF LIVE
I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that many of my curbside conversations over the past couple of weeks have been on the subject of Banff Live.
Since there seem to be differing points of view on whether Banff Live was good for Banff, I'm interested in seeing an objective review of the results, based on concrete data and on the original goals that were supported by Council. With that in mind, I've asked for a written report that covers the following:
- A rundown of dollars spent (and on what) and dollars earned (and from what
- A rough estimate of the value of paid staff time dedicated to the event
- A rough estimate of volunteer time applied to the event
- Estimates of audience numbers at various times of day (exclusive of staff, volunteers and security)
- A list of national TV, radio and print coverage attained as a direct result of the event (with copies of the print items)
- notes on how partners and funders of the reconstruction project were recognized at the event
- a summary of the written/email input received from citizens (with copies included)
- a summary of the evaluation done with businesses and visitors
- an estimate of the extension of weekend visitation garnered from the event
- and (perhaps most importantly) a list of lessons learned
I believe that most councillors will support having a report of this type done. I expect we may see it at the October 14 council meeting, and it should help to provide the accountability and the learning opportunity that many people are looking for.
There was a comment in the Crag about "20/20 hindsight" being expected from Council. With that in mind, in case you want to review what I said back in March about this event, you can go to my April 15, 2008 blog entry.
RCMP RIDE-ALONG
Thanks to S/Sgt Wiebe and Cst. Rachel Pergunas, I had the opportunity to go for a ride-along with the RCMP, from 1 - 3 a.m on the morning of Saturday, August 23. I thought I'd have trouble staying awake at that hour (not exactly my typical schedule!) but I was so fascinated that sleep wasn't an issue. It was great to have this insight into how our town is kept safe in the early hours of the morning.
I was very impressed with the effectiveness of the BarWatch network (the communication system that links the bouncers with each other and with the RCMP). I was very impressed with the rapid response time that complainants were receiving. And, as always, I was impressed with the courtesy and professional demeanour of our police, regardless of how badly the people they are dealing with may be behaving.
FALL CHECK-IN
Last autumn, when I was campaigning door-to-door, there was one comment I heard often: "Oh yes, it must be election time, that's the only time politicians come to see us!" I heard it enough that I resolved to try something a little different. Between now and the end of November, I'm going to door-knock all over town again -- just like I did during the election. I'm calling it my "fall check-in", and if people like it, I'll do it again next year. I have a feeling that some people may have more things they want to say to me, now that I'm a councillor, than they did last autumn, when I was a candidate. And I have a feeling that going door-to-door will make it easier for them to have those conversations.
Please, tell me what you think of this idea! And please let me know if there's a particular day you'd like me to come to your part of town, and I'll try to build my schedule accordingly.
Time to buy a new pair of shoes ... ;-D
COMING TO COUNCIL TOMORROW
Construction waste - mandatory waste diversion
Council is being asked to approve a mandatory requirement for construction sites to separate out and divert recyclable materials, such as kiln-dried lumber, metal, asphalt shingles, drywall, etc. Pilot projects with Kerco and Leader were very successful, and the Town staff believe that most construction firms are supportive of this approach. This is one part of the Town's continuing efforts to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfulls of all kinds.
Car wash
Council is being asked whether they would like to change the existing rules about unused commercial building allocations in order to facilitate the building of a car wash. This request is complicated by the fact that another car wash project (one that doesn't require a rule change) is in the works.
Historic site designation
The Crandall Cabin (which most of you will know better as John & Claudine Peck's former house) is coming up for designation as a Municipal Heritage Resource. This is great news, as it means the preservation of the cabin will be assured.
Other items
Those are the highlights, but there are also reports on building permits, minor bylaw changes, updated business license fees, and an update on the progress on various administration projects. You can see the complete package at: