Hello everyone:

It's an incredibly busy time at Council, with the land use bylaw, the budget and the BHC working group all going on, plus the park management plan review.  It's a good thing I like reading!  But just in case you don't, I'll make it brief -- here are the highlights:

PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW

Parks Canada's plan is very important to all of us.  Not only does it control what goes on in the park outside the town, it also is the "umbrella" plan above the Town's community plan and the Town's  land use bylaw, because of the Town being part of the national park.  You can see a newsletter about the review process and see some of the key proposals for change to the plan at this link:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/plan/plan5/NewsletterOctober2709.pdf

and you can get a copy of the draft plan from Mike Murtha at mike.murtha@pc.gc.ca

But hurry -- it's my understanding that input is supposed to be complete by November 30.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BANFF HOUSING CORPORATION?

The working group of 2 councillors (including yours truly) and 10 public members (including 5 BHC homeowners) has had its first meeting and set some rules for how it will work.  Meetings are scheduled for November 25, December 7, January 11 and January 25 (7 pm to 10 pm each time).  The meetings are open to any member of the public who wishes to observe.  The group will be working its way through the list of recommendations and issues that have been referred by Council, and will be recommending to Council how to proceed on each of them.

 MONDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING

You can see the whole package for Monday's meeting at

http://www.banff.ca/town-hall/banff-town-council/council-meetings/dates-agendas/council-meeting-2009-11-23.htm

Because there are several large items this week, the package is broken up into 6 different documents, to be individually downloaded.  Here are some highlights:

Delegations!

There are twelve (count 'em!) delegations coming to Council on Monday -- you can see the list by going to the agenda package (link above).  Two are groups coming to express concerns about the intentions for the 200 block of Banff Avenue as expressed in the draft national park management plan.  Ten are presentations by non-profit groups in the community, asking for funding as part of Council's budget deliberations for 2010.

Second reading of the Land Use Bylaw

The proposed changes to the Bylaw are coming to council for second reading.  Second reading is the point at which amendments can be made, and I will be asking council to consider several, based on my own thoughts and on what I have been hearing from some of you and from the public hearing.  Just a reminder that this is Phase One of the Land Use Bylaw review, and deals largely with residential density and design guidelines.  Future phases, dealing with subjects such as commercial zones, public service zones, and so on, are yet to come.

You can see the information on the Land Use Bylaw by clicking on the link above, then opening the five documents that describe the changes.

New de-icing approach

After trying out various products, the Town will be using a mixture of traction granules and calcium magnesium acetate on bridge sidewalks and a range of other pedestrian areas.  This is a bit more expensive, but it is effective and is less corrosive and better for the environment.  You can see the whole report starting on page 86 of the main council package.

Working to protect water

Starting on page 98 of the package, you can see a brief summary of all the things that Bow Valley municipalities and land managers are doing to protect the upper Bow watershed.  This is a report to the Bow River Basin Council, and shows them how we are meeting the objectives of their watershed management plan.  It's quite impressive overall, and you can compare what the different communities and agencies are doing.  We hope that by sharing this information, communities can not only be proud of what they are doing, but also gain ideas from their neighbours, and look for opportunities to collaborate on water initiatives.

Pandemic response plan

Has all the talk of H1N1 got you wondering about essential services and how they will be maintained if a lot of people get sick at once?  Starting on page 110 of the main council package, you can read the Town's approach to ensuring that critical and vital services will be maintained if we have a high absentee rate due to the flu.  It's interesting to see that our absentee rate so far has not exceeded 4% at one time, and that the Alberta average for flu season is 8%.

Of course, prevention is the most important defence!  Thorough and frequent hand-washing, and staying home if you're sick, are the simplest ways to minimize the spread of the flu.

Hello everyone:

I hope you've had a chance to enjoy some of the great events at the Mountain Festivals.  I look forward to seeing some of you at the Best of the Fest tomorrow evening!

Here are some highlights of what is coming to council on Monday:

VERY IMPORTANT CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY!

On Monday evening, at 7 pm in the Council Chambers, council will be holding the public hearing for Phase 1 of the Land Use Bylaw revisions.  You can see the report and background information at this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2009+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-091109.pdf

Why should this matter to you?  The Land Use Bylaw controls what can be built on every lot in town.  It covers things such as the height of buildings, the size of front and backyards, how much space needs to be left between adjacent buildings, how many dwelling units can be built, and so on.  This bylaw determines what your neighbourhood will look like as lots are redeveloped.

Frequently, people become concerned when they hear of a development planned for their neighbourhood, and try to stop or change it at that stage.  But the time to have input into what happens in your neighbourhood is now, at the Land Use Bylaw stage.  If we end up with a bylaw that describes development you can live with, then you will not find yourselves surprised by what is built around you later on.

Many of you connected with the planners when they came to your neighbourhoods to talk about the bylaw.  I hope that you will take the further nopportunity to look at the package and get a sense of what is now being proposed, and whether you might want to comment on it.  Council will be considering all comments made, plus the thoughts of members of council, when the bylaw comes for amendment and second reading on November 23.

THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

You can see the regular council package by clicking on this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2009+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-091109.pdf

The council meeting starts at 2 pm on Monday and, as always, the public is welcome to attend.  There are two opportunities during the meeting to ask questions about items on the day's agenda.

Warden service changes

Park superintendent Kevin van Tighem has accepted council's invitation to come and talk to us about what is happening with the warden service and backcountry protection.  This is your chance to hear directly about these changes, which have been a hot topic of discussion around town for some time.

Housing incentive program for Town staff

As I mentioned in a past email, this program was proposed to council a few weeks ago.  Council asked questions and commented on aspects of the proposal, which was then modified by staff.  The revised proposal is coming back for decision on Monday.  You can see it starting on page 26 of the council package.

Although the changes have taken the proposal in the right direction, I remain concerned about it, and inclined to vote against it.  I appreciate the feedback I have received so far, and would be happy to hear from more of you.

Outdoor rink proposals

Starting on page 39 of the package, you can see the interesting work that staff have done in trying to find a good location for an outdoor rink this winter.  There's lots of good news in this report, including the fact that the Springs intend to have their rink in place this winter, and that there will be an outdoor rink at the Rec Centre once the construction project is complete.  The report lists the pros and cons of a range of possible locations, and recommends trying a downtown outdoor rink on half of the Bear Street 200 block parking lot this winter. 

Central Park is one of the other locations suggested, and the one I think might be best.  While I love the idea of a skating rink right downtown, I think that the proximity of washrooms and parking make Central Park a better option.  However, there are substantial concerns about how the grass might recover in the spring.

Q3 forecast

Starting on page 48 of the package, you can see the Town's current financial situation and the forecast to year-end.  At present, Town staff is predicting a small surplus at year-end.  After the disappointing difference between last year's forecasts vs. actual year-end figures, I will be asking about what changes have been made this year to ensure that these figures will be more reliable.

Tangible capital assets

This is one of those topics that is hard to make interesting, but is very important.  Municipalities have been directed to change the way they account for their capital assets, and to amortize them over time.  This is a good thing because it puts an actual dollar value on the "infrastructure deficit" (the hidden cost of ageing infrastructure) that exists in many communities across the country, and requires communities to show how they are planning financially for infrastructure replacement.

The good news is that the hard work of Banff staff has put us out ahead of this major change.  And there's more good news -- based on the replacement cost of our infrastructure and its expected lifespan, it looks like we are close to putting aside the right amount of money each year for future replacement.

Infrastructure keeners and accounting aficionados can read the whole report starting on page 70 of the package.

Bylaw enforcement briefing

Council supported the hiring of two seasonal bylaw enforcement officers this year, but asked for a follow-up report after the summer season was over.  You can find this report starting on page 75 of the package.  If you've ever wondered how many parking tickets get written, what the bylaw department does about skateboarders on downtown sidewalks, or whether anyone enforces traffic speed restrictions in town, this lively and entertaining report will give you all the answers.

Hello everyone:

 Here are a few updates about community goings-on, plus information about what's coming to Council tomorrow.   

CHANCES TO HAVE YOUR SAY

Parks Canada Planning Forum

 Parks Canada is having their annual planning forum this year on October 29 and 30 at The Banff Centre (in the Laszlo Funtek building Room 224, starting at 9 am on October 29).  This is a big year, because the management plan review is in full swing, so the sessions should be very interesting.  The whole event is open to the public.  Even if you don’t have the time to participate in the whole thing, you can find out what’s going on by going to the superintendents’ “fireside chat”, which will be held from 7 - 8:30 pm, October 29 in the Great Room at the YW.  This popular planning forum event lets superintendents Kevin Van Tighem and Pam Veinotte give a brief run-down of the year’s activities, and then the fun begins — audience members ask whatever park-related question they want, and the superintendents answer.  These have been very lively discussions the past two years!  I hope that you’ll take the opportunity to sit in on this one.

Parks Canada special events advisory group

A few of you have expressed interest in Parks Canada's decision-making process about special events.  The group that makes recommendations to the superintendent about this is SEPAC, and their meetings are open to the public.  If you want to have input into Parks' decision about a particular special event, old or new, you can do it through the SEPAC meeting.  To get yourself on the SEPAC email list (so that you'll know when meetings are scheduled and what special events are being discussed), just email catherine.vaillancourt@pc.gc.ca and ask to be put on the list.

Post Office changes

If you want to express your feelings about the recent changes in layout and service levels at the Banff Post Office, here is the phone number for making such comments:  1-800-267-1177

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH BANFF HOUSING CORPORATION?

Council met for a second time with a group of homeowners last week.  MS2 and Riverview Court homeowners are holding a meeting this week, at which I hope they may choose their five proposed representatives to the working group.  I'm looking forward to getting this group underway.

HIGHLIGHTS OF MONDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING

Monday's meeting is at 2 pm in Council Chambers at Town Hall.  As always, the public is welcome to attend, and there will be two opportunities during the meeting to ask questions about items on that day's agenda. 

You can see the whole council package from this link:

http://www.banff.ca/town-hall/banff-town-council/council-meetings/dates-agendas/council-meeting-2009-10-26.htm

Because of the bulky Land Use Bylaw reports, the council agenda package is broken up into several links this time -- all of which can be accessed from the above page.

Highlights of the agenda include:

2010 Council priorities

Each year, council has a strategy session in the fall to talk about what we need to focus on in the coming year.  This results in a short draft document, which then comes to a public council meeting for approval.  You can see this year's draft starting on page 11 of the council package.

Council's new priorities for 2010 include commercial space allocation (figuring out how we deal with the small amount of remaining commercial development allotment), community & economic sustainability and prosperity (responding to findings from the Indexperience survey, consulting with the community on long-term plans for a prosperous and resilient community), citizen engagement (reporting on community plan indicators, doing more "neighbourhood tent" events) and environmental initiatives (especially maximizing recycling in the commercial sector).  Council has also asked for several of last year's projects and programs to continue to be regularly reported to council.  You can see details of all these in the draft document.

2010 Financial Plan

This draft plan is coming to council for final changes and approval.  You can see the meat of it starting on page 30 of the council package.  In just 10 pages of fairly simple prose, written in language suitable for the non-financial-expert-type person, it explains the assumptions behind how the town does its budgeting and financial management.  For those of you concerned about taxes (and who isn't?), this is a worthwhile read.

One assumption in the plan does concern me, and I will be bringing this concern up  at council tomorrow.  We are starting our draft budget with the assumption that the Alberta Consumer Price Index change will be zero in 2009 -- in other words, that prices will neither inflate nor deflate in this year.  My personal take on this, looking at the track record for the first three quarters, is that the change will actually be minus 1%, or perhaps even greater.    I will be asking how quickly we can respond in the budgeting process if it turns out that the proposed CPI assumptions in the plan are incorrect.

Why does CPI matter?  Because it is the Town's starting point for assumptions about tax increases and about salary changes for Town staff. 

First reading of some Land Use Bylaw amendments

As you'll recall, the town planners brought these to Council for first reading at the September 28th meeting.  Voting for first reading doesn’t suggest that Council is approving these amendments.  It just gets them onto the council agenda, so that a public hearing can be scheduled.  However, the planners had received several concerns from folks who wanted a chance to look at the proposals before first reading, so council agreed to postpone the first reading until tomorrow's meeting.

You can see all the reports and proposed amendments by going to the page shown above, then looking at the individual links.

I commented on the contents in my September 28 update email.  I hope you will take a look at the reports, and that you’ll get involved when the proposed changes come for second reading.

Update on the Fleet Shop

This report (starting on page 41 of the council package) states that the new building at the compound will be ready for full occupancy and operation by November 30.  It also describes the causes of the delay from the originally expected date in July.  Staff report a cost overrun of $110,000, and recommend funding that from cost under-runs on two other projects.

Bow Falls viewpoint and washrooms

A background report, for information only, is provided about proposed improvements at the Bow Falls parking lot area.  This project will come back to Council as part of the capital budget, at which time we'll see what it's possible to do there, given the money available.

THE FINE PRINT

Any opinions expressed in this post, and in all the others on this blog, are published only to let Banff voters know what I personally think about the issues.  These posts do not purport to represent the point of view of the Town of Banff or that of its council.

What a difference two weeks make!  That was one of the most abrupt descents into winter that I can recall, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming warmer stretch to finish those fall yardwork items that just did not get done in time.  Meanwhile, I hope you're all enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend cozied up with family and friends!

 A CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY

 Parks Canada is having their annual planning forum this year on October 29 and 30 at The Banff Centre.  This is a big year, because the management plan review is in full swing, so the sessions should be very interesting.  The whole event is open to the public.  Even if you don't have the time to participate in the whole thing, you can find out what's going on by going to the superintendents' "fireside chat", which will be held on the evening of October 29 in the Great Room at the YW.  This popular planning forum event lets superintendents Kevin Van Tighem and Pam Veinotte give a brief run-down of the year's activities, and then the fun begins -- audience members ask whatever park-related question they want, and the superintendents answer.  These have been very lively discussions the past two years!  I hope that you'll take the opportunity to sit in on this one.

MY DERELICTION OF DUTY RE DOOR-KNOCKING

I apologize!  Between taking a 10-day vacation in September and all the workload related to everything else that is going on, I haven't been able to complete my door-knocking around town this fall.  I will try hard to pick up the pace in the spring.  In the meantime, please remember (and let everyone else know, too!) that I'm happy to make time to discuss questions and issues with any Banffite -- just call or email if you need to chat!

HIGHLIGHTS OF TUESDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING

This week's council meeting is on Tuesday, because of the Thanksgiving holiday.  You can see the entire package by clicking on this link:

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Council+Agendas+PDF/2009+Agendas+PDF/council-agenda-091013.pdf

 Highlights include:

Community Art Committee update

There's a report from this hard-working committee (starting on page 18 of the package)  to tell us about their activities from the past year and their plans for the future.  Don't miss the great photos of their new plaques (placed to identify each artwork), the work on the "Mountain Camp" piece near Safeway, and the winning image of our pink buffalo in Central Park, which was published by Municipal World in their book called Cultural Planning for Creative Communities. 

 Employee housing policy

Like other employers in town, the Town of Banff has some rental staff housing units, which are allocated according to this policy.  It's being brought to council for some proposed updates.  You can see the proposed policy starting on page 37 of the package.

As well, a brand-new program is being proposed to council -- one in which the Town would provide interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to employees who want to make a first-time home purchase in Banff.  The loans would be repayable if the employee leaves Town employment, or after 10 years, whichever comes first.  This is similar to the innovative program developed by Caribou Properties for their employees.

I like the idea of taking action to encourage our employees to live where they work, but I do have some concerns about this proposal.  It worries me when the Town uses taxpayers' dollars to offer a benefit to town employees that the original taxpayers may not be able to afford to offer to their own employees, and I want to explore that question with council and staff.  I also wonder about "double-dipping" -- would Town employees be able to use this program to buy a Banff Housing Corporation home, thus benefiting from two municipal programs in one home purchase?  Somehow that doesn't seem quite right to me, but I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.  And, of course, what happens if interest rates go up?

Construction impacts on Rec Centre operations

Keen users of the Rec Centre will want to read the report that starts on page 51.  It lets you know how the recreation staff are going to maximize availability while construction is going on.  Of course, use will be constrained by the project, but every effort is being made to give users as much open time/space as possible.

Banff Housing Corporation report

Council will also be meeting as the shareholders of the BHC, to receive the amended report on "equity creep".  You can see the whole package by following the link below.

http://www.banff.ca/Assets/PDFs/Town+Hall+PDF/Committee+Agendas+PDF/BHC+Agendas+2007/bhc-shareholders-agenda-091013.pdf

Fans of the BHC will need no introduction to the concept of "equity creep" but, if it's new to you, the report provides a definition and background information.

From the information provided, it appears that "equity creep" is more of an occasional attempt by particular vendors to get a higher price for their units, or a potential future problem, rather than an overall current systemic trend that is already inflating the prices of Middle Springs II houses.  Over a five-year period, non-BHC condos in town increased in average price by a factor of 1.98, non-BHC residential went up by 1.67, and Middle Springs II average prices went up by 1.66.  The author of the report provides some reasons why these numbers need to be interpreted cautiously, however.

I'm very sorry to be so late with this council update!  Gord and I took a little vacation over the past ten days, and I'm scrambling to catch up!

PLANTERS ON BANFF AVENUE

A couple of people have mentioned to me that the planters on Banff Avenue's median -- although they're absolutely gorgeous -- are a bit of a visibility problem when placed near the mid-block crosswalks.  I've noticed this, too, and brought it up at the last council meeting.  I'm told that the planters will soon been taken out for the winter, and that their locations will be moved for next year.

EVENING COUNCIL MEETINGS

I'm sorry to report that the remaining evening council meeting of the year has been moved back to the 2 pm time slot.  Because audience numbers did not show up for the evening meetings, the majority of council felt that this initiative was not worth continuing.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR TODAY'S MEETING

Today's agenda package is so bulky that it's provided in a series of links.  You can access all of the sections from this page:  http://www.banff.ca/town-hall/banff-town-council/council-meetings/dates-agendas/council-meeting-2009-09-28.htm

First reading of some Land Use Bylaw amendments

As you know, the town planners have been working hard on the first phase of the Land Use Bylaw amendments, and they are bringing these to Council for first reading today.  Voting for first reading doesn't suggest that Council is approving these amendments.  It just gets them onto the council agenda, so that a public hearing can be scheduled.

You can see all the reports and proposed amendments by going to the page shown above, then looking at the individual links.

The big proposed change is a large increase in residential density - the size of building that owners can build on their lot or lots.  How high, how wide, how long the building can be, and how much floor space can be built into it -- these are all density questions.

I think that residential density is a good thing in many ways.  Banff is much, much more dense than Canmore, for example, and that gives us a compact footprint, easy access to services, and walkability.  But in looking at increased density, I want us also to consider what the tradeoffs are.  What are the services provided to the community by the open space on people's lots?  Examples include greenhouse gas absorption (by trees and lawns), stormwater absorption (instead of running off into gutters and the river), view lines to our mountain views, shade and insulation, habitat for birds and small mammals.  What can we do to protect those services while also gaining more residential units?  This will be a conversation I'd like to have as the bylaw moves forward.

As well, the bylaw proposes that we set requirements for the energy and water efficiency of buildings:  better walls, windows, and plumbing fixtures.  I think we might want to include better stormwater retention as part of that standard, and also offer people incentives for installation of solar and wind energy solutions.

I hope you will take a look at the reports, and that you'll get involved when the proposed changes come for second reading.

Community Greenhouse Initiative

An exciting proposal is coming to council for approval in principle, and you can see the report at page 33 of the main agenda package document.  FCSS is proposing a community greenhouse, with plots that can be used by citizens to grow produce for their own use.  This idea is in the very early stages, but you can see pictures of what this might look like, and a list of possible locations.  According to the report, a similar program in Whistler now has 72 plots being used by Whistlerites.  Wouldn't it be great if this greenhouse could be located near one of our schools, so that students could have a plot and learn more about the joys and challenges of food production?

BHC working group

Nine community-minded volunteers have put their names forward as possible public members of the Banff Housing Corporation working group, and Council will have the difficult task of choosing five of them today.  All the applications look great, and I take my hat off to these folks who are willing to take on this complex discussion.