NANAIMO CITY HALL BLOG

Archive for April, 2010|Monthly archive page

The Best City Money Can Buy

In CITY GOVERNMENT on April 30, 2010 at 8:49 pm

In investigative pieces in the Vancouver Sun today (April 30), the following stories, and others, hit the headlines:
“Searchable database: Who is funding your local council?
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Searchable+database+funding+your+local+council/2968189/story.html
Municipal election donations obscured by red tape, low-tech and council belligerence
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Municipal+election+donations+obscured+tape+tech+council+belligerence/2968184/story.html#ixzz0me1c4T2F
Illegal campaign contributions: Getting past ‘not in the public interest to proceed’
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Illegal+campaign+contributions+Getting+past+public+interest+proceed/2968178/story.html#ixzz0me1ptEcx
Help The Sun figure out who’s bankrolling local politicians
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Help+figure+bankrolling+local+politicians/2968035/story.html#ixzz0me46J0Fq

These stories make for some interesting reading and give us pause to ponder the nature of our democracy and perhaps some insight into why Nanaimo develops as it does. In the Print edition it was noted that the main contributors to candidates were developers, builders and the unions.  Unfortunately the only communities examined were in the lower mainland, but the record in Nanaimo is similar. Very few individuals contribute and developers, builders and unions give generously. If you want to do a little research, in Nanaimo contribution filings are stored on the city’s web site and can be accessed at: http://www.nanaimo.ca/EN/main/departments/Legislative-Services/4609/12679/20765/DisclosureDocuments.html

Ron Bolin

- home -

Cranky blogger takes Daily News editorial board to task

In LETTERS TO THE LOCAL PRESS on April 30, 2010 at 8:00 am

email to the Daily News Thurs Apr 29 in response to editorial concerning the departure of the Economic Development Officer…

To the editor:

When the Daily News editorial board, given the shear mass of grey cells it must contain, offers economic development advice I wonder how its parent company Canwest ever got in such financial difficulty. Did the Canwest board not have the good sense to tap this great depth of wisdom?

The editorial of April 29, informs us how urgent it is to replace outgoing Economic Development Officer Marilyn Hutchinson as there are “pressing issues… to address”. The editorial board has done us a great service though in identifying priorities for us – build a hotel, it’ll fix the problems with the conference centre. Secure a passenger ferry service into Vancouver harbour.

The editorial fills out the list with a multiplex and “dozens of important infrastructure projects”. OK, it’s short on detail and there’s no mention of long term strategic planning or risk analysis or best practices elsewhere.

The editorial also clarifies for us the role of an Economic Development Officer — “The city needs an economic development officer to ensure projects… stickhandle their way through the city’s bureaucracy easily and not derailed.” I’m not sure if this isn’t more the role of a tour guide than an Economic Development Officer, but whatever…

It all seems so simple looked at through the viewfinder of the Daily News editorial board.

Frank Murphy

- home -

Uploading or Downloading: You, Me and the HST

In MUNICIPAL/PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS on April 29, 2010 at 1:52 pm

I spent some time this morning trying to sort out the question of prepaid death expenses with someone in the Ministry of Finance in Victoria. It was both humorous and at the same time frustrating conversation. My concern is with when it would be necessary to pay the HST on such services, May 1, as was recently quoted in the local papers, or July 1, as the agreement generally reads.

The fundamental question revolves around the difference between when a good or service is paid and delivered relative to when it is contracted. Both our provincial and federal governments want to ensure that devious citizens cannot outwit their clutches by contracting before July 1, 2010 for goods or services which will not be delivered and paid for, until after July 1. One can understand the logic of this strategy –except in the case of burial expenses. One really doesn’t want, in order to save the 12% in HST taxes, to be forced to die before July 1, an act which one hopes is, in the end, involuntary.

It appears from my conversation this morning that the answer depends on the accounting practices of the service provider and leans toward the July 1 deadline being the operative one, but no assurances were offered. A visit to the Ministry of Finance in Ottawa via the internet seemed to support this view.

But the upshot of all this was to confirm that, while the province and our municipalities complain of the downloading of the costs of services, in this case the province has found a means to upload the costs of PST collection by giving the responsibility to Ottawa through the HST. I was informed that one of the main savings to be made with the HST was the loss of BC government jobs associated with the PST. Of course the fact that we will all now be paying Peter instead of Paul to collect our taxes seems to be lost.

Whether government services are downloaded or uploaded, it is the same sheep being shorn, and shorn, and shorn……

Ron Bolin

- home -

Blog reader sunnydan raises some good questions, topics for discussion

In PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on April 29, 2010 at 10:38 am

NanaimoCityHall blog reader sunnydan made these comments earlier today and they are re-posted here as they ask some good questions and raise topics other bloggers and readers will hopefully want to develop -

PORT PLACE MALL REDEVELOPMENT

After talking to members of the Architectural Review Panel I’ve learned that this project was before the panel three times. At each subsequent visit minor cosmetic changes where made without fully addressing the general dissatisfaction with the project. It is the architectural equivalent of a hack job. The fact that this magnificent site has been so badly treated for so long, has always been a mystery. The reasons why it continues to be so maligned still elude me. We don’t have to create such hideous constructions by our waterfront, but we continue to do so. Nanaimo’s beautiful harbour seems to be a dumping zone for crap architecture. Why is that?

_________________________________

PUBLIC TRANSIT GROUND-UP REDESIGN

I would like to develop a ground up re-design of our public transit system. Such an effort is long overdue. The primary objective is to make the system more efficient. To this end I would greatly appreciate comments, insights, links, directions, suggestions, stories and personal experiences. And anything else, bus related that you can think of.

_________________________________

FOOD PRODUCTION IN THE CITY

I’m going to be giving more thought to the problem of food production in this city. I am considering the possibility of multi-layered intensive aquaculture managed and sustained by the efforts of a cooperative. To this end I would greatly appreciate comments, insights, links, directions, suggestions, stories and personal experiences. Anything else, fish and food related might also help.


- home -


Email to Planners Swabey, Tucker Apr 26 ’09

In EMAILS TO MAYOR / COUNCILLORS, QUESTIONS TO COUNCIL, STAFF, UNCATEGORIZED on April 29, 2010 at 8:00 am

Andrew and Ted – Can you tell me — or tell me how I can find — the status and the timelines of the Port Place Mall redevelopment? It’s sparking a lot of interest on the new blog NanaimoCityHall. Also, can you tell me if there’s been feedback on the development proposal from Franc D’Ambrosio’s firm in regards to how it does or doesn’t reflect the approach recommended by the Downtown Design Guidelines?

Have a look — It would be great to hear from you on the blog.

Thanks -

- Frank Murphy

cc/mayor.council.nanaimo.ca

- home -

Transportation Allowances for City Employees

In CITY FINANCE on April 28, 2010 at 11:44 am

The City currently provides car allowances to approximately 40 employees, the annual cost being $258,000 based on the following allocation:

Amount          # of Employees

(Monthly)

$650                                     10

$600                                       4

$525                                      22

$262.50                                4

These employees are classified in 2 groups.Group 1 consists of employees who receive an allowance because they are required to drive extensively as part of their jobs.This group includes building inspectors,construction managers,deputy fire chiefs and operational staff in Public Works and in Parks,Recreation & Culture.This is a fair arrangement.

The second classification of employees receiving a car allowance, Group 2, are senior managers (ie: The City Manager,General Managers,Directors) who receive a transportation allowance as part of their compensation.This is an unfair arrangement because the allowance is not provided because these employees are required to use their private vehicles extensively for City business (they are not), but rather because of who they are.The concept of providing this extraordinary benefit to senior staff was conceived by senior staff about 15 years ago and agreed to by  a compliant Council of the day.There are approximately 10 of these employees,  working in offices located in City Hall or at the nearby Annex building.The annual cost to taxpayers for these 10 individuals is about $78,000.

There will of course be regular occasions when senior staff require a vehicle to travel about the City or other destinations.Let me propose a suggestion to save some money, as follows.Today it is possible to purchase vehicles at 0% interest over 5 years. A well equipped Toyota Corolla (for example) costs $24,000 which includes destination and all taxes.The monthly payment would be $400 which amounts to $4,800 per year.Add $1,000 for gas,$1,000 for maintenance,$1,500 for insurance which brings the total to $8,300 per year for one car.Purchase 3 of these vehicles, park them at City Hall for use by the 10 senior employees,and the taxpayer realizes a saving of over $50,000 per year. An additional saving would be realized at the end of the 5 years on the trade in value of the vehicles.

Wayne Schulstad

- home -

Question to staff through Councillor Kipp Apr 5 ’09

In QUESTIONS TO COUNCIL, STAFF on April 28, 2010 at 10:26 am

Hi Jim — A quick follow up to our emails re Cable Bay/Oceanview Golf Resort.

You’ll have seen this morning’s Globe story Langford’s Bridge to Nowhere:

Check out this Globe and Mail article “Financial woes land interchange project in limbo” .

Langford Mayor and Council were clearly satisfied that the development would pay for the infrastructure but they’re sure out on a limb here now. There’s a similarity with the Cable Bay/Oceanview project in that proponents have always claimed that the developer would be paying all infrastructure costs. Assuming that the developer isn’t a philanthropic foundation paying for municipal services with its own funds, I assumed what they meant was the consumer, the purchasers of the properties would be paying. But here’s the question I hope you can have addressed for me by staff:

What risk analysis has been done of the consequences of these properties being at a sizable competitive disadvantage due to these infrastructure costs being added to the purchase price? What is the liability to the city should a project like this fail? Certainly for a start a considerable investment of city staff time and resources would be down the drain. But what beyond that? Is the developer obliged to post in old fashioned cash funds to cover up front costs?

You see the nature of my concerns. While not urgent, I hope someone can take a few minutes and address them.

Thanks –

- Frank Murphy

April 28. Reply not received . If and when one appears it will be posted here. For all outstanding questions to council and staff click the Questions to Council, Staff link in the control panel at the foot of the page.

- home -

Downtown BIA Association is looking for 2 at large board members

In CITY GOVERNMENT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on April 27, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Matt Hussmann, Managing Director of the Downtown BIA Association (formerly the Downtown Nanaimo Partnership) sent in this note re 2 vacancies on the new board of directors.

Nanaimo City Council is now accepting applications to fill two vacancies on the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association for a term ending 2012MAR-31.

The Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association will represent the City’s interests in relation to the business promotion scheme as follows:

Promoting the revitalization of Downtown Nanaimo as the historic, economic and cultural centre of Nanaimo;

Promoting the economic vitality of Downtown Nanaimo;

Promoting the preservation of heritage buildings and structures and the addition of new people friendly development that enhances Downtown Nanaimo;

Promoting Downtown Nanaimo as a safe and attractive business, residential, shopping, festival and travel destination; and,

Planning and implementing a business protion scheme under the Community Charter.

Citizens who are interested in volunteering their time to sit on the DNBIA are invited to obtain an “Application for Consideration by Council for Appointment” from the Legislative Services Department, City Hall, 455 Wallace Street, Nanaimo, BC, (2507554405) or online at www.nanaimo.ca. Application Forms can also be found under Municipal Hall; City Council; Publications and Forms. For additional information on the Committee, please call Mr. Andrew Tucker, Director of Planning, at 250-755-4450. Application deadline: completed application forms must be submitted to the Legislative Services Department, City Hall, prior to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 2010MAY-11.

- home -

Email from urban design consultant Trevor Boddy

In PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on April 27, 2010 at 1:38 pm

—– Original Message —–

From: Trevor BODDY

To: rlbolin@telus.net ; schulstad@shaw.ca ; frankmurphy@shaw.ca

Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 10:48 AM

Subject:  RE:  Greetings from Nanaimo

Dear Ron:

Good to hear you are keeping up the fight, and I am disappointed to hear that your political and planning culture have not risen to the potential that Nanaimo possesses.

I do, however, have a positive suggestion for you. Please go to www.townshift.ca to see documentation and the winners for the “TownShift: Suburb Into City” international ideas design competition that I helped put together for the City of Surrey this year. The main intention of the competition was to raise the level of public debate and commentary on urban design issues, and it has succeeded beyond our highest hopes.

First, in the design briefs we wrote for five of Surrey’s under-achieving “town centres,” then in having a competition open to anyone, we were able to advance ideas and planning principles that would never have gained traction via traditional routes—private sector development applications, or citizen group blue sky propositions. Take a look at our design criteria, site selection and resulting competition entries for Guildford, which has much relevance to your current issue, being the urbanization of an empty parking lot, and the grand winner of the entire competition was for this site, by a very talented Phillipine-Canadian architect none of us had hear of before.

____________________________________________

“I am sure [Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts] would say good things about this route to anyone in Nanaimo’s council or civic administration who asks—it has become central to her impressive re-branding of her city, something Nanaimo needs just as urgently”

____________________________________________

TownShift was sparked by Mayor Dianne Watts, and I am sure she would say good things about this route to anyone in Nanaimo’s council or civic administration who asks—it has become central to her impressive re-branding of her city, something Nanaimo needs just as urgently. She also thinks it was a bargain, generating ideas, and more importantly, images for five key sites at a cost less than the typical word-based public consultation process. We devised the website to have rich documentation and to make it ultra-accessible to non-professionals—we even included a Sketch-up 3D model of each site (Sketch-up is an ultra-easy program available for free from Google that even former Edmonton subdivision planners can master in minutes!)

Chat things up a bit, and see if City Hall or another group or institution could bring me over to make an evening public (or afternoon session with council, or both) presentation about TownShift, and how competitions and their resulting public discussions are good for everyone. There is good will and interest in another ideas competition amongst our currently under-utilized design community. There is, however, likely only space for one more ideas competition this year, and you should know that I am presenting our results at CSLA and AIBC, and will be attending PIBC, so getting buy-in/funding from city hall early is important.

I hope this gets the juices flowing!

Thanks

Trev

Trevor Boddy B.A., M.Arch.

Consulting Urban Designer

email: trevorboddy@telus.net

Attachments: surrey.promo.february4+2,march29.events.poster final (3)

surrey.press.coverage.2009 11-03 The Province Kent Spencer p A3

surrey.promo.TownShiftFlyerUPDATE.october27

- home -

Conference Centre Update – Relief Coming?

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT on April 26, 2010 at 3:02 pm

What had been assumed has now been confirmed. Given the default by our Conference Centre Partners, the $100,000 Letter of Credit posted to extend that agreement to March 31, 2010, has now been cashed by the city.

Furthermore, on April 15, a letter demanding payment of $3.045 million within 30 days was sent to our “partners”. This sum represents uncollected fees, costs and expenses foregone on the strength of their promise to perform their obligation to build a hotel to go with the Conference Centre.
This sum represents roughly 4% of annual property tax revenues or, alternatively, roughly 3 years of taxpayer subsidy to the operating costs of the VICC.

We look forward to the city’s announcement of the receipt of these monies which were, in effect, borrowed from the taxpayers of Nanaimo, and to see what will be done with them.

Ron Bolin

- home -

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 34 other followers