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Economic Development(s)

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LETTERS TO THE LOCAL PRESS, SOCIAL ISSUES on March 30, 2012 at 1:02 pm

Gord Fuller: March 30, 2012

I don’t know what others think but we, the taxpayer, have shelled out more than $1.4 million for the new Economic Development Corporation and with the latest stories coming out from the D/N I am not impressed.  Ms. Cudahy is being paid quite well for the job she is supposed to do and in some ways she fits right in with the reasons why many choose not get involved.  Its almost like she has spent years here instead of about 6 months.  As I mention in one of my comments on a story; how many strikes before she is out?

March 30 Work on tourism Nanaimo website goes to Toronto

March 29 Philip Wolf: Cynicism has legitimate roots for Nanaimo residents

March 28 Economic development CEO wants to end negativity about the city

Editorial: Nanaimo could use return of civic pride

The last two stories prompted me to send the following letter to the D/N on the 28th, though if I had known what was to come on the 28th & 29th I might have held off.  If you haven’t already checked out the comments on the D/N stories please do, some are quite amusing:)

Read the rest of this entry »

Strategic Planning

In CITY GOVERNMENT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on February 3, 2012 at 1:52 pm

Gord Fuller: February 3, 2012

Council has recently set up a strategic planning steering committee to look at the direction Nanaimowill be going over the next few years.  This in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce ‘Successful Cities’ initiative as well as a group ‘Vision Nanaimo’; the latter of which held a community meeting prior to the election that drew almost 300 people.  It should be noted that this meeting was not broadly advertized and that the majority of those attending were members of the Chamber, Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association (DNBIA), as well as those individuals, like me, already linked in to city happenings.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hotel Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw: My Take

In CITY FINANCE, CITY GOVERNMENT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on January 28, 2012 at 4:33 pm

Gord Fuller: January 28, 2012

There can be no doubt that this tax exemption bylaw only came forward as a result of our Mayor and some others strong beliefs that the only way to up usage at the convention centre would be to entice someone to build a hotel on land we would be willing to give them behind said centre. Initially in bringing forward the bylaw there was somewhat of an outcry from the Hospitality Association and this latest inception is designed to placate the association and bring them on board with the tax exemption. 

At council’s meeting on January 23rd these points were approved to be added to the above bylaw:

To include renovations to existing hotels and motels that achieves any one or more of the following:

• adds services

• adds rooms

• improves the quality of the stay for the visiting public; Read the rest of this entry »

Nanaimo Vision

In PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on October 7, 2011 at 1:37 pm

Gord Fuller: October 7, 2011

I attended the Nanaimo Community Vision Rally on the 5th and was quite impressed with the turnout, 250 plus. While primarily a business oriented group there were also representatives of a diverse number of interests as well as curious citizens. The speakers were quite good and the message that comes across, to me, in looking at a vision for Nanaimo is INCLUSIVENESS and how we can get past the barriers of Left and Right, Corporate and Social, have and have not.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lobbying Council

In CITY GOVERNMENT, MUNICIPAL/PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT on August 21, 2011 at 6:58 am

Gord Fuller: August 20, 2011

So, many of us have always thought developers have had an upper hand when it comes to lobbying council to get their agendas met.  In my opinion there is nothing wrong with this, if the opportunity is there then use it.  The reality is Neighbourhood Groups and individual Citizens also have that same opportunity, if they so choose to use it.  The sad reality is that more often than not they either don’t or wait until it is too late.  

I received the e-mail at the end of this post, the names of the innocent or not so innocent have been removed, from a friend who thought it would be nice if the neighbourhoods were aware of the context of the e-mail and call to action by the development community.  As you can see from perusing this e-mail was sent out as a result of council’s decision to put forward an amendment to the new zoning bylaw to keep maximum height in single family residential to the old standard 8.25m as opposed to the new 9m standard.   Read the rest of this entry »

Supportive Social Housing – Bowen Rd. on Hold

In PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL ISSUES on June 7, 2011 at 11:39 am

Gord Fuller – June 7, 2011

 Alrighty then, this is a bit on the long side but in a bid to provide some factual info what the heh.

So on May 30th a motion was made by Councillor Bill Holdom to approve the rezoning of the proposed Supportive Housing location on Bowen Rd. but put any development on hold until the others have been built and the need for more is determined.  Also the property could be sold.  Once moved and seconded the motion passed with only Councillors Bestwick and Sherry dissenting.  Read the rest of this entry »

Conference Centre in the news

In CITY FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT on March 11, 2011 at 2:03 pm

Gordon Fuller: March 11, 2011

So the NNC or VICC Vancouver Island Conference Centre makes the news again with a possible change in licensing from Food Primary to Liqour Primary.

Don’t know about the readers but I find this story, Conference centre could get another helping hand, and Denise Tacon’s comments in particular to be quite offensive.  To blame those speaking out about the drain this facility is taking on taxpayers dollars is simply ludicrous and then to try and snow people about delegate days really does not say much for what she thinks of as our intelligence.  Read the rest of this entry »

Zoning Bylaw Open Houses

In EMAILS TO MAYOR / COUNCILLORS, QUESTIONS TO COUNCIL, STAFF on January 26, 2011 at 10:19 am

Posted By: Gord Fuller

As someone who lives and has lived in the South End for a number of years I have often been curious when it comes to the location of City run Public Open Houses around issues like the OCP Review, Parks Bylaw and most recently the Zoning Bylaw re-write.  I for one like to participate when possible towards the betterment of my community but I also want accessibility in doing so.  I am assuming many in the community are like minded.

Regarding the Zoning Bylaw rewrite I have been at a few things where it was discussed so was curious when it was announced at a PNAC (Plan Nanaimo Advisory Committee) meeting that there would be some open houses for the public to view the progress to date.  What got me even more curiouser, if that is even a word, were the locations of the open houses (see below). Once again there seemed to be a lack of any venue south of Third Street and while one might expect the Ice Centre to serve most of Harewood what about the South End, Chase River as well as other points south?  Why?

What follows is a result of my inquiry. Read the rest of this entry »

Supportive Social Housing: Not In My Back Yard?

In PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL ISSUES, UNCATEGORIZED on November 11, 2010 at 4:38 pm

Gord Fuller: Nov. 11, 2010

Homelessness and Housing the Homeless has proven to be a contentious issue throughout North America. Strategies in the past have included creating shelters and housing and concentrating the facilities and other services to provide for large numbers in one location.  Just about every recent study done would say that doing so leads to urban blight and the ghettoization of these areas. Read the rest of this entry »

NIMBY Noise Makers Are in the Minority

In LETTERS TO THE LOCAL PRESS, SOCIAL ISSUES on September 29, 2010 at 1:10 pm

Gord Fuller — September 29, 2010
Editor: Nanaimo Daily News

Re: ‘Neighbours don’t want low-cost housing nearby‘ (Daily News, Sept. 14) and ‘Rich end of Nanaimo has its share of problems’ (Daily News, Sept 20)

Sooner or later the dreaded term NIMBY will rear its ugly head when associated with these three recent stories. I have mentioned before that I believe those that are true NIMBYs are in the minority and, much like those they often accuse of abusing the social system, occupy an extremely small niche when it comes to categorizing human behaviour. So far I believe the letters and other comments show a true concern for this community.

As an advocate for social change and the overall decentralization of services to avoid concentration and ghettoization of any area, it behooves the city to enter into open discussion with the neighbourhood. It is Read the rest of this entry »

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