I will find the time and the gas to vote “NO” to this project.

It appears at this time that you will be able to access the AAP petition form on the Citys website, and then either mail it in, fax it, or send it in as an attachment to an email. We will know after to-nights meeting.

I would suggest that everyone who is opposed to this borrowing not only sign the petition themselves, but also sign up anyone else who may be interested. There is nothing stopping people from printing off, or copying this petition and having other people sign it. You can then take them all to City Hall and save people from having to make the trip.

The requirement for 5300 signatures makes this a big job, and it will take the effort of many many people in the community to pull it off. However if we do nothing, the City will continue to use this system, and continue to borrow at will.

They have not gone directly to a referendum in the past 20 years or more, which indicates to me, that they do not want taxpayers to have a vote on borrowing.

The $5.4 Million dollars from the Federal Government was announced on Jan 1/12. I suspect that the City knew that this money was going to be approved, and could have had the issue put on the ballot at the last election in November.

Our Mayor and Council need to take the borrowing of money seriously. At the same time they were making arrangements for borrowing the $3.5 Million, they were lamenting the fact that they have a yearly shortfall of $7Million for upgrading roads. Water, sewer, and storm drains are in similiar situations.

We pay out $12 Million per year to service our dept. Operating costs go up every year, and the City tax base remains the same or shrinks. Common sense says, that we have to make significant changes on how we do business at City Hall.

Stopping the borrowing for less than essential projects would be a good start.

All it takes is to remove the gravel from the riverbed because there is fresh gravel washed down into the junction of the Nechako and Mackenzie rivers each year. Gravel has been taken from the river in years gone by, why did this stop and why can’t it be resumed? Surely our elected council understands the need to put our tax dollars on roads and infastructure. If they can’t un derstand what the electorate want then they should get out while the getting is good!!

“The deadline for Elector Response Forms to be submitted by those opposed to the city borrowing the funds must be at least 30 days after the second newspaper publication of the notice” .. what the hell does this mean? I am sure it means you need for vote within 30 days, but it is worded like you have to wait 30 days before voting. I don’t get a paper, don’t even get the free one anymore, so those who do not recieved a newspaper are already at a disadvantage if they havent’ been following this issue elsewhere.

City Hall and Council have chosen these dates “well”. With Easter falling in this period, counting all stat holidays and weekends, we lose 12 working days at City Hall. Add in the fact that Day 1 and Day 2 (Thur, Mar 22 and Fri, Mar 23)are during the school Spring Break, where many people are on holidays. By my count, we only have 16 fully effective days to register our votes at City Hall. A tall order, indeed.

Seems strange that the provincial government is crying poverty and cutting education ,social services and were ever they can cut but yet they are giving out money to these airy fairy ideas that the city bas.
Cheers

We need to stay focused on the issue of borrowing.

1. If you are opposed to the City borrowing the $3.5 million for the dike, then you need to sign the **ELECTOR RESPONSE FORM – ALTERNATIVE APPROVAL PROCESS**

Starting on the date of the first publication of the newspaper notice, Elector Response Forms will be made available to the public at City Hall, as required by the Community Charter. In addition to that statutory requirement, Administration will make the Elector Response Form available on the Citys website.

The Elector Response Form has been revised by the City, and now indicates that as an alternativbe to submitting completed Forms by hand delivery to City Hall, electors may instead submit completed forms by mail, by fax, or by email as a PDF document, or hand deliver.

So. After the first publication in the newspaper on Wednesday March 14th, people should be able to access the Elector Response Forms off the City website, or from City Hall. The deadline for submitting forms is 5;00pm Tuesday April 24th.

So in effect you will be able to sign and collect signatures from Wednesday March 14th until Tuesday April 24th a total of 41 days. I suggest that people sign and get the forms in sooner rather than later.

Dont get sidetracked by the Dike and flooding issue. Another flood like 2007/2008 is not anticipated for the next 90 years. (according to the Consultants Report)

In addition, do you really beleive that if the CN Rail and the City beleived that another flooding was a real concern, that they would have established the

1. CN Intermondal Container Terminal in a flood zone. $20 million dollar structure

2. Locate the Community Energy System at Lakeland Mills, also in a flood zone.

I suspect that locating these structures where they did, shows that they are not really concerned about flooding. The upgrade to River Road last year which also cost us $3.5 Million plus interest, was to minimize flooding.

Lets stop the borrowing.

Has anyone at the City provided an alternative to borrowing? In other words, if the AAP says no borrowing, and the City goes to a referendum, and it too will oppose the borrowing, the City could get money through a few other options such as raising taxes and not going ahead with another project or a combination of the two.

In fact, have we been told about other options or is this a single shot approach?

I mean, if we have reports that this will reduce the frequency of flooding and other governments have bought into that and will provide some cost sharing, if we have a flood, we could be in for a significant liability case.

The City paid lip service to looking at other options. Such as using more money from the land reserve fund. Bates stated that the LRF was not in very good shape at this time.

There probably are other options such as the Teresan Gas Fund, but it doesnt seem they want to spend that money.

Insofar as the liability case goes. It would have to be proven that the dike would in fact protect the area from flooding. This of course is not the case as the water would continue to seep under the road, even after the dike was built.

In fact, the dike could back up the water to a point further up the River, and cause flooding both on the North Side on Pulp Mill Road, and maybe on the South side of 1st Avenue. Would the City then be liable for flooding these areas. I think not.

The reports also state that the MOE and the City should talk with Rio Tinto Alcan to try and ensure that the release of water from the Kenny Dam is done in a way that would mitigagte the flooding at Pr George. We havent as yet, had these discussions, so if we do not act on that recommendation are we also liable??

The question that has to be answered is why would the City locate their Community Energy System in a flood zone, and why would the CN build their Container yard and warehouse in a flood zone. Are we to beleive that they are stupid, or are they pretty sure that no significant flooding is going to take place.

The report also makes recommendations on the flooding problems on the North Side of the Nechako, the West End beyond the John Hart Bridge, South Fort George, and Landsdown Avenue./ If we dont do anything to mitigate flooding in these areas, are we liable.

People who are concerned about flooding need to take out flood insurance, or relocate. The City is not responsible for flooding, nor is the Province, or the Feds, other than to the extent that they have been for the past 100 years.

Liable for what? Building on a flood plain?
Since when should tax payers be held responsible for private businesses getting flooded out? Maybe they should carry enough flood insurance, if it’s a concern of thiers.