Council Asks Staff To Look for Ways to Help PGX
At issue, the PGX borrowed $45 thousand from the City a couple of years ago to help pay an unexpected lawsuit. The PGX has repaid $9 thousand dollars and is asking to have the $36 thousand dollar balance forgiven and the rental of the property waived for this year.
The PGX noted that the rent of the land used to be $1 dollar for 30 days, and now is $2800 for 9.
But this is the year of job cuts, Core review, and massive road repairs. While Mayor Green says she recognizes the good work of the PGX and while the PGX is worthy, the City has had to say no to every group that has appeared before it requesting dollars.
Councillor Garth Frizzell made a motion that Staff examine the range of options available to assist the PGX.
Councillor Lyn Hall reiterated the Mayor’s comments saying it is very difficult for Council to consider the request given the current economic challenges.
Councillor Stolz called on the PGX to find some more money through raising the cost of admission by 25 cents a person, or by reducing its advertising. The PGX notes the increase in advertising is the result of a grant received for that purpose, so it is money "in" that must be spent specifically on promotion.
The Mayor and Councillor Stolz opposed the motion while Frizzell, Hall, Wilbur, Koehler, Skakun, Krause and Everitt supported having staff look for possible solutions.
Comments
http://www.princegeorgesaferwater.com
Stop fluoridating the city’s tap water and save a hundred grand a year! Join the fluoridation free 98% of the rest of the province and do some good community work with the money, like assisting the PGX which is more than worthy of the support!
“But this is the year of job cuts, Core review and massive road repairs.”
But this is the year of massive raise for councillors who have done what?
But this is the year of a Core Review whose cost could have been much lower if someone at city hall had been thinking.
But this is the year of massive road repairs that will go undone.
But this is the year in which another debt load would have been added onto the backs of taxpayers for an unneeded dike, had the taxpayers not stood tall and said NO Bloody Way. All of it brought forward by the council with the I’ll take some but you can’t have any attitude.
The PGX, with all it does for this area’s residents, especially children, gets nothing. You exhibition folks should have known to move downtown for a tax break.
Spam.
Don’t ask Brian about money he’s a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to money, ask Stolz he’s the big spender these days.
Now if you want to know any secrets Skakun dishes these out for free.
Spam? …. you must be watching reruns of Monty Python ….
Scene: A cafe. One table is occupied by a group of Vikings with horned helmets on. A man and his wife enter.
Man (Eric Idle): You sit here, dear.
Wife (Graham Chapman in drag): All right.
Man (to Waitress): Morning!
Waitress (Terry Jones, in drag as a bit of a rat-bag): Morning!
Man: Well, what’ve you got?
Waitress: Well, there’s egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;
Vikings (starting to chant): Spam spam spam spam…
Waitress: …spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam…
Vikings (singing): Spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam!
Waitress: …or Lobster Thermidor au Crevette with a Mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.
Wife: Have you got anything without spam?
Waitress: Well, there’s spam egg sausage and spam, that’s not got much spam in it.
http://www.montypython.net/scripts/spamskit.php
http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/23807
So TNW got $118,000 in March, when Council knew the financial situation the City was in and the PGX, asks for $2,800 for rent to be waived for this year plus a $36,000 outstanding balance on a loan to be forgiven.
Where is the justice and equity, or whatever you may wish to call it?
It is not even as if the money for the loan is all going to be repaid this year. It looks like it is being paid in $4,500 annual increments until 2020.
They could easily say that they will ask for the $4,500 payment this year and then forgive the rest.
At next year’s budget time, take the $118,000 that TNW will again request and reduce it by $18,000 and apply it to the money planned to be received from the PGX. And the same the year after that.
The end result? TNW will get money closer to what they used to get, the PGX will get better consideration, and the City will get more money.
Oh, and that 25 cents the PGX is supposed to add on to their ticket as suggested by the business man Councillor Stolz, who also does not believe in advertising a product on its 100th anniversary; well, come grant time next year, he might consider that TNW add $1.75 to their ticket prices and do less advertising.
Micro managing is so much fun, especially when it is someone else’s business.
Equal treatment for all …… could that be a goal to strive for?
The PGX has given so much, for so many years, asking for so little in return from this City. It’s all about priorities, once again. Shame on Green and Stolz – they both would not give the PGX an ounce/penny/pound of investment – no to everything at the grass roots level in this community, preferring to go after mega projects that cost a lifetime more than they could ever return, benefiting a few – if at all, to anyone. Congrats to the rest of Council for their guts – yes, life goes on despite the crappy roads and the core review. Thank you to them for not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and judging this miniscule “ask” on it’s own merit.
Question is: how can we throw Green and Stolz out with the bath water ?
Spam? Don’t think so! It must be something in the water!
The problem with city council, is that their priorities are mixed up. They seem to say yes to every big and expensive project that comes across their desk and say we need it. And at the same time, they no to all of the local groups that request small amounts of money or the waiving/reduction of fees and council says no because it is too expensive. Most of the small groups actually do things for the community and not these big projects.
Spam Johnny? Seems you missed the mark on that one. It appears you don’t like cartoons (Enbridge)
I have no idea what you’re referring to, OneDemocrat. I was referring to PG’s post above yours.
It’s funny how one word can get so much reaction from the overly sensitive souls out there.
Seeing as this is the 100th year of the Prince George Exhibition, are we going to see how this exhibition began????? I believe the property was donated by the farmer who owned this land, and I would like to know his name? Also I believe the land given to the Prince George Exhibition includes the area where the new pool is and the soccer fields and also the Dept. of Highways yard across on Ospika, also the land where the Prince George Exhibition is held,where the CN centre sits etc…… Now 100 years later they are asking for the city to forgive the loan and also to let them use it rent free which is a total of $38,800. Really City council you really think they owe you this money????? I know land use to be cheap but what is it worth today???? I think the City should give the Exhibition a grant every year and the rent waved. This brings a lot of money into this town, plus I think they should be given credit for the land the City has obtained. Fair is fair, and I think you should start treating the Exhibition Fair, fairly!!!!!
JB:”I have no idea what you’re referring to, OneDemocrat. I was referring to PG’s post above yours.”
Spam? You are the spam expert! Thanks for reminding me:
http://www.princegeorgesaferwater.com
Spam. I know it when I see it.
It must be something in the water!
What’s the PGX? I was led to understand there was a name change?
Obviously our city council is more impresses by TNW than a few stinky farm animals.
” Posted by: JohnnyBelt on June 12 2012 1:14 PM Spam. I know it when I see it.”
You are playing a silly game! Posting of commercial links on social media sites and discussion groups is by definition SPAM.
Posting of a personal opinion TOGETHER with a link to a personal, non-commercial, non- profit, educational, informative website is NOT spam!
The link I have posted (and you chose to ridicule – for whatever reason, perhaps a commercial interest – is not spam.
Obviously you have not visited it or you would know the difference.
http://princegeorgesaferwater.com
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