Pleas and Process Start Meeting on Core Review
Monday, July 8, 2013 @ 9:06 AM
Prince George, B.C.- Council’s special meeting to deal with the core services review, opened with a plea from I Heart PG. The organization called on Council to think about the impact of increased user fees or a third party operator for the Four Seasons Pool.
The issues are before Council today as they deal with the Core Service Review.
I Heart PG, an organization which has opposed the selling of Four Seasons Pool, the selling of Pine Valley and the privatization of facilities such as the Civic Centre stepped up to address issues arising from the special meeting and some of the recommendations.
“The proposals being presented today will affect every person in Prince George” said Dawn Hemmingway, one of the presenters in support of I Heart PG, which made a presentation at the start of the council meeting.
Hemingway raised questions about the process leading into this special meeting noting the announcement of the special meeting was made late on a Friday afternoon of a long weekend. Then, the 120 page report was posted online at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, giving interested parties just two business days to read the report and prepare for the meeting. “I would like to know when you changed the process for dealing with the Core Review?” She noted the former process had recommendations dealt with at a committee of the whole session, then brought to Council for final consideration, allowing for time for public input. She also wanted to know when Council directed staff to produce the 120 page report. “The process for the core review was to look for efficiencies. It was going to be an attempt to keep down taxes. Now that question of reduced taxation is being used as a cover. Instead of looking for efficiencies, this is a document about boosting fees.”
I Heart PG also advised council that in one they, they had been able to collect 800 signatures on a petition opposing many of the recommendations proposed in the core review and have collected another 155 postcards calling for the Four Seasons Pool to remain as a public facility operated by the City. “Imagine if there had been more time” said Janet Bigelow of I Heart PG, “Everyone wants to make sure these services are affordable for everyone.”
As Council prepared to tackle the final recommendations on the Core Service Review, it was a surprise to see to see all members of Council in attendance.
Councillor Frank Everitt is President of the United Steelworkers, local 1-424 and the union is in the middle of contract negotiations. Everitt had requested that today’s special meeting of Council be scheduled to another date, but that request was denied. Somehow, he was able to juggle his contract negotiations and make today’s meeting.
Comments
Start the pleas of, “Not me, look somewhere else for savings”
“I Heart PG also advised council that in one they, they had been able to collect 800 signatures on a petition opposing many of the recommendations proposed in the core review and have collected another 155 postcards calling for the Four Seasons Pool to remain as a public facility operated by the City. “
Not surprising that there are so many people in town who want to see the status quo. The comments on this site say the same. When will people realize that the status quo is not sustainable? The City needs to make some hard decisions (yes, they will upset people) and tackle the debt.
JB writes:
“When will people realize that the status quo is not sustainable? The City needs to make some hard decisions (yes, they will upset people) and tackle the debt.”
And the solution is?
1. To raise taxes to levels more closely reflecting those in similar communities with similar or even better services which will also upset some people.
2. To look at efficiency savings which have really not been looked at. I am watching the live coverage for a while and it is becoming rather obvious that there has not been, or at least very rarely, a digging down of the data/operations to look at efficiencies.
Change upsets some people. However, change can go many ways. So far I have not seen informed open debate on what our tax level is compared to other similar communities. There are some indicators in the KPMG review but, in my view, they are insufficient and extremely cursory.
There was an interesting exchange regarding road salts versus abrasives. Administration was asked by Councillor Frizzell whether they are considering deterioration of vehicles. It appears, from the answer, that they are more concerned about the deterioration of roads. They have insufficient information on the effect of road salts on vehicles in PG.
I do not find the latter to be an argument in a country like Canada and even parts of the USA where there is ample information about salts and car deterioration and how to reduce such deterioration both from the point of the user, such as more frequent washing the vehicle, including undercarriage, and the City which looks at frequency, location, weather, types of products, etc.
gus: “And the solution is?
1. To raise taxes to levels more closely reflecting those in similar communities with similar or even better services which will also upset some people.
2. To look at efficiency savings which have really not been looked at. I am watching the live coverage for a while and it is becoming rather obvious that there has not been, or at least very rarely, a digging down of the data/operations to look at efficiencies.
Change upsets some people. However, change can go many ways. So far I have not seen informed open debate on what our tax level is compared to other similar communities.”
The answer is yes to both questions. Looking at similar communities is great for reference on some levels, but each community has its own unique financial situations, challenges and advantages/disadvantages.
No matter what tax levels are in similar communities, if we are unable to maintain our infrastructure under current taxation levels, those will have to be looked at, regardless of what other communities are doing.
No matter what prices are in similar stores for similar or even the same products, if we are unable to maintain our floors, walls, shelving, etc. and are unable to maintain our current quality of service and are unable to acquire inventory while continuing to sell products at current pricing levels, those will all have to be looked at.
That is a retail analogy of municipal services you spoke about JB.
How can a store disregard what their competitors are doing unless they are the only ones providing the products they sell?
The city provides products and services just as retailers do. People chose a location to settle in because of the quality of jobs, lifestyles, environment, etc. that communities and regions offer. To think otherwise is not facing up to the facts. People are not moving here in as large numbers as they are to other cities for reasons they have determined. The key reason is that the amenities other communities offer are superior to what we offer.
As the administrative manure gets thicker at the Mayors farm, the smell of self destruction gets stronger. The farmhands (The I Heart PG Citizens)work harder and harder to ask for the public’s assistance to save their farm.
The neighborhood begins to complain about the stench, and more and more of them begin to trickle in to complain. With their Children and their future at stake, the message becomes stronger and stronger that they actually like their farm. But the manure continues to get dumped, and the stink gets worse everyday.
Rather than asking the experienced farmhands to share their experiences to resolve the stench problem, the Princess of the Lavender Candle Shop who currently manages the farm points the finger at all the farmhands. They are now politely pointing a finger back.
If the Princess had stood up at the beginning and engaged the farmhands, rather than asking her accountant for a solution, this mess would have been cleaned up long ago, and would have not gobbled up well over a million dollars in time and wasted consultant reports.
No one really wants to leave the farm, and they have no real problem covering the costs of maintaining the farm; however, they all know that manure smells just like manure. The best solution right now is to melt down the Lavender Princess and enjoy the aroma.
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