Rules Set for Better Downtown Task Force

Tuesday, January 06, 2009 04:00 AM

Prince George, B.C.- The terms of reference have been adopted for the effort to create a “Better Downtown”.

The initiative was sparked by the Let’s Get Started rally held in the early fall.

The City Manager, sees the work progressing in two stages. The first is the “vision, assessment and coordination stage.” The Mayor says the phased approach allows for some flexibility "The first phase is to get this going, and the second phase is to get things done" says Mayor Rogers.

While there is no set time line for the first phase, it would likely follow the time line of the Smart Growth on the Ground project which is expected to produce some results by mid summer.

During Phase one, the task force will carry out several tasks:

· Develop a proposed shared vision for the downtown derived from the Smart Growth on the Ground which establishes and balances, economic, social, cultural and environmental objectives

· create a recommended implementation model to advance initiatives, projects and

· programs that are in alignment with the vision for the downtown;

· facilitate and expedite planned projects which are underway in the short term;

· identify roles and responsibilities for community partnerships to achieve the desired outcomes;

· develop a proposed public engagement and communication plan which integrates and coordinates with the Smart Growth on the Ground, Beyond Homelessness, Official Community Plan and other relevant consultation initiatives;

· present associated timelines

· present an analysis of the resources required and proposed methods to secure them;and

· recommend a mandate, form and membership for the Phase Two group to cause implementation of the tasks presented as Phase One recommendations.

Phase two is the “moving it forward” implementation stage

The Task Force will be made up of:

· Mayor, City of Prince George – Task Force Chair

· City Councillors (2) (Councillors Green and Stolz)

· Downtown Prince George (1)

· Initiatives Prince George (1)

· Prince George Chamber of Commerce (1)

· RCMP (1)

· Social service provider (1)

· Northern Health Authority (1)

· Prince George Native Friendship Centre (1)

· Lheidli T’enneh First Nation (1)

Councillor Sheri Green says she makes no bones about it, this is her number one issue "I don't want people to start groaning and saying here we go again another study, but I think we have some very motivated people on this task force." She says public consultation is critical if the plan for downtown is to be accepted by all the citizens of Prince George.

Mayor Rogers will Chair the Task Force and says he will be looking to identify what can be done immediately as well as defining the Smart Growth on the Ground work. The work begins today as the Mayor will be making some phone calls to fill out the membership.

Previous Story - Next Story

Email |

Print |

Facebook |

Twitter |

Digg |

Del.icio.us

Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2009 04:00 AM in News by 250 News

Return to Home

Comments

Posted by: PGDriver on January 6 2009 7:05 AM

They still don't get it, clean up the drug trade, get rid of the people sitting on the curb drinking and people will start coming back.

Posted by: gus on January 6 2009 8:08 AM

Another Task Force? The Air Quality Task Force just got a slap in the face from Council to replace it with some whimpy unachievable alternate.

The downtown and the air quality problems in PG have shared the same problem of not being solvable for decades. Throwing a Task Force at it is a sure sign of that continuing for some time.

Posted by: He speaks on January 6 2009 8:14 AM

Another Task Force? What............ Oh its Mayor Dan Rogers.

Posted by: downnotout on January 6 2009 8:19 AM

Right on pgdriver. That's telling it like it is.
Bring down the cost of operating downtown and the bussness will come back. Getting rid of the meters is a good step.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 6 2009 3:51 PM

Like many people that I know,I avoid downtown PG for the exact same reasons PGDriver states.
Parking never did have anything to do with it,but get rid of them anyway.
They really DON"T get it, do they?
Everyone has their own horror story about a trip to downtown PG and you would think after all this time,people like Dan Rodgers and city council would figure that out!

Posted by: MrPG on January 6 2009 3:59 PM

"Councillor Sheri Green says she makes no bones about it, this is her number one issue "I don't want people to start groaning and saying here we go again another study, but I think we have some very motivated people on this task force.""

---

Well that makes me feel much better. The people doing this study are motivated.

Posted by: gus on January 6 2009 5:09 PM

I am relieved. I see words such as:

shared vision
Smart Growth
advance initiatives
community partnerships
public engagement
�moving it forward�

Posted by: Resident on January 6 2009 8:37 PM

A little late to save downtown business such as J&A stereo who have moved out of the downtown and long established Morrison's Mens Wear, who are closing the doors after years of having to deal with the drug trade and undesirables on their door step. It will take a lot more than removing parking meters and generating a task force to clean up downtown PG.

Posted by: MrPG on January 7 2009 8:30 AM

Right on gus. The phrases you highlighted are used to sound like things are happening without actually saying or committing to anything. More of the same old same old.

Hopefully the new councilors can do better than this. Pathetic.

Posted by: metalman on January 7 2009 8:40 AM

"task force" please, politicos, can you come up with some new jargon? Oh, right, you have no imagination, even collectively. Politicos' strengths tend towards partnerships engaging shared vision, while advancing initiatives to move it forward, not plain old horse sense. Heres a thunderbolt; ask the people who live and work downtown what the problem is, forget the idiotic overuse of American military phrases such as "task force" This latest group needs a slogan,
how about "all the jargon, same old rhetoric, same lack of results"
It is too late to "save" downtown for a lot of businesses, maybe resurrect the Island Cache to create a zone for the class of people that are causing the problems. The bleeding hearts can go there to pass out free crack pipes and needles.
metalman.

Posted by: gus on January 7 2009 9:37 AM

Metalman. When Harcourt was in town for that rally, a fellow who was a streetperson spoke up and said that a way to stop the needle exchange problem is to put it opposite the police station. This was something he said a number of them came up with. They too are concerned about downtown and downtown safety.

Ms Green had spoken about the committee they had working on the problem. Harcourt immediately said that there was someone they need on that committee. You should have seen her body language at that suggestion.

If you cannot have the people who "own" the problemm as some of the main players on a group trying ot solve a problem, you might as well forget it.

This is about changing something that has festered for 2 to 3 decades. The plannerrs andmovers and shakers in the community have not managed to get anywhere with this. They won't this time either.

This type of problem needs to be solved with the "grass roots" people, those that are part of the problem and those that are immediately affected by the problem and may, in some way, also be part of the problem. The people named above asre people used to sitting around a tsable and pontificating. It will get nowhere fast.

They need help. But they need help from people who have dealt with these issues before and have clearly caused a change to happen.

We are not going to find that individual in this community.

Posted by: metalman on January 7 2009 12:56 PM

Thank you Gus for your thoughtful insight and comments. If Harcourt said that the homeless guy was the type of person that should be on the committee, then I have a new respect for Mr. Harcourt. That is just plain common sense in my not so humble opinion. It seems obvious to ordinary folk that all the committees and task forces have managed to achieve zero positive change for the, wait for it...............
downtown east side of PrinceGeorge'
metalman.