I wanted to increase our road rehab budget by 10% a year for three years.

Lets hope that the roads actually show improvement when all is said and done because between you and the Regional District you have raped the people with sickening tax increases. When everyone is suffering with the high cost of living and no increases in wages you gouge. I am taking the above statement as WE can expect another 10% tax hick for the next 3 years as well. Maybe you will have some money left to pave your 5m wide x 11klm long fancy trail at the end of it. Our road is full of pot holes and we have no sidewalk but OH WELL.

This council has already failed in my eyes and we need to suffer with you for far to long. All your promisses at election time was just dribble.

“I was quite happy to see the asphalt plants up and running and the paving crews out this morning"

???????

Some more lousy paving jobs coming our way if they were paving in this wet weather. Even the cold could be a problem.

Look at paving specs. Anyone in the business ever see any of any value that allowed paving in the rain or snow????

"Reacting to criticism that the building need not have the gardens, the glass and the atrium, Mayor Rogers says the elements should improve the atmosphere “These buildings need to be efficient, positive places to work.” By making the buildings efficient and positive places to work, Mayor Rogers says that would go a long way to improve recruitment and retention of officers"

What a blithering IDIOT. These things have absolutely nothing to do with recruitment and retention of officers. The time in which a member remains at any one single posting is determined by E division Headquaters in vancouver. Usually too much duration in one posting is what gets people moved and the members have very little say in it. As for recruitment, the push is on for members in the lower mainland..the rcmp is promising potential recruits that if they currently reside in the lower mainland, they will get posted back to the lower mainland. As for Rogers attracting recruitment to PG, very few wish to come as they know about the pollution and the scum here. The long timers that are currently here are only staying because their wives have decent jobs too and they wouldn't be able to afford the same standard of living in the lower mainland. If the RCMP trys to move them, they threaten to retire. A pension income with a spouse's income is still better up in PG than the lower mainland.

Like I have said before, this is a police station build it efficiently with good design and equipment. We don't want the Trump towers.

Its nice to be able to provide an efficient positive place for the RCMP to work, and to house criminals, however who else in Prince George business or otherwise has this luxury. City Hall has some pretty good office space, so has IPG, and the Regional Police on 5th and Ospika, and the Regional District offices on 1st and George St., Then of course we have the Courthouse and other Government buildings.

The standard run of the mill office space that is available for the working people who pay taxes falls short of what is provided for the people who work for the people. Seems Government workers get the best of the best, and taxpayers are left with the dregs.

I am not impressed Mayor Rogers at the roads or this new R.C..M.P building. What kind of mickey mouse game you got going on here.

So true Palopu and well said. All levels of government has gotten to large. It is only a matter of time before WE THE TAX PAYERS can not afford them any longer.

"Reacting to criticism that the building need not have the gardens, the glass and the atrium, Mayor Rogers says the elements should improve the atmosphere “These buildings need to be efficient, positive places to work.” By making the buildings efficient and positive places to work, Mayor Rogers says that would go a long way to improve recruitment and retention of officers"

Dan how much will these pretty little addons cost. I'll bet the police would rather have spent that money on equipment and/or extra cops. It will also have a nice outside garden sitting area. Hello Dan we generally don't sit outside in PG for eight months of the year. One sure can tell it was designed by someone in lotus land.

Going to spend an extra 10% on roads each year, is that above inflation and pay increases. City hall can run off about the tens of millions to be spent on a new police station and PAC like it is nothing, but make a big deal about three million for roads and infrastructure.

Oh I get it now, it is hard to hang a brass plaque with your name on it on a road.

Beautiful Building. But, then the firehall would want something, then PAC would want one, then we would need to build a new city hall.

Can someone tell me what they are going to do with all the EMPTY buildings this new building is going to create? Is there not 2 or 3 Rcmp spaces in town right now? They can't lease or rent out all the space they already have.

Who is he trying to feed ?

Why would he not want to build something practical, economical, functional ?

Who does he want to hand an incredibly inflated project to ?

Mayor Rogers says they are working hard towards their promise of fiscal responsibility “We as a large major urban Centre have a lot of needs..."

Yes there are a lot of needs alright. But it appears all we will get is what Mayor Rogers wants.

Two entirely different things.

Ok so here's a thought.

he wants to increase the road budget by 10% a year for 3 years.Try this reduce the cost of the building to say 30 million and use the remaining 16 million on the roads in the next 3 years.Taxpayers are happy.Oh and so are the the officers doing the actual police work,you know,the ones driving around on the broken streets for hours at a time,dealing with the same roads we all deal with.I bet if you asked any of the officers they would think it was a good idea.Along with delivery drivers,taxi drivers....and so on.

i love how there is a hummer police car in that 3d model. They sure put all the bells and whistles in that thing...

I am very disappointed with the new mayor.

Sorry. I hope that someone else with a more reality based set of priorities will replace him as soon as possible.

Not one of you complaining idiots said anything about the previous Mayor..... Dan is trying to get the roads fixed. The roads just didn't get bad since he has been Mayor. They have been that way for a long long time....Last council did didly squat about it and Dan wasn't even on that council. As for the RCMP building that was all passed under Colin's leadership and something Dan inherited.
Maybe you should all go see if Colin will buy you a drink with his taxpayers pension he is collecting and you can complain to him....

I am aware that these fiasco's are the direct result of the previous Mayor and Council, along with a lot more that havent as yet been mentioned,

The point is that the new Mayor and Council have an opportunity to reduce costs, which was the main reason they were elected. This means that they should review this Police Station with a view to reducing the costs to a reasonable level.

They should also be looking at the bloated number of people on the Citys payroll, with a view of reducing staff significantly. Police and Fire Departments, should also be reviewed.

Lets get serious about fiscal responsibility.

There is absolutely no need for name calling. Everyone has the right to speak their mind on here but WITH RESPECT.

agreed, behappy

these roads have been like this FOREVER. Hopefully Dan Rogers can get things moving in this area.

good 'ole Colin and his buddies were wayyy worse if you ask me.

"The point is that the new Mayor and Council have an opportunity to reduce costs, which was the main reason they were elected. This means that they should review this Police Station with a view to reducing the costs to a reasonable level"

I agree with that Palopu. Just because something was initiated in the past does not mean it has to be carried forward in the future. This is especially true when the situation has changed, like it has with the increasing costs of this facility and the public feedback that perhaps a second look at project scope and location is in order.

Council should take a second look here and not just fall back to the "well it's already been started we have to proceed" mindset. That's a cop out when it comes to leadership and making decisions that best serve the community.

Prisoners in leg shackles and handcuffs gonna be allowed to spend a few moments reflecting and savouring the atrium, gardens and glass while coming and going? Sounds really nice for a place the majority of citizens would rather avoid for any of many reasons.

The image of Prince George will be elevated by this new building.

Sure it will.
Anybody know which cities have the nicest cop shops ?.....or care ?

I have to agree that I am also disappointed to see the lack of focus and direction, and a definite lack of serious decisiveness.

I was hoping to see a lot more of a "crack" squad and not a "crack squad".

Seems to me that there's always a lot of complaining about "downtown improvement" in PG, and yet you people all seem to want some drab building instead? I would think that any type of outdoor area would be welcomed by residents - who wouldn't enjoy having a coffee on a bench in a nice downtown garden? I understand the cost complaints, but I'd rather see money go to greenspace than pothole repair... eeek don't hate me too much.

Seriously though, it's no wonder people dislike PG so much, with a bunch of complainers around. With so many terrible things in town, it's amazing anyone still lives there.

"Seems to me that there's always a lot of complaining about "downtown improvement" in PG, and yet you people all seem to want some drab building instead? I would think that any type of outdoor area would be welcomed by residents - who wouldn't enjoy having a coffee on a bench in a nice downtown garden? I understand the cost complaints, but I'd rather see money go to greenspace than pothole repair... eeek don't hate me too much"

I agree with everything you say. The problem is that this building won't accomplish it AND it will actually work against that vision since it will take up a prime piece of land that COULD be used for such purposes. Do you think anyone is actually going to go have coffee at a police station?

Who would wanna sit in a comfy garden setting indoors while prisoners are shuffled back and forth in our new cop shop? Lotsa money for that option. How about a Tims at one end so the RCMP don't have to worry about parking? And as I have said before, why not put a needle exchange room just inside the front door. Second door on yer right. With lots of (working) cameras focused on it? $46 million dollars in 2009 dollars. Betcha it will cost more when done.

Wow! Good comments all. Cant wait for the banter when the arts center comes up for chit chat!

At least Dan Rogers had the guts to get on the radio with Ben this morning. He didn't have to. And he could have chosen to respond to callers' questions either.
We don't know what it's like to walk in others people's shoes. Mayor and council, city administration and the RCMP have a no-win job. No matter what they do it will never be good enough for the demanding public.
In regards to the proposed RCMP detachment, it is still in the initial planning stages. No sense getting upset about it right now because no firm decisions have been made yet.
I have decided not to succumb to mass hysteria about irresponsible spending on the city's part. (Although it's difficult at times not to fall into this). Let's wait and see what happens.

I am so tired of hearing about the stupid potholes...drive around them! We live in the North, this is like complaining about frost - suck it up or move. PG needs some nice buildings, I don't care if it's the police station or courthouse - both are gov't which have criminals coming and going. Do you actually think that the criminals will be taken through the front door - uh, duh...NO! PG needs some serious cosmetic work...this takes tax money. Quit belly aching about the f-ing roads! That is so old! I love PG for some reasons and detest it for the state of downtown and I was born and raised here. Look at the old Cineplex on Vancouver - deserted and falling apart - why is this not dealt w/? Why was the Croft, the PG, the Astoria etc deemed heritage? These are the reasons I hate PG. All downtown! Why doesn't the city visit...say...Kamloops? They managed to clean up their downtown, it's trendy, clean and attractive??? Quit w/ the ridiculous studies and be proactive city council...this is redundant!

The roads in Prince George are a reflection of the people who run the City. Its pretty obvious that you do not have much concern for your City if you cannot do the minimum amount required to keep it in good shape.

The tax dollars in Prince George over the years have been badly misdirected. Mostly to recreation facilities, City, Police, Fireman, staffing etc;. We are a small City with a big City complex.

To suggest that a City of 72000 people and a declining population, needs a $48 Million or more police station to house 121 Officers and 50 Staff, and a few cells is ludicrous. The last police station was built to the specifications of the City and the RCMP, and guess what? Less than 30 years later, they are complaining they it is not sufficient for their needs.

I suggest a major renovation would be in order. Why do we need a new building????

Who is looking for a new building. It sure as hell isnt the Citizens of Prince George. It is purely and simply the Mayor, and Council, along with the RCMP. The RCMP because it would be great to have, and the City, because it gives them the opportunity to spend huge amounts of money, let contracts, and give them a shrine to their existence.

We have to continually pay for this type of BS. We need this building like we need another flood on the Nechako.

The Mayors statement that the taxpayers will have the last say on this matter through an alternative approval process, is pure hogwash.

The approval process to borrow the money requires that 10% of the electors in the City sign a petition. This would amount to approx 5000 signatures. These signatures would have to be obtained in a 30 day period. If (by some miracle) they were obtained, then the process would go to a referendum, and it would take a majority of the electors to get it stopped.

The approval process used to require 5% of the electors in the City, but because it was causing some problems for the Municipalities, the Liberal Government allowed it to be changed to 10%. This makes it almost impossible to stop any borrowing.

Note that the process requires 10% of the elibible voters in the City which would be approx 50,000, even though the number of people who actually voted in the last election would be around 20,000. You would think that at least they would allow you to get 10% of the number of people who actually voted in the last election.

Not bloody likely. The whole system is designed to keep people from having any effect on how the City does its business.

My own view is that if we continue to talk about this any longer we will end up with an even bigger bill. We have known about the need to replace the RCMP building for years now. We have hummed and hawed about it and we have watched the price tag double. Had we built the thing 5 years ago, we would have paid $20+ Million. Now we are facing a 40 million dollar bill. If we wait another 5 years, perhaps it will be $60M or $80M.

It is time to build the thing and stop fighting over the price.

Tell me Dan Rogers; does that old office you have at city hall make you a poorer mayor? That's what you're suggesting. If you had a nicer office or coucil chambers, would it recruit more people to city council? Get real. I voted for you because you seemed rather rational before the election. Don't let us down. Scrap the RCMP 'Ritz' and fix our streets properly. This is fast aproaching 'Animal Farm'.

Forget the cop shop and fix the roads

http://www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca/open.dll/showDisplayDocument?sessionID=20176770&disID=14169176&docType=Tender&dis_version_nos=0&doc_search_by=Tend&docTypeQual=TN


City hall refits.

shhhhh.....don't mention city hall....next thing ya know it will be deemed unfit for Mayor and Council....need a complete overhaul. If they're not going to fix the roads...quit charging us for it! I agree with lmorge on the cop shop. If the building needs to be built?? build it for function...forget all the unnecesary frills.I think its all about having a nice area to hang that brass plaque remembering the Mayor and Council of the time.

Fine, do not fix the roads! I agree with that BUT STOP CHARGING US FOR IT THEN. That is the beef here. I will drive around them but in some cases there is no where left to drive because the pot hole is bigger than the drive way itself. Good luck getting visitors to return to the city once they drive through. I agree that the roads are a reflection of the way the city is managed. Have a nice avoiding pothole day all. :}

I would rather have the RCMP building, if that means more Officers to get the criminals off the streets and where they belong. As for the look of the building at least it'll make the "down town" nicer to look at. I could live with the crappy roads if it means the criminals are being put where they belong!!!!!
The Fact is the roads will NEVER be in the "perfect" condition we ALL want them to be in. We live in the north when it freezes and thaws and that alone damages the roads, in some places more than others, but the city should not be filling these "holes" when it is wet THAT is a waste of time and Money!
I for one think the Mayor is doing a good job with what he has to deal with from the "kinsley ruling" of a sham and waste of taxpayers money for the whole time he was in office! Now everyone is getting mad at Mayor Rogers because he's new and trying to "clean" up from Kinsley, not fair! We should have all gotten mad at Kinsley for getting us to this point in the first place! NOt at the man who is trying to clean it up!

Are you actually saying that a new RCMP building is going to get us more officers and get more criminals off of the street? We only get so many officers/size of city no matter how big and fancy the building is. Clean up the buildings we have! A new fancy building is not going to improve the mess already there...lol

"He says ultimately the decision abaout borrowing the money to build the facility will be the taxpayers, as there will have to be an alternate approval process before the City could borrow the money needed for that project. "

Nobody else to hand off responsibility to, so blame the taxpayers, let them take the rap.

Come on Dan, show some leadership. If we are going to make all the decisions as taxpayers, what do we need a mayor for ?

You need to make hard, but sensible decisions and stand by them.

Don't be a washout.

i suppose this building will be all
aluminum interior dividing walls like the new school being built.
maybe good old fashioned wood should be used.give the guys at the sawmills a little bit of business.

How do a lot of the above people know so many statics and numbers? Seriously, if you guys know best why are you not on city council or better yet run for mayor and see how many people you make happy - I for one would not be one of them! Most of you come across as know it alls and very opinionated...yes the roads are bad but really I'm thinking that the new police station and road maintenance most likely come out completely different budgets and are two entirely different issues! You all are repeating each other and boy is it aggravating to read. Poor us, the tax payers, boohoo...get over it and deal. What do you think happens to your federeal taxes, I don't really see those being used for much, long waits for specialists, testing, they kick you out of hospital before you are well enough...it goes on and on. So, lets be happy that we are getting a nice building for once and suck it up...or run for mayor and do something about it!

Yep- gotta do something positive: like vote with my feet.
$40 million for a Taj Mahal copshop with all those empty buildings around? Looks like I'm not the first to vote.

Who would have thought there would be opinions posted on Opinion250 ??

A shocker for sure.

Shesmiles. **So lets be happy that we are getting a nice building for once**

Its this type of attitude that gives the Mayor and Council, and City Planners license to spend tax payers money without any consideration for cost. When your talking $46 Million plus interest for a Police Station, you are talking BIG money, and the situation should not be considered lightly.

If all people who are not happy with the Mayor and Council ran for office, your Mayor and Council would be elected with about 2000 votes. (All the vote splits).

The solution is not for everyone to run, but for those who do, to do the job that they are elected to do. Ie; City Business, with Tax Dollars.

These people are paid public servants. Although the Councillors only get about $20,000.00 per year the Mayor gets approx $85,000.00 plus expenses, and one third of his salary is tax free. For this kind of money we expect, nay demand, good service.