Climate Change, Air Quality and Symphony Funding All on Agenda for P.G. Council

Monday, November 16, 2009 03:58 AM

Prince George, B.C.- The Prince George Symphony Orchestra will be back before City Council this evening asking Council to commit to an annual grant of $100 thousand dollars in each of the next three years. The Grant for 2010 would be minus the $20 thousand advanced to the PGSO in late August. The PGSO will present an update on its business plan aimed at reducing the Society’s debt which sits at $560 thousand dollars.

Also on the agenda for this evening’s regular Council meeting, the Prince George Air Quality Management Roundtable will request $90,000 for a variety of projects, including $30,000 to hire an Air Quality Management co-ordinator, $20,500 for a woodstove exchange program for 2010 and $15,000 for an idle reduction eco-driving program.

The development of the next phase of the application for the right to host the 2015 Canada Winter Games will be discussed. There are implications for the City’s 2010 budget as the next phase would cost about $420 thousand dollars of which, $260 thousand would have to come from the Major events reserve fund in 2010. The balance would be “in kind’ work from Administration.

The mid and long term transportation network plan will be presented. The plan (through to 2026) outlines $390 million dollars worth of projects for consideration in the City’s next capital plan. The actual development of network improvements will be dependent on the City’s growth however the report suggests the City will likely need 15 new road links, 8 additional road links and at least 1 new transit route by 2026.

Mayor Dan Rogers will present a request for an independent review of the Chances Gaming parkade construction. The call for a review came from a Council perception that there are many questions about the deal which saw the construction of a multi- million dollar parkade under the gaming centre at 7^th and Quebec Streets. The Mayor suggests the review include financial matters related to that construction and that Deloitte – Touche conduct the review which is expected to cost about $20 thousand dollars.

The impacts of climate change will also be front and centre this evening as Council will receive a 162 page report on the possible impacts of climate change on the City. Council will also be asked to provide funding for more research in each of the next three years. The money would be used to leverage an equal amount from Natural Resources Canada for climate adaptation projects.

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Posted on Monday, November 16, 2009 03:58 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: whelen on November 16 2009 6:22 AM

The PGSO will present an update on its business plan aimed at reducing the Society’s debt which sits at $560 thousand dollars.

I fully support the PGSO - get ready to hear from the hoards who will come on here and say their tax dollars will not be spent on an elitest organization. A well rounded city needs hockey rinks, soccer fields, a cancer centre and, yes, an orchestra. My tax dollars fund those rinks but I realize that we need those facilities in order to be the kind of City that has something for everyone.

What I don't support is mismanagement. The PGSO was once run by ONE full time manager. Ask how many non-musicians are on staff today? Staff salaries vs musician salaries? Some one like Simon C. could run that organization and turn a profit - I would make a very large wager on that! Maybe the City should put some conditions on the next grant we alot to the PGSO.

Posted by: diplomat on November 16 2009 7:55 AM

I am all in favour of giving some annual funding to the PGSO but how did the PGSO ever pile up over half a million dollars in debt? What are the assets that it borrowed against and who did they owe the money to?

Can the PGSO not run an annual show home lottery (a very popular lottery!) and dig itself out of the debt hole before digging any deeper?

There should be a law that prevents organizations such as orchestras to borrow such vast sums of money.

O.K., I am asking: How many non-musicians are on staff today?

Posted by: seamutt on November 16 2009 9:35 AM

Climate change, what do they mean? The climate is not static, it is always changing. Who is giving the report? Who will be getting the money.

The only cimate change I see should involve more money for snow removal.

I suspect they mean man caused globull warming. Notice how all you heard at one time was the term globull warming, but now the earth is in a cooling cycle that term isen't working out. Globull warming got changed to climate change which is further defined to send money.

Posted by: MrPG on November 16 2009 11:01 AM

Great, the PGSO was mismanaged, piled up a bunch of debt and wants to reach a little deeper into my pocket to bail them out. Sounds about right.

Posted by: Retired on November 16 2009 11:33 AM

So you thought we had to many potholes in our streets. It told us something else as well. If you cant look after the potholes how can you manage other affairs of our City?

Its no longer about potholes our City is facing an abyss and one wonders how they will continue to manage our City when they have leaped from the cliff. The city has a debt of almost 200 million dollars. Last year it took 14 million out of the budget to service that debt.

The population growth of the city is stagnent yet we make plans and provide funding for the eternal optimist and their airy fairy schemes. We have every reason to be upset at how our tax dollars are spent. And for those who think its OK how our money is spent are living in a dream world.
Cheers

Posted by: MrPG on November 16 2009 12:03 PM

Also, I keep hearing from a few how much we 'need' a symphony in this town. Based on what? How many people have attended the symphony in the past few years? How many subscribers were there? Is that number growing or decreasing?