It's Not Just What's Above The Ground In Prince George

Monday, March 28, 2011 03:45 AM

One year in the city of Prince George we are going to come to the realization that we have a problem of an aging infrastructure and on that day the rubber will hit the road.

If you look around you this spring you can see that we have a huge number of streets that are badly in need of repaving, the problem is, what we are seeing is what is showing above the ground, the problem is even more serious below the surface and that is a major blow waiting to happen.

We need a major overhaul of our water and sewer services which are ending their safe age, just as we are ever increasingly seeing the same thing happening to the conditions of our streets.

Rather than undertaking a major re build of our aging infrastructure, we are continuing to look at warm, fuzzy projects, like a Performing Arts Center and a 40 Million dollar police station. That may appear to be building a new future for the city, all the while the infrastructure is crumbling below us. There have been estimates that it could cost more than $100 million to upgrade everything that needs upgrading.

It will be interesting to watch the same people who said they would seek a return to the core values in the city which included the improvements to an aging infrastructure when the municipal election rolls around this fall.

One day the city fathers will discover in passing over the re building of the infrastructure we have hit the wall and when they do, it in fact may be too late to prevent a massive increase in city taxes.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

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Posted on Monday, March 28, 2011 03:45 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: Resident on March 28 2011 7:27 AM

The only core value the present city council has is to raise taxes. Let's face, photo ops for Rodgers and council are limited when it comes to replacing a city water main or repaving a pot hole filled city street.
It is much more enticing to cut the ribbon on a new police station or PAC center.
Rodgers and council remind me a lot of the Roman emperor Nero, who played music while Rome burned.
Let's hope someone steps froward to run for mayor that has the fortitude to make changes at city hall that are long overdue.

Posted by: hopeforfuture on March 28 2011 8:00 AM

The elected officials need publicity, positive publicity if possible. Until there is a statesman in office residents need to use publicity to encourage them to do the right thing. Writing articles like this, submitting photos of potholes, and calling city hall are all ways to do this. Thanks Meisner.
ps. Has anyone else hit the pothole in from of Blockbuster of of Central? I drive a one tonne and I nearly got whiplash.

Posted by: Jimmi on March 28 2011 10:28 AM

It time for a change - the house needs to be cleaned and the extra spending needs to stop. Its out of control

Posted by: seamutt on March 28 2011 10:39 AM

Getting your name on a brass plaque attached to a sewer line is not on their list of priorities. Watch for a flurry of road patching before the games and then nothing again.

Posted by: gus on March 28 2011 12:18 PM

So now the municipal elections have become the "games"?

;-)

Posted by: gus on March 28 2011 12:23 PM

"Time for a change" ..... LOL ... must be municipal election time.

The only time where I have seen this happen in this city is when the Cadillac-Fairview proposal was on the election table.

Ever since then, the incumbents have not taken a position on a major City project or direction other than those that are motherhood and apple pie issues.

Posted by: Palopu on March 28 2011 1:08 PM

The roads are actually an embarrassment, all over the City.

We want to be big shots when it comes to Police Stations, Community Energy Systems, etc; or getting funding from other Governments that require matching funds, but we cant seem to do the basics.

Are the Mayor and Council really that out of touch with City residents. Who the hell do they think they work for. IPG, the PAC Society, the Cougers, the Winter Games committee???

Its time they started to look after the necessities and forget about the frills.

God only knows how far we are in debt at the moment,and of course its going to sky rocket over the next few years.

We are running out of time for someone to step forward and run for Mayor and Council, but we surely need some new people, with fiscally responsibile ideas.

Posted by: Resident on March 28 2011 1:23 PM

The mayor and council are so far out of touch with city residents and their needs that I am not sure they even live in the same province as the rest of us.

Posted by: graymare on March 28 2011 2:20 PM

According to an ex council member the problem is the administration. You have to do what they want or you are "on the outside" they with hold information. What we need is people that will run for office with the concept of "cleaning house" in the administration. They have to go in with the idea that as mayor and council they are answerable to the taxpayers and the administration is answerable to mayor and council.

Posted by: tractor on March 28 2011 2:44 PM

Right on Graymare. You should run for mayor.
Gee, I hope everyone here at 2015 olympics don`t have to go all at the same time. Wouldn`t that be embarrassing.
Why don`t they start with that stupid roundabout money, or that access cash to spend on other peoples buildings, or, or, or,.......
If they need money for infrastructure in the future, it darn well better be there or Danno better pack his bags.
THIS COMES FIRST!

Posted by: tractor on March 28 2011 2:54 PM

Mr. Rogers
"It`s a beautiful day in the neighborhood"

OMG
I think I might have voted for him

Posted by: Dragonmaster on March 28 2011 5:53 PM

I think there are many that voted for him that are hitting their heads against a wall.