Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Happy New Year, Looking ahead to 2012 in the Crowsnest Pass

Well the turkey was gobbled down and the fireworks were set off now its time to see what 2012 will bring for us the good residents of the Crowsnest Pass. Weather you live in Crowsnest Pass East or Crowsnest PassWest I am sure one or more of the following will be of interest to every one of you.


Strategic plan: The fanfare will continue there will be lots of talk, more studies, great plans, procedures and policies will continue to be created, reviewed and rewritten. Tangible changes that actually affect the lives of the residents in positive timely ways we will see.

2011 census: First results are expected to be out in February last census our community saw the largest decline in population in the province (percentage wise 8% +) and we became the oldest average aged community. Will all the hiring at the mines over the last couple of years change that?

2012 Cupe collective bargaining, there will ultimately be an agreement between the two parties. How will the process play out, some people ran for office based on finding the “efficiencies” this is their opportunity. Efficiencies in collective bargaining usually involve somebody giving something up. Will that happen? John Irwin used to always brag about the last time CUPE walked out, it did not snow for the next two months. We have had an awful pleasant winter so far.

Municipal Financial Audit: It is like a report card for Council and Administration usually comes in around April, I anticipate based on the numbers so far that the municipality will show a slight surplus for last year. Watch the revenue side of the audit it will probably be $2-300,000 higher than anticipated a great way to make one’s self look good.

It will also be very interesting to see what the outstanding taxes are in the audit at the end of the year after everybody had the fear of 51% penalties waved in their face for the last two months.

Three-year budget: Council is working on having a budget in place for the end of March. Areas I and I am sure many other taxpayers will be watching. Tax increases (lets not forget some councilors ran on the position of no tax increases), plus lets watch for the old fashioned tax increases that we don’t call tax increases; franchise fees, user fees, new revenue sources, (water meters, etc). Will council continue down the path of increasing the number of staff, while not replenishing the municipal reserves in addition to increasing the municipal debt load 2012 will tell?

Crowsnest Centre property plan: I’m sure in the not to distant future there will be presented to council a consultant’s report that will surprisingly state the centre sits on a prime commercial site that’s serviced, accessible to highway 3 and has 12000 vehicles a day traveling along it. The issue that will raise its head, is nobody will touch that site without the old hospital being removed, unless the municipality gives the site away. Will the taxpayers be willing to take on a million dollars worth of debt to remove it?

River Run properties: Somewhere in 2012 I suspect some of the investors will approach the municipality looking for a break on the back taxes in return for some minimal development on that property.

New recreation facility: Many people are talking about this; there is even a group that has recently been formed to work on this project. My argument was that this community did not have the tax base or the willingness of all those that live here on a fixed income to subsidize an indoor swimming pool. In fact I listen to a councilor at the last public forum talk about how the taxpayers have had to bear the “burden” of subsidizing a ski hill for years, quite a revelation when you consider that Pincher spends yearly 6-7 times what we spend on our ski hill to maintain there indoor pool. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that this group does not only have the intention to fundraise to build a facility but also to raise additional funds to operate it. I wish them nothing but the best an Indoor facility with no addition costs to the taxpayers I would support that in a heartbeat.

Note: For those that wish to help with this worthy cause I would suggest that check out the following: Crowsnest Can Do Cultural and Recreation Society page on
Facebook, or email crowsnestcando@gmail.com

Bigger government: Remember how the municipality was stream lined from four departments to three. Remember at the beginning of this council’s term there were five management employees. Soon there will be seven. Will that number get even larger when and if the municipality stops using consultants?

Consultants: Wouldn’t we the taxpayers like to know what its cost us so far? The interim CAO, putting together our community peace officer program, the Crowsnest Centre, the new Fire Chief. Will we find out in 2012 will there be an end to this costly process? Remember the moment a consultant says everything here looks good our job is done the paycheck stops.

The democratic process: The last council was slammed consistently for 4-3 votes (which if anybody was counting happened in less than 5% of all votes). Up to now watching this council over the last fifteen months it has appears quiet the opposite, meeting with very little debate and very often decisions made by unanimous vote. Over the last month, I have seen Councilor Sage be the exception to this rule a few times. It will be interesting to see what this year brings; there is a name for governments that operate with no opposition.

Optimistic: How could you not be, we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, there are lot’s of good people that live here. I hope this community stays affordable for all those that are, or soon to be seniors. I hope this community is careful to remember that its great to have dreams and aspirations but somebody must pay for them. We must also live within our means not just now but down the road.

Lastly “Consolidation of Blairmore/Coleman shop” will this really happen or was that press release last July just a poor attempt to show us that “change” was happening? On the other hand, is this a great example of how change will be instituted in this community?

2012 will indeed be an interesting year.

Feel free to leave your comments regarding these issues or any others.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dean Happy New Year

Did you read the fire chiefs comments in the Herald of the 27th. The municipality is going to build a fire department that we can be proud of.
So what have we had for the last 20years.
The letters in the paper this week does not sound like the municipality and CUPE are on the same page.

Larry

Anonymous said...

We closed a library last year and we have a museum that is struggling to stay alive.
Why not look after our heritage before we make a lot of consultants wealthy.

Anne

Anonymous said...

Dean I think one big issue you missed is getting the business sector to realize that the municipality is open for business.
I drive down main street I see store after empty store. Some of them have been empty for so long, a day will come when land lords will be slashing rental costs to steal a tennant from another building. Better some revenue than nothing right.
After the circus with the proposed shop next to the Greenhill. Who in their right mind is going to approach the municipality about starting a business here?
Strategic plans are great but I think a vibrant mainstreet is a much larger priority.

Anonymous said...

I really agree with the comment about getting business. That should be a top priority. But I fear it would have to be a friend or relative of council to get a business approved. Next election I think we should elect some "normal working class" people. They do exist, right. Should be easy to get a business on tract. Cut the red tape.

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see how council respondes to the CUPE letters in the paper. Are they really bringing in a high priced lawyer?

Anonymous said...

Bylaw enforcement: Supposed to start January 2012.

The "NEWSLETTER 58 JAN 2012" that came with my utility bill says the "Traffic Bylaw requires residents to remove snow and ice from sidewalks adjoining their property", but the bylaw 704 they cite seems to apply only to Commercial.

Anonymous said...

Any answers on how much it will cost the taxpayers to acquire the land back of the present office to expand.

Anonymous said...

Listening to CJPR this morning development permits in 2011 were 66for a total of $6.5 million versus 81 for a total of $8.9 million in 2010. Not a good sign, sure indicates that the economy here is going in the wrong direction.

Anonymous said...

Really hoped last election that all of these changes would be good for the Pass.
Now I would say they were good for nothing.

Al

Anonymous said...

I don't think you are qualified to say "going in the wrong direction". You don't know that for sure. The building is slower here because that is the way people want it. Always has been that way. Nothing to do with anything else. People and council want it to stay small - not expand obviously. That is what the people keep voting in time and time again.

Jose said...

To Anon1200PM--Guess you are correct that the "people and council" want it that way. But just who are the people you mention? Likely the present business owners, insiders and play makers that want to protect their and their friends turf.

As a result, over the past few years, the new businesses have set up in Fernie and Pincher Creek. The Pass has been totally by-passed by design, and will become a blip on the road. Regardless, the Pass residents are now going in increasing numbers to shop in Pincher Creek and Lethbridge, so how does this help the Pass businesses?

As the population decreases and the taxes increase to support the bloated administration, who think they ARE Pincher Creek, the Pass will continue to deteriorate.

At some point the outsiders will flock in and buy up the place, and those locals that stopped the earlier development will need permission to use the local ski hill, golf club, services, and forests. As the Sierra Club and like gain power, those "people and the council" will wish they had invited in new business a while back.

Jose

Jose said...

To Anon1200PM--Guess you are correct that the "people and council" want it that way. But just who are the people you mention? Likely the present business owners, insiders and play makers that want to protect their and their friends' turf.

As a result, over the past few years, the new businesses have set up in Fernie and Pincher Creek. The Pass has been totally by-passed by design, and will become a blip on the road. As a result, the Pass residents are now going in increasing numbers to shop in Pincher Creek and Lethbridge, so how does this help the Pass businesses?

As the population decreases and the taxes increase to support the bloated administration, who think they ARE Pincher Creek, the Pass will continue to deteriorate.

At some point the outsiders will flock in and buy up the place, and those locals that stopped the earlier development will need permission to use the local ski hill, golf club, services, and forests. As the Sierra Club and like gain power, those "people and the council" will wish they had invited in new business a while back.

Jose

Anonymous said...

" the people want it that way"
I disagree with this. This council was largely voted in on the promise/lie that they would strongly encourage business development. The people that voted these guys in have been lied to as this council has not done one thing to encourage new business to come here. They actually went out of their way to screw a new business.So "the people" actually want businesses to come here.Why do we have a council that has not done one thing that they promised.Are they being influenced by others? What can "the people" do about it?

Anonymous said...

Yes, Jose, I agree with a lot of what you say.I think there should be something in place where municipal employees cannot hire relatives. Ha ha for that.
As far as people shopping in Pincher Creek, the things you mentioned are probably right, but for myself it all stems back to the service. A lot of the people working here are crabby and don't care about customer service. I go once and not again when that happens. And back to the same old topic, most of them are emmployed by their relatives - so, you get what you get.

Anonymous said...

I do not think the population is decreasing that much. I know quite a few people who have moved down recently. Let's welcome them with open arms - not the old standard, Oh, are you from the Pass. If not, hummmmmmmmmmmmmm let me think.
Needs to end, big time. Like this is 2012, not 1954.

Anonymous said...

Read the letters to the various papers the mood is changing here. The people are starting to see what this council is all about.
Dean how do we figure out the difference between this years back taxes and last years?

Anonymous said...

Found out today that the manager of the Pass Powderkeg ski hill lives in Fernie. It would seem to me that he has little to no interest in this community considering he has been in this position for several years and continues to live elsewhere. I would think that council with their love of policies would have one in place that requires employees in management positions to live in the community. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this situation.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree, it should be a given that any manager must live in the Pass. Lives in Fernie, what were they thinking. Although happened under a different council.
Totally ridiculous. You'd think he could get a job in Fernie. What the heck. Maybe more money here. I definitely think that should be changed for future though. It is not fair to the people living here.

Anonymous said...

are these last two comments serious?

what if the mines took this attitude?

who cares where they live as long as they do their job?

we had bylaw officers in the past that lived in Lethbridge.

there has to be bigger issues to deal with than someone's address.

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

Little history first of all prior to the present manager the ski hill had gone through three managers in the previous three years.
Personally I believe this manager does a very good job.

Now his place of residence, personally I really don't care.
At the end of the day would the community be better served by having an inferior manager that lives in the Pass.

The people that wrote the comments I wonder where they live where they work.

Want to see the Crowsnest Pass turn into a ghost town? Have Teck take the position that they will only hire people where their mines are located.
We have a growing number of people here that still live in the Pass but have moved on to the greener pastures of the oil sands imagine if they were told they had to live in Ft Mac.

The bottom line is the job being done by the individual in the position?

Anonymous said...

I think Teck would have a hard time only hiring people from Sparwood. I think they would if they could probably though. And furthermore, NO ONE would make someone move to Ft. Mac. Regarding bylaw officers from Lethbridge, I think that is crazy. They should always look local first.

Anonymous said...

I think the comparison of Teck employees and oil sands workers to the handful of management positions here is a little off base. There is a different level of community involvement in driving a dump truck than managing a public facility. Perhaps he does do a good job, I can't say, but it sure seems like bad optics. It would seem reasonable to me that individuals in top management would be expected to relocate here within a given period of time.

Anonymous said...

Anon @10:10
"... it sure seems like bad optics"

Totally agree. Makes one wonder how committed to the community and the job one can be when having nothing invested in either?

JP

p.s. Dean's comment is valid but it doesn't address the 'optics', now does it, or my point above.

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

I understand the issue of optics.
I don't know if you can legally force people to live in your town would that be a legal condition of employment?
In a typical employer/employee relationship you can discipline people for not showing up to work, for being late etc etc.
But if they show up on time every day what can you reall do.

Going back to 10:10 comments about comparing dump truck operators to senior management.

Teck has a mine manager that presently lives in the Pass, and a former very senior administrator who has lived in the Pass for years.

The real issue is still, does the person most qualified and available to do the job do it or not.

Anonymous said...

Dean, in my opinion, I think what the concern is here is that the nature of work involved here with this particular job is 'promotion' i.e. promoting our ski hill and our community in order to attract business and potential residents to this our community. In order to be truly effective the individual here should be an ambassador for our community.

How can one be such if one does not even reside here? The 'optics' are very bad indeed.

JP

peter rosner said...

hi dean have not been checking your site for a while how did the ski hill manager position end up here. Just for your readers I have known Dave (the ski hill manager) for the last six years since he took the job as manager and can tell you he does an excellent job of looking after the ski hill. This manager and the millwright have done a lot of work to that operation and were the first ones to utilize the snowmaking capability on the upper run. Best person for the job period