Thursday, April 26, 2012

Crowsnest Pass how to run a community more efficiently using your tax dollars.


It seems almost ironic, just has we the taxpayers of the Crowsnest Pass sit patiently waiting to receive our Assessment Notices. To see how much that overall 2.5% tax increase has affected us as individuals. I finally received the information that I have been asking the municipality for since January 5.

How much have our leaders been spending on Consultants?

Today I picked up this massive two page document at the municipality the first page of which is basically a cover letter that says here is the information you requested.

The second page breaks down consultants that have paid for by the municipality since  Nov 1,2010, separated in to nine specific areas, here are just a few that people have been talking about for months.

Lets look at the first area Planning, Development, and Safety Codes remember the Mayor’s Task Force one of the members was Janet Hyde according to the report I have, she received $5,303 ? I also see on the list a payment of $19,000 made to Abiocon Strategies who could that be? Well very interesting when you google the company, after a couple of clicks on it’s web site who pops up? Janet Hyde.
Next appears a payment of $48,673 to “Friesen Tokar” they are described as a “Architectural, Landscape and Interior design company” with offices in Winnipeg and Calgary.

Then we take a look at the Fire and Enforcement area. We have all heard lots about the integration of the Fire and rescue departments and the upcoming establishment of the Community Peace Officer Program. We have already spent a whooping $140,000 restructing this departments.
Of that amount we spent $43,570 on “All Fire Investigations Inc” which when googled,  pops up has Kenneth Brands of Blairmore Alberta (Fire Chief who recently resigned). Then we see $80,345 spent with Transitional Solutions, finally under this category appears $13,055 paid to “Inn Heaven Bed and Breakfast” which is a bed and breakfast located right here in Coleman I can not imagine why we would incur a cost of over $13,000 to a Bed and Breakfast in Coleman to reinvent our Fire and Enforcement area.   

Lastly I turn to Administration, there we see $123,200 paid to Transitional Solutions. Now within the information an attempt is made to cover off the cost of Transitional Solutions by subtracting the cost of the CAO position and the manager of operations to the tune of $93,425.
The CAO position was vacant from June 15 to Nov 31 five and a half months.

Total on just the numbers listed above $333,146.

What does that mean to us as individuals? From a taxation point of view this year the Municipality is collecting an additional $264,162 from us in General Municipal Taxation an increase of 4% over last year and the largest increase in the last four years. All in a year where the assessment base actually shrunk by 2.5%.

I wish somebody would explain to me how your assessment base can shrink by 2.5% the amount of revenue collected by the municipality can go up 4%, and yet we only have a 2.5% tax increase. There is some very interesting number juggling going on. 

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is TS getting paid monthly or at completion (so not included in those numbers)?

From the Oct. 4 motion there are "deliverables" on Dec. 31 and at completion.

Anonymous said...

Since the information is so hard to get and sketchy no one knows for sure but it looks like we paid Kevin Robins 123,200 for five and half months or 22,400 a month. Seems high but what really pisses me off is have him use his trussed office to help himself to a self serving contract to hire his employee/associate, keep everyone in the dark, leave us with a big bill and very little of value to show for it.
Hope some of the councilors find their voice SOON and start asking questions!

Anonymous said...

Yes, seems like Kevin Robins was a huge mistake. I think the CNP was a unique thing for him. He is a government person for a long time, used to spending other people's money with no accountability so it seems. Then they hire a person in the same office. Educated does not mean smart by any stretch.

Anonymous said...

Those Community peace Officers are going to have to write a lot of tickets to pay for all of this.
Oops I guess it either the taxpayers pay out more dollars for taxes or more dollars for tickets.
I guess the educational period for us offenders will not last to long!

Anonymous said...

Sickening... I worked all last year and made $22 000

Anonymous said...

Just a sec. You say you asked for this information in January and just received it now. Was this supplied freely or due to a FOIP demand.
If it was FOIP so much for transparency!!

Anonymous said...

Anon 26, 06:16:00 PM:

"Yes, seems like Kevin Robins was a huge mistake. I think the CNP was a unique thing for him. He is a government person for a long time, used to spending other people's money with no accountability so it seems. Then they hire a person in the same office. Educated does not mean smart by any stretch."

Kevin is definitely $mart. The "enforcement person's" education seems to be a 2 year law enforcement diploma from Mount Royal College (I am tempted to use the term "meter maid"). This does not remotely qualify her to write legislation. She doesn't seem to have even ninth grade literacy. We have competent lawyers in CNP who could point out the gaping holes in her bylaws, which Council has been rubber-stamping without reading. Or maybe they can't read. Anyone know where His Worship's "doctorate" came from?

Anonymous said...

We pay for a mayor and council who it seems are incapable of doing nothing but what they’re told... by the outside hired help? Needing their hands held like no other mayor and council before them? Costing us an arm and a leg in the process while they fumble about (I, by the way, as a full-time mayor (not needing his hand held) would have come a whole lot cheaper... just saying. J And I certainly would have concentrated on growing our economy as my first priority, rather than regulating it to death and thereby allowing it to slide into the toilet).

First, we have a mayor who for two decades mismanages this place so badly that for 10 years running (and counting) we are on the short list of the twenty worst communities in all of Canada having continual declining populations. Now we have an educator in charge who obviously knows not what he does, and as a result needs costly ‘experts’ to tell him and his council what to do. The way things are going, soon we will be the best managed little ‘ghost town’ in all of Alberta.

Oh what a farce we have become all because as a community we lack the ability to recognize what is needed is a ‘catalyst’ to turn things around here. New bylaws, rules and regulations alone won’t do it, when what the problem is, is we have an ineffective elite, a non-intellectual business elite that doesn’t believe in the Pass. Until these people can be turned around by a catalyst to see the wisdom in investing in their own community, how do you expect to get the outside world to?

For over ten years now I have spoken out telling people what needs to be done but nobody listens because the ‘suits’ here have everybody brainwashed into believing what is needed is more professionals (experts) like them, to manage things and tell them what to do. I have only one question to ask the residents in this community with respect to this, and that is ‘how’s that all been working out for you, so far???

JP

Anonymous said...

It really makes you wonder how some people can sleep at night. I guess after a while greed overtakes all emotions.

Anonymous said...

This council is unlikely to move beyond the first Pillar of their Strategic Plan before their term expires. It is important to remember this when they argue about how much has been accomplished in such a short time and how much important work still remains to be done. Hiring consultants who make you look incapable is not a good way to spend scarce taxpayers' dollars.

Anonymous said...

Whenever consultants need to be hired, it always makes me wonder if the people are incompetent. What makes any sensible person think that a consultant can know any more about a town or staff when they are just there for the money and what they can get. Please, no more consultants ever. Let's just get people that know how to do the job.

Anonymous said...

What the hell are we doing spending $13,000 on a Bed and Breakfast?

Anonymous said...

I was under the impression that these people that sat on the Mayor's Task Force were volunteers.
So one of them gets to put in the "Volunteer Hours" then after the report is done picks up $25,000 of work.

Not bad.

Anonymous said...

8:42

Didn't your mother tell you to go to school to become a consultant?

Anonymous said...

Some of this I understand, like the CAO.One quits and you have a consultant fill in.Even the B and B I understand that all consultants were given a place to stay on our tax dollars.
I remember them giving Janet Hyde 5000$ to type up the report, but this Abicon strategies to the tune of 19,000$ I do not recall.
Friesen Tokar, 48,673$ what was this for? Does anybody out there recall what these 2 expenses above were for?
The rest of the consulting fees for restructuring fire, emergency and peace officers, I guess that councils vision and cheque book are way differant than mine.Councils vision for the CNP sure seems to be out of touch with the majority of taxpayers.I use to think that one of the best jobs was to work for the government. It now appears the best job may be to consult for the government.

Anonymous said...

ANON 9:51 I agree totally !!

Anonymous said...

you gave us the facts dean but not your opinion? tell us what you think, won't you?

Anonymous said...

I am embarrassed I voted for most of these guys.

Anonymous said...

Got their little pamplet in the mail it shows a 2.5% increase in taxes.What a lie, they have not included the provincial and seniors.Taxes will go up about 6%. The rest of the brochure is just about nothing, just plans and no real action.
Why could this pamphlet not be stuffed in the same envelope as our tax bill, I would think that would have been cheaper.I guess that they did not use a consultant on this decision and made up there own minds.( just joking)

Anonymous said...

"Municipality is collecting an additional $264,162 from us in General Municipal Taxation"



And for what? To piss it away on the hiring of two by-law goons for one thing.
Have they ever heard of such a thing as cut in expenditure and living within your means.

Anonymous said...

was the same person in charge of this number juggling also in charge of the number juggling for thunder in the valley? Or did we have to hire that out to someone who was "qualified"?

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

Sorry folks I was slow posting the comments for the last four days I was away in the sun.

Chrissy said...

Dear Council,
with all the new Bylaws I was wondering when you are going to fine Frank for that horrible mess on both sides of the highway...Someone could fall and hurt themselves and how would an ambulance get to them, or worse a fire could breakout and how would the firetruck get there with all that rock in the way!... Yup Time to get cleaning up! Maybe you should pay someone to tell us how to do it and then include that amount into the Rum Runner Days/Thunder in the Valley Budget! But Remember those are seperate events but on 1 Budget?

Anonymous said...

I for one am happy about extra enforcement officers. I really hope they clamp down on all these loud mufflers whipping around town. Ridiculous. I wonder if the parents of these kids even care about it. Any other place loud mufflers are not allowed. And the speeders around town. Clean up time I hope.

Anonymous said...

Some of these payments (including the smallest) were authorized by Council motions while others were not.

Aren't they supposed to pass a motion to spend our money, unless it's authorized by some pre-existing bylaw?

Anonymous said...

Abiocon Strategies (bottom of webpage)

"Tourism Development Action Plan

The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass identified tourism as a significant future economic growth opportunity. Abiocon worked with a community-based team to define the opportunity and develop an action plan that would lead the community in achieving its objectives. Action plan areas included product development, events as traffic builders, infrastructure development and positioning. Over arching these was a focus on the “wow” factor – what the community would become known for."

Anonymous said...

Now I'm confused. Is the Action Plan on Abiocon's website the same as May 2010 "Crowsnest Pass Visitor Friendly Community Assessment and Action Plan"(Promoter)? In which case, the more recent $19000 you mention is for something else.

Anonymous said...

I bet the Abiocon $19000 was for the Strategic Plan. Does that document look like it was produced by our Councillors or anyone in the office?

Do you have a copy of Abiocon's "Crowsnest Pass Visitor Friendly Community Assessment and Action Plan" to compare the style and content?

Remember His Worship bragging about the long hours they put into it?

And BTW, was the Strategic Plan ever authorized by a motion? If not, can someone in Admin legally cut a $19000 cheque for an unauthorized unofficial project? Didn't some MPs and bureaucrats get fired just for using their office phones and computers for non-official business? What did Con Black get busted for?