Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Tuesday night time to spend our money.

In the midst of these dark dreary days of August nothing better than to bring a ray of sunlight into our life’s by attending the regular meeting of council Tuesday night August 6, obviously Council and administration are doing everything possible to get their ducks in a row prior to the commencement of the election campaign.
For your information this is a recap of the meeting the issues dealt with, I look forward to the comments flowing in on the issues, council and administrations performance.

CAO Report

Its official Albert Headrick Director of Protective and Community Services is leaving the Pass on August 16.
Community Peace Officers Report great joy in announcing that almost $200,000 in fines have been written after one year in place.
Fire Rescues had 12, 911 calls in the month of July
New banners were installed around town administration received lots of positive response.
Ice is now ready in the Coleman complex
Trans Rockies race took place last week
Devon has donated an air compressor to the community, which will save us having to purchase one in 2015 (savings of up to $50,000)
Uroc is looking for contractors to build mountain bike trails of the ski hill.
Temporary surface repairs will be made at the Coleman drug store area.
Asphalt Paving projects delayed until the end August
Recreation Feasibility study is under way.
Culture and Heritage Board had its first meeting July 26
Tenders for SCADA project came in $200,000 to high will be looking to the province for additional funding.

Municipal Elections
Advance Poll approved for Oct 15
Institutional vote will be done the same as the last election
Voting subdivisions and voting stations will also be the same as last election

Crowsnest Centre Demolition

Four bids received range of $585 to $800K
Dakota Reclamators out of Calgary was the low bidder
CAO informed council that municipal lawyers had reviewed the tender and it was ironclad.
Project to be funded by taking $250k out of MSI capital funding and $350K out of the Mill rate stabilization reserve.
Councilor Saindon was concerned that the municipality was not getting a full priced bid, administration had asked for quotes on back filling the centre foundation once the building was removed this was not brought back to council. He felt the potential cost of this job was more in the range of $700,000.
He was also concerned due to Gene Conklin (Regional Director of Development at Best Western had advised the municipality that to make the land the most attractive to potential buyers it should be fully remediated.
Councilor Gallant stated every hotel has a basement, maybe it will not need back filling.
Councilor Saindon asked if the hotel does not come for three years are we just going to leave an 8-16 foot hole there. He also stated that the hotel was projected to go on the east end of the property the old hospital was on the west end. He also stated clay would have to be brought in and trucked at least 30-40km very expensive.
Councilor Londsbury asked if there was a basement under the entire building, the CAO did not know.
CAO Thompson felt that we should demolish the building then figure out our options of what to do with the hole at that point.
Councilor Gallant felt we did not know where the hotel would eventually go.

Motion to proceed with the demolition at a cost of $585,000 was passed by a vote of 4-2 (Saindon, Sage opposed Gail was not present for the vote)

Hotel Application Fee ($50,000 for Vachon group)

Administration recommended funds be taken out of municipal land reserve.

Councilor Saje referred to a conversation he had with Jeff Carlson CAO of Clay cup developers who apparently working with Medican prior to Group Vachon coming on board.
He stated that Mr Carlson told him municipalities do not put up the funding for the rights to a hotel. He also stated that the Best Western could have been done by Clay cup and that if Vachon group with draws somebody else could pick up the rights contrary to what the CAO had informed council at the special meeting. CAO stated that he had received that information from the head of marketing at Best Western.
Councilor Gallant agreed that it was not normal for municipalities to put up the funding, but Mr Carlsons words did not carry a lot of weight with council due to the fact that they were fired by Medican in November.
Councilor Saje informed council that he did not know Clay Cup was fired in November and that Vachon Group did not come on board until spring.
Mayor Decoux stated that the rest of council was aware that Clay Cup was released by Medican.

Motion to take $50,000 out of Municipal land reserves was passed by a vote of 4-2 (Saindon, Saje opposed Gail not present)

     

NOTE: MORE TO FOLLOW

50 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, instead of a decaying building, we will be left with a big hole. Now that's progress. Maybe, if we build a basement, the hotel will come? Well, at least now we will have a place to throw all our spring clean-up junk, if the hotel thing doesn't pan out. After three years of nothing, gotta do something. What the? These guys should read the story of the 3 little pigs.

Anonymous said...

Did they say why Headrick is leaving? Probably personal reasons.
200,000$ in fines from the peace officers is probably not enough to offset costs. The real question should be is the CNP cleaned up? The answer is no.
The new banners look just like the ones in Canmore. They look alright but I can not read them. I doubt administration actually had a lot of positive reviews.
I will be glad to see the CLC gone. I do think that this council should have left this decision to the next council. I now know that they lied in the Medican deal with a 800k amount given for removal of the CLC. That number is off by at least 100k if you count backfilling. Why would it have to be backfilled with clay? It just has to be dug out again for the new hotel.
My last thought is whatever happened to the Holiday Inn. Did the Mare not say that if the Best western deal fell through that we had the HI as a backup plan.
I hate being lied to!!!

Anonymous said...

"Temporary surface repairs will be made at the Coleman drug store area"

why would council care about this? isn't it private property?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sacrificing another evening for us.

I should wait for your MORE TO FOLLOW and the unofficial munutes, but I'm wondering:

-Did they consider whether this is eligible for MSI? I thought MSI was for public facilities & infrastructure.

-Aren't MSI grants already budgeted?

Anonymous said...

I don't think the banners look that bad, and I can read them.

I think $200,000 is a really good amount for Peace Officers.

Anonymous said...

12:58 you can not be serious the Naturally rewarding is terrible to read. Some of the banners are impossible depending on the colors.

Peace Officers we spent $400,000 to bring in $200,000 a year??????

Also I have a proposal if the town gives me $100,000 I promise I will do my best to bring in a McDonalds. They will be able to put the money back into reserves once they sell the land.


Anonymous said...

One councilor did not know that a company working for this project was fired, Wow

Anonymous said...

They voted unanimously for demolition on July 23. Did Saindon or Sage make clear why they now voted against?


12:13 -
Don't you dare throw your junk in Lake Decoux.

Anonymous said...

No matter what, I think the Peace Officers are a good idea. Even if they do cost a bit, very worthwhile.

Anonymous said...

So Sage was not informed of a material fact. Then the mare speaks for the rest of the lemmings telling us and them that they were informed. Then Gallants says that it is not common for municapalities to pay these fees. Then he votes to do it.
Emile, too little too late.

Anonymous said...

When did Saindon grow a set? For 2 1/2 years he wouldn't open his mouth. Now all of sudden he is voting against things. I think some one is getting ready for an election.

Anonymous said...

How did the rest of the councilors find out about this fioring? Mayor Decoux says that the rest of the council was informed, when? Can Mayor point out minutes as to how the rest of the council was informed about this? He has been protesting too hard about not having secret meetings.

Anonymous said...



- 'lawyers had reviewed the tender and it was ironclad'. Didn't we spend a lot of money on the previous contract to tighten it up and be able to witness the CLCs destruction "before the first snowfall"?

-Why is it Mr Carlsons words did not carry any weight with council due to the fact that they were fired by Medican in November? I didn't quite see Medican coming through either. So why should we trust/invest in Vachon? I don't think that just because Medican found a better alternative in Vachon (for reasons we don't know) that the options presented shouldn't at least be considered.

So is it smart business to give all our eggs to an entity that didn't even know there was a BW application for Sparwood? Even still he put down $50K and when the wheels started falling off the bus he finessed us in order to get his money back out, and all the while retaining his position.

It's really bad when you just wish that the Circus would end.

Anonymous said...

I just read the minutes of the council meeting. Some little things drive me crazy. Like the bid for the CLC demolition is 585,314$. So why pass a motion for 600k? Its like 14,686.00 dollars do not matter.
Also. Twice the mare says that something should go to the policy committee. Isnt the policy committee him and the CAO. What a joke.

Anonymous said...

The 2013 budget had enforcement "Cost recoveries, fines" $798,200. That was amended to $421,540.

This is from the CNP website
http://www.crowsnestpass.com/finance-a-administration/budget

Click on "2013 Capital Budget" (it includes operating). Page 8.

Anonymous said...

3:29,
Bruce came in on the promise of promising policy. Now he is enacting his ideas of our much needed policy with about two months to go in a mandate.
I try, but I can't figure out his reasoning or intent.

I feel like I am a witness to his 'final solution' and this also drives me crazy.

Anonymous said...

No matter what, I think the Peace Officers are a waste of time and money. Nothings changed in my life with them here, except maybe my tax bill. Ok, so we maybe need one, so that the by-laws are not just a big joke. But 2? If they need help with some crazy people, just phone the police like the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

Demolish CLC $600K

Save $100K on backfilling

Spend a few grand on cheap canvas tent and fill hole with water thus fulfilling election promises.

Priceless

Anonymous said...

And they just keep on digging.
Decoux just about got it right, but instead of- Hotel Decoux, it will be- Decoux Hole.
I am so embarrassed for this council.

Anonymous said...

Decoux Aquatic Centre seems to have a bit of a ring to it. Does it not?

Anonymous said...

They are dipping into the Mill Rate Stabilization Reserve instead of Land Reserves as in the July 23 motion. Any significance to that?

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

Yes they only have $90,000 in land reserves.

Peace officers: their was 6 bylaw tickets in the month of July. Its not about enforcing bylaws its about revenue generator which makes no sense when you are not at a minimum breaking even

Anonymous said...

This is the first I've heard of Clay Cup, have they been mentioned before?

"they were fired by Medican in November"
So Vachon came in later? But according to the press release:
"The Vachon Group, who is still the official applicant for the hotel development ..."

Then the Penrose Group of Companies sets up a hotel development company Penrose Hospitality with Vice President Chris Vachon. Penrose CEO Ty Schneider is also the court appointed Chief Restructuring Officer of Medican.

Anonymous said...

Peace Officers do make sense. They are making the roads safer by enforcing speeding bylaws and whatever. Sometimes just them being visible helps.

Anonymous said...

Interesting to think back on the past election promises. At the end of a term we get... an open excavation! A potential, long term, eyesore viewed by all those that are attracted to stop into Crowsnest Crossing and Timmy's.

Naturally Rewarding barricades?

This council has spent how much of my money on signage, rebranding and related consulting in order to attract this much wanted market?

Through traffic consists of people that will still perform their five minute gas stop, get their coffee and will also be able to formulate a not so pretty picture of what they can expect beyond, based on what they see.(An opinion formed without the added cost of a consultant).

The demolition of the CLC should have happened years ago. It would have been wise to leave it up to the next council.



Anonymous said...

Yep. The official Crowsnest Pass by-laws are enforced on the national highway as it passes Frank. How much of the revenue generated on the highway can be actually kept in the CNP? All of it? Portion of it? Looks like the local taxpayers are getting hosed.

Anonymous said...

Crowsnest Pass Home 5:40 said...
"Yes they only have $90,000 in land reserves."

Is that before or after they take out the $50,000 for BW?

In page 3 of the 2013 budget:

http://www.crowsnestpass.com/component/docman/doc_download/1922-2013-capital-budget

they transferred $240,500 TO the land reserves.

We are in deep DecouxDoo.

Anonymous said...

BTW, in the Aug. 6 minutes it says:

"Minutes of the Community Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Committee of July 8, 2013

M#6971-13: Councillor Lonsbury moved that the minutes of the Community Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Committee Meeting of July 8, 2013 be accepted as information.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY"


When was the "Community Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Committee" created and it's members appointed?

Yes, I know, just an informal change of name, no need for a formal Council resolution. We're very informal here in CNP, we don't have any truck with formal policies and procedures.

Anonymous said...

The numbers just aren't jiving are they?


Anonymous said...

If a private property owner does a demolition that is not part of a redevelopment construction project, aren't they required to fill the hole as a condition of the demolition permit?

Will this demolition go through the normal permitting process?

Anonymous said...

Too many secret meetings not enough open debate leads to goofy decisions. There is no way to explain why taxpayers put up $50,000 to reserve Best Western for two years. Questioning credibility of a guy who used to work for Medican instead of asking why the new guy did not know about the Sparwood Best Western is really bizarre, just before you hand $50,000 to the fellow.

Anonymous said...

So you are going to have a hole 20' deep sitting at the entrance to our community?
It will be how many years before a hotel is built?
The location of the centre is not the ideal location for a hotel? Medican told us that maybe they have no credibility any more neither?
Imagine all those tourists looking out their window first thing in the morning at Drains yard?
I know we will just slap up some 10-12 ft spruce that in 70-80 years will block everything.
Now every time someone starts a project in town it will go unfinished? we ran out of money like the municipality?
Did anybody ever ask why Clay Cup left?

So many questions, so much confusion, no real direction, no real answers. Dreams are great but sooner or later you have to deal with reality.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to be asking so many ignorant questions, but isn't it normally OK to backfill a hole with brick and concrete rubble (which we're paying to haul away)?

Is there some reason "clay would have to be brought in and trucked at least 30-40km very expensive" as Saindon said? Why didn't he mention this before he voted for demolition last month?

And, of course, councils should not get involved in discussing and deciding such technical issues for which they are not qualified. Municipal Inspections have criticised this.

Anonymous said...

They should be discussing and debating most of the things before they make a decision.

If they don't do this, they end up with a consultant standing in front of them and telling them that a good peace officer should cover his or her salary within sixteen months.

This is why the Calgary police service is self-sustaining - NOT!

Anonymous said...

1:52 wrote:
"They should be discussing and debating most of the things before they make a decision."

Yeah, but I think it was Administration's job to know if demolition required backfill which would have to be dug up and hauled if/when the hotel happened. CAO should have explained this to Council last month before they first voted, so they are not surprised and confused after the tenders come in. If an executive in a private company overlooked a little detail like this he would be out the door fast.

Anonymous said...

3:04 continued ...

But I shouldn't blame the CAO. If Council wants to get into the hotel development business, it's their responsibility to have someone qualified to handle this stuff. This is outside of the normal job description and experience of a municipal CAO.

Anonymous said...

Why get too upset about the peace officers issuing tickets. Even if they issue no tickets AT AKK they STILL GET THEIR MONTHLY PAYCHECK.

Anonymous said...

Exactly, they took $100,000 out of senior's housing reserves to make the budget work, then they turn around and give $50,000 to a young Calgary consultant to reserve a hotel. And the Mayor wants to stream council meetings to the York Creek Lodge so the seniors can watch this on TV. Does he think our seniors are stupid?

Anonymous said...

"Councilor Gallant felt we did not know where the hotel would eventually go" How could that be? Was he not at the town hall meeting or wine and cheese party with the big bill board and slide show (that tax payers paid for)showing where this phantom hotel would go? Maybe he was on gopher shooting duty.

Anonymous said...

1:17 wrote:
"Peace Officers we spent $400,000 to bring in $200,000 a year??????"

Studying the budget a bit more:
http://www.crowsnestpass.com/component/docman/doc_download/1922-2013-capital-budget
Page 8

it looks like we budgeted to spend $658,673 + $47,000 (payments on the pickups) = $705,000 .

Anonymous said...

We should make a point to blame the current council about the CLC They should not have made the decision to close it on their watch without a plan for what was next.

Anonymous said...

Even after acknowledging municipality is not in the hotel business, Mr. Gallant voted to put $50,000 of taxpayers money to reserve a Best Western hotel franchise.

There was no basic business presentation made to assure anyone this money will be returned to taxpayers.

To say municipality will get this money back from land sale is an absurd argument and only illustrates our council is not paying attention to what is going on.

Anonymous said...

So let me see- If we sell the CLC land for $800,000.00, do that mean that whoever buys it has to add $50,000.00 for the BW rights. What if I don't want to put a BW there. Do that mean I only have to pay $ 750,000.00??????

Anonymous said...

I see on John's blog someone asked him if he was going to take the training for new candidates in Lethbridge. He said he has done enough training. How many years did he sit on council???

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

John sat on council for 3 years and I sat their for 6 years.

Anonymous said...

I think John has training. He probably is more up to date on council matters than a lot of people. Be interesting to see the training of all the upcoming candidates. I think this would be good if anyone new is running.

Anonymous said...

I think only 1 year on council would be more than enough to justify skipping a 3 hour training period.

Anonymous said...

Some training does not require a course. No certificate of completion guarantees one's comprehension of procedure. Some of the very best businessmen have no formal education.

This issue has nothing to do with the time spent, or the courses taken, but a person's personal passion to learn procedure and to properly enact policy.

Anonymous said...

It looks like the present mayor had too much policy training and no smarts to enact, while several of the councilors lacked both. This adds up to the disaster we now have.

We need business experience in our government, not middle of the roaders who talk it up, but in real life thrive on conflict.







Anonymous said...

Well, sorry to say but real life is always "conflict". You need to learn how to deal with conflict as it is in everyone's life on a daily basis. More so if you are under the continual scrutiny of a town that follows every single move.