Crowsnest election candidates come forward
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Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Candidates Comments
Joni MacFarlane is back, great article with some interesting comments from all of the council candidates.
http://www.crowsnestvoice.com/2013/09/crowsnest-election-candidates-come.html#more
After you have read the article please take the time to vote on the very informal polls on the right hand side.
After you have read the article please take the time to vote on the very informal polls on the right hand side.
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29 comments:
Mayor Decoux “now that a lot of hard work has been done, they can move on to “more sophisticated work”.
Larry Mitchell “he hopes to be re-elected to finish the things council started and to create a future by not dwelling in the past”
Jerry Londsbury “council needs to finish the initiatives of the strategic plan. A lot of thought and work went into it. It would be nice to run it through to completion.”
Brian Gallant “council started a lot of initiatives to help improve the community and wants to see them through”
Emile Saindon “he wants to continue working for the residents of the municipality and to finish what council started”
Seems like a fairly common theme here, I fully expect that strategic plan 2 will be much worse than 1. With the team above he would certainly have the tools to carry number 2 through.
I think the choices in our election are becoming much clearer.
I think they should get an oppurtunity to finish the work they started. Things are better here now, let's keep it going.
Maybe Bruce will go back and read the report again especially regarding the relationship between employees and management at the municipality. If the report does not make it clear to him then he needs to attend the big pow wow tomorrow night at the curling lounge with all the employees. He should also ask his administration to provide him with the original report not the sanitized version.
10:09 wrote:
"Things are better here now, let's keep it going."
I have trouble thinking of any concrete improvements. List please?
They have rammed through a big pile of poorly thought out bylaws and policies without any public consultation or "buy in". These are not being enforced or implemented and it will be a train wreck if they are.
The first act we should perform as a community united immediately following the elections should be to start the Pumpkin's in the Park bonfire with the Strategic Plan!
Quoting from the Crowsnest Pass voice: “Mayor Bruce Decoux said he wants to continue on the current path.” They want to finish what they started, another way to read this is: “they want to finish us off.”
The Ministerial Report is quite clear about a lack of communication between the administration, council and the residents.
Looks like the consultants were not clear for our Mayor. The heck with communication, it’s time to move to “more sophisticated work”. Wow! But before he can do the sophisticated work, he “admitted the issue of communication is puzzling.”
So, in order to keep the communications channels open with the residents, he is “not releasing his platform until the public forum,” on October 10, that is, until we are at least two weeks into the municipal election.
Respecting all residents, he is keeping his platform SECRET until October 10, (thirteen days before election), but he is still puzzled about this communication thing.
Either he does not know what he wants to do, or he is waiting for a PR consultant to finish his platform for him.
This whole communication thing is very puzzling when you leave everything to consultants.
11:40
11:40
fire dept - 24 certified 1001 firefighters
Peace officers -some law and order on the roads
No smoking gun in the municipal inspection report.
Its time for some stability around here as far as council and administration is concerned.
The way things are shaping up it looks like we're going to toss out one set of bums for a new set of bums with different faces.
Yes I agree with 11:40.
There have been real improvements as he listed. Towns also look tidier.
Got rid of Animal Control and put it with by-law, which is a lot better.
How many would you like.
Good thing Crownest Pass, with its weak tax base, undertook to police a provincial highway, this was not made clear to council when they voted to spend all this money on the Peace Officers project.
No one was expecting a smoking gun in the report, the consultant was quite right to say " they have all the right they need to hire, fire and spend."
They did not break any laws, but the spent money on consultants like drunken sailors. The invoice is still on the way and we all will be asked to pay.
You're so right 12:55. It's way better to have 24 certified fireman than 80! Don't think the volunteer guys weren't adequately trained. They were sent to Vermillion and offered regular training sessions of their own. And speaking of regular, now we get to pay some of them regularly too so it costs us way more for this service now. That was a good move for sure. And those peace officers are doing a great job catching highway violators to the point that we are a known radar trap so bypass the pass if you can. Thumbs up again! And don't forget we now are paying extra wages there, too. Fining more people is not a good way to earn their keep, sorry. Stability in council and administration? Ask the town workers how stable the town office is! The human resource report that is about to be released shortly will explain how stable our town office is! This whole town if far from stable thanks to the strategic plan and the sinister seven that actually thought it was all a great idea!
1:28 keep them coming.
Raised my franchise fees over 200%.
Stopped illegal parking at the municipal office now there is no where left to park.
Created employment for administrators.
Purchased a Best Western franchise we do not even own.
Pissed of our neighbors.
Spent $300,000's on a bunch of dunce caps
Took 3 years to knock down the center even though the previous council had all the "heavy lifting" done when they were elected.
Lets not forget before the "first snow fall".
New hotels at both the Center and the high school. (even though the high school land is not even sold yet)
Wine and cheese parties for the elite did you get invited 1:28
How about breakfast at the Blairmore Fire hall on Friday's?
Keep your list coming I have many more.
Matt
12:36 that is so funny; ironic but funny the Mayor is amazed about the communications comments. He is not going to give us his platform until Oct 10. That is so we do not have enough time to figure out what he is going to do to us over the next four years.
12:55 wrote:
"No smoking gun in the municipal inspection report."
There are a few, but downplayed and whitewashed. How about this one, buried under "Working relationships"?
Another issue raised during our review was that Councillors were providing direction directly to community and protective services staff. This is a significant issue as the direction provided to staff is the responsibility of the CAO. ... This type of direction, particularly to protective services staff, can be construed as targeting residents if the direction provided to protective services staff is toward specific residents in the Municipality.
The incumbents should be asked at the public meeting: "raise your hand it you did that".
2:01
people might bypass highway #3 because they might get a speeding ticket??? we don't want those people driving thru here anyway.
the 80 firemen quit
thumbs up!
Ah Matt the wine and cheese were great
in B.C. they got their vehicles taken away if they are speeding.
Haven't seen a slow down to BC yet. If you speed, get a ticket.
As far as the comment, stopped people parking illegally at the municipality - do you want to think about that again.
Picky picky comments here. The real issue is our income is far less than the expenditures incurred by this mayor and council. There is no increase in income in sight ( unless more taxes and franchise fees), and no decrease in expenditures expected by the present group. Actually the opposite is the case as they ramp up for Pass Stimulus 2. Their heads are not into a balanced budget approach since they have never been exposed to this.
They are Legends in Their Own Minds, and really think that they have saved the Crowsnest. Champagne tastes and beer budget.
Never said bypass Hwy #3, said the Pass. Do you think someone's going to pull into town for a hamburger after they were welcomed in Frank with a petty ticket? I wouldn't and don't tell me you drive textbook. We all make errors behind the wheel and that does not make you a hardened criminal that you don't want in your town. Ridiculous. And read the strategic plan. It was written long before the fireman walked out in protest. This was carefully planned to try to shift blame and looks like you fell for it. Paid fireman were already in place the next day so you should really stop disrespecting the very 'trained' volunteers that would have came to your burning house in the middle of the night. You may not know all the facts there. And thumbs up to bullying in the workplace? Really?? Are you one of them?
This is pretty “rich.” After admitting he is puzzled why people have a problem with his communication style, our Mayor, decides to keep his election platform secret for the first half of the election.
He further admits, he is working on a more sophisticated Strategic Plan ll and, since people will not understand or appreciate what he intends to do; there is no need to bother voters with all the sophisticated details.
It was all explained to the invited whine (oops) and cheese crowd and they said “sophisticated” is the way to go in the Crowsnest Pass.
does the ratepayers association dissolve after election day?
The mayors new plan is Pass Stimulus 2, where HE decides where the money, borrowed at that, goes. It goes to HIS wish list as he moves us further into the 21st Century. Then we the taxpayer pick up the tab.
Look around to see who the Elitists here really are, and most are on the Public Dole with either good inflation indexed pensions and good salaries, all paid for without regard for where the money comes from. They run in their own crowd, and scoff at those they serve. The rest of us are but a cash cow to pay for the runaway spending. They could care less who suffers. If Decoux is reelected, it will get worse.
Folks, time to really reflect. Vote for who you think will get us back on track. All of the muckraking of any and all candidates is just that. Vote in a cross section of the Pass residents, who will do good for all. We need to live within our means and not be taxed to the point of poverty. Think about the fixed income home owners and people, and forget about the fat cat Elitists whose dreams we fund.
Maybe off topic, but I hope the new Council will put an end to this gong show:
http://passherald.ca/archives/130924/index5.htm
Didn't these clowns just pass a 359 page Land Use Bylaw that deals with abandoned signs and provides for enforcement procedures? Why should Council need to deal with a matter like this?
The City of Calgary Council does not pass a resolution every time there is an abandoned sign and the property owner can't be contacted. If this is necessary in CNP then Council needs to fix our bylaw.
If the sign is removed it will give visitors a better view of the junk in the background:
http://www.passherald.ca/archives/130924/BG.htm
Why isn't this being dealt with at the same time - I think it comes under the same bylaw?
I think the current council has done a fine job bringing Crownsest Pass out of 30 years of dark ages, and I would like to see them continue.
Anon12:18 PM. Could be but are we now in the Renaissance Age or as I think at the "Let Them Eat Cake" stage. We still have to pay for all of this, and if you think that shiny red trucks, nice Entry Signs, bloated admin staff and expensive consultant use, at the expense of pot hole roads, high taxes, and weed filled lots ( mainly Municipal) are an improvement, good luck.
The mayor said he was " a one term mayor" and would do many things that the people didn't like. Right on the second count. Now he has to stay around to do more and finish the wrongs done by previous neglect. Really, he has to fix the messes he's made like the CLC fiasco, CNP image, budget deficits, and lack of communication and trust.
Current council should just retire right now and know they will have the appreciation of most of us. Dark ages are known for little change, this is also why people liked to move here from the big cities in the first place.
This council should move to Calgary or New York City to enjoy the forever changing environment of the 21 century.
I agree 12:18. We have finally gotten into the 2013 era.
I don't think they have done that bad. A lot of good changes.
The old people get back it will be worse again.
Weather you like it or not this mayor and councel will not be returned to office and that is so simple to predict. And for once I would like someone like 5:02 to explain what the good changes have been because no one can think of any
Waiting until October 10 to release his platform maybe tells us two things about our Mayor. One, he doesn't know what his platform is. Two, he knows what it is, but does not want to tell us just in case we might have some questions.
Three years ago we voted for him with assumption he would be good for the community. Today,we don't have to assume anything.
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