Mayor's Corner and local media

The Mayor found the time to describe his feeling about the local newspapers I have had responses from people stating that he is 100% right to that's BS and everything in between. I would like to get a sense of how many readers feel about the Mayor's attempt to communicate with the public every month. Go over to the new poll on the right and take a moment to express your opinion of the Mayors Newsletter.

Turn up the volume and check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsuHEznbxjg

If you can't hear it, it sounds like "We have two newspapers and they put out a lot of crap"


Note: Keep in mind one very important number $4325

Communications, another person's opinion on what's happening in the CNP.

This article was posted on John Prince's Blog today http://blog.johnprince.ca/ It appears in this week's Pass Herald.  I agree with John it is very well written and very timely for what's going on in the Crowsnest Pass now days.

Who’s in charge

S.C. RUDEGAN

Feature Columnist

I was fascinated to hear that the Municipality of the Crowsnest Pass has hired a communications consultant to help strengthen relationships with residents. As someone with more than 25 years experience in the field, I'm curious about what motivates an organization to out-source communication, something I consider leadership's primary responsibility. I've found that there are usually two reasons why an organization seeks external communications advice. Either the Municipality, for example, doesn't have the resources to hire an internal staff person. Or, it has the resources, but not the expertise.
Based on the hiring frenzy that has occurred in the Crowsnest Pass in the last year, it doesn't seem that resources are the issue. Council continues to write cheques for everything from new office flooring to fancy trucks to hiring external consultants. Therefore, it must be an issue of expertise. And that is where things start to get tricky.
Communication is the life-blood of every organization. It is what makes all the working parts hum. It's the oil that keeps things from over-heating, the fulcrum that keeps things in balance. For our elected officials to admit, by their decision to hire external communications advice, that they do not have the expertise to keep the municipal system working properly, is a serious problem. Particularly, with a Mayor
and Council that repeatedly boast about their education and professionalism. It's one thing to seek advice on website design. It's quite another to have someone from outside the community take control of building
relationships with taxpayers and the media. It's one thing to hire someone to plan a special event, it's quite another to hire an external consultant to establish long-term strategy goals.
When an organization decides to outsource its communications, particularly an organization that is elected, it is admitting that it has lost control. Communications is not separate from leadership, it is leadership. When those in charge are not fulfilling their responsibilities, perhaps because they are feeling threatened, the tendency is to relegate people into camps - those who are with the Mayor and Council, for
example, and those who are against. Relationships are seen as absolutes, and actions simulate a kind of guerrilla warfare. Outside communication consultants are like mercenaries, hired to give one side a strategic advantage. Strategy is about scoring points. The business of the Municipality becomes getting, then maintaining, control.
If it is the intention of those in charge of this community to bring people together, to dedicate themselves to clarity, transparency, and moving forward. If those in charge are prepared to listen, to talk with people not at them, to repair relationships, and to search for common ground, they do not need an external communications consultant. Because their actions, based on their intentions, will communicate volumes
to the people who live here, visit here, and want to do business here

For those that Can't wait. Mayor's Newsletter #67

NEWSLETTER # 67    December 18th, 2012

MAYOR'S CORNER  At the time of this writing we are enjoying a warm December with little snow, however this is not deterring my neighbour who is in his backyard preparing his snowmobile.  Those who ski are readying their equipment and I see our people are on the hill making snow. November has been an exciting month for several reasons.  The “petition” has been delivered and was deemed sufficient.  The Minister has forwarded a letter indicating a consultant or person from the Ministry will conduct an inspection “to support the role of the Council and Administration in providing local government services in the community” and this is fine- your Council welcomes it, and will seriously consider any recommendations made and stringently follow any directives given.  Democracy can be messy, which is a good thing.  We want our community engaged in the decisions we make.  Sometimes good leadership means making tough decisions that may make people unhappy and I appreciate that.  Clearly, we must work harder in the community to communicate the rationale behind the decisions we make.  We all want the same thing: a vibrant and prosperous Crowsnest Pass.  Council and Administration are determined to deliver on that work.  Some communication Initiatives that have been undertaken thus far are: •                  After the election, I extended an invitation to the media to interview me after every Council Meeting. •                  Recently we have given the media an opportunity, before the conclusion of the Council Meetings, to ask questions. •                  Two of our Councillors provide personal blogs. •                  We have ensured that Council minutes are placed on the Municipal Website at noon the following day. •                  Council has instituted ongoing Town Hall Meetings. •                  Our website is consistently being improved with a  major upgrade coming in the New Year. •                  A Facebook page has been implemented. •                  We have instituted a short five minute radio spot every Monday morning after the 8:30am news where I keep listeners updated on our current affairs. •                  We have worked very hard to provide this newsletter in which I have the privilege of conveying on an informal basis “what’s going on” in local government and your community. •                  I am always available for ongoing interviews with individual citizens and the media, as are our Councillors.  Further, we have noted the growing popularity of ‘Shootin’ the Breeze’ and recently, the ‘Fernie Free Press,’ both of which are available in many local outlets free of charge.  The Voice, a web- based newspaper is also available, and in the future we will be considering these media in order to improve our communication.   On that note, I will be bringing up the notion that we need to televise our meetings locally so people can see “first hand” what actually occurs at a Council Meetings.   This could be done at very little cost and be of great benefit to our seniors and anyone who can’t make it to the meetings.  This broadcast could be streamed or replayed by those who wished to view the meeting later, I brought this up twice in the past two years; I am beginning to believe perhaps, our Councillors are just too bashful.  Moving on from Communication, the manufacturing people flew out again, visited the site, took notes and left.  They did mention that it was their first experience where the CAO of a community asked them what “we” could do to help them, and they did thank him for his assistance.  We will wait (impatiently) until they decide, and if it falls apart, we will at least know we did everything possible. The hotel/restaurant/truck stop legalities have made significant progress and are drawing to a close and we are planning a public session in February.  Initially it was predicted that they would not begin demolition until next spring but apparently they are planning to start much earlier.  I am told they are close to selecting a “flag” hotel chain.  Last month I commented that a heavy industry has met with the CAO and I over the past several months  and they planned to make an official announcement towards the end of the 1st quarter or the beginning of the second quarter in the New Year.   It has now been moved up to January.  The people from Quebec, the hotel developers and the representatives of the heavy industry have all noted the ratepayers petition and the resulting inspection.  I hope the inspection occurs as soon as possible to prevent any reactive concerns from developing on the part of these businesses.    When one door closes, another one opens or so the saying goes.  Last spring when Devon announced it was leaving I began to think about the best possible use of that land and the surrounding area for our benefit.  At our last GPC Meeting I presented an idea for that land.  Our local media accurately reported on this presentation in more detail than I can cover here so if you’re interested please do pick up a copy.  In a nutshell, I indicated we need to acquire that entire land area from Devon regardless.  A portion of it could be utilized for recreation programs on an ongoing basis, perhaps year round.  I spoke of a summer music jamboree, rodeo, enduro race, shrine circus, mud bog, monster truck, a staging area for quads, a place for staging poker runs for snowmobiles and snowmobile drag races on the old airport in conjunction with a winter carnival and many other activities.  I see the area as a natural stadium where we could stage activities that Banff, Jasper and Waterton cannot.  This would of course be a Crowsnest Pass project that might take as long as a decade to accomplish adding a little more each year.  Such attractions could be coordinated to occur at the same time as local festivals thus bringing people to all communities.  I have done some research on this and professionals in the entertainment field that I spoke with indicated that this concept/project has the potential of becoming a “major Southern Alberta Attraction.”  We had invited them  to speak to us at the GPC Meeting regarding a jamboree next summer on some land in Bellevue as Devon would not be available for at least two years.  However that group, this past week determined that due to the ratepayers petition and the resulting inspection that they would decline meeting with us until the situation is clarified.  Depending on the date of the inspection, possibly three to four months away, and a final report,  I suspect we will be putting this major activity “on the shelf”.  In closing, I will note that as your Council we have had to undertake some serious planning.  In following these plans we have had to make some difficult and unpleasant decisions for the long term benefit of our community and its citizens.  The “heavy lifting” is almost done and beginning next year we will begin to see the positive results of that planning and those decisions.  Merry Christmas from myself and your Council.

Christmas comes early.......Crowsnest Pass

Well just seven days before Christmas and we are all blessed with the best gift of all Newsletter #67 (has it been that many already) and my personal highlight “The Mayor’s Corner”.  Well here is my interpretation of what jolly old Saint Bruce has to say.

“Sometimes good leadership means making tough decisions that may make people unhappy and I appreciate that.  Clearly, we must work harder in the community to communicate the rationale behind the decisions we make.  We all want the same thing: a vibrant and prosperous Crowsnest Pass.”

Well maybe they finally are getting the message that people are unhappy, working harder to communicate I have said it before they have done a better job of communicating than any previous council. Maybe it’s what you are saying not the fact that you are saying it.

“Further, we have noted the growing popularity of ‘Shootin’ the Breeze’ and recently, the ‘Fernie Free Press,’ both of which are available in many local outlets free of charge.  The Voice, a web- based newspaper is also available, and in the future we will be considering these media in order to improve our communication”

So does this mean they will continue to communicate in the present local papers, or is this the year end message that Randy, Lindsay and Joni keep reporting the news "accuratly". We do have alternatives.

“The people from Quebec, the hotel developers and the representatives of the heavy industry have all noted the ratepayers petition and the resulting inspection.  I hope the inspection occurs as soon as possible to prevent any reactive concerns from developing on the part of these businesses.”

Sounds like the laying of the groundwork to place the blame just in case things do not work out in any of these area’s, I guess a politically shrewd move.

However that group, this past week determined that due to the ratepayers petition and the resulting inspection that they would decline meeting with us until the situation is clarified.  Depending on the date of the inspection, possibly three to four months away, and a final report,  I suspect we will be putting this major activity “on the shelf”

Why the hell would a municipal affairs petition have any bearing on a “jamboree” being held in Bellevue this summer. Will everything that does or does not happen now in the Crowsnest Pass be blamed on the petition and the ratepayers?

“In closing, I will note that as your Council we have had to undertake some serious planning.  In following these plans we have had to make some difficult and unpleasant decisions for the long term benefit of our community and its citizens.  The “heavy lifting” is almost done and beginning next year we will begin to see the positive results of that planning and those decisions”

So we have got all the really crappy stuff out of the way, now all the good things are going to happen just coincidently in an election year. 

A community divided, the real fix is eleven months away.

My fellow blogger Mr Prince is calling for a town hall meeting, the people that signed the petition are waiting for municipal affairs.

I think this municipality at this point in its short history is deeply divided, unfortunately it is not going to be repaired in the next eleven months. Any one of us can wish for a different out come but realistically it is not coming in the short term. The petition and municipal affairs will run its cause and hopefully something will come of that, if not then people need to be preparing for October 21^st 2013 that will be the communities next real opportunity for “change”.

Why do I feel it’s too late for real change with this council, the issues that have been put in front of the taxpayers over the last two years have been too numerous and two divisive.

Can a town hall meeting fix these issues? I don’t think so, most of the people I speak to could care less about a town hall meeting they have seen them become a platform for our leader to pump his chest, berate anybody that disagrees with him. I was so shocked when I watched a highly educated seventy year old man walk across a room to the sound of a few boos, waving his arms and telling the people to bring it on. (Leadership?)

I sat down last Friday and listened to a veteran administrator tell a reporter the way it is. (Yes it was as bad has it sounds). Communications has not been this council’s downfall in all honesty they have probably done a better job of communicating than any previous council, the problem is not so much communications it is what they have said and done. 

This Council believes in building a Bureaucracy by the time they have restructured they will have gone through more administrators in eighteen months than any other council in our history and have more upper management in place then we have ever seen before. Mean while we have a demoralized workforce that is scared and bullied to the point where a large percentage of them are in fear of their jobs.

This community has no commercial tax base, if we only did what we could pay for three quarters of what happens in this community would not happen. The key for this community is volunteers I came to learn this lesson over the last ten years, are there any volunteers left? Sure there are but not many, with what happened with Thunder in the Valley/Rum Runner Days and the Firemen situation who’s going to step forward. Want more proof of that look at municipal boards despite three months of advertising nine boards are short of members. Why do you think council backpedaled on getting rid of the Swimming Pool Authority two weeks ago? They desperately need to reverse the perception in the public forum as to how volunteers are being treated. What we did not  need is a member of council slamming the public because they didn’t support their way of doing things on the Rum Runner days weekend maybe just maybe the silent majority did not want it to change.  

The public has spoken about how they feel, despite the fact that 2500 people signed a petition in less than three weeks (more than double what is legally required). This council and its members can only focus on the “silent majority still supports us”, “or people were bullied and intimidated into signing”. Tell those people to contact municipal affairs I am sure the powers to be would love an excuse not to deal with this petition. Does it not say that the public has a problem with where you are going?

Look at our tax situation we hear great fanfare about a three year budget that only had annual increases of 2.5%, I didn’t hear anybody from council or administration tell us that Franchise Fees were going to increase more than 300% in three years.

Will the books balance at the end of the year? Of course they will I could spend hours writing about how numbers are shuffled. For example  take a look at Manager of Corporate Services, that position was only filled for three months this year. The other nine months of monies set aside for that position will be used to make the numbers work. My concern is the million dollars a year of administration moving forward how do we pay for that in future years when all the positions are filled year round?

Financial credibility is there any out there, after waiting for three and a half months look at the numbers that were presented for Rum Runner Days, remember the talk about $150-$200,000 not even close.   

Community Peace Officers all those that think these positions are going to pay for themselves raise your hand now. That’s a fallacy that will be proven over time, I can remember the consultant telling council at a G+P meeting that there were 290+ locations in violation of the unsightly premises bylaw how many of them have been cleaned up? Is there a date that they will be cleaned up by? So what happens with the bylaw officers once they are cleaned up?

Promises even though they were followed with a “you can take this with a grain of salt”

CLC gone before first snowfall, sharing Ranchlands tax base, Quebec manufacturer, deal with the hotel developer done in two weeks, two more, thirty days, heavy industry with up to 700 jobs. Politically you can sell hope all you want but sooner than later it has to be realized or you lose creditability.    

I think we have reached the point where the majority (be they loud or silent) do not pay a whole lot of attention anymore to what this council has to say or do. Most people are counting down the time until Oct 21,2013. Will a town hall meeting change that?   

Council meeting of May 1,2012

• The Municipality now has its own Facebook page.
• The closing date for the hotel development proposals on the Crowsnest Centre site is May 18.
• The tender for the demolition of the Crowsnest Centre calls for a date of August 30 for the completion of the project.
• There was an announcement that a collective agreement containing “numerous changes” was concluded with CUPE last week they are waiting for CUPE to ratify it.
• Administration requested to continue the new meeting schedule until September, and re stated their preference to go to two meetings a month.
• Municipal Off site levies are suspended until the end of January 2013, then to be reviewed at that point.
• Taxes for the Food bank were waived.
• Mayor Decoux asked the rest of council what kind of reaction they received to the budget information letter, most of council stared at each other and gave the impression that they  received little response. Mayor Decoux announced that he had received “146 emails and 15 phone messages” most of them very favorable to the newsletter.
• Administration requested that council approve the release of half the funding for the Museum now and the other half after administration meets with the new Historical Society board. Administration is also looking at ways to assist the museum with their Insurance, Utilities, and Maintenance costs. They were instructed to report back to council on May 15.
• Request to allow the use of quads for the Sinister seven event approved by council, lots of comments around the room about how great it is to have an event that brings thousands of people and lots of money to the community.
• Bylaw 847,2012 Peace Officer/Enforcement Bylaw, Passed first reading
• Bylaw 849,2012 Municipal Emergency Management Committee and Agency Bylaw, Passed first reading.
• Bylaw 846,2012 False Alarm Bylaw, Passed first reading
• Councilor Gail requested that the municipality write a letter to the provincial government supporting the push to twin Highway 63
• Rum Runner Days web site has been updated. 

Council Meeting of Nov 29, 2011 Crowsnest Pass

Occasionally where time as allowed I have been posting minutes of some of the council and G+P meeting.

Now Council as decided that they will post approved minutes by noon of the following day, after some members of council suggested that they had been approached by members of the public questioning why this was not being done.

Some people suggested to me that the only reason they were doing it was to out communicate myself with the general public. Wow does my blog really have that much power? I won't take any credit for that.

Back to the point of my post I am not going to do minutes as long as the municipality does they are coming out in a very timely fashion now and I know that the lady that does them can do a far better job than I do.

So if you are interested in the council minutes all you have to do is go to the municipal web site http://www.town.crowsnestpass.ab.ca/  you will find them underneath the council agenda column.

This of course will not stop me from commenting on these meeting as we all know minutes don't  provide you
with everything that happens at a meeting.

 

"Revised Municipal Reserve Policy and Procedure"

I found Councilors Londsbury comment about this policy very telling.  "First line of the policy states "The Municipality shall establish Capital and Operational Reserves" this is all well and good but will we have any money to place in reserves?"

Especially when you consider that in 2011 not a dollar was placed into such reserves.

Best of intentions mean nothing unless they are followed up, and as far as reserves the Mayors attempt at humour by saying I will give you a quarter if needs be to make sure something goes in there, does not cut it.