OUTCOMES TO BE ACHIEVED IN THE 2010-2013 TERM

Looking ahead to 2013, I would like my electorate to know that they have a report card by which to judge the effectiveness of the Councillor for Ward 2. My Sept. 30, 2010 blog Working On Your behalf For the Next Three Years attempted to give a broad outline of what I intend to do in the areas of social, economical and environmental sustainability.

This post is an attempt to add measurement to my goals, where possible. This is a document that I will bring forward on an annual basis in an attempt to hold myself accountable to the residents of Strathcona County and my Ward.

Community

Playing Working & Living in a Safe Environment

•  Encourage Council to support policy that strengthens existing neighbourhood associations and promotes the creation of new groups and associations
• Bring to Council a policy that addresses multi generational utilization as a key component of park revitalization.
• Bring to Council a policy to make playground accessibility mandatory. 
• Double the number of Community gardens in Strathcona County from three to six.

Increase safety on residential streets

• Bring to council two new policies or initiatives that will result in lowering speed in residential areas.
• Support existing volunteer speed watch programs, education and enforcement.

Engaging Youth

• Obtain Council buy in to expand current services and programs to a youth centre concept with easy access.
• Encourage proactive and initiative youth activities in our community including a Graffiti Team and greater participation in Council meetings.

Municipal

Balanced Sustainable Growth

• Call for Council to review the measurables of Administration’s plan to encourage balanced sustainable growth of the County.
• Invite business and industry community leaders to have their own symposium to come up with innovative ideas that will result in sustainable growth that addresses the socio-economic needs of our region and a harmonious relationship between residents, business and the environment.

Openness & Transparency

• Continue to advocate for the implementation of an organization wide efficiency audit in order to increase accountability of the County to taxpayers.
•  Increase the accountability of County Council to the taxpayer by urging Council to create policy that mandates attendance and participation in all Council Meetings and committees. This policy should stipulate what responsibilities a councillor has and what hours “on the job” is considered core to the task.
• Ask Council to create a policy that holds Councillors’ accountable to the public and enforces the Strathcona County Code of Ethics: including but not limited to a misuse of County resources and equipment, and disrespectful behavior toward staff or other councilors.

Customer Service – in pursuit of Excellence

• Present to Council the need to improve customer service to all key stakeholders. Request that a process be developed whereby Administration is held accountable to define and improve response times, address attitudinal concerns and resolve issues. Ask Council to engage our stakeholders in developing a model of excellence for customer service. Consider the need for an ombudsmen position.

Communications

• Continue to offer innovative ways to communicate to my public.
•  Request that Council support open government data.
• Continue to support the creation of a social media policy which I have asked for since 2009 so that the County as an organization can better communicate on different levels with our diverse demographic of residents.

Accessibility

• Request that Council have a Councillor on the Accessibility Advisory Committee to ensure direct communication to and support from Council.

Preparing for Significant Demographic Changes

As the number of citizens over the age of 65 is forecast to increase from 13% to 25% of our total population in 2031 changes must be made.

• I will urge Council to support the findings of the Pioneer Housing Study (now in progress) as it relates to increased beds required in assisted living, creating a third level to our existing assisted living seniors care residents, and providing Increased housing options for an aging population.
•  Continue to support the implementation of the Older Adults Plan in facilitating increased assistance for seniors living in the community.

Light efficient community

• Call for performance criteria that measure progress made on the implementation of the light efficient community policy that I brought forward in 2010.

Agribusiness & Urban Agri Initiative

• Support residents in their efforts to establish agri initiatives that increase sustainability in the urban area by bringing new policy opportunities to Council.
• Broadly supporting agribusiness in the rurban and rural area.

Provincial

• Encourage Council to advocate to the province for full development of the 23-acre hospital site, beginning with the completion of phase 2 by 2015.
• Demand underground powerlines.
• Continue to champion the building of a new courthouse by 2015.

Ward Councillor Awareness Signs Disappearance

Residents have been asking me, “where did those signs go?”

Strathcona County sign bylaw removed the signs. I was told that, based on their interpretation of the Elections Sign Bylaw that the signs were illegal. I would like to explain the circumstances to my residents.

On Sept. 20, 2010, I was acclaimed as Ward 2 Councillor. In an effort to communicate with the 9,000 people in the ward and let them know who their Councillor is, and how to contact her, I put out 10 signs.

On Sept. 24, 2010,  the Sign Bylaw department received a complaint about the signs from people running other election campaigns. The Bylaw Sign Department then removed nine signs on Oct. 9, 2010.

I was not notified prior to sign removal.  I applied for, and was given, a $250 Development Permit to Place Temporary Election Signs.  The permit lists many conditions that would render the permit invalid – but unfortunately does not outline the situation of an acclaimed candidate.

Because administration had no clear guideline, they were forced to make a judgement call. By referring to the Elections Act and Webster’s Dictionary, they ruled that

as soon as I was acclaimed, I was no longer a candidate and therefore not entitled to have election signs erected. Apparently, my signs do not qualify for any kind of temporary permit. I cannot be refunded any money. The signs were impounded and I was told that the cost to get those signs back is $50 each.

I certainly accept the ruling but am concerned that, because of a lack of clear cut sign bylaw, our front line staff are left in a difficult position - forced to make judgement calls that take time away from their enforcement duties. This is not the most cost effective way to run a department.

I have talked to other candidates running for elected positions on Council and School Board and found that they too were running into interpretation and judgement call issues such as bylaw officers eye-balling rather than measuring the size of signs, while other officers are granting a “tolerance factor” and showing leniency.

Although I have suffered a financial loss because of this experience and my volunteers put a lot of hard work into making and putting up the signs, I did learn a lot.

I now have more empathy for what our business community is going through with the sign bylaw. I see challenges in clarifying the bylaw in several areas. I see the need to examine more carefully our service delivery with regard to management giving much more clarity to front line staff. And I see yet another aspect of the need for Strathcona County to ‘raise the bar’ to create an improved level of customer service with a focus and culture that builds better relationships. 

My Speech at the Chamber Forum on Oct. 6, 2010

Good Evening,

Thank you for giving me the privilege of serving as your full time Councillor these past 3 years. 

I have listened to Strathcona County residents – seeking to understand your issues – & acting on your behalf.

In the next 5 minutes I will outline some of the things I have heard, understood & acted upon.

I will also talk about     ‘where to from here!’

I listened to your requests for improved recreation

I identified neighbourhood leaders & asked them to join project committees – to become a part of the solution.

Together we were successful:

• You chose manufacturers & selected new playground equipment
• You advised staff on the design of the 1st Splash Pad

Another Team of residents joined us to plan & participate in the first 3 urban Community Gardens

You talked & I listened:

I heard your concerns about Safety on the streets & in the neighbourhood

To address that:

•  I supported the formation of the Speed Watch Volunteer Program to educate drivers
•  I lobbied for & got 5 electronic driver feedback signs to increase driver awareness
•  I supported fire station expansions & a new fire hall
•  I voted to hire more EMS and RCMP
•  I will continue to support Parents Empowering Parents, Block Parent, Crime Watch, Citizens On Patrol – all volunteer organizations. The commitment of volunteer hours in these organizations is staggering – and makes Strathcona County the inclusive & caring community that it is.
•  I will continue to promote programs that build neighbourhood connectedness through knowing your neighbour. 

When you called me to help increase accessibility for seniors & residents who faced challenges

......I listened

• I lobbied successfully for the creation of the Advisory Committee for Improving Accessibility in Strathcona County.
• There is much more to do to increase playground & park accessibility.
• I will continue to encourage improvements to our parks tghat result in those parks becoming true community gathering places.

I heard your demands for increased efficiency & financial accountability on all levels.

On the Ward level, once again I went looking for community leaders from my ward & others. There you were.

Together we developed the ‘Building Strong Communities Funding Program’ to allocate Councillor Priority Funds. This model stands alone in our municipality as an outstanding example of how residents advise their Councillor on how to spend taxpayer dollars on specific community projects.      

                                           Your $......Your Choice!!!

On the Municipal level, I advocated for increased efficiencies. It took 3 years – but single department reviews have expanded into multi department functional reviews.

We need to go further – I will continue lobbying my fellow Councillors for both an internal review & an external efficiency audit at the corporate level.

The outcome of these reviews will put our municipality at the Head of the Class!

I look forward to being a part of helping Strathcona County climb the Ladder of Excellence to become the model of efficiency with a strong customer service focus & culture that we can all be proud of!!   

  

I have served on the Capitol Region Housing Committee, the Intercity Social Forum Policy Group, our own Youth Advisory, the Seniors’ & a dozen other committees & Boards.

They talked….I listened.

As Your Councillor I will continue to Encourage & Support:

•  Emphasis on youth engagement.
•  Increased housing options & assistance for seniors to live in our community.
•  Further development of a comprehensive local & commuter transit system.
• Collaboration with business to create a vital & diverse business community.

I have listened to our community members & our regional municipal partners….& understood the issues

•  The Capitol Region is planning its way forward to balanced & sustainable growth
• We must maintain our leadership position & advocate for our own municipal needs in this process.

Short Term Goals

Cuff Report:

Governance policies are necessary to give backbone to the Code of Ethics. These must be  created and sanctioned by Council by end of February 2011.

Provincial Issues:

• Build a positive synergistic relationship with the provincial government.
• Lobby for full development of the 23-acre hospital site, beginning with the completion of phase 2 by 2015.
• Demand that power lines be put underground.
• Champion the building of a new courthouse by 2015.

In Summary:

I have told you tonight that I am proud to serve as your Councillor:

                                                                        – To listen – To understand – To act on your Behalf

I will leave you with this thought as we head into the Election:

Your local government is critical to the vitality & sustainability of our entire population.

Your local level of government is the engine of the community –

If that is true,  and I believe it is - then it is you, the people - that are the fuel that drives this engine.

Never hesitate to approach your elected representative to raise issues

Keep driving the discussion on how we can make our community a better place for our children & our parents.

Policies – or lack thereof

During a public meeting on Sept. 30, 2010, Strathcona County Council heard George Cuff’s independent review on the Jason Gariepy incident.

In response to the questions that Council asked Mr Cuff to investigate and report on, Council received the following: (pages 24 to 26 of the report published Strathcona County Website:

1. “The Chief Commissioner “acted in good faith in response to an incident but did not have the authority to suspend Councillor Gariepy’s communications”.
2. Councillor Gariepy “may have broken policies” regarding Discrimination and  Harassment,  as well as Respectful Workplace….but according to Cuff, these policies do not apply to elected officials. Cuff went on to say that while “he may have broken  the Council Code of Ethics”, the Code was not adopted by Council as a Policy.
3. In summary Cuff reported that Gariepy’s actions do not suit a member of Council.
4. Cuff found that “while there have been examples provided of behaviour that should not be associated with members of Council, this behaviour has not been a violation of any County policies directly attributed to members of Council.”

In my opinion, the above sends a clear message to this governing body and future Councils: an absence of a clear guiding policy gives carte blanch to elected officials to run rough shod over those they rule and each other.

I am saddened that personal integrity and promising to abide by the Strathcona County Council Code of Ethics has no weight. There are no consequences unless a clear and concise policy is in place.

The report went on to summarize and give recommendations. Here in lies the real value of the report.

The findings brought to light many deficiencies that when corrected will make this a more efficiently run organization, eliminating the kind of abuse of the system and misuse of public funds that I have been fighting this past three years. 

This Council and those before us have been in error in not seeing this weakness in our system. Clearly, adopting these recommendations for creation of an elected officials’ respectful workplace policy will make this a safer environment for staff and each other.

The seven recommendations include developing a clearly worded policy on the powers and authority of the Chief Commissioner regarding Council, refining the existing press release policy, and clarifying the Mayor’s authority in respect to councillors’ behaviour. I would only add that I believe there needs to be a clear document on the roles and responsibilities of both Mayor and Councillors.

The report and the recommendations have been accepted by this Council. We now throw the torch – full of challenge and opportunities – to the new council.

Working On Your Behalf for the Next 3 Years

In the past three years as your Ward 2 Councillor, we have worked together to accomplish a great deal. There is much more that we can do in the area of social, economical and environmental sustainability.

My vision for the next three years includes the following:

Community

 Advocate for responsible driving initiatives in residential areas:

• Increase electronic traffic driver feedback signs.
• Support volunteer speed watch programs.
• Increase safety through education and enforcement.

 Promote increased community involvement:

• Encourage the creation of neighbourhood associations and community gardens.
• Park revitalization and multi generational utilization.
• Increase playgrounds accessibility.

Municipal

Encourage and Support:

• Balanced sustainable growth of the County.
• Implementation of an organizational efficiency audit.
• Measures that increase transparency and accountability of Council and Administration.
• Develop a strong customer service focus and culture.
• Continued emphasis on youth engagement.
• Collaborate with business to create a vital and diverse business community.
• Increased housing options for an aging population.
• Increased assistance for seniors living in the community.
• Increased emphasis on accessibility.
• Implementation of the light efficient community policy.       

Capital Region

• Stay focused on maintaining our leadership position in the Capital Region.
• Collaborate with the 24 neighbouring municipal partners to plan for sustainable regional growth.

Provincial

• Build a positive synergistic relationship with the provincial government.
•  Lobby for full development of the 23-acre hospital site, beginning with the completion of phase 2 by 2015.
• Demand underground powerlines.
• Champion the building of a new courthouse by 2015.

Running for Office

In my  July 25, 2010,  blog A Day in the Life, where I describe what a Councillors job is to me, I stated that I  consider being a Councillor for Strathcona County residents a full time job – and then some.

I talked about the importance of elected officials serving their community.

It requires time to build relationships and to support non-profit organizations, churches, businesses, the Chamber, parent council and other community minded stakeholders.

I blogged about the importance of time spent on committees that focused on all levels of issues: neighbourhood, municipal, regional and provincial.

As an elected official, I spend hundreds of hours on strategic planning, in council workshops, budget sessions and Council Meetings. 

By far the greater percentage of my time is spent on resolving issues residents have; concerns that are not being addressed to their satisfaction, questions regarding the complexities of the system or disagreements with County process or policy.

I consider that my obligation to my residents is to maintain that schedule for as long as possible. I believe that I should maintain my focus on municipal matters and reserve my time for residents until Election Day.

There are guidelines that speak to the importance of all candidates for office having a level playing field. Well - most candidates who are not incumbents have a job. They use their personal time to campaign – often taking a leave of absence the 30 days prior to election to ‘run hard’ for office.

I chose not to declare months ahead of election day, take out ads, give out campaign literature, promotional items or use official functions in order to maintain my office. Instead, I chose to remain focused on fulfilling my duties, as your Councillor, for my full term of office.

On Sept. 8, 2010,  I was asked at a public meeting by a resident whether or not I was running. At that time, I mused aloud that it would be right to run again if I had lived up to the expectation of the residents who had voted me in last term. I noted that I believed I had achieved some worthwhile community objectives that improved the quality of life of our people on both a community and regional level. Knowing that I have more to do, I feel that running again is the right thing for both my community and myself.  

But note that I have not produced any electioneering materials; I have not put out a brochure or a platform prior to now. In fact, this whole website is populated with information that does not wave the campaign flag but is meant to give my residents an insight into what I believe in, what stands I took and why I took them.

Above all, I believe my job is to listen to you, and to serve the needs of the people of Ward 2 and Strathcona County. 

Issues Behind the ‘Hospital News Release’ Incident

Now that Council has ratified a way to move forward that will protect the rights of all individuals involved in the much publicized incident (see Blog: Why an Independent Investigation) I feel an obligation to clear the air with regard to two specific areas.

Firstly, statement after statement in the press has led people to believe that the incident was about an individual’s right to speak out. The issue was not about freedom of speech.

This is about one Councillor’s reaction to a press release which he did not agree with - that is a policy issue.

Who has the obligation to edit and approve County press releases? It is not Council as a whole. That is neither the practice nor the policy in this municipality.

The policy in Strathcona County is similar to that of other large municipalities in Alberta. Draft releases are circulated for approval to applicable department manager, executive team member, Commissioner and the Mayor. This approval process is a rigorous one that is put in place as a way to ensure  facts are correct.

At the Sept. 14, 2010, Council meeting, as a result of one Councillors disagreement with the tone of a press release, a motion was rushed to the floor of Council. Three Councillors spoke to changing the approvals policy so that Council would be the approval agent for press releases that concerned the Capital Region, the hospital and power lines. 

This was an ill conceived motion with no backgrounder or benefits-risk analysis. The result drags Council, a governing body, into operations. The current policy has proven effective for many years and should not be changed without some thought put into it as to the merits and down side.

Secondly, there was much ado made in the press recently about Mayor Olesen and myself meeting with representatives of the provincial government to obtain a clarification over the hospital. 

This is not about the Mayors ‘right’ to meet with a couple of Ministers – because, indeed she does have that right, in fact, the obligation, to represent the needs of our people at a meeting with provincial representatives.

I believe the meeting was in response to the call for clarification from myself, Strathcona County residents, and complaints voiced in the media. As the need for it was urgent , Minister Evans arranged a sit down with the appropriate Ministers.

Mayor Olesen had two hours to respond. While she was entitled to attend the meeting alone, she was able to get in touch with me and I attended in the capacity of Deputy Mayor.

Similar types of meetings have occurred at various times in the past – none of Council objected to those meetings.

Hopefully this will answer any remaining questions the public will have and we can move on with the business of running the County.