Moment with the Mayor: Pool Update

Hi Neighbours:

Here is an update on some of the findings of the pool survey and the current status of the project.

·         708 people completed the survey including almost 550 residents of Kindersley.

·         83% of respondents support moving forward to build an indoor aquatic centre.

·         47% of respondents are willing to pay up to $200 per year per property for the pool with 49% in favour of paying a flat rate base tax (34% were against a flat rate base tax.)

·         Based on 1,947 properties that pay tax, the total revenue would be $389,400 (*This may cover operating expenses)

·         46% of respondents are against a mill rate increase to pay for the pool.

·         47% of respondents said they would pay $600,000 for a water slide and whirlpool.

·         Only 30% said they would pay an extra $1.6 million to have a 6-lane pool rather than a 4 lane pool.

As it stands, the total cost of a 6-lane pool would be closer to $2 million, plus about $8 million in operating expenses over the life of the pool. With a 4-lane pool, Kindersley is still able to host regional events, but having a 6-lane pool would mean we could host two (occasionally three) additional Swim Sask meets per year. The question is whether the return on our investment in having 6 lanes is worth three meets per year with perhaps 100 or so participants? We are awaiting more data that will help determine the economic impact these meets could bring to Kindersley.

Here are some pool concepts we are looking at:

·         A 6 lane pool with a 1m diving board, zero entry tank and large leisure pool, a Tarzan rope with space for a future waterslide. Not included are a lazy river and whirlpool.

·         A 4 lane pool with a 1m diving board, zero entry tank, large leisure pool, a Tarzan rope, and space for a future waterslide. Not included are a lazy river and whirlpool.

·         A 4 lane pool with zero entry and a small leisure pool, lazy river, 1m diving board, a Tarzan rope, and space for a future waterslide. Not included is a whirlpool.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Moment with the Mayor: Annexation

Hi Neighbours:

One of the topics Council is considering is that of annexing land from the RM of Kindersley. The land in question includes the quarter of land east of the residential acreages located north of HWY #7, as well as two quarters of land east of the current subdivision development running south of the railway, one quarter south of Motherwell Reservoir including the Motherwell Estates, and two quarters on the western edge of town - one being north of the highway across the road from Boston Pizza, and the other immediately south of the highway.

Council is considering annexation as a solution to some of the planning and economic development challenges we are experiencing.

Annexation is the legal process of transferring a smaller or subordinate unit of land, such as a quarter section of land to a larger unit, such as Town land. In our case, we are requesting the transfer of land from the RM to the Town. Annexation can occur three different ways: the province can initiate it, the urban municipality can begin the process, or thirdly, citizen petitions can be used to have land annexed.

Let’s not forget to talk about the money question: how much will it cost? The cost has not been determined but there is a broad formula that the province has adopted, which has three components:

·         The annual net revenue loss of the RM (revenue loss minus service expense reductions);

·         The net increase to Town expenditures (the increased costs of servicing the property and the expected revenue or property tax collected); and finally

·         The remaining value of the RM’s municipal infrastructure asset (book value) based on the RM’s Tangible Capital Asset Register.

Negotiations are usually based on the number of years the RM should receive compensation. As you may imagine, the RM will ask for more years and the Town will suggest fewer years. However, precedence is being set for compensation and we will have to see how it goes.

Just a reminder that kids are back in school. Please drive carefully and watch for kids crossing the street.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Moment with the Mayor: New Park & Public Participation

Hi Neighbours:

Thursday evening, the 27^th, we are having another public meeting at Caleb Village. This time it is for the development of a new park on the long stretch of land between Hahn Cres and Coleman Cres. Parks can be little community jewels, and our goal is to have a jewel that is well used. To design a park that is beautiful and enjoyed by many, we need the participation of the neighbourhood and interested persons. What does the neighbourhood want to see in the park? What could be the distinguishing features?

We need participation because Kindersley is changing - we have more cultural and ethnic diversity, greater mobility, saturated internet connectivity, residents who are more informed and want to have input into the decision-making process, and our desire for increased openness and transparency.

I think there are four important parts of the planning process:

1.       Good policy is comprehensive – it can’t be developed in isolation.

2.      Community enhancement and growth requires public participation – Council, Administration, and stakeholders need to work/collaborate together.

3.      Our/Kindersley’s goals require long term planning – we need to be intentional and disciplined to achieve community goals.

4.      Our/Kindersley’s expectations change over time – expectations in 2012 may be different in 2015.

I am convinced that when we have healthy community participation, and Council and Administration listen and respond responsibly, then we have healthy progress. If Council is asking you to participate, what is Council and Admin’s responsibility? To treat your input respectfully, clearly outline the scope of the input requested, and to be well organized and prepared.

Finally, I want to share with you Council’s purpose, according to our Council Policy Manual (GP.0.) In fact, this policy is so important that I have had it placed under the glass on every Councillor’s desk: “The purpose of Council, on behalf of the ratepayers of Kindersley, is to see to it that the Town of Kindersley (a) achieves appropriate results for appropriate persons at an appropriate cost and (b) avoids unacceptable actions and situations.”

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Moment with the Mayor: a Pool Update and Speed

Hi Neighbours:

Last week, we met with Group 2 regarding the pool and community responses. There is a lot of discussion regarding having a 6-lane pool or a 4-lane pool, and no consensus has emerged so far. As a result, Group 2 has been asked to provide more information on 6-lane pools so Council can make an informed decision in September, and so that you can know the projected costs of the options brought to us. Due to the request for this additional information, the presentation to Council by Group 2 has been moved to September.

Council prefers to have good, detailed information to make a good decision rather than incomplete information to make a rushed decision. Thank you for your understanding.

Regarding the survey, so far more than 550 people have completed the survey. The survey has been extended to August 17th to accommodate those families away on holidays.

I was surprised to learn that, in June, someone was clocked on our speed sign on Ditson Road driving 149km/h. The yellow speed signs that flash the speed you are traveling also record the data enabling the Town to understand traffic patterns. I want to make it clear that this is not photo radar and tickets are not being issued to date. The information does, however, suggest that more traffic enforcement is required and this request will be brought to the RCMP.

Here is a summary of the data collected for June:

•              Total Vehicle Count: 37,040

•              Average Speed: 59 km Average

•              Minimum Speed: 10 km

•              Lowest Speed: 8 km

•              Average Maximum Speed: 113 km

•              Highest Speed: 149 km

•              Highest Usage Time: 1700-1800 hours

Total Violations: 16,068 or 40% exceeded posted speed limit (starting at 61 kmh)

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Moment with the Mayor: Summer Hodge-Podge of Stuff

Hi Neighbours:

It was good to go away for our vacation, and it is good to be back. I have spent the past few days getting back up to speed, so this column is a hodge-podge of different topics.

The two public consultations for the pool held at the beginning of July had a really strong turnout. I understand it was a good meeting. We are now conducting a survey regarding the pool, and specifically what residents are willing to pay to build and operate it. Your opinion is very important. This facility can be a destination venue, and the more people who use it because we have the right features (such as the number of lanes, slides, hot tubs, ropes, etc.,) the better for everyone. Likewise, we need to know how much you are willing to pay for the pool through your taxes. So please go to www.kindersley.ca and share your opinion with us.

The Grand Opening of Boston Pizza was held on August 8^th. You will want to experience the newest restaurant in Kindersley, and I also hope you remember the good restaurants we already have in town.

While I was away, I received a text from the Reeve of Mariposa near Kerrobert thanking the Town of Kindersley for all of the assistance we provided after the devastating storm a few weeks ago. That is what good neighbours do - we help out. And as Mayor, I am proud that we are community that helps out. I am also proud that we have neighbours that help us out when we need it.

On another note: recently I was appointed to represent Kindersley and Saskatchewan at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on two standing committees - Community Safety and Crime Prevention, and Social/Economic Development - and the Rural Forum. Mine is one of nine appointments from the province of Saskatchewan, pending approval from Kindersley Town Council. I am proud to bring our concerns to the federal level and I am excited to learn what I share with Kindersley as we grow. Thank you for the opportunity to serve Kindersley at this level.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Moment with the Mayor: Canada Day Celebration

Hi Neighbours:

On July 1^st, Canada celebrated its 148^th anniversary as a country. Thanks to all the community volunteers and Town staff who worked hard to make our Canada Day celebrations in Baker Park an enjoyable time for everyone. I also want to celebrate the contributions our volunteers continue to make in the community doing everything from packing boxes to coaching, and to providing leadership in Kindersley.

When compared to many other countries around the world, Canada is a young nation and still maturing. But our identity has already been established in a lot of positive ways. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of being Canadian is how we are defined around the world primarily by virtues rather than political stance or historical events. When people refer to Canada, they say words like polite, friendly, diplomatic, open, and beautiful. These words describe the better angels of our nature, and I hope the same can be said when people see Kindersley.

Our identity has been shaped by our parents, grandparents, neighbours, friends, and all those who have come before us, from those who originated here and those who emigrated from other countries.

I often speak of the four pillars of community – beauty, justice, fulfillment and relationships. I believe we live in a country that makes all of these possible, to bring out the best in us for others, regardless of race or religion. As we continue to grow as a nation and a community, I hope we continue to embody and embrace these virtues. And in order to do that, we must start in our own families and our own community. So as you go about your days in the coming weeks, I encourage you to meet someone new and to celebrate being Canadian, a people who demonstrate the better angels of our nature. We have much to be thankful for!

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Moment with the Mayor: Water

Hi Neighbours:

The recent rain has been very helpful in lifting the fire ban, turning my brown lawn green, and most importantly, getting the crops moving. However, what the rain has not helped with is the stress on our water treatment plant. Currently, the Town of Kindersley uses water at the twice the national rate.

The stress on the Haubrich Water Treatment Plant and on our staff is caused by a couple of things:

First, we have a pump that is currently producing only at 84% capacity; our staff and engineers are working on a solution.

The other stress is our consumption. Based on 5,400 residents (our estimated population in the Kindersley Health Services Needs Assessment), our consumption data shows that each person is using more than 650 litres per day (staff assures me this does not include commercial and industrial users). The national average is 329 litres per day.

Another major factor to consider is that we need to have enough water for fire. Regulations set by the province say that municipalities must have a minimum storage capacity that is twice the average daily demand to prepare for emergencies (it is always a question of when an incidents happens, not if.) The Town meets this regulation but that means between the Haubrich Treatment Plant and the Water Tower, those storage units have to be 62% full.

The question arising from this surprising information is: What do we do? Council is having a special meeting on June 30^th at 6 pm to discuss water conservation and the necessary steps to bring our water consumption down to ensure that the Haubrich Water Treatment Plant can function as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Further to that, we have our staff and our facility to consider. If we do nothing, the equipment – and this equipment is expensive – will break down sooner and threaten the integrity of our water system. As an example, our plant is designed to run about 12 hours a day, but it currently runs around 17 hours a day. All of this also puts undue stress on staff who work very hard to provide Kindersley residents with the treated water we use every day. We are all a part of the solution. Let’s work together to be better users of our water resource.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Moment with the Mayor: Kindersley Health Services Needs Assessment

Hi Neighbours:

There was a good turnout for the release of the Kindersley Health Services Needs Assessment Report on June 11. Council held a Special Meeting of Council at the Elks Hall to hear a summary of the report and then passed a motion to support its recommendations.

Lawrence Beaudry, the lead consultant with Western Management Consultants (WMC), did a terrific presentation.

An implementation plan has been developed. The core of the implementation plan is what is currently termed as the 'Community Advisory Network.' (CAN) The purpose of the network, once it is fully operating, is to provide oversight to the implementation of the recommendations and provide strategic input.

The report outlines the following recommendations:

1     .       Primary Health Care Service Plan – The Heartland Health Region should lead the development of a comprehensive Primary Health Services Plan that builds on the work completed in the PHC Services Assessment Project.

2     .       Priority Service Enhancements – Make targeted investments in selected high priority service areas, including: Women’s Health, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Therapies, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Day Surgery and Obstetric Surgical Services.

3     .       Establish and Affirm Governance, Decision-Making, and Accountability Structures

4     .       Review Physician Compensation Model

5     .       Human Resources Recruitment/Retention Strategy

6     .       Performance Measurement and Evaluation

7     .       Stakeholder Engagement and Communications

It is the hope of Councillor McTaggart and I that the Town can step away from health care in 9 months and be assured and confident that the CAN is effectively overseeing the implementation of the recommendations, ensuring the stability and sustainability of the delivery of health services in Kindersley, and providing vision and strategic input. Potential models include Meadow Lake, Cudworth, and Wakaw.

Council’ s motion also requests that the Government of Saskatchewan’s Minister of Health and the Heartland Health Region work cooperatively and expeditiously toward implementing the report’s recommendations.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Moment with the Mayor: FCM Highlights

Hi Neighbours:

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) held its annual conference and trade show the first weekend of June in Edmonton. The conference featured workshops, study tours, key-note speakers, and time to learn from other municipal leaders. I attended, along with other representatives from Kindersley Council and Administration. Here are some highlights:

·         Based on applause after speeches by Joe Oliver, Minister of Finance; Tom Muclair, NDP Leader of the Opposition; Justin Trudeau, Liberal Party Leader; and Elizabeth May of the Green Party, the winner of the next federal election will be the NDP, with the Liberals as opposition.

·         Edmonton recently built two large multi-use facilities; the one I visited costing $125 million.

Their process included the following steps:

1) Strategy

2) Concept - Functional program study, boring but super important (what Group 2 did last year)

3) Design - This is where we currently are with the aquatic centre

4) Build (for Kindersley’s pool, hopefully next year)

5) Operation (hopefully 2017).

 Delegates voted on a series of resolutions:

·         Inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women passed with 91% support.

·         Private sector involvement in infrastructure and federal funding P3 received 93% support.

·         Protecting federal funding allocations for social housing supported by 89%.

·         Marine oil spill emergency response coordination and support for local governments received 95% support.

·         Call for a federal leaders debate on municipal issues received 91% support.

·         The NDP, Liberals, and the Green Party accepted the invitation to debate. The Conservative Party was non-committal. 

·         Bruce Anderson, a pollster with Abacus Data, is of the opinion that left and right ideologies are less important for the electorate. In the last Alberta election, 20% of the Wildrose Party voters in 2011 voted for the NDP instead. (If you are curious, ask me about this when next you see me)

·         He also indicated that tax levels are not an issue.

·         The electorate is volatile between the desire for change and the uncertainty over timing.

·         Municipalities are responsible for at least 60% of all infrastructure in Canada, while receiving only 8% of all taxes collected in Canada.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.