Youth Council

Last Monday we took time to swear in our Youth Council. After the ceremony they sat through the public session of the meeting.

I also want to congratulate my oldest son for being elected Youth Council Mayor by his colleagues on Council: congratulations John!

Phase 2: The West Central Community Centre Update

Given some of the dynamics surrounding the development of Phase 2 The West Central Community Centre, Council asked Group 2 to hold 2 workshops before making a decision regarding how to proceed. The purpose of the workshops was to:

1. Understand the choices before them, and the implications, pros and cons of each alternative.

2. Generate a list of Guiding Principles that will act as a compass for moving forward.

3. Create a commitment to work together toward one common goal that benefits the entire community.

What follows is a summary of the report.

Attendance at the workshops was low, with less than 25 people attending both workshops. The first two goals were realized with the participants: people understood the choices before them and a list of guiding principles was developed. According to Group 2 there was not a strong “commitment to work together toward one common goal that benefits the entire community.” As a result, Group 2 goes on to say, Council and Administration does not have the social license to proceed with confidence.

The report discusses two ways negotiations may occur: "interest based or position based. Interest-based collaboration focuses on meeting the underlying concerns, needs or interests of all of the citizens. Citizens are encouraged to communicate what is important about an issue rather than arguing for a specific position or solution. Position-based thinking is a traditional, power based negotiation tactic and does not look for common solutions. A stance or ‘position’ is taken early in the process and people focus on their own wants and needs. It is often adversarial with little focus on future relationships.”

The report goes on to say: “One group has consistently taken a ‘position based’ approach--the performing arts group. They are the only group to adopt this tactic and refuse to consider approaches other than their own. There were several declarations made; most notably these included:

·         Stating they ‘will walk away from the table’ and not participate if a phased approach is chosen.

·         Stating they will withhold funds and begin a parallel process wherein they would build their own theatre.

·         Repeatedly discrediting the capital cost projections and the operational cost projections, despite the rigourous approach and applicability of the referenced facilities.

·         Disregarding the results of the public input questionnaire that indicated 70% of the respondents supported an approach with aquatics as the first phase.

·         Believing that programming and booking challenges that have burdened similar theatre facilities will not happen to them and declining to submit data to support this belief.

This ‘position-based’ approach has the potential to divide the project and the community. Despite the performing arts group deep belief in their position, they represent a very small percentage of population. The views of the ‘silent majority’ whose presence was seen in the surveys must be weighed against this position.”

The good news is that a list of guiding principles was developed by the interest based participants and includes:

·         Goal clarity

·         Commitment to a common goal

·         Clear direction

·         Strong leadership

·         Socially and fiscally vibrant

·         Trust: do not look back on past hurts

·         Future based—always think about the future

·         Sustainable

·         Change silos to collaborative effort

·         Pride in ourselves and community

·         Strategic fundraising efforts

·         Engage with the younger generation

·         Identify and celebrate benchmarks

·         Smart human resources

·         Socially and fiscally vibrant

The report also highlights that we are taking an integrated or unified approach to planning; these should be public documents before the end of March. We are assessing or pursuing these projects:

·         Regional Landfill

·         Reducing the infrastructure deficit

·         Conducting an infrastructure assessment to ensure our water treatment plant and the waste water lagoon has the capacity to cope with our commercial, industrial, and residential growth.

·         Our storm water system,

·         Water mains and more.

·         Town Square.

·         Implementing the traffic study,

·         New Fire Hall and a new ladder truck

The report says that “Administration and Group2 painted a very clear picture of the realities in which Kindersley was operating within. The participants spoke on the need for clear decisions, strong goals, and a strategic approach to achieving those goals.”

As a result of what was heard at the workshops Group 2 has revised their recommendation from Option B to Option C: “Based on our analysis, removing or reducing the barriers is more probable under Option C: A Phased Approach. Option A would dramatically increase all restrainers other than ‘Position based thinking’ which would be reduced.”

Here are the recommendations from the report:

1.       Council formally approve the phased approach (Option C) should the Town feel that this project merits further investment in relation to other capital projects currently being considered.

2.       Obtain a formal decision from the performing arts group whether they wish to participate further or not.

3.       Formally bring to conclusion the MUBC committee and celebrate the success of this group.

4.       Appoint a new strategic facility development committee.

5.       Complete a strategic plan and detailed work plan for the committee that clearly outlines goals, initiatives and performance measures.

6.       Complete a communication plan for the initial stages of the project (that can be bridged into the fundraising plan).

7.       Hire a firm that specializes in capital project fundraising to develop a comprehensive fundraising plan with a goal to raise the necessary funds for the project.

8.       Begin implementation of first steps of the fundraising plan.

Further, I think two more things need to be done to start the project on the right foot:

1.       Form an arm’s length Fundraising Group with their own charitable number and trust account that is responsible for fundraising.

2.       Form a Building Committee.

This has been a long process for us and I appreciate your patience. We are being intentional to ensure that Phase 2 the West Central Community Centre is a success both as a facility and as a project that binds Kindersley together.

Please email me your thoughts and questions; they are most welcome. If you want a copy of the report please email me.

January Schedule

This is my tentative schedule for January. Like the other months it will likely change.

Jan  6 – Museum Meeting

Jan  6 – Mayor’s Hours

Jan  7 – Health Meeting

Jan  8 – Organizational Review Meeting

Jan 10 – Mayor’s Hours

Jan 11 – Museum Meeting

Jan 13 – Mayor’s Hours

Jan 13 – Council Meeting

Jan 14 – Kindersley and District Arts Council

Jan 16 – Phase 2 West Central Community Centre Meeting

Jan 16 – Economic Development Meeting

Jan 17 – Mayor’s Hours

Jan 17 – Health Meeting

Jan 20 – Preparation for Minister of Employment meeting

Jan 20 – Mayor’s Hours

Jan 22 – West Central Municipal Government Committee Meeting (Cut Knife)

Jan 22 – Meet with Mayor of North Battleford (North Battleford)

Jan 24 – Mayor’s Hours

Jan 27 – Mayor’s Hours

Jan 27 – Council Meeting

Feb  1 – Minister of Employment Jason Kenney Meeting (Swift Current)

Feb  2 – SUMA (Regina)

Feb  3 – SUMA (Regina)

Feb  4 – SUMA (Regina)

Feb  5 – SUMA (Regina)

Feb 7 – Mayor’s Hours

Moment with the Mayor: Growth and Infrastructure

Hi Everyone:

The Provincial Government is proud of the growth it has been overseeing since it took power. They have been good stewards, and lucky as well, just as we have been. During the last day of the fall legislative session, Premier Wall issued a press release regarding growth. Here are parts of it and my response:

“Saskatchewan has grown by more than 100,000 people in just six years,” Wall said.  “That creates many new opportunities and it also creates many new challenges.  Our government is working hard to meet the challenges of a growing province.”

Premier Wall said two of the biggest challenges are building infrastructure and addressing the labour shortage.

“Over the past six years, our government has more than doubled investment in infrastructure projects like hospitals, schools and highways,” Wall said.  “Still, there is more to be done and we have to look for ways to ensure taxpayers’ dollars are going further by exploring new and innovative approaches to building these kinds of projects.”

The Provincial Government has been doing a good job on a lot of different fronts in facilitating the expansion and diversification of the province's economy. They have been given some good opportunities in which to govern and have been optimizing those opportunities. However, I am concerned that, as the Federal Government is ensuring steady funding for municipal infrastructure over the next ten years, the Province has been silent on this issue.

As the Province focuses on growth in areas like labour, hospitals, schools, and highways, I encourage them to remember that those new and expanded hospitals and schools, the new workers who are also new residents, and the highways which transport our people, our goods, and our services, are located in municipalities - municipalities that lie outside the orbit of Saskatoon and Regina; municipalities that also need infrastructure such as new and expanded water and sanitation treatment plants, new and expanded landfill sites, and new and expanded facilities to invest in the new people in Saskatchewan and, of course, affordable housing.

In the end, what I am asking the Province to do is to diversify their investment. Hospitals, schools, and highways are sexy, but can we grow if we don't have affordable housing, water to drink, and toilets that flush?

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.

Youth Council Swearing In

Our Youth Council is to be sworn in during our next Council Meeting January 13th. This year we had 17 applications for the 7 positions including Mayor. The Mayor is selected by the Council.

Some of the changes to this year's Council include greater integration with the curriculum at KCS. Some of the work that some of the students do will count towards their Social Studies courses.

I am also proud my oldest son is again on Youth Council; he intends to run for Mayor. If he makes it, his election will be historic.

By-Election Candidates and Voting

Nominations closed for the by-election January 2, 2014. Two candidates came forward: Shaun Henry and Kevin Martin.

You can vote in an advance poll on January 30th from 5:00 PM - 9:00 AM; mail in ballots can be picked up form the Town Office until January 29th; and you can vote on by-election day on February 5th when polls are open from 9:00 AM until 8:00 PM.

To Shaun and Kevin: I hope this is a good experience for you and I am looking forward to working with you.

To the electorate: please vote.

Moment with the Mayor: Some of the Things We are Working On

Hi Everyone:

I hope that the holiday season was full of joy with great visits with loved ones.

The year 2014 is shaping up to be a busy year with a number of projects on the go. Here is a list of some of the things that are happening:

·         A review of the airport;

·         Brookhollow Estates;

·         Finding operational efficiencies within the Town;

·         A communications audit to ensure that you have relevant and timely information about the Town including the potential use of podcasting and webcasting;

·         A review of a number of contracts;

·         A cultural assessment of Kindersley;

·         The landfill is receiving ongoing oversight;

·         The development of the regional landfill site;

·         Working towards financial efficiencies and continued planning;

·         Implementing recommendations from:

·         Organizational review,

·         Traffic study,

·         Emergency measures organization review;

·         Adopting the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaws;

·         Hosting the provincial Infrastructure and Growth Conference;

·         Working towards a new fire hall;

·         The Norm Ritchie Centre requires a lot of attention;

·         We are waiting on the province for their decision to upgrade our Bylaw Officer to Special Constable;

·         Work on the Town Square,

·         The Motherwell Bridge – as a quick note the bids to have it installed were more than twice the estimated cost, we are reviewing our options on this project due to the significant cost increases;

·         A review of the traffic bylaws;

·         And more such as creating a recreation and facility guide and of course the budget.

A lot of tough decisions need to be made this year and if you have some thoughts please let me know. I hope you have a new year filled with peace and joy.

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: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Here is a recap of some miscellaneous discussions and topics from the past few weeks:

Health: I called and chaired a meeting with reps of the Ministry of Health, Heartland Health Region, and the Kindersley and District Health and Wellness Foundation to ensure Kindersley has the level of health services that are required. A broad range of topics was covered, and the theme was growth and capacity. We came up with a bit of a plan that has been used in another jurisdiction and we will see if it can be used here. Our MLA, Bill Boyd, is also helping us in this as well.

Governance: During our regular governance coaching session before the December Council meeting, we, as Council, realized that though we may have a Carver model, we are not a Carver Council. We follow many of the policies, have changed some, and will be changing more policies but we do not strictly adhere to the Carver model. We are developing the Kindersley Governance system that is unique to Kindersley’s situation.

By-election: The deadline for nominations is January 2, 2014. If you are considering whether to put your name forward, let me encourage you: This is a terrific time to be a Councillor. We are growing, and as a result, we have some tough but exciting decisions to make. We have spent the past year developing some new policies and we will be looking at passing and implementing these new policies in the new  year. Council is planning a retreat on March 8^th and 9^th to help the new Councillor get up to speed, do some future planning, and work on some governance issues. We are also trying to see if George Cuff, a well-respected municipal expert, will meet with us during our retreat. If you are considering allowing your name to stand for the election and want to meet, please give me a call and I’ll be more than happy to meet with you.

Budget: As we come to the end of 2013, numbers indicate that the human resource (HR) portion of the operations budget will be approximately 1% over budget. This 1% includes all overtime as well. Considering the HR expenses related to the landfill fire in October, this is a good result.

Happy New Year! I hope the changes you envision for yourself in the next year are realized.

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.

Have a good holiday season!

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas!

Posting to this blog has slowed due to illness, I am now on my second round of medication, and the Christmas season.

May the grace of Jesus be with you.

Still Sick

Hi, I am still sick and have not been able to write any posts. I do apologize and will resume posting when I am better and caught up at work.