On Tuesday, January 21 ^st at the Priorities and Finance Committee meeting it was stated that “this is not a junior high”.

Council was tasked with updating our policy on alcohol use in the workplace.  While bringing the policy up to date was the goal, what unfolded that morning was the most embarrassing thing I have seen in my time as a Councillor.

We should have had a professional discussion on how members of Council needed to update policy to be more in line with other modern professional environments.  What we got instead were unfounded accusations that referenced wild parties and other behaviour that would be firing offences in other offices.

Changing this policy had absolutely nothing to do with a battle of the sexes.  A previous Alderman in the very office that I sit in today was noted for her chain smoking and swearing in the work place, and people loved her.  This person worked in a very different environment than we currently have today.  The reality today is very simple; the professional dynamic of what is acceptable in a place of business has changed dramatically.

The policy update was really a no brainer; an update to the policy was something Council was very supportive of.  The record shows that members of this Council, both male and female, voted in favour of changing the existing policy.  The outcome of the policy discussion at hand was greatly overshadowed by the side show that unfolded on Tuesday morning.  If the issue had been  managed more effectively we could have avoided turning this into a front page joke that reflected poorly on every member of this Council.

Personally I am not opposed to the occasional alcoholic beverage, but you won’t find any alcohol in my office at City Hall nor will you find me partaking in consumption at City Hall.  Some members of this Council have suggested that it is acceptable to offer an alcoholic beverage  to a visiting MLA or MP in order to get more information.  This practice is not something I agree with.  While I understand that historically alcohol consumption was common practice in the workplace, I do not believe that this practice is still appropriate at City Hall.

This will be my fifth year on Council and I can say with confidence from my time here that the suggestion that these behavioral problems are systemic and common place are not only false, but highly irresponsible.  We all have a responsibility to make sure we are creating a work environment where Councillors and staff can feel safe and respected.  We also have a responsibility as Council to focus on making Calgary a better place instead of resorting to childish name calling and petty gossip.

The debate on Tuesday degenerated into utter nonsense, and the committee lost focus on what our true objective was.  It was embarrassing for every member of Council, it was embarrassing for the City of Calgary, and it was embarrassing for every Calgarian that calls this great city home.  As a Council we need to do better.

I was a principal at a junior high, and I can assure you that what took place on Tuesday morning did not look like junior high…it looked much worse.

There has been lots of criticism about Council “giving themselves” a 3.8% raise for 2015.  The reality is simple; Council does not have the authority to “give themselves” anything regarding compensation.  All considerations for remuneration are done through the Council Compensation Review Committee which is an independent citizen body.

The first Council Compensation Review Committee was formed in 2006. This Committee recommended that salary increases should be tied to the change in average weekly earnings of Albertans .  The pay structure for Councillors does not include a bonus structure or any overtime compensation.  You can find comprehensive information on the duties, pay and benefits of Councillors here.

Effective January 1, 2015 the remuneration for a Councillor is:

$115,297.92 Per Annum; Taxable.

The base salary will be adjusted effective the first pay period of each year between Council Compensation Review Committee reviews by the same percentage increase or decrease as the Average.  Weekly Earnings of Alberta as reported by the Statistics Canada survey of Employment Payroll and Hours. This adjustment is based on the immediate preceding year’s September to September Statistics Canada report information.

Here are the taxable salaries for Council since 2010:

2010 – $97,551.46

2011 – $102,077.85 (4.64% increase from 2010)

2012 – $107,539.01 (5.35% increase from 2011)

2013 – $111,066.29 (3.28% increase from 2012)

2014 – $111,066.29 (0% increase from 2013)

2015 – $115,297.92 (3.81% increase from 2014)

Another important thing to consider is that Council’s full salary is taxable.  This differs greatly from elected officials in different levels of government that often get paid more and have portions of their salaries that are tax exempt.

It is your responsibility as a tax payer to question your elected officials, especially on topics like this.  While we may not agree on every issue in particular, I see it as my duty to provide a reasonable and factual explanation to address your concerns.

On February 3, 2015 I will be hosting the Ward 12 Open House at Cranston Century Hall from 6:30-8:30 pm.  At this Open House you will have the opportunity to speak with various departments from the City of Calgary.  I look forward to continuing this conversation with many of you at the Open House.

Assessment overviews for 2015 were mailed out to Calgarians on January 5 ^th .  My office has been contacted by concerned residents that have questions regarding their assessments.  In some cases residents in Ward 12 have reported property value increases of over 40%.

There are a few mechanisms available to residents that wish to contest the assessment provided by the City:

• The City of Calgary Assessment department has evaluation staff on standby to answer any specific questions regarding assessments. They have strongly encouraged Calgarians to call them directly at 403-268-2888.
• If your concerns cannot be resolved by the assessor you can visit calgaryarb.ca for more information or how to file a complaint online. Residents have until March 6, 2015 to file complaints on their 2015 assessments.

You can find more information on the assessment process by going here.

On February 3, 2015 I will be hosting the Ward 12 Open House at Cranston Century Hall, 11 Cranarch Road SE.  At this Open House you will have the opportunity to speak with various departments from the City of Calgary and find out what is happening in Ward 12 in 2015.  I hope to see many of you there!

After lengthy deliberations, Council was able to agree on the 2015 budget.  This budget passed with a 14-1 vote.  In order to respond to the aggressive growth and development in Calgary over the last year, the budget for 2015 saw a 4.5% increase.

Calgarians have seen substantial increases in their property values over the last few years.  This growth has been frustrating for many Calgarians as they have also seen considerable increases in the value of their property taxes.

In 2004 the base residential municipal tax rate was 0.003996.  The 2014 rate was 0.003747.  With a rising tax value every year it is often easy to confuse a raise in property value with a dramatic increase to your base taxation rate.  Annual factors have contributed to rises or decreases in the City of Calgary budget.   In 2014 Calgarians enjoyed a reimbursement of $52 million on their tax assessment.  This reimbursement saw Calgarians enjoy a rebate of up to $300 for 2014 only.

Residential historical property tax rates

Year	Residential municipal	Residential provincial	Total residential
​2014	​0.0037470	​0.0023559	​0.0061029
2013	0.0037968	0.0025253	0.0063221
2012	0.0034565	0.0027093	0.0061658
2011	0.0032045	0.0024635	0.0056680
2010	0.0031380	0.0027354	0.0058734
2009	0.0026402	0.0023599	0.0050001
2008	0.0024151	0.0021887	0.0046038
2007	0.0028841	0.0025773	0.0054614
2006	0.0039994	0.0036839	0.0076833
2005	0.0039675	0.0040623	0.0080298
2004	0.0039960	0.0041635	0.0081595

With unprecedented growth in Calgary, especially in areas like Ward 12, the City has had to explore budgetary increases to sustain the level of service to Calgarians.  The City does not have the same array of revenue streams that other levels of government enjoy, and often raises in property taxes are the only way for the City to respond to increased demand on services.

You can find more information regarding Property Taxes here.

I am committed to ensuring that the residents of Ward 12 are getting the absolute best value for their tax dollars.  Our Ward is one of the fastest growing in the entire city, and with that growth comes some unfortunate growing pains.

Many residents are enjoying considerable growth in their property value, but with this growth they have also seen an increase in their property tax value.  As our communities grow the infrastructure deficiencies become increasingly obvious.  The residents of Ward 12 deserve to have greater access to local schools, convenient and accessible recreation facilities that offer a wide variety of programs and transit options that are accessible and affordable.  I will continue to fight hard to make sure your tax dollars go towards bridging the infrastructure deficit that Ward 12 continues to face.

On February 3, 2015 I will be hosting the Ward 12 Open House at Cranston Century Hall .  At this Open House you will have the opportunity to speak with various departments from the City of Calgary and find out what exciting changes are coming to Ward 12 in 2015.  I look forward to speaking with you further in the New year.

Ward 12 already has the highest number of approved secondary suite zones amongst the Wards as of September 2014:

City wide we have over 100,000 secondary suite zones.  While I do not support a blanket re-zoning across the city, I believe that legal secondary suites with provisions can help provide more affordable housing for Calgarians.

I have supported the vast majority of secondary suites.  My support has been dependent on access to a back lane, ample street parking and appropriate consultation with neighbors.  I have not been in support of suites in areas that do not offer ample parking (tight cul-de-sacs, no access to a back lane) and have displayed minimal consultation with surrounding neighbors.

The current model for approving secondary suites is not efficient or sustainable.  We need to find a better alternative that provides affordable housing opportunities for Calgarians while protecting the interests of R1 homeowners and residents.  I will continue to support secondary suites as long as these provisions are considered:

–   Property owners that are looking for approval for a secondary suite should have to canvass their immediate neighbors.  Immediate neighbors could include 5 neighbors on either side of the property and the immediate 10 neighbors on the opposite side of the street.  This criteria would need to be modified slightly for suites in cul-de-sacs or corner lots.  A significant percentage of neighbors canvassed would need to be in support of the proposed secondary suite.

–  Property owners should have to apply for a specific licence for their secondary suite.  This licence would have a set of provisions that the owner would have to abide by, otherwise they would risk losing their licence.  These provisions would ensure that secondary suite tenants abide by an appropriate code of conduct and that general maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of the property are prioritized.

I am hopeful that Council discussions next week will be the first step to a better alternative.

Greenline Southeast Transitway time saving initiative

– See more at: http://www.calgarycitynews.com/2014/10/greenline-southeast-transitway-time.html#sthash.d0wvTjSh.dpuf

http://shanekeating.ca/1479/

Quick Win for Ward 12 Residents

Some of the first tangible building blocks of the Southeast Transitway (SETWAY) are expected to be speeding up your commute by the end of October. Construction has begun on the first Quick win initiative as part of the “Greenline” Southeast Transitway project. The City will spend up to $13 million on Quick Wins over the next year to help traffic get around bottlenecks. This is in addition to the City Council approved plan to create a $520 million/10 year fund to build a bus-only Transitway that would run from Country Hills to Seton in the deep south.

I’m very excited about seeing construction underway on the first of these Quick Win initiatives. The impact of these Quick Wins should reduce commute times for anyone riding the Route 302 express bus between Seton and downtown by saving travel time.

The first Quick Win is an intersection improvement at Barlow Trail and 114 Avenue S.E. which includes a second left turn lane from northbound Barlow Trail to westbound 114 Avenue. The existing eastbound right lane on 114 Avenue S.E. will also be lengthened to allow for additional vehicle storage. These changes will help improve traffic flow through the intersection and thereby help to reduce bus travel time for the BRT Route 302 in the Southeast.

12 locations were identified where current travel time delays are occurring and projects were identified to reduce or mitigate these delays.  The addition of one transit-only lane in each direction along 52Street SE between 130 Avenue and Stoney Trail, as well as relocating part of the bus route that currently runs on Deerfoot Trail will drop average transit commute times by 10 minutes for riders of the Route 302 express bus between Seton and downtown.

Below is the list of the projects approved and selected for design and construction.

• Widen 52 Street SE from 130 Avenue to Stoney Trail from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes.
• Relocate bus routes from Deerfoot Trail SE to 114 Avenue SE using 40 Street SE plus 530 metres of new roadway.
• Widen 130 Avenue SE from 48 Street SE to 52 Street SE from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes.
• Widen Ogden Road SE from Millican Road to 69 Avenue SE from two to four lanes to provide two transit-only curb lanes.
• Construct transit queue jumps at various locations.
• Reprioritize signals and install transit signal priorities at various locations.

Early this month, Council discussed a report on the Green Line funding streams and work plan. Council referred the report to Administration to return to Council by end of 2014 with options for compressing the project’s timelines and related implications to financing debt.

Tree Debris Clean Up Progress

The City of Calgary has made great progress cleaning up Calgary’s communities after last month’s snow storm. More than 16, 000 tonnes of tree debris has been taken to the landfill for mulching, and the number keeps rising every day. Almost 75% of Calgary has been cleared of tree debris one month after the snow.

To understand where your community is at in the process, a debris removal map has been added to calgary.ca. Communities highlighted in green have already seen debris cleared from front streets, back alleys and boulevards. Yellow communities will see crews begin work shortly.

When you see crews in your area, please remember to move your car away from debris piles to allow easy access for workers.

If you miss debris removal crews in your community, the quickest way to dispose of tree debris is to take it to one of The City’s three landfills , or to a leaf and pumpkin drop-off site .

Partial closures remain in some areas within parks, due to potential safety risks from storm-damaged trees. As well, some natural area trails will remain closed until the higher-priority community cleanups are completed.

Please remember to be aware whenever you are around large trees. Storm-damaged trees may become hazardous if the wind picks up. We encourage you to look up and assess your surroundings to remain safe, whether in your yard, in a park, or walking down the sidewalk.

If you have concerns about a tree on your property, consult a certified arborist for assistance. Concerns about City trees can be called into 3-1-1.

Thank you for your support as we work to clear tree debris from your community!

Flood Recovery Evaluation – Public Feedback Component October 14 & 20

Dear Council Members, we received a letter yesterday from  Dr. Michael Trew, Chief Addiction and Mental Health Officer, Alberta Health Services.  Dr. Trew is inviting citizens to provide feedback on what supports and services were most successful in meeting Albertans’ social and emotional needs from the 2013 floods both immediately after the floods occurred and in the time since.

Two sessions will be held in Calgary:

•     October 14, 2014 (6 – 8 pm) – North Calgary at the Bowness Community Centre

•     October 20, 2014 (6 – 8 pm) – Central Calgary at the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community