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

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

Construction has begun on the first of many transit time saving initiatives as part of the Greenline Southeast Transitway project .

This first initiative is an intersection improvement at Barlow Trail and 114 Avenue S.E. It will see the addition of a second left turn lane from northbound Barlow Trail to westbound 114 Avenue, and the lengthening of the existing eastbound right turn lane on 114 Avenue S.E. to allow for additional vehicle storage.

These changes will improve traffic flow through the intersection and thereby help to reduce bus travel time for the BRT Route 302 in the southeast, as well as for other buses and motorists.

The City’s analysis shows these changes could reduce overall delays at the intersection by up to 16 percent during the morning peak period.

Cllr. Shane Keating announcing start of construction on Greenline Southeast Transitway Initiative.

“I’m very excited about seeing construction underway on the first of these initiatives related to the Greenline Southeast Transitway,” said Councillor Shane Keating. “The impact of these efforts should become apparent to anyone riding the BRT Route 302 express bus between Seton and downtown by saving travel time.”

The anticipated completion of this intersection improvement is the end of October.

A number of locations have been identified where improvements could be made to reduce or mitigate current travel time delays for the BRT Route 302 and other buses along that route.

Additional initiatives are being planned for construction in 2015, including:

• widening 52 Street S.E. between 130 Avenue and Stoney Trail from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes
• relocating bus routes off Deerfoot Trail to access 114 Avenue S.E. using 40 Street S.E., plus adding a half-kilometre of new roadway
• widening 130 Avenue S.E. between 48 Street and 52 Street from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes
• constructing transit queue jumps and reprioritize signals and install signals at various locations.

For more information visit calgary.ca/setransitway

– 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

Summary of Council, October 06, 2014

Green Line Program Work Plan Update

Council discussed a report on the Green Line funding streams and work plan – a plan that will establish the transitway from North Pointe (Country Hills Boulevard/Centre Street) to Seton/South Health Campus. 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 and debt.

S eptember Snow Storm Tree Debris Update

Council received an update from the Tactical Operations Centre on the September snow event  that stated approximately 500,000 City-owned trees plus 1.5 million private trees were damaged as a result of the event (an estimated 50% of Calgary’s trees). City crews have cleared about 50% of the debris so far, with the rest to be removed from neighbourhoods by November 9 ^th . The cost of efforts to-date is $7 million and is estimated to be $18 million by the end of this year, which is a net $12 million above the Parks annual budget. The City is working with the province on a Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) to assist in funding the City’s response. Restoration work will continue into 2015 thru 2017 and beyond to fully rehabilitate Calgary’s urban forest.

Parks Zero Based Review

Council approved the Parks Zero-Based Review (ZBR) which is expected to result in $4 million in annual financial benefits through a mix of productivity gains, cost savings and increased revenue generation. The review focused on Parks operations and organizational efficiency across the business unit as well as the management of natural areas and pathways.

Ward Boundary Commission Report

A report was provided by The Ward Boundary Commission, an independent group appointed by Council to determine the appropriate number of Councillors on Calgary City Council. The Commission recommended that the number of Councillors not be increased at this time and instead provided a number of alternative recommendations for managing increasing demands of Councillors. The recommendations included exploring the concept of local Ward Offices staffed by Administration to serve as the face of City Hall on local issues and some City services. Council directed the Commission to work with Administration on developing budget estimates on the recommendations for a discussion at the November 14 ^th Special Meeting of Council.

“Greenline” Southeast Transitway: Project Facts Sheet & “Quick Wins”

Did you know?

1. Greenline Southeast Transitway will offer high-quality rapid transit service to Southeast Calgary with buses operating in a dedicated right of way. Stage 1 construction from 4 St. SE to Douglas Glen, is nearly 13km, which is 5km longer then West LRT.

2. There will be 9 stations constructed in Stage 1.

3. The transitway will be rail convertible meaning the infrastructure required for ultimate LRT will be pre-built. For example, duct banks, utility relocations, stations, and communication systems will be built in anticipation of the future LRT.

4. Construction is targeted to start in 2017, however real improvements to give citizens a taste of what’s to come starts in 2015 with the Quick Wins projects, see below for more information.

5. The Greenline Southeast will improve reliability and reduce ride time to therefore attract and retain ridership.

6. In RouteAhead bus rapid transit is the precursor to the ultimate LRT and is part of Calgary Transits “mode progression”, therefore using limited funds wisely in an efficient and effective manner while still providing needed service and building towards LRT.

7. Bus rapid transit provides frequent service, which allows more flexibility than rail based rapid transit services. It also provides a high level of service and is both faster and less costly to build than LRT.

8. Transit Travel time from Seton to Downtown will reduce by up to 15 minutes with the introduction of dedicated transitway from Douglas Glen to 4th Street/10th Avenue SE.

9. Geotechnical and environmental investigations for the project have begun. This is the first step to confirm site conditions for designers to begin their drawings and plans.

10. Calgary Transit and Transportation Infrastructure are currently involved in re-branding this project as Greenline – Southeast Transitway, in order to keep it consistent with re-branding efforts of the Redline and Blueline. Branding is soon to be released.

Quick Wins Projects:

In preparation for the GL-SE Transitway a review was completed of the existing BRT Route 302 corridor to determine “Quick Wins” where investments could be made in the short term to improve the trip experience for passengers travelling on existing transit routes. 12 locations were identified where current travel time delays are occurring and projects were identified to reduce or mitigate these delays. Below are the list of the projects approved and selected for design and construction.

1. Widen 52 Street SE from 130 Avenue to Stoney Trail from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes.

2. Relocate bus routes from Deerfoot Trail SE to 114 Avenue SE using 40 Street SE plus 530 metres of new roadway.

3. Widen 130 Avenue SE from 48 Street SE to 52 Street SE from four to six lanes to implement transit-only lanes.

4. Widen Ogden Road SE from Millican Road to 69 Avenue SE from two to four lanes to provide two transit-only curb lanes (this project will be reviewed against alternative alignment options prior to proceeding).

5. Construct transit queue jumps at various locations.

6. Reprioritize signals and install transit signal priorities at various locations

The travel times of other routes that currently travel along the same alignment as the BRT Route 302 will also benefit from these improvements. Consulting services for the design and construction of the “quick win” projects is underway and construction is expected to commence in 2015 with construction completed by 2016.

Secondary Suites

While, I don’t support a blanket re-zoning across the city, I do want to implement policies that make the process of building a secondary suite as simple and efficient as possible. We don’t need radical changes to zoning to do this. What we do need are bylaws and policies that ensure that a secondary suite is within a single detached dwelling, it has its own cooking, sleeping and bathing facilities, its own entrance, a least one off-street parking stall that is in addition to those required for the principal residence, and finally, for properties that are not zoned for secondary suites, before going ahead with your application, the homeowner must show that they discussed their application with their neighbors by getting them to sign a petition that shows a strong majority of residents (proximity to be determined, but only neighbors adjacent to your property) support the secondary suite. This will help reduce the risk of conflicts, and allow the homeowner to reduce the impact of the secondary suite on neighbors. Simply stating that you “should” talk with your neighbors isn’t enough.

I understand that affordable housing is central to all our lives. It creates stability for families and university students, and is key to attracting and retaining people in the work force. However, given the history and perception of secondary suite housing in Calgary, there continues to be debate in many communities about whether to legalize it. The following is a summary of the secondary suites survey results that I put on my website last Friday. There were a total of 123 responses from Ward 12 residents.

The primary objective of the survey was to understand residents’ views on secondary suites in both their neighbourhood and in their city. The citizens opposing legalizing secondary suites say they are concerned with traffic and insufficient parking, undesirable neighbourhood change, and illegal tentant behavior/enforcement. Those that were in favour wrote comments about improving availability and affordability of rental housing. This survey was not meant to be comprehensive, but an attempt to reach out to several residents in Ward 12 about this issue. I plan to leave the survey open to get more feedback. Thank you for your participation.

Pine Creek Riverbank Stabilization along the Bow River

Construction of the Pine Creek Riverbank stabilization is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2014. More information about this project is provided below. During the June 2013 Flood a portion of the bank along the Bow River adjacent to the Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant suffered significant riverbank erosion including damage to the emergency outfall. As a result, The City of Calgary will stabilize the slope to protect the riverbank from further erosion, protect enmax infrastructure and repair the emergenct outfall and access road.

Description:

• Rehabilitation and stabilization of approximately 1 km of riverbank.
• Rehabilitation of the existing 2700mm Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant emergency outfall.
• Rehabilitation of the existing site access road located at southeast corner of the site and running under Deerfoot Trail S.E. Bridge.

Construction impacts:

• Access will be via 194 Ave S.E., south of the community of Chaparral.
• Construction traffic is anticipated to be reduced since rock material needed for the stabilization was delivered to the site earlier this summer.
• 311 will be advised of project

Construction Duration: Construction is scheduled to start on September 15 and may take up to 12 weeks to complete.

Survey on Secondary Suites

Raising Awareness for the “Green Line” and SETWAY

Ward 12 is producing a video on the need and benefits of the “Green Line” and SETWAY. We want to hear from you. What are your experiences using public transit in Calgary? Residents of Ward 12, and Calgarians who use or otherwise rely on Calgary Transit, tell us about your commute. Tell us about your frustrations and adventures, and what challenges you have with the bus service? How do these challenges impact your life? How would improving public transit benefit you? What are your hopes for the future of public transit in Calgary?

We are looking to hear from a minimum of:

a)      three individuals who ride the 302 bus;

b)      someone who drives from Ward 12 to downtown for work;

c)       someone who lives in another part of the city but commutes to work in Ward 12;

d)      someone who drives or takes a bus to commute using the other LRT lines;

e)      someone who goes to school and takes transit; and

f)       someone who takes the 302 occasionally;

Submit your story  to [email protected] or call 403-268-1698.

We look forward to hearing from you.

School and Playground Zone Hours

With the beginning of new school year, please remember, whether you are a driver or a pedestrian, to keep safety in mind as you travel through school and playground zones. As you may know, school and playground zone hours have been changed to one consistent time.

The new hours

School and playground zone hours are now the same. Slow down to 30km/h during these times:

• Playground zones are in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., all year round.
• School zones are in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., on school days only.

Why the change?

The City of Calgary talked to school boards, the Calgary Police Service, the Alberta Motor Association, and other municipalities in Alberta about changing school and playground zone times. The following items were consistently mentioned in the discussions:

• Schools are regularly used past 5:00 p.m., and well into the evening for community sports, clubs and other extracurricular activities. There are still pedestrians after sunset during winter months going to and from hockey rinks, or involved in other activities during hours of darkness and are less visible and at greater risk of being hit. The new hours reflect the times that these areas are being used by children and other pedestrians, and provide drivers with consistent and specific times that can be easily remembered and enforced.
• The “one hour after sunset” end time for playground zones were not effective. Depending on the time of year, the end times could be as early as 5:30 p.m. in the winter, and as late as 11:00 p.m. in the summer. The unspecified time made it difficult for drivers to follow the rules.

Collision analysis of accidents involving pedestrians in playground and school zones has been completed since the harmonized times were approved by Council . The analysis shows that, per km, there are 2.5 times as many collisions on roadways with a 30 km/h speed limit as compared to roadways with a 50 km/h speed limit. This is most likely due to higher concentrations of pedestrians and children who are less skilled at interacting with traffic. The table below shows that in the last five years there were 8 pedestrian collisions between 1 hour after sunset and 21:00 that could have been potentially prevented or their severity reduced . In contrast, there were only 2 collisions between 21:00 and 1 hour after sunset during the summer months that may have been more severe if they had been in 50 km/h zones.

It is extremely important to note that the chance of a pedestrian surviving when hit by a vehicle at 50km/h is only 20% (80% chance of death),  when hit by a vehicle at 30 km/h there is a 90% chance of survival (10% chance of death) for a pedestrian.

Travel time impacts

Vehicles travelling 30 km/h can get through a 100 metre school or playground zone in just 4 seconds longer than a vehicle travelling 50 km/h. This 4 second increase in travel time increases a pedestrian’s chance of survival by 70%. For some, this may feel like an inconvenience. But, is it really? Are we so rushed, that we can’t slow down 4 to 8 seconds to increase the survival rate of a pedestrian by 70%?

Calgary City Council is accepting applications from individuals interested in volunteering their time and expertise in service to their city. Council will select Board, Commission and Committee members at its Organizational Meeting on Oct 20, 2014. This year, we are recruiting for 56 citizens.  The deadline for receipt of applications is 4:30 p.m., Friday, September 19.

Visit calgary.ca/cityclerks for details on terms of reference and meeting information.

The City’s Transportation Infrastructure business unit will be conducting a paving project on Glenmore Trail SE between 52 Street and Stoney Trail East from August 18 to 22. The project will result in a single lane closure on this section of Glenmore from 7 pm–5am nightly. Crews will be working at night to in order to have the least impact on Calgary motorists.

The City doesn’t believe that this will have a significant impact on GlobalFest participants who may be using Glenmore Trail SE to drive to-and-from Elliston Park. Along with the lane closure, there will be a reduction in speed to 50 km/hr in the area that the closure is in effect.

Real-time Bus Information System

Starting Monday, August 4, Calgary Transit customers can expect to see and hear announcements  for major stops onboard our buses. Earlier this summer, Calgary Transit successfully tested this component with out-of-service buses and they are now ready to see how the system performs on our entire fleet while in service. Although, Calgary Transit doesn’t anticipate major discrepancies between what is announced/displayed and the stop location, minor adjustments may be needed.

What will the real-time bus information system do?

When fully implemented, the real-time bus information system will not only provide stop announcements on buses but also real-time bus arrival times.  Currently only scheduled bus times are available to customers. The real-time bus arrival information will eventually be available through our new mobile-friendly website, teletext and teleride. This information will also be available early next year on a mobile app.

The real-time bus arrival information component of the system will be tested this fall and the full system is expected to launch later this year.

For more information please visit: http://newsroom.calgary.ca/media-availability:-calgary-transit-begins-testing-real-time-bus-information-system

Keating’s Friday Short Blog: New NHL Arena

My office recently received several emails from concerned residents about the possibility of building a new NHL arena. I support the idea of a new area, so long as residents can be assured that no city funds will be used to build it. A new arena needs to be funded by private equity, and tax payers should not be burdened with these costs. The City of Calgary has many, many other priorities including, but not limited to, flood mitigation, reducing congestion into the core and building an LRT on the “Green Line”.

Prior to the election last fall, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation surveyed candidates about this issue. They asked  “Do you support using municipal tax revenues or city infrastructure grants from the province to fund the construction of a replacement for the Saddledome?” I was very adamant that I wasn’t in favour of publicly funding a new arena.

I think there are things that The City and Council can do to help facilitate the building of a new arena.  We could possibly assist with the regulatory process or cut through red tape. We could also consider making an in kind land donation.

Seasonal Flood Monitoring Sheet June 19 2014

General update on river flow rates

A high streamflow advisory remains in effect from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (AESRD) for the Bow River basin, including the Elbow River and Fish Creek. A high streamflow advisory means stream levels are rising or expected to rise rapidly. No major flooding is expected but there may be minor flooding in low-lying areas.

The rainfall warning issued by Environment Canada for Kananaskis, Canmore and the Ghost Lake area remains in effect. Environment Canada has issued rainfalls warnings for areas east and south of Calgary, including High River, Okotoks, Pincher Creek and Lethbridge areas.

Calgary is expecting light rain with 5 – 10 cm today and tomorrow.

Water Services started lower the water level in the reservoir yesterday to make room for the incoming flow. This morning’s streamflow for the Elbow River was 33 cubic metres per second (cms) above the Reservoir and 40 cms below the Glenmore Dam. The Bow River flow in Calgary above the Elbow River confluence was 250 cms.

The seasonal norm for the Elbow River is 30 cms above the Glenmore Reservoir and 30 – 90 cms below. During last year’s flood, the Elbow River above the reservoir peaked at 1,200 cms and at 700 cms below the reservoir. The seasonal norm for the Bow River is 70 – 400 cms.

As a result of normal and precautionary lowering of the Glenmore Reservoir, a ban is in effect on recreational activity on the reservoir.

A boating advisory remains in effect for the Bow and Elbow Rivers, based on streamflows and debris.

Information on pathway closures is available online.

For more information on advisories, river monitoring activities and flood recovery and preparation, calgary.ca/floodinfo .

The www.lrtonthegreen.ca website is now live!

Community associations from across Calgary have partnered together to help launch a new non-profit Foundation that aims to see LRT built on the city’s Green Line in the near future. The organization, entitled the LRT on the Green Foundation, began to take shape in March when various stakeholders were brought together to discuss the best ways to address Calgary’s most urgent transit need.

The “Green Line” LRT will pass through six city wards and is projected to have an immediate impact on the lives of 270,000 Calgarians. The Green Line will also serve two regions of new greenfield development that are about to welcome an additional 120,000 people to the city as well as serve Calgary’s three new employment hubs.  The growing traffic congestion along this corridor negatively impacts the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of Calgarians as well as the businesses. LRT on the Green Line is something that is needed now, not twenty years from now.

For LRT on the Green Foundation media inquiries:

Doug Hayden

(cell): 403-616-0000

Seasonal Flood Monitoring Sheet June 16 2014

Public education in the community of Mahogany –  outdoor water management

The City of Calgary, Water Resources will be undertaking an outreach initiative in the community of Mahogany. In alignment with The City’s Stormwater and Water Conservation strategies, we will be implementing an outreach and education campaign called YardSmart , beginning mid-June, with our efforts focussing on specific communities.

In Mahogany the campaign will include both an education and research component. This community-based initiative is aimed at better understanding how homeowners manage water in their newly established yards with the goal to better support residents in undertaking water-wise yard practices from the early stages of their landscaping endeavours.  Mahogany was identified for this outdoor water education and awareness program due to the current and planned number of homes, current stages of development as well as the varied lot sizes.

Through June and early July, Mahogany residents will see a Water education team in the community delivering YardSmart brochures and information packages (upon request) to households. This information will provide basic water-wise gardening information. In late July and through August, we will return to the community, following up directly with homeowners and requesting their participation in a brief survey to find out how, over the summer, they have managed water in their yards. We will also provide further information on recommended watering practices during the hottest days of the year.

The City of Calgary has also worked with community partners to educate Mahogany residents about sustainable yard practices. In partnership with Green Calgary, a well-publicized rain barrel sale will be held near the community (Saturday, July 19 ^th , First Calgary Financial – South Trail, 400 – 4915 130 ^th Ave SE). As well, in partnership with the Calgary Horticultural Society and with the support of the Marquis De Lorne Community Association, The City provided a “Beauty on a Budget” YardSmart gardening workshop to Mahogany and Copperfield residents. The focus of this workshop was sustainable gardening practices with a budget in mind. This workshop was very popular with full attendance and a waiting list for the same program next year.

Information obtained from this program will allow, Water Resources’ Citizen Program Team to better target and refine our outreach programs to effectively and efficiently support Calgarians in planning and maintaining yards with best water management practices in mind from the start.

If you have any questions regarding the program, please feel free to contact me or visit calgary.ca/yardsmart for more information.

Canadian Transplant Association Southern Albera CTA welcomes you to Family and Friends BBQ Picnic:

Mark your calendars for the Family & Friends BBQ/Picnic in Fish Creek Park on Sunday, August 10 from 11am-3pm–see Picnic Flyer. This event is primarily held to encourage friendship and relationship among organ & tissue donation recipients, living donors, donor faimiles and their faimiles and friends (not an awareness or fundraiser).

Keating’s Friday Short Blog: Council Support

The Manning Centre released a report last month, “Calgary City Council Performance Report: The Democratic Toolbox 2.0”. The report is filled with lots of statistical analysis of city council meeting minutes.  Figure A1 of the report portrays the “general win rate for each council member” reflecting Council’s support for different Councillors.

During the November 2013 election, my opponent questioned whether or not I could secure support from Council Members for Ward 12 projects, specifically, the Southeast Transitway/Southeast LRT. It’s important to have a grasp of the complexities of policies, and to have an awareness of the risks and potential rewards of implementing change. Bad decisions can undermine years of hard work and thousands of tax dollars that Calgarians have invested.

As a legislator, I also know that a single Councillor cannot act alone. A Councillor must be able to gain the trust of fellow members to achieve a majority of positive votes. I think this data speaks to my ability to work with Council. Since 2010, this support has helped Ward 12 receive funding for a number of projects including three new recreation facilities (Quarry Park, 2015; Great Plains, 2015; and Seton, 2017), $12 million to complete the pre-engineering study for SETWAY, another $400 to build the SETWAY/SE LRT, and another 120 million in BCF funding.

This figure is from the Manning Centre Report – Calgary City Council Performance Report: The Democratic Toolbox 2.0: Figure A1 (2014)

Speed Cameras in Residential Neighborhoods and Safety Driving Tips

Speed Cameras in Residential Neighborhoods

The speed limit under current provincial law in residential areas in Calgary is 50 km/h except where otherwise indicated by signs. Speed limits are enforced by police officers using man-operated radar (more costly) and fixed speed cameras linked to red light cameras at some 47 intersections in Calgary. I think fixed speed cameras should be used on residential streets, not just at intersections, in order  to catch drivers averaging more than 10-15 km/h over the speed limit. This would work well on major residential connector roads such as McKenzie Lake Blvd, McIvor Blvd, New Brighton Drive, and Douglasdale Blvd. It can also be setup to catch drivers who slow down for conventional cameras and then speed up again. In the future, speed cameras could open up the possibility of enforcing speeds across residential areas including school and playground zones.

Safety Driving Tips

Speeding in residential areas is one of the most consistent complaint my office receives.  If you witness re-occurring speeding in your neighborhood please file a traffic service request . A member of the Calgary Police Traffic Section will contact you and try to obtain any additional information required in order to take action.

Here are some tips to help you promote safe driving on Calgary’s residential roads.

Obey the Speed Limit

This may sound obvious, but many people tend to speed through residential roads. Even 10 kilometers over the speed limit affects how quickly you can stop your vehicle if a pedestrian walks or runs out in front of you.  Take your time. People are injured or killed every year in Calgary by drivers who are speeding. Stay focused on the task at hand, and always assume, even at night, that children may be playing in or near the street.

Respect the Signs

Traffic sings are there t o help you stay clear of danger. They aren’t just up for display, and they must be obeyed at all times. Watch out for pedestrian, school and playground signs. Remember that many children walk to school. Their safety largely depends on your ability to stay focused and to follow the rules of the road.  The City as a whole, needs to do a better job raising community awareness about walking safety and promoting healthy behavior.

School and Playground Zones

School Zones start at 7:30am and end at 5:00pm on School Days. During this time the speed limit is reduced to 30 km/h. Playground Zone hours are in affect daily from 8:30am to ‘one hour after sunset’. The speed limit is also reduced to 30 km/h during these hours.

Currently, The City of Calgary is only able to set school zone hours; however, in June, Administration will present Council with a report detailing the possibility of new playground zone timing. The reason fro this change is to enhance safety by implementing more consistent timing between the two zones.

For more Calgary Traffic Safety Tips from The City of Calgary please click here .

The McKenzie Towne Council has created a “How to use” manual to show Calgarians how to properly navigate the traffic circle. Check it out .

Below is the Flood Preparation Update for this week:

A flood information open house will be held Thursday, May 15, at Foothills Academy, 745 37 St. N.W., 6-8 p.m. Officials from The City and the Province will be on hand to answer citizen questions on flood recovery and preparation. The session is open to all.

UPDATE: Officials from Land Use Planning & Policy will be on hand to discuss proposed amendments to the Land Use Bylaw to align with the Province’s flood hazard area requirements

• The snowpack melt is a contributing factor to increased run-off. However, the single most important factor in determining the degree of flooding is rainfall in the watersheds.
• During the peak run-off season May 15-July 15, Water Resources’ river engineers monitor the rivers twice daily and produce analysis reports twice weekly.
• Last year’s floods have altered the rivers’ courses quite dramatically. In addition, there is additional debris such as trees and roots along banks. The Calgary Fire Department has re-issued a River Safety Advisory. Safety of citizens is a prime concern as the recreational river season approaches.
• The flood information on Calgary.ca has been amalgamated into a single location – Calgary.ca/floodinfo. Sections on Recovery, Preparation and Commemoration contain the relevant information. Among new additions this week:
  • Neighbour Day, June 21 – a celebration of the spirit of Calgary
  • Flood mapping – including inundation maps.

Full newsletter and links to content are available at:

http://www.mailoutinteractive.com/Industry/View.aspx?id=569273&p=2b67

2014 Assessment Customer Review Period Summary

Here is a complete summary of outcomes regarding Assessment’s 2014 customer service activities. Some specific highlights from the Customer Review Period are:

• Over 6,000 inquiries were received and 1,807 assessor appointments scheduled
• Assessment staff maintained an average phone wait time of 10 seconds
• 99 per cent of inquiries were resolved by the end of the Customer Review Period
• 128,424 visits were made to the Assessment Search website from customers seeking assessment information.
• Assessment staff received and processed more than 1,300 information requests within legislated time-frames, the majority of which came through the online Assessment Information Request service.
• This year, 3,397 formal complaints have been filed with the Assessment Review Board. This is down 7 per cent from last year.

Keating’s Friday Short Blog: High Occupancy Toll Lanes in Calgary

You are a little late picking up your child from school. You rush out of your office and drive straight into a massive traffic jam. Sitting behind the wheel, you are angry, and you worry. It’s times like these that you wish there was something you could do. But imagine this scenario: Using today’s advanced technologies, you cross one of more than 100 sensors and cameras recording traffic flow and enter a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane–highway lanes designated for use only by vehicles containing two or more occupants. You deposit a payment using an electric transponder. The rate you pay is fixed when you pass the first transponder and is based on the level of congestion. You choose to reduce your commute time.

I didn’t write this thought experiment because I agree with charging tolls. But I do think it does raise some interesting points. Lately, the concept of putting a price on convenience is being championed by the Manning Foundation for Democratic Education. The institute is calling for the implementation of high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on congested highways such as Deerfoot Trail, Stoney Trail, Glenmore Trail, and Crowchild Trail.

Would this work in Calgary? Many Calgarians believe that charging a toll would force them off the best roads during peak congestion hours. As I see it, this is, and will always remain, an insurmountable obstacle to charging tolls on congested highways. Furthermore, HOT lanes do not necessarily eliminate peak-hour congestion, since these lanes would only represent a limited part of a road’s total capacity. The normal lanes will still remain heavily congested. But HOT lanes do provide single occupancy vehicles (SOV) the opportunity of paying a toll and moving speedily or using the normal lanes and experiencing congestion. HOT lanes work best on roads that experience heavy congestion (that rules out Stoney Trail) and where it can add capacity to an existing lane (i.e. converting an HOV to HOT). This is difficult to do on Deerfoot Trail and Glenmore Trail since both highways are near to, or already at, capacity during peak-hour congestion times. If anything, this may cause drivers to consider using side-roads as an alternative instead of influencing a shift to carpooling.

The question becomes what can The City of Calgary do to keep up with escalating demand for infrastructure?  Should users pay a toll? One option is to build new toll roads that enhance existing infrastructure (i.e. build a road alongside a portion of highway and finance it by assessing a toll to SOV that use it).

‘Celebration of Excellence’ Parade and Gala – Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams visit Calgary

In celebration of Canada’s participation in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, Calgary will host the Canadian Olympic Committee’s parade and gala, welcoming back and honouring Canadian Olympians.

The parade will take place on Friday June 6, 2014 at 11:30am, and will depart from 11 street SW, running east along 8avenue. The parade will conclude at Olympic Plaza where an outdoor celebration will take place. There will be live entertainment, a pancake breakfast, white hat ceremony with Mayor Naheed Nenshi, onstage interviews with Olympians and autograph signings. Come join in the free family fun and show your support for your favourite Olympic athletes.

The prestigious 2014 Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Gala Dinner & Induction Ceremony will take place the evening of Friday June 6, 2014 at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The event will feature world-class entertainment, and proceeds will go to supporting Canadian athletes and coaches on their journey to the Olympic podium.

For more information, visit calgary.ca/celebrationofexcellence .

Vote on Downtown Cycle Track Network Pilot Project

On Monday, April 28th, City Council approved a portion of the “Cycle Track Network” pilot project.

Here is a record of how I voted on that day:

I voted for an amended proposal that included a pilot of three cycle tracks in the City Centre:

• 5 ^th Street SW (north-south route)
• 8 ^th Avenue S (Stephen Avenue)
• 12 ^th Avenue S (east-west route)

I was reluctant to support any proposal that would remove a traffic lane on 1 ^st Street SE, one of downtown’s busiest roads. However, the demand for different modes of transportation in Calgary, as in many other Cities in Canada, is experiencing continued and accelerated growth. As many of you already know, this has led to longer travel times, greater driver frustration, and more congestion. One approach to lessen these effects is to decrease the number of vehicle trips going into the core. This can be achieved by influencing a mode shift from automobiles to more efficient alternatives such as public transit, carpooling, biking, and walking.

Simply put, transportation options are important, and I believe that we should work together with key stakeholders and industries to develop transportation systems, infrastructures and policies that are efficient, and encourage a range of transportation choices. For this reason, I felt it was important for the well-being of Calgary that Council go forward with some form of the cycle track pilot project.

Side note : Alternative 4 would have been approved with more support from Council which would have directed Administration to open the pilot project with the exception of 1 ^st Street SE and Stephen Avenue. Stephen Avenue was identified as a trouble sport. To mitigate this, cyclists will not have access to Stephen Avenue during peak pedestrian traffic times between 11:00am and 2:00pm. I also supported it because it provides cyclists with a route north of the CPR railway.

Council instructed administration to reduce the cost of implementing a pilot of three cycle tracks (Alternative 3).  Administration pledged to reduce the cost to approximately $5 million, less than half of the $11 million, originally quoted. Council also passed a policy to allow small scale private contractors to bid on maintenance and snow clearing to reduce of the operational costs of the cycle track.  The Transportation Department will need to look at how to best connect 8th Avenue and 9th Avenue now that 1 ^st Street SE is not included in the network. I will recommend that City Officials remove the 9th Avenue portion from the pilot project in an attempt to further reduce the overall cost.

Over the past months, my office received significant feedback in regards to the implementation of the cycle track proposal. Most of the concerns we received were mitigated by not including 1 ^st Street SE. Concerns raised included, but was not limited to:

• The effect of removing a traffic lane on 1 ^st Street SE on Chinatown.  The Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association, along with several other community groups banded together to express their dissatisfaction with the proposal to put a cycle track on 1 ^st Street SE.
• Potential traffic impacts of removing a lane from motorists on an unduly busy arterial road. The design of the underpass between 9 ^th Avenue and 10 Avenue that would result in cyclists leaving the road and heading into mixed pedestrian traffic. How do bikes safely exit and re-enter the road after?
• Concerns over what this pilot project means for parking in the core. Calgary Parking Authority is planning to put in more street parking to the tune of 350 new spaces in an effort to offset the 260 stalls lost. Three new parkades will also be added within five years, creating another 2,100 parking spots.

Please note that Stephen Avenue is still closed to bikes until the cycle track pilot open in summer 2015. You can be fined up to $300 if you ride your bike on Stephen Avenue before then.

A comment was made on twitter that suggested I prioritized the cycle track pilot project at the expense of improving transit in Southeast Calgary. The chart below shows the amount of money Council has allocated since I was elected to accelerate the development of the Southeast Transitway/LRT compared to the $5 million committed to improve cycle infrastructure in the core. Side note : the money for the cycle track was approved by a previous Council and was allocated from federal fuel-tax. I firmly believe that I have my priorities in order, but I do find it interesting that Calgarians that live in  the suburbs have greater access to bike and pedestrian paths than those living in high density areas like the downtown core.

Flooding: Frequently Asked Questions

Flood Monitoring and Preparation Update – April 22 ^nd

Over the coming months, the City of Calgary will be communicating regularly with citizens, addressing three key questions:

• Is Calgary going to flood this year?
• What is The City doing to prepare?
• What can I do to prepare?

The City has created a special web site – /floodprep – which features background content and a weekly video. Next month, we will be holding open houses for citizens. Today, we are launching a weekly email update for citizens and employees who have subscribed, which can be viewed at this link: http://www.mailoutinteractive.com/Industry/View.aspx?id=557620&p=2f69

Some key points:

• The City prepares for the possibility of flooding every year. Over the next few weeks, City staff will be testing and preparing equipment. This is the normal procedure.
• City efforts are focused on preparation and response, to ensure public safety and protect critical infrastructure.

From: http://alberta.ca/announcements.cfm, Government of Alberta Newsroom

Alberta launches new online organ and tissue donor registry

April 22, 2014 Media inquiries

Registering your intent to donate your organs and tissues is easier than ever with the launch of a new online Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Registry.

The registry is the first step in the government’s plan to increase organ and tissue donor rates in Alberta, which have dropped by nearly 40 per cent over the last decade.

“One of the greatest gifts we can give each other is donating our organs and tissues. With more than 500 Albertans waiting for an organ transplant and many more waiting for tissues, registering your consent to donate on the new donor registry can make a profound difference in someone’s life.”

Fred Horne, Minister of Health

The new online registry is quick and easy to use, and provides Albertans with a record of their consent to donate. Those who register are strongly encouraged to talk with their families about their wishes.

Next steps for organ donation in Alberta include making the online donor registry available to registry agents this spring, giving Albertans the opportunity to register their intent when they renew or apply for their driver’s licence or other identification.

Work is ongoing to establish a single agency to co-ordinate organ and tissue donations in Alberta. The Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Agency will co-ordinate and support the work of donation organizations, promote public awareness of organ and tissue donation and work with Alberta Health Services and health professional associations to educate the public and health care professionals about organ and tissue donation. The agency will also manage the registry, encourage its use and monitor and report on Alberta’s performance in organ and tissue donation.

These changes follow the proclamation of Bill 207, the Human Tissue and Organ Donation Amendment Act , on November 8, 2013.

The need for organs and tissues in Alberta

According to Canadian Institute for Health Information data for 2012, Alberta reported the following active transplant waitlists (active means the person is able to receive a transplant at any time):

• Heart: 23 patients
• Lung (either a single or double lung): 67 patients
• Liver: 106 patients
• Kidney: 309 patients

One organ and tissue donor can save up to eight lives and improve the lives of up to 75 other people.

Under the Building Alberta Plan , our government is investing in families and communities, living within our means, and opening new markets for Alberta’s resources to ensure we’re able to fund the services Albertans told us matter most to them. We will continue to deliver the responsible change Albertans voted for.

Related information

• Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Registry
• Information on organ and tissue donation planning

April Break-ins in the Shepard Community

Last week my office became aware of a home burglary in the Shepard area. The homeowner left her residence for 45 mins. Upon return she found a woman with short blond hair on her property. The woman acted as though she was dropping off a laundry basket of items, but was at the wrong house. The homeowner didn’t notice anything at first, but when she got closer to the woman she threw the basket in her car and drove off. Upon inspection the homeowner realized that the door was open and she indeed had been robbed.

The burglar is described as a young woman clean cut with short blond hair. The vehicle was a dark blue 200 Chrysler. The neighbors reported that they remembered seeing a vehicle matching that description in the neighborhood.

Here are some tips to prevent a Burglary:

• The most important thing you can do is report a burglary or any suspicious activity.
• Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed.
• Keep your garage door closed and locked.
• Make your home look occupied.

Spring Yard Waste – April 1- June

Spring Yard Drop-off at City Landfills

Between April 18 and June 1, Calgarians will be able to bring their spring yard waste to landfills for composting free of charge.

Before leaving for the landfill, we would like to remind residents to:

• Make sure your load only contains yard waste like leaves, branches, and plants (no sod – it can’t be composted). Fees will apply if your load contains other items.
• Yard waste should be in a paper bag or left loose. Please cover and secure loads of loose material before transporting.
• This offer is for residential customers only. Commercial customers will be subject to regular landfill fees.
• Check online at calgary.ca/waste or contact 311 for landfill locations and hours.

calgary.ca webpage

/UEP/WRS/Pages/Recycling-information/Residential-services/Organics-recycling/Spring-yard-waste-drop-off.aspx

2014-0464 Yard Waste-Rain Barrel ENMAX Insert FINAL

Keating’s Friday Short Blog: Street Sweeping

Last year, Council wanted to lower the property tax increase, so it asked administrators in all departments to cut costs except the Calgary Police Department.  This reduced the overall budget by about 1 per cent. I believe any organization should be able to look for efficiencies across departments as well as within departments without cutting front line services.

The Roads department was tasked with reducing expenditures by approximately $1.2 million through efficiencies. In response, it reduced their budget primarily in the area of street cleaning (a 10 percent reduction, or about $700,000 in savings per year).

While I disagree with this specific cut, the City is maintaining their street cleaning service, but feel that cutting the additional expense of overtime, return visits and towing will represent the lowest overall impact to Calgarians. Administration developed these cuts well before the winter weather. Had the winter been mild, administration may have had a surplus to offset these cuts.

In a cost-saving effort, I recently put forward a motion for Council to review aspects of this service and snow removal for potential contracting. I believe private crews may be more efficient due to better management and supervision, and because contract employees are held accountable to maintain their own equipment.

I am interested to know whether you would want to see the same level of service from previous years maintained even if it means not reducing the overall budget by 1 per cent? Or, re-allocating money from one department to another in order to maintain the previous year’s level of service?

Effective Monday, April 14, Route 136 will be changed to serve west Quarry Park.

Route 136 will be rerouted as follows:

At 18 Street SE:

• West on south leg of Quarry Park BV SE;
• North on Quarry Park BV SE;
• East on north leg of Quarry Park BV SE;
• North on 18 ST SE to regular routing.

The affected stops are shown on the attached map.

Schedules are adjusted to reflect the change.

RC-14023 Route 136 Change

Outcome from Council’s Property Tax Discussion & Calculating the Value of your $52 Million Tax Rebate

When council passed its budget last year we approved a property tax increase of 4.8% in 2014 for both business owners and homeowners.  The City of Calgary is required by law to bill and collect  Provincial property taxes on behalf of the Provincial Government. Calgary sends the required portion to the province, but as it turned out, the province decided not to increase its share of the homeowner property tax, and, in fact decreased it by 1.5 per cent; however, they did decide to increase the business provincial tax rate by 14.2 percent this year.  As you may know, business owners continue to bear a disproportionate share of property taxes. City Administration recommended that council adjust the Homeowners’ Municipal Tax Rate to 9.0 per cent (instead of 4.8%) and the Business Owners’ Municipal Property Tax Rate to 2.0 per cent in order to compensate this sharp tax increase by the Province.

Are you still with me?

What does this mean for business and homeowners?

First up: Administration’s proposal to increase homeowners’ property taxes from 4.8% to 9.0%.

Analysis: The impact of a 9.0% property tax increase on the typical home with a median assessed value of $430,000 would mean an increase in property taxes of $123 per year for the home owner. Accounting for the one-time rebate of approximately $100, this would result in a $23 increase. However, in 2015, the typical homeowner would see her taxes increase $123 plus whatever Council approves in 2014 as well.

This option combined with the abandoned tax room from the province would net approximately 27.6 million, of which, $17.8 million would be used to reduce the Business Municipal Property Tax from 4.8 percent to 2.0 percent. The remainder would then be used to create a $9.8 million tax room fund, and Council would have to decide how to allocate these funds. A motion was made to use the $9.8 million tax room for seed funding for affordable housing.

Give it back: City tax = 4.8% minus abandoned provincial tax of 1.5% produces a total property increase of 2.3%

Analysis: The impact of a 2.3% property tax increase on the typical home with a median assessed value of $430,000 would mean an increase in property taxes of $59 per year or $4.90 per month for the homeowner.  However, when you factor in the one-time rebate of approximately $100 for the same median assessed property, this would result in an actual reduction for the homeowner of $41 on their property tax bill.

On the non-residential side, this option would result in a combined (Municipal and Provincial) property tax rate increase of 7 per cent for business owners.

Council’s Decision

Council decided to maintain the 4.8 percent Municipal Property Tax Rate increase for both business and home owners resulting in a $41 reduction on the typical home with a median assessed value of $430,000 in 2014.

How property owners can calculate the value of their $52 million 2014 rebate

Property owners can use the factors below to multiply their properties’ assessed values to calculate the approximate amount of the 2014 rebate. Please note that these factors are preliminary and will be finalized after Council approves the third reading of the Property Tax Bylaw. We don’t expect the final factors will change much but want to qualify to make sure property owners know that this is an approximation for now.

These factors are:

Residential property factor of 0.0002311.

Non-Residential property factor of 0.0001366.

Using a residential property with the median assessed value as an example, the homeowner would receive a rebate of 430,000 x 0.0002311 = $99.37.  Property owners can obtain the assessed value of their property from the 2014 Property Assessment Notices that were mailed to all property owners in January.

Roads Spring Clean-up & Pathway and River Cleanup

Roads Spring Clean-up

The City’s annual Spring Clean-up program is just around the corner. Spring Clean-up typically begins in mid or late-April and continues until just before Stampede rolls in. Spring Clean-up removes the material that was placed on the roadways for Snow and Ice Control during the winter months. This road maintenance helps make our roads safer, protects the environment, and improves the appearance of city roads.

Sweeping of residential areas is done during the day (generally Monday – Thursday). Sweeping of major roads and commercial/industrial areas is done during the night (Sunday – Wednesday). To find out when sweeping is scheduled for your community, watch for signs in your area, visit calgary.ca/sweep.

Pathway and River Cleanup

For the past 47 years, The City of Calgary has partnered with sponsors to host an annual pathway and river cleanup where volunteers participate in a springtime city-wide garbage cleanup. This year the event is scheduled for Sunday, May 4 ^th .

The Pathway and River Cleanup is about community and sustainability; it’s about Calgarians coming out to care for Calgary’s highly valued parks, pathways and river valleys. Calgarians are passionate about keeping Calgary clean and healthy, and this enthusiasm is evident through the overwhelming support Calgarians provide for this event. The City’s objective is to promote environmental stewardship and raise awareness of the litter that accumulates along the pathways and river banks during the winter.

There is a year-round need to keep Calgary’s parks, pathways and river valleys clean. If members of the public are interested in year-round volunteer opportunities with Parks, they can call 311 or visit calgary.ca/parks for information.

Pathway Updates Around McKenzie Lake and Douglasdale

My office has received several inquiries about the pathways that have been affected by the June 2013 Flood:

McKenzie Bridge – The Province has tendered and awarded the east abutment of the bridge which is part of the McKenzie Meadows Shore Project.  They hope to have the bridge open for the May long weekend, but there may be some outstanding work to strengthen the structure of bridge.  I will update this blog as more information becomes available.

Douglasdale—The most notable closure in this area is the Sue Higgins Bridge. Engineering, design, tender and contract award are complete.  Work was scheduled to begin as soon as the frost comes out of the ground.  Transport Canada has requested the bridge be re-registered  but expect that it will not delay its opening.  The bridge is scheduled to re-open sometime in early July.

Currently the north end of the Sue Higgins Park is open. Some closures remain in effect.  Please exercise caution in the areas that have re-open. Check back for updates.

Keating’s Friday Short Blog – Rethinking Public Art:

With tightening public budgets there is greater pressure for public art investments to accomplish more than one goal and to use public space as productively as possible.  Dual purpose (such as seating and art or bike rack sculptures or even the Luminous Crossings on the 7 ^th Avenue Corridor) is gaining popularity while green space for stand-alone art is becoming more scarce. Similar to multi-functional space, the idea is to integrate different functions in time and space, and to appeal to diverse community members through practicality.

I recently came across an example from a frequented square in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary.  ‘Warming stones’ shown below are ‘egg-shaped’ structures that provide 20-30 degree Celsius heat using technology that resembles floor heating systems. Inside the stones, a tube system heats the object all the way through.  During the winter months people can lean against the stones to warm up, and as a result, these objects have made this square a popular meeting point for the public. Public art like this is strategic in that it can act as a significant economic driver while promoting social engagement.

Blue and Black Cart Collection Day Changes – Ward 12 – Cranston

• Beginning the week of March 31 , blue and black cart collection in the community of Cranston will move from Friday to Thursday service.

• Residents are being notified with a direct-to-home doorhanger the week prior to the change.

• Due to continued growth and changes in the area, The City is redesigning collection routes to increase efficiency of garbage and recycling pickup in the neighbourhood.

• Residents will continue to receive uninterrupted blue and black cart collection. There are no other changes in service.

Below are some blue and black cart tips that may be helpful for homeowners:

• Park it: Place carts on even ground at street/lane level. Make sure you don’t block traffic.
• Point it: Point arrows on the lid toward the centre of the road or lane.
• Space it: If you can walk between and around your carts that’s enough space.
• Store it: Pull your empty carts back on to your property or against your fence by 7 p.m. on your collection day.

For more information on blue and black cart collection, please visit calgary.ca/waste .

Keating’s Friday Short Blog:

My thoughts on increasing water and wastewater rates to meet growing demand…

After three straight years of 7.5-per-cent water rate hikes, Administration plans to ask for another $350 million over 10 years for annual water and sewage infrastructure maintenance and upgrades.  These water and wastewater investments are needed to meet growing demands including:

• Maintaining, protecting and extending the life of our assets.
• Meeting increasing stringent regulatory requirements.
• Keeping pace with growth (i.e. Bonnybrook Wastewater treatment plant needs a $117 million capacity upgrade in coming years and a $690 million expansion in the next decade.
• Continuing to provide high quality water services to meet the needs of citizens.

Property owners in Calgary are billed directly for their water services—referred to as “user rates”.  This method of billing for water is intended to promote greater water conservation, as residents can avoid higher charges by controlling how much water they use on a monthly basis.

In other words this means the more you use, the more expensive it becomes.  The process is meant to be revenue-neutral.  This means our water utility is completely self-funded and receives no funding from property taxes.  Accordingly, all investments and operating costs need to be funded through the user rates.

This wasn’t always the case.  Prior to 2000, the City of Calgary collected acreage assessments for offsite water and wastewater infrastructure.  At the time the levies for water and wastewater was $9,174/HA. According to Water Resources, capital costs for this infrastructure is now over $31,000/HA.  Taking water and wastewater infrastructure out of acreage assessments  (this was done in order to increase the Transportation portion of the acreage assessment) has resulted in capital funding gaps (borrowing money to pay for expansions and life cycle fees) and pressure on the City’s utility rates over the last two decades.

Every 10 years, or roughly 250,000 people, Calgary will need to expand its water facilities.  I find it difficult to continually increase fees based on the fact alone that Calgary’s population is growing.   The Pine Creek wastewater treatment plant was recently completed in 2010 and was plagued by soaring costs.  The total cost of the plant was $463 million—almost double the original estimate of $240 million. The Pine Creek wastewater plant is expected to meet Calgary’s future population growth of up to 1.75 million.   Since the completion of Pine Creek facility Calgary’s population has increased from 1.0 million to 1.2 million. Why is the increase in population and the resulting generated user-pay revenue not enough money to cover life-cycle and upgrade costs?

Is it because administration wants to try and put money aside for future growth 10 years from now?  Or, is it because we have an older, aging system that we hadn’t been funding at sustainable rates in the past? In terms of water delivery, do we have a capital back log, and if so, how much is it?  Is the City’s average water consumption increasing each year and how does this compare to the growth of the population over the same time period?

Until we have this discussion I find it very hard to support a 7.5–per-cent water rate.

I nterested in attending a not-for-profit charitable event? Please see the poster below.  All the proceeds from this even will go to worthy Charitable Organizations.

Keating’s Friday Short-Blog, March 14, 2014

My thoughts…

Less than a week after the province was criticized in the media for delivering a budget that was absent of transit funding, provincial politicians announced that it would commit $600 million toward the southeast section of the “Valley Line” of Edmonton’s LRT system.

The province has committed:

• up to $250 million in GreenTRIP funding over three years beginning in 2016-17,
• up to $150 million in matching provincial funding if the federal government approves this project under the new Building Canada Fund beginning in 2016-2017,
• and, up to $200 million in an interest-free loan to be repaid by the city over 10 years.

What does this mean for Calgary’s southeast LRT line?

The funding announcement is a big win for Edmonton. It’s also a win for Calgary, though, on a much smaller scale. Now that the Province is willing to provide interest-free loans we can trust that we are going to have an opportunity to apply for money that wasn’t necessarily on the table a week ago. The matching provincial funding from the Building Canada Fund means we can expect something similar to the $150 million committed to the Valley Line.

The City of Calgary has committed $520 million to the Green Line to build a BRT right-of-way from Harvest Hills to the South Health Campus in Seton. $400 million of this fund will be used to build the southeast portion.  It’s important to note that 90 per cent of this infrastructure is transferable to the future LRT.  Now that the provincial government is willing to commit funding may allow us to speed up progress putting an LRT on the Green Line.

One possible iteration that I have considered looks similar to this: we could look for support from a private developer to the tune of $400 million to match the City’s effort.  This combined with a matching commitment of $400 million from both the provincial and federal governments would give us $1.6 billion. Whether these funds come from interest-free loans or from the Building Canada Fund, it does provide Calgary with enough to cover the estimated cost of building the LRT from Downtown to Quarry Park.

Transit has a new voice…and it’s “green”

“It’s not easy being Green”… but on 04 March 2014, the inaugural meeting was held for the new LRTontheGreen Foundation. The grassroots group brought together four City Councillors, Community Leaders and representatives from the Provincial Government to the Thorncliffe Greenview Community Association to discuss the future of the “Green Line”.  This transit line is critical to the future of Calgary, not just in terms of benefits, but because it helps enable sustainable long-term growth by providing Calgarians with more choices of places to live that are less reliant on automobiles.

The LRTontheGreen endeavours to speed up progress on the Green Line. The group plans to do this by raising awareness about the benefits of the Green Line; advocating for Transit Oriented Development (TOD); and eventually evolving into a citizen/stakeholder driven authority to coordinate resources and to help in the policy formation process. The LRTontheGreen hopes to draw upon a range of stakeholders, advocacy and policy dialogue to convince policy-makers in the provincial and federal governments to make an LRT on the Green Line a funding priority.

The nonprofit group was co-founded by Jeff Binks and Doug Hayden to present–on behalf of Calgarians–the case for an LRT with one strong, united voice.  The nonprofit plans to use the feedback it received at this event to help shape its direction over the coming year.  They also plan to have representation from the various stakeholder groups on their Board of Directors. If you are interested in the LRTontheGreen initiative and/or want to participate as a Director on the Board of Directors you can contact Jeff through the twitter addy: @LRTontheGreen.

Background

The City of Calgary recently committed to funding large scale improvements to the North Central and Southeast transit corridors.  These two transit corridors have now been merged together into one large project that is called the “Green Line”. Over the next 30 years the population of Calgary is forecast to increase by another one million residents. Much of this growth will take place along the Green Line.

Those who attended the event:

• Representatives from 12 different Community Associations along the Green line;
• Councillors Sean Chu, Jim Stevenson, Shane Keating, Gian-Carlo Carra;
• Representatives from both MLA Rick Fraser’s Office and Minister Ric MicIver’s Office;

If you have any questions about the group or want to join you can contact them through their Twitter addy: @LRTontheGreen

Calgary’s 2014 Transplant Trot, April 26

Calgary’s 2014 Transplant Trot is only seven weeks from now and planning is well underway!

Look for ads in your community publications and online event calendars as we have had many great advertising supporters this year.

Everyone is encouraged to officially register with the RUNNING ROOM online at:

http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=10131&eventId=

For registering and with your donation of $38.50, you’ll receive our official Race Kit (Transplant Trot t-shirt and goodies). Registration also helps us get an idea of how many participants we’ll have at the event.

Safety Expo Kick-Off on March 12

GENERAL

• · Dates:  March 12 & 13, 2014
• · Time:  9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. daily
• · Location:  Municipal Building Atrium; workshops at John Dutton Theatre and EPCOR Centre theatres.
• · Event is free as there is no venue cost, and ENMAX sponsors the bus transportation .
• · The City of Calgary’s Animal & Bylaw Services leads the organizing committee. Councillor Diane Colley-Urquhart is the honourary committee chair.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Safety Expo is designed for Grades 4 -7 students of the public, Catholic, private, charter and home schools.
• This year there are 3,300 students registered to attend.
• All activities at Safety Expo connect to the Alberta Education Health and Wellness curricular outcomes.

EXHIBITS AND WORKSHOPS

• 40 exhibitors are participating this year, and all offer interactive learning opportunities for the students. A list of this year’s exhibitors is available online ; they represent City, corporate and community organizations with a role in safety and injury prevention.

• · There are seven optional workshop presentations.  This year’s topics are:
  • o Poison awareness and prevention
  • o Preparation for nature trips
  • o Internet safety
  • o Bike safety and tire workshop
  • o Fire safety and consequences of misuse
  • o Emergency preparedness
  • o Preventing bullying and harassment
• · Descriptions and presenter information is available online.

Calgary Film Studio Project

Despite a lack of dedicated studio space, there are two successful television series ( Heartland – CBC & Hell on Wheels – AMC) and one limited TV series ( Fargo – FX Network) currently in production in Calgary, employing approximately 100 to 150 people per show. These series are currently being shot in existing warehouse space, including Currie Barracks. In addition, projects such as ‘ Painkillers’ – a feature film, ‘ The Dorm ’ & ‘ Fallout Asylum ’ – made for TV Movies, are scheduled to be shot in Calgary in 2014. From what I’ve heard, there is high interest in Southern Alberta from both Canadian and foreign television, film and digital media producers.

Unfortunately, all of the warehouses that are home to these existing productions are going to be redeveloped, leased or sold within the next two years and all our existing productions must find new space or relocate.  Relocating a television production is very expensive and a deterrent for attracting new productions.  For example, Heartland has had to relocate three times in the past four years.

A proper film studio requires a capital investment that exceeds the ability of the  private film production companies that are working in southern Alberta.  The Alberta Government, in an effort to find a private sector investor, offered a $5 million grant for a film studio project in a formal Expression of Interest (“ EOI ”) process.  The EOI attracted private sector applicants and CED.  The Alberta Government short listed the applicants to three proposals – two from the private sector and CED.   The Province determined that neither of the two private sector proposals were viable and awarded the $5 million grant to CED.

Private sector partners, who have been working in Southern Alberta, have been strong supporters of the CED led project and have demonstrated their support for the project through a:

• $1 million contribution from William F White, a company owned by Paul Bronfman; and
• commitment by the major southern Alberta production companies to lease space in the new facility.

The CED project as also received support from Calgary’s post-secondary institutions and the Producer’s Association.

In addition, CED has committed to securing another $2.3 million in private sector investment.

The pro forma operating budget demonstrates that the film studio will be viable in its first year.  Please note the following:

• City Administration also performed a stress test on the pro-forma at a $5.5 million debt level and determined it to be feasible as well (The actual debt level set forth in the proposal is $4.5 million).
• Furthermore, the pro-forma assumes a  7.50% interest rate on debt servicing which is significantly higher than existing bank rates now available.

I do see the merit in implementing a bicycle registry as an anti-theft measure and to ensure cyclists are enforced by Calgary Police and Bylaw Services.  For one thing, if every bicycle  were on a central registry, it would be easy to return stolen bikes to their owners. Many Canadian cities, such as Toronto, Winnipeg, and Ottawa, have already looked into registry programs. Winnipeg has successfully implemented a program with the principal purpose to deter bicycle theft and facilitate the return of recovered bicycles to their rightful owners. However, this program is voluntary and does not require mandatory licensing. Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians often complain about riders breezing through stop signs, riding on sidewalks, or going the wrong way on streets.  Cyclists that know they can be identified by their bikes may be more likely to follow the rules of the roads.

Some have suggested charging a $30-$35 per year fee to license bikes in order to pay for bike infrastructure. With only 12,000 daily bicycle trips each day into and out of the downtown core this fee would have little effect in terms of paying for infrastructure (Winnipeg charges $6.10 mostly in an effort to recover administrative costs). Ottawa estimated that a bicycle registration program would cost $100,000, but would only bring in about $40,000 in revenue.

From March 3 to 21, The City of Calgary is asking for citizen input on balancing quality city services with affordable tax rates. The City of Calgary Action Plan 2015-2018 is everyone’s opportunity to help shape Calgary’s future. From roads to recreation centres, from flood response to City finances, what is important to you?

Find out about Action Plan events in your community at Calgary.ca/actionplan . This is a big conversation about a great city. Participate online or at an event, and h ave your say in three different ways:

• Budget Simulator: consider City services and make some tough choices on spending priorities, based on the impacts to service that each scenario presents.

• City Priorities tool: Tell us what are the important priorities The City should focus on for the next four years

• Discussion Forum: an open forum, where you can submit ideas, comments, thoughts on City spending, priorities, budget, or anything else.  Other citizens can comment and vote on submitted ideas, or start another thread of discussion themselves.

Citizen engagement is a key input into Action Plan 2015 – 2018.  A detailed summary of all ideas and suggestions will be given to Council and City departments for consideration as Council priorities, business plans and budgets are being developed during 2014. As well, a summary of citizen engagement will be announced publicly in April and shared on the Action Plan website .

Electricity consumption in the Calgary area is forecast to increase by approximately 26 per cent in the next decade. The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) has determined the existing transmission system in South Calgary will become overloaded as the demand for power rises.  This could reduce the reliability of our power supply and the increase the likelihood of power outages in the future.

AESO has identified the need to add a new transmission line in order to prevent transmission line overloads in the South Calgary Area.  To meet this need, ENMAX has identified two viable transmission routes – a preferred and an alternate.  The total length of the proposed transmission line to be constructed is approximately 14-22 kilometres depending upon the approved route.

During the process of determining possible route options, ENMAX considers takes into account the following factors in order to select a route with the lowest overall impact:

• Agriculture
• Residential
• Environmental
• Electrical
• Cost
• Visual
• Special constraints

The preferred route:

• Is approximately 14 km and is the shorter of the two routes
• Is the lower cost option
• Utilizes the existing transportation utility corridor
• Route runs from 88 Street west along Highway 22X to Macleod Trail and then north on Macleod Trail to ENMAX Substation No. 41.

The alternate route:

• Has fewer residences, however, it is zones for future development
• Is the longer of the two routes at 22 km
• Is the more expensive option
• Proceeds south on 88 Street to 210 Ave; west on 210 Ave, to Macleod Trail and then north to ENMAX substation No. 54 to Macleod Trail and then North to ENMAX Substation No. 41.

In terms of structure, for both the preferred and alternative routes would be self-supporting steel monopoles with a height of 18 to 24 metres and the distance between structures of 100 to 125 metres.

Proposed Project Schedule

ENMAX Power and AESO representatives will be available at open houses to share information, gather your input and address any questions or concerns you may have.

For more information about the proposed transmission line, please contact: ENMAX Power Corporation Phone: (403) 514-1471 Email: [email protected] Website: enmax.com/transmissionprojects

For more information about the need for this project, please contact: Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) Phone: 1-888-866-2959 Email [email protected] wesbite: poweringalberta.com

Map of Community – Mahogany

I received a query on Twitter about future exit/entry points for Mahogany.  The map shows that the community will have 4 access points.  Two on 88 Street as well as two on 52 street.  I hope this clears up any confusion about the community moving forward.

Six new public, one new francophone, and three new catholic schools.  It will allow 7,600 more students to attend classes close to where they live:

Auburn Bay K-4 Public School

Cranston K-6 Catholic School

Evergreen Grades 5-9 Public School

McKenzie Towne Grades 5-9 Public School

New Brighton-Copperfield K-6 Catholic School; and Grades 5-9 Public School

Panorama Hills K-6 Public School

Scenic Acres K-6 Francophone School

Tuscany K-4 Public School

Southeast High School TBD

Multi-Family Recycling Strategy Information

I understand that many of you have questions about the proposed multi-family recycling strategy. Here is a backgrounder provided by City Administration.

Background

– 13% of all city waste headed to City landfills comes from multi-family buildings

– 22% of garbage from multi-family residences is recyclable materials

– 163,000 dwellings in Calgary are classified as multi-family

– 35% of multifamily family buildings already have recycling service provided by private industry

Purpose: A recycling strategy for the multi-family sector provides an opportunity to reduce the amount of readily recyclable materials going into the landfills and an opportunity to clear citizen demand for more convenient on-site multi-family recycling options.

Advantages:

Oversite – A City bylaw will mandate that a minimum level of service is provided, including: on-site storage, separate from garbage and including specified recyclables, with communication, education, ongoing monitoring, stakeholder engagement and enforcement by The City.

Value for Money – It will leverage the existing private recyclers, allow for customization to meet unique needs of the marketplace and avoid large administrative costs by The City for billing and contract management.

Flexibility – It will provide a more flexible platform for customized service.  This allows residents and building management to select service providers based on their specific needs and recycling goals.

Diverse Marketplace – It will not place a limit on the number or type of service providers operating in the multi-family market.

Lower Complexity – Allowing the private recyclers to work directly with the multi-family building owners will drive efficiency.  Multi-family unit owners will be able to choose the private company that delivers the best value for their unique situation.

Membership on Family and Community Engagement Councils (FCECs)

On December 11, 2013, the Building Familes and Communites Act received Royal Assent.  This legislation enables Alberta Human Services to establish Family and Community Engagement Councils that will:

• indentify social issues, opportunities, challenges and potential solutions;
• build relationships, co-operative spirit and a common purpose;
• involve community partners such as health advisory councils, municipalities, Aboriginal agencies, the private sector and non-profit organizations;
• offer advice, make recommendations and report on social-based issues, needs, solutions and outcomes; and
• achieve outcomes identified by more than 31,000 Albertans in Albert’a Social Policy Framework;

Please see http://humanservices.alberta.ca/department/family-and-community-engagement-councils.html for more details.

Consider becoming a Council Member if you:

• are passionate and knowledgeable about your community
• want to identify and drive social change
• are open to new ideas and different approaches
• know how to build relationships, manage issues and collaborate to get results
• interact with respect, accountability, integrity and excellence

—— Storm Pond Infographic ————–

Infographic on Storm Retention Facilities

Several residents in McKenzie Towne have reported an awful sewer smell. My office looked into the odor concern and has provided me with some background information about the issue:

Background

This issue has happened, not only this year, but in the previous two years as well.  The cause of the odor is from vegetation decaying underneath a layer of ice in the storm retention facility.  The gases produced from the decay cannot escape through the ice layer and are carried up the storm main that drains into the storm retention facility. The odors then escape from the catch basins and also up any weeping tile pipes (without P-traps) that come from buildings in the area connected to the storm main.  Most of the odors this past week were coming from the catch basins.  From what I’ve been told, there is not a location on this pipe where a “rubber flap” can be installed in order to prevent air flow coming back up the pipe.

Water Services Efforts to Reduce the Odors:

• Homes were checked with gas detectors last week and determined to be clear and safe.  The odors coming into homes are coming in through the weeping tile connection to the storm system.  These connections were installed without a P-trap, or other method, to prevent air or gasses from coming into the house through the storm mains.
• Catch Basins were checked and low levels of H2S were detected (this is the cause of the “sewer smells”).
• Power flushing the pipe was done last week, but did not reduce the odors enough.
• The ice on the retention facility was broken late Friday to vent the pond.  Water Services will continue to monitor the ice and make sure it is routinely vented.

Water Services will investigate other potential solutions.

What you can do?:

Find and cover the weeping tile connection inside the basement. Call a plumber and have a P-trap or other device installed on the pipe to prevent airflow.

NOTE: The odors are not coming from the sanitary sewer system. They are coming from the storm main.

If you have any questions, please contact 311 for more assistance.

During the June 2013 Flood, we experienced heavy rainfall that triggered catastrophic flooding in Alberta.  Over 75,000 people were evacuated from their homes—the largest evacuation order in the City’s history. The downtown core was shutdown as well as both public and Catholic school districts were closed.  Large portions of the City were damaged. But, while this disaster affected every Calgarian the extent of the damage was isolated to areas around the Bow and Elbow rivers.  This allowed the City of Calgary and the Calgary community to identify and resource immediate flood recovery activities, and to support the delivery of the recovery.

Similarly, the December snow fall was the largest in over 112 years.  The nature of the current emergency is not isolated to a specific area, but the entire City of Calgary. While this snow emergency is not as severe as the June 2013 Floods, it does show us that our current Snow and Ice Control program is inadequate when dealing with multiple snow falls of 5-10 cm within a relatively  short time period.

FACTS

• A total of 60 cm of snow has fallen in Calgary since December 1, 2013.
• The City hasn’t seen this much snow in 112 years.
• We had multiple snow falls in a short time period with relatively no breaks or Chinooks.
• The goal of the Snow Action Plan is to make all residential roadways passable.
• This means snow removal will not be completed on every residential street in Calgary.
• Crews will conduct an assessment of a roadway, and then decide if the roadway will need to be flat bladed, cleared, or if snow should be remove.
• In some cases, crews may determine that no action is required.
• The Snow Action Plan developed by administration was setup to give crews the ability to address streets in the most timely and cost-effective manner possible.

Unfortunately, this means that I cannot instruct crews to divert resources to clear or remove snow from one area to another. My job, as Councillor, was to make Ward 12 a priority for “snow relief”. Based on limited resources—and the fact that this was the worst snowfall in over 112 years—certain communities will be completed before others.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

While I encourage Calgarians to contact the City with information, call volumes remain high with calls into the 311 Call Centre. To avoid extended waits or delays, citizens are reminded that Service Requests are able to be filed via the 311 Calgary App, or online at calgary.ca/311 .

Currently, City forces are working in Douglasdale/Glen, Copperfield, Cranston, and McKenzie Towne .  These are large communities and it will take a considerable amount of time to assess and complete every road.

LESSONS LEARNED!

• We should have contracted crews to remove snow “ curb-to-curb ” from every residential street.
• The City should look into privatizing some or all of its snow removal services.
• The current Snow Action Plan requires Crews to conduct a subjective “assessment” of each residential roadway.  This assessment may be contrary to what the public thinks is acceptable.    Not to mention different crews may assess similar roads differently.  With this method, we needed to create a set of standards that allowed crews to get down to the pavement, to try and maintain a small enough windrow to maintain driveways and sidewalks, and to do this in the quickest rotation possible so that it’s predictable. This means 24 hour notice has to be put up and adhered too. In most cases, snow could of been cleared to the middle of the road and then loaded into dump trucks for removal.

Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons or RRFBs are solar powered pedestrian crossings.  The devices have LED lights and display intermittent rapid flashes when activated by a pedestrian.  We currently have two of these beacons in Ward 12: Douglasdale Boulevard and Douglas Ridge Circle S.E., and Quarry Park Boulevard and Quarry Gate S.E. For almost two years, The City has been testing these RRFBs to gather feedback from community members and commuters in the southeast.

These beacons are significantly less costly to install and operate compared to the other overhead flashing beacons currently in use at pedestrian crossings (about 1/5 of the cost).  They can supplement standard pedestrian warning signs and markings. They increase motorist awareness of pedestrians and studies have shown that they improve driver behaviour at crosswalks.  Council has recently approved another 10-12 of these devices, and I asked that two of these be installed at Douglasdale Blvd and Douglas Woods Drive S.E., and McKenzie Towne Blvd and McKenzie Towne Avenue S.E.

Results have shown that the solar powered RRFBs are viable. Last week, I put forward a Notice of Motion to increase the budget for RRFBs. This would have increased the number from 10-12 to 20-24 RRFBs to be installed in other locations in the future. Unfortunately, Council defeated the motion 10-5. I want to boost the safety of southeast intersections by equipping crosswalks with these cost-effective flashing lights.  I will continue to push Council to install more of these beacons and continue to keep Ward 12 informed of my request to install RRFBs in Douglasdale, McKenzie Towne and other areas.

Both City and contracted crews are working over the week to finish up Douglasdale, Quarry Park, and Copperfield.  Last week, the The City announced its Snow Action Plan to maintain residential roadways, which includes several types of snow and ice control measures including snow removal.  This is the second week of the action plan, and crews are on schedule to enter Northern Cranston this week with an eye of finishing the entire area community by early next week.

Contracted crews are working alongside City crews to tackle snow clearing in these areas.  The average snow fall for this (December to early January) is just 8 cm.  With the heavy snow fall, we have received massive dumps and everything in between. The Snow Action Plan developed by City Administration is set up in such a fashion to let crews remove snow in the most efficient manner possible.  Crews will address every roadway, but in some cases that may mean no action will be taken. This also means that I cannot instruct crews to clear or remove snow in one area over another.  My job has been to make Ward 12 a priority.  Based on limited resources this still means that certain communities in southeast Calgary will be completed before others. I also can continue to push Administration to be timely and efficient.  I have a responsibility to address the current Seven Day Snow and Ice Control program.  It doesn’t account for multiple snow falls in a short time period.  Don’t forget that snow removal is not part of the current policy and is not budgeted for.  I will work with Council members to address this going forward.

While I encourage Calgarians to contact the City with information, call volumes remain high with calls into the 311 Call Centre. To avoid extended waits or delays, citizens are reminded that Service Requests are able to be filed via the 311 Calgary App, or online at calgary.ca/311.

I am hosting a workshop on January 23, 2014, at 7:00 pm to talk about Council’s decision to dedicate 10 years of the $52 million (2015-2024) tax surplus for the Green Line.  $400 million of this will go directly to the Southeast Transitway (SETWAY).  It would have been nearly impossible for the City to raise enough money to kick-start the Southeast LRT.  This decision ensures that Southeast Calgary will have significant improvements in Transit service in the short term while laying the groundwork for an eventual LRT in the long term.

I will also talk about SETWAY – What is SETWAY? How will look? What parts of the line could see progress as early as 2014? What are the benefits of SETWAY?

Please join me, as well as City officials, at the Shepard Community Association – 10800 84 Street SE.

If you need help with directions or have any questions about this event, please email me at [email protected].

Please see the attached brochure under “About Shane Keating” to learn more about the Open House.

Look forward to meeting you.

SETWAY FAST FACTS

Length: 26 km

Number of stations: 18

Number of tunnels: 5

Number of bridges: 15

Park and ride stalls: 4,000

Population increase in the SE (projected) over the next 25 years: over 100,000

My Notice of Motion in March, 2013  initiated an innovative Funding and Finance Workshop. On December 09, 2013, I sat down with city officials, consultants and members of the private sector to talk about the future of the Southeast Transitway.

I opened the discussion by talking about the barriers to funding and financing SETWAY. If we run into a wall, we have to figure out how to climb it or work around it in order to find an answers.

The workshop reviewed several innovative financing options as well as potential revenue tools. I’ve outlined a few themes below.

• People are starting to recognize the relationship between employment and transit and that the destination, itself, is a critical reason for transit use.
• The cost of having transit in bottlenecks (Glenmore and Anderson on Deerfoot Trail) is starting to outstrip the benefit of having transit there.

There was a lot of discussion about P3’s, Community Revitalization Levies (CRL) and BOOT (Build Own Operate Transfer).

Here is a review of these funding methods:

CRL – The City borrows money to pay for the construction of SETWAY or a segment of it.  Once built, the project attracts and increases local activity, investment and development.  Property values rise creating additional tax revenue for the City and Provincial government.  The City uses the growth in taxes to pay back the borrowed funds.  Only the tax growth within this specified area is dedicated, leaving taxes from other areas unaffected.  Once complete, the taxes dedicated to the CRL return to civic and provincial general revenues.  This leaves the City and Province in a better position.

The key point raised about this option is that it is difficult to get the Province to forfeit over the property tax within the specified area in order to pay for the money borrowed. But, this could be used as a tool to do smaller segments of SETWAY using land already owned by the City.

P3’s – Public-private partnerships are long-term, performance based contracts which transfer risks to the private sector partners and provide some private financing.  Under a P3, the contractor will finance SETWAY on the City’s behalf, however, they need to be paid back with interest. The PPP Canada Fund and Project Development Fund are cost-sharing programs that work with lower levels of government to promote the effective use of these partnerships. This could work in a manner where the Province and Federal Governments match the funds raised by the City to pay for SETWAY and/or the Southeast LRT.

Boot – is a financial arrangement wherein a private company designs and builds a transit project or a facility at little or no cost to the City, and owns and operates the facility as a business for a specified amount of time with the prime goal of recovering the costs of investment and maintenance.  Once the contract has reached maturity, the private company transfers the asset to the City. Consultants raised the point that this financing option places all the risk squarely on the developer. Consultants advocated for a modified version of BOOT wherein the City makes payments on the capital costs during the lifetime of project to help reduce this risk.

Former Vice President, Investment Strategy and Project Evaluation of Metrolinx–a transit authority for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) talked about potential revenue tools.  Metrolinx recently prescribed a major investment in transportation to the tune of $50 billion over the next 25 years.  The goal of their ambitious plan is to bring 80 per cent of the region’s population within 2 km of rapid transit (LRT or BRT).

Growth in GTHA’s suburban areas has made the “hub and spoke” pattern no longer sufficient, as it cannot service decentralized employment in suburbanized areas.  Historically, many regional transit systems were designed to move residents to  a single high-density employment centre, however, only 4 per cent of Toronto’s population in its downtown district.  The “hub and spoke” system doesn’t work because it cannot efficiently service low-density and dispersed employment centres (Quarry Park and Seton come to mind when thinking about this in Calgary). Transit is unable to effectively connect workers to their place-of -work and this may result in reduced ridership, contribution to increased congestion, negative impacts to the economy, environment and quality of life ( approx 12 percent of Calgary’s population works downtown).  Metrolinx has calculated that the approximate cost of congestion in the GTHA was over $3 billion per year to the economy.

Metrolinx propsed a series of 25 recommendations as part of a funding plan to improve transit in the GTHA.  While the purpose of this was to develop a Tool Kit of options for funding the City’s investment strategy.

• Auto Insurance Tax
• Car Rental Fees
• Carbon Tax
• Cordon Charges
• Corporate Income Tax
• Development Charges
• Driver’s License Tax
• Employer Payroll Tax
• Transit Fare Increases
• Fuel Tax
• “High Occupancy Toll” Lanes
• Highway tolls
• Hotel and Accommodation Levy
• Income Tax
• Land Transfer Tax
• Land Value Capture
• New Vehicles Sales Tax
• Parking Space Levy
• Property Tax
• Sales Tax
• Tax Increment Financing
• Utility Levy
• Vehicle Registration Fee
• Vehicle Kilometers Traveled Fee

Good News for Douglasdale Residents!

My office is working with Calgary Roads Department on a pilot project to upgrade the lighting in parts of Douglasdale.  The LED technology will be retrofitted in the new year with the potential for a larger scale conversion program.  The project team in conjunction with my office will communicate with community associations in areas where the LED lights are being installed, and we will maintain a consistent dialogue with residents for the duration of the project.

We are looking to maintain ongoing and consistent communication. In order to this, we will gather feedback and engage in conversations with citizens in areas affected by the upgrade.  This will primarily be done using this website, 311, and social media.

BENEFITS OF LED LIGHTING

It offers the benefit of substantially reduced electricity and maintenance costs, while maintaining recommended lighting levels.  LED lights also result in a better quality of lighting on Calgary’s roads, improving people’s ability to see pedestrians and other vehicles.

In comparison to High Pressure Sodium fixtures, LED fixtures present an opportunity to reduce light wastage.  This reduction in light wastage also results in energy conversation and efficiency, as well as the reduction in the cost of operating Calgary;s street lighting system.  Controlling glare and light trespass are guiding factors as Roads completes the requirements specification for LED street lights.

Waste & Recycling Services has begun conducting a voluntary trial of larger blue carts (360L) amongst a small group of households that consistently have more recyclables than will fit in their standard blue cart. The larger carts – which have 50 per cent more capacity – provide another option, in addition to community recycling depots, for blue cart customers to do the right thing and recycle more.

The trial will measure customer experience and compatibility with our existing fleet equipment.

Background

The Blue Cart program provides residences with a 240L cart to collect recyclables for weekly collection. Based on field audits and customer feedback, this cart size meets the needs of the average household, but can be limiting for households that consistently have more recyclables.

There has been limited but continued interest by some residents in Calgary to have more convenient options for the collection of their extra material.

Current options for extra recyclables
If a resident’s blue cart is full, they have two options available:

1. Store the recyclables for next week’s collection.
2. Bring their excess recyclables to a community recycling depot near them.

These options best meet the needs for residents who occasionally have excess recyclables.

Other options considered to accommodate extra recyclables materials included: providing residents with another cart and collection of bagged recyclables. These options are less favourable because of on street space restrictions and the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) is not designed to handle bagged recyclables.

Benefits of larger carts

• Improved convenience and ease for residents who regularly take their extra recyclables to a community recycling depot.
• No additional cost to the resident to participate in the trial.
• Maintains collection efficiency.
• Purchase of larger carts by The City can be completed under existing contract and costs are minimal when compared to providing a second cart.
• Existing 240L carts can be reused at a different address.
• If expanded city-wide, larger carts may lead to increased recycling and waste diversion from landfills.
• The trial will include up to 200 households across the city to ensure ongoing monitoring and measurement throughout the trial is achievable.
• We already have a list or participants, as these individuals had contacted The City previously to request additional or larger carts. There is room for more participants; residents may contact 311 if they wish to trial a larger cart.

Selecting trial participants

• The trial will include up to 200 households across the city to ensure ongoing monitoring and measurement throughout the trial is achievable.
• We already have a list or participants, as these individuals had contacted The City previously to request additional or larger carts. There is room for more participants; residents may contact 311 if they wish to trial a larger cart.

Government MLAs lead by example on pay freeze

November 29, 2013 Media inquiries

Premier Alison Redford issued the following statement today on MLAs passing a motion at Members’ Services Committee to freeze MLA pay for the next three years.

“Today, Progressive Conservative MLAs on the Members’ Services Committee passed a motion freezing MLA pay until March 31, 2017. I’m very pleased that this motion was approved by the committee, as it’s vitally important that MLAs lead by example as we continue to live within our means, and challenge every dollar we spend.

“This multi-year pay freeze for MLAs follows similar agreements with doctors and teachers that included three years of pay freezes while ensuring they remain among the highest paid professionals in the country.

“Through the Building Alberta Plan, our government will continue to live within its means, open new markets and build families and communities, as we were elected to do.”

ALERT: Nighttime Break-ins in South Calgary

November 29, 2013 03:44 PM

The Calgary Police Service is investigating several nighttime break and enters in south Calgary.

On Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, two separate residential break and enters occurred at approximately 4 a.m., in the community of Auburn Bay S.E.

In both incidents, the homeowners were inside the residence at the time, and in one case they confronted the suspect.

In the first incident, the suspect(s) used a garage door opener taken from inside an unlocked vehicle on the property. Entry was gained into the residence through the interior garage door, where the suspect(s) proceeded to steal personal items. In this case, the lone female homeowner was asleep on the main floor couch when the suspect(s) were inside her home, and did not become aware of the crime until she woke up.

In the second incident, the suspect(s) removed items from a vehicle parked in the alley behind the home, before using a tool to force entry into the residence, where a family with young children was asleep inside. While the suspect(s) were removing personal items, the homeowner confronted a culprit and chased the offender from the residence.

Other nighttime break-ins have occurred in south Calgary, in which residents are home at the time of the crime. In many cases, the suspect(s) have utilized garage door openers from inside parked vehicles, and gained entry into the home through the walk-through interior door.

These incidents can occur anywhere in the city, however, recent trends over the last month have been noticed in the south Calgary area, including Chaparral, Copperfield, Auburn Bay, Mahogany and Silverado.

The Calgary Police Service is vigorously investigating all avenues, and is seeking assistance from anyone with information.

Calgarians are reminded to lock vehicle doors, whether they are parked on the street or garage, and to ensure all doors and windows to the residence and garage are locked.

Don’t leave items in plain view in your vehicle and remove your garage door remote. Consider installing an aftermarket car alarm if your vehicle is not already equipped with one.

Incidents should be reported immediately by calling 403-266-1234. Always call 911 to report a crime in progress.

Anyone with information on these south Calgary incidents are asked to call police at 403-266-1234, Sgt. Garth Kowalyk of District 8 at 403-567-6800 or Crime Stoppers anonymously using any of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: tttTIPS.com
TEXT: tttTIPS to 274637

10 year/$520 million Transit Plan

Regardless of what I say or do I’m probably not going to make many of you happy. I know that this looks like a flip-flop or reneging on a promise, but it has more to do with delivering on my guarantee of building a direct transit line from the southeast to downtown. The fact is thousands of Calgarians spend well over one hour each day commuting to and from work.

Rick Bell’s Calgary Sun article states “if [Shane Keating] could get $52 million for 10 straight years going to the Southeast LRT he would be jumping for joy”. He wrote “Keating is also strongly opposed to the city automatically taking any tax breaks.” “The process is flawed”, and for that reason Shane Keating wants to ‘give it back’.

Given the need for accessible transit in the southeast, it made sense to debate whether we should use the $52 million (2015-2024) for SETWAY.  For me, and for many Calgarians, this is the best decision no matter how you spin it.  While it was a very tough decision, it’s one that had to be done. I don’t mind owning up to this decision. It is the fulfillment of my campaign promise.  I didn’t promise this to special interest or lobbyist groups, but to the residents of Ward 12. Here are some important points to consider:

• The tax room vacated in 2013 was quickly scooped up by City Council. I’ve always had the stance that the process to auto absorb the vacated tax room was flawed. In both 2012 and 2013 I voted against taking the tax room. I argued that Council should debate about whether to absorb or to return the money to tax payers.
• My notice of motion scrapped this policy.  Council has to identify an area of desperate need in order to take this money.
• For residents of Ward 12, the Southeast finally got its day.  On occasion we have sat idle and watched as the west LRT was built, and then the northeast airport tunnel.  Without this decision, it is possible it would have been several years (maybe even a decade) before the City could raise enough to kick-start SETWAY and the SE LRT.
• Some of the many benefits of building the Green Line include employment opportunities, less strain on existing infrastructure in and around the downtown core, and reduce congestion and travel times for southeast residents.
• The reduction on your tax bill will offset the 5 per cent property tax increase for 2014. This comes from the fact that we returned the tax room for 2014. While property taxes will go back up in 2015.  This money will kick-start the Green Line stretching over 40 kilometres from the City’s far north to the new South Health Campus in Seton.  The Green Line will ultimately be converted for C-Train use.

Route Change: Route 302 BRT

Response to $52 million dilemma

The one thing I’ve learned over the past three years is that I can’t please everyone.  I can only try to bridge the gap.  The question of the $52 million is not about ideology, nor is it about left or right politics.  It’s about doing what’s best for The City of Calgary and each of our Wards. As you will recall, the tax room vacated in 2013 was quickly scooped up by City Council. I’ve always had the stance that the process to auto absorb the vacated tax room was flawed. In both 2012 and 2013 I voted against taking the tax room.

I argued that Council should debate about whether to absorb or to return the money to tax payers.  In order to do this we need to identify a area of  desperate need.  After which, we dedicate the funds to the area of desperate need and not to general revenue.  A vote then should take place to determine if the City will take or not take the tax room.

What greater need do we have if not transit?  I have always said—in the media and on my website (see links below)—that if I could guarantee that all of the $52 million for each year for the next ten years could be used on the Southeast Transitway (SETWAY), I would support this cause wholeheartedly.  My policy to reverse Council’s ability to automatically take the extra property tax dollars provided Council with a legitimate process to debate and identify transit as a desperate need

During the election, I went door-to-door and listened to Ward 12 residents.  Overwhelmingly, residents identified transit/transportation as the most important issue going forward. Almost 87 per cent said they would prefer to see the $52 million go toward transit. This presents us with a unique opportunity.  We are unsure if the Province and federal government will have enough grant money to help kick-start SETWAY for years.  Given that, and given the need for accessible transit in the southeast and north-central, it makes sense to debate the questions: do we fight to give it to transit, or do we fight to give it back? What’s best for Calgary going forward?

*As mentioned above, here is a list of blog posts in which I discuss the $52 million.  As well as several articles that refer to my stance on the issue. I

• http://shanekeating.blogspot.ca/2013/07/52-million.html
• http://shanekeating.blogspot.ca/2013/06/52-million-2013-tax-room.html
• http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news-views/viewpoint/policy-meets-shredder-11529/
• http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/10/23/most-of-new-city-council-favours-giving-back-52-million-tax-break-for-2014 In this Rick Bell article I am quoted as saying “if he could get $52 million for 10 straight years going to the Southeast LRT he would be jumping for joy” and it also says “Keating is also strongly opposed to the city automatically taking any tax breaks.” Finally, “the process is flawed”, and for this reason I want to ‘give it back’.

November 28 is Accessible Parking Awareness Day

Inflation Review (City of Calgary monthly report)

Northeast

Edmonton Trail  N.E. will be reduced to one lane in each direction between 20 Avenue  N.E. and 21 Avenue N.E. from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 23.

Southbound 36 Street N.E. will be closed at Country Hills Boulevard until 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 23 for utility work. Motorists will be detoured to Métis Trail N.E.

The left turn lane will be closed on northbound 36 Street N.E. at 8 Avenue N.E. from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 23.

Southwest

There will be various lane closures on 14 Street S.W. at Heritage Drive from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 23 for intersection improvements. Police will be on-site to direct traffic. Major delays are expected. For more information, please visit the project webpage for more information.

4 Street S.W. will be reduced to one lane in each direction at 21 Avenue S.W. on Tuesday, November 26 and Wednesday, November 27 from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily for utility work.

3 Avenue will be closed between 5 and 6 Street S.W. until Monday, November 25 at 5 a.m. for building construction. Parking will also be restricted during this time.

26 Street S.W. will be closed between Bow Trail and 14 Avenue S.W. from 9 a.m. on Friday, November 22 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 24.

Northbound Horton Road will be closed north of Southland Drive on Saturday, November 23at 7 a.m. until Sunday, November 23 at 6 p.m. for utility work.

The eastbound left lane will be closed on 9 Avenue S.W. between 9 Street S.W. and 10 Street S.W. on Saturday, November 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for building construction.

Southeast

11 Street S.E. will be reduced to one lane in each direction south of 21 Avenue S.E. beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 22 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 24.

17 Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Centre St. S and 1Street S.E. from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily on Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24.

84 Street S.E. between Glenmore and 114 Avenue S.E. will be closed beginning midnight Friday, November 23 to 7 p.m. Sunday, November 24.

Alberta Transportation

The Southeast ring Road is now open to traffic.

For more information visit Alberta Transportation’s website or the Southeast Stoney Trail website .

Special Events

Cenovus Christmas Party

8 Avenue S.E. will be closed between Centre Street and 1 Street S.E. on Saturday, November 30 at 6 p.m. until Sunday, December 1 at 3 a.m.

Follow The City of Calgary’s Transportation Department on Twitter for up to date information on road closures, projects and all of Transportations’ services at @yyctransport .

Visit Calgary.ca/trafficinfo for up-to-date road closure and incident information.

Veteran’s Food Bank Drive

November 25 — December 13

Southeast Ring Road Opening

Frequently Asked Questions

What was The City of Calgary’s involvement during construction of the southeast portion of Stoney Trail?

• Traffic safety and detour traffic management on connecting roadways.
• Signal and intersection timing changes during construction on adjacent corridors like 52 Street to adjust for capacity.
• Responsible for several detours during construction, in particular, the closure and rerouting of both 84th Street and 88th Street SE
• Access road connections at major intersections like 114Avenue and Peigan Trail.
• Truck route detours and high load corridor access from the southeast industrial areas.
• Guide sign designs
• Working with Alberta Transportation on 311 inquiries and citizen complaints/concerns.
• Continued focus on traffic management partnerships with Alberta Transportation on Deerfoot Trails and other connecting major roadways.

How will this affect traffic in the southeast?

• The addition of the southeast leg of Stoney Trail is a welcome addition for Calgary drivers.
• This opening will alleviate congestion, in particular for industrial traffic (semi trucks, etc.) making their way through or around Calgary on Deerfoot Trail in peak periods.
• The roadway is designed for future expansion including additional connections to the City’s road network.

Will the Province now turn over Deerfoot Trail to the City of Calgary?

• No. The City anticipates that hand-over will occur when the entire ring road system is complete (following the west and southwest sections being constructed).

Who will maintain the road?

• The Province has contracted a private company to maintain the roadway including winter snow clearing.
• Costs to operate and maintain the road are covered by The Province.
• The City will maintain the roads that cross over or under Stoney Trail east such as Glenmore Trail.
• City Roads staff have established protocols to coordinate our activities and insure all areas are properly maintained.

Who will police the road?

• The new section of the ring road is within Calgary city limits.
• It is within the jurisdiction of the Calgary Police Service.

Is the road completely finished?

• Not completely.
• Drivers may also see some ongoing finishing touches along the Southeast Stoney Trail route as the contractor has one year to complete construction details.
• This work includes primarily off-street activity such as area restoration, finishing work and grass-seeding.

Calgary Parking Authority Declares November Veteran’s Food Bank Donation Month

USEFUL INFORMATION FOR THE SNOWY SEASON

www.calgary.ca/snow

Remembrance Day Ceremonies

New Brighton Athletic Park (Site)

This is a continuation of sorts to my earlier post about the New Brighton Auto Mall.  There has been speculation that the City of Calgary sold this land for the development and building of the auto mall.  In fact, the athletic park is still moving forward with the same plans as were presented at an open house in mid-2013.

The goal is to start clearing the land at the site within the next month to prepare for the spring development.  The auto mall is located adjacent to the site.  For more information on the athletic park visit www.calgary.ca/recreationprojects .

CPA Declares November Veteran’s Food Bank Donation Month

New Brighton Auto Mall

Developers worked closely with stakeholders and residents to address concerns about the Auto Mall.  A set of strategies with be implemented to reduce the impact of noise and lighting.

These Include:

• recessed lights that point straight down;
• speakers that are lower and facing north away from residents and toward the landfill;
• a substantial green space separates the auto mall and residential housing;
• the installation of a retention wall to mitigate noise;
• landscaping and ponds will be placed between green space and auto mall;

Re-zoning for this location took place in the Summer of 2012 and going forward will have no affect on the New Brighton Athletic Park nor the retention pond at 52nd Street.  Due to the fact that this location is in the landfill setback it can never be used for residential purposes (this includes schools, hospitals, or anything that involves food).  It was communicated that the impact on traffic will be minimal in comparison to light industrial (which would have been the alternative).

Sustainable Communities

Service Style Transit Model

Our current transit system does a relatively good job getting commuters downtown at peak hours. However, we need to focus on making transit a more convenient and speedy way to get to everyday places.Using a bicycle wheel as a metaphor for simplicity, consider the wheel as the city.  The wheel consists of a central hub, the spokes, and finally the edge.  Calgary has four major spokes: Saddletown, Crowfoot, 69th Street, and Somerset.  These spokes primarily connect outlying suburbs with downtown. The strength of the wheel is determined by the number of spokes and how they are arranged.

Integrating more spokes into the existing network means that riders (especially those with low incomes or mobility challenged) will be able to easily access different parts of the City. The Southeast LRT project is one spoke in a multi-spoke expansion planned to strengthen Calgary (other spokes include North Central LRT, 17 Avenue Southeast Transitway, and Southwest Transitway).  The future LRT network should ultimately be combined with crosstown BRTs (South and North Crosstown BRTs) connecting the spokes and enhancing transit service. This will give Calgarians the ability to travel to several points in the City without having to go directly to the core.

Current Network (Few Spokes; Large Gaps; Weak)

Network with SE LRT

Comprehensive Network With More Spokes and BRTs

(Strong Wheel/Network)

Public Art Review

In June 2012, I proposed to Council a motion to review the public art funding models across North America, specifically, the concept of a tiered approach for the level of contributions.  Currently, funding for public art is calculated at 1 per cent of the total cost for projects over $1 million.  I believe it should be tiered and a cap should be put in place to ensure that no project warrants more than $1 million in public art funding.

Answers to VoteCalgary Questionnaire

My profile and answers for the Calgary Herald