Enquiry on Condition of 500 block 13th Street

During Monday's regular city council meeting, I made an enquiry into the surface break in the 500 block of 13th street.

Here is the full enquiry, and the response...

Enquiry
I note that an underground repair in the 500 Block of 13th St was completed this past fall. Recently it settled leaving an uneven road surface for motorists and a potential safety issue. Was this a City repair and what are the plans to ensure this type of situation does not occur again in the future for any other areas of the City where underground repairs occur over the winter months before proper repairs may be done in the following summer construction season?
 
RESPONSE (provided by Mark Yeomans, Director of Public Works) 
An excavation was undertaken at a residence to address a service line leak.
The dig was done on November 28, 2018.  The private underground portion
was repaired by a private contractor and the City repaired the city portion
on the street.  The site in question in the 500 block of 13th Street has been
filled and leveled twice by City staff as required when the surface becomes
uneven or a safety concern.

Winter excavations on City streets generally freeze solid quickly with
normal winter temperatures resulting in minor settling issues until the
thaw in the spring. The current winter season has seen warmer than
normal December temperatures. While the warmer temperatures are
being enjoyed by the residents of Brandon, our sewer and water excavation
sites have been settling far more this winter than normal.  

The normal procedure that Public Works uses in excavation sites to
monitor site settlement is as follows. The excavation site is added to an
inspection list. The Sewer and Water section will regularly inspect the
excavation sites on the inspection list for signs of settling.  If signs of settling
are noticed, then granular base or asphalt grindings will be added to the
excavation and the area smoothed down by a loader or grader to ensure
the site poses no traffic hazard.

December 17 Agendas

Agendas for Monday's Regular City Council meeting & special meeting are out.

Notable items include 3rd reading to establish a Development Charges bylaw, adoption of the 2019 interim budget citizen appointments to boards & committees, adoption of the 2019 Fee Schedule, and an adjusted derelict vehicle bylaw.

The special meeting held beforehand will deal with the proposed sale of city owned land.

I'll also be making an enquiry regarding the condition of 13th street in the 500 block (just off Victoria Avenue)

Agenda(s) details at http://brandon.ca/council-information/minutes-and-agendas

 

Council Lore (December 9, 2018)

Welcome

 It’s Edition Three of my newsletter.

 As the countdown to Christmas continues it’s easy to become distracted by the hustle and bustle of preparations.

 Don’t forget that one of the most important things of the season is the ability to spend quality time with family and friends.

 Always take advantage of these opportunities.

If you wish to receive this newsletter via email, please send me your email address.  I will also be posting on my Facebook Page (Search for South Centre Ward) or on my blog at http://southcentreward.blogspot.com/

 Now, here are some things that have happened since my last newsletter two weeks ago.

 

AMM Convention

 I had an opportunity to spend one day (Monday, November 26^th) at the AMM Convention in Winnipeg.

 The morning session was information for new council members, like me, but a great majority of the information given had already been covered through my local orientation session with our fantastic City Clerk Heather Ewasiuk.

 I had an opportunity to listen to speeches from outgoing AMM President Chris Goertzen and Premier Brian Pallister, among others.

 Agree or disagree with some of Pallister’s policies, he is a strong speaker and seems focused on following the path the Provincial government has chosen regardless of the backlash.

 The highlight of the day was listening to the inspiration speech from Mike ‘Pinball’ Clemons.

 This is the third time I’ve seen Clemons speak and the one thing I give him credit for is his ability to adjust his speaking notes to the audience he’s speaking to.

 I was unable to attend the final two days of the AMM Convention due to work commitments.

 

Second Meeting of Council

 The regular City Council meeting took place on Monday, December 3^rd at Brandon City Hall.

 Some highlights from the meeting:

 Approval of a conditional $75,000 grant from the Accommodation Tax Fund for the hosting of the 2021 World Clydesdale Show to be held at the Keystone Centre (July 14-18, 2021)

 The show is expected to feature approximately 600 Clydesdales, 130 different exhibitors and generate around 3,000 room nights in Brandon.

 It’s also expected to welcome the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales!

 

 

 After attending the Keystone Centre Annual General Meeting on November 29^th, I reported to council that the complex financial year the ended on July 31, 2018 saw a $93,874 – which is about $140,000 better than budgeted.

 I also had a three-hour meeting with Keystone Centre GM Jeff Schumacher last week got me up to speed on what’s going on with the facility.

 As a new member to the Keystone Centre board, I came away impressed with some of the behind the scenes work that’s being done there.

 

 Monday’s meeting also saw the approval of the Downtown Brandon Encroachment Incentive Program.

 In a nutshell, it will allow businesses in the downtown hub to create opportunities in front of their businesses without having to pay an encroachment fee to the City of Brandon.

 The effect on the City’s coffers is minimal, with only $1,150 collected from the fee last year.

 It’s another strategy to continue the revitalization of downtown Brandon, and allow businesses to use site features (awnings, attractive outdoor displays, signage, etc.) to enhance the look of the downtown.

 There still needs to be some clear guidelines put in place to ensure pedestrian traffic is not affected by these site features, but the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation Executive Director Elisabeth Saftiuk assured council that would not be an issue.

 

 

 I made an enquiry into the effectiveness of the Snow Angels program, which matches willing volunteers with needy residents when it comes to snow clearing their sidewalks and driveways.

 Last winter (2017-2018), 11 volunteers and 14 applicants were registered for the program.

 Those are somewhat low numbers for what I consider to be a worthwhile program.

 I encourage anyone that can provide or needs this service to register for the program at

·         Website: www.snowangels.brandon.ca

·         Email: snowangels@brandon.ca

·         Phone: 204-729-2186

 

Bits & Pieces

 The City of Brandon is currently updating its Recreation Facilities Master Plan.

 The plan will guide the provision of recreation facilities such as community centres, arenas, pools, sports fields, trails and courts through the next two decades.

 The public is invited to ‘weigh in’ on what they feel the City’s recreation blueprint should be by completing a short survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/brandonrecsurvey

 I am particularly interested to see what people’s thoughts are on the future of recreation in the City of Brandon.

 I have my own thoughts and ideas and, in a perfect world, we’d look at constructing some type of indoor/outdoor sports complex in the next four years.

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 The NOT EVEN ONCE (NEO) – Brandon Fighting Addictions and Youth Wellness Day(s) were held this past Thursday and Friday.

 The prevention program featured Joe Roberts, AKA “The Skid Row CEO”, at a number of educational/inspirational events for Brandon high school students and a public event Friday evening.

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 The City of Brandon recently launched four textile diversion depots across the community.

 It’s part of a national research pilot program led by Diabetes Canada and York University.

 

 It’s hoped this program will see fewer items, particularly clothing items, end up at the landfill.

 The four locations are the Keystone Centre grounds (southeast corner), East End Community Centre, Rideau Park and Kin Park.

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Congratulations to two members of the Brandon Police Service.

 Inspector Greg Hebert and Constable Christopher Stupak received Excellence in Law Enforcement awards in recognition of outstanding contributions to their communities and police services from the Provincial Government last month.

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 I had a chance to attend the inaugural meeting of the Riverview Ward Patrol Crime Deterrent Program last week.

 The initiative is the brainchild of Riverview Councillor Glen Parker, and would see regular citizens patrol the area for four hours on a nightly basis in an effect to help deter crime, particularly petty crime.

 Glen approached private businesses in Brandon to support the program, coming up with over $12,000 that will be used.

 Although similar to Citizens on Patrol or the Brandon Bear Clan, Glen feels having people patrolling strictly in their corner of the City might allow them to take more ownership of the initiative.

 Councillor Parker also noted at the meeting that it’s part of a pilot program and, if successful, could be something to launch in other wards in Brandon.

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 The City of Brandon’s Community Services Department has opened the Manitoba Hydro Power Smart Waterfall of Lights display.

 The display is located immediately west of the City of Brandon’s Community Services Complex on McGregor Avenue.

  The display is turned on from approximately 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on a nightly basis through the winter season.

 

Upcoming Events

Dec.10 – Human Rights Day Event (City of Brandon Cultural Resource Centre)

Dec.10-12 – 43^rd MCDA Conservation Conference (Keystone Centre, Brandon)

Dec. 11 – Poverty Committee Meeting

Dec.17 – Regular Meeting of Brandon City Council

Dec.20 – Keystone Centre Board Meeting

Jan.25-26 – Budget Deliberations

 

Did You Know?

 A Human Rights Day event will take place on Monday, December 10^th from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the City of Brandon’s Cultural Resource Centre (638 Princess Avenue).

  This year’s event is themed around the global topic of human displacement and features a screening of “Human Flow”, a documentary about the massive human migration that has taken place across the globe since World War II.

 

December 3 Meeting Agenda

The agenda for the December 3 meeting of Brandon City Council. Of note:

a) a request for $75,000 from the Accomodation Fax Fund for a group hosting the 2021 World Clydesdale Show in Brandon.

b) 1st reading of the City of Brandon's 2019 fee schedule.

c) 1st reading of an amendment to amend portions of the Nuisance by-Law with respect to derelict vehicles.

 

Council Lore (November 23, 2018)

Welcome

 It’s Edition Two of my newsletter, and this one will include some details of the first meeting of the 2018-2022 Brandon City Council.

 As I stated in my first edition two weeks ago, one of the goals of ‘publishing’ this newsletter on a somewhat regular basis is to ensure voter engagement happens throughout the term, and not just in the six weeks of the election campaign.

 It is also to inform the public on not only things happening with the South Centre Ward and with me as councillor, but also things that might be of interest to Brandon residents as a whole.

If you wish to receive this newsletter via email, please send me your email address.  I will also be posting on my Facebook Page (Search for South Centre Ward) or on my blog at http://southcentreward.blogspot.com/

First Meeting of Council

 The first meeting of 2018-2022 City Council took place on Monday, November 19^th at Brandon City Hall. It was relatively quiet meeting; lasting less than an hour (I’m told this is not the norm).

 Among the items on the agenda was the appointment of Boards and Committee for the upcoming year. For at least the upcoming year, I will be serving on:

 

·         Keystone Agricultural & Recreation Centre Board

·         Poverty Committee

·         Grants Review Committee

·         Building Standards and Bylaw Compliance Committee

 

 It should be noted the Keystone Centre was mentioned in the Provincial Government’s Speech from the Throne earlier this week as work continues on a new governance and funding framework for the complex moving forward

 It was noted that under the new governance model, the board and management of the Keystone Centre would have greater control over its operations.

 Once there’s an agreement on the new framework, it would be brought before council for approval and ratification.

 

In addition mayor and council heard a presentation from Toni Gramiak from Brandon and Area Lost Animals (BALA) about possible changes and/or improvements to Brandon Animal Services. Some of the suggestions outlined by Toni, which are in place in some other cities, included:

·         Creation of a overall database to track pets

·         Return of lost pets to homeowners directly

·         Having more information on impounded animals online

·         Having responsible pet ownership guidelines as part of Animal services

 The matter was referred back to Administration to gather further information and report back to City Council at a future date.

 

November 19 Enquiries

 I made two enquiries at the November 19^th meetings, both of which stemmed from discussions with South Centre Ward residents during the election campaign:

 

 Enquiry #1: In regards to the street on the South side of Betty Gibson School (on College Avenue between 11^th and 12^th Street). Asked for a review to be undertaken to determine if it was necessary and/or possible to upgrade crosswalk signage on the two corners and to explore of a school zone speed limit of 30 km/h be introduced.

 

RESPONSE (provided by Sam van Huizen, Traffic & Transportation Planner) 

In response to both a) and b) above, under the Highway Traffic Act, the City of Brandon does have the authority to, at its discretion, adjust speed limits in areas adjacent to school properties. The Engineering Department will take this request under advisement and conduct a review of the area to determine if any deficiencies in signage and sightlines compromise the safety of pedestrian and vehicle movement in this area. Engineering will report back to the City Manager with a follow-up response in time for the December 3rd regular Council Meeting.

 

 Enquiry #2: Has a drainage Issue in the 1000 block of 7th St been corrected?

 

RESPONSE (provided by Greg Merke – Director Planning & Buildings) 

The issue is the drainage of the rear yards of 1054, 1056 and 1058 7th St. The problem has been corrected with berms being installed on the south side of 1058 and the north side of 1054 7th St.

 

AMM Convention

 The Association of Manitoba Municipalities’ Annual Convention will be taking place from November 26-28 at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg.

 I will able to attend on the Monday (November 26^th) only due to work commitments, and on that day will be taking part in a pre-conference for newly election municipal officials in the morning, and hearing speeches from AMM President Chris Goertzen and Manitoba premier Brian Pallister in the afternoon.

 The third day of the Convention (November 28^th) includes the Resolution session, during which a resolution put forward by the City of Brandon will be heard.

 It deals with Cannabis Taxation Revenue Sharing, and resolves that the AMM lobby the Province of Manitoba to provide at least one-third (33%) of total annual excise tax revenue collected on cannabis sales to Manitoba municipalities.  

Upcoming Events

Nov.26-28 – AMM Convention (RBC Convention Centre, Winnipeg)

Nov.28 – Public Open House on Radio Tower Installation (5:30 – 7 p.m., A.R. McDiarmid Civic Complex)

Nov.29 – Keystone Centre Annual General Meeting (6 p.m., Keystone Centre)

Dec. 3 – City of Brandon Council Meeting (7 p.m., City Hall)

Dec.10-12 – 43^rd MCDA Conservation Conference (Keystone Centre, Brandon)

 

Did You Know?

 There were more women elected to municipal councils across Manitoba in 2018 than the previous municipal election in 2014.

 Preliminary statistics show 174 out of 879 of all elected officials are women (20%), which represents a 3% overall increase from 2014.

 21 women were elected as Head of Council, Mayor or Reeve; 15 were elected in 2014.

 In total, 48% of officials are newly elected while 30% of elected officials were acclaimed.

First Meeting Agenda (November 19, 2018)

The first meeting of the 2018-2022 Brandon City Council (including myself) takes place tonight (November 19, 2018).

The agenda is below, or can be accessed in PDF form at http://brandon.ca/council-information/minutes-and-agendas

Appears to mainly an organizational meeting, as we plan for the next 12 months. Agenda includes council appointments to Boards and Committees and the setting of meetings dates for the 2019 calendar year.

We'll also hear Toni Gramiak from Brandon and Area Lost Animals (BALA) on improvements to Brandon animal services.

Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m., and can be seen on WCG-TV (Channel 12) or viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/user/CityofBrandonMB

Council Lore (November 9, 2018)

Welcome

 Welcome to the first of what I hope will be somewhat regular editions of this newsletter.

 One of the storylines resulting from the 2018 Municipal Election on October 24^th was voter turnout, with just under 17% of eligible voters casting a ballot.

 I believe voter engagement doesn’t just happen in the 5-6 weeks of an election campaign, but through the four year term on city council. As such, I hope the production of this newsletter on a regular basis will allow me to keep you up-to-date on things happening not only with myself as Councillor for the South Centre Ward, but also things within City Hall, the City of Brandon and our community.

 If you wish to receive this newsletter via email, please send me your email address.  I will also be posting on my Facebook Page (Search for South Centre Ward) or on my blog at http://southcentreward.blogspot.com/

 

Swearing In Ceremony

 Members of the 2018-2022 Brandon City Council, including myself, were officially sworn in at a ceremony held on November 8^th at Brandon City Hall.

 This marked the end of a busy week, especially for me and Shaun Cameron as the two new members of council.

In addition to the swearing in ceremony, Shaun and I went through an orientation session which included the details of how a council meeting is conducted.

Photo Courtesy City of Brandon

Even though I had attended several council meetings in the past, as both a reporter covering the event and as part of a delegation, it was still good to get to know the exact details of how things are run.

Photo courtesy City of Brandon

Open Government Web Portal Upgraded

 The City of Brandon launched an upgraded Open Government web portal that aims to take citizen access to government information to the next level.

 One of the new features is Municipal Budget Allocator, which essentially allows residents to ‘set the budget’ for next year. The information submitted from these ‘mock budgets’ will be compiled and shared with Mayor and council ahead of budget deliberations in January.

 The portal includes a refresh of the City of Brandon’s Corporate Scorecard, and tons of other information.

 As a big believer of transparency and openness, this is a tool I’ve used regularly in the past and will use even more in the future. It can be accessed at http://opengov.brandon.ca/

 

Out and About

 I attended the MNP Canada Games Torch Relay, which was held on November 2^nd at the MNP Hall at the Keystone Centre. Mayor Rick Chrest was part of the ceremony, and got an opportunity to ‘run’ with the torch.

 The torch is stopping at nearly 50 communities across the country as it makes its way to Red Deer for the 2019 Canada Winter Games, which will be held from February 15^th to March 3^rd.

 The Brandon stop was significant for two reasons. Brandon is one of just two communities to have hosted both the Canada Summer and Winter Games (1997 and 1979 respectively) and the relay sponsor, MNP, got its start in Brandon.

 That same night (November 2^nd), I took in ‘A Night at the Bass Building’, an open house of the beautifully redone building located at 29 – 10^th Street.

 There are a number of businesses and services being offered at the 30,000 square foot, four-story Bass Building.

 I encourage you to stop by and check out this jewel of downtown redevelopment.

 

Want to be Involved?

 Applications are currently being accepted by the City of Brandon for the various boards and committees of City Council.  The deadline to submit your application is November 22^nd, and application forms are available at the Legislative Services Offices on the second floor of City Hall, or online at here.

 

 In addition, applications are also being taken for any citizens interested in serving on the Brandon Police Board. These appointments are for a three-year term beginning January 1^st. Again, application forms are available at the Legislative Services Offices on the second floor of City Hall, or online at here.

 

Upcoming Events

Nov.11 – Remembrance Day Service, 10:40 a.m. (Westoba Place)

Nov.17 – Brandon Santa Parade, 6:00 p.m. (Downtown Brandon)

Nov.19 – First meeting of 2018-2022 Brandon City Council, 7:00 p.m. (Brandon City Hall)

Nov.26-28 – AMM Convention (RBC Convention Centre, Winnipeg)

 

Did You Know?

There is an online system for reporting issues on the City of Brandon’s website? The link is http://www.brandon.ca/report-an-issue.

Thank-You

 A sincere thank-you to the residents of South Centre who have chosen me as their representative on Brandon City Council for the next four years.

 I appreciate the support of everyone who encouraged me to take the plunge and enter the campaign initially, and those who helped me along the way the past six weeks.

 I can tell you my knowledge base on some of the issues facing our community has increased dramatically in the last six weeks, and I look forward to educating myself even more as we move forward.

 I look forward to having many more coffees at kitchen tables, many more face-to-face meetings and many more discussions on the things that are important to South Centre residents.

 To Mayor Rick Chrest and fellow councillor-elects Jeff Fawcett, Kris Desjarlais, Barry Cullen, Shaun Cameron, John LoRegio, Ron Brown, Glen Parker, Shawn Berry and Jan Chaboyer – I look forward to working with you for the good of our community over the next four years.

 

One More Sleep!

 I have a secret.

 One of the reasons I’d like to become a City Councillor is because I like to help people.

 Being chosen by South Centre residents to represent them tomorrow would give me four years to do this, but I already have a couple of success stories I’d like to tell you about.

 While campaigning in South Centre Ward, I was contacted by phone by Bob & Betty (not their real names), who had concerns about their neighbours.

 Bob & Betty have lived in their home for a long period of time but, over the years, their neighbours have changed to now be two duplexes (one on each side).

 Some of the tenants in those duplexes had less that desirable habits, including unkept yards, loud noise and the odd visit from the BPS.

 I was able to provide Bob & Betty with information on the City of Brandon’s nuisance by-law (did you know noise isn’t based on time of day, but based on the distance it can be heard?) while also giving them information on a Provincial program called The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act.

https://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/commsafe/scna.html

 The Act allows for one or more residents of a neighbourhood who fear for their safety or security to file a complaint with Manitoba’s director of law enforcement.

 The complaint is kept confidential, and the identity of those who file it cannot be revealed at any time.

 The director will launch an investigation and if evidence supports the claim, they have many options including applying for an Emergency Closure Order.

 While the Act deals with severe issues (e.g. unlawful drug use, sexual abuse or exploitation of a child, possession of an unlawful firearm), it does give residents another tool to help deal with issues within their neighbourhood without having to deal directly with the neighbours or the landlords who rent their properties to people who engage in those type of activities.

 

 I also wanted to tell you about Adam & Adele (again, not their real names), who contacted me about their ever increasing property taxes.

 Adam & Adele’s taxes have increased by about $1,000 in the last ten years, more than doubling their previous amount (40% of which were municipal increases).

 They live in a modest home, but development in their area has meant their provincial assessment on their property and home had increased.

 In my face-to-face conversation with Adam & Arlene, I suggested a pair of opportunities that they weren’t aware of.

 One, was the ability to appeal their assessment to the province, which wasn’t something they were aware of even after visiting the District Assessment Office in Brandon.

 Second, they weren’t sure whether they were receiving the Manitoba Education Property Tax Credit Advance.

 My assistance to Adam & Adele’s issue had little to do with being a council hopeful, but more to do with the knowledge base I have by being someone who has paid property tax in Brandon for the last 20+ years.

 By the way, if you’re interested, you can get more information on how to appeal your provincial assessment through the Manitoba Municipal Board at https://www.gov.mb.ca/municipalboard/index.html

 And find out if there’s a provincial tax credit program you can take advantage of at https://www.gov.mb.ca/finance/tao/eptc.html