Council Message for Christmas, 2016

Following is my message in the Town of Killam Christmas Newsletter, for those who would not see it in their mailbox.

On behalf of my family & I, we wish you a Merry Christmas & the best for 2017.


Sincerely,

Bud James






As the year 2016 draws to a close, I want to take this opportunity to highlight a few recent happenings regarding the Town of Killam government.

Our Council, along with Council members from all the other Flagstaff area communities, have been working on determining the best way to move forward as a regional community.  Regional Governance and what that looks like is a conversation we all must have.  Each of us has challenges keeping an acceptable level of service while keeping property taxes reasonable.  Our provincial government has let it be known that future funding for municipalities will be, in large part, tied to cooperation & partnerships.  We have asked for your input as we have been working through this.  The work continues and we will need you to be engaged in this discussion moving forward.

In August we were very pleased to have Hon. Sarah Hoffman, Minister of Health for Government of Alberta, and Ed Stelmach, Chair of Covenant Health, in Killam to announce the Killam Health Centre Continuing Care Unit upgrade.  This building upgrade and accompanying change in operations will have a very positive impact on the residents at our Continuing Care facility.  While you may not see much in the way of construction over the winter, the addition will come together quickly starting in spring 2017.  This will be followed by the renovation phase, with completion expected in 2018. 

This project, along with various others, has brought the total amount of Development Permits issued (to date) for 2016 to $10,262,500. 

Our residential subdivision project is on hold pending approval from Alberta Environment for 

a roadway to be built near the waterway.  The delay means we must, unfortunately, wait to 

break ground until the spring of 2017. The contractors who have been awarded the project 

through a tendering process have committed to hold their pricing for the 2017 construction 

season, with negotiations required for possible Material increases.

You may remember that Council committed to a 0% increase in property tax revenue in 2016.  We are, unfortunately, unable to make the same commitment for 2017, and have instructed Administration to prepare a budget based on an increase of 2.5%.  Council is keenly aware that property taxes are a major expense for every homeowner and business owner, and we constantly are challenging Administration to find savings in the budget for each department.  However, a slight increase in revenue is required to offset costs.  Please note that there is a monthly option to paying your property taxes but this must be set up prior to year end – please contact the Town Office for more information. 

Your Council has started the final year of their 4 year term of office, and we will once again be having a general election for Alberta municipalities in October 2017.  Do you think you may want to run for municipal government?  If so please contact me or another one of our current Council members for a confidential discussion on what this would mean for you in terms of time commitment and obligations.  Alternatively there are other opportunities to find this out – contact CAO Kim Borgel for more information.

Those of us who follow the political discourse – local, regional or national – will likely agree that these conversations lately have been quite nasty.  This is very unfortunate to see & hear, and very disconcerting to be a part of.  Our Council has, to their credit, chosen to rise above this by reaffirming their commitment to a Councillor Code of Conduct.  They, like I, believe it is fair to debate the issues, but inappropriate to attack the individual whose opinion may differ from ours.  My colleagues have deliberately committed to this in words and in actions, and I want to thank them for this and for their continuing good work on behalf of the citizens of Killam.

As well, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Town of Killam Administration team for their hard work & dedication.  On a daily basis they demonstrate an incredible pride in their community and profound respect for each & every tax dollar you entrust us with.

In Killam we like to say we are living “Life Without Compromise”, and I believe 2016 demonstrates this very well.  We have much to be thankful for and a future full of promise.

On behalf of my Council colleagues and all our families, I wish our citizens, our neighbours, and our friends all a Merry Christmas and the very best for 2017.

Sincerely,

Bud James

Mayor

  

            

             

Change Is Hard

Change is hard.  Change often requires us to take that step into the unknown; to go somewhere that we don’t know. It requires us to step away from the status quo without knowing what consequences we may face.  Change can be uncomfortable, and sometimes a bit scary.

Change is also necessary.  The world around us is in constant change, and we can’t ignore these external forces; we must adapt to be able to move forward.

This may all seem obvious to many of us, but I think we are very uneasy with the concept of changing the way the communities of Flagstaff interact with each other and with the outside world.

The fact is that we are all struggling with our long-term sustainability.  Alberta’s economy has (until the last 18 months or so) been smoking hot in recent years; however Flagstaff has seen little benefit.  Our regional population is declining.  Upward pressure on property taxes is not sustainable.  Provincial municipal funding from here on will be largely dependent on regional collaboration. 

The communities of Flagstaff, through the Flagstaff Inter-municipal Partnership (FIP) committee, have launched a project to determine the best way to move forward together. This project will include a snapshot of where we are today, a look (both nationally and internationally) at what other municipalities are doing, plus some options that may work in our situation. 

You will start to see more about this project in The Community Press and on social media.  This is a conversation that you need to be paying attention to; that you need to be involved in. 

We want to create a ‘made in Flagstaff’ solution that takes advantage of our collective strengths while staying true to each community’s identity.  This conversation is for all of us, and everyone’s input is important.

Change is hard.  However change, after careful analysis, need not be uncomfortable.  Being in charge of our own destiny is a good thing!

I welcome your comments on this topic, as do all my municipal Council colleagues around Flagstaff.  Let’s get the conversation started.

Sincerely,

Bud James

“A ship in harbour is safe, but that’s not what ships are for” – William Shepp

For more on this topic visit www.flagstaffunited.ca 

     

Guest Post - "Be Brave. Speak Up"

I am pleased & proud to host this Guest Post by Tammy Gibb-James; a compelling read and an important issue we can all relate to and all work to overcome.

Be Brave.  Speak up.   

The events in our community during the week of February 14 have inspired this letter.

I was a bullied child and teen.  Every day to & from school I was picked on, tormented really.  To say high school was hell is an understatement.  Popular wisdom at the time said “ignore them, they’ll go away”.  It obviously didn’t work.

Bullies don’t go away.  They grow up.  They get jobs. They become parents.  They become volunteers.  They own businesses.  But here’s the thing, many are still bullies.  They take to Facebook, Twitter, and the coffee shop.  They have moved from the back of the bus and the school hallway, but all that has changed is their location.  They may be at church, parent groups, your office or your local arena.

The greater community needs to find our voice.  We need to stop silently shaking our heads and rolling our eyes at these people.  They need to be held accountable for their actions.  The reason adult bullies still have voices is because their audiences listen & don’t act.  Children are now taught that bystanders have power; calling bullies on their behavior has the ability to change it.

The next time you are at a meeting, sports event or community gathering please be brave; use your voice and call these bullies out.  Let them know they will now be held to a higher standard, the same standard to which we hold our children.  We need to restore civility to our community and this would be a good first step.

Sincerely,

Tammy Gibb-James    

My Response to the Events in our Community Over the Past Few Days

The events of the past few days have ignited a heated conversation in the Killam community.  Community members, former community members, neighbours and others have passionately weighed in on this topic.  I personally have fielded calls, texts, etc., from many of you.

Now it’s my turn to share my thoughts.

First and foremost, I fundamentally believe that if one person, through words or actions (or inaction), causes another person to be or feel hurt, then effort should be made to lessen or eliminate that hurt.  This is a part of my core beliefs and I will not waiver from it.

I believe the sign in question is hurtful to some people.  You may argue that some first nations folks don’t care if they are referred to as ‘Indians’ and that is likely true, but it is obvious to me, judging by the social media storm, that there are many who do care.

Even if you don’t believe this is an issue, others do.  And it reflects on our community. 

Secondly, my wish is that our community be a viable place to live for the next generation – I want my grandchildren to be able to choose Killam if they desire.  We need to make the right decisions now to make that a reality for them.  We need to understand how our decisions now impact the community in 20, 30, 50 or more years.

The goal of Council should be to achieve modest growth in population and the business sector.  Failure to do this means our municipality is not financially sustainable in the long term.  However, what is the likelihood that a progressive business owner will invest in Killam, or that families with school aged children will choose to move here, when a simple web or Facebook search reveals that we are not friendly to a particular group (or groups) of people.  Add to that the events of the past few days and you can see we have a big problem.

This not about a hockey game or a playoff series.  If you really believe it is then you are mistaken – this is far bigger than that.

Some comments have questioned the dedication of Councillors to our community.  I for one will happily put my community service track record up against anyone else.  For all my adult life I have been involved in community work, serving as a member, executive member, treasurer, chairperson, etc. on almost every organization or committee that existed in the Town of Killam.  Our family has personally invested in this community.  Our family business has invested heavily in the community, and has donated to every silent auction & fundraiser we were made aware of.  Others on Council have a similar story.  So don’t question our commitment.

Some have stated that Council is not supporting the will of the electorate.  I believe the role of an elected representative, at any level, is to make decisions based on what they think is best for the community.  This isn’t about making the popular decision; it’s about making the right decision, and I will always choose the right decision.  If you are not happy with my performance you have a chance to dump me at the next general election.  This is how democracy works.

Some comments coming to Council have been of a personal nature.  This is simply wrong.  Your Council has stepped up and committed hundred of hours of work with the goal of making our community the best it can be, nothing less.  I know that each of my colleagues would be happy to debate any issue with you.  But personal attacks are never appropriate.

I am proud of the sports history of our community, and agree it should be celebrated.  (By the way, I have served as a board member for the Killam Indians Hockey Club, representing the team at the league level and with Hockey Alberta.)  I believe that we can find another way to pay tribute to those teams and players.  But I believe the signs have to come down.

I know many will still disagree with my position and will post their comments here.  However, if you agree with me, in whole or in part, you too need to post a comment.  It’s important that we get feedback from all of our citizens.

Please carefully consider where you stand on this issue.  This is not as simple as whether a sign stays up or is taken down; this will define, for the world to see, who we are as a community.

Thank you.

Regards,

Bud James

Mayor