Peace River's innovative transit system is finished, and this was abruptly brought home tonight when I spoke with a young couple who have relied on the bus for years. They are tremendously disappointed with this decision by our Town Council. In fact, I haven't spoken with anyone in weeks who thought this was a good idea. The Chamber of Commerce didn't think it was a good idea. Just who is Council listening to, besides the taxi drivers?
And as of tomorrow, the lives of this couple will once again contract to the East side of the river, to wherever they can get to by foot (he will push her in a wheelchair), and finding rides from others. Gone is the freedom and dignity they've enjoyed to choose when and where they went in this sprawling town, for an affordable price.
They and others will have to scramble to find rides to work, to college, to daycare, to get groceries, to get to the doctor or hospital. Back to having to depend on friends, scrounging rides as they can get them, or paying expensive cab fares.
And if Deputy Mayor Darling's still-in-development plan is eventually implemented, they may have the opportunity to get subsidized taxi passes if they can prove they belong to some less fortunate group that he has deemed worthy of this help.
How demeaning and disempowering. "Here's my T4 to prove I'm among the working poor;" "Here's my AISH status, my birth certificate ...") On the bus, everyone was equal and you didn't have to prove you were eligible to ride.
And now our Mayor is trying to blame staff because there hasn't been a "seamless transition" to some as-yet-to-be-decided alternative. How noble.
Has there been clear direction to staff from this Council in the form of a motion? Has Council ever clearly articulated to the public that the Town was working on something to replace the bus--if so, this is news to the riders and the concerned members of the Peace River Transit Stakeholder's Group. Why was Deputy Mayor Darling dabbling with an "enhanced" taxi pass scheme if staff had been directed to do this? And why did NADC withdraw from doing a proper a transit study? So many questions, so few real answers. So much for transparency.
What a sad day for our town--Peace River was actually starting to look like a progressive place that welcomed all kinds of people and considered the quality of life for everyone. Now? Not so much.
Showing posts with label transit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transit. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Public Meeting to Support the Peace River Bus: January 31, 2011
Following is more information about the public meeting on the cancellation of the Peace River bus service.
7:00 PM Monday, January 31, 2011
Belle Petroleum Centre
Call 780 624-4800 if you need a ride. Bus service will be available after the meeting.
Format of the Meeting
- The meeting is being facilitated by Larry Stewart from the Department of Culture & Community Spirit
- Those present will be given the chance to explain by speaking or writing how the bus cancellation will affect their lives (written comments will be read out at the meeting).
- If you cannot attend the meeting but want your story included of how the bus service cancellation will affect you, your family, your business, or your community, send an e-mail to Joan Wahl at jfwahl@telusplanet.net and it will be read at the meeting.
- There will also be a chance to write out questions, which will be read out, for the Town Councillors who attend the meeting.
- Questions about the meeting or format: Call Joan at 780 624-2369 or e-mail at the above address.
Plan to attend if you have an interest in retaining this important service. Bring a friend. And if you can't attend, but want to be heard, be sure to send an email to Ms. Wahl.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Peace River's Bus Service Cancellation: Petition locations & public meeting
If you're concerned about Council's decision in December to cancel the Peace River bus service, you have a few options:
Petition: This petition asks Town Council to revisit the decision, but is not one that will be legally-binding, since those take enormous effort because of the requirement for each signature to be witnessed and the witness swearing an affidavit. But the organizers hope it will give Council an indication of interest in the issue.
There are 32 petition locations. Here are a few--if you care about the loss of the service and are a resident of Peace River, be sure to make an effort to sign:
In the Downtown area:
Public Meeting: A public meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 31, 7:00 at the Belle Petroleum Centre. This is an accessible location (unlike Council Chambers). Transportation will be available. The organizers hope that Mayor and councillors will attend. People who are affected by the service cancellation will have the opportunity to speak to the issue, and all points of view will be welcome during this facilitated discussion. More details coming.
Petition: This petition asks Town Council to revisit the decision, but is not one that will be legally-binding, since those take enormous effort because of the requirement for each signature to be witnessed and the witness swearing an affidavit. But the organizers hope it will give Council an indication of interest in the issue.
There are 32 petition locations. Here are a few--if you care about the loss of the service and are a resident of Peace River, be sure to make an effort to sign:
In the Downtown area:
- A&W
- Value Drug
- The Bargain Store
- Liquidation World
- Sagitawa Friendship Centre
- The Dollar Store
- No Frills
- IGA
- Shopper's Drug
- Sugar Plum Tree Daycare
Public Meeting: A public meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 31, 7:00 at the Belle Petroleum Centre. This is an accessible location (unlike Council Chambers). Transportation will be available. The organizers hope that Mayor and councillors will attend. People who are affected by the service cancellation will have the opportunity to speak to the issue, and all points of view will be welcome during this facilitated discussion. More details coming.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Peace River Town Council Signals New Direction: CAO, Transit, Airport, Fire Service
The minutes of December 13 and 20 are contained in the January 10 agenda package available on the Town's website. They signal how the new Council plans to distinguish itself from the former Council.
December 13, 2010
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
After a 2-hour in camera session, Council moved to accept Norma MacQuarrie's resignation on a "without cause" basis. In my limited experience, the term "without cause" has applied in the case of a dismissal (the recent firing of Stephen Duckett by Alberta Health Services is an example), not a resignation. To whom or what does "without cause" apply? Perhaps someone with HR experience can enlighten me.
The rest of the motion indicates that compensation will be "based on the CAO's employment contract." Will the public know the cost of Ms. MacQuarrie's leaving?
The CAO position is being advertised in the Record-Gazette and on the Municipal World Job Board. The ad indicates that Council is looking for a "dedicated, motivated, and dynamic professional" to join the team. As well "The successful candidate will be a leader with excellent communication and interpersonal skills that will promote strategic development and improvement of municipal services to create a vibrant and sustainable community. The individual will be responsible to provide leadership and direction to a staff of 62 full-time and 5 part-time employees." These are exactly the qualities of the highly competent and ethical CAO that the Town had, and who will be a very difficult act to follow.
December 20, 2010
After another 2-hour in camera session, three motions of significance resulted:
1. That a letter be drafted to the Airport Committee stating that, while the Town of Peace River is committed to a high level of regional cooperation, the newly elected council requires time to fully assess the proposed airport governance structure and would like to meet with the regional partners to help address the following concerns:
1) Governance model - “Society” vs. “Authority”
2) Operational Components - issues surrounding existing staff
3) Proposed memorandum of understanding with Northern Air Charter
4) Membership Agreement - one year commitments
5) Cost sharing formula
6) Alberta Health Services Building Location
Council wants to understand the implications of this regional cooperation initiative, which is important. But it also needs to have some trust in the previous work done to investigate governance models thoroughly and to negotiate on cost sharing. Most importantly, Peace River Council should not unnecessarily hold up this important process. It would be easy to lose momentum and leave the Town once again completely responsible for the airport, which is a significant cost to our taxpayers. Asking partners to share costs also means that power and control need to be shared.
2. That administration provide 90-days notice of termination to Napp ‘n Sons Ventures Ltd. with respect to cancelling the Peace River Transit Service effective March 31, 2011.
This is an extremely disappointing decision given the previous Council's decision to allow this innovative service a few years of stable funding to get established, build ridership, and establish an advertising base.
Questions that arise in my mind:
3. That administration contact the Town of Slave Lake and the Town of Hinton to determine the level of service provided by their fire departments and their annual fire department budget.
It's important that Council understand how other communities manage their fire services. Peace River's fire department has aspirations that may go beyond the Town's abilities to fund without cutting other important programs. I hope Council has already considered the comprehensive review the former Council undertook, which if I remember correctly, included comparatives with other small Alberta fire departments.
December 13, 2010
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
After a 2-hour in camera session, Council moved to accept Norma MacQuarrie's resignation on a "without cause" basis. In my limited experience, the term "without cause" has applied in the case of a dismissal (the recent firing of Stephen Duckett by Alberta Health Services is an example), not a resignation. To whom or what does "without cause" apply? Perhaps someone with HR experience can enlighten me.
The rest of the motion indicates that compensation will be "based on the CAO's employment contract." Will the public know the cost of Ms. MacQuarrie's leaving?
The CAO position is being advertised in the Record-Gazette and on the Municipal World Job Board. The ad indicates that Council is looking for a "dedicated, motivated, and dynamic professional" to join the team. As well "The successful candidate will be a leader with excellent communication and interpersonal skills that will promote strategic development and improvement of municipal services to create a vibrant and sustainable community. The individual will be responsible to provide leadership and direction to a staff of 62 full-time and 5 part-time employees." These are exactly the qualities of the highly competent and ethical CAO that the Town had, and who will be a very difficult act to follow.
December 20, 2010
After another 2-hour in camera session, three motions of significance resulted:
1. That a letter be drafted to the Airport Committee stating that, while the Town of Peace River is committed to a high level of regional cooperation, the newly elected council requires time to fully assess the proposed airport governance structure and would like to meet with the regional partners to help address the following concerns:
1) Governance model - “Society” vs. “Authority”
2) Operational Components - issues surrounding existing staff
3) Proposed memorandum of understanding with Northern Air Charter
4) Membership Agreement - one year commitments
5) Cost sharing formula
6) Alberta Health Services Building Location
Council wants to understand the implications of this regional cooperation initiative, which is important. But it also needs to have some trust in the previous work done to investigate governance models thoroughly and to negotiate on cost sharing. Most importantly, Peace River Council should not unnecessarily hold up this important process. It would be easy to lose momentum and leave the Town once again completely responsible for the airport, which is a significant cost to our taxpayers. Asking partners to share costs also means that power and control need to be shared.
2. That administration provide 90-days notice of termination to Napp ‘n Sons Ventures Ltd. with respect to cancelling the Peace River Transit Service effective March 31, 2011.
This is an extremely disappointing decision given the previous Council's decision to allow this innovative service a few years of stable funding to get established, build ridership, and establish an advertising base.
Questions that arise in my mind:
- What evidence base did Council use to come to the decision?
- Was Community Services and the Community Services board consulted on this decision? If not, why not?
- Was Northern Lakes College consulted since it could affect the ability of its students to get to class? If not, why not?
- Were employers consulted who have employees that count on this service?
- How influential was the taxi company lobby in this decision?
- Has Council directed administration to identify other ways to help low income people get around this very inaccessible town? If not, why not?
- Why was there no news release announcing this decision that affects so many people and explaining the rationale?
3. That administration contact the Town of Slave Lake and the Town of Hinton to determine the level of service provided by their fire departments and their annual fire department budget.
It's important that Council understand how other communities manage their fire services. Peace River's fire department has aspirations that may go beyond the Town's abilities to fund without cutting other important programs. I hope Council has already considered the comprehensive review the former Council undertook, which if I remember correctly, included comparatives with other small Alberta fire departments.
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