NATURE

Sea, land, river

PEOPLES

Community

For earlier materials see Table of Contents

September 6^th	We See – Council Meeting Tuesday
	A ho hum agenda etc

While at first few got off cruise ship last Thursday-- and only 2 tents at Farmers market – one of which, I was told, blew down in the strong winds--- still tent set up again and ‘famous’ Kettle Korn from Kitimat continued selling --- Note too the Cruise Ship bus was full with appreciative passengers when seen later in evening

Council Meeting

Main event is September public meeting

Most interesting is the interim financials:

Especially for Watson Island

and Airport Ferry

I would suggest that all these topics are ‘tools’ in tool box of development—and Citizens uncritically discussing them only supports the ‘hidden agenda’ of Third Avenue --self interest ---Parking at public expense --- Tax supported renovations etc

This looks like the most significant item

I suggest that more productive public input would be to discuss the ‘vision’ of what we want accomplished downtown

We need bike lanes and access to sidewalks for bikes, ‘scooters’ etc

Here is an idea --- instead of ‘more parking’ longer – how about moving in Green direction?

Presently it is illegal (Provincial law) to ride bicycles on sidewalk --- but municipalities can pass Bylaws to allow it --- but then we have to put ‘rules’ around it too --- while the fellow left is not the worst – he almost hit me on Third (high rate of speed coming down hill etc) --- The worst offenders seem to be young males between 12 and 16 --- still requiring helmets, and speed limits should prove greener

	Interesting figures

Graph from figures provided to a start-up web site for its Watson Island story

Public beware

The public has to be ‘skeptical’ of post PRDN journalism – perhaps some stories even initiated by City politicians--- a careful reading of table presented in recent Watson Island story (link is here) says these are Maintenance costs --- for the 2010 they total $408,308 or about 58T per month --- I became suspicious of them when I saw they do not rise in winter and fall in summer – thus suspected did not include heating etc --- I will go into this further later – but note the similar Port Ed story where their Council doesn’t know where it will get maintenance $$ for the reclaimed Diana Lake water line—Duh, wasn’t that thought of when Sun Wave sent ultimatum last year to pay taxes? (see this file Watson Island ‘maps’)

	Watson Island suspicions apparently confirmed when compared to City Financials through July 2010
	Thus on table below we see Watson Island cost $620,443 --- or about 88T$ per month --- that is about 50% more than the ‘offered’ material suggested --- still Prince Rumour saying the deal to sell Watson Island all but completed and will be announced soon –perhaps at Council meeting etc

	Excerpted from July 2010 Departmental Report
	Note how capital Works etc not spent yet – strategy to ????

As you may remember – our intrepid treasurer suggested that there was a typing error to have anyone but passengers pay tickets for Ferry ---(I am guessing bus company would not collect the fares) thus had to scrap the idea of everyone pays (see my earlier during Budget 2010 and links at end for background) --- but I bet we taxpayers still pay for every passenger--

Airport Ferry fiasco

The offered figures ‘predict’ an 800T$ loss for Airport Ferry by end of year ---(Expenditures – Revenue) --- and it is not as bad as the 923T$ loss in 2009 ---- see my earlier page to this ongoing saga of poor subsidizing the elite – and last July

But of course Council did not pursue the matter ---and thus they must have accepted the loss in an in-camera meeting ---- contrast that with the City Transit increase fare --- which will not only drive down ridership – it will promote cars and parking downtown rather than greener alternatives


	Cracks getting mended in wall --- and city crews digging up stuff in back --- Epicurean legacies

Here is online tracking site for this Philippine vessel

Aston Trader II waiting for Wheat

Created by LG on 6/9/2010

Last updated on Tuesday, September 07, 2010

NATURE

PEOPLES

For earlier materials see Table of Contents

We See – Council Meeting Tuesday

Aston Trader II waiting for Wheat