Posts
Here is a link to many of my letters to the editor in the Daily News; this one works :)
http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/searchresults-7.3409?q=Gordon+W.+Fuller
From the search engine of the Bulletin; for some reason only goes back to 2012.
http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/search/?q=Gordon+W.+Fuller&ie=UTF-8&cx=015619971846971042401%3Aggfawncw3ho
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Previous Links
Sadly in the Spring of 2013 the Nanaimo Daily News switched from Canada.com to being its own service provider; this has resulted in the links associated with stories from the Daily News no longer being accessible.
What one can try is copying the tittle and pasting it in the search box, upper right, of the D/N website: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/
One might also have to do the same to those links to stories from the Bulletin as well.
What one can try is copying the tittle and pasting it in the search box, upper right, of the D/N website: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/
One might also have to do the same to those links to stories from the Bulletin as well.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Extreme Tardiness
Been quite a while since posting but do have many more posts to come.
Been busy with work and attending council meetings; here is an example :
·
View 13(a) and then my question during question
period. T'is a shame that there is no code of conduct for Mayor & Council
and that even with Robert's Rules of Order Guiding meetings they are selective
when using:)
Been busy with work and attending council meetings; here is an example :
·
View 13(a) and then my question during question
period. T'is a shame that there is no code of conduct for Mayor & Council
and that even with Robert's Rules of Order Guiding meetings they are selective
when using:)
Have been doing a lot of posting on my Municipally (A)MUSING facebook group page; requires far less writing :)
As I say much more to come on many local issues.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Strategic Plan Finale
Not a huge document by any means but the city will also have
all of the info gathered, surveys, comments etc., if you are interested in
seeing it.
During the upcoming discussions of the 2013/14 budget the
city will try and put some costs towards implementation, ought to be amusing.
Disappointed that nowhere in the document is it mentioned
that a core review should happen on a regular basis.Contribution Conflict
The following is with regards to something that has irked me
to no end for years and that I have posted about before. Now don’t get me wrong here I am not opposed
to development; what I am opposed to is development that contributes little to
the community and the benefit thereof.
Cable
Bay
Vancouver Nanaimo
Video
Development Process Review
Committee
This story and the quoted comment appeared in the D/N just
over a week ago: Council
aims to make development more consistent This guest comment is also of interest as it
talks about the Frank Ney era in Nanaimo and as you can see things have not
changed.
At the end of this I have placed a link to the last council
agenda, pgs 47-50 deal with the above, and to the video thereof. Check out the discussion by clicking on 8 b -
DPRC - Amenity Contributions as well as my comments at question period. The
decisions in the report were made by the Development Process Review Committee,
see link, a committee comprised of council members and those who profit
directly from development.
In a city that is constantly falling millions behind on
fixing its infrastructure; paying 2-3% and growing of its budget towards
interest on debt; lacking funds to purchase large properties for parks, such as
Linley Valley West or now the controversial Pioneer Park and only sees the
paltry sum of approx $165,000 going towards its Housing Legacy Reserve fund
each year, there is a huge need to increase revenue.
Rezoning of properties, small and large, is usually brought
before council and touted as increasing density which is a core concept in the
Official Community Plan. This in and of
itself is a good idea and will ultimately help create a larger tax base but in
saying this the taxes it will create are by no means enough to eliminate the
ongoing deficit caused by the costs to maintaining a large city such as
Nanaimo.
These new ‘policies’
are no different than guidelines that have been used for decades and are a cop
out on the part of council. Huge profits
are made on larger developments; in many cases even before ground is
broken.
A perfect example would be the area of Cable Bay known as
the OceanView Golf Resort & Spa. Land worth about 3 million dollars once
rezoned by a previous council is now up for sale at 60 million. Proposing 2500 homes the community
contribution would be a paltry 2.5 million and if built the value, at an
average sale price of $300,000 would far exceed the 60 million sale price of
the property coming in at $750 million; this without even accounting for the
value of the associated businesses that would surround the golf resort and spa.
Sure Development Cost Charges will help with installation of
sewer and water but will the increased taxes provided by the subdivision pay
for upkeep over the years; I don’t think so.
Nanaimo needs to get more realistic with its community contributions.
Increased density is the catch phrase for
many potential developments,
Another purported benefit the community sees
is that of the community contribution on the part of the developer for the
privilege of density bonuses and potential millions lining their pockets. Sadly, Nanaimo’s amenity contribution is
archaic, nay pathetic, to say the least. Based on $1,000 per unit, these
contributions usually amount to little more than a tot lot.
With rising unemployment, poverty and an
increasing population, the need for social housing, parks, paying down debt and decreasing the tax
burden on its citizens dictate the need for
Nanaimo to do better – $10,000 per unit or 3.333 per cent seems a little more
equitable commitment and while nowhere near that of Vancouver and Langford, it
could see some of those potential profits trickle down toward real
contributions to the community.
Vancouver, Langford, Kelowna and many other cities require a
far greater percentage for community contributions as should Nanaimo. Monies raised through the process, far more
significant if the contribution were raised to 5 or 6 thousand and still quite
profitable for the developer, could actually be enough to add significant funds
to the future purchase of parks, paying down debt, adding to the housing legacy
reserve fund and yes even lowering city taxes.
I am not against development but it must come with a more realistic
benefit to the community. Video
Friday, June 22, 2012
A little can go a long way
RDN
doles out homelessness grant money
While the amount might seem small it can have a huge impact. The monies allocated to the Unitarian Shelter helped to make it available for the chronically homeless every night from November through March. Had the funds not been available the shelter would have only been open on nights deemed extreme. There is a very thin line between cold wet weather and extreme weather and being open every night allowed the homeless the security of knowing there was somewhere to get out of our traditionally wet winter nights. I have no doubt whatsoever this saved lives.
Sadly it looks like the Unitarians are going to drop the Cold Weather aspect of the shelter opting just to do it on extreme days. It is hoped that they will change their mind or at least allow another organization to operate during the Cold Weather at the same location. If another group were to end up having to take it on at a new location it would add extensively to the cost in having to purchase cots etc. and lease space.
While I truly appreciate the work the Unitarians have done in the past they have now, in my opinion, become part of the problem. They have the capacity to do the cold weather and choose not to because it is easier for them. Nanaimo needs this; a shelter that operates every night from November through March and it will continue to need it until the new Supportive Housing gets built.
While the amount might seem small it can have a huge impact. The monies allocated to the Unitarian Shelter helped to make it available for the chronically homeless every night from November through March. Had the funds not been available the shelter would have only been open on nights deemed extreme. There is a very thin line between cold wet weather and extreme weather and being open every night allowed the homeless the security of knowing there was somewhere to get out of our traditionally wet winter nights. I have no doubt whatsoever this saved lives.
Sadly it looks like the Unitarians are going to drop the Cold Weather aspect of the shelter opting just to do it on extreme days. It is hoped that they will change their mind or at least allow another organization to operate during the Cold Weather at the same location. If another group were to end up having to take it on at a new location it would add extensively to the cost in having to purchase cots etc. and lease space.
While I truly appreciate the work the Unitarians have done in the past they have now, in my opinion, become part of the problem. They have the capacity to do the cold weather and choose not to because it is easier for them. Nanaimo needs this; a shelter that operates every night from November through March and it will continue to need it until the new Supportive Housing gets built.
Empire Fading
Letter was published in the Daily News on the 11th, nothing in the papers since so I guess we wait patiently until next year.
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