JimsWorld

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Good treasure in trash. Bylaw 280.

Bylaw 280 is a garbage hauling bylaw. It is a proposed rule that says if you make garbage here, you have to dump it here, at one of the government approved places.

Bylaw 280 aims to stop the increasing trend of hauling waste to Oregon.

One year ago Bylaw 280 was unanimously passed and supported at the civic level. It requires Provincial approval, Mary Polak - Minister of Environment, in order to be enacted. Her decision is expected soon.

Bylaw 280 has been described as:

1) a Tax Grab

2) a step towards an Incinerator

3) help for Recycle & Diversion

4) part of Provincial Recycle Plan

5) the best option to share costs

6) A Substantial Move

I think Bylaw 280 is all of the above. It is a big deal.

It represents a fundamental decision about what governments role is, in the lives of citizens.

Like water, education & ferries I believe it makes sense for waste to be a public responsibility. There is more than money at stake here. There is a bigger picture - its about the planet, the air, the water and how we shape economic activity moving forward.

If enacted Bylaw 280 will create more government.

How exactly that happens - exactly what, when & how this new bureaucracy is set up & operates is vitally important. I believe it should and will happen. I can see that the responsibility to see it done right, is one of the biggest challenges facing elected officials and citizens this generation.

A robust, progressive waste management system is a vital part of the modern world. It simply has to be balance the interests of all stakeholders - private, public and Non Profit.

Bylaw 280 makes it clear whose job "trash" is and how it will be funded. I sincerely support it and want to be involved in the process, in the solution.

The "treasure" in trash is more than money - support bylaw 280.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

"Up in Smoke" - a series of articles on the Waste to Energy (WTE) proposal involving Nanaimo

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Parkwood Transportation Plan Concern II

From: Jim Routledge <routledgejim@shaw.ca>

Subject: Re: Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting - 2014-FEB-11th

Date: 11 February, 2014 11:07:09 AM PST

To: George Anderson <George.Anderson@nanaimo.ca>

Cc: Jodi Wilson <Jodi.Wilson@nanaimo.ca>, Amir Freund <Amir.Freund@nanaimo.ca>, Andrew Tucker <Andrew.Tucker@nanaimo.ca>, "Bill McKay" <Bill.McKay@nanaimo.ca>, Bob Prokopenko <Bob.Prokopenko@nanaimo.ca>, David Grey <dgrey@sd68.bc.ca>, David Murchie <dmurchie@murchie.ca>, "Gordon Foy" <Gordon.Foy@nanaimo.ca>, Michele Patterson <michele.patterson@viu.ca>, Randy Churchill <Randy.Churchill@nanaimo.ca>, Rod Davidson <Rod.Davidson@nanaimo.ca>, Ted Greves <Ted.Greves@nanaimo.ca>

Good point George, debate has taken place and since I was absent I would appreciate a moment, to at least try to do what I said to my neighbours, that I would do - change the plan.

If this neighbourhood can get one line on this plan changed, would it not speak positively about the Master Plan and the city's sensitivity to its residents?

Regards

Jim Routledge

On 2014-02-11, at 10:33 AM, George Anderson wrote:

Hi Jim,

As you are aware the committee discussed this item at the last meeting and potential solutions, which included possible deletion. The committee decided the best option would be to leave options open and if/when the property develops that discussions with the neighbourhood take place to see if traffic calming measure can be implemented or potential disconnection of Parkwood Drive. I am happy to clarify the debate with you in person and Mr.Foy can clarify how the potential traffic mitigation may work as well. Therefore, since debate has taken place on the issue, I would like to see the committee move forward with the direction given.

Sincerely,

George Anderson

Councillor

City of Nanaimo

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Parkwood Transportation Plan Concern

From: Jim Routledge <routledgejim@shaw.ca>

Subject: Re: Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting - 2014-FEB-11th

Date: 11 February, 2014 6:02:50 AM PST

To: Jodi Wilson <Jodi.Wilson@nanaimo.ca>

Cc: Amir Freund <Amir.Freund@nanaimo.ca>, Andrew Tucker <Andrew.Tucker@nanaimo.ca>, Bill McKay <Bill.McKay@nanaimo.ca>, Bob Prokopenko <Bob.Prokopenko@nanaimo.ca>, David Grey <dgrey@sd68.bc.ca>, David Murchie <dmurchie@murchie.ca>, George Anderson <George.Anderson@nanaimo.ca>, Gordon Foy <Gordon.Foy@nanaimo.ca>, Michele Patterson <michele.patterson@viu.ca>, Randy Churchill <Randy.Churchill@nanaimo.ca>, Rod Davidson <Rod.Davidson@nanaimo.ca>, Ted Greves <Ted.Greves@nanaimo.ca>

Good day TAC members: My apology for missing the last meeting. Compliments to all for the continued good progress.

I feel obliged to follow up on one item that affects the neighbourhood where I both I've and work - Parkwood.

The following excerpt from the minutes of the last meeting indicates the concerns raised over recent weeks and months since the Woodgrove Open house in November.

Subsequent to the open house, I attended a meeting on this issue of approximately 65 area residents at Randerson Ridge School. Another neighbourhood meeting voicing concerns occurred in December at Cathedral Grove Park which was attended by city staff.

"TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2013-Dec-19 Minutes: Page 6
8. NEW BUSINESS:
a) Parkwood Neighbourhood
As part of DP#3 – Major Roads (Map 7), Enterprise Way is proposed to be extended east to Uplands Drive and Uplands Drive completed to four lanes if the Green Thumb site redevelops. Both projects are identified as long-term and dependent on future development.
The adjacent Parkwood neighbourhood is concerned that Parkwood Drive is being used as a short-cut between Uplands Drive and Turner Road and is concerned that a proposed connection to Enterprise Way will exaggerate this behaviour.
The City has responded to several emails from the neighbourhood advising that the City does not have any intentions of changing Parkwood Drive or its function as a neighbourhood street. The only change in the plan specific to Parkwood Drive is to identify it as a potential local street bikeway.

TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2013-Dec-19
Page 7
If at the time development occurs on the Green Thumb site, the City would consider whether mitigation is required on Parkwood Drive in the form of traffic calming, or if the neighbourhood supports it, disconnection of Parkwood Drive.
The best time to address these issues is if or when a development is proposed. Wording to clarify these positions could be added to the Plan to address neighbourhood concerns.
David Murchie would like to see more generic wording used, rather than naming a specific street. Feels it is appropriate to add “in the event that a road is being used inappropriately due to congestion of other routes, we will do traffic calming”. "

I would like to propose a specific change to the above referenced Map 7:

that the proposal to "extend Enterprise east to Uplands" be deleted as shown.

It is just the "Uplands leg" from the Enterprise/Calinda road that I would like to see deleted from the plan. The plan and map would still show a connection from Enterprise to Calinda, i I agree completely with the logic described in the minutes that the best time to address specifics would be if and when development occurs. If the Uplands "leg" is deemed necessary at that time, it could still be incorporated by way of the City's planning and development approval process that includes considerable opportunity for public input and "mitigation".

Regards

Jim Routledge

250 616 2151

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Vancouver Home Prices - Nanaimo has some catching up to do.

The chart below indicates that Vacouver's average home price has risen by over 25% since 2008. Nanaimo's has fallen by 3%. Why?

There are no doubt many reasons contributing to this. One, in my opinion, relates to new zoning bylaws enacted in Vancouver and many other communities including Nanaimo. These zoning bylaws are the rules by which we build houses. The trend has been to allow higher density, more function in the same space. Does this mean more "value". What is Vancouver's market saying?

Vancouver's newer zoning rules have been in effect a few years longer than Nanaimo's new Zoning Bylaw which only came into effect in August 2011. Vancouver also has a much larger volume of new building permits. New rules take a while to catch on and for value to be recognized by the market and the development/building community. Vancouver has had many more trys at building things that people want.

The run up in Vancouvers prices in 2010/11 may, in part be a reaction to Vancouver's zoning initiatives with higher density/higher value lane way housing (2 houses on one lot, 3 kitchens total)

Prices rose, peaked and have declined slightly in last 2 years.

I can see a similar, yet delayed, response here in Nanaimo to the similar market forces. There has been only a handful of projects with the smaller lots, increased heights & laneway housing that our new rules allow.

Our market is simply smaller, much less volume. It takes longer to process new information, reaction is slower.

I know I am older & slower to react but eventually I do catch up to the pack.

Nanaimo's market line on the graph above is the red one. It has turned up over the last 4 months. Is that a trend? Will it continue to increase like Vancouver's 2010/2011 period?

Is it a good time to buy something?

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Save the Colliery Lakes

I went to the dam picnic today. Saying "dam" to tune people in to what I am talking about has to be the most efficient and fun thing about this issue. There really isn't much else about it that I think is particularly funny, efficient or interesting - dam dam dam. :)

I had a good hot dog, one of those big ones like at Costco & cake-lovely chocolate cake with the white icing, not too sweet. After hiking up Mt Benson with nothing but half a chocolate bar for lunch I was prepared to buy & wear any t-shirt and sign any petition to get into this picnic. No such opportunity or requirement - just enjoy the moment, welcome to Colliery

It was nice. a nice gathering of nice people with dogs, kids and food - i missed the corn, it looked real good.

I met Jeff Soloman, he & I had talked on the phone recently about another issue but we had never met - nice guy. Dale who I took to be another main man, same thing- nice people. Where was all the raucus, Klu Klux Klan stuff I had heard about - not a sign, no signs in fact - how can you have a protest with no signs.

Ok, so it would appear to me that all the disruptive, bad manners that I've heard about with respect to this issue seems to have been contained within the Nanaimo City Council Chambers - hmmm, more on that point later, for now this group works for me - I am a sissy.

SO the best part... Ron Bolin was having a chat on a bench under a shady tree when I finished desert and wandered over, Gord Fuller and his two dogs (one was a loaner) stopped by also. I'm fishing for input on what the fuss is all about asking if its about saving the "park" or saving the "dam" I am trying to buy a T-shirt with something like that on it. Ron drops the perfect line - "the t-shirts should say "save the Colliery Lakes".

"Save the Colliery Lakes", Save the "Lakes" the "lakes" is what this is all about, the damn lakes (excuse me that was a real one )

Ok, lets look at what we are actually doing. We are sitting on the dam. We gazing out at the lake, we are watching swimmers/boaters in the lake. We are enjoying the breeze off the lake. Who cares about the dam dam, its the dam lake that counts.

Has anyone considered Ron's idea of saving the "lakes", just the dam "lakes".

Would it make everyone happy if we could keep the Colliery lakes?

Would it be ok to stop swearing so much? Could we just take the dam out of the conversation?

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Nanaimo is getting better.

My compliments to Mayor Ruttan, Diane Brennan, Dianna Johnstone, Bill McKay and George Andersen for voting in a new Communication Manager position.

George's comments below (copied with permission from his Facebook page) are well reasoned and positive. The attitude, as much as the logic, expressed by George below is what I find exciting. This is really what will lead Nanaimo to its potential as an attractive, efficient and balanced community.

George Anderson

, the reason I voted for a communications manager is because there is a lack of communication between the city and residents of Nanaimo that is one of the things I campaigned on. There are many examples of the poor communication on behalf of the city, such as the low barrier housing on uplands. In this example the city did not explain or give information to the public, and weeks later there were large ads in the paper with a family walking down a road and on the side a white picket fence with a woman injecting herself with a needle, that said "what’s wrong with this picture?"I think it very important that the city position on any project is clear and information is distributed in a fashion for everyone to understand. Instead the city allows for individuals in the community who do not know how things come about, nor do they understand the rational go ahead and define things that happen when they are not true.

I am assuming that you read that the communications manager was hired in the Daily News. The question I would like to ask you is how many reporters do you think were in the room at the time the communications manager was voted upon? The answer is zero. I think it is shocking that a reporter can write a story on something and say there was almost no discussion on the topic when they were not even present at the time. We voted on this on Monday, and yet it did not come into the paper until Friday.

Over the next three years the city will be moving forward with things such as the possible acquisition on Harmacs water system, or building a dam, or the dispute between the Snuneymuxw, that the citizens of Nanaimo have accurate information. Before being elected I had a belief that the government tells us the truth and I still believe that. My opinion on this is that the communications manager will facilitate ways to bring information to the community in new innovative ways so the public who elects mayor & council will know the rationale behind doing things. If I bring it back to the water issue, would you continue to live in Nanaimo if there was no water? I don’t think many people would and it is of the utmost importance that people have the information. Also you mentioned that this will be a "spin doctor" this job will not supplement mayor and council, its direction is to supply information to the community not to help mayor and council with the commentary or decisions council makes. If we were hiring a spokes person I would have voted against that as that is why we have the Mayor who speaks on behalf of the city, but also most people do not believe what politicians are saying which is why I think it is important we create this position.

You say you had hoped for better when you voted for me. I would hope that you will understand my rationale on this issue. I take my job and the opportunity the people of Nanaimo gave me very seriously. I don’t think the electorate voted for me in the numbers they did because they thought I wouldn’t work hard. I spend numerous amounts of hours reading or agendas, briefings, researching issues, communicating with the constituents to make sure that I am making the right decision at the end of the day. I would say that people voted for me because they saw that we had commonalities. The way I see it is that we will not see eye to eye on each issue, but that on most issues over my term we will agree. I have tried to be as open and transparent as I can and I think I have accomplished it in that you are able to have this conversation with me right now through social media which you would not be able to with other elected officials. If you still have concerns please send me and email and we can discuss this further (george.anderson@nanaimo.ca)

February 26 at 7:15pm · · 4

The source of this quote can be found 19 comments down under the post below:

http://www.facebook.com/1GeorgeAnderson/posts/335096526532213?comment_id=4211550