So what job does Howie’s wife have and how did she get it - was it posted or just handed to her?
Council Watch, your post is great. I am appalled by the explanation being fed to us concerning the 5 large. If this was any other city, there would be an uproar and the media would be stomping down the mayor’s door. The talk show lines would crash. A third party inquiry would become involved. I am not ready to dismiss this latest financial boondoggle by Guy Smiley and gang. Who knows, perhaps it was a mistake? Regardless, we deserve to know what happened. If it turns out to be nothing more than someone not carrying a one, then at least a message will be sent to city hall that their employers (us) are watching and that they are accountable to us.
It’s time to turn our ivory tower upside down and retrieve our lost change.
I am writing my MLA concerning the issue. Everyone should.
Bring on the chickens!
I agree completly
Alot of the chances depend on the severity of an incident. His history is extremly questionable. I would have stopped giving him chances years ago. As a matter of fact I did by not voting for him last election. And I will do the same in the next election.
[quote=“TTFN”]
if anyone runs into the “bitten one” ask him what he is doing. [/quote]
Refering to the individual who was alledged to have been bitten. Just saving myself from being edited for posting a name.
From my perspective people on council with great intentions of being open the public are shut down or gagged if you will. Secrecy and questionable actions with no information attached makes for conspiracy theories. Add to that a mayor who has the ability to talk in circles until you believe a pile of crap is flower and people get frustrated. I’m at a loss for what needs to be done but I will say fresh faces and ideas are a must. An avenue for tax payers to get information on issues not just lip service or brush offs.
Bottom line. Mark your X on the names of people you think will create the change you want to see. And you are NOT obligated to vote for the maximum councilors. If you like two people only vote for those two people.
To your question poolguy, no there was no job posted because they created one for her. If you were to do a secret poll at city hall, most of the staff would tell you that it is a buncy of horse shit what is going on up there. I talked to one of the council members, and will not disclose there name, but they told me that they had no knowledge that Hesse was at city hall until someone on the street mentioned it. So my question is what other secrets are being withheld from our elected officials???/
I may be wrong, but I thought she got the Administrators job at SQCRD after the former Administrator was let go. (of course after leaving the job given to her at City Hall)
Can anyone verify this?
Here is why I’ll be voting for change in the next municipal election:
1. Sweetheart tax deal to Sun Wave. While small business and the residents of the community are paying out the nose and services have been slashed, parks have been bulldozed and the infrastructure crumbles around us the city found it in their hearts to give the Chinese investors a free ride. It was the previous council that allowed this to happen but many of them with the same mindset remain.
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Priorities out of whack. There has been alot of money spent to spiff up the area around the cruise ship terminal to cater to a few that visit this town once for a few hours. I love the cruise ships being here but have a problem when many neighbourhoods in town have roads that are in a state of disrepair and,as I eluded to before, parks that have been bulldozed. The taxpayer in this town has been put at the bottom of the list of priorities.
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Herb Pond’s arrogance. Speaks for itself.
4. CityWest. Why is the city holding onto a multi-million dollar asset that is providing no dividend to the city. Move it before we lose it. Too many things being neglected in our city to have a golden egg sitting there doing nothing for us.
5. Failure to be accountable. The $5.1 million blunder that turned out to be from a staffing shortage. Tony Briglio being a drunken idiot.
There is more but Ill leave it at that for now.
Council Watch, Jim Bruce was hired as an accountant.
If we were all judged by our worst day none of us would look very good.
Jim Bruce was not hired for an accountant, and I know this from fact. He was hired as the Chief Financial Officer (contract). Besides, how do you think Chief Financial Officers get their jobs - they start out as accountants …
Splitting hairs Council Watch.
CFO: the corporate executive having financial authority to make appropriations and authorize expenditures for a firm
In other words, ‘head accountant’. And since there is a Council in place that decides what he spends money on, he really just handles finances.
Whatever terminology we use, he was hired with the intention that he do the accounting work for the City of Prince Rupert. I know this from my own source, one who I guarantee is more reliable than yours.
She was the interim administrator until they hired a fellow from Stewart.
While it is important to realize what things we don’t like - or approve of - in our City Hall…have you put any thought into what you would like or approve of?
PLAO has put a bit of thought into what they want…even the bit about the chicken…HEY food security is an important thing! I mean - what happens if the highway floods and BC Ferries decides to put Rupert (or other coastal towns) over a barrel charging for bringing supplies to isolated communities.
Certainly.
What I would like is more or les the opposite of what I said I don’t like. I’d like people on Council with integrity. Not someone who pulls a Tyson-esque move at the Seafest Beer Gardens only to be rubbing shoulders with people such as the Premier very shortly after. Not someone who moans and complains about logging across the harbour because it will affect his view while flying over. A mayor and council that is accountable for things such as a $5 million budget error and not just brush it off as a low staffing problem.
I’d like to see:
1. Improved and better maintained parks/green space. The Moose donated money to upgrade Moose Tot Park and Mariners Park in direct line of sight of the cruise ship passengers has been well maintained. Other than that nearly every other municipal playground has been decimated. Not just poorly maintained but literally bulldozed. I’d also like to see pathways, sidewalks and parks better maintained. Many of these places havent had the grass cut or bush trimmed in a few years. More waterfront development as well.
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Abolish tipping fees at the dump. There’s too much crap being dumped on Wantage Road and on the road to the Industrial Park.
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Freeze Taxes. I’ll pay to help our community get back on it’s feet but I’m not willing to give anymore than I am now.
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Sell CityWest. It’s a multi-million dollar asset that is not providing any revenue to the city. Move it and lets get some work done around here and relieve some of the burden for the residenst and small business.
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Cleanliness Bylaws. I’m with Pedrico on this one. There are too many derelict houses with derelict cars and boats, unkept yards. There are only a handfull opf neighbourhoods in town that actually look really good.
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I’m also with him for being a chicken farmer. I’d like to be self sustaining. Obviously not every property could have them because of lot sizes but there are many that could.
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I’d like to see a council that works to re-build this city’s services and neighbourhoods. That past is behind us and we have a promising future ahead.
There’s a start.
I know that this may make MiG’s skin crawl - but I am reviving this old thread as it seems applicable to the current discussions.
Once again - I propose that we put a bit of thought into what we DO want. Since the dead horse of what we DON’T want has been sufficiently beaten.
You folk are really gitten somewhat excited now, I saw this Pond guy I believe he is your mayor serving coffee in Tims this morning, I gathered he was who every one talks about. kine a takes to cameras phoney Bush smile I rekin.Well this here town is gitten real fun to be in to bad I mustin get into anything just yet.
When discussing this issue, in all the different threads that have been bumped or created, please keep in mind that HTMF is, as a majority, not in favour of the job City Council is doing. With that in mind, not much will come of this, or any like discussion. If everyone agrees with each other, that’s great–but all but one of you is meaningless. For these discussions to matter you have to have people who can at least attempt to rebut your contentions, or maybe just list off ways that City Council is doing a good job.
[quote=“eccentric”]
For these discussions to matter you have to have people who can at least attempt to rebut your contentions, or maybe just list off ways that City Council is doing a good job. [/quote]
It is a very good point that having opposing sides to any story forces folks to assess their own positions - or at least it should.
The original intention of this posting was to get people talking about what they DO want from city hall.
I, for one, am tired of listening to people complain about ‘the way it is’ with no thought about what they would like to see instead.
For starters, I would like to see the city sell off City West and any other businesses that it may still be operating. Focus on Municipal business such as roads, water, sewer, good community planning. Take the money that they receive from City West and invest it into upgrading our infrastructure before we have serious accidents.
I’d like to see an audit of every department and business the city still has with a few to either getting out of the business or consider privatizing services. Commercial Garbage collection was successfully outsourced and many municipalities have private contractors pick up garbage.
Get rid of tipping fees at the landfill for homeowners and the wantage road issue will dissapear.
An example of a business we should not be in is the Alaskan Ferry Dock. Why the heck are we maintaining a dock for the province? For a cash strapped municipality, I’m surprised this wasn’t under active discussions with the province. Frankly I suspect that the only reason Herbie is now chasing provincial monies is that the bill became too high to hide.
I’m not clear on why BC Ferries and Alaska Ferries can not share a docking facility and share the costs without the taxpayers of PR footing the bill. The 1 million dollars we spent on this in upgrades would have fixed quite a few potholes in town.
Relative to the cleanup of city streets of derelict vehicles and homes, this just requires the city to enforce it’s bylaws without favouritism.
On the subject of vandalism and homelessness, a good start would be to provide the youth someplace and something useful to do. Drop in Centres for a start. As for the homeless and addicts, we need to push hard for proper social programs in town. - A provincial responsibility I believe.
Hows that for starters… and btw… sorry can’t support the chicken idea.
Here’s something I’ll throw out there and hope some current or future city counsel member will think about. The city needs a new RCMP building. The one they have is old, undersized, and the city is about to pour money into it to renovate the prisoner cells.
Clearly the city can not afford to build a new building. It does, however, own a lot of land. I just don’t understand why the city doesn’t enter into a public/private partnership with a developer and have someone build the city a new building. The city signs on for a long term lease, and it’s win/win all around.
I think that is a good idea all around, where is the land that you speak off. This council have not nor does it ever consider such moves for the city itself, lets be honest Mike. I do think it is a good idea and they should look into this idea of yours. Even down on Charlie Currie road right next to the Rural section could maybe looked at. Right next door they are fixing up but I have only been in the Rural section part for meetings.
I think the Royop development had plans for an RCMP/Firehall/Ambulance station with a long term lease with the City. 
See - there are some good ideas out there!!
I would be very interested in hearing what people think are the top three issues for this November’s city elections…bearing in mind that the issues may not all lie fully within municipal jurisdiction, but still city issues…
My top two - with a third thrown in for good measure:
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Social infrastructure (services relating to youth, health, mental illness and addictions)
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Physical infrastructure (roads, water, sewer)
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Bringing Tourism Prince Rupert back into line