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Kamloops Daily News Column: Thinking about Diversity...

2012-02-13T22:19:56-08:00

This is my first council column of this term. Thanks to the Daily News for the opportunity to write on a regular basis. Roughly once a month, I will be writing a piece for the paper:

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“Some of what we must learn from if democracy is to flourish comes from ‘crossing over’ into lives unlike our own, not fleeing from them in fear but entering into them in trust that an experience of ‘otherness’ can help our closed hearts break open”
- Parker Palmer

One thing about this town that is such an opportunity, while also perhaps being such a challenge, is its diversity. In November, Kamloops voters elected a council that mirrors well that community diversity.

I’m very excited to serve with people with such a wide range of ages, life experiences, and points of view. There is real potential that we will make better decisions because more people are represented around the table.

I'm also honoured to participate in a historic milestone - the first Kamloops council that has more women than men. This is plain awesome.

The challenging thing about diversity, in my view, is that many of our usual ways make it hard to accommodate real and legitimate differences, let alone leverage them. Here are a couple of short stories and observations.

In my personal life, I like to think I have a pretty diverse group of friends and colleagues. Being around the council table again has reminded me that, as diverse as my personal network might be, I still pick and choose who I associate with.

I didn’t choose my council colleagues or hire on my own any city staffer (a good thing) and I need to continually remind myself that my usual programming and perceptions will often not serve me or the community well. I sometimes need to fight an immediate urge to counter someone else’s point of view.

In the past two months, we have already had many votes. I am struck by how much happens at a single council meeting. When you are on the losing end of a vote, it is sometimes hard to let go on an issue that stirs a strong belief or passion within. It feels worse when you feel like you let people in the community down who share the same beliefs or passions.

Democracy, in my understanding, however, is not about winning votes. It is about representing the community - in our case, a diverse and vibrant community that so many love. Since our installation early last December as a new council, I’ve often reflected on two words from one of the distinguished speakers. I hope Reverend Comrie and Justice Hyslop will forgive me that I don’t remember which one of you spoke of courtesy and respect.

I’ve thought a lot about what courtesy and respect mean to me in relation to serving on city council. The quote I used at the beginning of this column, from the amazing book Healing the Heart of Democracy by Parker Palmer, sums it up well. I think it is critical for me to open my mind and my heart to people and points of view that are very new to me, that I may even totally disagree with.

I also think its important to not ‘preach’ my own opinions or life experience, but to offer them in the spirit of service, humility, and trust in this incredible and diverse team the people have elected. I am not always going to be on the “winning side” and I hope that is okay with me.

I want to thank the Daily News for the opportunity to write regularly. What I have written today are not really finished thoughts, but more of an invitation to dialogue on working with diversity. Look forward to hearing from you.

The YMCA thinks I am helping them...

2012-02-13T22:14:26-08:00

When really it is the other way around. I got a call a month or so ago from the ever awesome Darcy Harris at the Kamloops Y. Darcy coordinates communication and fundraising. She asked me to be one of the "celebrity" (I use that word so advisedly) fundraisers for the Y Strong Kids campaign. I said I would be happy to help. I have to go to the Y and exercise and I ask people to pledge me for that exercise. I understand my face is on a couple of posters posted in the gym, etc.

Truth be told, I needed this more than Y needed me. Don't get me wrong, I am so supportive of the Strong Kids campaign. It's just that the New Year came this year with a strong personal feeling that I am really out of shape. I need to take better care of my health. And sitting on that recumbent bike, walking on that treadmill, last week, felt so good. Ever notice that a gym often feels like one of the happiest places on earth. I'm looking forward to this week.

There are a lot of people in Kamloops who make a exercise a regular and routine part of their life. More seem to be joining in every day.

Council Mtg Agenda Jan 24th 2012- some preliminary thoughts

2012-01-22T23:19:55-08:00

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/syldavia/13047429/

On this coming tuesday's council agenda, there are a lots of interesting reports and presentations. What especially caught my eye are recommendations to allow some rental buildings to convert rental units into units for sale and recommendations not to create a licensing system for cats. There is also a report recommending license fees for dogs be increased. I am really looking forward to a presentation from renowned Kamloops nutritionist Laura Kalina presenting on food security strategies and public produce.

City Council is also being asked to give early approval to just over half the capital spending budget. Staff have provided justifications why each project should be approved before our 2012 enhanced budget public engagement sessions. The full council agenda contains that report, all the others highlighted above, and a few more:

Kamloops City Council Meeting - Agenda and Information Package, Jan 24th 2012

Materials Presented by KGHM Ajax on the Proposed Ajax Mine...

2012-01-22T22:38:46-08:00

At last week's council meeting, the project manager for the proposed Ajax gold a and copper mine, Jim Whittaker presented an update on the project from the mining company's perspective. Just to make his powerpoint a little more accessible, I made it into a pdf file and posted it below. You will also find here a pdf of the information booklet created by the mining company. If you want to watch video of Mr Whittaker's presentation and responses to council questions, visit this page and click on the delegations link on the right hand of the screen.

There will be public open houses on the mine proposal from 12pm to 8pm on Feb 6th and 7th at the old Kamloops Towne Lodge (now the Coast Kamloops hotel), 1250 Rogers Way.

Company Presentation on proposed Ajax Mine - ppt presented to Kamloops City Council

KGHM Ajax Info Booklet on Proposed Ajax Mine

Council Mtg Agenda Jan 10th 2012- some preliminary thoughts

2012-01-09T00:02:29-08:00

I've left out some things out of this quick summary. Will get better at this!

I'm looking forward to the first council meeting of 2012. After two meeting in December to start the term, we've had a long break. It's been a wonderful break in so many ways but I'm ready to get back to it. Council will undoubtedly unanimously proclaim Jan 2012 as Azheimer's month in Kamloops - in support of the great work by so many people who raise awareness and support people with Alzheimer's.

There's a couple of interesting development related reports. One is to legitimize what seems to be a minor error in pouring a foundation for a strata unit. Instead of being 4.5 meters from the property line (technically referred to as a "setback"), the building is now 3.75 meters from the property line. The developer has likely incurred a bit of a cost to apply for council's approval of the 3.75 setback. City staff are recommending council approval as, in this case, the error has caused minimum impact. These things sometime happen. An interesting line from the staff reports outlines the reason for required setbacks / building distance from property line - "the purpose of yard setbacks is to ensure site lines are not obstructed by buildings, allow open space on lots and adequate access to buildings, and provide separation to support other regulatory frameworks, such as the BC Building Code."

Another interesting report has to do with council supporting a liquor licence application by the Coast Kamloops Hotel (formerly the Kamloops Towne Lodge) to continue to allow dancing in the hotel and conference centre's ballrooms. From what I understand, and I am still learning, something has changed in liquor licensing regulations and the hotel wants to make sure it complies.

There are also two reports concerning homeowners who want to create more housing: the first from someone wanting to create a two bedroom "carriage" suite above a detached garage for a home near 10th and Columbia; the second from someone wanting to create divide one lot into two near the intersection of Glenview Ave and Crestline St.

Mayor Milobar has proposed, I believe, exciting and timely changes to how the meetings on the 2012 city budget meetings will be conducted. These involve three public budget meetings with roundtable discussions on the budgets of different city departments as opposed to one or two meetings with quite a bit more formality and with more of an overall overview of the entire city budget. I am looking forward to further planning discussions.

Explaining my Votes Supporting Solar Hot Water Ready Regulation in Kamloops...

2011-12-21T20:26:23-08:00

Creative Commons Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturewise/4334771587/

At the first meeting of the 2011-2014 Council, we dealt with a tough and divisive issue and voted 5-4 to require solar hot water ready features in all new homes. At the second meeting, we dealt with this issue again and reversed our decision from the first meeting - this time the vote was 6-3. I voted for the requirement both times and I would like to explain my reasoning (the core of my reasoning is in italics below, if you are short of time). It was a tough decision for me and I have heard from quite a few people who were not happy with my vote. I've also heard from many who also support the regulation.

What is the background on this issue?

In the BC Building code, there is an optional provision for municipalities to require that all new homes be built to allow solar hot water systems to be installed more easily. Just to be clear, this provision does not require the solar hot water systems be installed. It does require the conduits, space, and weight bearing capacity to support such systems. 36 municipalities in BC have adopted this provision so far.

On Nov 1st 2011, a delegation presented to council on the benefits of the solar hot water ready regulation and formally requested council require all new homes in Kamloops to be solar hot water ready. Council decided to ask for input from the homebuilders association before making a decision. On Dec 6th 2011, the first meeting of the new council, a report was included in the agenda package that detailed the feedback from the Canadian Homebuilders Association Central Interior. They outlined a number of concerns with the regulation and did not support it.

The basic decision here seemed to me to revolve around the following. Solar hot water systems create less greenhouse gases and, it can be argued, increase the value of a home. If every new home has the basic infrastructure to enable solar hot water, it makes it easier and less expensive to install the system anytime in the future. On the flip side, will many people want to install these systems? Additionally, with the homebuilding industry wracked with uncertainty and problems surrounding the HST, would the added cost of readying a new home for solar hot water (b/w 200 - 1000$ by most accounts), be yet another disincentive for people considering buying a new home.

My reasoning.

First off, I want to express great respect for people who do not share my views on this issue. Good and thoughtful people can come to different views on the same issue. I want to see a successful and innovative home building industry in Kamloops and it was hard for me to not follow their recommendation on this issue. I have huge respect for the leadership of the Canadian Homebuilders Association Central Interior.

I share the view of many Kamloopsians that we should reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and that a requirement that every new house be solar hot water ready offers a low cost way to help people utilize a greenhouse gas reducing technology that will become increasingly popular. Again, I struggled a lot with the timing here. Local homebuilders have been pretty clear in the message that 2011 has been a tough year. I would have preferred that the regulation be enforced only when the HST came off new houses - that motion was defeated on December 6th.

But, here is the essence of my vote: the added cost of making a new home solar hot water ready seemed very small and I don't think the added cost would dissuade the vast majority of prospective new home buyers. The average cost of a new home in Kamloops is about $400 000 and the highest cost I have heard quoted to make a house solar hot water ready is about $1000 (the provincial government uses a range of $200 - $500). Taking these calculations, on average, a solar hot water ready requirement would add 0.25% to the price of a new home. I am making the assumption that solar power will become cheaper and that traditional heating fuels will become more expensive, and that solar hot water systems will become much more popular. I felt a good deal of comfort that the BC government has researched solar hot water systems and feels confident that these systems offer good value for BC homeowners. I also noted the adoption of the regulation in many other BC communities.

How did I research the issue?

I read and reread the city staff report in the Dec 6th agenda package. I researched reports in communities such as West Vancouver, Kelowna, Campbell River and Coquitlam. I read information available on the regulation at the BC Building Code website and at Solar BC. I consulted with our city staff on the average price of a new home in Kamloops.

Who did I consult? Did I listen to people?

Before voting on the issue, I spoke to people both for and against the regulation. I spoke to the homebuilders and to sustainability advocates. I listened to people and had to make a tough call because people in the community were divided in their opinions.

What I have heard from people?

Let me add to this section over the next days. I would be very interested on your feedback on my core reasoning (in the italics above). Is it generally sound? What did I miss? Etc.

Thank you!

2011-11-21T08:24:30-08:00

I am truly humbled to have been elected again to Kamloops City Council. Thank you so much to everyone for your support! Special thanks to my wife, my parents, my sister and her kids, and to my amazing campaign team!

Congratulations to all those elected and all those who stood for election. The quality and committment of the candidates in 2011 was simply amazing. A real pleasure to listen and learn from these folks. Here are the full results:

Mayor

Council

School Trustee

My Responses to Kamloops Community and Media Questions....

2011-11-13T21:02:30-08:00

Here are some of my thoughts and stands on a whole range of issues:

Responses to Citizen / Media Questions