The Hot Topics
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PHOTO RADAR
---Don't speed and you won't get a ticket. With that said there has to be provisions taken to make sure radar is set up in appropriate places (ie. schools and parks) and minimum ticketing speeds are established. Safety is number one and speed limits are part of that.
PROPERTY TAX
--Property tax is high in Grande Prairie and so expectations from citizens follow with that. It is our job to spend tax payers money responsibly with respect to the wants and needs of the hardworking men and women of Grande Prairie. The previous city council did a good job reducing tax increases last year and I would advocate we continue in that direction.
WINTER SNOW REMOVAL
--Currently the system seems to be a solid system even if designed primarily for efficiency at the expense of our backs. The truth is not everyone is going to be happy regardless but the current system allows for the streets to be cleaned at a fairly decent rate of speed. We need to make sure those people who can not shovel the snow drift get the help they need to and that snow routes are communicated clearly to the public.
DRUGS/CRIME
--An issue in any major city, and Grande Prairie is no different. The blue collared mentality of GP means people work hard and then play hard on their time off. This combined with a young population attaining large amounts of money with limited financial education is leading to some bad choices, drugs being one of them. It's time to take drug discussions seriously and review if current practices (such as the safe needle deposit boxes) are working efficiently, or if there is a better route to curbing heavy drug use such as supervised safe injection sites.
BEAR CREEK FOLK FEST AND MAJOR EVENT FUNDING
--The Bear Creek Folk Festival has been incredible and should be encouraged in its growth be it through; group promotion, fundraising, and/or city funding. It is imperative that 'serious' events/festivals are supported locally so that GP can continue to be a leader of culture in the north and feed the desire of our citizens for quality family entertainment and events.
DOWNTOWN BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT
--It's already happening and so its out of my hands. I think it is great that we are trying to improve the aesthetic of Grande Prairie to be competitive with other cities. Canada has some amazing cities and GP is one of them. Now it is time we show it off and put our money where our mouth is while being aware of the effect on local downtown business' and working with them every step of the way to make sure this is a positive change that downtown business' can make it through and thrive under.
UPGRADED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
--Updated transportation routes, I'm excited! The initial plans look solid and cover pretty much the entire city. I am looking forward to reviewing the routes and getting them going. It might be worthwhile to check out the bus hours as a few citizens have asked they be extended, even if only for special events/situations.
ENDING HOMELESSNESS
--Some new affordable housing looks like it is on the way and the success of facilities like the St. Lawrence Centre is an encouraging sign that Grande Prairie is taking the homeless issue seriously. Still more effort needs to be put into supporting individuals in need and helping them get back on their feet permanently.
PHOTO RADAR
---Don't speed and you won't get a ticket. With that said there has to be provisions taken to make sure radar is set up in appropriate places (ie. schools and parks) and minimum ticketing speeds are established. Safety is number one and speed limits are part of that.
PROPERTY TAX
--Property tax is high in Grande Prairie and so expectations from citizens follow with that. It is our job to spend tax payers money responsibly with respect to the wants and needs of the hardworking men and women of Grande Prairie. The previous city council did a good job reducing tax increases last year and I would advocate we continue in that direction.
WINTER SNOW REMOVAL
--Currently the system seems to be a solid system even if designed primarily for efficiency at the expense of our backs. The truth is not everyone is going to be happy regardless but the current system allows for the streets to be cleaned at a fairly decent rate of speed. We need to make sure those people who can not shovel the snow drift get the help they need to and that snow routes are communicated clearly to the public.
DRUGS/CRIME
--An issue in any major city, and Grande Prairie is no different. The blue collared mentality of GP means people work hard and then play hard on their time off. This combined with a young population attaining large amounts of money with limited financial education is leading to some bad choices, drugs being one of them. It's time to take drug discussions seriously and review if current practices (such as the safe needle deposit boxes) are working efficiently, or if there is a better route to curbing heavy drug use such as supervised safe injection sites.
BEAR CREEK FOLK FEST AND MAJOR EVENT FUNDING
--The Bear Creek Folk Festival has been incredible and should be encouraged in its growth be it through; group promotion, fundraising, and/or city funding. It is imperative that 'serious' events/festivals are supported locally so that GP can continue to be a leader of culture in the north and feed the desire of our citizens for quality family entertainment and events.
DOWNTOWN BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT
--It's already happening and so its out of my hands. I think it is great that we are trying to improve the aesthetic of Grande Prairie to be competitive with other cities. Canada has some amazing cities and GP is one of them. Now it is time we show it off and put our money where our mouth is while being aware of the effect on local downtown business' and working with them every step of the way to make sure this is a positive change that downtown business' can make it through and thrive under.
UPGRADED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
--Updated transportation routes, I'm excited! The initial plans look solid and cover pretty much the entire city. I am looking forward to reviewing the routes and getting them going. It might be worthwhile to check out the bus hours as a few citizens have asked they be extended, even if only for special events/situations.
ENDING HOMELESSNESS
--Some new affordable housing looks like it is on the way and the success of facilities like the St. Lawrence Centre is an encouraging sign that Grande Prairie is taking the homeless issue seriously. Still more effort needs to be put into supporting individuals in need and helping them get back on their feet permanently.