Late Monday evening, Council started into “Financing Municipal Infrastructure”, a report on who should pay for the costs of growth in Calgary and how.  But the discussion ended almost as soon as it started, when the report was referred to the Standing Policy Committee on Finance & Corporate Services scheduled to meet later that week.  Sensing that what was unfolding deserved attention, on my own time and dime I scrambled to read the reports and clear an afternoon to attend the Finance committee meeting. 

First, some background as I understand it.  Every few years, the City and development industry must negotiate agreements governing the funding of infrastructure and services for new areas.  The current agreement lapses at the end of this calendar year and so, following a City/Industry forum last year, a working group was created to address three specific issues:  closing the capital cost gap, addressing timing and risk, and finding long term solutions.  The most urgent of these is closing the capital cost gap.

Currently, water and sewer infrastructure for new suburbs is paid for entirely by the City with the costs borne by all of us via our utility bills.  So, Calgary’s exponential expansion of its footprint is echoed in the expansion of the City’s debt and we – you, me and everyone who lives here – are struggling to pay for it all.  According to the City, either we find a new way to pay for this infrastructure or cap all new growth at the edges immediately.

Cap new growth: words that no one who makes money developing land in Calgary wants to hear.  And let’s be clear, the industry makes money.  And let’s also be clear, there’s nothing wrong with making money on developing land in Calgary per se, but the debt load being shouldered by citizens as a result of the current business model is not financially sustainable.

Let’s also be clear that this is not an issue of pitting established inner city neighbourhoods against newer suburban neighbourhoods as some have tried to paint it.  This is an issue for every citizen of Calgary.  We can no longer afford to artificially support the development industry’s business model, even though the jobs/taxes generated by the industry are an important part of our economy.  We can no longer subsidize the price of new housing stock when so many existing communities lack key infrastructure such as recreation centres, libraries and adequate transit.  We can no longer allow debt to expand exponentially with Calgary’s footprint, leaving ourselves unequipped to deal with upkeep of aging infrastructure and necessary services like snow-clearing.  And though it may have pained committee members to extend a long meeting even longer, several citizens – also on their own time and dime – waited hours for their five minutes of airtime to make these points and more.

To their credit, the reps of the suburban development industry who presented at the meeting acknowledged that changes are needed.  Although they initially balked at the report, upon being painstakingly walked through it by one alderman, they had to admit that they agree with most of it.  They conceded that their industry must share more of the costs and risks of developing new suburbs, that the development levies that pay for water and sewer must, indeed, go up.  They also conceded that the levies need to double to cover costs which, by the way, will bring us in line with our neighbour to the north, Edmonton.  And that even though these levies will be significant, increasing densities in new communities under the Plan It Calgary model, passed by a unanimous Council last year, will lower “per door” costs.

Still, the industry said that the report should be delayed until the fall – which effectively means after the October election dust settles – and some aldermen were intent on giving them that time.  The report was only forwarded to an upcoming Council meeting by the narrowest of votes.  But in the end, the job got done.  The report now moves on to the July 19 Council meeting.  This will be a meeting to watch.  As one alderman said Wednesday, “we have to do something now and we’re limited to the tools we have now.”  Who on Council will vote to accept the report and get on with difficult but necessary changes?  And who will vote for more time for the industry to establish its negotiating position on the timing and phasing of the levies that all parties say must go up?  I know I’ll be watching.

On June 30th, an amazing report on roles and responsibilities in Calgary’s Food System will be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Community and Protective Services. This will be a public hearing and is our opportunity to speak to city government about the importance of Food Policy. This is our time to make sure that Food Policy Moves forward in Calgary. This report is a brilliant step forward for food policy. This our time to create the food system we need!

The meeting of the Committee starts at 9:30am in the Engineering Traditions Committee Room, First Floor, old City Hall.  Food Policy is the last item on the agenda, but we unfortunately have no idea how quickly the meeting will move. Show up at 9:30 and we will show that a sustainable food policy is key for this city.

This report is the result of a notice passed by council last fall, and is just the first step in developing a sustainable and equitable food policy Calgary, but it’s a vital step. This report will create a group to investigate the current state and future possibilities of food policy in Calgary. On a more basic level, it provides an important backgrounder on food policy in relation to Calgary’s politics and Alberta’s politics for both council members and Calgarians at large. There’s a lot of really good information in this document.

The agenda for the meeting and the report itself can be found http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/livelink.exe?func=ccpa.recentagenda. The document is Agenda # 2010-06-30 for the Standing Policy Committee on Community and Protective Services. The food report starts on page 203 of the document.

Letters of Support can be sent to alderweb@calgary.ca (They are distributed to all Aldermen & a receipt of message is recorded).

Members of the public are permitted to speak at Committee Meetings. Speakers are given five minutes to make their presentation (exclusive of question and answer time). For more information go to the “Can I speak at Committee and Council Meetings?” section of the following document: http://www.calgary.ca/DocGallery/BU/cityclerks/committee.pdf

About once a month or so, I head to the best place that I know of in the city to re-stock my pantry of ethnic cooking ingredients—International Avenue in Forest Lawn. I’ve taken their Around the World Tour in 35 Blocks and I know where I need to go to find injera bread and sumac and orange-blossom water and Sao Jorge Cheese. It’s not the community where I grew up but I know it because many Portuguese immigrants moved there when first coming to Calgary and I used to go there to visit my extended family.

So what has changed in the 40+ years since my childhood? Without a doubt, the area is more diverse. What used to be the mall known as Portugal Plaza is now called Little Saigon and with the Latin, Indian, German and African businesses, it is indisputably Calgary’s multicultural heart. I applaud the efforts of the International Avenue BRZ in commissioning artists to paint murals that not only celebrate this diversity but also highlight Forest Lawn’s history. There are half a dozen colourful murals scattered along the avenue including one lovely swirling fish mural on a school yard chain-link fence. To add to the visual landscape changes, there is signage upon entering the avenue, new boulevards and sidewalks and an attractive clock at the west end of 17th Avenue. And trees! I love the addition of trees and feel that the street could use even more. From Alison Karim-McSweeny, the executive director of the International Avenue BRZ, I’ve also learned about other design initiatives in conjunction with the U of C (co-authored by Civic Camper, Gian-Carlo Carra) and what changes are in store with the addition of road-level LRT along 17th Avenue. Many of our Civic Camp 1.0 and 2.0 topics for discussion have already been explored by the BRZ and they’ve developed a process of engagement which connects the various stakeholders: the surrounding community associations, the aldermen, social services, police and the diverse business interests.

But there is also decay and an overabundance of pawn shops and money lending stores which, if I’m honest, make me feel altogether uncomfortable about the potential for crime. The Safeway grocery store, the first major grocer along the strip, looks decrepit and in need of dire attention and other buildings could use maintenance and a little upkeep. And there are too many neglected parcels that need to be re-developed. And, by and large, Calgarians from other areas of the city still do not travel into Forest Lawn with any frequency. With an array of choice restaurants one street can boast, I was dismayed to see, one Saturday evening, how few of them had full houses of patrons. There is also the sinking feeling that Forest Lawn is simply being ignored by many Calgarians and by our City Hall. We’ve looked at East Village re-development and now there’s West Village re-development but not nearly as much investment east of Deerfoot Trail.

At Civic Camp 2.0, I sat with the break-out group that discussed Vibrant Urban Villages and what the composition of that looks like. As we shared which communities we represented, one woman in my group noted how few of us campers come from East Calgary and that generally Calgarians have woefully neglected Forest Lawn. I’m not sure but I’m guessing that she’s probably right about the low number of Civic Campers from Forest Lawn or communities further east. And while a future C-train corridor is an indicator of municipal change to come, I wonder if we’ll ever see a restoration/revitalization plan like those in other areas of the city. Again, this is my “outsider’s view” and I would welcome comments from Forest Lawn residents or even encourage recruiting more Civic Campers that reside in our more diverse communities. Call me idealistic, but I think that collectively we stand to benefit when we care about all of the communities where Calgarians live and work and play.

One of the liveliest conversations we’ve ever had on our online CivicCamp discussion group was one that unfolded last month.  It all started when a CivicCamper shared a two minute video on bicycle rush hour in Utrecht.  Replies began popping up immediately and over the course of a couple of weeks, messages were posted on cycling gear, bike models, safety stats, route-finding challenges and the city’s overall approach to making Calgary safe and accessible to cyclists.  Turns out the discussion was timely.  On Monday, June 7, council will vote on working up a comprehensive biking strategy for our city over the next year, one that:

“identifies actions The City will take in the short, medium and long term in order to make Calgary a bicycle-friendly city for all – a city where cycling is a great option for transportation and recreation purposes.”

But, as with so many of these things, the path to such a vote is convoluted and complicated, hence this blog post to lay out what is unfolding (as far as I understand it), how we can participate as it unfolds and why it’s important that we participate at every opportunity.

This has been a long time coming in Calgary.  Many bike groups have worked hard for years, trying to convince council of the need for bike infrastructure changes and long-term bike infrastructure investment.  Some members of council have long supported such investment and others have been slow to take up the cause but, finally, a motion passed at council in March of this year to have admin scope out what should happen next.  The scoping report was presented to Land Use, Planning and Transportation last month and next week it’s coming to council for a vote.

This is one of those times when those who want change - everyone from daily commuters to occasional and recreational riders – need to speak up and let council know that this comprehensive cycling strategy is long overdue.  We need to support the Aldermen who have shown leadership and nudge those who have not yet grasped the importance of making active modes of transportation like biking a much higher priority.  Do you envision a network of dedicated cycling lanes, physical barriers between bikes and cars, efficient commuter routes, bike-sharing programs?  Speak up!  Council needs our feedback.  Call your Alderman’s office, send an email to all members of council, drop in at Monday’s council meeting if you can. 

But wait, there’s more.  Once this motion passes at Council, we have an opportunity to do more than just write emails and passively watch meetings unfold because this motion comes with a recommendation for an external stakeholder committee that will:

“advise administration on the development of the cycling strategy.  The committee will consist of representatives from various cycling organizations including, but not limited to, Calgary Pathway and Bikeway Advisory Council (CPAC), Bike Calgary, Calgary tour de nuit Society and Elbow Valley Cycle Club (EVCC).  The committee will also have members from the general public that are not affiliated with any cycling organization.” (bold type added)

This means that interested citizens can apply for a spot on the committee to advise admin on cycling infrastructure.  Imagine the message it would send to Council if hundreds of citizens applied.  So often I hear people say they want to see things change but they don’t know what to do about it.  Well, this is what you do for starters:  speak up and, if possible, step up.  And then demand to be heard and included more often.

Following CivicCamp’s efforts around the PlanIt debate, many individuals and organizations have been looking to CivicCamp to provide leadership around the 2010 Calgary Municipal Election. The Governance Cabin accepted this responsibility and have committed to undertaking the following projects leading up to the October 18, 2010 election day.

CivicCamp will be an honest broker for the 2010 Calgary Municipal Election. We will be non-partisan and not favour one candidate over another. Instead our goal is to increase citizen engagement by helping eliminate traditional barriers to becoming an informed voter.

What is CivicCamp doing for the 2010 elections?

1. About the Candidates.

CivicCamper Grant Neufeld has created CalgaryDemocracy.ca, an online portal where voters may learn more about all the candidates, find contact details, and submit information that may be missing. CivicCamp will continue to support CalgaryDemocracy.ca by helping keep the site current and by directing all voters to it as their primary source of candidate information.

2. Candidate Surveys.

For the first time ever in Calgary voters will help decide what questions should be asked of candidates. Voters are encouraged to visit civiccamp.uservoice.com to suggest questions and to vote for questions you would most like to have answered. This will ensure the CivicCamp survey reflects the thoughts and concerns of Calgarians as a whole, rather than only one special interest group.

These crowd-sourced questions will be provided to candidates on nomination day and will be used during election forums. All answers from candidates will be posted on our website once they are returned.

3. Candidate Forums.

CivicCamp is committed to organizing a candidate forum for the mayoral and aldermanic races during the lead up to the election. Requests for venues have recently been sent out to community associations, however if you have a venue you’d be willing to provide, please contact Peter Rishaug at prishaug@shaw.ca. Organizing 15 forums in a two and a half week period will be no easy task, so if you would like to volunteer at one or more of forums please contact Jody Rechenmacher at jodyrechenmacher@gmail.com.

Stay tuned to CivicCamp.org for the dates of each forum.

4. Campaign Issues of Concern to CivicCampers.

CivicCamp will shortly be sending surveys to CivicCampers to gather information about what issues matter to them. The results of this survey will be made available to all candidates and voters to read about what CivicCampers would like to see candidates do during and after the election.

Please spread the word and visit CivicCamp.org/2010election for more information as it becomes available.

You’re invited to attend the 2010 People and Place conference:

Cities and Towns in Transition

June 4-5, 2010

An exciting two days of dialogue, skill building, and path-finding to move us toward sustainable and resilient post-carbon communities.

Global citizens are coming together to create exciting new futures. Cities and towns around the world are charting a transition to more sustainable communities, economies and lifestyles. They are addressing emerging and critical issues such as peak oil, climate change, social and economic injustice by integrating design, governance, economic development, spirituality, leadership, capacity building and community development, and our relationship to nature and each other.

To explore the evolving relationships of people to the places they inhabit, this is an event to bring together voices from around the Calgary Region to discuss how we transform our cities and towns.

Friday June 4:

A day of inspiring dialogue and challenging presentations on following themes:

• Transition Towns
• Sustainable Cities: The Portland Model
• Global South Models

Click here for the list of Speakers as they are confirmed.

Saturday June 5:

• Morning: Local and regional initiatives panel and reflection and action groups
• Afternoon: Transition in Calgary – a series of skills workshops, dialogues, and field trips to choose from.  Click here for information on how to become a Session Leader.
• Evening: A social event to wrap up the conference hosted by local community group

Registration: conference registration opens May 14

Location:  The conference starts at the University of Calgary on Friday and moves to Hillhurst-Sunnyside on Saturday.  For details see the website or call 403-244-0777.

Sponsored by: Faculties of Social Work and Environmental Design at the University of Calgary.

The last few weeks have seen plenty of ink spilled over candidates for aldermanic and  mayoral races but when we go to the polls in October, we’ll also be asked to vote for school trustees.

The CBE is hosting an information night to encourage citizens to run for the office of school trustee, volunteer for a trustee candidate’s campaign and vote.  The May 12 event includes a panel discussion on the importance of voting featuring The Herald’s Licia Corbella and information on the responsibilities of a Public School Board Trustee.  For full details on the event, click here.

If anyone has information about a similar event for the Calgary Catholic School District, please email us at civiccamp at gmail dot com.

CivicCamp will be participating in Cities and Communities in Transition, a two day workshop scheduled for June 4 & 5, 2010 at the University of Calgary.  We’ll have more details for you soon but, meanwhile, for an in-depth introduction to this topic, you might want to consider the following spring block course at U of C.

People & Place: Cities and Towns in Transition

Spring 2010 Block Course

May 17-19, 27-28 and June 4-5, 2010

Social Work 699.56 – Environmental Design 683.10

In the light of emerging and critical issues such as peak oil, climate change, and social and economic injustice, citizens in cities and towns around the world are coming together to create exciting new processes to chart a transition to more sustainable communities, economies, and lifestyles.

The course will introduce students to the rich body of place-focused work from a host of disciplines, including geography, anthropology, social work, environmental design, and ecopsychology.

The focus of this course will be Cities and Communities in Transition. We will be working closely with local practitioners of sustainability, while drawing on the new Transition Towns movement, the Greater Edmonton Alliance, and other citizen-based movements and sustainability initiatives in other cities, such as Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and Curitiba (Brazil). The course will culminate in a 2-day workshop on Cities and Communities in Transition in June 4-5, 2010.

Please register ASAP to avoid disappointment.
for more information: Noel Keough; nkeough@ucalgary.ca; (403) 220-8588