YYCVotes: Ward 12 Discussion

[firebug]

I don't know if ward 12 is cool enough to get its own thread like Ward 6 does, but there does seem to be a fair number of posters who live deep SE like I do.

We are about to escape the grasp of our last Alderman which leaves the current race up for grabs and without a clear leader.

Who are our Candidates?

Al Browne - http://www.albrowne.ca/

Roger Crowe - http://site.rogercrowe.ca/

Shane Keating - http://www.shanekeating.ca/

Rory Rotzoll - http://www.roryrotzoll.ca/

Benjamin Sim - http://bensim.ca/


What are your key issues that our Alderman should focus on? Are they regional or are you focused on broader city-wide problems?

Today and tomorrow I will attempt to visit and review their websites, but take the time to share any knowledge and impressions you have so far.

[Ducay]

Just a note firebug, your links to their sites are broken!

[firebug]

Votecalgary.ca has released results of a survey conducted among Ward 12 residents (see slide page 16).

The leaders:
Undecided is running away with the race so far at 64%
Refused takes second place with 16%

Of the actual candidates, they are ranked in Alphabetical Order (coincidence?) and in what I suspect is a statistical tie.
Browne - 7%
Crowe - 6%
Keating - 4%
Rotzoll - 1%
Sim - 1%

The takeaway from this is that your vote really counts in the Aldermanic races. Take the time to elect a representative that reflects what you feel is important to the betterment of our Ward and City.

[jdso]

NOTES FROM FORUM I ATTENDED


Question – Would you extend the recycling plan to include apartment buildings and/or organics?

Sim – Didn’t really understand the question. Started talking about instituting black bins and their positives

Keating – Need to do it, but need to find a simple methodology to institute it properly.

Crowe – Grass is biggest waste need to compost. Follow other countries eg China

Question – Do you support legalization of secondary suites in all existing neighbourhoods?

Crowe – Maybe, need to account for density changes and would like to limit the number per block

Rotzoll – Supports it, but need to look at zoning and building codes and address parking issues

Keating – Supports it but need clear rules first to address parking, safety

Sim – against it. Hard to enforce and feels they are unsafe

Question – What strategies do you have to create more pedestrian and bicycle oriented infrastructure?

Rotzoll – Lots of paths but they don’t go anywhere. Need to work with developers to create better paths and give people some choice on how to move

Browne – Likes the San Antonio river path wouldn’t mind it for the Bow. Not dissatisfied with the current system

Crowe – wants business nodes along 52nd street so people live closer to work and have the choice to bike

Question – Do you support a long-term lease for Race City as a track and advanced driving facility in Calgary?

Crowe – against providing money for private companies. People who use it should pay for it

Keating – supports it . Helps with safety with less street racing. City provides money to all different interests already.

Rotzoll – Both parties aware of issue. Now it’s costing the city $$. Need to find alternate location.

Browne – Race City is not asking for a handout. Reduces street racing. Supports long-term lease.

Question – Would you support an urban growth boundary?

Browne – urban sprawl different from urban growth. Against boundary. No urban sprawl problem in Calgary

Sim – need overpasses and other major infrastructure complete before communities are done. Support it but with conditions

Keating – can’t reduce choice. But need diverse housing styles in new communities, better planning. Thus no need for boundaries

Question – How to improve short-term traffic issues?

Rotzoll – BRT is bandaid, need LRT and East/West LRT connector. Plus plan for future

Keating – Plan better communities with better road systems. Need buses + BRT. Too many stops on current BRT. LRT is vital

Browne – there’s no short term fixes. Land near problem areas of deerfoot coming up for sale. Calgary should look at buying it. LRT should be financed w/ green incentive program

Question – do you live in the ward?

Browne – yes and yes it is important to live there to experience the issues

Sim – Yes and yes it is important to live there to experience the issues

Crowe – no. Boundaries have been redrawn and he is close but technically not in the area

Keating - Important to live there to stay current. Committed to making communities better.

Question – How do you plan to communicate ward issues to council?

Keating - Worked with many diff ppl all on diff levels. Can do it on council

Crowe - Already done work with city thru Cartod. Worked with ab govt and community assn.

Rotzoll - 1 voice of 15. Promise to be a voice for ward. Need to sell issues to other aldermen.

Q. Support rezoning golf courses? Douglasdale could be affected

Rotzoll - City needs to talk to communities to see what they want and how it fits the city plan.

Crowe - What is role of city in sale of land. Manage expectations of community. Densification threatens green space.

Browne - He paid premium to have house on douglas course. Would be angry if it were sold. Others would feel the same.

Question: How to support in the short term, Rec centers? How to finance? Support P3?

Browne. Support agreement with seton and trico for facilities sharing agreement. Quarry park idea is good. P3 would work well.

Crowe - Want seton Rec centre. Support p3 for these projects.

Keating. For short-term ideas. Adopt a field policy like hwys for teams. Shouldnt be city vs communities and teams

Question: City have a role to preserve heritage sites?

Sim – yes

Rotzoll - Yes thru legislating rules. Past is important. More than just a cowboy past. City should be a guide not owner of the sites though

Question: Do you accept developer donations?

Keating. Yes. Praises votecalgary for trying to engage yyc in election. But also donations from teams, family etc

Browne - Yes but clear about it. Will not compromise beliefs and morals. Have wide spectrum of donors. Wants best for ward 12

Crowe and Sim self funded, won't accept donors. Sim has taken all signs down. Hates them. Crowe made his own signs

Question: how have you helped homelessness and poverty?

Sim. Homeless are true hard working ppl. Prgms have helped them. Small percentage chronically homeless. Likes affordable housing

Crowe. He has already helped create affordable housing. Spend money better to do it.

[firebug]

CalgaryPolitics.com has interviewed each of the candidates.

Al Browne

Roger Crowe

Shane Keating

Rory Rotzoll

Ben Sim

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by jdso

Question – Do you support a long-term lease for Race City as a track and advanced driving facility in Calgary?

Crowe – against providing money for private companies. People who use it should pay for it

Gotta wonder about a guy who doesn't understand what a lease is. Or was he referring to the city's costs for policing the area, etc.?

Really, unless you really, really oversimplified what he said, it seems Mr. Crowe has no clue what the issues actually are around Race City.

[jdso]

Most answers are simplified but the nature of the Race City answer is correct. I remember shaking my head as I was typing his answer.

In fairness, I could have been mistaken with some of the answers above since the answers were coming really quickly. Also, not every candidate answered every question.

[puffnstuff]

What about the 'Tunnel'? ANy of them give any answers to that or were they even asked about it because our Ward is so far away (heard one candidate in a different ward say it wasn't on their radar because of where they lived in the city)

What about Deerfoot and the traffic going north in the morning and the ever present bottleneck at the bridge? And the really bad merge from D.dale onto Deerfoot?

[Resolute 14]

The plans to fix the bottleneck are already on the books. They are set to build a new bridge and realign the Glenmore/Deerfot interchange starting next year, iirc, and once they get Southland/Deerfoot fixed up, it should flow fairly easily, as I would expect they would pave a third lane all the way through Anderson NB as well. Not sure about Anderson SB though.

[Slava]

I think the construction begins in 2014? I hope it's next year though and I'm wrong. Either way I can't believe it took this long to get that going!

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by jdso

Browne – urban sprawl different from urban growth. Against boundary. No urban sprawl problem in Calgary

What bizzaro world does this guy live in?

[puffnstuff]

I know the DF Glenmore one is coming, but right now the bottleneck is at the bridge over the Bow before Anderson, Southland and Glenmore. Its the 3 lanes down to 2, where one northbound lane ends before the traffic joins with Anderson, and earlier it is the turn to get onto Anderson.
Was discussing this with a friend while we were stuck in the traffic, and with a minor lane realignment, widen the road under Southland it should actually be easy to fix. Of course the City doesnt like to do anything the easy way or without years of study but really it could be done pretty easily. Of course all that is going to happen is you will get to the jam at Glenmore faster but still baby steps...baby steps.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

Was discussing this with a friend while we were stuck in the traffic, and with a minor lane realignment, widen the road under Southland it should actually be easy to fix. Of course the City doesnt like to do anything the easy way or without years of study but really it could be done pretty easily. Of course all that is going to happen is you will get to the jam at Glenmore faster but still baby steps...baby steps.

Please explain your "minor lane realignment". If it was this simple, it would have been done already!

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Slava

I think the construction begins in 2014? I hope it's next year though and I'm wrong. Either way I can't believe it took this long to get that going!

Hmm. You may be right. I thought I had read/heard once that it was going to be fast tracked, but the page for it on the provincial website suggests there is no timeframe yet. Which sucks, because that is one crappy interchange that needs fixing ASAP for the sake of both roads.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Hmm. You may be right. I thought I had read/heard once that it was going to be fast tracked, but the page for it on the provincial website suggests there is no timeframe yet. Which sucks, because that is one crappy interchange that needs fixing ASAP for the sake of both roads.

I was really hoping you were right! With how long the re-paving has taken this summer that interchange is going to take a few years. I still can't believe that it has taken as long as it has for them to get going on that project though. If that Deerfoot/Glenmore interchange isn't the busiest in the city it must be right near the top. So frustrating to see the foot dragging on such an obvious issue!

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by jdso

Most answers are simplified but the nature of the Race City answer is correct. I remember shaking my head as I was typing his answer.

I guess it raises a question for me- what is the nature of the lease at Race City? For example, let's say they are paying a fraction of what the land is worth- then they would be being propped up by public funds.

And just for those of you complaining about Deerfoot (as do I)- keep in mind Deerfoot is a Provincial road, not city. So an alderman cannot promise anything with respect to Deerfoot.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I guess it raises a question for me- what is the nature of the lease at Race City? For example, let's say they are paying a fraction of what the land is worth- then they would be being propped up by public funds.

Quite a few sporting activities are propped up by the municipal government.

[ken0042]

Very true. However it might explain what he was saying.

And personally- after Race City's noise by-law violations up until their lease was due for renewal; I wouldn't be sad to see them move on.

[CM ONE]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Please explain your "minor lane realignment". If it was this simple, it would have been done already!

You must be new to the city. Welcome.

[psicodude]

Originally Posted by CM ONE

You must be new to the city. Welcome.

No, he is exactly right. There is no quick fix for that mess because simply adding more lanes won't do a thing. the problem with that area (and several more along Deerfoot) is that the on-ramp from Bow Bottom and the off-ramp to Southland are way too close. It results in a clusterfata of merging fools every rush hour, both NB and SB.

To be honest, most of Deerfoot requires a complete overhaul which nobody wants to touch. The short term fix seems to be transit and the ring road, which is probably a better long term plan anyway.