I work for Mayor Nenshi, ask me anything!

[CaptainYooh]

Could you, please, elaborate on this a bit. I volunteer with agencies providing services to the disabled and a lot of people relying on this service are scared. I would like to be able to explain to them what is going on.

Handi-Bus, Southland etc. are third-party contractors to Access Calgary (although, Handi–Bus is somewhat indirectly owned by the City, I thought) and they provide transportation services to the disabled based on a contract with Access Calgary. How and why would Handi–Bus NOT want to provide this service anymore? Provision of this service is their primary purpose. If the contract with Access Calgary is workable, they would continue providing it, not? The report in Calgary Herald was about the service being unsustainable and changes upcoming.

[para transit fellow]

Calgary Handibus Association is a charity (not owned by anyone but its membership). Until the creation of Access Calgary, CHBA's funding arrangement required two city representative on the board of directors. Their buses have been displaying a decal stating something like "funded by the City of Calgary" since the mid 1990's.
This interconnection sometimes creates the notion that the City calls the shots for CHBA as it would for Calgary Housing Company or Enmax

As to why they are turning away from being a busing contractor, I refer you to their media release http://www.calgaryhandibus.com/news/news


In the charitable sector, there is a growing realization that charities have to be cautious about competing with similar entities (i.e. competing against other charities or even competing against the commercial sector). My interpretation of the release is: After 40 years of service, CHBA sees less of a need for a charity to provide the front-line transportation (as a contractor) when there are many contractors willing to step up.

From my view on the sidelines, I think the City would be better off in the long run by bring the larger buses (similar to what Calgary Handi-bus Association uses) in-house.

Deeper pockets to pay the specialized bus drivers, better communication between scheduling and driver (schedulers cannot talk directly to drivers in a contractor model) are some of the benefits. The City- run buses form a backbone of service hours and other contractors would carry the rest.

Red Deer and Lethbridge, brought their local charity operated buses in-house over the past decade (or so) -- it is not unusual. There once was an Edmonton Handi-bus Society... which dissolved when the city implemented commercial bus contractors. Then, around 2003? Edmonton brought the contracted buses in-house as a backbone of service (95 buses).

industry rumor:
Access Calgary was very surprized by the CHBA decision... but that is just a rumor

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Could you, please, elaborate on this a bit. I volunteer with agencies providing services to the disabled and a lot of people relying on this service are scared. I would like to be able to explain to them what is going on.

Handi-Bus, Southland etc. are third-party contractors to Access Calgary (although, Handi–Bus is somewhat indirectly owned by the City, I thought) and they provide transportation services to the disabled based on a contract with Access Calgary. How and why would Handi–Bus NOT want to provide this service anymore? Provision of this service is their primary purpose. If the contract with Access Calgary is workable, they would continue providing it, not? The report in Calgary Herald was about the service being unsustainable and changes upcoming.

Handi-bus decided it wanted to stop being an operator and focus on advocacy and other support (I'd be speculating on their exact reasons why). The service provided by Handi-bus will be provided by someone else - either another contractor or by the City itself through Access Calgary. That may or may not include their staff and their current fleet of vehicles. That is all subject to discussions. Bottom line is, one way or another the service will continue. Nothing is yet set as to how.

[Barnes]

Why, oh why has the city abandoned the hole it put in the left southbound side of the Bonnybrook Bridge? The work isn't even on the construction detour map but it's been closed for weeks.

Also, at what point does whatever terrible company that does streetlight light bulb replacement get a kick in the ass from administration?

[Drummer]

Originally Posted by Barnes

Also, at what point does whatever terrible company that does streetlight light bulb replacement get a kick in the ass from administration?

Enmax. Most of the burnt out light requests I submit to 311 online take way longer than 30 days to repair.

[V]

Last year the media hammered Enmax for poor maintenance of the lighting system, but it doesn't seem to have improved things.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Barnes

Why, oh why has the city abandoned the hole it put in the left southbound side of the Bonnybrook Bridge? The work isn't even on the construction detour map but it's been closed for weeks.

Also, at what point does whatever terrible company that does streetlight light bulb replacement get a kick in the ass from administration?

RE: Bonnybrook Bridge
Yeah, the original signage said this was to be done Nov.24th, I believe. It has been down to one lane with no sign of work for weeks. What gives? The sign has since been altered to have no end date.

[calgarygeologist]

I hope we find out more about this in the immediate future:

City hall doesn’t need to name names in council’s apparent misconduct affair, but should shed more light on what “systemic problems” exist in the councillors’ office, one Calgary ethics watcher said Wednesday.

Earlier this week, Mayor Naheed Nenshi revealed that some undefined “systemic problems” were discovered in a probe that began with whistleblower’s complaint about something in the office of city councillors.

But that’s all the public knows about it. Council had agreed unanimously after its closed-door session that all members would undergo “respectful workplace” training and study further tools to handle conduct problems, including hiring an integrity commissioner.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...rency-concerns

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Bunk

...Bottom line is, one way or another the service will continue...

This is very re-assuring. Thanks for the clarification.

P.S. It would be great if the City could issue some kind of a public statement/message to that effect exactly to calm down the individuals that worry about losing this service.

[Tyler]

Nice slanket Josh

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Nice slanket Josh

Occupational hazard having a picture tweeted out to 206,000 people wearing a Flames hybrid sweater-blanket.

[bizaro86]

It seems to me the Handi-Bus people have a bit of an obligation (moral if not legal) to make sure all their donated buses continue providing that service. People donated them in good faith for that purpose, so if the city doesn't take them over, I think they should try and keep operating them, even if they stopped taking new bus donations.

[Clarkey]

Are Chima and Nenshi an item? In his last speech in regards to him potentially winning Mayor of the World he said Chima's response was, "I can't live with you now."

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Are Chima and Nenshi an item? In his last speech in regards to him potentially winning Mayor of the World he said Chima's response was, "I can't live with you now."

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Are Chima and Nenshi an item? In his last speech in regards to him potentially winning Mayor of the World he said Chima's response was, "I can't live with you now."

Chima, so hot right now.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Are Chima and Nenshi an item? In his last speech in regards to him potentially winning Mayor of the World he said Chima's response was, "I can't live with you now."

I swear there are people in this city and province that so badly want him to be gay so they can call him out on it and judge his politics with his sexual preferences.

[FireFly]

I want him to be gay because that would be awesome for Calgary to have a gay mayor of an ethnic minority. His politics speak for themselves.

[CaptainYooh]

[stampsx2]

When there's a possible reduction to municipal funding from the province on the horizon, why does Nenshi bring up infrastructure for cuts first. Seems like it's his favorite or easiest thing to cut. It has the fourth highest budget after the police, transit and fire department. I would leave the police budget alone. On a side note, if people pay for transit i don't get why we have to put so much money into it.

[Bunk]

^ sorry, not sure what you mean.