My Message in the Town of Killam Christmas 2013 Newsletter

The Killam Christmas Newsletter is just out in the mail today, and I wanted to share my part of it with my blog friends - 

This past year in Killam has been busy & exciting, with many milestones & achievements in our community.

Congratulations to the family of Dr. Peter Voloshin, the family of Albert Edward Fee, Lois Prichard, and Geraldine Link for their nomination to the Killam Hall of Fame this spring.  I am always inspired after hearing the stories of these citizens, both contemporary and historical.  There are many people that have played a significant role in shaping Killam over the past 100 + years, and we can all learn something from their stories.  Look for news of this year’s nominees in the next few months, and plan to attend the Awards Banquet.

As well, congratulations to the award winners of the Flagstaff Small Business Awards held in October, particularly those with a Killam connection – Wild Rose Co-op for Community Spirit, and The Community Press (BRAED Succeeding Long Standing Business Award).  We are proud of our business community, and are pleased to see them get the recognition they deserve.

Most of you are aware that Alberta’s Municipalities went through an election this past fall.  In Killam we had an election for Council and have four returning Councillors – Clr. Darcy Eskra, Clr. Diane Gordon, Clr. Brenda McDermott, and Clr. Rick Krys – as well as 2 new faces – Clr. Carol Kinzer and Clr. Brenda Grove.   

Carol was born & raised in the area, and has called Killam home for many years.  Some of Carol’s children have chosen our area to raise their own family, so Carol gets to spend lots of time with her grandchildren.

Brenda was also raised in this area, and her family has lived in Killam for the last few years.  Brenda’s children are attending school here and the Grove family has been very involved in the community.

Welcome to Brenda & Carol, and welcome back to the rest of Council.  I know this group will provide great leadership for all of us in Killam, and I look forward to working with each of you over the next four years.  

As you might imagine, we have all been very busy in the last several weeks reorganizing ourselves and getting up to speed on various projects and issues; there is much to be done as we move forward, and I am encouraged by the dedication of this group.

Provincially the change in faces on Municipal Councils is just over 50%; similarly some of our neighboring communities have seen significant change.  Killam Council realizes the importance of having a good working relationship with our neighbors, and we will be getting acquainted with the various Council members around the Flagstaff community in the next few weeks.

Development continues around town, with new housing starts as well as commercial development in 2013.  Total development permits for this year were approx. $1.75 Million, and our equalized assessment is just over $85 Million.  This continues to be very encouraging, as our community needs sustained growth to remain prosperous.

In order to set the stage for continued growth, Council has spent time over the past year developing a Marketing Strategy.  This has included adoption of a new logo and tag line, and work has started to market Killam as a great place to visit and to live. 

Our tag line – “Life Without Compromise” - communicates that you don’t have to compromise your lifestyle to live in our community.  In addition to a reasonable cost of housing and a relatively safe community, there are plenty of things to do and be involved in – recreation & leisure activities, cultural opportunities, faith based activities, shopping, etc.  As we move forward with this project we will have a job for you.  All of you who call Killam home are Ambassadors for our great community, and your task will be to promote Killam as a great place to visit or live, in your travels wherever you go around the world.

So much of what is great about Killam is due to our many dedicated volunteers – those of you who share some of your time to make our community a great place.  On behalf of the people of Killam I would like to thank you for your willingness to contribute. 

However, we need more people willing to volunteer their assistance working on a project or serving on a board.  If you are interested in getting more involved I encourage you to talk with anyone at the Town Office, or contact me – I would be pleased to have a conversation with you & can get you in touch with a group or groups who share your interests.  Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community; just think of the possibilities for Killam if all are willing to help out just a bit.

I would like to also pass on a big thank you to the Town of Killam Administration, Public Works, and Community Services folks, who work diligently to make Killam a great place.  There is much work done by this group that is not in the public eye, to the benefit of each of us.  CAO Kim Borgel and her team consistently provide good value to our citizens.

We are heading into the final days of 2013 with everyone busy getting ready for the Christmas break and a visit from Santa.  Make sure you take some time during this busy season to enjoy the company of family & friends, and to reflect on the many blessings we enjoy in our community.

On behalf of my colleagues on Town Council, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas, and the very best for the New Year.

Sincerely,

Bud James

Mayor

Thanks to all of you for your friendship this past year, and for doing your part to make our community a great place.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

Tammy & Bud

Introducing Your new Town of Killam Council

I am excited to let you know about the new Town of Killam Council, elected just a few days ago. 

We have a great mix of new & returning Councillors, along with a broad demographic base and a desire to make a positive impact.

• Councillor Brenda McDermott is back for a 2^nd term.  Brenda is originally from Alliance area, and has two of her three children living in Killam with their families.
• Councillor Carol Kinzer is starting her first term on Council.  Carol is also from the area, and has raised her family in Killam.  She also has family living in Killam and the region.
• Councillor Diane Gordon has served multiple terms on Council.  Diane & husband Jerry are partners in Maxim Automotive Ltd.  They have called Killam home for many years, and raised their three children here. 
• Councillor Brenda Grove, husband Ron and their family have called Killam home for the last few years.  Brenda was born & raised in the region as well. She is starting her first term on Council, and is excited to be a part of moving Killam into the future.
• Councillor Rick Krys and his wife Shanon have lived in Killam for many years.  Rick has served several terms on Council, and works in management in the agricultural industry, while Shanon is a Chiropractor & RN.  Their two children attend Killam Public School and the whole family is very active throughout our community.
• Councillor Darcy Eskra, his wife Annette, and their four children are also very active in & around Killam.  Originally from Saskatchewan, they have called Killam home for many years and are a huge part of our community.  Darcy has served multiple terms on Council as well, and works in the agricultural industry.  Annette works in the retail industry.
• My wife Tammy & I are both born & raised in Killam.  We have three kids; one at home, one working in the energy industry and living in Beaumont, and one who has chosen to work & raise her family in Killam.

Collectively we are broadly represented in terms of age, work experience, & backgrounds.  We all have children & some have grandchildren.  We all have a history of being involved in community over several years.  A mix like this is important to any organization, and I am excited to begin work with this group to move our agenda forward. 

On October 29 Council met for a quick orientation session, to be sworn in, and hold their Organizational Meeting.  Additionally we held a Special Council Meeting to deal with a development issue.   Our first regular Council Meeting is November 14.  

Our calendars are full over the next 2 – 3 months with orientation events, budget sessions, planning sessions & committee work.  This is a busy time for everyone & the learning curve will be steep.

Stop & say hello to your Council members when you see them around the community, and thank them for their commitment over the next four years.

Regards,

Bud James          

The Town of Killam’s new look, and why we are living “Life Without Compromise”

Earlier this year Town of Killam Council put a Marketing & Communications Plan in place which included the launch of its new brand - a new logo, colors, and the tag line “Life Without Compromise”.

This was the result of extensive consultation in the form of surveys, focus groups, and much discussion among Council & Administration.  If we were going to make this change we wanted to find out what Killam means to its residents, and make sure we got it right.

So why the change?  Our old logo was working just fine, and our tag line “It All Happens Here” was pretty well known. 

The previous logo was developed in the 90’s by Council at that time, so had been around awhile.  While it was catchy & attractive and has served us very well, we thought a new emblem that better represented the present community was worth pursuing.  The old tag line was great, but realistically, it doesn’t all happen here – almost no city or country can make that claim. 

The challenge was to create a fresh new look that represented the best of Killam.

The new logo consists of a stylized “K” surrounded by colors – blue symbolizes the bright blue prairie sky, yellow stands for the yellow & golden crops in summer & fall, black stands for the rich soil in our region and the vibrant energy industry, and green symbolizes the many parks & trees around our community.

Our tag line was developed after much careful thought.  From our consultation exercise we have determined that attracting new residents needs to be our number one marketing priority. 

The value in being a part of the Killam community is defined by the following –

•            Community Spirit – Killam is a very welcoming community; Killam’s community members are action oriented and see great promise in our future; Killam is proud of its clean and tidy streets, yards, homes & businesses.
•            Location – Highways 13 & 36 (Veterans Memorial Highway) are a major asset for Killam and the region.  We are located in the middle of east-central Alberta – the Province’s breadbasket - and Agriculture & Energy industries play a big role here.
•           Services – Killam has a great selection of business services, but just as importantly it’s social & recreation services are varied & impressive.  Anything you can’t get or do within the boundaries of town is available by taking a short drive.       

Add to this the fact that our community is very safe, cost of living is affordable, and jobs are available throughout the region.

All this adds up to the concept that anyone can call Killam their home and would not have to sacrifice lifestyle or comfort.  Hence our slogan.

Canada is a great country, and the Province of Alberta is arguably the best place in the world to live right now.  There are fantastic opportunities in the Killam area to make a living, but more importantly for you & your family, to live a safe & comfortable life and be part of a great community.

Killam is your chance to live “Life Without Compromise”.

Cheers,

Bud James

      

Municipal Government – The chance to give back to your community

Hopefully you are enjoying your summer and taking a break from the daily grind.

While you have your feet up at the beach, take a few moments to give some thought to the Municipal Elections being held across Alberta this fall.

Nomination day is September 23, with elections being held for Municipal Councils and School Boards on October 21.   While still a few weeks away, we have been hearing from many candidates in larger centres for some time.

So many of our smaller communities are blessed with such a great group of community volunteers – you folks are what make our communities the great places they are.  Maybe you have thought about running for local office but are not sure you want to make that commitment.

Here are some of my thoughts on local government, in no particular order –

• It is a significant commitment, in terms of time & effort.  I won’t try to sugar coat it – you would be required to spend some time preparing for and attending meetings – likely more at first, as you get up to speed on many issues.  However the Councils I have been involved with have worked hard collectively to minimize time spent away from family, and individual Councillors have been available to help share the load when required.  Making sure you are prepared ahead of time also lessens your time spent at meetings.
• Do it for the right reasons.  Have a gripe about something, or have an issue you want to resolve?  Before you make the decision to run for office for just that reason, consider a) what if it can’t be resolved by you as a Councillor, or b) what if it gets resolved at your first meeting.  Municipalities face many challenges & issues, and the best interests of the whole community must be taken into account.  Further, some things are totally out of our hands – they may be a provincial or federal government issue that cannot be dealt with at the municipal level.  Running for Council with a purpose or goal is essential, but running to resolve one issue may not be the right reason.
• It’s a chance to shape the future of your community.  If you want to create a great community - one your kids & grandkids can be proud to call home - here’s your chance.  The role of Council, simply stated, is to develop policies that best serve the community, find the money to put the policies in place, and hire a CAO to take it from there.  You are not expected to take a turn running the grader, look after the accounts payable, or teach swimming lessons.   You do, however, need to think & act strategically, keeping an eye on what needs to happen in the next 10 – 20 years or more, and not be engrossed in what’s going on next week.  By the way, it helps to have thick skin at times, when your decisions are being called into question by those who are just worried about next week.
• Are you intrigued & want to look further into this?  In order to prepare yourself to make this important decision, it will be helpful to -

1. attend a Council Meeting, to get an idea of the issues & the process,
2. contact a Councillor or your Mayor & get together for a coffee,
3. have a conversation with the CAO in your community, and
4. visit the municipal website to review the various strategic plans & bylaws your community has in place.

     Either or all of these will help you learn more & make a good decision.

My personal experience with municipal government has, for the most part, been very positive.  I have appreciated the opportunity to be at the table where decisions are being made that have long term implications for the Town of Killam and our region.

I am excited about the future of our area and of east-central Alberta.  My community is full of volunteers who work hard to make a positive impact.  Municipal Council is no different – it’s just at a more formal level.  We need good community people to take up this task as well, and apathy is not an option.

I would be pleased to speak with anyone considering this step, and of course always appreciate your feedback & comments.

Cheers,

Bud James

Killam Hall of Fame Inductees for 2012

Killam inducted four new community leaders into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

From start to finish this is a class evening that many of us look forward

to every year.  Thank you so much to the organizers for putting this together.

For the third year in a row the committee has honored contemporary nominees – those still active in our community – and historical nominees – those who left their mark during Killam’s earliest days, when it was just starting to define itself.

This year’s nominees are –

Geraldine Link, introduced by daughter Shelly Armstrong.  Geri says when they decided to move to the community, “I made the decision to live in Killam, not at Killam”.

Lois Prichard, introduced by Robert Borth.  Lois commented “I will continue to volunteer in the Town of Killam to make it the best town in Alberta”.

Albert Edward Fee, one of Killam’s first merchants, introduced by Sharleen Chevraux, and accepted by grandson Doug Fee.

Dr. Peter Voloshin, a physician in Killam for several years following WW II, introduced by Clara Lewis, and accepted by son Dr. P. James Voloshin.

For a complete report on the nominees, view The Community Press article at http://thecommunitypress.com/killam-hall-of-fame/ .  They have done a great job capturing the event.

I particularly enjoy the historical nominations; what a great way to

learn more about Killam in its early days.  Communities need to

celebrate their local history more often, and this is such a great way to do

that.

Additionally, it is so important to recognize those currently in our

community that give back so generously.  Killam is very fortunate in that we have many members of the community that give freely of their time & energy.

It's been said that volunteers are the life-blood of any community and I

am pleased that we have an event that gives a nod of appreciation to these folks.

Tammy & I look forward to this event every year.

Cheers,

Bud James 

  

Government of Alberta Budget 2013

Much has been communicated about the recently released Province of Alberta budget , both in favour & against.  Here are my thoughts, in no particular order.

People all over the province are pointing fingers at government for “getting us into this mess”.  The fact is we all need to point a finger at ourselves.  It is us who have asked for more & better service and programs over the past few years, and government has been responding to those requests.  So, now it is us who must share the pain of “getting us out of this mess”.  Many of us have found ourselves in this situation before, either personally or in business.  The way out is simple – correct your spending habits.

Increasing or creating more tax revenue is easy to say & do, but does not require us to make thoughtful decisions on spending.  Also, increasing taxes can have negative implications for our economy that far outweigh the solution it provides to the budget.

Capital spending must absolutely be considered separately, and it is perfectly okay if we borrow to complete capital projects.  If you are someone who has never had to borrow to buy a house, buy a vehicle, do home improvements, or pay for university, congratulations.  However, that is not the real world for most of us.  Borrowing for major purchases, within the right parameters, makes sense for me personally and in business, and it makes sense for Alberta.  The pressures on our infrastructure in the next few years will be tremendous – there are many capital projects that simply can’t wait.

Former Premier Ralph Klein’s announcement several years ago that the Province of Alberta was debt free was bulls**t.  Provincial infrastructure debt was never considered, and programs to municipalities were cut so deep it left them with a huge mess.  Alberta & it’s municipalities are just now starting to dig themselves out of this and I don’t want to see us slide backwards again.  Across the board cuts are never a good solution to cut spending.  By the way, thank you to GOA for their effort to keep the Municipal Sustainability Initiative levels to last year’s.  Although plans were to have it increase, we could have fared a lot worse.

The Alberta Government has chosen to turn this challenge into an opportunity – an opportunity to examine all the programs & service they provide to us, to make sure we are getting the best value for our tax dollars.  Whether you think the cuts are too much or not enough – you have to agree that a lot of work has gone into the process, to “right the ship”.

I think we are on the right track.

As always, let me know your thoughts.

Cheers,

Bud James