My Message in the Town of Killam Newsletter - December 2014.

For those who do not receive the Killam newsletter, following is my message to our residents.  

There is much happening in & around Killam, and my family & I feel very blessed to be part of this great community.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all, 

Tammy & Bud James & family.

As we near the end of another year, I want to take this opportunity to give you a bit of an update on activities of your Council.

As you know, the municipal general election in October 2013 saw a change in faces around our Council Table.  Brenda Grove & Carol Kinzer were elected as new Councillors and joined returning Councillors for a new four year term of office.  Job number one was to review & approve the municipal budget for 2014; an important & challenging task, especially for someone new to the position. 

Once that was complete our group moved on the Job number two – a comprehensive review & rewrite of our strategic planning document.  This was completed over a two day period in early 2014.

Killam’s Strategic Plan (Municipal Sustainability Plan) is a document that identifies our long term vision for the community and outlines strategies and actions in the areas of economic priorities, governance priorities, social priorities, and recreation & cultural priorities.

Council was able to check off many of the previously identified actions as complete, which meant substantial discussion on where we go from here.  I am pleased to report that we have updated our document, and continue to consult it from time to time to make sure we are following the right path.

A few of the items identified as strategic priorities, and what we have been doing to achieve them, include –

Continued Participation in Economic Development for the Region.  Killam is a member of the Veterans Memorial Highway Association (VMHA), and continues to be actively involved in the Battle River Alliance for Economic Development (BRAED) and the Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor (EATC).

Support the Business Community and Create the Supports to Thrive.  Council recently participated in a BRAED pilot project – The Business Walk – where Council members & volunteers visited most of our businesses to engage the owner or manager & ask 3 simple questions that were designed to get a snapshot of the health of each business in our business community.  Response was overwhelmingly positive, with the issue of labour attraction being identified as the most challenging.  As well Council continues to support the Chamber of Commerce in other ways, including a radio advertising campaign happening this Christmas season.

Enhance Regional Partnerships Within & Outside of Flagstaff County.  Council continues to seek meaningful conversations with our municipal neighbors, with the intent of exploring opportunities for cooperation & sharing of services.

Invest in & Maintain Infrastructure.  Council, Administration & our engineers are working to identify priorities for infrastructure renewal using historical information & physical examination of our assets.  It is critical that we stay on top of this.  Thanks to an infrastructure renewal fee attached to your utility bills, we have been able to accomplish much of this with cash savings and not have to rely solely on grant funding or borrowing.

Recognize & Enhance the Volunteer Sector in the Region.  I firmly believe that volunteers are the lifeblood of any small community, and the Killam Community is no exception.  Our volunteers continually step up to make our community better and we are blessed because of this.  Of course we all know that people don’t volunteer for the accolades, but it’s nice to receive a pat on the back once in awhile.  With this in mind, Council has planned a small thank you event for our volunteers on January 22, 2015.  However we don’t want to miss anyone.  We have contacted all of our service groups & boards to request a list of their volunteers; make sure your group has responded, and we hope you can join us.

Attract & Retain Engaged Residents to the Region.  This is a big task, and we have asked a few members of the community to help us move this forward.  We will have more to report in the future.

If you would like to learn more about Killam’s Strategic Plan, the document is viewable on our website or stop by the Town Office for a copy.

Regarding Budget 2015, Council has committed to a 3% increase in revenue from taxation.  Our goal in the last several years has been to keep the increase close to the Consumer Price Index, and this year is no exception.  The capital portion of our budget commits to projects valued at approximately $1,000,000, including some water & sewer works projects. Your tax dollars are spent wisely and this is due to a fiscally prudent Council and an Administration that works hard every day to ensure our municipality lives within its means.  

Thank you to my colleagues on Council for their hard work this past year.  As well thank you to CAO Kim Borgel and her team for their continued good service to our citizens.

I hope you are able to take time in the next few weeks to enjoy the company of family & friends, and reflect on the many blessings we enjoy as a community.  We truly are living “Life Without Compromise”.

On behalf of my Council colleagues & our families, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Bud James

Mayor

A Reminder for us to Live the Life Soldiers fought for.

My remarks at Killam Legion Remembrance Day Banquet 2014 -

This year – 2014 – is a year of milestones & celebration for Canada.

This year marks the centennial of the start of World War I, which ended on this day in 1918.  620,000 of our citizens enlisted, and 67,000 were killed.  Some have said this was Canada’s defining moment as a nation.  We all know something about the Battles at Vimy & Passchendale.

  

As well, 2014 marks 100 years since for formation of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry – The PPCLI – whose iconic symbol, the Regimental colours “The Ric-A-Dam-Doo” was said to have been sewn by Princess Patricia herself.  PPCLI was the first Canadian Infantry Unit to enter the Theatre of Operations.

On September 10, 1939 – just over 75 years ago – Canada entered the 2^nd World War.  By war’s end, over 1 Million of our citizens had enlisted.  Dieppe & the Battle of Normandy are just two of several major conflicts in which Canada was involved,

 

These and other events are all proud moments in Canadian history, and all important to remember.  The milestones I speak of, unfortunately, are clouded by recent events in our own backyard. 

The killing of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent in Quebec, coupled with the shooting death of Corporal Nathan Cirillo on the steps of the War Memorial in Ottawa and subsequent attack on Parliament Hill serve as a reminder that violence & terror can happen anywhere.  “The front” is no longer “over there”; the front is no longer definable.

As Canadians we should be and are outraged by these acts.  But as Canadians we also need to remind ourselves to carry on with living in a free society. 

The day following the Parliament Hill incident the House of Commons re-convened, showing by example our resilience as a nation.  

We all need to follow this example every day in our communities, with our friends and neighbours – celebrating our successes & milestones, and helping each other through grief & heartache.  Many of our fellow Canadians, past & present, have fought for this very right.  We owe them, and ourselves, nothing less.

I want to thank the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #65, its members & friends, for being such an important part of our community and for helping us all to remember.

Thank you. 

Bud James

   

The Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor Project & Why It Is Important to Its Community Members

In June of 2014, three Regional Economic Development Alliances (REDAs) came together to create the Eastern AlbertaTrade Corridor project (EATC).  This partnership had been on an informal, handshake basis for the past few years, but the time had come for a formal agreement.

The Executive of these three REDA partners - North EastAlberta Information HUB Ltd. (HUB), Battle River Alliance for EconomicDevelopment (BRAED), and Palliser Economic Partnership (PEP)) recognized the many advantages of 80+ municipal partners collaborating to promote eastern Alberta to national and international markets.

From the individual communities’ perspective, however, the benefits may not be as clear.

So why should your municipality be excited about EATC?  Consider the following - 

Today’s economy is global -

• Never before in history has there been such global exchange of goods & services. 
• The Government of Canada has actively negotiated free trade agreements in the past, and continues to look for further opportunity. 
• Our relationship with the Ports to Plains Trade Corridor Alliance connects us with like-minded people in several US states and in Mexico.  Business in eastern Alberta has the opportunity to capitalize on this. 
• Our vision is “The Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor is a Significant participant in the Global Economy”.

Our Core Strategies  –  Designed to benefit our membership -

• Economic Development Advocate for Eastern Alberta – we are many voices that together can advocate for economic development issues in eastern Alberta that affect us all.  The Wild Horse Border Crossing is a perfect example.
• Business & Investment Attraction – In concert with other levels of government and other stakeholders, we are willing to take the lead in Business Investment & Attraction.
• Major Project Business Opportunities – There are almost $120 Billion in major projects announced or underway in Eastern Alberta, and we can help our business community take advantage of procurement opportunities related to these projects.  

The Ports to Plains Organization (PTP) –

• The Province of Alberta became a member in 2009 and the three REDAs have been cultivating a good working relationship with PTP since that time.  EATC has, this spring, entered into a membership agreement with PTP that has two positive results –
• EATC is a voting member of PTP; I was elected to the Board of Directors at their Annual Meeting in Del Rio, TX in October.
• Each municipal member of the three REDAs is now automatically a member of PTP.

We have been noticed –

• We have been formally recognized with two awards (Municipal Affairs Minister’s Award of Excellence for Partnerships, & Economic Developers of Alberta Marketing Award for large communities).
• The EATC project has been mentioned several times by presenters to the Rural Economic Development Action Plan consultations. 
• EATC Executive Director Elvira Smid has recently come to our organization on a secondment from Alberta Innovation & Advanced Education – this is a significant investment in the EATC project by the Government of Alberta.
  

 Our Marketing Strategy & Web Presence –

• We are working on member-specific promotional pieces, plus developing an on-line investment readiness profile for each member community.  

On the financial side, each REDA's contribution of $20,000 allows us to leverage significant funds to create a total budget for 2014/15 of over $300,000.  Add to this the value of our secondment arrangement plus ongoing projects where funds are held separately, and you can see the benefit of working together on this.

To summarize, the Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor project has allowed us, collectively, to be part of the economic development conversation on the Provincial, National, and International stage. 

Eastern Alberta has a lot to offer in terms of services, land prices, great communities & quality of life.  The EATC project allows us to tell our story to a broad audience, and gives our members and their respective business communities additional tools to grow.

The Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor is set to play a major role in charting the course for a bright future in Eastern Alberta. 

Sincerely,

Bud James

Chair, EATC

My Open Letter to Premier Designate Jim Prentice

Dear Premier Designate Prentice –

Congratulations on your selection to be leader of PC Alberta and Premier of the Province of Alberta.   It is a high honour to serve ones community at that level, and I thank you for the commitment you have made.

There is no doubt you have been receiving much good advice on how to proceed with getting things back on track.  I want to share my thoughts with you as well, regarding the task at hand –

• There will, unfortunately, be no honeymoon.  Our fellow citizens are expecting you to get right to work trying to calm the political storm we have been experiencing the past several months.
• Term limits for the Premier & for MLAs is not a good policy.  I believe it is the job of the electorate to determine if a representative has served long enough, if he or she has not been able to come to that conclusion on their own.  It is and will always be difficult to encourage the best of us to serve in this capacity; we should not limit the term of office by legislation.  History has shown that some can serve their constituents well in the long term, and that should be okay.
• The aircraft issue – While there needs to be a solid policy around use of the aircraft, I am in favour of keeping the fleet, as it allows Cabinet members to travel to all of Alberta.  When we are expecting members of Cabinet to work 16 hour days on our behalf, how can we then expect our Government to have a presence in rural Alberta, given the time & distance to travel by automobile?  Our Province is geographically vast, and we can afford to own aircraft, so we should keep the fleet to allow our Government to interact with its citizens. 
• By the way you & your Cabinet need to get out to rural Alberta more.
• While we are on this subject of aircraft, I want it to be known that I have no issue with family members riding along with MLAs & Ministers as long as they are not bumping another Government person from the flight.  This is no different than me having a family member along when I am driving for Municipal Government business.  It costs nothing more and may be the only family time these folks get in that particular day.
• Big City Charters – I understand the need for a special relationship with large urban centres due to challenges like homelessness, poverty & other things.  These are important issues that deserve our attention.  However don’t lose sight of the fact that all municipalities face challenges – they are just different.  In my part of Alberta we have serious challenges in the area of housing, labour, access to medical services & Government services, transportation issues, education issues, shadow population issues, out-migration of youth, etc., etc.  We need to consider the whole picture.
• Government has done some pretty comprehensive work on Rural Alberta’s challenges (e.g. Rural Development Strategy, Rural Economic Development Action Plan).  Now we really need to spend some time on this file and commit resources to it.  We tend to minimize the challenges in rural Alberta because they don’t affect the day to day lives of most of our population.  However, ignoring this part of our province has dire consequences in the long term.  A healthy rural Alberta means a healthy Alberta.    
• Low voter turnout for the Leadership race is not a sign of a failing party, but more likely is a sign that people are disillusioned with provincial politics right now.  Former Premier Redford made some bad decisions & that has contributed to the disillusionment to be sure.  However I think a lot of this disconnect is because of an underlying nastiness on the part of some MLAs in their interaction with other members of the Legislature, and some media people in their so-called reporting of provincial politics. People are sick & tired of hearing it.  
• I believe that many Albertans can still feel very comfortable living in that part of the political spectrum where the Progressive Conservative party flies its banner.  If we can get back to a political climate of respect, of debating the issues instead of attacking the individual, of understanding that most, if not all, MLAs are there because they want the best for our Province and its citizens, Albertans will feel more comfortable with provincial politics in general, and with PC Alberta in particular.
• Despite all my griping and all the griping of others, we need to remind ourselves that life is pretty good here in Alberta.  I think we live in the best Province, in the best Country in the world.  Can it be better?  Of course, and we need to strive for that.  But we have it pretty good right now.

Best to you and your family as you tackle this challenge.  There is much to be done, but I am optimistic for Alberta’s future, and I know you are too.

Sincerely,

Bud James 

Thank You to Volunteers - National Volunteer Week 2014

April 6 - 12, 2014 is National Volunteer Week in Canada, and I want to take this opportunity to say a big 'Thank You' to all those who volunteer so that my family can enjoy living in our community.

Whether it is organizing a community event, sitting on a board or committee that delivers a community service, or just taking the time to clean up around town after the snow melts in spring, my family appreciates all that you do to enhance our quality of life.

When I think of the number of hours of effort delivered by volunteers, just in Killam alone, I am in awe.  Multiply that by several times for the Flagstaff community.  Provincially and federally, the result is staggering.  I think we can all agree that our world would be a very different place without volunteers.

Your effort is even more impressive when we realize that you are volunteering during your lunch hour or perhaps leaving the house & your family on a cold winter evening when it would be quite easy to just head for the couch.

I wrote about volunteers in Killam three years ago ( Volunteers – The Lifeblood of any Community ) and I think that message is still valid today - we are blessed in our community by the engagement; it's what makes Killam "Life Without Compromise".   

So from our family to you & yours, thank you so much for all you do - you really are making a difference.

Sincerely,

Bud James 

The Linear Taxation Argument & the Made in Flagstaff Solution

In the March 25, 2014 edition of the Edmonton Journal, David Staples wrote about MLA Laurie Blakeman and her plan for re-distribution of municipal linear taxation (pipelines, etc.) in Alberta.

Journal Article

Blakeman’s Bill on this issue was introduced in the Alberta Legislature this spring, but was not supported.

According to Staples, in 2012 rural municipalities (Counties & Municipal Districts) received $1.53 Billion of the $1.6 Billion in linear taxation collected.  Blakeman’s plan would be to claw all of this back and re-distribute the money on a per capita basis (population).

Broken down by numbers, a re-distribution using Blakeman’s formula would look approximately like this –

Edmonton Region -          $400,000,000+

Calgary Region -               $480,000,000+

Flagstaff Region -              $3,400,000

Town of Killam -                 $400,000

In contrast, for 2012 Flagstaff County collected $11,730,000 in linear taxes – about 55% of their property tax revenue (based on $621,000,000 in linear assessment – 47% of the total assessment).

Blakeman’s plan would see the majority of this $1.6 Billion re-allocated to just two regions, effectively funneling a huge amount of money away from rural Alberta every year.

While others may think differently, my thought has always been that a ‘Made in Flagstaff’ solution would be much better for our region as a whole.  This can be accomplished either by cost sharing or by revenue sharing on the part of Flagstaff.

We have had some reasonable success on the cost sharing side – our regional Fire Services Agreement and Flagstaff County’s Recreation Funding Policy have worked to support the towns & villages in their delivery of these services to Flagstaff residents – and we will continue to work on improvements in these areas.

There is more work to be done on the cost sharing side, and we really haven’t had the conversation yet regarding revenue sharing.

The numbers show we can be better off as a region.  In order to do so, we need to think in terms of the region as a whole, and suppress that desire to compartmentalize and be turf-protectors.

All of us.

Cheers, 

Bud James 

Have You Visited Our Library Lately?

The Killam Public Library recently celebrated their 75th Anniversary with an open house to coincide with Family Literacy Day in Canada.

Our Library Board, led by Chair Brenda McDermott and assisted by Librarian Norm Savage, did an excellent job of showcasing the Library and it's great history.

In it's infancy, the Killam Public Library consisted of a shelf of books, organized & donated by the IODE (Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire).  Some of the original members of this group included Sarah Neely, Mrs. Vagt, and Mrs. Shennan.  Other members throughout the years included Bessie Brodie & Marguerite Gibb.  

Today the Library shares space with the Killam Public School Library, and is a great place to visit to borrow or read a book or magazine, access the world wide web, or just to relax & have a coffee.

  


The Killam Library and the work its board has done over the last 75 years is just one example of many great institutions within the Killam community that make it such a desirable place to visit & live.  In Killam we are living "Life Without Compromise", and Killam Public Library is one of the reasons!

I was honoured to be asked to deliver a few words of congratulations, and my remarks follow.


Cheers,

Bud James

"To those with ears to hear, libraries are really very noisy places.  On their shelves we hear the captured voices of the centuries-old conversation that makes up our civilization."

This quote is attributed to Rev. Timothy Healy, former President of Georgetown University and previously the head of the New York Public Library.

With these few words, I think Rev. Healy has summed up the importance of the institution of libraries.

Honoured Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen –

Good afternoon.  On behalf of my Council colleagues and our community I am pleased to offer congratulations on the occasion of the 75^th Anniversary of the Killam Public Library, a great institution within the community of Killam. 

Many of us have fond childhood memories of staying awake way past our bedtime, totally immersed in and pouring through the pages of the latest book by our favourite author.  Chances are that book came from the library.

For me it was the Hardy Boys.  My wife Tammy liked the Bobsy Twins & Nancy Drew.  Our son Izaya is currently burning through the Percy Jackson series by author Rick Riordan. 

As an adult, watching a young person develop their reading skills and fall in love with a good book is sure to bring a smile to one’s face.

It is for this reason that Killam Library is so important to our community.  Thank you to all board members, volunteers, Librarians - past & present - who have worked so hard to make sure it remains a part of our social & cultural fabric.

I want to offer special acknowledgement to the current library board, tasked with defining the role of the Killam Public Library moving forward, in an era of advancing technology – e-books and on-line databases.  There is challenge ahead to be sure, but within challenge lies opportunity.  I know that you are up to this challenge, and will work hard to ensure Killam Library remains an important part of our community.

Again, congratulations, and thank you to all for your work to preserve “the captured voices of the centuries-old conversation that makes up our civilization”.