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News for July 20th
Update from the City Manager
The City has now signed and returned to Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation the Agreement between the City of Brandon and Manitoba relative to the sale and transfer of lands described as “Part Fraction SW ¼ 25-10-19 WPM”, comprising approximately 119.3 acres. This land transfer has been an arduous process and Administration is happy to see it nearing completion. A portion of the lands being sold and transferred to the City have been leased by Manitoba to the Government of Canada to the benefit of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Brandon Research Centre, and we have agreed to continue this lease until development plans for the lands are finalized.
Update from Economic Development
BizPaL can now be found on Wikipedia. Industry Canada has developed a BizPaL profile on this popular site that will hopefully increase visits to the BizPaL service. As a BizPaL partner, Brandon is included in the Wikipedia profile. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BizPaL
Samantha Lepp, the BNRC’s Housing Coordinator who has been on maternity leave for the past 11 months has tendered her resignation to pursue other employment. The position will be advertised this week with a deadline for applications of August 1st, 2008. The Economic Development Officer will take part in the selection committee for the Housing Coordinator position.
Update from Fire & Emergency Services
Firefighter/Paramedic Joel Savard tendered his resignation this week. He has served the department for 4 years. His last day will be on July 24th. He has been offered a position with the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service. We wish Joel well in all of his future endeavors.
The competition for the Fire Inspector Position was posted this week.
Updated Website
The Operational Services Department collaborated with Information Technology to redesign and enhance the content of the Operational Services webpage. The new webpage will go live on Friday, July 18 accessible at www.brandon.ca/operations. The website features a new look, more content, and allows for easy information access to the various departments in Operational Services.
Youth Activity Centres – Charity Fundraiser Events
The youth attending the Youth Activity Centre (YAC) and the UCT Summer Fun Club are each planning a Charity Fundraiser Event Day to raise money to give back to the community.
On Friday, July 25th the UCT Summer Fun Club will host a yard and bake sale from 3:00pm to 6:30pm at the former Fleming School site located at 2320 Louise Avenue. Items for sale will include crafts and baked goodies prepared by the youth along with used items such as books and toys donated by the youth.
Thursday, August 14th YAC will host a car wash from 2:00pm to 5:00pm in the parking lot adjacent to the East End Community Centre. Donations will be graciously accepted for each vehicle washed.
Although the charities have not yet been selected, the youth at each centre will vote on which two charitable organizations they intend to donate the money to. Please show your support to the youth’s desire to give back to their community on July 25th at the UCT Summer Fun Club’s yard and bake sale and/or visit the YAC car wash on August 14th.
Movie Under The Stars
Community Services is proud to present a Movie Under the Stars evening on Friday, August 22, 2008 at Rideau Park. We have secured the movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (with Spanish subtitles).
Our valued co-sponsor for this event is Maple Leaf Pork. They have generously agreed to host a complimentary barbeque for anyone wishing to attend this free family event. Leading up to the movie, there will be local bands (Effect & Cause and The Heartbreakers) entertaining the crowd as well as a skateboard demonstration hosted by Senate Skateboards. Throughout the evening there will be tickets sold for a 50/50 draw and a raffle in which prizes have been graciously donated by numerous local businesses. Tickets will be sold at the event, 10 for $5 and all of the proceeds will go towards the Skateboard Plaza Fundraiser. Please mark your calendars – we look forward to seeing you there!
News for July 14th
Update from the Mayor
Brian MacRae and I enjoyed a tour of Atom-Jet Industries on Monday, July 7th. Co-owners, Barry LaRocque and Craig Senchuk provided us with some very interesting information and enlightened us with many aspects and challenges that they face in maintaining an efficient and growing enterprise. I appreciate the opportunity to keep abreast of the potential business growth within the city.
A meeting is currently being coordinated with the R.M. of Cornwallis concerning boundary expansion, which, hopefully, will take place soon. It is imperative that issues be resolved and a final agreement be reached so that plans can proceed now and in the future.
CrimeReports.com
To provide better service to the community, in an easier to read format the Brandon Police Service has partnered with Public Engines to provide local crime information through a free public web site known as CrimeReports.com.
CrimeReports.com is an on-line mapping and analysis service provided by Public Engines, Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. CrimeReports.com combines the value of police data with the ease-of-use of Google-based mapping and an analytics module so that members of the public can view police data in a high-impact map or summary descriptive format. Members of the public may also sign up to receive free email alerts based on user-defined parameters (e.g., geography, crime types, frequency, etc.).
The CrimeReports.com service utilizes calls-for-service (CFS) data from the BPS CAD system. Calls-for-service data utilized for CrimeReports.com includes the following data fields: entry date, entry time, event number, event location, and event disposition. Please feel free to visit the site.
DOORS OPEN BRANDON HERITAGE TOUR
July 19th and 20th, 2008 marks the 7th annual Doors Open Brandon Heritage Tour. The goal of this two day event is to raise awareness with the public about Brandon’s historical buildings of architectural and historical significance that are not readily accessible to the public, but who will open their doors for two days of self-guided tours that are free.
Official tour passports outlining the properties found on the tour can be obtained beginning July 14th at City Hall –Treasury Department, Riverbank Discovery Centre, HomeLife Realty, or by calling Kim Longstreet at 729-0520. Each participating heritage site will also have the passports on hand for the two day event.
Passports can also be picked up at the Doors Open Brandon Kickoff event taking place at 11:30 a.m., July 19th, at the old Safeway parking lot, 10th Street and Victoria Avenue. Participants planning to attend the kick off event are encouraged to bring a chair for their own comfort."
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
E911/Police Emergency Communications recently purchased and are implementing Criticall. Criticall is a pre-employment skills testing software package. Criticall software will assist in testing of skills and competency for potential dispatcher/calltaker candidates.
Accommodation Tax Bylaw
After consideration of the input from the various stakeholders and the comments by the accommodation industry, it has been decided that further consultation with industry members is required. This consultation will likely happen in the last week of July or first week of August. Therefore, this particular bylaw will not be coming back to City Council on July 21st as originally planned. As soon as a date and place has been chosen for the consultation, City Council will be informed.
Property Tax Collection Comparison
Percentage of total levy collected by the due date:
2006 2007 2008
93.70% 94.80% 95.26%
Collection of property taxes went very smooth again this year. The TIP program (Tax Installment Plan) continues to be a very popular payment method. As of June 2008, there were 3176 properties enrolled in the program at a value of $987,142.66 in taxes for each month. The number of properties enrolled in TIP as of June for the previous three years were:
2005 2006 2007
2427 2514 2958
Property owners had until June 15th to enroll in the program for this year, with their monthly payments beginning in July. There are currently 3169 properties enrolled. Although the number of properties has dropped slightly from June to July, the total value has increased to $1,004,622.38 in taxes for the month.
Electronic banking is also a popular method for making payments. Total payments received using this payment method from January to June 2008 was $2,605,892. During the same time period for 2007, the total was $2,237,248.
WATER/WASTEWATER
Work on the 3rd Street Dam across the Assiniboine River will commence the week of July 7, 2008. A Winnipeg contractor, Lakefront Restorers, has submitted the successful tender for the construction of a temporary rock diversion dam, which will reduce the river flows through the failed portion of the existing dam. The construction of the temporary structure is expected to take approximately 1 week to complete depending on weather and river flow conditions. Once this work is completed, the engineering review and evaluation to correct the problem with the dam will be conducted and repair/replacement options prepared. The City’s Engineering and Water Resources Department continue to work with the various Federal and Provincial departments towards a successful conclusion.
Music by the Fountain
Music by The Fountain continues to draw crowds to Princess Park despite a robust effort by Mother Nature to douse their spirits. Renaissance Brandon has made application to the Province of Manitoba for the funding of an exciting business incentive program, stay tuned for the announcement. The incorporation of Renaissance Brandon nears completion; the board has approved the Articles of Incorporation and Organizational By-laws and only awaits final approval from the Companies Office.
Constable Adam Potter
Constable Adam Potter was sworn in as a Peace Officer on Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 by Judge Krystyna Tarwid. Constable Potter was employed with the Calgary Police Service and joins the Brandon Police Service as an experienced officer. Welcome to Brandon Constable Potter !
Sportsplex
Kathleen Beaton attended the In Motion National Physical Activity Institute held at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon June 23 - 25th. Over 50 delegates from across Canada attended this 3 day gathering to share information and gain knowledge about the national In Motion campaign. Manitoba In Motion was the proud recipient of the 2008 Russ Kisby Physical Activity Leadership Award at the In Motion banquet on June 24th. This award recognized the great strides made and community partnerships formed throughout our province in encouraging people to increase physical activity and get In Motion.
Bill Taylor and Chad Paradis kicked off summer camp this week with 37 participants. Summer camp at the Sportsplex runs Monday to Friday from July 7th through to August 29th.
Summer swim lessons began on July 7th. Lessons run from weekly from July 7th to the week of August 25th.
Fire & Emergency Services Update
Representatives from Cibinel Architects will be attending the July 21st Council Meeting to provide a 3-Dimensional presentation on the floor plan and conceptual design of the new Fire Hall. This will provide council with an opportunity to view the progress of this project.
Two Brandon Fire and Emergency Services employees have tendered their resignations this week. Mike McKay has served the department for 10 years as a firefighter/paramedic. Mike’s last day will be on July 27th. Russ Friesen held the position of Public Education Officer within BFES for one year. Russ’s last day will be on August 7th. They have both been offered positions with the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service. We wish them well in all of their future endeavors.
Water System Tampering
In 2007, an incident of water meter tampering triggered an inspection of several other properties where similar tampering was discovered. Letters were mailed out advising all plumbers of the correct procedures. Additional letters were mailed to specific homeowners advising that the meters needed to be corrected. To date, all but three addresses are now in compliance. These meters will be corrected by City Employees with the resulting charge being billed to the homeowner.
A 2008 audit is currently underway without any noncompliance noted to date. The City will continue to conduct annual audits to ensure the safety and integrity of the system is maintained through proper plumbing installations.
Update from the City Manager
We are now in receipt of the Agreement for transfer of the 119.3 acre parcel of land located south of Veteran’s Way, East of 1st Street and the transfer should soon be finalized. This transfer is one of the final steps of the overall land transfer arrangement involving the Province, Assiniboine Community College and the City.
Keystone & Kinsmen Pools Open
For the months of July & August the weekday hours are from 12 noon to 8:00 pm and weekend hours are from 12 noon to 8:00 pm (weather permitting). Admission is $2.50 per child; $4.00 per adult: and $9.00 for family (max 5). For further information please call the Brandon Family YMCA at 727-5456.
Youth Activity Centres Opened
On Tuesday, July 2nd, 2008 two youth activity centres opened their doors offering youth active, healthy opportunities to interact with their peers. The U.C.T. Summer Fun Club, sponsored by the United Commercial Traveler’s Brandon Council 448, is located at the former Fleming School site and offers programming to youth ages 10 to 15 years of age. The Youth Activity Centre (YAC), for the fourth consecutive year, will be at the East End Community Centre offering programming to youth ages 9 to 13 years of age. Activities offered to the youth during the months of July and August, from 1:00 - 5:00pm Monday to Friday, are completely FREE of charge for the youth.
Each centre will offer its own calendar of events. Some of the exciting activities being offered include arts & crafts, games, music & dance, sports, snacks, kids in the kitchen, theme days, and weekly special event days. Watch for the calendar of events for each centre on the City of Brandon website. No pre-registration or sign up is required. We are excited to be able to provide Brandon youth a wide variety of activities in a safe, positive environment at no cost to youth or their families.
For more information contact the Youth Activity Centres coordinator, Jennifer Dumanske at 570-0135 or the program supervisor, Cora Lee Baker at 729-2234.
BEAUBIER HOTEL DEMOLITION
The tender for demolition of the Beaubier Hotel was awarded June 24, 2008 to Wurtz Brothers of Sydney, Manitoba as the lowest bidder meeting specifications. We are looking to enter into a contract with them next week and develop a demolition schedule. Prior to actually tearing down the structure, a number of tasks must be completed including removal of hazardous wastes as per the consultants report, disconnection of utilities at the main lines, and the scavenging of recyclable materials. Stones from the foundation will be reused in other City of Brandon projects. Staff from the CMHA have already removed material worth about $500 to sell in the Building Refit Store.
Economic Development Update
The Economic Development Officer participated in the BizPaL (an online business permit and licence service that helps entrepreneurs identify all national, provincial and municipal permits and licenses required to start a business) national partners meeting in Winnipeg Jun 9th and 10th. The meeting brought together BizPaL representatives from across Canada and three levels of government to collectively define the vision and future strategies for BizPaL. Brandon continues to add industry sectors to BizPaL with a target of having 350 industry sectors on BizPaL by the end of 2008.
Competitiveness Training & Trade's Senior Manager David Kennedy and Western European Trade Consultant Wolfgang Haufe were in Brandon to explore the export potential of Brandon's business community. David and Wolfgang also met with EDB to explain in greater detail how the export program functions and how Brandon businesses can leverage the Province's support for exporting.
On May 22nd, 2008 the Economic Development Brandon office launched an online labour force survey. The purpose of the survey was to gather information on current and projected job vacancies in order to aid in connecting job seekers with Brandon employers. The survey was distributed via email to local businesses and posted on the Economic Development Brandon website. Just over 60 businesses participated in the survey, of which 47 agreed to have their current and projected vacancies posted online. At this time there are approximately 106 current and 49 projected employment opportunities (almost 600 total opportunities) in a variety of employment sectors posted online at www.econdev.brandon.ca/laboursurvey. Survey results will be shared with various service providers and educators to aid in understanding Brandon’s future labour needs and programming that may be required.
Work at 7-11
The work being done is to clean up some soil contamination that was not completed when the Turbo station was decommissioned . It is being supervised by Manitoba Conservation and the work is being done by Hazco who are experienced at this type of work . I do not have a completion date but I can assure you that the hole will be filled once Hazco has completed the removal of contaminated soil to Mb Conservation's requirements.
Lights West of Richmond
The other street light project approved in the 2008 financial plan is Richmond Avenue, west of 34th Street, which is scheduled for completion later this summer. This street lighting project will be completed in conjunction with the roundabout construction at 34th Street and Richmond Avenue. Some street lighting improvements are also planned for a portion of 34th Street, south of Richmond Avenue, with further street lights proposed once additional development takes place in this section of the City.
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