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News for June 16th
Update from the Mayor
I attended the Graduation Ceremonies of Assiniboine Community College on Thursday, June 12, 2008, at the Keystone Centre.
On Friday, June 13, 2008, I participated in the 2008 Brandon Police Service Phase B Recruit Graduation in the Main Foyer of City Hall.
City Hall Fountain
The In-City Maintenance crew has resurrected the old cast iron City Hall fountain/monument and is relocating it in the present City Hall grounds. It was in sad condition so they had it sand blasted and clear coated for protection. They are guessing that it is over 100 years old and the markings on it show it came from the St. Lawrence foundry in Toronto. It is a wonderful addition to the beautiful grounds of City Hall and I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the staff who were involved with its restoration and relocation.
TRAFFIC SECTION
Please be advised that the Brandon Area Road Network Development Plan is now available on our City web page. The following link will guide you to the Traffic Sections web page for this document.
http://www.brandon.ca/main.nsf/Pages+by+ID/1018
The opening page is a brief summary of the overall plan including Study Objectives, Methodology, Environmental Scan, Public Participation, Recommendations, Priorities, and Conclusions.
At the bottom of the page, the Brandon Area Road Network Development Plan document, including an Executive Summary document, and Origin/Destination Survey Data, are accessed on this page through the links provided. Our office would like to encourage anyone interested in this plan to please visit our web page and review this information.
WATER TREATMENT FACILITY
The final phase of the Low Lift Pump Upgrade at the Water Treatment Facility is on schedule and is expected to be completed this week. The project consisted of demolition of the old low lift pumps, piping, and associated equipment and replacing them. The purpose of the low lift pumps is to convey raw water to the water treatment plant and the recent upgrade was to improve reliability and provide sufficient capacity to the treatment process.
Methane Gas Recovery
The monitoring continues at the Eastview Landfill Site of the methane gas. Monitoring will continue for approximately another 3 weeks at which time we will learn the quality and quantity of greenhouse gas. Comcor, the company that is overseeing the monitoring will provide us with a written report outlining our options once all of the numbers have been analyzed.
Greenhouse Gas Inventory
With the assistance of Green Manitoba we have started doing our Greenhouse Gas Inventory both for the community and the City of Brandon’s facilities. Green Manitoba is providing funding for the inventory. Mr. Will Bates, working with Tom Keep is compiling these numbers with the assistance of Manitoba Hydro and all of supervisory staff that are responsible for hydro and gas consumption. We hope to have the inventory completed over the summer and possibly early into the fall.
Police Services Update
Approximately ten staff from the Police Service attended the Westman Justice Network Workshop in Clear Lake on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008.
The presentation theme this year was “International Border Service Cooperation & Young Offender Update” with various presenters speaking from Canadian and US Border Services and Youth Corrections.
Chief Atkinson attended the Drug and Alcohol Coalition meeting on Monday and concluded with an appearance on the Noon Day Show.
Update on Northlands and Brochet
At approx 4pm June 11, 2008 Northlands and Barrens land first nation indicated they had smoke conditions in the community. Mb Conservation indicated that was due to forest fires in Saskatchewan. the smoke was drifting into the province as the wind conditions shifted from the southwest, which affected the community. contacted each first nation, they both indicated they were looking at declaring an emergency due to smoke conditions in the community. MANFF responded to the requests made by the First Nations to evacuate. made arrangements for flights for approx 70 evacuee's from Barrens Land First Nation to Portage La Prairie. MANFF contacted the airline carrier to arrange for flights into the community to evacuate members on the priority one list as per MANFF's smoke guidlines. First Nation indicated they were standing down on the evacuation but would reassess the smoke conditions in the morning.
News for June 9th
Heritage Coordinator Contract Position
Kim Longstreet has been hired as the Heritage Coordinator for the Brandon Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee on a contract basis. Kim will start her new duties on June 16th, 2008 and will be responsible for coordinating and implementing the programming plans and policies of the Brandon MHAC as part of the City of Brandon’s overall heritage conservation management plan. She will provide administrative and marketing/promotional support to the Brandon MHAC.
Kim brings with her a wealth of experience in coordinating and implementing programs and services with various sectors of the community. She has a solid background in time management, raising public awareness, fundraising, and proposal development which will be a definite asset to the Brandon MHAC as the committee strives to heighten the heritage profile in the City.
New Fire Hall
Cibinel Architect design team members met this week with Fire and Emergency Communications Management and Ian Christiansen. A preliminary design review for the new Firehall/Emergency Communications building was presented.
New Member in Information Technology
We would like to welcome Merrilea Price, our newest member of IT. She will be assisting with programming and web development.
PMAC Conference
Vivianne Lockerby attended the annual Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) conference in St. John's Newfoundland from May 20 - 23, 2008. The theme was "On the Crest of a New Wave" and 600 delegates from across Canada participated in the event.
There were many interesting topics such as "The Growth of Green Procurement", "Maximizing Results in Public Procurement BC Government" and "For the Greener Good: Supply Chain Sustainability at Wal-Mart Canada". General topics for self growth included "Leaders in a New Time, Leaders for a New Time", "You Can't Stop the Waves But You Can Learn to Surf", and "Imagining the Impossible" to name a few.
The event was a great experience and allowed Vivianne the opportunity to network and stay in touch with fellow colleagues from the PMAC association.
Intersection at 1st and Victoria
On Friday May 30th, our office attended a presentation by Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation officials at Lions Manor with regards to the intersection of 1st Street and Victoria Avenue. Councillor Black was also in attendance. The meeting was focused on providing residents of Lions Manor and Victoria Landing with information for the various improvements proposed for this intersection. This project is a cost shared reconstruction project between Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation and the City which is scheduled for completion this summer.
The presentation was well received by residents in attendance from Lions Manor & Victoria Landing. There was no negative feedback received and the general consensus was that they are happy that the Province and the City are moving ahead with getting the intersection reconstructed for improved pedestrian safety. Some of the larger scale improvements include removing all of the right turn cut-off lanes and relocating the traffic signals to the four corners. This will create a more pedestrian friendly intersection allowing all users a safer environment to interact with the large volumes of traffic utilizing this intersection.
Audible signals will also be installed at this intersection, similar to the types of audible signals implemented at other intersections in the City. Audible Pedestrian Signals (APS) provide directional and safety aid to pedestrians who are blind and visually impaired. APS is a type of tone emitting equipment that can be mounted on pedestrian signal heads at a signalized intersection to audibly identify when a Walk indication is provided for a specific direction. The Transportation Association of Canada, in conjunction with efforts with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), have developed guidelines and best practices for the uniform application of APS devices in Canada. The tones emulate two different types of bird sounds;
1. A "cuckoo" sound is emulated for the north-south pedestrian crosswalk when it is safe to cross the street in this direction; and
2. A "peep-peep" sound is emulated for the east-west pedestrian crosswalk when it is safe to cross the street in this direction.
This intersection will also be a pilot project for a device referred to as Pedestrian Countdown Signals (PCS) which has been briefly discussed in past responses to City Council. A PCS system (please refer to the picture below) consists of a bimodal pedestrian head and a digital display that provides pedestrians with additional information, specifically, a descending numerical countdown of seconds remaining between signal changes. The intent of the PCS system is to help make it easier for pedestrians to determine if they have enough time to cross the intersection. As these devices are relatively new technologies, it is not widely accepted as a form of pedestrian control, however it was felt that it may assist seniors in this area by indicating the amount of time left to safely cross the street prior to the lights changing at this busy intersection.
Some studies have shown however that motorists use these count down displays as a means of speeding through intersections to beat the change in signals, thus eliminating all safety factors associated for pedestrians.
This pilot project will allow Provincial and City traffic officials a chance to measure the advantages and disadvantages of these pedestrian devices for future installations in the City should these devices become an effective means for increased pedestrian safety. Our office will provide additional information to Council as this project moves forward.
Third Street Dam
The monitoring and development of both a short term solution and a long term solution is ongoing and progressing. A number of stop logs have been removed from the Dam in order to reduce the velocity of the water moving through the failed portion of the Dam. This is necessary in order to mitigate the possibility of excessive river bottom erosion and the potential to cause more damage to the Dam. The Dam also serves the purpose of retaining water for the Water Treatment Facility. With a low spring run-off and a dry spring the river flow is lower than normal and the short term forecast in river flow is that the low flows will remain below normal levels.
In order to inspect the damage to the dam and to preserve sufficient water for the Water Treatment Facility a temporary coffer dam will be constructed. The coffer dam will be constructed of rock and will begin on the south shore and proceed north past the damaged area of the dam. This rock coffer dam will allow for the inspection of the damage in order that the next step in the repairs can be determined. At this point the final repair method has not been determined, however the options range from repairing the damage and reinstating the Dam to it original state to constructing a rock filed weir.
Fisheries officials from both the Federal and Provincial Governments have been notified and consulted with respect to the situation and of our intended methods of defining the damage and the need to construct a coffer dam. Plans and specifications are now being prepared for a very short tender period and it is anticipated that the coffer Dam will be constructed prior to the third week in June. Once the damage has been assessed a long term solution will be determined.
Thursday by the Fountain
Renaissance Brandon held their inaugural Thursday by the Fountain on May 29th. The event was organized to assist in attracting people to the downtown area. Despite less than desirable weather, the event attracted just over 200 people. Ten vendors participated in the event and music was supplied by the Scotty McIntosh Band courtesy of Music in the Park. Very positive comments were received from the attendees and additional vendors signed up for the next week.
Fire & Emergency Services Update
Travis Cooke and George Cibinel from Cibinel Architects were at #1 Hall on June 3rd to complete the programming phase of the Architectural Contract. This involved reviewing the data that they had compiled to confirm our needs in the new building. We will be meeting with staff to review this data on June 6th.
Chief Dane, Deputy Bell, Deputy Romanik, Fire Prevention Officer MacKay, Inspector Benson, and Public Education Officer Friesen all served coffee at Tim Hortons on June 4th to help raise money for Camp Day.
We have two new firefighter/paramedics joining the department. Reagan Kruger will begin working with the Department on May 26th, 2008. Braden Coates will begin working with the Department on June 2nd, 2008. They will both be going through orientation training for the next couple of weeks.
The department is currently working on an Operational Plan to submit to Manitoba Health to maintain our Ambulance License. In the Operational Plan we outline what our challenges and projected needs are, now and in the future for the ambulance service.
The department will be participating in the UCT Travelers Day Parade on June 7th.
Injury Free Manitoba Award
The committees that are part of Safe Communities - Brandon and Area were recognized in Winnipeg this week at the Injury Free Manitoba Conference awards dinner for their hard work. They received the "Injury Free Manitoba Award" for their commitment to working in partnership to reduce injuries in our community. Congratulations to the many members of the City staff who are part of and support these committees.
Strategic Human Resources Management Council West (SHRCW)
The Conference Board of Canada has established the above Council to assist public sector HR professionals in Western Canada with the unique situations they are currently facing. The City is a member organization of the Council, and recently Vicki Fifi attended the third SHRCW meeting in Calgary, Alberta. The theme was "Business Transformation in the Public Sector - Building the Capacity of Human Resources to Respond". Networking with representatives from the other members (which include various divisions of the Alberta Government, the BC Assessment Authority, SGI Canada, and five municipalities in BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan), was beneficial and the exchange of information will be useful in managing HR through the inevitable changes that our organization will experience.
World Record Walk
This past week, we received word that Canada has set a new World Record by having the most people walking one kilometer at the same time. The World Record Walk was accomplished on October 3, 2007 at 1,011 venues across Canada, which included the City of Brandon - Downtown Walk with 196 participants. Canada had 231,635 participants with Manitoba having 28,715 which was the third highest in the country. In the April 2008 issue of Walkolution News, a picture that Brian Kayes took at the City of Brandon - Downtown Walk was featured on page 5 with promise that the next issue will have "walkability updates from Brandon, Manitoba." To see this newsletter please go to http://www.worldrecordwalk.ca/english/mediacentre.asp and click on Walkolution News - April 2008. A big thank you to all City staff and City of Brandon citizens that took part in helping Canada and Brandon become a World Record holder!
Outdoor Movie
Community Services will be hosting 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 barbeque for anyone wishing to attend this free family event. Leading up to the movie, there will be local bands entertaining the crowd as well as a skateboard demonstration. Throughout the evening there will be 50/50 and silent auction tickets being sold with all the proceeds going to the Skateboard Plaza Fundraiser. Please mark your calendars – we look forward to seeing you there!
Funding for Youth Activity Leaders
Community Services has secured a number of grants for the Youth Activity Leaders this summer. From the eight Youth Activity Leaders positions, we have received three Hometown Green Team and two Service Canada Grants. These grants will help offset wages and some materials at the centres.
“The Power of One” – Youth Wellness Day
S.P.I.N. (Suicide Prevention Implementation Network) is a committee dedicated towards the prevention of suicide. As part of our initiative in promoting wellness, S.P.I.N. hosted its 6th annual Youth Wellness Day for all grade 10 students within Brandon School Division.
May 22nd, 2008 was a day dedicated to 500 grade 10 students. Cora Lee Baker attended this conference as a facilitator on behalf of the City of Brandon. Guest speakers were brought in to make presentations on topics selected by the students in a high-energy atmosphere. Also, there were group discussions, audiovisuals, music, lunch and recognition of youth resources in Brandon. All provided at no cost to the students! The purpose of the Youth Wellness Day is to empower youth in responsible decision making and assist them in building resilience. These young people had the opportunity to discuss problems they encounter, problem solve solutions and familiarize themselves with local supports and resources.
Police Services Update
On Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 Chief Atkinson attended the Grade 12 Law Class at Crocus Plains School.
On Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 Staff Sergeant Corley attended the Grade 12 Class at Flemming School to discuss a career in policing with the students.
On Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 Chief Atkinson and Inspectors Bryson and Grant participated in the Tim Horton’s Camp Day. Busy day !
Chief Atkinson attended a meeting to discuss the National Survey on Friday, June 6th, 2008.
Inspector Grant attended this meeting on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008. An evening public forum is planned for early fall. More details to follow.
Electronic Presentment of Utility Bills
All 3 utility billing cycles have now received an insert with their water bills advising that invoices can be received electronically, either monthly or quarterly, via e-mail and the response has been very favourable. As of May 28th there were 251 customers signed up to receive their bills monthly and 161 signed up to receive them electronically but choose to stay with a quarterly frequency.
As well the utility autopay program (where a preset amount is deducted from the customer’s bank account each month) continues to be popular. As of May 28th there were 2,019 accounts enrolled in this program.
Planning
As of May 28, 2008, we have issued 408 building permits; at this time in 2007 only 335 permits had been issued. While the actual number of permits issued is greater this year than any previous year, the associated cost of construction is lower. This is primarily because we have not had as many of the large commercial or industrial permits come through yet in 2008. We have every confidence that this will occur.
Neighborhood SWEEP
This year’s spring Neighbourhood Sweep that was held Thursday, May 22nd was a huge success. There were over 90 volunteers from the community and 50 city staff out in the Riverview area that day. There was 42,350 kgs. of refuse hauled out to the landfill throughout the day.
Thank you to all city departments that assisted that day. Streets and Roads, Parks, Community Services, Police, By-Law, Fire/Emergency, Building Maintenance and Sanitation were all involved and were a large factor in the success of the event. Also in attendance that day to assist in the clean up were Mayor Dave Burgess, City Manager Brian MacRae, Councillor Errol Black and Chief of Police Keith Atkinson.
Sportsplex
On Thursday, May 15, Brandon's Community Sportsplex celebrated National Lifejacket Day by incorporating lifejacket use and awareness into all swimming lessons taking place throughout the day. All school and public lesson participants received a participation certificate to recognize their involvement with the day's events. In addition, public swim from 7:00 - 9:00 pm contained lifejacket-related games and relays for those in attendance, and Buckles the Lifejacket was on hand to greet patrons and pass out invaluable information pertaining to lifejacket awareness and boating safety in time for the 2008 boating season. In total, over 275 patrons took part in National Lifejacket Day. There were 243 swimmers out for the Tuesday night Free Swim on May 20th and 313 for Tuesday, May 27th. The free swims which are sponsored by Brandon In Motion will continue until June 10th.
Household Hazardous Waste Day
Household Hazardous Waste day was held at the Civic Works Complex 900 Richmond Ave east on Saturday, May 24 from 10 – 2. We were able to put through 541 vehicles, which included 2 pedal bikes and 10 walk-ins and once again with a lot of first time residents at the event. We were able to capture approximately 31,121 liters of liquid and 3,020 kg’s of solid HHW from entering the landfill as well as numerous car batteries and propane tanks. We would like to thank The Brandon Rotary Club and the Brandon Air Cadets for their help. Special thanks to all the environmentally friendly people of Brandon for their support at the Household Hazardous Waste Day May 24.
New Splash Park
The recreation hub located at 3rd St. and Aberdeen Ave. received a 2008 Community Places Program grant for $30,000. The grant is awarded by the Province of Manitoba’s department of Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport and will help in the development of this exciting recreation space.
One of the Best in Canada
The City of Brandon was named the seventh best walking city in Canada in a competition administered by the Canadian Federation of Podiatric Medicine. The competition was open to all Canadian Communities whose population is in the top 100. Of the fifteen communities that entered the competition, Brandon finished seventh. Below are the results in each category area of the competition. Brandon was rated highly in the # of poor quality air days, overall summary presentation and walking trail distance.
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