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DV2020 Posts their questions


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#1 Caramia

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Posted 25 October 2008 - 11:41 AM

DV2020 has posted the questions they have for the candidates for Victoria Council at http://dv2020.ca/

The questions are:

2008 Election Questions for a Better Downtown Victoria

Working with the Province

The mayor and council of the capital city must be able to foster and nurture a new, more collaborative relationship with the province. Are you able to sit down with the province to determine its long-term facility needs, and then protect the future of Victoria's public sector jobs by making sure that we have the capacity (amenities, flexible policies, etc.) to meet those needs? Additionally, we hear rumours of a potential 10-year reduction of the provincial civil service by one-third. Are you acquainted with this information and if yes, what in your view are its implications for the Victoria economy, and what strategies would you propose to mitigate the impacts?

How will you work productively with the province on issues where a partnership is needed such as; the replacement of the Belleville Terminal; substantive progress on the Harbour Walkway; carrying out the goals of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness; and the creation of a new Central Library?

The Social Health of Downtown

There are 214 Non Profits funded by the United Way in Victoria. Funding Analysis shows that their volunteer base and number of funders is declining. Many of these Non Profits are charged with providing essential services for the social health of Victoria. Now that the economic climate is weakening these services are more important than ever. How would you work to support Non Profits in the community, and what role do you see the City playing in helping keep this sector strong?

We have a Coalition to end Homelessness, we have a plan, but we don't have all of the organizations working together yet. The new mayor and council will be charged in ensuring that this is resolved or the Coalition will not be successful and the problems will only get worse. How do you propose getting all 214 non-profits to come to the table and work together under the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness to provide a more seamless provision of services to those in need and stop providing a duplication of services and therefore a waste of valuable funding?

Making Plans into Realities

The City planning department, in cooperation with community associations and other stakeholder groups has created some excellent plans to ensure the success and vitality of downtown. Unfortunately some of these plans have been "in the works" for many years without much tangible progress on the ground. In particular we are concerned about the following four plans:

1. The Downtown Plan Review - the City needs not just to adopt this plan but also to consider how to activate it, fund it, and make sure things come to pass.

2. The Harbourfront Walkway Plan, which would connect the harbour from Ogden Point all the way up to the Selkirk trestle. Two key areas are the Belleville Terminal and the Blue Bridge.

3. An excellent plan adopted in 1992 entitled the Downtown Beautification Strategy which seems to have fallen into disuse.

4. The Greenways Plan which will make our city a more sustainable, walkable and liveable place. More on Greenways here.

Are you aware of all these initiatives? How will you move these ideas out of the "plans and incentives stage" and towards action and results?

Stewardship of Downtown

Much of the progress downtown Victoria has made over the last few years has been the result of a very strong economic climate. There are signs that this climate is weakening, and the question on our minds is, have we made enough progress to sustain ourselves over the coming times?

What kind of responsibility are you willing to take providing diligence in monitoring the health of downtown retail and services?

Are you willing to take a stand in supporting more residential density downtown as part of ensuring environmental, social and economic sustainability?

Are you prepared to take leadership in ensuring that downtown provides the cultural and educational resources appropriate to it's role as the hub of the provincial capital?

How hard will you work on issues such as building a new and up-to-date Central Library, and encouraging institutions such as the Art Gallery, or University to come downtown?

Are you prepared to support the revitalization of the Belleville Terminal as the Transportation Gateway to Victoria?"


Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

#2 Sue Woods

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Posted 26 October 2008 - 11:27 PM

2008 Election Questions for a Better Downtown Victoria
Answered and submitted by Susan Woods. Oct 27/08

Working with the Province:
Are you able to sit down with the province to determine its long-term facility needs, and then protect the future of Victoria's public sector jobs by making sure that we have the capacity to meet those needs?
The province is a very large employer in the Victoria area and maintaining public sector jobs is important. I can work with the province to hear about its priorities for the public service and market Victoria as the "best place" to work. A comprehensive approach is important, including ensuring available office space, access to technology, amenities for employees such as shopping, restaurants, child care, gyms near to the offices, climate for walking and jogging, public transit and parking, affordable housing, proximity to flights to Vancouver, a center of culture and learning, and scenic beauty as a harbour city.

We hear rumours of a potential 10-year reduction of the provincial civil service by one-third. What are its implications for the Victoria economy, and what strategies would you propose to mitigate the impacts?
I understand that the provincial workforce is aging and demographics indicate that many workers will be retiring in the next 10-15 years. This will result in the BC government having to increase its ability to attract new employees. Victoria has many benefits to build and maintain a vibrant workforce. We need to compete with Vancouver, Kelowna, etc. as the center of government. Also try to replace the reduction in public employees by increasing amenities for retirees. What makes Victoria the best place to work also makes Victoria the best place to retire.

How will you work productively with the province on issues where a partnership is needed such as; the replacement of the Belleville Terminal; substantive progress on the Harbour Walkway; carrying out the goals of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness; and the creation of a new Central Library?
I am prepared to work with the public sector, private sector, First Nations and non-profits to find a lasting solution to homelessness, support economic ventures such as Belleville Terminal (perhaps through partnerships with Washington State government and companies), and develop Victoria as a cultural center with the Harbour Walkway and a new central library. When we design a new library we can follow the Seattle model and seek private sector involvement. Also, link the library with other cultural organizations to create a synergy of learning institutions.

The Social Health of Downtown:
Now that the economic climate is weakening how would you work to support Non Profits in the community, and what role do you see the City playing in helping keep this sector strong?
Societal changes are adversely affecting many non-profit organizations as they compete for a finite number of potential volunteers. This could be offset by:
- Encouraging more companies and the senior levels of government to develop volunteer programs within their ranks whereby individuals are loaned to non-profits for a specific period.
- Explore how individuals could earn credits towards subsidized housing by working for non-profits, again for a specific period of time. Such work periods should focus on the individual learning life and career skills which will assist in gaining future employment.
- I would work to formally include the city in the Government Non-Profit Initiative which is an attempt to create a greater synergy between the provincial government and important non-profits in the area of social, health, environmental and cultural service delivery.
- I would work to create a Non Profit Advocate position in provincial government that reports directly to the premier.
- I would work to ensure that new ideas are actively explored with the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure that donations to non-profits result in attractive tax benefits.

How do you propose getting all 214 non-profits to come to the table and work together under the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness to provide a more seamless provision of services to those in need and stop providing a duplication of services and therefore a waste of valuable funding?
I would propose the creation of a Mayor’s Cabinet to End Homelessness. A non-partisan, nominated group of twelve people representing all stakeholders to report directly to the Mayor to set a plan into motion. This is about shared ownership and responsibility, and above all action. All parties must act in good faith, any sense of territoriality must be set aside, and the welfare of the homeless always at the forefront.

Making Plans into Realities:
How will you move these ideas out of the "plans and incentives stage" and towards action and results? 1. The Downtown Plan Review 2. The Harbourfront Walkway Plan. The Downtown Beautification Strategy 4. The Greenways Plan.
Moving these forward will require leadership, financial resources and inter-agency cooperation. One solution may lie in the nature of future development. Developers, especially on the waterfront, will need to invest in designs that incorporate features that support current/future beautification strategies and the spirit of the “Greenway Plan’. The Harbourfront Walkway Plan deserves similar support as its completion will pull together the harbour and remind us of our maritime past. Finally, with the provincial election looming, is this not the time to press for funding?

Stewardship of Downtown:
Much of the progress downtown Victoria has made over the last few years has been the result of a very strong economic climate. There are signs that this climate is weakening, and the question on our minds is, have we made enough progress to sustain ourselves over the coming times?
If we are to have a vibrant, feasible and responsive economy in times of uncertainty, we cannot continue to rely solely on traditional economic generators such as tourism and the provincial government. I believe we also need to embrace the new information economy and its collateral economic activities, as well as encourage greater cross-sectorial coordination and integration within our existing business community.

What kind of responsibility are you willing to take providing diligence in monitoring the health of downtown retail and services?
If elected, I would work to create a “mobilization” partners group that would bring together senior levels of government, business-related associations, and leaders from the business, cultural, technology, human resources and education community to create a strategy that attracts local, national and internationally-focused businesses to our region

Are you willing to take a stand in supporting more residential density downtown as part of ensuring environmental, social and economic sustainability?
Yes. The benefits would be more efficient use of land and infrastructure, encourage alternate modes of transportation, provide longer term population stability, and leave more land available for green space.

Are you prepared to take leadership in ensuring that downtown provides the cultural and educational resources appropriate as the hub of the provincial capital?
Yes. Victoria already has many strengths in terms of culture, heritage and educational resources. I would work hard to strengthen them and their benefits to the community through an integrated strategic plan that looked at their future well-being.

How hard will you work on issues such as building a new and up-to-date Central Library, and encouraging institutions such as the Art Gallery, or University to come downtown?
A new Central Library is long overdue. The libraries in both Vancouver and Seattle are not only modern informational facilities but have become tourist attractions in their own right. I would also commit to expand downtown university campuses and encourage both the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and the Maritime Museum of BC in their quest for new, purpose-built facilities.

Are you prepared to support the revitalization of the Belleville Terminal as the Transportation Gateway to Victoria?
Yes. We need to support a new Terminal, new docks, and public amenities that make us proud and meet present day security and transportation requirements. Developed in such a way that it can be expanded in the future to meet additional transportation needs. (ie: A passenger ferry between Victoria and Vancouver would offset some of the current seaplane traffic.)

 



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