October 6, 2011


- SHELLIE'S SUSTAINABILITY SEWAGE STATEMENT (Shellie Gudgeon, Victoria Council)
- FINANCE COMMITTEE TO HOLD PUBLIC CONSULTATION IN VICTORIA FRIDAY
- TELL TIMES COLONIST WHAT YOU THINK ARE PRESSING ELECTORAL ISSUES
- VICTORIA VITAL SIGNS 2011 (no sewage mention)
- CHEMAINUS COMMUNITY STINKING MAD (sewage sludge composting issue)

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SHELLIE'S SUSTAINABILITY SEWAGE STATEMENT (Shellie Gudgeon, Victoria Council)

SUSTAINABILITY

We need value for our tax dollars.

Shellie was one of the few local citizens to take advantage of a CRD sponsored fact finding trip to Blaine, Washington and the South Seattle Plant at Renton where a sewage treatment facility similar to the one proposed for Victoria is located. 

This trip and other consultations have led her to believe that at this point in time there is no reason for a billion dollar sewage treatment plant to be built. Our government has been remiss in its duty to properly educate our citizens and other municipalities with regard to our unique local situation.

We have a perfect, natural environment that can readily handle and sustain our waste discharges. We do need better, upgraded screening of the current system and an upgrade to our storm waste water handling and collection system for the entire region.

What people often do not realize is that land based treatment is not a panacea, the same toxins that are currently going into the ocean will still need to be disposed of in a land based system. Whose back yard do we dump those in?


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FINANCE COMMITTEE TO HOLD PUBLIC CONSULTATION IN VICTORIA FRIDAY

CFAX 1070
Oct 5, 2011

The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services is inviting the public to provide their input at a consultation in Victoria later this week.

The finance committee intends to collect public opinion on fiscal issues like tax relief, deficit management, and spending priorities.

A BC Government Caucus release says the feedback received will then be mulled over by the all-party committee as they ready a recommendation report for the Ministry of Finance.

The public consultation will be held Friday morning in the Douglas Fir Committee Room of the Parliament Buildings in Victoria. The hearing runs from 9 to 3 o'clock.

http://www.cfax1070.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3268:finance-committee-to-hold-public-consultation-in-victoria-friday&catid=45:mainlocal-news&Itemid=155

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TELL TIMES COLONIST WHAT YOU THINK ARE PRESSING ELECTORAL ISSUES
 
Times Colonist
October 06, 2011

The candidates are building their platforms and printing their signs, so it's time for voters to start thinking about the municipal election.

We want to know the issues that will be at the top of your list as you decide how to vote on Nov. 19.

What do you want local politicians to talk about during the campaign? Send us a list of your top five issues.

The most popular ones will be the focus of a special feature in Monitor.

Email your list to election@timescolonist.com. Tell us which municipality you live in, and include your contact information, if you wish.

Here is a list of some suggestions. You are welcome to include others.

TRANSPORTATION:

- Transit
- LRT
- Bike Lanes
- Congestion

POLICE:

- Community Safety
- Cost of policing 
- Police amalgamation

TAXATION:

- Tax rates
- Debt servicing

INFRASTRUCTURE:

- Recreation Facilities
- Parks and and green spaces
- Road work
- Libraries

SERVICES:

- Garbage pickup
- Recycling
- Sewage

REGIONAL PLANNING:

- Growth
- Density
- Official Community Plans 
- Pace of development

SOCIAL ISSUES:

- Affordable housing 
- Needle exchanges and safe injection sites
- Secondary suites
- Panhandling

GOVERNANCE:

- Accountability
- Transparency

CALLING ALL CANDIDATES

If you are running for office in the municipal elections, the Times Colonist wants to tell voters about you.
When you have filed your nomination papers, send an email to election@timescolonist.com.
Include your contact information and we will get in touch with you to gather more detailed information.


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VICTORIA VITAL SIGNS 2011 (no sewage mention)

ARESST: Attached graphic of Victoria Vital Signs 2011 suggests that the survey respondents did not have any issue with Victoria's current, marine-based sewage treatment system - but they are concerned with cost of living. However, will be interesting to see the Vital Signs Youth report on its release in November, because last year, they snuck a sewage treatment question into it - and of course given the wording and lack of explanatory detail, a majority of youth respondents wanted a sewage plant. 

Link to download the 10 MB pdf Victoria Vital Signs 2010 Report: http://www.victoriafoundation.bc.ca/web/vitalsigns2011

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CHEMAINUS COMMUNITY STINKING MAD  (sewage sludge composting issue)
 
Thanks to Shaun for this video link of a Chemainus sewage composting facility gone wrong:
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