Council approves three OBMs
By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on December 13, 2024.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com
City council on Tuesday passed three official business motions.
A motion put forward by Acting Mayor Jeff Carlson regarding the Pay As You Go plan for Utility-funded projects passed unanimously.
His motion called on council to “direct Administration to draft a policy to implement a Pay As You Go program to fund utility-supported capital projects for future projects with long-term benefits, major rehabilitation or upgrades to existing assets, and emerging requirements to support corporate or regulatory priorities and strategic plans” and that the new policy be presented to council for consideration by the end of the second quarter of 2025.
A motion by councillor Belinda Crowson on an asset management policy also passed unanimously.
That motion called on council to direct administration to draft an asset management strategy that “defines the corporation’s high-level, long-term approach” and present it to the Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee – which includes all council members – by the second quarter of 2025.
The motion states that asset management is critical to effective planning as well as maintaining and operating infrastructure on both short- and long-term basis.
A motion co-sponsored by Carlson and Crowson regarding approvals of full-time equivalent positions passed by a 5-3 motion with Mayor Blaine Hyggen along with councillors Jenn Schmidt-Rempel and Ryan Parker opposed.
That motion stated that the past practice of the City seeking council approval of FTE positions “adds a layer to the administrative process of hiring employees, thereby decreasing Administration’s ability to make employment decisions in the most efficient and timely manner possible” and that administration needs to be empowered to meet or exceed service level expectations established by council and city citizens in a cost-effective manner.
Their motion said the City Manager’s approval of FTEs would enhance the efficiency of hiring people into permanent positions rather than term positions when their services are required on an ongoing basis” and notes it’s typically more difficult to attract and retain the most qualified people for term positions than for permanent ones.
“City Manager approval of FTEs would significantly enhance the organization’s ability
to adapt to meet service level targets in the most cost- and operationally effective manner possible,” says the motion which calls on council to clarify and confirm that the City Manager has authority to make staffing decisions and approve FTEs.
13-12
third motion, full on nepotism possible with little or no oversight from council. Bad decision.
Joel Sanchez, – executive director has failed at his respective post repeatedly. How?
$27 million over on a budget of $70M for the agrihub. Expects us to believe his staff, departments and financial professionals didn’t have access to actually audit the ongoing process, nevermind get taxpayer permission to exceed the budget. Now is claiming fraud, and getting the RCMP to investigate. Really?
Wants us to believe his “financial professionals” can successfully monitor the $300M dollar bridge to the west side. Which isn’t even started, and guaranteed to go over budget by at least 1/3 the costs by the time it’s finished.
Lethbridge voters number approx 98K. City council only managed to excite 28K to actually get out and vote at the last city election, yet believe they have the authority of 60% of those 28K will validate their agendas to the entire 98K voter base. Instead of really initiating real involvement in their choices, elections, etc.
Taxpayers are paying 5.1% increase for the next for years for the bridge alone. City is now ensured taxpayers are paying another 2.75% on top of that. So what’s going to happen when the bridge FAILS to meet their budgets and taxpayers are hung out to dry for those costs?
I wrote to the city council as a whole. I have a list of costs that “TAXPAYERS” have been saddled with federally. Which includes $2.5 Trillion in personal debt, credit cards, loans, mortgages, etc taxpayers across Canada are about to default on. Federal Liberals/NDP claim their “debt” is only $1.3 Trillion. I can prove otherwise. 70 pages of entries with multiple sources per entry.
This doesn’t include provincial or municipal debt. City Council’s response? “It doesn’t concern us.”
How detached are city council? Pathetically.
This is the summation of it with 30-40 entries pending research: I have it in a pdf from an excel, if anyone wants it. It is $13.9 Trillion including personal debt to be defaulted on, based on Promises made, loans take out to pay for those promises, and interest we’re paying on the loans. Much of it supposedly hasn’t been paid……. so Where’s the Funds?
Originally, the Motley coalition admitted to $1.3Trillion in Debt, then increased it to $2.2 Trillion THEN they reduced it back down….. WHY?. Ok just finished updating the list of WTF (Where’s The Funds) or what I call the Wasted, Unaccounted, Unaudited list which sits at (See attached PDF) :
$266,299.22 – Single – meaning every man, woman, child, veteran, homeless, addict, immigrant etc. Based on population of 41M.
$1,065,196,89 – Family of 4
$10,919,313,615,777.60 – Total Promises – includes rebranding, borrowing, paying interest on repeat “Promises”, and repeated.
$1,091,931,361,577.76 – 10% of Total “Promises” would have provided $351,034.72 per home for the 3.1 Million homes/rentals etc needed by Canadians. OR $26,541.65 to the 41Million Canadians to put towards their own housing, rentals etc – every man, woman, child, veteran, homeless, addict, immigrant etc. Based on population of 41M.
$26,632.41 – Value of lost housing investment per each Canadian (41 Million)
$351,034.72 – Value of lost money for housing per existing required housing (3.1 Million)
$2,500,000,000,000.00 – Canadian Personal Debt – Mortgages, Loans, Credit Cards that are about to be defaulted as per PBO & BOC
$13,419,313,615,777.60 – Total Promises, and Personal Debt, does not include Provincial or Municipal debt.
$545,965,680,788.88 – GST on Promises
$13,965,279,296,566.50 – Total Costs to Every Canadian for “Promises”
Yes… I can prove every entry…
Let this soak in.
I’m still collecting data and many are sending me links to research. Any wonder people can’t afford a Home, Food, Rent, Family, or entertainment?
If you have any suggestions, questions, or wish to share, please do.