For a guy who originally ran on the slogan “I like results, I like Sam” way back in ‘04, it seems our Mayor is still having one heck of a time taming the bureaucratic beast at City Hall.
In the latest episode of this struggle, we read that Councillors are fed up with Winnipeg Transit’s repeated delays in implementing a number of city-wide improvements. Rightfully so, considering that most of these improvements have been on Transit’s own list of priorities since the Direction to the Future report back in 2000. Katz says “there is no excuse for this,” that he’s “not buying” the reasons for the delay, and he has “told the department this is a priority.”
The Mayor isn’t having much more luck on the recreation front. In the past few weeks, the new Bronx Park Community Centre and Fort Garry Skateboard Park both broke ground and should be operational by next summer. That makes for a nice photo op, but these projects were announced more than three years ago!
In fact, none of the major recreation projects announced by Katz, Premier Doer and then-Manitoba Regional Minister Reg Alcock back in April 2005 have opened their doors yet:
- A renovated Cindy Klassen/Sargent Park Recreation Complex and the giant tin can indoor soccer complex at the U of M, could finally be ready sometime this year.
- As mentioned, Bronx Park won’t open until next spring, and is already $2.5 million over the original budget projection.
- The”urban oasis” at Kildonan Park was replaced by a public-private partnership to build a major indoor water park. Bids closed in February, and the City wants the facility open by November 2009, but there hasn’t been a word from City Hall on this in months.
- A proposal for a major new recreation facility for the North End hasn’t gone anywhere, and rising construction costs will seriously reduce the scope of the project if it ever does get off the ground.
I could come up with countless examples of other projects in limbo (feel free to add them in the comments), but I think you get the point.
And while Katz doesn’t directly control the civic administration, he did sign off on the hirings of the current CAO; the Directors of Transit, Community Services, Planning, Finance and Internal Services; and the Chiefs of the Police and Fire Paramedic Services.
In review, Katz has been Mayor for four years now, he controls a majority of the votes on City Council, and his guys (or, what should have been his guys) hold most of the senior positions in the bureaucracy. So yeah Sam, you’re right, there is no excuse for this.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: City of Winnipeg, sam katz
I have to wonder if the tardiness is the result of not enough staff . It seems there is always money in the capital budget for these projects but the City is loath to add any new employees to get them implemented.
For example, the City claims they hired a coordinator to implement the Active Transportation plan. What actually happened was they seconded a planner who was already working on bike trails. So here’s this big new initiative, but no new staff.
As for Transit, I’d be surprised if they have more than 3 people on staff that are available to implement all these initiatives.
Improving Winnipeg’s bike trails may be the one thing that Mayor Sam Katz does get right. The City’s Kevin Nixon is doing a great job with the resources that he has available. The fact that Janice Lukes, an NGO community activist, is doing great parallel work, and that her funding is about to run out is a sad reflection of the fact that Winnipeg is stretched thin on the ground on this bellweather issue. Yes to increased resources for Active Transportation, and yes to increased accountability from our Mayor. After four years even he must consider himself a politician by now.
The newish Transit Director came from Water and Waste, and he had a fairly good reputation for getting things done in that department. I suspect he’s finding Transit a much more politically sensitive animal.
Not to rub it in but I just spent the past few minutes walking on a suburban trail in Halifax. It runs for about 14 kms through Clayton Park and onwards. From what I can gather (without actually looking at the easement agreement), it runs along hydro land that would ordinarily just sit vacant – there are power lines along the trail. It is simply beautiful – an oasis in urban sprawl.
Nonetheless, it allows cyclists and pedestrians alike transport throughout the suburbs without facing the onslaught of vehicular traffic. If a city of 1/2 the population of Winnipeg can do it, what is Winnipeg’s excuse? Aren’t new subdivisions on the way as we speak? Will they allow for pedestrian and cycle traffic? Is this a matter of getting cooperation between government (City) and government agencies (MB Hydro) and mobilizing resources that already exist?
The Sage Creek development (much beloved by Marty Gold) makes great use of Hydro ROWs for its trail system . The Hydro ROW currently leased to Arnason’s Golf Course in Waverley West is also to be part of the Bishop Grandin Greenway trail. We are making baby steps.
Lucky you, Steve. You have seen the future.