Konanz and Cavallo

[Jamesie]

Signs went up all over the place today for two new kids on the block (as far as I know or did Cavallo run before?). Does anyone know any more about these two ladies and their policy viewpoints?

[clouseau]

I don’t know much about either candidate at this point but I like that they are making a sincere effort to get elected onto Council. At least with these signs they are showing they are organized and serious about the job. This in contrast to an incumbent councilor who recently announced that after three years it was only time to now “start getting serious”. We are guaranteed there will be at least one new face on council and I would not be unhappy to see more, although I really would like to hear a platform.

Where did the concept of having a platform disappear too?

[twobits]

Where did the concept of having a platform disappear too?

Hopfully it hasn't been displaced by the ones that can afford the best colour photo signage and most prolific planter of the same

[jcavallo]

I just wanted to introduce my self. Please view my website and facebook page www.electjeannie.com if you have any questions please contact me at [email protected] or call 250 488 2128. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely
Jeannie Cavallo

[Jamesie]

I just wanted to introduce my self. Please view my website and facebook page http://www.electjeannie.com if you have any questions please contact me at [email protected] or call 250 488 2128. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely
Jeannie Cavallo

Thanks for swinging by, Jeannie. Maybe you can weigh in on some of the threads in the Penticton forum. Dan Albas used to do that (before he had to get very careful as an MP who has to toe the party line). When he was on city council he was a welcome guest here and admired for his openness.

Maybe we can start by asking you a question that Dan initially asked on this forum: what do you think is Penticton's top issue (and as a supplementary, what do you propose we do about it?).

[jcavallo]

"Maybe we can start by asking you a question that Dan initially asked on this forum: what do you think is Penticton's top issue (and as a supplementary, what do you propose we do about it?).[/quote]

Thanks for your question.

The biggest issue that I have heard in the early part of my campaign is our financial situation, short - term and long term.

Some of the previous council decisions have upset a lot of people.

While I don't want to knit - pick previous council members, I do think we can do a better job of communicating with taxpayers about how their hard-earned tax dollars are spent.

Financial responsibility at City Hall is important to the people I talk to.

The way to fix this issue is not easy. It will take a daily effort to make sure we are doing the best we can with the resources we have.

I am not going to pretend I have all the answers but I think that I will provide a fresh set of eyes and ears to our City Council. I think as a self-employed business woman, i can provide some 'out of the box' ideas.

I will speak to these ideas in the coming weeks and I hope to get as much input as possible from the voters.

So, I turn the question around, what is the most important issue to you?

Sincerely

Jeannie Cavallo

[Jamesie]

So, I turn the question around, what is the most important issue to you?

Sincerely

Jeannie Cavallo

Thanks for asking. I have gone through the thread we were talking about, you can find it here: http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=26040 and some of the things mentioned include:

• Attracting and keeping young famillies should be a priority
  Low cost housing
  SOEC management
  Drive by the soup kitchen on a daily basis to see what one of Penticton's "top issues" should be
  What entertainment is booked into the SOEC
  I would say economic development aka JOBS
  Complacency
  Poor people being screwed and cheated while rich get richer and richer
  Get some bike lanes
  I really think we should address the sausage roll issue

Maybe you can weigh in on some of those. Same invite goes out to Ms. Konanz!

[jcavallo]

So, I turn the question around, what is the most important issue to you?

Sincerely

Jeannie Cavallo

Thanks for asking. I have gone through the thread we were talking about, you can find it here: http://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=26040 and some of the things mentioned include:

• Attracting and keeping young famillies should be a priority
  Low cost housing
  SOEC management
  Drive by the soup kitchen on a daily basis to see what one of Penticton's "top issues" should be
  What entertainment is booked into the SOEC
  I would say economic development aka JOBS
  Complacency
  Poor people being screwed and cheated while rich get richer and richer
  Get some bike lanes
  I really think we should address the sausage roll issue

Maybe you can weigh in on some of those. Same invite goes out to Ms. Konanz!

As you can see from the size of the list, this is a very important election for Penticton.

The SOEC is obviously a hot button issue. The faster we can get them profitable, the better off we will all be. I think the current City Council has recognized that but more oversight is needed in order to protect our sizable investment and eventually get some return.

Jobs and affordability are huge issues that don't have easy solutions.

We have to find a way to attract businesses here to provide skilled jobs to our residents. Penticton needs to be irresistible to companies looking to expand to the Okanagan. Kelowna should not be their only option. Partnership with Penticton Economic Development and the Penticton Chamber of Commerce is one of the first steps. The more skilled labour jobs we can attract -- the better our chances of keeping our young people here.

Affordable housing is also a huge, complex issue. I strongly believe that we need to lobby the Province and the Federal Government for support on solving this because we can't do it alone. One of the things we can do as a City is to encourage developers to build affordable housing. We can make the process of getting permits, zoning, inspections easier to accomplish and make the 2nd floor of City Hall a place that developers don't mind visiting.

Complacency is a problem. I think residents have become complacent because they don't think anyone is listening. That is why these kind of forums are so vital. We should have an open channel to our local government. We should expect City Hall to be transparent and honest. We should hold our elected officials to account.Dan Albas did a great job of communicating what was going on at City Hall. I am committed to doing the same. The more we do this the more residents will get involved.

Your voice matters!

As for the Sausage Rolls, I think we should form a community forum to investigate where they went and how we can get them back. (I am kidding of course)

Thanks again!

Jeannie Cavallo

[Jamesie]

Hey Jeannie, you are scoring some points! Thanks for weighing in!

[twobits]

I like the direction of your thoughts. May I ask some pointed questions from a devils advocate position? Sincerely no baiting or malice intended.

The SOEC is obviously a hot button issue. The faster we can get them profitable, the better off we will all be. I think the current City Council has recognized that but more oversight is needed in order to protect our sizable investment and eventually get some return.

While I agree and hope that the SOEC can eventually run in the black, as a community asset, does it have to operate in the black to be considered as success and valued venue for Penticton? Why would you also not aspire to make the community pool and convention centre also turn a profit or at least break even?

Jobs and affordability are huge issues that don't have easy solutions.

We have to find a way to attract businesses here to provide skilled jobs to our residents. Penticton needs to be irresistible to companies looking to expand to the Okanagan. Kelowna should not be their only option. Partnership with Penticton Economic Development and the Penticton Chamber of Commerce is one of the first steps. The more skilled labour jobs we can attract -- the better our chances of keeping our young people here.

Very noble thoughts and goals but quite honestly, those identical talking points have been repeated for the last 10 electon cycles. Can you be more specific as to programs or policies you would like to see in place that will make those items a reality instead of a continued wish list?

Affordable housing is also a huge, complex issue. I strongly believe that we need to lobby the Province and the Federal Government for support on solving this because we can't do it alone. One of the things we can do as a City is to encourage developers to build affordable housing. We can make the process of getting permits, zoning, inspections easier to accomplish and make the 2nd floor of City Hall a place that developers don't mind visiting.

Agree with you completely here......especially some of the personalities on the second floor. I am interested in however what specific incentives can be put in place to encourage affordable housing that is desperately needed here? Subsidies with tax dollars are not the answer. As you are a realtor, I am interested in your thought of a suggestion I have made about radically expanding the City boundaries to increase the tax capture base as well as increasing supply to moderate the most expensive issue to afforable housing.....land costs?

Complacency is a problem. I think residents have become complacent because they don't think anyone is listening. That is why these kind of forums are so vital. We should have an open channel to our local government. We should expect City Hall to be transparent and honest. We should hold our elected officials to account.Dan Albas did a great job of communicating what was going on at City Hall. I am committed to doing the same. The more we do this the more residents will get involved.

Your voice matters!

As for the Sausage Rolls, I think we should form a community forum to investigate where they went and how we can get them back. (I am kidding of course)

Thanks again!

Jeannie Cavallo

I look forward to your responses and if I like your responses you might get an X from me as well as the location of the missing sausage rolls.

[jcavallo]

No baiting or malice taken! Responses are below.

I like the direction of your thoughts. May I ask some pointed questions from a devils advocate position? Sincerely no baiting or malice intended.

The SOEC is obviously a hot button issue. The faster we can get them profitable, the better off we will all be. I think the current City Council has recognized that but more oversight is needed in order to protect our sizable investment and eventually get some return.

While I agree and hope that the SOEC can eventually run in the black, as a community asset, does it have to operate in the black to be considered as success and valued venue for Penticton? Why would you also not aspire to make the community pool and convention centre also turn a profit or at least break even?

The SOEC is undoubtedly an asset for the City of Penticton. Witness the Keith Urban convert as evidence that it can be a powerful tool to draw revenue to our hotels and restaurants. Having said that, we simply can't afford to operate facilities that drain our limited resources. So making sure they are on the right path to profitability should be a priority. That would apply to any city owned facility.

Jobs and affordability are huge issues that don't have easy solutions.

We have to find a way to attract businesses here to provide skilled jobs to our residents. Penticton needs to be irresistible to companies looking to expand to the Okanagan. Kelowna should not be their only option. Partnership with Penticton Economic Development and the Penticton Chamber of Commerce is one of the first steps. The more skilled labour jobs we can attract -- the better our chances of keeping our young people here.

Very noble thoughts and goals but quite honestly, those identical talking points have been repeated for the last 10 electon cycles. Can you be more specific as to programs or policies you would like to see in place that will make those items a reality instead of a continued wish list?

I agree that almost every candidate repeats these same sentiments. That is because it is a huge issue for Penticton. Attracting companies here is a moving target but I think the role of City Hall is to remove any roadblocks that might prevent a company from considering Penticton. So streamlining the process of dealing with the the city would be my first step.

Affordable housing is also a huge, complex issue. I strongly believe that we need to lobby the Province and the Federal Government for support on solving this because we can't do it alone. One of the things we can do as a City is to encourage developers to build affordable housing. We can make the process of getting permits, zoning, inspections easier to accomplish and make the 2nd floor of City Hall a place that developers don't mind visiting.

Agree with you completely here......especially some of the personalities on the second floor. I am interested in however what specific incentives can be put in place to encourage affordable housing that is desperately needed here? Subsidies with tax dollars are not the answer. As you are a realtor, I am interested in your thought of a suggestion I have made about radically expanding the City boundaries to increase the tax capture base as well as increasing supply to moderate the most expensive issue to affordable housing.....land costs?

I am not familiar with your suggestion regarding City boundaries however it is 'out of the box' ideas like this that we should be encouraging and discussing. They may all not make the final grade but it can't hurt to assess them. Land costs are clearly what prevent affordable housing from being built. Cost of construction doesn't help either. Tax subsidies are not what I had in mind. The City can only do so much in terms of encouraging developers to build affordable housing and we need to ask the province and Ottawa to help. In B.C., our Property Transfer Tax has been a cash cow for the province. Some of that money generated from sales in Penticton could be used to fund a strategy.

Complacency is a problem. I think residents have become complacent because they don't think anyone is listening. That is why these kind of forums are so vital. We should have an open channel to our local government. We should expect City Hall to be transparent and honest. We should hold our elected officials to account.Dan Albas did a great job of communicating what was going on at City Hall. I am committed to doing the same. The more we do this the more residents will get involved.

Your voice matters!

As for the Sausage Rolls, I think we should form a community forum to investigate where they went and how we can get them back. (I am kidding of course)

Thanks again!

Jeannie Cavallo

I look forward to your responses and if I like your responses you might get an X from me as well as the location of the missing sausage rolls.

Sincerely,

Jeannie Cavallo

[twobits]

The SOEC is undoubtedly an asset for the City of Penticton. Witness the Keith Urban convert as evidence that it can be a powerful tool to draw revenue to our hotels and restaurants. Having said that, we simply can't afford to operate facilities that drain our limited resources. So making sure they are on the right path to profitability should be a priority. That would apply to any city owned facility.

Would that include being in favour of raising user fee's for the pool? At least closer to the actual cost of service? And what are your thoughts on higher fee's to people living outside city boundaries paying more as they contribute nothing in taxes towards the operating costs of city facilities?

I agree that almost every candidate repeats these same sentiments. That is because it is a huge issue for Penticton. Attracting companies here is a moving target but I think the role of City Hall is to remove any roadblocks that might prevent a company from considering Penticton. So streamlining the process of dealing with the the city would be my first step.

Would that include unpopular tasks such as arguing for the replacment of some staff that erect unreasonable roadbloacks for no other reason than laziness or butt covering? I am not sure you have been here long enough to realize how ingrained this philosophy is with some personalites on the second floor.


I am not familiar with your suggestion regarding City boundaries however it is 'out of the box' ideas like this that we should be encouraging and discussing. They may all not make the final grade but it can't hurt to assess them. Land costs are clearly what prevent affordable housing from being built. Cost of construction doesn't help either. Tax subsidies are not what I had in mind. The City can only do so much in terms of encouraging developers to build affordable housing and we need to ask the province and Ottawa to help. In B.C., our Property Transfer Tax has been a cash cow for the province. Some of that money generated from sales in Penticton could be used to fund a strategy.

Not a bad idea per se but I would have to add, good luck getting any funding out of the Prov Budget hole in the next three years

I would like to add my thanks to your willingness to interact here as well

[twobits]

Jeannie......I hope the pointed questions didn't scare you off and you are ust doing some homework before responding?

[jcavallo]

Jeannie......I hope the pointed questions didn't scare you off and you are ust doing some homework before responding?

Thanks for your response and additional questions. They are excellent and very relevant. I haven't been ignoring this forum, it has just been a busy week of finalizing my platform and having meetings with interested supporters. The nomination period starts next week and I look forward to seeing who is running. I'll have some more details about my platform next week and I will be sure to post them in this forum and answer those great questions.....

Sincerely,

Jeannie Cavallo

[XT225]

I don’t know much about either candidate at this point but I like that they are making a sincere effort to get elected onto Council. At least with these signs they are showing they are organized and serious about the job. This in contrast to an incumbent councilor who recently announced that after three years it was only time to now “start getting serious”. We are guaranteed there will be at least one new face on council and I would not be unhappy to see more, although I really would like to hear a platform.

Where did the concept of having a platform disappear too?

I don't know either candidate but I have serious concerns about electing a Realtor to the council; I fear too many chances for conflicts of interest. Whenever real estate issues/developments are discussed, such a person will have to question themselves on these issues and whether or not they should remain in the room or vote on such issues. A realtor could easily benefit from certain decisions. We saw this before when a mall manager on council would vote against the downtown development. I also have my own feelings that any councillor or mayor should live inside city limits, regardless of their real estate ownership in the city or not. D.A. and others have been nailed on this before many times, justified or not and its an issue that just will not leave many peoples minds. I also am not impressed with the amount of signage for new candidates being placed around the city; its ugly and unnecessary. Any new candidate needs to get out there and make themselves known personally. Re the quote above by clouseau and the incumbent councillor who now wants to "get serious"...many people are serious about ousting him toute de suite! There is change coming to this city, this November for sure.