What do YOU want?

[quietlywatching84]

Everybody has a lot to say about what they don't like about city council. It's been a fun last few years watching Kelowna's municipal politico scene in my opinion (had to find something better than reality tv, this is all I found lol!).

I'm actually looking forward to seeing what happens this fall and thought I would pose a question to see what you folks think:

If your dream candidate shows up tomorrow with an election platform, what would you want it to look like. Maybe you can play politician at home and imagine what your platform would look like if you had the luck(???) of being able to run.

I figure it's only fair that I give mine first, as an example:

1) New development rules for the city with the new OCP, and add in the outer cities like westbank and lake country into the official plan. We should base them on a move away on car culture, away from using HWY 97 and focus more on self sustaining areas (example: you can work, live and play in Rutland without commuting to separate parts of the city to do so and likewise with other areas) with streets more for bikes, public transit and commercial vehicles.

2) Major overhaul of all summer festivities. I know they made the new Festivals Kelowna, but we need a revamp of mardi gras, regatta, arts and life etc, and we should help the other events. If events are available to the public we should assist in costs as they benefit quality of life in the city. They should be improved upon and if needed converged together. This does not mean bringing back wakefest FYI, just making sure that we are attracting events, not scaring them away or that they have an easy time being here.

3) Figure out if we can get an Urban Development program with UBCO and have it work on civic projects here too!

4) Develop a plan of making the entire waterfront a public space, work on developing a walking path the entire length of city limits.

5) Lobby provincial government, have HWY 97 phased outside of the city with a few exits in and out.


Okay, that's probably impossible to pull off, but it sure would be cool, anyways, your probably better at this then me and you probably have your own interesting ideas. Enough of what you don't like, so, what do YOU want?

[FunkyBunch]

I really like this idea, especially as I'm deciding whether I would like to run or not.

My platform would/will be something like:

1)Accountability-I want to see exactly what goes on in the inner workings of city hall and the municipality and eliminate any wastes. I want to make city staffers accountable for the proposals they set forward. There needs to be a comprehensive review of what is actually being done. There is not very much care for the regular citizens of Kelowna among the general staff of the City of Kelowna. They make all these elaborate plans and proposals, but most of which benefit no one but the big developers.

2)Go slightly greener-I want to see if it's feasible to expand business recycling to include all the things the city already picks up and disposes of from individuals. eg-plastics, glass etc. without too much added cost.

3)Invest in housing for average people-Some of the money the city takes in, I would like to put into city developed projects for cheap-ish housing (maybe passing along a slight fee for developers/businesses). There would be a qualification required and wait lists generated.

4)Lobby the provincial government (read become their pain in the *bleep*) for improved Hwys (Okanagan Bypass anyone?) until it happens or we get a plan in place to remove traffic from HWY 97.

5)Make the Mayor and council accountable for their actions/votes. No two-facing allowed.

[bottleman]

affordable rental housing, not the joke deal they make with developers now to put a few affordable 1 bedroom units in their condos that are only for sale so the developers get a tax break.

I've been in edmonton for a week and a half, I've seen about as many homeless people as I would see in kelowna in half an hour.

[CountryAtHeart]

I realize you all are talking about Kelowna hoewer in Westside I would like to see:
1. A beach plan similar to Peachlands, along with a swimming area for the kids from the younger to the older. I do not expect it to be done right away but if the plan is in place right away, then we can keep the developers away.

2. A coucil that will get the business together and begin a downtown revitalilization project to attract people to the downtown local stores. (Salmon Arm has a great downtown, pedestrian friendly area, with benches, lamp posts, flowers, etc...) It would be great to see the downtown area have some kind of theme to it in regards to color. Right now it is mostly blah, blah and more blah. Again, this is not a project that has to be done all at once.

3. I would like to see council work together with the high school and the park staff to work on garbage and vandalism.

[unfazed]

The whole concept of downtown revitalization needs to be revisited. Just how putting up high rises is going to make the streets safer is beyond me. We need more sidewalk use - patios, residential balconies etc. overlooking or on the sidewalks to ensure there are eyes on the street to combat crime. That implies a mix of commercial and residential with visual contact with the streetscape at all times. Anonymous high rises with absentee owners will not achieve better safety.

This same concept should be repeated on all streets considered unsafe until there is a sufficient level of adult supervision on the street at all times. We need to get people to start shopping and running errands on foot in their own neighbourhoods. An empty sidewalk is a dangerous place.

[damngrumpy]

We need politicians who are accountable, who actually seperate the citizens and realize there must be something for everyone. These people must also look at regulations that make sense.
For example and here is a small one, the downtown at night in the summer has outside entertainment that shuts down way too soon. Let people enjoy themselves. There should be family entertainment that attracts people here. We should also recognize there is a segment of the population that celebrates differently like wakefest. What has happened is, we put that event out of business and at the same time we ask younger people to come forward to volunteer for other events. This city is now known as no fun ville.
We must also ensure developement is sustainable. We are building like crazy without a secure infastructure to handle it. Where will the water come from for all the homes and businesses, and will there be enough to support both urban and agricultural needs in a fast changing world.
These councillors must think way beyond only what is good for the immediate future.
The council must produce forward thinking people, with regard to issues of the homeless, those who are struggling as the working poor and the future of overall developement.
Regional planning and city planning must be more coordinated, and encompass the various infastructure needs of the valley not just the city.
Urban transit, building requirements, creating neighbourhoods not just concrete jungles.
I suppose what I am looking for is this, I want to see candidates who can take these problems and give them a human face so we can actually solve the problems and not just the symptoms that keep on coming back again and again.
Tough task you bet, but if we had some real leadership this would be the result, vote for new faces and the people who care about the community, not just developers

[John500]

Reality is that when civic elections do take place, Kelownians do re elect the same bunch that runs over and over again. The only way someone is not elected is because they are not running. That is reality folks. And developers know that.

[FunkyBunch]

However, John500, the situation this time around is a little different. In my living in Kelowna for the last 12 years, I can't think of a time when there has been an issue that made citizens as disgruntled as we are now.

Walter Grey lost the last election for Mayor. Who's to say a few councilors or even the Mayor won't lose this time? Especially over the whole Simpson Affair. That really made voters mad.

[damngrumpy]

Election fever is upon us, first we will have a federal, then a civic, a US election and the Provincial next spring. Usually that would turn people off, not this time. The Federal election is up for grabs as there doesn't need to be one its a huge waste of money.
Civic elections come and go, and this one is different because there are several issues that have angered voters and rightfully so. The public also believes, something must be done about the
current attitude at city hall. There are several groups with many different agendas and I believe the turnout will be the highest in some years. Those in the chairs presently should be very concerned and so should the developers, people want a change in direction and new faces.
We have the Simpson dispute
The downtown high rise issue
The pesticide ban in which people are split
There is issues with the way management operates
The lack of events and the no fun image
Low cost housing, no housing and the homeless
Infastructure that many opposed and many favor
Traffic issues
Environmental issues
Planning issues
The whole question of high rise where and how many
Sustainable growth around transit and water

The list goes on and when that happens people tend to want to say something
whether they are informed of not. The attitude has become negative in this
city and that usually means restless voters
The other problem facing many is the School district and there are some real
issues developing there, which could bring additional people out to support their
candidates as well. This election is truly up to those who decide to vote, as there
is no real front runners or automatic winners and thats good we need a lot of change

[John500]

I remember the days that local coucillors ran for office on a $400 budget and got elected. And these people did represent our city well. Then the bigger money people moved in and Kelowna lost its innocence. I do agree that there seems to be voters unrest. But then again thats my take on reading the castanet forum. The larger "crowd" that does not experesses their opinions on castanet are out there and I am not sure what there thoughts are. I sure hope that someone or organized group will take on the coucillors by demanding their positions on several issues as mentioned. Some being the Simpson Convenant,the Mission Greenway debacle, the development of Downtown highrises and real affordable housing. So far we dont even know from all coucillors who are running again. Maybe its time for running a slate against the present slate. A slate that has a clear platform that can be presented to the electorate so we have a clear choice as which way this city wants to go. But we ned to get out of that mode to keep on re elcting the same over and over again. Just some thoughts here.