Archive

Correction

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on April 15, 2009
in Media, News and Police
. 1 Comment

A front page story in the Guardian today requires a correction. Although I only read the online version, which was updated this morning after I spoke to the reporter, I can only assume the print edition repeats the same mistake: that the City will be paying police officers for off duty work performed for third-party clients. This work is known as Paid Duty, or Extra Duty. The story strongly implied that the cost of this work would be a new expense and that taxpayers would be subsidizing security for private businesses.

Not true. Members of the Charlottetown Police Service will continue to perform Extra Duty, but clients will be invoiced for the service and payment will be through the Police’s regular payroll. User pays — not the taxpayer. Big difference.

Hens in the City?

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on March 26, 2009
in Bylaws and Issues
. 6 Comments

Continuing with the recent bird theme, today I received an inquiry from a resident about keeping egg-laying hens in the City. This is the second time in four months someone has asked me about this. A bit of quick research shows this is becoming a popular trend. A few examples:

Currently, our by-laws severely limit the raising of any livestock within the City, but the trend away from factory farming and toward locally grown food is giving the laying hen hope for a better future as a food-producing urban pet.  What do you think? Would something like this “fly” here? Or would it be dead as a Dodo?

The Crows of Brighton

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on March 5, 2009
in Issues
. 8 Comments

Best viewed with sound. It’s difficult to see because of the quality of the video, but many of the trees in the background and the surrounding area are also full of crows. Loud, squawking, pooping crows.

Organizational Review & Evaluation of The Charlottetown Police Services

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on February 26, 2009
in Police
. 3 Comments

Yesterday was a big day for the Charlottetown Police Service. With the release of the comprehensive review by Verheul & Associates, we now begin the task of implementing the recommendations contained in the report. There was certainly enough criticism to go around in the report, and much of it was not unexpected.

This review was unlike anything the CPS has undergone before. Many people have referenced a process that took place about sixteen years ago, but that was a limited, internal review and probably resulted in very little real change.

Yesterday, I answered the question of low morale by pointing out that morale in any organization is a function of employee engagement and professional fulfillment, among other things. The rank and file of the CPS was fully engaged in the development of this report and its recommendations. The reaction from the police union to the report has been positive so far, and I hope we’re already on our way to rebuilding morale.

My own approach is not to assign blame and point fingers, but move forward to solve the problems that were identified. The culture and practices of the CPS have evolved over many decades to address the needs of a city that no longer exists. The department was simply not organized in a way that effective leadership was possible in today’s policing environment.

My committee will be focused almost exclusively on implementing the report’s recommendations over the foreseeable future. The goal is to break the small town mould of the pre-amalgamation CPS, and develop a professional, accountable and motivated force for the larger, more complex community we have become.

The report is available on the City’s website, but it was announced at the press conference yesterday that it would only be posted there for thirty days. I don’t know who made that decision or why, because it makes no sense to me. It’s a public document now and I have posted it online where it will be available, well, forever.

Public Sector Employees Want To Stay In Charlottetown

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on February 19, 2009
in Miscellaneous
. 5 Comments

I’m happy to see UPSE president Shelley Ward questioning the wisdom of moving two provincial government departments out of the capital city. Clearly the union membership is not pleased. I also spoke out against this move when it was announced. It’s bad for Charlottetown; it will disrupt the lives of many involved; and will only create a new commuter class of employees who travel to and fro across the island everyday while providing little economic impact for the target communities.

Teen Zone

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on February 17, 2009
in Miscellaneous
. 0 Comments

My last act as chair of the city’s Youth Advisory Board was to create a new website. Charlottetown Teen Zone is intended to be a place for teens to connect with local youth groups and find information about youth related events around town. Many of the local youth groups are being offered posting privileges to the website to announce their news and get their events on the Event Calendar.

Last year I was able to secure a small budget to hire a Youth Development Coordinator. We did not actually fill the position until late last year but the website is now in Megan Gauthier’s hands and she is runnng with it, among other initiatives. There’s also a Facebook page but I can’t seem to find it right now. If you have an event you would like posted to the site, use the contact page on the website to get in touch.

Provincial Court Judge Moonlighting as City Councillor

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on January 23, 2009
in Miscellaneous and Planning
. 0 Comments

UPDATE (January 26): The name was corrected today.

‘This investment by Homburg has reignited the issue.’— Coun. Jeff Lantz

Having a brother who was formerly in politics, I get called ‘Jeff’ quite often. But this is the first news story to mix us up.

There is one other correction to this story. Paying cash in-lieu of physical parking spaces is not an exception to the bylaw as reported. It is an option built right into the Zoning & Development bylaw.

4.47 CASH-IN-LIEU OF PARKING SPACES

.1 Council May require or accept Cash-in-lieu of Parking Spaces in any situation where a
Development Permit has been applied for and adequate or required off-street Parking cannot be
provided or, in the opinion of Council, having considered a recommendation from the Planning
Board, is unfeasible.

One Cylinder Short of an Economic Engine

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on January 23, 2009
in Development and Media
. 1 Comment

Related thoughts here.

Councillor says city must act on vacant downtown properties
EDITORIAL STAFF
The Guardian
23/01/09

Coun. Rob Lantz says the City of Charlottetown needs to act on the number of vacant properties in the downtown core.
The city approved a height variance request from Homburg Invest Inc. on Thursday, which paves the way for a proposed $45-million, three-phase development to go ahead.
Homburg is moving ahead with plans to construct an eight-storey office building on Fitzroy Street, a 10-storey hotel on Grafton Street and major renovations to the interior and exterior of Confederation Court Mall.
Lantz said if Homburg is going to show that much faith in downtown Charlottetown the city corporation should help mitigate the risk by making sure the core is firing on all cylinders.
“That can’t happen when a significant number of important buildings are left empty and in such a state of disrepair that they can’t even be leased, even if the owner was prepared to lease them,’’ Lantz said.
“We need to engage the owner of these properties, along with the two other levels of government and the business community, and find a way to get these spaces back in the market, whatever that takes.’’
Homburg has launched a $5-million lawsuit against Nemir Tweel Corp. Ltd., Christopher Tweel and two companies identified only as 2950243 Canada Inc. and 100946 P.E.I. Inc., all which own a number of properties in the downtown, alleging the properties are rundown and affect the developer’s current business (Confederation Court Mall) and what they are currently planning to do.
“If the owners are unwilling to make the necessary investments, perhaps
they should sell instead of sitting on these properties. They’re too important to sit empty.’’

On the Property Tax Conundrum

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on January 15, 2009
in Taxes
. 2 Comments

Rob Paterson has a thoughtful post about the reliance of municipalities on property taxes and the precarious position that creates for both the municipality and the taxpayer. This is going to be a very difficult budget year for the City of Charlottetown. It always was going to be difficult, but the Provinces unilateral decision to shift to a tax grant system has created even more uncertainty and handicapped the City even further.

On Drive-Thru Moratoriums

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on January 15, 2009
in Planning, Police and Transportation
. 3 Comments

There is no moratorium. I was asked to consider the idea, and I agreed to take it to my committee, but that is a routine courtesy that I extend to any councillor, not a commitment to impose a moratorium. I personally don’t think it’s necessary.

We will certainly be careful to scrutinize any future requests so we have some confidence that a drive-thru can accommodate the expected volume of traffic, but I would also remind the public not to line up in a public right-of-way. I will ask the Chief of Police to enforce this if necessary.

This isn’t a new problem, and to my knowledge there’s never been a serious incident as a result. However, I do recognize the concerns, and I want to deal with them. There is no question the line ups are creating a traffic impediment, but we can’t collectively punish every business that has, or wants, a drive-thru because of the popularity of a handful of Tim Horton’s.

I will be meeting with the Police & Bylaw Enforcement Committee later this month for the first time since becoming chair. We will decide on a course of action then. I still think a cooperative approach will result in the best overall solution.

New Year in the Park

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on December 30, 2008
in Miscellaneous
. 0 Comments

I just received the following email from City Hall:

The 9th annual Capital New Year in the Park will take place on Wednesday, December 31 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Victoria Park.  This has become an annual traditional event that gives residents the chance to come out and meet neighbors, friends and family and to wish them all the best for 2009.  The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m. with the annual Prayer for Peace taking place at 7:00 p.m. and then the official countdown.  There will be hot apple cider, pop, hot dogs, cake, music and horse and wagon rides throughout the park.

This is a great family event and a nice alternative to traditional late night New Year’s parties.

See you at the City of Charlottetown Levée on New Year’s Day (10:30-noon).

Video Killed The Council Star

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on December 19, 2008
in Public Meetings and Technology
. 1 Comment

Our monthly public meetings of Council are streamed live over the internet and archived for later viewing. This is, in theory, an excellent way to review a meeting when I need to recall the details of a particular discussion that took place because the video is often posted long before written transcripts are available.

In practice, the videos are almost useless. Every time I’ve tried to view one the video and sound are so garbled and constantly re-buffering I just give up. The technology is ancient in technology years. With all the video sharing services available these days there must be a better way to stream, record and archive these meetings. If there are any internet video connoisseurs out there that can recommend a better, simpler, cheaper solution I’d love to hear from you.

Here’s something to help you ponder this problem.

Goodbye HR, Hello Police

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on December 18, 2008
in Human Resources and Police
. 1 Comment

Today the Mayor announced changes to the Standing Committees at City Hall. I am no longer the Chair of the Human Resources & Pension Committee, but will instead spend the second half of my term serving as Chair of the Police & Bylaw Enforcement Committee.

My time on the HR Committee has been very interesting and rewarding, and I have been happy to maintain the confidential nature of much the committee’s business. Chairing the Police Committee will be a much more public challenge. I can expect a regular barrage of difficult questions from my fellow councillors at Council meetings, as well as demands to meet ever increasing expectations from the public.

The Charlottetown Police Services are currently under a full independent review. The review is being conducted by an incredibly impressive duo “from away” with deep experience in policing, police auditing, and organizational change management. I look forward to receiving their report and implementing its recommendations with Chief Smith and Deputy Chief Collins.

I am also pleased that I will continue to work with the City’s Director of HR, Andrew Thompson, who is also the Director responsible for Police Services.  Andrew is a real professional and a helluva nice guy. He has shepherded me through my first two years of committee work and I am very happy that we will continue to work together.

Police, eh? Who’d a thunk it? I’ve got some learnin’ to do in the New Year.

Tracking Our Snow Plows

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on December 8, 2008
in Public Works
. 0 Comments

I’ve just recently discovered that the City purchased — at least a year ago — a dozen GPS units and a license to Grey Island Systems’ InterFleet application for the purpose of tracking the City’s snow plow fleet. Public Works staff have been tinkering with the system but it has not been fully deployed. The intention is to eventually have a public-facing map on the City’s website that shows the location of all the plows in real-time.

Staff have access to a wider array of functionality such as vehicle history that would theoretically allow staff to respond when told, “Your plow knocked off my car’s side-view mirror last night on Ambrose Street”, by saying “Actually, there were no snow plows on Ambrose Street last night”, which may or may not be the basis for another complaint. I haven’t actually seen the product in action yet, and by all accounts this project has fallen off the radar somewhat, so I plan to stick my geeky nose into this business and find out what exactly we’ve purchased and how (or if) it can be put to good use.

Free Teen Swim

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on November 19, 2008
in Recreation
. 0 Comments

The City of Charlottetown Youth Advisory Board is inviting all teens (ages 12-18) to an open swim!

Where: CARI Complex
When: Friday, November 21, 2008, 8:00p.m. – 9:00p.m.

Pizza and Refreshments will be served. Teens are required to sign-in at the door.

For more information, please contact Megan at 629-4176 or mgauthier@city.charlottetown.pe.ca