BOMA App for iPhone
If you have an iPhone, there is now an application to make the BOMA Calgary website totally portable. Released on 31 October 2010, the application is just the beginning as BOMA Calgary seeks continuous improvement in the manner fashion and form by which members may access information. BOMA Calgary will be conducting a series of focus groups in the very near future to receive feedback and to get direct input from members as to how the app may be further developed to add value to the BOMA experience.
A Purple Sunrise
Perhaps like many political junkies, I stayed up far too late on election night waiting the outcome of a couple of close aldermanic races. Neither turned out the way I would have liked, but democracy being what it is one must accept the will of the electorate. The new City Council is what it is and we must simply deal with it. The sunrise this morning illuminated the prairie sky and it most definitely was purple!
The huge story was the unprecedented electoral turn out of nearly 54% which exceeded the previous 48% realized in 1989. Calgarians were clearly in the mood for change, and they got it. One must congratulate all the candidates seeking office for their perseverance and their commitment to the democratic process. There were many credible candidates and obviously not all could be successful.
The campaign of our new Mayor, Naheed Nenshi, was nothing short of spectacular. It was a blend of old media and new media the latter of which seemed to galvanize the younger demographic groups. And good on them for taking part.
Now the real work begins. Only one incumbent was sent packing – Linda Fox-Mellway in Ward 14. Including Mayor Nenshi there are six new members of the 15 person Council. Job one: build the team. The last Council was, in my opinion, the most dysfunction, unfocused, undisciplined and unaccountable City Council in memory. It had irreversibly deviated from its strategic roll to one of dabbling if not meddling into the minutia of operations, a place it clearly ought not to be. A City Council should not work 60 – 80 hours per week. That would fry even the most rabid workaholic. No this Council should work less and work a whole lot smarter, otherwise why should we have 13,000 or so civic employees?
From my exposure to Council and its governance processes, here are a couple of things that I would like to see put in place. The first is a municipal version of Hansard. Hansard is the Parliamentary record that takes down everything that was said verbatim. Such a record would provide taxpayers with greater transparency and accountability of the governance process. On a more practical basis, Municipal Hansard would allow any taxpayer a better mechanism to track how Council voted on any particular matter, or how that vote was split. There is no such set of records and what does exist, and if you can get to it without filing a freedom of information request, is very, very difficult to research. Council or Committee minutes tell very little other than the outcome of the vote. These documents do not record the debate. Municipal Hansard would facilitate transparency and accountability.
The second thing I would like to see is better scheduling for public presentations, and perhaps some clearer protocols around who may speak to an issue. Currently, any member of the public may speak at committees or at public hearings of Council for the grand sum of 5 minutes. It’s not a lot of time especially when the matter being considered is highly complex. The real work then is relegated to the back rooms, which of course does not serve the cause of open and transparent government. What it means under the existing regime, is that a member of the public must sit in a Committee Room or in Council Chambers for an entire day, or even two in some instances, to get their 5 minute piece into the record. Many give up in frustration or they don’t have the time and their voice then is not heard. This does not serve democracy nor does it foster open government. Surely there is a way to show greater respect for the time of taxpayers by allowing them to schedule their presentations, even if only for the morning or the afternoon, or a certain range of hours. People need certainty.
A third thing that needs some attention, is the proclivity for endless studies on matters that have already been studied to death. If there are so many skilled professionals, engineers, designers, planners and so on, why is it necessary to go to outside sources to seek advice. If we don’t use the professionals that are on the public payroll, then it is a fair question to pose as to whether they should be there at all!
A fourth thing that I would like to see Council address is “who does the work?” Are Calgary taxpayers paying too much for various services? An example was revealed in a report from the C. D. Howe Institute wherein it was revealed that in the City of Toronto, where the waste and recycling services are performed by civic employees, the cost was $127 per resident per year. By comparison in Winnipeg and in Ottawa where these services are done almost completely by private contractors, the costs are $57 and $53 respectively. Calgary should do a value-for-dollar audit to ensure we are getting good value. Is it the role of the City to do the work, or to see to it that work is done according to a suitably high standard?
Lastly, and this is a big one, the City should generate financial plans to facilitate the physical plans it produces. I recall the old GoPlan called for some good infrastructure programs. but what was lacking was a funding plan. At the end of the day much of the $9billion in capital improvements were never built. This is wrong. If we don’t have a plan to pay for things then all we have is a wish list. Council needs to plan to allocate resources to build roads, bridges, sewage plants, add more cops, or firefighters. If it doesn’t have the financial plan, it shouldn’t approve the physical plan. That in part is why we don’t have an airport tunnel, a great many interchanges, and other long deferred capital works.
So Mayor Nenshi has his work cut out for him. He must work quickly to build a cohesive team that is focused on core city services and actually gets things done. If things don’t get done as he has promised, the electorate may once again go for purple – purple with rage!
I wish the new Council the best of luck.
Industry Members Define Their Election Issues
The election seems to mirror the late-August weather here in Calgary: full of smoke and no clear vision. Perhaps the legions of City Council and Mayoral hopefuls are laying low in the bushes waiting for the other guy to come out first with their platform. What a silly way to seek public office. If you have a vision, if you have a plan, if you stand for something, then have the courage to speak. Leaders must be brave, but the candidates seem to be very timid in articulating what exactly it is they stand for, and exactly what it is they would seek to accomplish if elected to civic office. Perhaps they underestimate the value of that single vote. Certainly I don’t give my vote up without careful consideration and reflection as to congruency with my own personal vision for Calgary. Perhaps it is this willful reluctance on the part of candidates that keeps 80% of the electorate away from the polling statioins. Is their way of saying: “Sorry folks, but you guys and what you say just doesn’t interest me.” Could be.
While BC was burning, BOMA Calgary members were communicating their thoughts on Calgary’s election issues as seen from the perspective of an industry member. In our survey, which was available in June through mid-August, BOMA member were asked to indicate if they thought Calgary was a better place to live and to do business since the 2007 election. You might say it was their commentary on how they percieved the civic leaders’ collective performance.
I will summarize the findings of the survey, which was anwered by 11% of members, and therefore is statisically valid.
1. When you reflect upon the overall quality of life in Calgary today versus 2007, the time of the last election, do you think our city is a better place to live?
- 29.1% Said yes.
- 36.7% Said no.
- 25.3% Said no change. (But this could mean no change from “good” or “bad” depending on perception.)
2. Thinking about the business climate today versus three years ago, (E.g. municipal tax rates, “red tape”, investment climate, etc.), do you think Calgary is a better city now in which to conduct business than in 2007?
- It’s Better 7.6%
- It’s Worse 50.6%
- No change – it’s still OK 20.3%
- No change – it’s still poor 12.7%
3. Thinking about the spending priorities and fiscal management of the City of Calgary today versus three years ago, do you think Calgary is better managed than in 2007?
- Yes – 10.1%
- No – 73.4%
- No Change – 7.6%
4. In your opinion, what is the number 1 competency the new mayor and City Council should possess?
- Solid finanical management – 29.1%
- Inspiring leadership – 8.9%
- Prinicpled decision making – 6.3%
- Clear vision, plan and priorities – 27.8%
- Good communications and listening skills – 3.8%
- Transperency and Accountability – 7.6%
- Courage to make tough choices – 6.3%
- High level strategic thinking – 10.1%
So there you have it. This is what members said. But it was not all bad news and it is incumbent upon me to report the positives as well. Most notably there was a perceived and significant increase in Public Safety. (Thank you Chief Hanson) As well, there were modest gains in terms of environmental management, housing affordability (probably more due to the tanking of the economy than any deliberate action of Council), and improvements in transportation, mostly interchanges and West LRT.
But in the open-ended questions, respondents noted that the red tape at City Hall is very cumbersome and the administration is more of a barrier to creativity and innovation by industry rather than an enabler. There were the predictable negative comments about tax burden, but more significantly there was concern over the value received for that tax dollar, and the lack of real or genuine accountability for those expenditures. Lastly, the respondents indicated they did not beleive that Council was accessible enough, nor was there meaningful opportunities to provide Council with input. Several respondents complained about Aldermen not returning calls, letters, email, etc.
So, candidates, there you have it. This is what industry members had to say about where we are after 3 years of the current City Council.
I suspect that platforms will roll out after Labour Day and in the run down to the election, it will be interesting to see what comes out from the aspiring Council Members. Fluff or substance. I want much less of the former and a whole lot of the latter. I think my vote is important. Do they?
BOMEX in TO
The BOMA Canada National Conference and Exhibition, September 14-16 in Toronto, is following the lead of the Canadian commercial real estate and property management industry and “Getting Back to Business”. Make sure you plan to attend a BOMEX® packed with education and industry networking that will help you succeed and thrive in the future.
The BOMEX® 2010 education program offers a greater number and variety of hot-topic sessions than ever before seen at the event. Some of the scheduled presentations offering valuable information and insight to delegates include:
- It’s the Law. Where Accessibility is Headed in Canada
- BOMA BESt Update
- Rooftop Solar Panels
- Measurement and Verification in Action
- Building Information Modeling: A Digital Building for Owners
- Moving to Alternative Refrigerants – Understanding Your Options
Click here for the full BOMEX® Conference Program.
BOMA International 2010 Convention and Every Building Show
Time is a pretty elusive thing at the best of times. In the summer, it seems to go quickly and slowly at the same time. I think it’s because deep down we know it doesn’t last and we want to make the most of it.
This might explain why I am discussing the BOMA International 2010 Convention and Every Building Show so long after it ended. Yes, it feels like yesterday, but in reality it was over two weeks ago. But if time is moving for you as it is moving for me, you won’t mind at all.
I was privileged to be able to attend this year’s BOMA International Convention in Long Beach California (don’t fret, the weather wasn’t that amazing) and I enjoyed the keynote address by Ben Stein the most (hilarious, especially since I couldn’t help but hear Bueller. Bueller. Bueller. as he spoke).
I do not work in property management directly, so I don’t know which sessions might appeal to you most. Instead of trying to capture them, I’ll defer the experts:
The first bulletin out directly after the conference gives a short summary. Or watch the videos of the conference from the various sessions. The longer summary is here – with pictures! See that one titled ‘The Best of the Best Honored at the TOBY Awards?’ Canadian buildings were featured in many of the categories, and came away winners in Vancouver and Ottawa. It’s tough competition out there, so congrats to the winners and the nominees (who put in a lot of hard work to make the cut!). The TOBY Awards was a great closing event for the conference.
It was an interesting conference and many connections were made. I think the summary will give you an idea of what it was all about. Maybe next year you can come along?
ENMAX BOMA Golf Classic Contest!
The BOMA Calgary Golf Committee challenges its members and guests to submit photos of their starter kit apparel! Each submission will equal one entry for a draw prize at the ENMAX BOMA Golf Classic Tournament on September 14, 2010. Additionally, a bonus entry is awarded when the correct year is identified. The submission with the oldest starter kit jacket or apparel will receive a prize!
To get the contest started we’ve posted one of the submissions (photos posted with permission). Dig out those jackets and send in your photo!
Fairfield Commercial Summer Newsletter!
Fairfield Commercial releases its summer newsletter! Read on for Retail Real Estate Leasing Program and much more!
District 1 May Business News
BOMA Calgary has received the Calgary Police Services (CPS) District 1 Business news for May 2010.
This report focuses on commercial break and enter statistics, upcoming events and the safety tip of the month: be careful when you dial 9 out of your office. Each time 9 and 1 are dialled the emergency services are tracking and must follow up every mis-dial.
BOMA Staff Walk for ALS!
At the beginning of the 2010 year, the BOMA Calgary Staff team took on an internal Fitness Challenge. It was a friendly competition with the goal of increasing the staff fitness level in whatever way worked best. Points were allocated for each activity over a four month period. The team encouraged each other to reach their goals and every member had success!
As a wrap up to this Challenge, the BOMA Calgary team participated in Betty’s Walk for ALS on Sunday June 13!
Great job Team BOMA!
Are you involved in any fund raisers, community events or volunteer activities? We want to hear about it!
ENMAX BOMA Golf Classic – One Day Sold!
The ENMAX BOMA Golf Classic is the golf tournament of the season for BOMA members. Members have made it very clear how important this event truly is by registering in record numbers. The tournament sold out today in approximately four hours! This is a new record for BOMA Calgary!
Thank you to the many members who support the tournament including our sponsors! A special thank you to the BOMA Golf Committee for making the tournament possible!
This is the commercial real estate networking event of the year!