Nelson's Socio-Economics - COW, Mon. June 25

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A meeting of the Committee of the Whole (COW) is a monthly Council-meeting specifically for input from the public. The date of the next COW-meeting - in fact all Council/COW/Commission-meetings - can be found on the City of Nelson website in the Meeting Calendar.

Input: Anything civic - aside from, for instance, feeling wronged with a parking-ticket - can be given in two ways:
1.
A group organizes around a particular civic concern, connects with Frances Long, Office of the Mayor, and asks to be put on the agenda of the next COW. If accepted - the group will make a formal presentation to Council, and Council will respond directly.
2.
An informal presentation may be made by concerned individuals at the beginning of a COW-meeting. Time allowed is 5 minutes. The topic is not on the agenda, but Council may ask questions.

Council/COW/Commission-meetings are generally open to the public, and it is advisable for those with civic concerns to attend and voice them. As in civic responsibility and participatory democracy - as NOT in Fish-Heads and Flowers.

Following is a topic to be presented to the COW, Mon. June 25.
No pictures!



Nelson's Socio-Economics

The setting for the rock commemorating the Chinese community's contribution to putting Nelson on the map has now been completed. Appropriately so between the end of Asian Heritage Month and Day of Humiliation.
The site now comprises the entire slope from the corner of Vernon & Hall to Mountain FM on Hall and all contained therein. This thanks to Karen MacDonald of Parks & Works, whose unprompted enthusiasm throughout has been truly wonderful to be with!
The whole looks and feels permanent - permanent as a rock can be permanent - simply representing part of Nelson's cultural heritage: this connection of culture and heritage concepts neither part of the current Community Heritage Commission's (CHC) syllabus, nor the current Cultural Development Commission's (CDC) confused bylaw-explanation of the City's cultural sector.  What with this bylaw admitting to being confused about itself! Surely a first anywhere!

The former's idea of heritage being elitist and superficial - the latter's explanation thus far not having defined reasonably the terms heritage, arts, culture and their umbilical inter-connectedness.

This now undeniably fixed physical presence of a reminder of Nelson's generally ignored cultural heritage may serve as one example for the City's need to change its selective landscape to an all-inclusive mindscape. Elsewhere called multi-culturalism.
I am looking forward to Council focusing on a reasonable explanation of culture, as a prerequisite for creating a comprehensive and detailed bylaw to clearly guide the new, improved model of a CDC-With-A-Goal.

Culture is the heart-mind of a society as a whole - expressing itself pragmatically and creatively in word and action. Often subconsciously. Often manifesting physically. The development of a culture is an ongoing process: yesterday's experience becomes today's point of reference, in terms of past failures and successes.

Heritage is everything we consciously bring into today from yesterday in various manifestations - non-physical/physical - as in education, technology, arts, sciences.
But not so in Nelson - never really having left yesterday and attempting to exploit its own brand of heritage, without splicing it into today.

Most recent example:
Sandwich Board Policy 4520.00.00
Design Guidelines
Sign Typeface and Graphics
Building style, colours and nature of the establishment should be considered in the selection of appropriate sign typeface.
Surely the building style does not determine the nature of the establishment - the establishment is not advertising the building but its own nature! Appropriate typeface would be that which the owner deems best to do this. That's advertising and ONLY the owner's business!
It is not clear which colours are referred to here - obviously colours would be considered.
And - not to forget - the building's owner is lucky to have a tenant! Period!
This guideline is pointless in its entirety!
Discouraged
Ultra-modern graphics and/or lettering
If the nature of the business is ultra-modern, it probably would want to advertise itself as such. And who will determine what is ultra-modern - if not the owner? Possibly it's anything non-Nelson-heritage? Is the City replacing one group of fundamentalist heritage-thumpers with another? No business on Baker is selling heritage!
Home-made, amateurish signs
What does home-made mean? Like homemade marmalade? One could make a totally so-called professional-looking sandwich board at home! What does amateurish mean? Here also - who will decide what is amateurish?

Nelson bylaws, rules and policies - an example above - frequently are developed and/or expressed insufficiently. While limiting the number of sandwich boards is reasonable - predigesting their message is censorship!

Anywhere else the year is 2012 - but not in Nelson, although it attempts to sell itself as progressive, far out, for real, the most this and that! Actually - instead of being far out - it consistently places itself neither here nor there!

By refusing to  bring the heritage-concept into today, Nelson's socio-economic development has been limited and socio-cultural development has been largely based on empty boasts. Nelson trying to fill its here-now identity-void.

To culturally develop, we must nudge today's heart-mind consciously with foresight and various means. Local tree-and-lake art and Baker-heritage are just not doing it! Cultural awareness gained means awareness of possibilities - this leading to economic growth. But without conscious broad-based cultural development, vigorous economic growth is not possible.

What then follows is that without economic developmemt a society falters: its culture as a whole develops incrementally only. That's where we currently are in Nelson: flatlining - as in little development of economic consequence, because we endlessly play with niche-projects and vague plan-snippets for the future, the latter often generically suggested by high-priced consultants from outside - instead of devising clear based-on-need strategies for today from within!
Talking about sustainability principles is soothing - talking about economy would be unsettling! So we aren't!
We do love procedure though!

Of primary importance to the new CDC must be finding creative ways to chaperone the City - even if kicking and screaming - into its own here-now reality, to then have it reinvent itself. Out-of-the-box input sought locally and accepted as the new norm! Becoming a conduit, instead of wanting to be the decision-maker!

Thus culture as a whole may develop strongly and deposit money in the bank!

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