The City Hall (Blurred) Vision Quest - Part 1

That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all lessons history has to teach. Aldous Huxley said this - and he might have been speaking about Nelson.

First we had the bizarre claim of Nelson being the most artistic little place in the universe - even more artistic that Stratford, Ontario. That info: Nelson-supplied for a book by some American who never even came here. We earnestly and gratefully ran with this silliness for years - without even reading the book! At least this guy didn't charge.

Now we have another American - not having been to Nelson either - ready to sell us an identity for a hefty fee. Over the Internet. This would mean artificially superimposing a branding-whatever on Nelson to give it name-recognition as a sales-pitch.
Like: Nelson - President's Choice!

His support-team:
1. Joy Barrett, Cultural Development Officer
She says We realized that unless we have a unified creative vision, what we will be doing is a bit piecemeal. Actually things have been a lot piecemeal and without creative vision for some time: all artsy optics thus far exclusively generated by her Cultural Development Committee (CDC), with gobs of money already thrown at them by an oblivious, unquestioning Council.
Of interest here should be: Often those with the least money are the most creative.
If the CDC does not have a creative vision - there's no point to them; and an outsider coming-up with this vague identity-concept will not make them any more creative. Even more basic: Barrett and her group seemingly do not know the difference between identity and vision.

2. Drysdale & Mackenzie (D&M), Experts at Something
In their presentation to the Committee of the Whole (COW), Nov. 18 - among other examples of our to be unified wonderfulness - they listed the Hall St. redo - which hasn't even happened yet and may take many years to get off the ground and the Nelson Commons - a proposed totally generic, private condo-block - which may never get off the ground at all. They clearly are scrounging!

Not to forget that Mackenzie is married to Barrett - thus he getting part of the job and the 33.000 bucks through her City-Hall connect would clearly present a conflict of interests - no matter how Mr. Cormack spins it.

3. Kevin Cormack, City Manager
Mr. Cormack made himself spokesman for this project by initiating a CBC interview on the subject - being the only Nelson representative on that news-item. This is troubling because he seems to be directly using his position at City Hall to actively promote a non-official project. Troubling: if not legally - certainly ethically. And not part of his job-description.

4. Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism
One can see how this group would be grateful for a new angle - any new angle - to sell the place. Seeing that they are in the unenviable position of having to come-up with ever new, inventive ways to sell the same, never-changing product.
So how about: Nelson - The New, Improved!
This group has yet to realize: you want more tourists - you need to offer more! Just a new label will not change the product! Suppose Mr. Star Trek provides a label, and a tourist asks how we got it, and we say: We bought it from an American who's never been here. 

5. Chamber of Commerce
For this group it's money and money only. So now they want to spend more taxpayers' money - they already are supported with it - to create more money for a special-interest group the average taxpayer does not benefit from.
A good one here would be: Nelson - For You Cheap!

6. As Captives Only: The Nelson Public
According to the Nelson Star: over 80% of comments - in the strongest response to any local issue in recent memory anyway - are against this to-be-taxpayer-funded walk to the bank by a few. In the Nelson Daily: voices against are equally strong!

 

Myopia
The above is my presentation to the so-called Committee of the Whole (COW), Dec. 16. Within 5 minutes. You see: City Council - elected by us to do for us - condescends to allow 15 minutes total per month for an audience with the same us. Or 5 minutes per person 3 tops, never more and timed down to the second, and if there are only 2 or if there's even just 1 - it's still 5 minutes only. An unavoidable routine to look accessible without being so. Usually with an unresponsive HELLO, COUNCIL!!! - thus a committee of the whole not really.
So my aim usually is to reach those sitting behind me in the audience more than Council sitting in front of me. Thinking that maybe some will realize that it's not just okay to tell Council what we think - but it's a necessity! What with Council forming its own exclusive Whole: little room there for those who got them there, campaign-promises and all.

Here - a single in-Council's-face voice from among the many against this GMOed identity-search gets 5 minutes to make their point.

Tunnel Vision
This time there is a response, and how telling it is! Councillor Kozak - magnanimously patronizing - straightens me right out. By telling me that the identity salesman in fact had been to Nelson 2 years ago or so - she isn't sure - and that this project connects with the Downtown & Waterfront Master Plan (DWMP).
This plan also largely created by an out-of-town group and Nelson's Holy Grail du jour. Something to hold on to! Something to make us feel something is happening! It's all part of the plan! Its first expression to be the unimpressive Hall St. redo - zillions of dollars and of little benefit to anyone.
The plan actually only suggests how to level some physical wrinkles - Botox them - it does not address economic considerations. Just smooth-talking the same old vibrant downtown. In essence: Baker Street. The rest of Nelson and its needs: secondary! Like waterfront-issues still not locked-in legally and for good: building-heights there, selling the lake, etc. What plan?

 

So here's Kozak: telling me that this identity-thing will bring new businesses and more tourists to Nelson. Thus more tax-revenue. In other words: Slap a label on it - they will come! Simple! Yet the more tax-revenue - the more money Council is throwing at non-essential feel-good bits with little economic benefit. While - at the same time - both tourism and downtown-business have leveled-off, have reached saturation under prevailing circumstances.

Visual Impairment

In the previous COW the initial public presentation of this identity-search seems curiously empty. D&M only mumble through a list of Nelson's visual assets of possible interest and the people who have been developing this idea for a while. How these assets can be bundled as an identity by these same people, and - voila! - Nelson is enticingly on the map for hordes of more tourists and relocators. No actual plan is proposed - or asked for by Council. They don't seem to need one! It will probably come down to consensus among the lot on one branding-phrase: baby-sat by Mr. American Star Trek ($12.000) and adherence to it supervised by D&M ($8.000 each) as identity-police. Plus $6.000 for incidentals like paperclips and community engagement. 33.000 to 34.000 smackeroos in total.

Why Mr. Star Trek? It seems he ingeniously branded Vulcan, Alberta Canada's Star Trek capitol. I can hardly wait....!

The Visionaries

At the end of this bloodless presentation: whatever it is (not!) - is referred to staff for further recommendations. At this point it's clear: this whole cliquish affair - cross-pollinating hither and yon - will move through "staff" without a hitch. After all - who is staff but the same people - and their satellites - involved in pushing the project.

Fake I.D.

City Hall does not have a vision (thus identity) of Nelson because it never learned to be an observer of itself while being a participant - at the same time. It never learned to develop a clear, focused, reasonable, logical, linear vision of/for possible growth-components/potential. Vaguely seeing a need for this, it over time engaged "consultants" to come-up with possible game-plans: always expensive and promptly not implemented because artificially imposed by outsiders who are not familiar with Nelson's mindscape.

 

The CDC - under Councillor Macdonald in charge of heritage, arts and culture - ironically is without creative vision: partly because of City Hall's lack of one and partly because it did not clarify basic creative principles towards an economic goal in its modus operandi. It has ideas - but little imagination; they sort-of work - but don't flower. And no constraints are imposed!

Vision Quest
A vision can't be bought! Observant, principled councilors - in their decision-making processes - expressing themselves individually and fearlessly in public; discussing their points of view with each other in public - and all with a common goal: the benefit of the greater Whole - will contribute to forming a vision. And this vision will eventually imprint itself on Nelson as - an identity.

 

Identity
For instant huge and lasting identity - guaranteed acknowledged nationwide - how about simply giving these $33.000 towards feeding, clothing, sheltering all Nelsonites in need!
NOW! 



Scene: Pierre et Gilles        

City Admins - Gotta Love 'Em!

MACLEAN'S

London, Ont. councillors honour themselves.
City councillors voted to give themselves Queen's Diamond Jubilee medals, leaving other worthy nominees empty-handed.
February 12, 2013

When the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals where introduced last year, they were meant to recognize the contributions and outstanding achievements of Canadians. However, the municipal government of London, Ont., named "the worst council ever" by one local paper, saw it as a chance to honour its own work. After the city's scandal-plagued Mayor Joe Fontana nominated all 14 members for the award, the councillors voted in an in-camera session late last year to give the medals to themselves, a move that only came to light last week.

There is more - but this is the heart of the matter, as reported by MACLEAN'S.

Comment to this story by Embarrassed__Again: You forgot to mention that Councillor Denise Brown nominated her teenage son because he volunteers.

Scandal-plagued: May 26, 2014 will be the first day of Mayor Fontana's trial. Accused of using taxpayers' money - while still a Liberal MP - to help pay for his son's wedding reception.

tourism London
C A N A D A  -  Can't Wait to See You!



I'll bet you can't!

Now - YOU got an identity!
A vision - not so much!



Ella & Pitr   

Commons Plan B: Through the Roof!

Suppose the condos won't happen this time around. Surely a shock to the system - yet if this hasn't been considered as a possibility from Day One: the dread learning-curve must be steep and painful by necessity.

Nelson Commons...
But with this one door closing another one opening thing - follow me through the one ajar now..... well, at least have a peek!

The store has to be built - irregardless like - so build it now and build it up to its ceiling/roof as planned; all lower regions like parking as planned. Keeping future development from the roof up in mind: structurally the roof so sound as to carry whatever development then. 
Or a song and dance now!

So now we have a large flat roof - and here comes the Nelson Commons. After all! Up on the roof!

With...
this space the cultural universe on which Deirdrie Lang got us hooked initially: a space for performances, demonstrations, presentations, classes, exhibits, dances, etc. Lots of etc! 
A multi-use space - its basic components, building-blocks allowing for easy reconfiguration: like staging, seating. Part of it under a trellis supporting quick-climbing flora like morning-glories as shelter from the sun, backdrop for performances. A light, simply attachable cover as shelter against sudden rain. A railing around the whole, with vertical posts part of it to support lighting/sound-systems. Strings of colorful theme/seasonal lanterns/lights - all around and across - always visible from a distance, inviting.
Different parts/services within this process sponsored by local businesses - not only because they are community-minded, but also because ultimately they will gain through increased activity downtown.

Right now...
a huge, most fantastic, brightly lit, visible and audible from afar Christmas (tree) extravaganza in its center. Different musical groups, choirs performing appropriate music - during the day and early evening until the store closes. Again - sponsored.
The Co-op hosting season-defined events: ski-swaps, a Christmas market.

And during the year...
Kootenay Co-op Radio using this space as venue to showcase local music of any kind - regularly scheduled. Theatrical performances. And dances - from swing over pop to whatever moves you! From teens to seniors - theme dances. Kids stuff. All done within regulation-time - not to frighten the horses.

Establishing traditions-to-become...
like in San Francisco this year the 71st annual rose-show was held again on Mother's Day, with - years ago - a blind person judging roses by their fragrance. We could have something(s) like it. Best-pie contests! Largest-squash contests! Anything-spring/summer/fall/winter contests! Theme-weeks! International-food days! Flea-markets!
Creative provincial/federal holiday-celebrations.

Think/imagine old-time commons-events!

And promoting well-being...
Qi Gong, Yoga, Pilates, meditation - on a rotating regular basis in the very early morning. Tourist drop-ins welcome. Chess, scrabble - you name it!

Together!
1.
The Co-op with its own and sponsored events; Selkirk and the KSA; the street-market people; youth/seniors groups; groups of various cultural backgrounds; performance groups; clubs.
2.
City Council coming to life this time around, taking a proactive interest. While keeping the Cultural Development Committee at careful arm's length - they tend to take over and don't bleed like only community-driven organizations can: running it on passion.
3.
Bringing the Columbia Basin Trust and other funding-sources into the mix for help with financing the physical construct of the Through the Roof! concept. A smaller, less formal, financially more easily doable performance-space than the Capitol. Primarily where to nudge and nurture emerging talent: a testing-ground. But not exclusively.

Private enterprise, community groups, City Hall, cultural-funding organizations co-operating on common ground. Can-do community-building!
On this scale, with this abundance: uniquely Nelson! Ideas communally expressed and celebrated creatively: identity!

 

Through the Roof!

Regular events are scheduled for the year to come - this info-as-a-whole made available far-and-wide by the area-tourism people and Visitor Center. A tourist-magnet - sorely needed to get them to come. Once here - we feed them culturally! In the evening too, when we currently have absolutely nothing going to keep them in town. 

Cultural tourists and cultural locals - a win-win!

Aside from the concept itself, ideas in this post are just sparks - taking it Through the Roof! is up to all of us!

Lanterns: Todd Slater 

Public Office

                                                                                                                               

   

To some degree it matters who's in office, but it matters more how much pressure they're under from the public.

                                                 Noam Chomsky

  

A Letter To Mayor Dooley

Mayor Dooley -

I agree with your hesitation to spend $33.000 on the Nelson Identity Project which may end-up filed away at City Hall - like other farmed-out projects of similar intent: the Cultural Tourist and, of course, the $60.000 logo.

Whose Identity?
I now see more clearly what transpired around the Nelson Identity/Brand Project before its oddly superficial treatment in the Committee of the Whole (COW), Nov. 18 - which that performance wasn't. With a backroom-arrangement earlier and the public irrelevant - the COW presentation was a barely-there formality only. To be completely by-passed by Kevin Cormack later in his CBC announcement of the same topic.
With his radio-explanation and eventually a 3rd version in the Nelson Star - this surprisingly the most complete - quite disconnected from the COW-reality: things got confusing for me - I felt jerked around.

Neither in the COW nor the radio-item was a focused attempt made to clearly inform the public. The same public Council and Mr. Cormack supposedly are working for. The public? What public?

The sudden identity-crisis not so much one of Nelson per se but its decision-makers: the Chamber of Commerce, the Tourism Developers - but above all the Cultural Development Committee (CDC) and its now appendage: City Council. Mr. Cormack, too, whose job-description does not include single-handed, proactively getting involved on this level. But there he is! All mentioned in this COW as backers of the identity search, branding urge.

While Nelson is what all these groups turned it into, allowed it to become. That's its identity - that's its identity-crisis! Brand that! Outch! Expecting this one-size-fits-all to fix everything will only worsen whatever Nelson's calamity may be: they officially hand over pesky responsibility to this construct. And Donna Macdonald's CDC.

Assets of interest - but are they brandable?
Provided by Drysdale/Mackenzie - fathers of the crisis - as local examples for possible branding: Railtown, Hall St, Heritage, Nelson Commons (Nelson Commons?), the outdoors and The Most Artistic Small Town In Canada hardly qualify. 
A 20/20 look:

Railtown
More a concept than a reality, even when the new Chamber-of-Commerce/Railway-Station is finished: Railtown as such will be a light-industrial wasteland for years to come.
The inside-out bridge at its entrance and embarrassing artsy overkill along the path towards Nelson Ford won't substantiate an art-brand either.
Not brandable

Hall Street
Few people are walking along Hall now - this won't change, no matter what the M&Ms attempt to change it into. And how much money the City puts into it - somewhere between 2 and 3 mill. As funding this white elephant will take many years - work will  be done unnoticeably piecemeal and take forever. Hall may be an artery to the lake - but with its Front St. dilemma and no direct access to the lake once at the lake: this may work as a generic concept for out-of-town experts but not as a reality here. And, M&Ms, nobody's got married in the gazebo yet - thus hardly will in the distant future.
Not brandable

Heritage
It is not a growth-industry - it's what it now is, can't be expanded. Not to forget that Nelson just recently got out of the heritage-cage, and City Hall admits to having to loosen-up somewhat around its heritage-ghetto mentality.
Which had gone as far as - in 2011 - the Heritage Commission (CHC) through Dave Wahn attempting to have its bylaw amended to the effect of the CHC henceforth vetting every single local development-proposal and only if deemed heritage enough handing it to relevant City departments. Council asleep through this one - I woke them in a COW to this disaster-in-the-making. The clause was dropped. Do we want to go there again? Faux heritage development? Benjamin Moore color-charts forever? Council in Victorian drag?
Not brandable

Downtown Shopping
The pretty much consistent number of empty store-fronts on Baker should have made clear by now that there is only so much money to be squeezed out of so many tourists. Via stuff nobody really needs. Unless Baker goes through a serious end-to-end attitude-adjustment: this is it. In the meantime - I have no problem with shopping at the mall.
Also see post Nelson in Living Color, 1 Dec. 2011 below.
Not brandable

The Most Artistic Small Town in Canada
Even Councilor Macdonald - local doyenne of the body artistic - admits in a Council meeting to this never having been more than a bunch of hooey. Branding it would - frankly - be an easily exposed lie. Not nice! It is telling of something that Drysdale/Mackenzie are not familiar with this particular reality nor that of the Nelson Commons.
What we do have though is all sorts of awkward tree-paintings in coffee-shops and the tired Art Walk. We have Castlegar bargain-basement sculptures up-and-down Baker; Ikea shower-curtains on Baker; the artsy overkill at the foot of Baker. Beyond the lie - nothing of quality.
Also see post Nelson: Plop-Art Plopping (Part 2), 20 Oct. 2013 below.
Not brandable

The Great Outdoors
Well, we do have that and like it - but so have many other places. And that's fine with us - we're not into selling this place to the highest bidder, so that certain interest-groups can take it to the bank more often.
Not brandable  

Seeing that none of these assets are substantially unique (and/or existent!) enough - finding some sort of umbrella-branding to include many or all can only lead to a whole bunch of everything adding-up to one big nothing.

An effective Nelson brand would need the proven-and-sustainable abundance of one unique bigtime asset now - which we don't have - not bits of this and that and possibly in the future maybe.

So what's to brand here?

The Branding Police
Say the CDC - and let's face it: it would be they - decide on a particular brand. Then - in order to maintain and add to it - rules would have to be put in place a la heritage, and we would end-up with somebody watching that nobody oversteps. The comfort of uniformity - the status quo. The branding police! Harperville!

The Cultural Development Committee (CDC)
When the CDC was reorganized a while ago - absorbing the then all-powerful heritage-guardians - we seemed to be on our way to a more balanced decision-making construct in cultural matters. What happened though was that new versions of the CHC and Advisory Planning Commission (APC) became subspecies of the CDC - making the latter more powerful than the CHC had ever been. With Councilor Macdonald - the CDC's prime-mover at City Hall - getting Council to throw major money and major concessions at her group. So now there's no end to artsy-this and artsy-that all over the place: none of it having substance, quality because the oddly insensitive CDC's only goal is getting more and more of that stuff out there - and no overall vision with an economic benefit part of it. Because the CDC has no defined identity. On paper yes - in reality no.
Also see post Nelson: Plop-Art Plopping (Part 3), 29 Oct. 2013 below.

Councilor Kiss in the Star: Large sums of money are being spent without this cohesive vision, she said, referring to the informational signage and lamppost banners downtown. This would be a worthwhile investment in advance of all other expenditures. We should know we're not just putting bad money after bad money because we don't have a plan for how things should look. 
Weeell, Councilor, you have a point with those banners, but those large sums of bad money after bad money are being blown by your colleague's expert CDC only(!) - after having been handed to her by City Council: meaning you personally! Without demanding a precise plan/goal, without any preconditions - period. The proverbial buck stops with City Council. This Council obviously an identity-whirligig - with no individual parts.
So unless Council takes a realistic look at its inbred responses, to then force the CDC to do some soul-searching for the greater (economic) good - or else! - this branding-thing is just so much pricey botox.

Nelson Whatever
I suggest that Council rein-in the CDC, put a plug in the approval/money flow and concentrate on eventually finding a single big, exceptional item - as a Nelson Commons could have been - to draw tourists here as a destination instead of stop-over. 
There won't be an increase in tourists with the players habitually just recycling the same-old, only dressing them up in more-and-more over-the-top adjectives. Growth needs stepping out of one's comfort-zone, taking risks - thinking new and bold and big! 
See also Nelson: Plop-Art Plopping (Part 1), 8 Oct. 2013 below.

30 out of the 33 comments on the brand-article in the Star - thus far and an astonishing response for Nelson - see no point in branding: they agree with the mayor. Hello, Council!!! This is your ignored public!!!
No, Sam Van Schie, in the COW above the mayor was hardly outnumbered by the rest of council. Two councilors were absent in body; two were absent in mind - not saying a word; leaving two not saying much of consequence. But then - all this was orchestrated by Kevin Cormack and Donna Macdonald in advance (Stephanie Fischer, CDC-Chair - very seldom attending meetings - in the audience for this one!).

So Council and CDC - bottom-line: what's there to brand, without you making yourselves appear even more foolish - and embarrassing Nelson! Using our money doing it! 

Mayor Dooley, I also agree with your statement that you like Nelson not having cookie-cutter buildings, and there shouldn't be just one design throughout the whole city.
Individuality,
Diversity -
Yes!

Thank you -

c lao s




This is my 100th post.

Images: Keith Haring 

Kevin Cormack's Identity Crisis

The Crisis - Monday
Committee of the Whole (COW), Nov. 18, 2013
Item listed on the meeting's agenda (available for anyone's viewing on the City's website under Agendas):
The Community Identity Project - to be introduced by Chris Drysdale. No organization mentioned. The presentation Proposed: By Staff and the customary cover-sheet Request To Appear As A Delegation signed by Kevin Cormack, City Manager, who is in charge of putting together meeting-agendas. And is he ever!

When the presentation comes up in the COW, Councilor Macdonald - also Chair of the meeting - marvels that (an unusually generous!) 30 minutes are allocated to it. Council doesn't know where to go with any of it.

There are 2 presenters - again no organization. What these 2 will vaguely - in 10 minutes they say - propose is how to brand Nelson. Listing a string of local support for this, hitherto unbeknownst to Council(?) and the general public: among others the Chamber of Commerce; the Tourism Development folk; the Cultural Development Committee (CDC) - of which Macdonald is Council-rep and wouldn't/shouldn't she know unless(!?!). And - drum-roll, please! - Kevin Cormack! The plot thickens - his name already is all over this one!

The Cure

Website agenda-material says:

Consider the establishment of a Community Identity Project for Nelson, in order to take ownership of how we are perceived, capitalize on our assets, and leverage the benefits that are received from being unique.

To be done in

6 months for all stages

meaning

Completion before high season 2014

costing

$33.000

Not introducing anything new, specific to Nelson - but sort-of intending to tie together the wonderful individual parts/aspects of the City already there here. Like the Nelson Commons - as we know (but they don't?) a basic no-frills condo-complex not even past the building-permit stage.

Limpet-like attaching themselves to the Downtown/Waterfront Plan - without having been invited by anyone. Weeell, maybe Mr. Cormack, even though his job-description does not include originating/initiating on his own but implementing directives and paying bills.

The presenters superficially bring up examples of towns where they've already done their transformational thing (only the done stuff - not any economic benefits derived).

All in all they are unconvincing: they have nothing definitive to offer and reply even to simple questions from clueless Council groping, circumventing. Mr. Cormack's 30 minutes are a stretch!

We are not amused - Council says we'll consider and get back to you. The 2 - clearly having expected more - leave in a state of bewilderment.

All this is embarrassing and should be over and done with but - big BUT...

 

The Drug - Wednesday

On the CBC's Early Morning Edition we have: Nelson's Identity Crisis! While Bob Keating - the CBC area-guy and operating from Nelson - reasonably would have been the one to report this: we only have 1 person representing Nelson - drum-roll again, please! - Kevin Cormack!

Telling listeners that the whole thing is a conscious City-of-Nelson project (NOT TRUE!) - through proactive Council (NOT TRUE!) - dealing with this here Nelson identity-crisis. That the list of transformed towns is (not just Examples of Managing Image - but) a collaborative effort of presenters/City to connect with them comparatively (NOT TRUE) and then conclude: going it the same way is the way for Nelson to go.

There obviously are a lot of witnesses to what is actually said in the COW. Including Mr. Cormack!

While the CBC talks with a few people - ostensibly from a few of the listed places - Nelson never comes up, neither do economic benefits to these already transformed.

The Healer

Even more disturbing here: Mr. Cormack has been going it alone several times now. He also totally ran the Baker-amenities redo - actually Council's job - and the soccer-road redo - actually also Council's job. Totally under the radar.

And - by now predictably - Council allows him to happen. Council - nobody keeping it together - at this point in a Council's run pretty much a lame-duck situation. Unless!

For more on that: see post immediately below.

 

City Council: Consensus by Acquiescence

Council 2011
Before the last municipal election, several councilors - presuming to be returned for another 3 years as a matter of course - express hope that new additions will inject fresh blood, energy, vision - life - into the next Council.

Some would call this downright disingenuous drum-beating by/for the circle of the wise. After all - first - how can you be sure of being reelected, particularly - second - as you in a roundabout way admit not being up to the job any longer! In an off-moment Councilor Kozak refers to a councilor's shelf-life.
New councilors - on top of having to learn the job on the job - carrying left-over councilors for the coming 3 years is an appalling thought. Possibly with no blood to spare, and what if they themselves get anemic in the process and possibly because of listless support from the left-overs. This conceivably well before the end of the coming term! Then what!

Not much what! Look at it!

Except for 1 - all those wanting to go it another round are reelected. Not because of their desirability but because there are only 2 possibles standing-by - and somebody's gotta do it! But these 2 - indeed - promise something new.

Candace Batycki: with the environmentally-friendly picture of her in a kayak on the lake - grey hair aflow - Mother Earth come City Hall. We've got context!
Paula Kiss: young and apple-cheek-outdoorsy - finally a live one! - promising regular cafe-get-togethers with the great unwashed. One of us - could it be!
We read of both directly only once - after a year into their turn - in a 2-part interview - Nelson Daily, Dec. 2012 - and although they may have originated stuff since then: we wouldn't know - they're not telling. By now having nicely blended into Council-Chamber-beige. With get-togethers gone where campaign-promises go after.

In my experience this is the only time ever a media-connect of some depth is established between the public and Council: as a rule Council does not volunteer, and the Nelson Star - primary printed-news provider - as a rule does not probe.

Council 2013
So what does it all look like today with 1 more year to go? How tired is tired now: over 2 years after announcing fatigue? Have the 2 newest members in fact juiced-up Council? Become instrumental in making the group an energetic, cohesive force working for OUR betterment? Are there now strong individual voices, opinions coming from moral commitment? Are there now open debates based on these commitments: leading to consensus anchored in a clear vision? 

Let me count the nays!

For those at City Hall who may tut-tut over these questions - an additional set presents itself: Why isn't the public kept informed - let alone to the contrary? Why is there still next to no connect between Council and the public? Why does Council still not seek public participation in the decision-making process - seeing that its members sought office to ostensibly do for the good of the Whole?


As-A-Whole
Public participation is not allowed in Public Council Meetings and not encouraged in the Committee Of The Whole (COW). The Whole not quite. Having to connect with people other than those on City Hall's 2nd floor can be unpredictable, messy for Council. So - better not!

In meetings councilors may become relatively! animated when topics concern inanimate objects: these are safe. Issues of direct human consequence demanding personal choice - moral issues - are not: they tend to make councilors switch-off.
Example: A while ago - in the same COW - councilors come alive over whether a bit of sidewalk to nowhere somewhere in the hills should be surfaced with concrete or crushed granite. Lusty toing-and-froing goes on forever, with the result: the issue is referred back to staff for further exploration. Outsiders may call this a complete waste of too much time.
Then what has been turning more and more into the City's Onagawa-disaster-relief disaster gets less than 5 minutes from the mayor - and not a word from Council.

In-Part
Council inexplicably-or-not does not have an official spokesperson to communicate inside-goings-on to the outside.
Although this may seem to be Councilor Macdonald - consistently the go-to person for the media. This seemingly based in her consistently having more to say in meetings than the other councilors. Often prompted to do so by the mayor(!?!). So she appears - appears! - to be more concerned by being better informed, prepared. Visibly/aurally - thus printably - present: her strategic points made.
This automatically makes the others seem less concerned or at least less well-informed/prepared. Less than.

Since no strong individual points of view are presented convincingly by any of them: consensus usually comes from let's not rock anybody's boat and just get this over with. City Hall expediency.

Councilors never ever voice a strong opinion outside the Council Chamber either. I mean what - if anything - do you really feel about issues like Tasers, the Nelson Commons? What motivates you? What do you originate? Is what stops you lack of concern or being tired of it all or fear of not being liked on the 2nd floor or possible outside-consequences to personal agendas? Not hearing/reading from them as people directly and clearly inside/outside - we really haven't a clue of what they are doing, could be capable of doing individually. Thus lump them all together as - Council. And that frequently with a negative tinge - deserved or not.

The Whole
City Hall knows that the hard-copy newspaper is the most effective local information-medium. Thus the Council Column in the Star could be the major space for individual councilors regularly presenting themselves decisively, definitively to a wide audience - but no! It's sporadic bits and pieces and nothing of consequence we don't know already. We've been so hard at work and wasn't summer fun!

To make ALL councilors more visible, encourage them ALL to be all-around informed at all times, then participate pro-actively: I suggest designating 1 councilor spokesperson for 1 month - according to a fixed rotation-schedule. Only this councilor deals with news-media within his/her month. Immediately after the 2 meetings also writing Council Columns: high points and in-depth looks at projected consequences of decisions to be made or already made. Coming from the official base and adding a personal perspective.
The Columns always announcing dates of up-coming Public Council Meetings and COWs. Inviting the public's attendance at these meetings and feedback to the Star!

There will be substantial shifting on the 2nd floor come next election - a short year from now. Establishing the connection above will introduce councilors in  clear work-mode to the electorate. The councilors' focused public exposure will make the public feel part of the overall process and just may become the  deciding factor in reelection-bids or bids for vertical advancement. 
While introducing the job in hands-on-mode to potential councilors as well.




So simple! What could be better than: all of us together!




   

Poppies

From red - to white

From death - to life

Peace

Poppies: Sondra Wampler 

Nelson: Plop-Art Plopping! (Part 3)

Here continuing from Part 2: immediately below - and Part 1: second post below that.

Part 1
looks at  t h e  opportunity missed by Nelson to definitively get itself on the map as a tourist focus/destination, with allowing the Co-op project to go forward as unimaginatively, disconnectedly planned: an only self-serving waste of  t h e  location - the heart of Nelson. The Co-op's sole motivating factor: paying-off debts incurred by acquiring this space it didn't need to begin with. The faster they go - the behinder they get. Shape-shifters.
City Council's giving-the-store-away approval is locking-in/down Nelson's future. In terms of progress: before this deal going nowhere particular - they now decidedly have nowhere left to go. Or park.

While an exceptional building-complex - a collaborative effort between Co-op + City - could have given this heart blood to pump - energizing Nelson. Example: Bilbao, Spain transforming/defining itself with a single audacious building. Turning Bilbao from incidental stopover into preferred destination. Tourists - and their money! - keep on coming!

Part 2
looks at how resources - and Nelson does have resources don't be fooled! - instead of bundled for one large statement of vision and quality are thrown at awkward, unconnected bits and pieces. By a single group: the Cultural Development Committee (CDC). Holding back healthy, self-sustaining cultural development with their embarrassing lack of overall vision, scope and cultural development in-house.

Part 3
looks at the CDC, and how it was recently (inadvertently?) placed by Council as decision-maker over just about anything Nelson. Just like that - like this:

Smallishtown
The present-future of Nelson depend on tourism. There's nothing else - period. So we have the tourism group, the economic group, the Chamber of Commerce, the merchants group, the CDC, the mayor and Council. They all know this - separately. They may connect here and there - but as there's no universal game-plan because there's no vision (and everybody has an all-overriding personal agenda to nurture along) - their talk comes down to rewrapping the topic in more-and-more over-the-top adjectives only: touting now way more than there actually is.

In reality nothing of tangible consequence is produced; nothing changes to move Nelson forward; nothing entices more tourists to come. And why should they now? We can't even get the welcome-signs right!
Nelson is a pleasant town, at a pleasant lake, with pleasant mountains and pleasant shopping. Yet there are other places like that in BC - so Nelson generally has been a pleasant stopover from somewhere to somewhere else. Except in winter, when snow-people come - but not to shop.
During the rest of the year the tourist-trade just sort-of hangs-in there. Lots of vacant stores - with fake-movement when one store closes for good, and someone with hope moves into that location from another less desirable, and someone else... A domino-effect: mostly horizontal - little vertical.

 

Smallish Culture
The Cultural Development Committee should be instrumental in nudging Nelson into economic bliss - after all: there is the expensive paper on the Cultural Tourist filed somewhere at City Hall, and culture supposedly is the CDC's mission. While the City - for lack of an identity - hangs on to fool's gold of past local artiness. Via the CDC's modus operandi - never having come to terms with the term culture, thus bypassing various cultures which made this town - turning culture as such into monosyllabic art. Nelson's monosyllabic art.

Never a word from them on the Nelson Commons - initially seen as the cultural center of the universe. With a possibility of becoming a tourist-destination, moving Nelson towards sustainability. And even once it becomes clear that the Commons will be no more than a rather common condo-block: the CDC could have - totally appropriately - stepped-up to talk about a vision. If it had one!
With Councillor/CDC-rep Macdonald in a Co-op "update" to Council some time ago - while mildly curious - saying little about the then presented - even less appealing than now - design of the building.

One World Trade Centre is a non-event. It's vanilla. It's like something they would build in Canada.
                                                                             Banksy

On with Nelson. While the excuse from City Hall is: we've no control over design of private developments - it consistently controls away from downtown, sheltered by trees, with little traffic. But it can't have - at least - input into a very large, in-your-face development in the center of downtown? Not even on an aesthetic level hello CDC?

Smallish Mindscapes
The absence of CDC involvement here could be forgiven as limited cognitive ability - if it weren't for Nelson's persistent hunger to be bigger, better, more than it is. So there's cognition of sorts: but producing a thin layer of DOA artiness only. No grand gesture, no human-connect! The Council model!
The depth of the CDC's cognitive faculties made clear by Macdonald when she - flying without the CDC - calls Nelson's first piece of plop - the heron-post - a world-class piece of art. Without having seen it. Swallowed by Council without a hiccup: like due process within the CDC. Macdonald later modifying her expert assessment to a major piece of art. Still not having seen it. Kelowna's corporate condo-art plopped at the lake. Free and costing the taxpayer $10.000.

I was a member of the CDC for a bit but left at that time because of unattended to leadership-issues. As Joan Rivers used to say: Can we talk?

 

Smallish Pond
Everything the CDC does must ultimately be of economic benefit: bring more tourists to Nelson. Yet because the City does not have a bold vision, and the CDC - largely deferred to as Nelson's only possibility - is not ready to encourage formulating one: all we have is solicited outside-advise and arty local silliness. Costly! But then - the CDC receives if I recall correctly a 40% increase in funding this year, while other organizations receive no increase at all. Some natives are restless.

The increase because Councillor Macdonald in effect being the CDC - while having positioned herself smoothly as Nelson's go-to-for-whatever-else as well. Juggling 2 spheres with aplomb: a sluggish Council and compliant CDC. With nobody else standing up or by: she may well be as good as it gets.
And might even be to the Queen. During the Diamond Jubilee Mum gives a special pin to those who do lots of good on some level. Councillor Batycki - alternate Council-rep to the CDC - nominates Macdonald for the pin to the RDCK, handling this in Nelson. And of which Macdonald - be still poor heart! - is alternate City-rep/member! This makes even Bob Hall - a great fan of Macdonald and usually as decaf as can be - shift uncomfortably. I forget whether or not she's got it. The pin.

Smallish Future
Suppose Macdonald next year becomes mayor. If she runs - a done deal. And suppose Stephanie Fischer - now CDC Chair - becomes a Council member. If she runs - a done deal also, backed strategically by Macdonald's machine. So then - with Macdonald as arty mayor; Stephanie Fischer as arty Council-rep to the Committee; David Dobie - now CDC member and professional designer (as such now involved in the Co-op project!) - the arty CDC Chair: funds will keep on coming and plopping will never cease. Up and down Hall, all over the Co-op parking-lot, Baker, Railtown - you name it! Castlegar's bargain-basement.


But tourists?

  




If we can't have Goldsworthy - we should just plop rocks.

                    Jan Fraser, on Part 2   










I agree. The comfort of rocks.





Rocks: Caspar David Friedrich