I want to start by wishing everyone the best for the New Year

We have come a long way in one short year

 

Just 12 short months ago we were a brand new council sitting in these chambers for the first time – with a strong commitment to make things happen and bring our vision to life

 

A vision of a sustainable city, full of opportunity

 

It is important that we take the time to reflect on our efforts of the past year, acknowledge the work we’ve done and the work still ahead of us, and renew our commitment to the citizens we serve.

 

We have made some solid advances in the last year, all of which are focused on making Victoria a better place

 

Upon taking office, as a team we laid out our priorities – those areas our community told us were important.

 

We made a list:

 

-        homelessness and housing

-        downtown vitality

-        enhance our governance model

-        improved communication and public engagement

-        harm reduction efforts

-        addressing our aging infrastructure

 

It is the issue on everyone’s lips these days – what to do with the aging Johnson Street Bridge

 

10 months ago we were presented with an independent engineers report telling us that the bridge - a key transportation route in and out of our downtown – was aggressively deteriorating and that we have a window of only a few years to act

 

We’ve heard comments about this issue not being on the radar during the election – how none of us campaigned on this issue

 

To that I can only say – “life gets in the way of the best laid plans”

 

None of us expected to be making this decision

– but as elected representatives, responsible for the safety of this community, we found ourselves in the position where action was required.

 

Doing nothing is simply out of the question.

 

We brought in experts and professionals to give us advice and help us determine the direction forward

 

We made it clear that we want to act with fiscal, environmental, and social responsibility

 

Council moved forward with focus – with an analysis that replacement of the bridge was the best option for our community today and for future generations

 

We could build a new bridge that advanced what we valued as a community: safety, a focus on alternative transportation, long-term vision of commuter rail, and walkways that are both accessible and provide opportunity to all travelers to pause at the beauty of our Inner Harbour.

The decision to replace was not taken lightly – it was a decision that looked ahead 100 years.

We secured $21 million from the federal government – the largest financial contribution from a senior level of government this City has ever seen.

 

But – because the provincial government has failed to meet us on this project – the remaining price tag of $42 million needs to be borne by the city taxpayers.

When we went to the people of Victoria with the request to borrow this sum we heard back many things – and we listened

We heard that for some refurbishing the Johnson Street Bridge needed to be better explained and explored as an option

We heard that the cost was a concern.

 

We also heard that our citizens wanted a more formal say in such a large project – they want a full referendum

And that is exactly what we will do

We will take the time to better explain what has informed council’s decisions thus far, explore more information to ensure the questions people have are adequately answered, create a variety of opportunities for people to ask questions, share feedback and insights and finally, take the question of what to do with the bridge to a vote.

 

I am committed to this process – and I know all of you around this table are as well.

And I am looking forward to the next step

This issue has inspired great debate in our community – this is a good thing.

Democracy in action depends on an engaged citizenry – and when I look around that is what I see

There are no winners or losers in this – as long as we are all acting in the interest of our community

In the end, whatever decision we come to as a community – replace or refurbish - will cost tens of millions of dollars – that we know.

 

Doing nothing is not on the table.

 

The goal for us now is to ensure that our citizens are casting their vote with confidence in their decision

I have a deep faith in our citizens

 

And I am confident that through this process we will move forward in a way that will make our community stronger, healthier and more united.

 

Now – the bridge may be the number one infrastructure priority for the City of Victoria

 

But it is far from our top priority

 

Housing and homelessness have been at the top of our list since day one

 

I love the quote from Lester B Pearson

 

…it is “the necessity for everybody to have a decent dwelling; not to make all homes mansions, but to ensure that none of them will be hovels. It is only a very rare soul that can expand in a hovel. This objective of decent housing simply has to be achieved in our democratic society.”

 

I love this quote because it acknowledges the necessity of ending homelessness –

 

This is arguably the most complex and challenging issue we face, but we have been diligent, innovative and holistic in our approach

 

We have made remarkable progress

I want to put this in context.

 

In the first five years of the Housing Trust Fund, $615,000 had been used to foster new housing options

 

In 2009 alone we have more than tripled our contribution to housing projects – committing more than $2 million

 

But I am often reminded that dollar figures don’t capture what this investment means to peoples lives.

 

Our $2 million dollar investment has helped secure more than $80 million in housing projects and translates into the creation of 367 more housing options for people in our community.

 

From emergency shelter beds, to transitional housing, to supportive housing, to affordable rental and family housing.

 

The full continuum of housing needs

 

This year the Ellice Street shelter broke ground – a project that will see enhanced emergency shelter services, along with 23 units of transitional housing for those getting back on their feet

 

The 44 units of supportive housing on Humboldt Street are under construction

 

The Wing Building is close to completion and will open its doors for 51 units of affordable family housing

 

Affordable housing projects at Dockside Green and the Hudson Building have been announced

 

And with assistance from the City, Beacon Services Society has purchased 12 units in the 834 Johnson building for affordable housing for adults with disabilities.

 

We also made changes to our secondary suite policy this year and introduced a grant incentive program for home owners looking to create suites in their homes.

 

This year we have had 30 suite permits granted – 15 of which accessed the $5,000 grant.

 

When I look back at these projects I am reminded that when it comes to solving the housing crisis we face the solution lies in the collective impact of all these projects

 

10 units here

 

25 units there

 

It adds up…..and it is how we will achieve our targets.

 

I have been inspired by the ability of this council and this community to take action and seize opportunity.

 

And we are not stopping.

 

Only two weeks into 2010 and we have another housing project taking shape with help from the Housing Trust Fund.

 

Council has committed in principle to a $250,000 contribution to 25 low-income housing units being proposed at 575 Pembroke Street.

 

For too long we have felt the situation is hopeless – but it is not

Change is afoot

We are hearing from advocates, business people and even the street community themselves – people are noticing a shift on the streets

 

Is our work done?

 

Absolutely not – we have a long way to go.

 

Housing and homelessness will remain at the top of the priority list for this council for many more years.

 

With our community partners and with the outstanding efforts of the Coalition to End Homelessness – we are seeing change

 

So let’s keep it up. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize – putting an end to homelessness in our community.

 

Making our community, our City, better – this is the ancient Greek pledge

 

We live in a truly stunning City, with one of the most beautiful downtowns in the world – the balance between old and new, the past and present is striking

 

We have a world class working harbour – one of the few left in an urban setting

 

We have a strong commercial district, thriving entertainment sector and a growing residential community

 

This kind of mixed-use downtown is the envy of every City – and we need to work to protect what has taken so long to build

 

Upon taking office I was concerned with reports of increased violence and vandalism in our downtown

 

I looked around at all that had been achieved and all the potential our downtown was still tapping into

 

And I realized there were a lot of committed people, but no coordinated effort.

 

So we struck The Downtown Late Night task force

 

We met every Monday afternoon with a variety of stakeholders.

 

I must admit, I really enjoyed those afternoons

 

I enjoyed them because the community came to the table with candid insights and a range of ideas and solution for discussion.

We heard from a wide cross-section of people who each see the downtown through a different set of eyes

 

From bar and business owners, to street vendors

 

From police to taxi cab drivers to students

 

We took to the streets at night – talking to club goers and bouncers and tourists

 

We saw first hand what our streets look like on a Friday night.

 

And what we realized is that to affect change there are many paths to follow and many players needed

 

And that collection of actors and actions is what our report highlighted

 

The City is currently piloting taxi stands at three locations for the late night hours; working with the taxi companies, commissionaires who provide security at this stands and the police.

 

Thanks to BC Transit a three month pilot for late night buses has started. And early reports are that it is a hit – full double-decker buses making sure people get home safe.

 

Bar Watch was introduced in our community with the leadership of the Victoria Bar and Cabaret Association and the Victoria Police.

 

The provincial government has increased liquor fines to help deter people from a variety of offences – including public drunkenness.

 

We have funded four more police officers for the weekend nights that are dedicated to the downtown. They hit the streets at the end of December and we are hearing that their presence is already shifting behaviour.

There are many other elements of the report being put into effect

– including the need for more of our wonderfully unique permanent urinals (one issue I never thought I would spend so much time considering).

But the point I want to make is that many of the efforts just listed are a result of the commitment of our partners – they could not have been achieved by the city alone

 

I extend my sincere gratitude to the downtown community for their efforts to meet us at the table in our collective desire to see our downtown continue to grow and thrive.

 

And to the DVBA who is keeping this momentum alive through the late night coordinating committee – so that this discussion and the positive initiatives don’t stop

I think the most powerful realization I have made over the last year is that the City can’t ‘go it alone’

 

Whether solving homelessness, addressing infrastructure, or investing in downtown – we need the community with us.

 

It is the diversity of opinion that makes us strong.

 

I know I have used this quote before, but I like it  

The point being - the challenges we face as a community are complex, and we all need each other if our beloved City is going grow and thrive

 

We must maintain our ‘can do’ attitude.

 

One important step we took this year was to welcomed Gail Stephens to the family, as City Manager

 

Gail’s impressive past and forwarding thinking approach will serve us all well –

 

And with a Council that is so motivated, Gail’s experience will help us really accomplish what we set out to do.

 

We have already made many positive changes to the way City Hall works over the past year.

 

These are often the priorities that people are not aware of – they don’t make headlines

 

But are extremely important to ensuring we are making the best decisions possible in the interests of the people we serve

 

We revised the governance model we work under with an eye to making Council more efficient and effective – an endeavor municipalities rarely take on.

 

We launched a public engagement strategy that will help us improve the way we talk with our citizens and create more tools for us in our efforts to inform and consult on those issues of importance to our community

 

Part of this includes the revamping of our website which is currently underway – making it more user-friendly and comprehensive.

Plus the creation of Connect – the City’s new household newsletter

 

The feedback on this initiative has been remarkable

And I am reminded that people access information in different ways, and that for many a newsletter delivered to their door that highlights important issues, programs and services is a much appreciated effort.

 

We have already issued two editions of Connect – the third due out in February

 

There is one thing that really links all of our efforts over the past year – and that is to create a Sustainable Victoria

 

It is the principal that underwrites all our decisions – and for this council it is a principle that we wanted to see enshrined in how the city operates

 

Many of our community partners are taking the lead, and are being recognized for it.

Burnside Gorge Community Centre awarded LEED Gold standard
Victoria Conference Centre – received the BOMA Go Green Plus award
Dockside Green awarded LEED Platinum for the second phase of development.

In the City we created the Department of Sustainability – brought in an outstanding leader to direct this department and build a team that reflects our commitment to the triple bottom line

 

Not only has this department helped us formulate leading edge policy – like the Green District Energy By-law, but has embedded itself in all the projects of Council

From the Sustainability Framework and the Official Community Plan, to the analysis of the Blue Bridge options, and housing innovation and opportunities

 

The new department is there to help us walk the talk

 

There is no doubt that in 2009 we have made leaps forward on the priorities we set out – but make no mistake, we still have a lot more to do.

 

For example, the erosion of harm reduction services, specifically the continued absence of a fixed needle exchange site, is still an issue we need to see resolved.

 

VIHA has committed to a distributed model for harm reduction services – and that is extremely positive.

 

The more places that people can access needed needle exchange services the better

 

That program needs to be extensive, but is not a replacement for a fixed site.

 

The goal is that these approaches compliment one another = not substitute.

Council remains committed to this effort and continues to work with the health authority and the community to ensure this needed service will be available for the long-term – and I am optimistic that we will see results

We also have new projects coming onto the radar.

The Official Community Plan is being updated – a project with a 12 month timeline that will be extensive and comprehensive….

And important – for it guides how we will see our City evolve in the years ahead

This is our chance to think big – to realize the potential we have as we grow from a provincial capital to a world class city – Sustainable Victoria

 

And it is Victorians opportunity to participate in the discussion about how our city will look and feel in the year 2040.

High Tech is the leading industry in our region and we need to be innovative in finding ways to support this sector - including the possibility of a new green tech park within our City limits.

 

We have a wealth of local expertise in our City and we need to reach out to them in an effort to retain and attract the green tech sector

 

Plus this is the year we celebrate our Twin City relationships - our 30^th Anniversary with Suzhou, China and our 25^th with Morioka, Japan

 

These long lasting relationships have brought great benefit to Victoria – socially, culturally and economically

 

This year we will be travelling to visit our counterparts, taking with us community leaders to continue to foster these important links

 

Economic development has never been so important to this City and this region

– and the goal of these visits is to further enhance the opportunities for economic growth.

 

With all of these exciting initiatives comes the sobering questions of how do we pay for it

We are lucky that the City of Victoria is in a strong fiscal position – we have been wise and prudent over the years

 

This trend needs to be continued

 

As we enter into this budgeting round we have a lot to keep in mind and a lot of competing interests.

 

Increased downloading by the provincial government has left us in a tight spot 

 

Not only do we need to ensure that roads and bridges are safe, garbage is picked up, and water pipes don’t leak;

 

That police arrive when there is a crime and firefighters are there should a blaze erupt;

 

That community centres are open and recreation and cultural programming available.

 

But our commitment to a healthy community has taken on new meaning – and financial commitment

 

Our limited resources are also needed for housing and homelessness, ensuring the arts community can thrive, social services are available, and so much more

 

We are challenged to match the potential of our economy with the depth of our social justice.

 

They are intrinsically linked

 

It is the right thing to do –

 

It means that we have our work cut out for us.

 

But I am confident we can do it.

And part of why I am so confident is because I know we are backed by an outstanding team of staff who carry an unwavering commitment to this City and its citizens.

They are the machine that keeps the City moving and are always ready to go that extra mile.

 

They are there with good advice and guidance – sometimes with words of caution and sometimes with words of encouragement.

We owe them a great deal

 

– and tonight I simply want to say, on behalf of Council, thank you

This has been a wonderful year – we have been through a lot – but here we are, one year later, with the same motivation and commitment we arrived with.

For me it has been a year of learning.

And from that place of learning I am continually inspired to do more.

 

I love this City. It is an honour to serve its citizens.

 

We are privileged to be sitting here in these chambers – and we should never forget that.

Let us strive to always bring honour to this office.