Great Town Hall Meeting

We held our usual fall Town Hall Meeting at the Beiseker Community Centre.  It gives a chance for ratepayers to sit through an abbreviated council meeting then participate in a question and answer session with members of Village Council.

The main topics:

• The Bassano Station issue was the first up.  Although village council has very little control over the Centennial Railway Museum's project, residents were most concerned the building would soon become abandoned.   With part of the roof missing and it not being closed in around the foundation,  residents were wondering of its future.  We on council could give them few answers.
• One resident was concerned that issues brought to the attention of council were not being followed up.   Was the village office writing a note to the person who brought the issue to council's attention, outlining actions taken?  We were able to indicate that, in most cases, the follow-up was done by either phone call or letter.
• We were asked why we lengthened the time residents have to clear their sidewalks of snow from 48 hours to 72 hours.  We explained that it gives the residents a bit longer to remove the snow in case they can't get on the shovel right away.
• Another resident was wondering if there was a bylaw preventing parked vehicles from blocking laneways.  We indicated to them that this was a part of the province's Traffic Safety Act.  I've taken a  couple of quick tours around the area mentioned, but found no vehicles blocking laneways.  Vehicles can be parked between the garage and the lane if there is room.  The laneways should remain clear at all times.
• Residents wondered why we weren't collecting tie-down fees at the Beiseker Airport.  I was able to tell them it was a clerical error, which would be corrected in the next few days.
• Also discussed during or right after the meeting were the removal of some of the village's aging poplar trees, water drainage flows, potholes, and recycling fees.

Overall, I was pleased with the meeting.  I like to have residents attend our regular council meetings, but I know that for many that just isn't possible.  Town Hall Meetings make it a little easier. I think it is important that all village residents to stay in touch with their village council throughout the year. 

Hospital Parking!

Photo courtesy of the Calgary Sun

The cost of parking at Alberta's hospitals and health care centres is appalling.  When one visits a family member or friend in a hospital in this province, they are subjected to artificially high parking fees!

There is no option but to pay up.  Visitors are a captive clientèle!  They need to visit their sick or injured friends or family members. Thee is nowhere else to park around many hospitals.  Many facilities do not have decent public transit access (which is moot for us out-of-towners, anyway).  You want to visit a hospital; you pay!

I have learned that in many cases the revenue generated by parking fees accounts for less than 1% of the total revenue for that hospital!  That appears to be a lot of hate and discontent generated over such a paltry contribution to the overall budget. 

I have also learned that some health facilities hire private companies to operate their parking facilities.  These companies are allowed to attach huge fines to those who park longer than they should.  In some cases that penalty fee goes directly into the coffers of the parking company - the hospital doesn't see a dime of that money.

I believe there should be a small fee for parking at a city hospital or medical clinic, but I think those  fees are getting completely out of hand!  Maybe our Minister of Health (Fred Horne) needs to check out this situation.