City of Prince George council took heat from several environmental groups on Wednesday for "wiping out" the municipal environmental services department.
On Jan. 17, city council announced the elimination of 28 positions - 10 management and 18 union - as part of $1.99 million in budget cuts. As part of the shuffle, the manager of environmental
services was reassigned to another department while the remaining three positions were eliminated.
Members of the People's Action Committee for Healthy Air (PACHA) and the Northern Bear Awareness Society attended the public comment portion of a council
budget meeting to express their
anger.
"The wiping out of the environmental services department," is a step backwards for the city, said
PACHA president Dr. Marie Hay.
"The issue of air quality has not gone away. We had two air quality advisories within a couple days. If you take this stance against the environment, then people will turn back to the old ways of being vehemently
politically active."
CUPE local 1048 president Janet Bigelow said the loss of those 28 positions may cost the city millions in lost grant opportunities in the long run, particularly in the environmental
services area.
City staff have helped the city apply for and receive over $38 million in grants in recent years, Bigelow said.
"Since 2003 [the city has received] over $8 million in grants for community forest projects," Bigelow said. "I can't help but ask who will find those grants and generate those business cases now that they're gone."
Northern Bear Awareness Society vice-president Dave Bakker addressed negative repercussions on the city's commitment to bring provincially recognition as a Bear Smart community, which also comes with provincial grants.
"The loss of the liaison with environmental services raises questions about the commitment of the city," Bakker said. "The members of Northern Bear Awareness Society request that the city council of Prince George reconsider the elimination of the environmental division. The people that were part of this division should be considered a critical need of the city."
City superintendent of
operations Bill Gaal said the city is still moving forward with a bylaw restricting garbage cans on curbs, as well as other initiatives to obtain Bear Smart status for the city.
Mayor Shari Green said city council has had to make difficult decisions to rein in spending at
city hall.
"Even though we're faced with some tough choices, we're faced with a 3.12 per cent tax increase," Green said.
Budget deliberations half complete
City council is on track for a 3.12 per cent tax increase following the completion of the first half of their 2012 budget deliberations.
On Wednesday council approved the community services, corporate management, corporate services, and planning and development services departmental budgets with few changes. Council reduced $32,000 from their discretional spending budgets and restored $70,000 for the Prince George Air Improvement Roundtable (PGAIR).
In addition, council approved the $1.02 million service agreement with Initiatives Prince George and $327,000 service agreement with Tourism Prince George. City manager Derek Bates said on Jan. 16 council directed staff to prepare a budget with a 3.12 per cent tax increase. "The budget document that council is now working with represents exactly that: a 3.12 per cent increase," Bates said. "For a $211,000 representative home... that adjustment amounts to $50.34."
The total proposed budget for 2012 is $131.3 million.
Budget considerations will resume on Feb. 22 with council considering the budgets for the operations department, public safety and civic facilities departments, Prince George Public Library and the 2012-2016 capital
expenditure plan.
If needed, another budget session will be held on Feb. 27. In a departure from previous years, there are no proposed service enhancements for council to consider and city departments will not make individual
budget presentations.
