A real horse race!

The Brandon sun has released a poll that shows Dave Burgess and I tied at 49%. It's going right down to the wire folks!

This poll shows that, while we have been working hard to take the message to people that it is possible to change how City Hall works, that an exciting new vision for Brandon is possible, we still have more work to do. 32% of people still haven't made up their minds, which gives us lots of opportunity.

In the last three days, we'll be reaching out to people on their doorstep, in their mailbox, and on the phone- suggesting that maybe it's time for a change.

If you are

• frustrated with the current mayor- you don't like the way he makes decisions, you don't think that the decisions he's made have been good for Brandon, then it's time for a change.
• Perhaps you are neutral- and just think that eight years is enough, that if Dave was going to do something about affordable housing, about the downtown, he would have done it by now. You believe in a regular rotation- bringing in new ideas and fresh energy, and therefore it's time for a change.
• Some of you are attracted by the platform that we've laid out- you believe in dialogue vs monologue with citizens, think we can improve the transparency and accountability at City Hall, you like the ideas for downtown revitalization, the comprehensiveness of the Housing Strategy, the framework for bringing smart jobs to Brandon. You believe that when we work together we are stronger. Then it's time for a change.

We have three days left before the election. If you're one of the undecided and are still thinking about who you're going to vote for, and would like more information, please call me at 727-2306 or email me at shariformayor@gmail.com. Or if you have ideas for the City, I'd love to hear from you.

First 100 Days

(from media release October 22, 2010)

I am here today after knocking on thousands of doors, and talking to individuals and groups about why I think Brandon can be better and working with you, how I would try to make it better. If people in Brandon decide that they want change in the leadership at City Hall, I would like to flesh out what the first 100 days of a new city Hall could look like.

Process:

• Book and hold the first community town hall meeting
• Book and hold monthly Coffee with the Mayor events
• Develop new media strategies to allow for public input and information sharing
• Establish recruitment process for the city manager position
• Commission a review of City Hall tendering/ operating policies to ensure the systems are in place for openness, transparency, and accountability

Planning:

• Establish Advisory Councils on Housing, Economic Development, Seniors, and Aboriginal and First Nations Issues
• Work with the new City Council to establish a policy for how the city prepares long-term plans
• Meeting with Treasurer and City Auditor to review status of the City Budget and recruitment status of the City Treasurer position

Vision:

• Sit down with YMCA and begin negotiations to allow for the Sportsplex to remain open
• Set a date for an Economic Roundtable to establish economic growth priorities for the City of Brandon 2011-2015 with participation from community stakeholders including Brandon Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor's Economic Advisory Committee, and Brandon Economic Development
• Meet with neighbouring municipal leadership and begin to build bridges between Brandon and western Manitoba, identifying opportunities and discussing issues of mutual concern
• Meet with Provincial and Federal Ministers to lay the ground work for major infrastructure/program supports over the next 4 years and beyond
• Meet with Brandon First to get a status update on the 2017 Canada Games bid

Leadership:

• Leadership means doing the above well. It means taking planning for the future seriously. It means believing that we all have a stake in building a better Brandon
• It starts with respect for the citizens of Brandon, for City Councilors, and for the people who work for the City
• It is sustained by establishing open communication so that people know what the City is doing, and why

Potential of Convergys

(from a media release distributed Thursday, October 14)

I challenge the Mayor and council to STOP making decisions on any of our city's assets until after October 27th.

Specifically, the citizens of Brandon have an asset that, before its sold off for commercial development, should be considered as a way to leverage public investment in a general museum. I am talking about the Convergys Building.

This is a community asset that could benefit the city in ways beyond the highest selling price. Consider:

Museums are about learning. The General Museum group could partner with ACC Collegiate (who currently have an absentee landloard in Calgary on the property they rent on Rosser Ave), Neelin's downtown high school (Brandon School Division rents a building on 10th Street that is up for tax sale later this week), and Westman Immigrant Services (Convergys Building's current tenant) to create a Learning Centre in the Convergys Building. The Convergys Building is well suited physically to this type of conversion, and even with the three partners, the general museum, the community archives, there would still be space left over for a daycare and teashop. ACC, Neelin, and Westman Immigrant Services could pay their market rent to the museum, giving the museum stable, baseline funding.

Convergys is an asset for all of Brandon, and a Learning Centre concept would provide long term benefit to the entire community.

Prosperity Agenda- 3/3 Economic Clusters

(released to the media in Remington's kitchen on October 8th, 2010)

An economic cluster is a geographic concentration of inter-connected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions in a particular field. Clusters help focus opportunities and organize ideas when developing an economic strategy.

Clusters have the potential to affect competition in three ways:

• by increasing the productivity of the companies in the cluster
• by driving innovation
• by stimulating new businesses in the field

There are several potential clusters in Brandon, manufacturing, agriculture, life sciences, knowledge transfer. But it might be easier to understand clusters if we look at an example....

Brandon's opportunity from a Culinary Tourism cluster

Brandon has huge potential for culinary tourism. We have valuable assets right under our noses. We have restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets, and an award winning culinary school. You can also add in hoteliers and food processors into the culinary tourism cluster as well. Simply put- we have the inputs, the outputs, and the trained people to support and grow it.

But we also have a few missing pieces.....

• Showcase opportunities: wine festivals, beer festivals, food festivals- perhaps a Taste of the Prairies? These would be iconic events that showcase Brandon as a culinary tourism destination.
• Develop unique products: We already have Bothwell cheese that is made locally, but this can be expanded. One personal favorite is the idea that ACC has been talking about for several years now since they started running their Beer Festivals- a brewmaster program. Brandon could make its own craft-beer. Many other provinces do this, however there isn't a brewmaster training program in Canada. ACC, because Brandon's surrounded by the raw product, and because of the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts and the School of Agriculture, is uniquely positioned to offer such training. And of course, a brewmaster would need a brewpub to make and sell beer- and wouldn't the old firehall make an interesting tourism destination?
• A robust investment strategy: Culinary tourism isn't just a marketing opportunity- there needs to be a steak behind the sizzle! A culinary cluster is also about economic development opportunities, not just great places to eat and drink.

What can the city do to support economic clusters?

Establish a solid foundation. Supporting the specific framework of every cluster in Brandon are various attributes and characteristics. these include:

• educational assets- such as the College and University, but also the School Division, the Fire College, the RHA, and the Research Station.
• the physical infrastructure in the City- roads, water and sewer, the airport, IT connectivity.
• Brandon's Quality of Life- aspects such as built heritage, parks, greenspace, housing, recreation, culture, diversity all play a role in attracting and retaining people.
• Partnerships- in a city the size of Brandon, and maybe because of our prairie farm roots, but working together always makes something better. Putting the right people around the table is often the first key to success. The City can be the link between industry and education.

As has been mentioned in other postings, the City can play a lead role in creating an environment for innovation and entrepreneurship. Talent and research are necessary, but it takes entrepreneurship to translate good ideas into successful products and services. the Mayor can support entrepreneurship by supporting the Chamber of Commerce, providing data on the economic environment, and cluster opportunities in the City.

One of the tools used in business is forecasting- what does "next year" look like in terms of economic opportunities, what's happening in Brandon, in Manitoba, in Canada that could impact my business? The City and the Chamber of Commerce could jointly host a forecasting summit every year, bringing in expertise on weather, economy, trends, financial information, and other forecasting ingredients.

Clusters are not silver bullets, but rather one arrow in a quiver of opportunities for economic development. Properly designed and applied, they offer a promising way to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth and can play a key role in establishing Brandon's prosperity Agenda.

YMCA Contract Sportsplex Pool

I am, and always have been, a strong supporter of the YMCA expansion pland in downtown Brandon. It is a great project and it will benefit the community as a whole for generations.

I was disturbed, however, when the decision to close the Sportsplex was made at the last moment and with little debate, and then appended to the MOU contract between the City and the YMCA. Important policy deicisons MUST be made in a transparent fashion and not sprung on the city and City Council at 10:30pm on a Monday night with no notice. It is this kind of secretive ad hoc decision making which weakens a city, regardless of the issue.

If elected Mayor, I will continue to support the YMCA's plan to expand their facility and will continue the cities committment to fund it.

I also remain committed to keeping the Sportsplex open.

If elected Mayor, I will start an open process of discussion between the parties involved. Both of these facilities are needed to fulfill the City's obligation to provide recreation facilities to our citizens, especially youth and seniors.

Brandon is poised to undergo another round of population growth and now is exactly the wrong time to stifle that growth by closing recreational facilities.

I am confident that a compromise can be worked out by negotiation which will satisfy the needs and desires of both groups, and do so inside a budget that we can all afford.

It is always best in my opinion, to be honest with people and to deal with issues like this in a forthright and open manner, and it is my intention to do so.

I remain committed to the YMCA facility and the Sportsplex Pool. At the end of the day, I think everyone will be happy with the solution that can be achieved when all parties are at the table.

Prosperity Agenda- A Responsive Framework

An Economic Development Strategy for Brandon (released to media October 7th, 2010)

The City is responsible for creating an environment that allows the private sector to thrive and expand.

In the last few years, Brandon has experienced a remarkable period of population and job growth. It has led to a booming rel estate market and an expansion in the service sector. This growth has come about primarily because of Maple Leaf and our new immigrant families, and the relocation of 2PPCLI to Shilo.

Brandon is coming to the end of that growth spurt. If we are to keep expanding our tax base and the associated enhancements to City services and quality of life and place, we are going to need to develop a new economic strategy for Brandon.

Every restaurant, entertainment enterprise, print shop, construction firm, legal and accounting practice, all our collective prosperity, depends upon new money and business being brought into the city. The rest is just redistribution.

This economic strategy is based on three complimentary ideas:

1. Building a Smart City (released October 5th)
2. Creating a Responsive Framework (released October 7th)
3. Identifying and expanding competitive economic clusters (released October 8th)

Objective #1: Establish the Mayor's Economic Advisory Council

The City of Brandon cannot create economic prosperity alone. The community needs entrepreneurial leaders who are able to make positive change. The City will create an environment that promotes and supports community-based leadership, where citizens, entrepreneurs and employees alike, can take ownership over economic opportunities.

Objective #2: Develop a comprehensive economic strategy- BLUEPRINT BRANDON

Brandon should have a comprehensive and aggressive economic development plan with identifiable goals and action plans. Blueprint Brandon would provide a clear direction for economic prosperity.

Objective #3: Analysis

Competitive Analysis- An examination of the Brandon and Westman regions strengths and challenges to establish its competitive position. This analysis will utilize quantitative and qualitative date, including stakeholder input through interviews, focus groups, and an on-line survey.

Economic Cluster Analysis- Will assess the unique attributes of the workforce and the region, and the business sector composition. The report will provide quantitative and qualitative research that confirms existing targets and identifies potential opportunities. The region's existing target business sectors will be assessed based on national economic trends, existing regional assets, and an understanding of key competitive advantages such as workforce skill levels, geography, and infrastructure.

Objective #4: Encourage an Entrepreneurial Environment

A significant percentage of economic development arises from those ventures already located within the community. This Economic Strategy recognizes the importance of providing support to those already conducting business in the City so they can maintain their current level of business, prosper financially and successfully expand their business or develop new opportunities regionally, nationally, and globally. It is critical to gather and maintain accurate knowledge of the business community.

Last year, Brandon ranked in the top third of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business' Entrepreneurship Index. Our score was driven by our perspective and attitude, but we fell down considerably on actual performance. Therefore, we need to create an environment that entrepreneurism actually flourishes, rather than just thinking it does. And keep track of the numbers/ benchmarks to confirm that progress is being made.

There are two related tasks involved in creating entrepreneurial cities. First, cities must attract smart, entrepreneurial people. (see the post on One Smart city- Prosperity Agenda 1/3). Secondly, cities must possess an infrastructure that supports creative, risk-taking behaviour. the two tasks feed into each other. Smart, entrepreneurial people will be attracted to good entrepreneurial infrastructure. If those entrepreneurial people come to an area, they will help to build the legal, social, and physical infrastructure they need to succeed.

Ultimately, embracing pro-entrepreneurship policies requires a different mindset for the City. The goal should not be to attract a few big employers. Instead, the goal should be to attract a large number of smart people and then to get out of their way. Unplanned creativity and innovation will be the most potent drives of success. City Hall needs to put its faith in the ability of smart people to build their own economic futures, rather than in the seemingly safer, but ultimately less robust, strategy of attracting mature industries.

Objective #5: Build a new framework

• Achieve a renewed spirit of collaboration and cooperation between the public and private sectors.
• Establish a formal forum and process for dialogue between public and private sector leadership.
• Enable clients to apply for, review, and receive permits online to the highest degree possible.
• Leverage technology to enable city inspectors to send reports wirelessly from the field.
• Engage in annual reviews of departmental permitting processes.

Prosperity Agenda Part 1/3

(released at Brandon University on October 5th)

An Economic Development Strategy for Brandon

In the last few years, Brandon has experienced a remarkable period of population and job growth. It has led to a booming real estate market and an expansion in the service sector. This growth has come about primarily because of Maple Leaf and our new immigrant families, and the relocation of 2PPCLI to Shilo.

Brandon is coming to the end of that growth spurt. If we are to keep expanding our tax base and the associated enhancements to City services and quality of place and quality of life, we are going to need to develop a new economic strategy for Brandon.

This economic development strategy is based on three complementary ideas in economic development, each with its own separate release date.

1. Building a Smart City (October 5th)
2. Creating a responsive framework (October 7th)
3. Identifying and expanding competitive economic clusters (October 8th)

No doubt you've heard people refer to the New Economy, but what does that mean? Simply put- we are moving towards a knowledge-based economy (brain over brawn, better over cheap) where the keys to jobs and a higher standard of living are innovative ideas and technology. Good jobs have become technologically complex and are demanding sophisticated work skills. Jobs based on simple, low level work skills are diminishing.

Brandon cannot build a prosperous economy on low skill-low wage jobs.

Brandon is well positioned to thrive in the New Economy. We have the College and University graduating a thousand students a year, well equipped to build a future for themselves. We must tap into that potential to build a future city that offers a great quality of both place and life. We just need to figure out what to do with these incredible assets, and have a City leadership that understands that, in fact, these are assets.

What does all this talk of New Economies and Creativity have to do with the 2010 civic election in Brandon? Its about a stance, a way of thinking. The mayor is the City's civic leader. Does this person embrace change? Look for opportunities? Have a curious mind? Encourage innovation vs the way we've always done it? Because these are the characteristics that will drive a successful economy or business in the 21st century, and they are also the characteristics that will drive a successful city.

In Brandon's future, intellectual capital is a commodity and innovation is the driving force behind economic recovery and future success.

I believe that because of the new technologies and the acceleration of change, knowledge and creativity will be the centre of success in the new economy. Concentrations of skilled people, rather than raw materials, are the engines of growth.

Brandon is well positioned to maximize opportunities in the New Economy because of our university, the community college, the research station, the RHA among other assets. Access to well-educated pools of creative people (entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, artisans, designers) is what counts.

Human capital, centres of innovation, research institutions are key assets in Brandon's future. Fostering the connections between them and the business community is critical, and the Mayor can play a lead role putting the right people around the table.

The city is one player in a complex economy. Its role in economic development is to find ways of supporting, attracting, and mobilizing the investment required to deliver increased employment, income, and assessment.

What Can Brandon Do?

Brandon needs to think about quality not quantity in terms of economic development. Just because the economic recession, globalization, new technological advances have changed the rules, doesn't mean that Brandon can't learn the rules and win the game.\

The City must act as a catalyst for other organizations, firms, and stakeholders to play their role in building an economy for the future. The economic development function of City Hall must focus on:

• developing, attracting, and retaining talent
• fostering innovation and entrepreneurship
• fostering connections that link people with ideas to talent, capital, and markets
• supporting new economic clusters, such as knowledge creation, life sciences, culinary tourism.

The City needs to champion transformative capital projects such as Brandon University's Wellness Centre, and ACC's expansion to the North Hill. These are building projects that transform who we are and how we think of ourselves as a city.

The needs to include quality of life and quality of place as assets in economic development. Our cities must be livable to attract the creative and skilled people that fuel the economy of Brandon's future. Studies show that quality of life and place are more important to attracting technology firms for example, than traditional factors such as land costs and taxes. Cultural life, diversity, environmental quality, and digital infrastructure are the magnets for economic growth in Brandon. We are a lovely, safe, clean, beautiful city.

And do those qualities have value? Imagine a commuter stuck in rush hour traffic in Toronto. Maybe it takes them an extra hour to get home that if they were doing that job in Brandon. An extra 50 minutes in each direction, 250 work days a year, 40 work years equals 1 million minutes wasted in a car. What would a person do with an extra million minutes? That can be the difference between living to work and working to live. Imagine giving back 16,667 hours to yourself, your family, your community by making a decision to live in a community life Brandon vs Toronto. And imagine the costs to operative the cars for those million minutes, and the impact on greenhouse gases. Brandon is well positioned to capitalize on our size.

• Cities are the key to economic growth- the Federal government and the Province aren't going to care as much as we do about Brandon thriving in the new economy. We have to take ownership of this ourselves.
• There is a new knowledge-based economy. We are training (and exporting) graduates for the new world where brain vs brawn is king.
• Building community capacity will be critical for success; in our people, in our infrastructure, in our competitiveness. We have all the raw ingredients; we just need to be "smarter" in how we deploy them.
• Strategic planning and allocating resources will be key in how we move forward as a city. How will we use capital assets like the Convergys Building? How will we use technology assets like the MRnet (broadband fibre optic cable that surrounds Brandon and increases our connectivity to the Internet)? How will we use the graduates from our educational institutions?
• How will we nurture local competitiveness? Winnipeg used to be the primary threat to Brandon's growth, but other communities in rural Manitoba are now stepping up to the plate and fixing Brandon a run for its money. Russell, Neepawa, and Portage are expanding the toolbox for economic growth; Morden Winkler Steinbach will soon have larger populations than Brandon. Brandon has been resting on its laurels and now our rural neighbours are seizing the advantage.

A Housing Strategy for Brandon

(from a media conference on the grounds of Fleming School October 4th, 2010)

"That all residents of Brandon will be able to live in safe, appropriate housing that is affordable for their income level."

The City is a facilitator, not a builder or a landlord, of affordable housing (CHMC defines affordable as: The cost of adequate shelter should not exceed 30% of household income. Housing which costs less than this is considered affordable.)

As a facilitator, the City's role includes:

• Setting policy- clear consistently applied policies express the City's commitment to affordable/ attainable housing.
• Establishing regulations- effective use of regulatory authority creates housing choice for residents in the form of attainable home ownership, co-op housing, and rental housing.
• Using resources- strategic use of City resources can leverage an increased supply of affordable/ attainable housing. This includes the gathering of information that impacts housing issues.
• Entering into partnerships- collaboration with the business and non-profit communities and provincial agencies will lead to creative solutions to existing and emerging housing issues.
• Advocating- a commitment to ongoing leadership on housing. Championing and lobbying for community initiatives with other levels of government.
• Promoting quality design and innovation- focus on sustainable, energy-conserving, and attractive design and development of new and conventional housing that will reduce maintenance costs, and increase neighbourhood acceptability.

Why Brandon needs a Housing Strategy:

• Demand for housing (affordable residential, social, and rental in particular) has been exploding.
• Long and growing waiting lists for seniors housing, social housing, and housing modified for person with disabilities.
• Student and student family housing shortages affect BU and ACC- we are losing students when they can't find a place to live.
• Students competing with low income individuals for limited supply of affordable rental units.
• Many seniors on fixed incomes are in need of affordable housing.
• Strong relationship exists between availability of an adequate supply of affordable housing and improved health and economic status.
• Co-operative housing is the best long term solution for many people.

What Can Brandon Do?

• Serviced Land Supply. Maintain a planned supply of serviceable land for residential development of various types and densities.
• City Land. Use of the the City's land holdings to help meet affordable and special housing needs.
• Zoning, Subdivision, and Building Regulations. Minimize regulatory barriers for residential developers.
• Advocacy and Involvement. Advocate about Brandon's housing issues and needs.
• Information and Outreach. Increase public awareness of housing needs, issues, and opportunities for actions.
• Need to build financial and consumer literacy. This would be led by housing partners.
• Measuring Accomplishments. Analyse measures associated with achieving goals; spot emerging trends and monitor issues to help inform City policy and decision-making.
• Policy and Implementation. Keep housing affordability on the City's agenda through continued implementation of the Housing Strategy.
• Market Rental Housing Stock. Encourage the development industry to add more rental housing and landlords to upgrade existing rental housing.
• Establish an Affordable Housing Property Reserve Fund and direct revenues from municipal land sales for 5 years, commencing in November 2010 to the Affordable Housing Property Reserve Fund.

Investigate the use of various financial strategies for funding affordable housing, including:

• Land banking as a potential strategy for addressing the limited supply of land for affordable housing development. Land banking involves the acquisition of land by a municipality prior to expanding urbanization; this land could potentially then be used for affordable housing at a later date.
• Inclusionary zoning would require developers to include a given share of new construction to be affordable by people with low to moderate incomes.
• Promote the usefulness of community land trust for affordable housing developments and explore avenues through with the City, in collaboration with community partners, can establish CLTs which are locally-based private non-profit organizations created to acquire and hold land for the specific purpose of making it available for affordable housing.
• Working in partnership with community groups such as NRC, explore the feasibility of establishing Individual Development Accounts (IDA) and a complementary home ownership program to provide a structured way for low income households to save for a down payment towards the purchase of a home.
• Waiving development charges under certain conditions, selling or leasing surplus city lands for nominal amounts, start-up grants, low interest loans and revolving funds.
• Seek provincial approval to create new classes for property tax purposes that reduces annual property taxes on such types of affordable housing as rental apartments.
• Advocate for more cooperative housing.

But first we need leadership to say that housing is a priority for Brandon. And then we need the plan....

Key Goals of the Brandon Housing Strategy: To put forth a set of recommended actions and strategies that are aimed at meeting the identified needs of residents, that maximize resources and create effective partnerships, and which are consistent with current local objectives and policies.

• Provide an analysis of the housing needs facing residents of Brandon.
• Collaborate with senior government, our municipal neighbours, the region, the housing industry, and community stakeholders in the interests of housing affordability.
• To facilitate partnerships within the community.
• Preserve and increase Brandon's stock of safe, affordable, appropriate housing.
• Decrease the number of Brandon residents in housing need.
• Establish an environment that allows the private market to build affordable.
• Ensure and enforce safety standards in the city's stock of market and nonmarket rental housing.
• Support appropriate infill and intensification.
• Investigate the opportunities of using 25 foot lots.
• Continue to facilitate the legalization and implementation of "granny" suites.
• Limit the loss of existing affordable rental housing, in particular the condo-ization of rental properties.
• Examine financial tools and incentives
• Review, plan, and monitor achievements regularly.
• Work with BU and ACC to help resolve student housing shortages.

A Vital Downtown for Brandon

(from an announcement at the Brandon School of Dance on Friday, October 1st)

Great cities have great downtowns! A great downtown draws people in, it inspires, energizes, and tells the story of the people who inhabit it.

Why is downtown revitalization needed in Brandon? Research shows that a healthy, vibrant downtown boosts the economic health and quality of life of the whole community. It creates jobs, incubates small businesses, reduces sprawl, protects property values, and increases the communities options for goods and services. A healthy downtown is a symbol of community pride and history.

Brandon needs to let go of its memories of a 1950s era downtown that was the region's central shopping area. It's a natural part of the renewal cycle for a downtown to take on a new identity, to reinvent itself every few decades, transforming how people see it and use it. What we need to focus on now, is what do we want this unique physical area to be in order to meet Brandon's and Westman's current and evolving needs?

The key feature in successful downtown redevelopments has been patience. A relentless effort, a well-designed strategy, and energy from many directions are also integral to the revitalization that will make downtown Brandon distinct and thriving.

Goal 1: Carving out a distinct economic role
Downtown should be a centre of arts, culture, creativity, innovation, and knowledge and serve as an incubator for artists and entrepreneurs.
Other communities have found success in developing their downtowns into vibrant centres of arts and entertainment. Fargo has rebuilt its downtown with a focus on restaurants and entertainment. Other cities, using culture as a catalyst for their downtown renewal see public art installations, live performances, film theatre, dining, and the development of creative events as critical to adding vibrancy.

Brandon has a good start on creating a critical mass of entertainment and leisure opportunities in our downtown. We also have a summer special events to to bring folks downtown, and the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts could be a competitive advantage in a food-focused plan. along Princess Avenue, there is the YMCA, Princess Park with Oliver's Bistro BBQ, and the new Kristopher Campbell Memorial Skateboard Plaza. A bit further along and Clancey's offers a unique restaurant-pub experience. Along Rosser, we have more pubs, bars, and great restaurants. Sandwiched between the Brandon School of Dance and Steppin' Time Dance Studio is the former Strand Theatre with its potential as a performance venue. Bookstores, the public library, independent art galleries as well as the Art Gallery of SouthWestern Manitoba are part of the cultural foundation of Brandon. This culture-entertainment cluster is established, we just need to build on it and ensure that it thrives and grows.

Goal 2: Encourage more people to live and work downtown.
A complete, livable community, downtown should be a neighbourhood where people live, meet, stroll, shop, congregate, learn, and play.
To make downtown Brandon an attractive, safe, interesting place to live and work, we must respect and celebrate downtown Brandon's unique built heritage. Residential opportunities must be diverse and include housing at affordable as well as market rates. The city needs to be an active partner, promoting the quality of life of downtown living, as well as looking for opportunities to assist residents.

Goal 3: Develop a macro-economic strategy for downtown Brandon that supports existing business and attracts new development.

• Linkages with government agencies such as NRC and Renaissance Brandon. Each sector and partner has a role to play and each must understand the strengths and limitations of the other in order to forge an effective partnership.
• Design that enhances the historic architecture- capitalizing on its best assets and pedestrian friendly streetscapes is just part of the story. An inviting atmosphere created through attractive window displays or artists studios in the windows of empty buildings, parking areas, building improvements, street furniture, signs, sidewalks, streetlights and landscaping convey a positive visual message about the downtown and what it has to offer.
• Promotions and marketing sell a positive image of downtown Brandon and encourages consumers and investors to live, work, shop, play, and invest in downtown Brandon.
• Economic restructuring and diversification strengthen Brandon's existing economic assets while expanding our base. Brandon needs to put more effort into Renaissance Brandon and Economic Development Brandon to help sharpen the competitiveness of existing business owners and recruit compatible new businesses and new economic uses to build a downtown that responds to Brandon's current needs. Part of that effort could be converting unused or underused commercial space into economically productive properties which would also help boost the profitability of downtown. the city may have to use both sticks and carrots to ensure that property owners are part of the process.
• Safety- "eyes on the street" has been the most effective way of reducing crime and making the streets feel safer. That means more people downtown. While we wait for that critical mass of population density, Brandon City Police could be more visible, increasing their foot patrols, with emphasis in gathering areas such as Princess Park and the front of the Brandon Inn.

Downtown Brandon needs to be re-visioned as a magnet for visitors. Redevelopment projects must be capable of regenerating their economic base. To be sustainable, downtown Brandon must be equipped to seize new, economic opportunities.

And finally, development must reflect downtown's unique characteristics, which means establishing a new system for planning approvals, re-evaluating property tax principles, and zoning.

• the zoning, tax, and regulatory frameworks need to be reviewed to insure that they help and not hinder downtown development. Zoning codes initially written reflect the new suburban ideal of the automobile and wide, open spaces. They don't work well with a downtown's density. Front, read, and sideyard setbacks, parking restrictions, and other suburban zoning codes fail to take into consideration attached, multi storied buildings with no setbacks. The need to seek special permits and variances and other municipal approvals add to the cost and complexity of development and may discourage potential developers. The requirement for parking is also a deterrent and is creating a sea of asphalt and interrupting the walk-ability of our streets.

the objective is to determine a mix of different attractions that ring a mix of people downtown at different times of day, on different days. If Moose Jaw, Regina, Fargo had the same starting point as Brandon in terms of challenges and opportunities, why have they been successful with their revitalization efforts, and Brandon continues to languish?

First we need leadership and vision to say that downtown is a priority for Brandon. And then we need the plan.....

Building a Two-Way Street

(from a media release event at Komfort Kitchen Sept 24th, 2010)

ACCOUNTABILITY:

The people have the right to know, and City Hall has a duty to inform.

"As Mayor, I will not shy away from public questioning. I promise that
I will open City Hall and the Office of Mayor up to scrutiny by the people of
Brandon. by holding regular public meetings such as Town Halls, people in
Brandon will have the opportunity to come and directly quiz me and senior
decision makers on the topical issues for the City, such as the economy,
policing, housing, recreation, and the environment."

"I believe in dialogue, NOT monologue."

Planned, on-going communication would keep Brandon residents informed, engaged, and in sync with City planning and priorities. Brandon's City Hall needs a broad communication strategy so that it meets the community's needs, as well as meeting City Hall's needs. The strategy should incorporate face-to-face, formal, casual, verbal, written, and online methods.



Town Halls

Many Counsellors have Ward Meetings on a regular basis, however the Mayor needs to create a similar opportunity for all the City. Following a State of the City format with a Question Period from the audience, regular Town Halls would encourage residents in Brandon and the decision makers at City Hall to have open lines of communication. This kind of face-to-face communication can help rebuild trust in City government.

"Town Hall meetings give the audience an opportunity to express their
opinions. There are ways for people to get information FROM the Mayor, but Town
Halls provide a way for people to get information TO the Mayor. Two-way
communication is critical to reduce confusion and misunderstanding, and give the
Mayor the opportunity to hear directly from the people."

Public Consultation (issue specific)

The benefits of public consultation include:

• Being responsive to the community's right to know and to be involved, and the duty of City Hall to inform.
• Recognizing the value of the opinions and expertise offered by members of the public allows City Council to tap into the widest source of information possible, improving the quality of the decisions reached.
• Alerts Council to any concerns and issues not picked up through existing research or policy development.
• Ensuring information and knowledge is shared with and/ or received from the public.
• Providing opportunities to build consensus around issues or changes.

Fireside Chats prior to Council meetings (broadcast on Access 12 WCGtv)

During a short broadcast prior to WCGtv's broadcast of City Council meetings, a pre-recorded "Fireside Chat" would give the Mayor the opportunity to talk about specific initiatives at City Hall, celebrate achievements and awards in the community, or provide information on ongoing City initiatives.

Coffee with the Mayor

This is a great opportunity for people in Brandon to discuss specific issues with the Mayor in a casual, informal setting. It is also an excellent opportunity for the Mayor to gather candid feedback about how things are going in our City, what programs, services, and facilities people are enjoying and which could use improvement, and what they'd like to see in the future. There would be no agenda or topic of the day other than to meet Brandon residents and hear what's on their mind.

Blog

For those who prefer online, written communication, blogs are an effective tool for sharing information and opinions. It could also contain references and links to other online information. It would be moderated and hosted on the City website.

Facebook (FB)

city Hall is already dipping its toe into social networking, and these initiatives should be expanded. Facebook is a forum to connect with people both inside and outside the City. FB is also a way to keep in touch with people who have moved away from the city or connect with people moving into the city. On other city's FB sites, Quality of Life issues are the most prevalent posts-status updates.

Open Government for City Hall!

(media release Sept. 21, 2010)

Transparency means that something can be seen through. when we talk about transparency at city Hall, we mean that residents in Brandon must be able to "see through" its workings, to know exactly what goes on when public officials transact public business.

Like goo business decisions, good policy decisions are data driven. The public needs to be confident that their tax dollars are being spent effectively. Without that confidence, there is no trust.

Residents are shareholders in the City. As such, they are entitled to regular performance reports. Reporting needs to be public and accessible, based on a framework of agreed upon goals and measures. There are three types of reporting that lay a foundation of trust between residents and the people elected to represent them.

Published benchmarks- updated on a regular basis (quarterly, annually)
Citizens in Brandon need a series of quantitative benchmarks that can track economic development and community well being. The insights garnered from the data would help policy makers, the business community, practitioners, researchers, and external users such as business location recruiters and government funders build a stronger foundation for the future.

Data could be gathered, analyzed, and disseminated on (ideally) a quarterly, or annual basis. It would be comparable year over year. As community identified priorities change, benchmarks would be adjusted to show progress against those priorities. Benchmarks address tow critical questions:

Do we have efficient and effective services?
Internal: Internal performance measure enable City Hall to continually monitor and improve on service delivery to Brandonites, and most importantly, explain exactly how your tax dollars are working for you. Some examples of tangible services that could be benchmarked include:

• Adequacy of roads- percentage of paved kilometers where the condition is rated as good to very good.
• Wastewater main backups- number of wastewater main backups per 100 kilometers of wastewater mains in a year.
• Green space- hectares of open city-owned green space per 1,000 persons.
• Participant hours for recreation programs- total participant hours for recreation programs per 1,000 persons.
• Building permits issued
• Taxable assessment per capita

How are we growing and are we more prosperous?

External: based on survey or census data

• Tracking shifts in population: numbers and demographics
• Average household income
• Home ownership levels\
• Employment rates
• Immigration
• Job creation
• Small business start-ups

Why does Brandon need to incorporate benchmarks in its public reporting?

Benchmarks would allow the City to:

• Assess the areas where Brandon is strong and doing well.
• Identify areas where there may be opportunities to improve services that could result in cost savings or service improvements.
• Integrate benchmarking into strategies for continuous improvement of operations.
• Provide a foundation for more detailed analysis of selected services.

Report Card- annually, available online and distributed to all households

The Brandon Report Card would be a one-pager and a way to share important information regarding the delivery of municipal services and to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of those services. These measures focus primarily on service quality, benefits to citizens, and the impacts on the quality of life in Brandon. They would be based on broad themes and be the roll-up of individual benchmarks. Themes could be Quality of Life, Prosperity, Leadership, Community Engagement, Safety.

Annual Report- available online and upon request

Residents are shareholders in the City, and should have access to an Annual Report on performance and annual reporting on the progress of the Strategic Plan. the plan would unite the focus of Council and the community. It would provide clarity about Brandon's future, and would outline the concrete actions that we would take to get us there. It's a blueprint for success, serving as Brandon's roadmap- in good times and bad. It would align day-to-day work at city Hall with the priorities of the City. It enables Brandon to be transparent about the vision for the future and how we would get there.

The Annual Report would not be just a review of the past years accomplishments, but also forward looking toward the upcoming year's priorities and goals. The Report could include reporting on:

• Prudent management of the city's finances
• Innovative use of information technology
• Accessible customer service
• Proactive communications with Brandon residents
• Safety and security practices within the City

The Young and the Restless: Let's make Brandon more attractive to young people

(remarks from Sept 16 announcement at Parthenon's Pizza)

If Brandon is going to thrive and grow, we need to be a place where young people want to be. Why do I say this?

• Young, educated people are the most mobile people in Canada, and will go where they sense they will have the most opportunity.
• Young, educated people are an indicator of a city's economic vitality, but they are also a key contributor to economic vitality.
• people in the 25 - 34 year old group are the most entrepreneurial in our society.
• For the first time, women in this age group are better educated than men, making them key to developing a base of talent.
• Place matters, and Brandon needs to start working to build a city that young people want to live in.

Cities have long competed over job growth, struggling to revive their downtowns and improve their image. Now, the latest population trends have forced them to fight for college/ university educated 25-34 year olds, a demographic group increasingly viewed as the key to an economic future.

" Mobile, but not flighty; fresh, and technologically savvy, the young
and the restless as demographers call them, are at their most desirable because
the chances of relocating drop precipitously after they turn 35. Cities that do not attract them now will be hurting in a decade.
And unlike the popular myth, they usually don't come home to raise their
family." Richard Florida- Who's your
city?

We have over 5,000 students at BU, ACC, and the Fire College who are, in effect, test driving Brandon. According to the 2006 Census, 25% of our population is between 15-30. Brandon needs a plan for young people that does two things- makes Brandon a place where our young people want to stay, and makes Brandon a place where young people want to move to.

We often say that we want to keep our young people in Brandon. To do that we're going to need to offer the employment opportunities and the lifestyle that they are looking for.

October announcements that will complement this announcement:

• Great Career Opportunities
• Affordable Housing
• Downtown Revitalization
• Culture and Heritage

Great Lifestyle:

Like most of us, young people don't live to work but work to live. They play in bands and sports leagues. They like to go out and not just with people from the office. they're as interested in parks and bike trails as fancy sports arenas and concert halls. they want fun neighbourhoods, art galleries, coffeehouses, nightlife and diversity in everything from race and sexual orientation to music and fashion.

Brandon is a college town that people retire to-

NOT a retirement community with students.

How do we make this statement ring true? If we are going to do more than pay lip service to keeping our young people in Brandon, we're going to need a plan. Comprehensive planning includes data, goals, participation, and evaluation. A plan to recruit and retain young people has to be more than an ad or slogan. It should be multifaceted, dealing with elements such as:

• Earning- employment and career opportunities
• Social Capital- diversity and tolerance
• Around Town- ease of getting to and around town
• Cost of Lifestyle- affordability and cost of living
• Downtown Housing-
• Vitality- a healthy community where people are active. It includes recreational amenities.
• After Hours- things to do after 5pm.amenities that provide social outlets and opportunities for young people to connect with one another are important.

1,000 Things To Do.....

Brandon needs a plan that includes the concept of a 1,000 nights. If people graduate from post-secondary at about age 22 and don't start a family until 32, and go out twice a week, that gives them about 1,000 nights in which they can go out to have fun.

My question to all of you is, do we have 1,000 nights of fun in Brandon for those people? If we don't figure this out, the young people aren't staying.

And if we have a city that young people are attracted to, where do we take that message? How do we recruit young people? Young people gather their information about where to live from personal experiences, friends, family, and local web sites. So based on that, here are a few ideas:

Don't loose touch with our own

• Recruit college and university students when they are home visiting families.
• Recruit Brandon-born students who are studying on other campuses- Brandon clubs
• a web based newsletter through parents

Build the brand

• Smart cities attract smart people
• special page in the Brandon Sun's web page targeted to young people with housing, career, and social info
• Relocation videos have begun to feature mosh pits and dread locks rather than ducks and sunsets
• Develop ideas to help businesses market to young professionals and college students.
• Market ourselves to ourselves (retain vs recruit)

Childcare in an Age-Friendly City

The provision of child care in Manitoba is primarily a Provincial responsibility. That being said, child care is an essential community-based service and it makes a valuable contribution to the social and economic development of Brandon.

The lack of child care threatens Brandon's high quality of life and our City's future prosperity. Child care is also an investment in the future; as high quality child care is associated with improved child outcomes, including school readiness and success.

To prosper, Brandon needs to be committed to being a leader and an active partner with the senior levels of government, the Brandon School Division, business, child care providers, faith organizations, parents, and the community in developing and maintaining a comprehensive child care system.

#1: Brandon needs a community wide child care strategy- this strategy would:

• define the City's role in relation to senior levels of government,
• recommend policies and tools to support existing spaces and facilitate the provision of new child care spaces,
• identify potential funding and partnership arrangements, and
• establish child care targets by which the strategy can be regularly monitored and evaluated.
• establish a child care strategy task group with broad stakeholder representation
• carry out a needs assessment for child care in the city (what we have and what we need).

#2: Enhance the City's status as a progressive employer- a joint employer-employee committee would be established to review the City's policies and practices and where possible, recommend adjustments to assist city employees to better balance their responsibilities to both work and family. This committee would also determine the child care needs of employees and explore options in meeting those needs.

#3: Work with the Brandon School Division with a goal to transform neighbourhood schools into community hubs in after-school hours. This builds on the successful Lighthouse After school Program that served 500 children last year, Youth Activity Centres (291 children) were introduced this year as well as seasonal recreation HUBS (362 children).

• Phase 1- extended daycare, before and after school care, early literacy programming, ESL language classes, parenting classes, parent and tot drop-in programs, public health
• Phase 2- adult and family literacy programming, community meeting spaces
• Phase 3- seniors and youth support services

#4: Incorporate Early Childhood Development principles into child focused City programs.

Roadmap for Change

(remarks from the campaign platform launch Sept 10, 2010)

Earlier in the week, I said that I would be a different kind of mayor than our incumbent. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I am a different kind of mayoral candidate running a different kind of campaign. Today I would like to share with you ideas that could encourage Brandon's growth into the kind of city we want it to be. The come from a year of reflection and effort, looking at Brandon's strengths and weaknesses. There are no gimmicks, slogans, or 5 point plans. And I apologize in advance, because despite the advice from some great political minds, it is dense, single spaced and double-sided.

Brandon is facing complex issues, and therefore needs a reasoned response that matches in complexity. Our platform today is not made of superficial headline grabbers, but thoughtful ideas with substance. Because challenging an incumbent is difficult, and my only legacy after the election many be the power of ideas.

I call it a road map, because the points are connected, and they do lead somewhere. so let's get started on the journey.

For the past year, I've been listening to people in Brandon talk about the future of their city. It sounds like they are not confident that Brandon has the leadership necessary to get where they want to go.

Today we're going to talk about four critical elements that form the foundation for the future direction of Brandon. Within the four broad themes are examples of policy, programs, or services that illustrate how the loft concepts of planning, process, vision, and leadership translate to their kitchen table.

#1: PLANNING- Many people in Brandon feel that we do not have a cohesive plan for our City. Yes, there are plans. They are gathered together in many binders, and are sitting on shelves all over the City. But how can you say we have a plan for a city when we're closing down recreation facilities, when we build fire halls next to congested highways, where we spend 10 years purchasing different properties for that same fire hall, and then a week deciding to put it in a questionable location. that's not good planning, in fact that's not planning at all.

Specific platform announcements during the week of Sept 12-18 about how we PLAN to make Brandon more people-focused include:

• How and why we need to make Brandon an Age-Friendly City
• How and why Brandon needs to take a more active role in childcare.
• What Brandon can do to be a more attractive community for young people.

#2: PROCESS- People in Brandon feel shut out of the decision making process at City Hall. they only hear about decisions after they are made,they only get to comment on them on e-Brandon or Sound Off.They don't know WHY decisions are made. they pay a lot of money through their taxes but yet have no voice, except at election time. The mayor and Council announced that they were changing the garbage collection system. Have they listened when we told them about seniors unable to drag the bins through snowbanks? About ugly line-ups of dozen of bins behind apartment buildings? about the struggle to get grass clippings, garden trimmings, and leaves to central depots?

Specific platform announcements during the week of September 19-25 about the PROCESS we'd put in place to make Brandon more people-focused include:

• Mayor's Priority Survey
• Transparency processes including benchmarking
• Public access to the Mayor and the Mayor's responsibility for public accountability.

#3: VISION- We need strategic thinking for a growing city. Where do we want our city to be in 5 years, in 10 years? Where is the vision for our downtown? How is Brandon adapting to our immigration boom? To the new knowledge-based economy? What are we doing to create a city that young people want to stay in or move to? I believe that you cannot build a prosperous city on a large pool of low skill, low wage jobs. Therefore, how are we going to utilize a couple of our key competitive advantages- the RHA, BU, and ACC to strengthen our economy?

Specific platform announcements during the week of September 26-October 2 about the VISION of what could make Brandon more people-focused include:

• Downtown revitalization
• Quality of Place- culture, heritage, and recreation
• Housing Strategy
• Once Smart City- economic development strategy for the new economy.

#4: LEADERSHIP- Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.Poor planning, poor communications, lack of accountability, lack of transparency, no vision- these are all symptoms of a lack of leadership.

We only have to look outside Brandon to see what communities with strong leadership can accomplish. Carberry's downtown is a designated heritage district, Virden is pushing ahead with an impressive rec centre, Brandon families are driving to Souris to use their pool, Portage is embarking on an innovative and progressive cluster economic development strategy, Neepawa is building seniors housing. Brandon used to be a leader in Western Manitoba- now we only have size on our side.

If I'm elected mayor, the doors to municipal government will be open to new ideas, and the "can't do" attitude pervasive at City Hall will be gone for good.

If I can sum up in one word what I believe we need most from the office of mayor, that word would be leadership- clear, consistent, decisive leadership. Leadership that will move us forward in a way that makes a tangible difference. Leadership that doesn't confuse rhetoric with results. Leadership that doesn't confuse activity with achievement.

It seems that Brandon has lost its edge, that we've lost our drive. We can change that. On October 27th, we can take it back.

Change Starts Now!

Remarks from the opening of Shari's Campaign Office (841 Rosser Avenue)



Since October 27th, 2009, I have been campaign for change. Not just changing who sits in the mayor's chair- but more importantly, campaigning to change where we think this city should be in 5 years, in 10 years from now, changing how we go about creating the plan to get there, changing the way we work together to bring about a new vision for Brandon.



I have been working hard to show you that I would be a different kind of mayor than our incumbent; that I would do things differently. For example, I've been campaigning already for 315 days, walking from one end of Brandon to the other, knocking on doors, meeting with community groups, businesses, seniors, sports teams, parents, students, environmentalists, teachers, nurses. I've been doing research and talking with experts about how other cities are dealing with some of the issues that are challenging Brandon- downtown revitalization, economic clusters, recreation, environmental strategy, community focused policing, demographic shifts in population and their impacts on municipal planning. I've been doing my homework on how our city works, and how it could work better.



We are not launching the Shari for Mayor campaign today, but rather shifting into high gear as we enter the final phase of the election. I have been privileged to talk with you, and more importantly, to listen to you- about the kind of city you want to live in, to raise families in, to make business investments in, to out down roots in.



And I've heard a lot! Like me you love this city, but you are not satisfied with status quo. You are proud of Brandon, and you have great ideas and a passion to make it better.



As I said earlier, I'd be a very different mayor than our incumbent. And one of those differences is that I care about what the people of Brandon have to say. Because elected civic leaders must also represent the interests of the voter; which is hard to do if you have never asked them what they believe the key priorities of the city should be. Without asking, all you have is a one-man show.



So one of the things we're going to do is ask for your advice. for the next couple of weeks, volunteers will be out surveying the community, asking Brandonites about what they see as the key priorities for the incoming Mayor over the next few years. This is your chance to begin to shape the future direction of our city.



It won't surprise me to see the survey results reflect what I've already heard on the doorstep. The future you've said you wanted includes a vibrant downtown; clean, affordable neighbourhoods to raise our kids in; a safe city to retire and enjoy life in; an economy that stops the brain-drain, where our graduates don't have to leave town to find a job; a community rich in culture and entertainment. A city where, after a hard days work, you can find a place to chill with friends.



Because you want to live in a city rich with opportunity and alive with experiences.



But to get there, we need a mayor who says "I take responsibility for the future of our city", and who then can roll up her sleeves and get things done!



This election is about the direction of our city. Brandon is in a period of rapid change- we are not the same city we have been. There are many challenges associated with that- and there are many opportunities as well.



There are important questions to answer in this election. If we look ahead to what we want our city to be in five years, does our current mayor have the vision and leadership to get us there?



At the end of the day, this is THE critical question, and so this is a campaign about leadership. And this election is about leadership. And leadership is not just about cutting ribbons, throwing out the first pitch, handing out plaques. Leadership is about action, not about position.



There are now 50 days to the election.



October 27th is about how we work together. The upcoming mayoral race is not about one person holding one elected office. This election is about all the people of Brandon, who deserve a mayor who listens and talks with them about the issues that affect their lives. Democracy is about participation.



October 27th is also about getting back to the basics and focusing on rebuilding public trust and restoring confidence in City Hall. Which is why I'll be on the front steps of City Hall this Friday, September 10th at noon to outline our platform for change.



I believe in a better Brandon! But to get there Brandon needs change. On October 27th, we need to create the change want to see: energy, vision, leadership. And that change is starting right here, today. Thank you for coming.

Brandon- One Smart City

Brandon cannot build a community, nor an economy on low-paid, low-skilled workers. We need to shift our focus to economic opportunities based on knowledge. To do that, we need to invest in knowledge production- through partnerships with the College and University in the areas of research and technology transfer. We also need to invest in our human capital through increased skills, training, and education.

In the new knowledge based economy, education and workforce development are critical.

• For individuals, they will need skills beyond those learned in high school in order to get started on career paths and in order to advance they'll need to keep upgrading those skills.
• For businesses to compete, they need top-class talent that understands that innovation is linked to productivity.
• For communities to compete, they need substantial pools of talented workers that are available today, as well as in the pipeline (in education and training venues) for tomorrow.

In the past, Brandon mayors who have wanted to strengthen the economy offered incentives such as tax breaks, expansion loans, site acquisition and zoning assistance to attract or retain businesses to build advantage. The thinking was that by lowering the cost of those assets, Brandon gained a competitive advantage as a business location.

But there is always somewhere that can (and will) offer a better deal. And in today's economy, it is the human assets are where value and wealth are being created.

Times are changing. Knowledge creation and the lack of skilled workers have become core economic concerns. The last couple of MNP Brandon Business Climate surveys showed that businesses are not finding people with the skills they need. And since skills determine a person's income potential, if we want Brandon to become more prosperous, we need people living in Brandon to have higher skills and higher incomes.

To be competitive and attract those kinds of businesses and those kinds of people, Brandon needs to create more than a good business climate, we need to create a good people climate. Because for those very mobile, talented workers, quality of place and quality of life are paramount concerns. And Brandon has the opportunity to be very competitive in those two areas. They are not luxuries for our economic strategy, but must haves- to attract and retain the workforce that we will need to build the new economy in Brandon.

The Mayor Closes the Sportsplex Pool

At last night's City Council meeting, the Mayor lead the charge to close the Sportsplex Pool two months after the opening of the Y pool.

I want to be clear that I am a big supporter of the Y's expansion plans in downtown Brandon.

However, I am appalled by the performance of the Mayor Monday night to foist this decision on an unsuspecting Council and community. This was a pre-emptive strike on a swimming community who already feels that they have been abandoned by the Mayor and the majority of City Council.

There is absolutely no comfort within the swimming community that there will be enough water to meet their needs with the reduction in the number of 25' swimming lanes. They feel that there was minimal consultation with them about the original decision almost two years ago. They feel that there was inadequate efforts made to address the financial situation of the Sportsplex pool. Rather than reaching out and building bridges with Brandon swimmers, the Mayor has once again demonstrated that autocracy is alive and well at City Hall.

The Mayor's decision that the Sportsplex pool will be closed two months after the opening of the Y pool is unseemly in its haste.

The Mayor's assertion that support for the Sportsplex pool threatens the success of the Y's expansion is fear-mongering at its worst.

The Mayor's zeal to ram home the pool closure amendment also subverted legitimate debate about public access, fees, the City's $250,000 a year funding for the next 20 years, and other clauses within the MOU that deserved a public airing.

The Mayor's action's Monday night begs a number of questions:
- If the closure of the Sportsplex pool was so critical to the Y's business plan, why was it not included in the Memorandum of Understanding brought forward at Monday's City Council meeting?
- Why did the Board of the Y not insist on this clause; and if they didn't ask for it, why did the Mayor put it in?
- Why did the Mayor apply such pressure to Council to amend the previously approved MOU at the last moment at 10:30 on a Monday evening?


The Mayor talked long and loud about ensuring the financial viability of the Y, but if anything jeopardizes the success of the Y's expansion plans, it is his actions Monday night. The success of the aquatic component of the Y project depends upon the good will of the current Sportsplex swimmers to transfer their membership and loyalty from the City owned pool to the private membership-based Y pool. Monday's actions are not a good strategy to achieve this objective, and I would urge the Y Board to consider the longer term relationship they need to have with Brandon swimmers, the damage the Mayor's actions could cause, and reconsider this amendment to their MOU.

The unseemly fashion that this motion was sprung upon Council- without consultation with the swimming community, or even it seems the Y itself, is plain wrong.

The Mayor talks about risk to the City if the Sportsplex pool remains open beyond two months after the opening of the new Y facility; but if future Councils reverse this decision, then would not the Y have a case to make against the City that they broke the MOU, and won't we, the taxpayer be forced to pay more to make up any shortfall as we would not have honoured the agreement? This is a costly and foolish mistake and the taxpayers of this city will once again be left holding the bag.

This decision is fundamentally undemocratic, and reflects the ongoing issues many Brandon residents have with the lack of consultation and communication the Mayor adopts on major policy decisions.

The days of the Mayor ramming through important policy without public input should be long over,but apparently they are not. I would suggest that users of the Sportsplex or those tired of this style of governance should make their unhappiness known through the media, to their City Councilors, and to the Mayor's office.

I look forward to debating this decision with the Mayor during the election.

An Election Issue? The Sale of the former Convergys Building on Sixth Street

The tenders closes today (Aug 3) on the former Convergys Building. Some food for thought when evaluating whether we got good value for the sale.

About 25 years ago, Monty Nathanson bought it from Co-op and sold it to the City for over a million dollars (I heard $1.4, but that's just a rumour and that was serious coin back in the day!). They then put a lot of dough into renovating it for an Arts Library complex. Eventually, AGSWM and Library moved across the street to new digs. The City purchased more land and closed Seventh Street to create a parcel of property for a public safety building. That didn't happen, but they did wind up renting it out to Convergys. There is some speculation that the lease hold improvements that Convergys put in gave them a substantial tax/rent holiday. Could be true... What we know for sure is that it has sat empty for over two years when Convergys left town- with no taxes being paid.

So now the tenders are closed and we'll find out to what higher and better purpose the building will be used for. Perhaps seniors housing? perhaps a police services building (gotta' love all the wiring and technology upgrades that Convergys added)? perhaps an educational centre for the College, Neelin, Westman Immigrant Services, with room to spare for a daycare and museum/ archives!

These are all interesting ideas with public value. If the City and Mayor decides that there is more value in cash with a tidy commercial sale, does it recover the opportunity costs of lost taxes, as well as the initial purchase price and public investment in leasehold improvements?

(PA) Prosperity Agenda- A Gastronomic Cluster

In previous blogs, we looked at how the clustering approach could benefit Brandon, and strengthen the economic base. We also explored some of the practical assistance that City Hall could provide if a clustering approach is adopted. Now let's have a bit of fun and look at what might be possible if Brandon wanted to promote the food and hospitality sector- a Gastronomic Cluster!

Brandon has huge potential for culinary tourism. We have valuable assets right under our (ahem) noses. We have restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets, a culinary school- in inputs, the outputs, and the trained people to support and grow it. You can also add in the hoteliers and food processors into the cluster, and look at the data that shows most of our tourism business is from repeat visits by visitors who live in Western Manitoba and Eastern Saskatchewan.

So we have the products and we know who we're marketing it to, but to really maximize it, we need a few missing pieces....

• Showcase opportunities: wine festivals, beer festivals, Taste of the Prairies- iconic events that showcase Brandon as a culinary tourism destination. Taste the County is a destination marketing website for Prince Edward county in Ontario that gives you an idea about what Brandon could be doing in this area.
• Develop unique products that showcase our strengths: while this could be any food or beverage product, one in particular springs to mind. Assiniboine Community College has long mused about creating a brewmaster program. This would be relatively unique in Canada, making Brandon a centre of excellence for all the craft breweries in North America. Brandon is surrounded by the natural product (barley and other grains), and a locally brewed beer would definitely be both a tourist attraction as well as generate considerable "local" interest. and it builds on our strengths in agriculture, culinary arts, and education. And if beer isn't your passion, we also have a similar opportunity with artisan cheeses (think Bothwell and what Quebec has done with marketing their cheese producers).
• A robust investment strategy: it's not just about marketing, in fact marketing's role is to create the interest and buzz for the investment strategy. Because a gastronomic cluster is about economic development opportunities, not just great places to eat and drink. check out the investment site for the Ontario cheese producers or the companion site to the Prince Edward county destination site that has specific investment information for businesses looking to be part of this exciting growth area or people who would be attracted to relocating to this part of the country.

To recap- Brandon has many of the (ahem again) raw ingredients for a vibrant gastronomic cluster. We just need to put them together so that they have synergy and energy. and then build on what we have with some showcase events and festivals. And best of all, the excitement about culinary tourism or gastronomy- can be easily spread via (ahem) word of mouth, the most effective type of marketing.

(PA) Prosperity Agenda- Clusters and City Hall

Once clusters have been identified, mapped and named, what can Brandon's City Hall do to advance the growth and sustainability of our economic clusters?

Establish a solid foundation: supporting the specific frame of every cluster in the City are various attributes and characteristics. These include:

• Brandon and Westman's educational assets such as Brandon University, Assiniboine Community College, the Fire College, and the K-12 school divisions;
  
• the physical infrastructures of the City- roads, water and sewer, IT connectivity;
• Brandon's attractiveness to creative talent- Richard Florida's research into the economic importance of the creative class and the roles that aspects such as culture, heritage, and diversity can play in attracting and retaining these people are just coming to the forefront of economic development practices;
• Aligning the efforts of our educational system, the workforce, and our economic institutions- Putting these key players around the table creates a solid partnership base and opens further opportunities.

Build relationships: Successful cluster strategy is built on inter-firm collaboration and the tacit knowledge that resides in people and processes. Cluster leadership councils and associations help facilitate the dissemination of this knowledge as well as provide an effective lobbying and public advocacy voice.

Deepen skills and talent: Educational facilities play a lead role in ensuring that clusters have the workforce that they need to be successful. City Hall can be a link between industry and education, and this role will be explored further in the One Smart City postings in this blog.

Align innovation investments: Investments in research and development, centres of excellence, and business innovation are critical components to economic growth and cluster-strategy development. For a city its size, Brandon's economic base has access to unique R&D capabilities within their College and University. Currently, the limited collaboration in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental research only scratches the surface of the potential opportunities of private sector partnership with our educational institutions.

Accelerate entrepreneurship: Talent and research are necessary, but it takes entrepreneurship to translate good ideas into successful products and services. Brandon's City Hall and the Mayor can support entrepreneurship by supporting entrepreneurial networks, the Chamber of Commerce, creating cluster-focused incubators, organizing small-business centres around cluster expertise, and encouraging entrepreneurship education in highschools, the College and the University. Brandon ranked 31 of 36 Canadian cities in the Canadian Federation of Independent Business listing.

Open global opportunities: Successful clusters extend their networks to distant markets, vendors, and institutions. City Hall can help support this growth by supporting participation in international conferences, trade shows, and study tours.


Clusters are not silver bullets, but rather one arrow in a quiver of opportunities for economic development. Properly designed and applied, they offer a promising way to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth and can play a key role in establishing Brandon's Prosperity Agenda.


The Prosperity Agenda is a series of postings exploring economic development opportunities for the City of Brandon. City Hall needs to provide leadership to provide a progressive economic strategy for our community, to encourage a new era of income growth, as well as promote a broad-based prosperity that produces the widest possible impact. I'd love to hear from you and can be reached at shariformayor@gmail.com.

(PA) Prosperity Agenda- Clusters to Drive Economic Development

How can Brandon go about systematically and strategically building it's economic base?

One approach that has been very successful in other cities and regions is a concept called "clustering". Clusters help to define key competitive advantages through indepth analysis of related industries, suppliers, services, and foundations such as workforce training, and regulatory environment. Portage la Prairie has made a committment to cluster analysis and has already used it to identify and promote industries in hitherto under-appreciated areas... to their economic advantage as a community. And if Portage can do it, surely Brandon can use this type of information and analysis to strengthen our own economic base.

So what is a cluster? Clusters are systems, not aggregation of firms. They may be connected by functional relationships (suppliers, distributors), or by competition for similar markets (cars, trains, buses, and planes could be part of a transportation cluster). They are defined by relationships, not memberships. They are often overlapping and interdependent. And most importantly for econmic planning in Brandon, they can only flourish in an area that offers the needed human, intellectual, financial, and social capital which includes supportive public policies and programs.

It might be helpful to think of an example to help define the concept. An alternative energy cluster could contain companies that sold products, companies that built products, R&D inputs, workforce training providers, the regulatory environment, marketing and public relations support, and government programs. Cluster analysis would show strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for the cluster (not necessarily individual pieces of the cluster). The strength of the cluster would attract investment and growth.

A real world example is in Minneapolis, which is also known as "Medical Alley", where over 200 companies are clustered around medical technology, pharmaceutical, bio tech, and health care products. Minnesapolis has all the ingredients of a successful medical device cluster - industry leaders, young growing companies, entrepreneurs, education and training focused in this area. There are venture capitalists that know the industry, established medical centres that are early adopters of the technology, a strong professional association. This cluster employs only 1% of Minnesotans, but its jobs are high wage.

What would be the critical economic clusters in Brandon? In Westman? An aggressive economic development strategy would need to know this information. An upcoming blog posting will look at what City Hall could do with this information to benefit our City's economic clusters.

The Prosperity Agenda is a series of postings dealing with economic development in Brandon. City Hall needs to provide leadership to provide a progressive economic strategy for our community, to encourage a new era of income growth, as well as promote a broad-based prosperity that produces the widest possible impact. I'd love to hear from you and can be reached at shariformayor@gmail.com.