Hospital BBQ?

Council and I have been invited to a BBQ on September 27th by Ellis Don and the Minister of Infrastructure on the site of our future hospital. Council is in Chambers that day and will not be able to attend until after 6pm at the earliest. I am curious as to the reason behind this invitation. I am anxiously awaiting for any kind of official update from the Alberta Government.

The residents of Strathcona County deserve this. We deserve some show of respect!

Linda

Hearthland Transmission Study Update

I am working, as chair of the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association board, to highlight the importance of transportation corridors, overpasses, road upgrades, and park and ride busing to the industrial facilities. Traffic flow, heavy loads and prevention of congestion are issues we are proactively working on to find solutions to.

Along with working with the Capital Region Board, these initiatives are important to communicate to Alberta Transportation and our new Premier.

Industry is an economic engine for the future of our province!

Linda

Strathcona Hospital in the News

I am cautiously optimistic regarding the Minister of Health's statement. My intent is to continue to impress the importance of having a "full" active treatment hospital. Not only "shelled-in" spaces but actual concrete plans to have a fully finished product.

I am publicly requesting communication from Health Minister Zwozdesky confirming his announcement regarding our "full service, acute care, community-based, 72 bed hospital."  As of today, my office has not yet received any communication about the hospital.

I once again re-state that I would look forward to working with the Minister and our two MLAs in achieving this common goal.

Linda

PC Provincial Leadership Race

Congratulations to the top 3 candidates who have proceeded to the second ballot.

To all candidates, it was a race well run and thank you for having put your names forward and had your voices heard.

To the three remaining candidates, I am very interested in hearing your stand on Bill 50, specifically burying the transmission lines as well as completing the promised "acute care" Strathcona hospital. Your support of our local industry and their role as key economic drivers for Alberta is also a very important issue.

These issues are critical to our community. I hope to be able to meet and further discuss these with all three candidates.

I encourage Strathcona County residents to take a keen interest in the final choice of our next Premier and leading into our next provincial election.

Linda

PHOTO RADAR

Dear Residents,

After a lengthy and intense discussion surrounding traffic safety in Strathcona County, County Council passed a motion to cease photo radar operations within one year.  The vote of 5 to 4 directs Strathcona County Administration to phase out the photo radar vehicles and stand alone device by September 1, 2012.  This policy change does not affect “red light” intersection cameras as they will remain active and in place.  Photo radar will remain in place until that time.

Reasoning for this:

• Five (5) new enforcement officers were approved to be hired and trained.  These enforcement officers will provide additional traffic safety services not currently allowed within the confines of the photo radar contract. This will provide the driver immediate feedback. These officers will also be able to enforces other infractions that a camera cannot do. This should be completed by September 1, 2012.Current photo radar contract needs to be dealt with.
• The current photo radar contract needs to be dealt with.

Let me be clear; we are encouraging safe roads and safe driving, and we will continue to monitor speeding in our community.  Demerit points are a greater deterrent than a letter received three weeks later in the mail.

We are proud to have listened to our residents and make effective changes where needed.  It is not about revenue, it is about instilling reassurance to our community that this is the right thing to do!

Sincerely,

Linda

Rick Orman Endorsement

Almost a year ago, the residents of Strathcona County decided to take a different vision than what had been offered. They decided to embrace change rather than the status quo, they elected to have constructive consultation rather than appeasement, and they chose optimism over the “we can't do that" attitude that was prevalent in past councils.

At that election I presented myself as a candidate for Mayor, one who would conduct County business with openness, honesty and frankness. Meaning I will tell you the truth regardless of the political consequences and what they might mean to me.

Your concerns are my concerns: a safe community, a community that encourages the Alberta Spirit, a community that face challenges together.

I have fought against 20 storey electrical towers, I have said that we need an active treatment hospital instead of a glorified medi-clinic; I have said our community needs input into planning its future infrastructure; I have said that we need to encourage  investment in our community.

I have listened to you for these last 10 months and have said "yes" to burying power lines, "yes" to an active treatment hospital, "yes" to constructive consultation in how future infrastructure is planned.

While challenging, these voices are being heard.

There are many fine candidates now seeking the Leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party, each and every one of them would bring many admirable talents to the position of Premier of this great province.

But there has been one candidate who stands out when it comes to speaking to issues that mean so much to the residents of Strathcona County.

This candidate has been the only one who has said that the proposed power lines must be buried; he has been the only candidate to have committed to the new hospital that must be an active treatment hospital with real beds; he has been the only candidate who has said that people of Strathcona County must be consulted on what future needs our community will require and he understands our desire to have a vibrant business sector that will provide our future residents with good quality careers.

Because of these kinds of commitments and beliefs it is with great honour that I endorse and support for Alberta PC leader and our next Premier, Mr. Rick Orman.     

Linda

Clarification Regarding Work on the Office of the Mayor

Dear Residents,

After reading Ben Proulx's article on the renovations to the Mayor's office in Tuesday, May 17th Sherwood Park News, I felt it necessary to rectify some inaccuracies in its content. I respect Mr. Proulx as a journalist and am certain that he may have misunderstood some of my responses to his queries. I did invite The Sherwood Park News to come up to my office to personally see and discuss this topic, but they did not.

 

In my previous role as a Councillor, I did not have the opportunity to look at the Mayor's office design plans and had no say in the matter. While it is true that the previous council approved the whole plan for the Centre of the Park, we did not have detailed information on specifics. I only became aware of the office's design and some of the requirements that were overlooked needed once I became Mayor.

Washroom and emergency exit door

Because a privacy wall was built after the elected officials moved in, it became apparent that the Chief Commissioner, the Mayor and their staff only had one exit from where our offices are located. This was an obvious glaring safety issue. The previous mayor and administration should have caught this. This is unsafe in case of an emergency where that only exit is blocked. Therefore, a back storage room is being used for such a purpose.

This is also where a water pipe is being brought up from the second floor for a toilet and sink.

These are needed in the Mayor's office because the Mayor's schedule is booked to the minute and availability of the present washroom for me and office staff members is important. We meet with dignitaries and various government representatives whose schedules are very tight. The present two stall washroom is used by office staff members and anyone who comes to meet with the staff and elected officials. This is very good use of a small, unused empty space.

 

Wet Bar

There never was nor will be plans for a wet bar in the Mayor's office. There is a line that will need to be added to connect piping from the second floor to the third for the washroom.

Fireplace

I purchased with my own personal money an electrical "fireplace" heater. It just plugs into an outlet and sits against a wall. The location of my office causes it to be very cold in winter due to a full wall of windows.

Furniture

When elected officials moved offices, the furniture that was put in the new office of the Mayor was old furniture that was previously in someone else's office. One of my assistants does not even have a desk to work on in her office. These offices do not have all the necessary pieces that are needed such as filing cabinets, shelves, or locks that work on the drawers. These offices were improperly equipped. The Mayor’s office does not even have a filing cabinet or proper lockable drawers. My personal items such as a comb, mouthwash, nylons, toothbrush, and other personal items were in one of only three drawers at my desk.

This furniture order is only to correct an unworkable space for myself and my assistant down the hall to professional workable offices. Once I moved in my office space, it was clear that these corrections needed to be done. All that was ordered for my office were an office desk, a filing cabinet and bookshelves.

Allocated Budget

We have not spent $45,000.00 on this office. It also includes other offices’ furniture not just the Mayor's office.

We are looking into the matter to find out why and by whom some things were overlooked.

Council and I work very hard to ensure the taxpayers dollars are used appropriately for things such as snow clearing, firefighting, policing, Center in the Park, recreation, etc.

It is unfortunate that this item which was so incorrectly reported has placed the great work I believe is being done in our County by Council and staff in a negative light.

I sincerely hope that this answers many of your questions and brings clarification to this. 

I believe in transparency and will continue to work hard as your Mayor as always.

Linda