Media statement: Mayor Nenshi on Council compensation and donating 10% of his salary

Today, your City Council decided to accept the recommendations of the Council Compensation Review Committee. This means that Council compensation adjustments will continue to be tied to the Alberta Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) as calculated by Statistics Canada.

First of all, I want to thank the volunteer citizen committee that prepared an excellent report on City Council compensation. Their work did much to inform the debate and decisions today.

It is best to keep compensation out of the hands of politicians because that approach is predictable and transparent. While there are a number of ways to calculate compensation increases, I believe that the Consumer Price Index appears to be the most easily understood and transparent way to do this. That’s why I voted in favour of this change, which was ultimately defeated by Council. That said, there is very little difference between CPI and AWE. Over the last 20 years, the average increase has been within one percentage point of one another.

I was surprised to learn the value of the mayor’s compensation compared to mayors in other cities. For that reason, I will donate 10% of my 2012 salary to either the City of Calgary or a charity that does work in Calgary, which is consistent with what I did last year, though at a higher percentage. This donation will be in addition to my regular charitable giving in a normal year.

The reason I am structuring this as a donation rather than a pay cut is because it does not appear to be possible to change the remuneration for only one member of Council rather than for everyone.

I strongly feel that aldermen in Calgary are appropriately compensated for all the work they do. There are, for example, twice as many MLAs in Calgary as there are aldermen. A report tabled in December showed that the poorest-paid MLA in 2010-2011 earned about 30% more than a Calgary alderman. The average MLA earned about 60% more. Again, this is cash compensation only, not including benefits or transition allowance.

Your Council representatives work extremely hard to serve many citizens (more citizens per alderman than most Canadian cities, in fact) to the best of their abilities. They, as am I, are honoured to serve Calgarians every day.

Over the weekend, I researched and prepared a brief memo for my Council colleagues. The following excerpt explains my thoughts on the difference between Alberta Average Weekly Earnings and the Consumer Price Index.

Excerpt from the Mayor’s Briefing Memorandum

The adjustment formula

I think we generally agree that we should use an objective formula to set annual wage adjustments. I maintain that we should also retain and use the right to reduce (but never increase) proposed changes in times when the objective formula seems out of whack with economic reality.

Ald. Chabot has suggested that we use price inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rather than wage inflation, as measured by Alberta Average Weekly Earnings (AWE), as our gauge. Others have suggested that we use the average wage change of city employees, though some suggest this would lead to a conflict of interest, since we also set the bargaining mandate for our labour negotiations.(I find this latter argument ludicrous on its face; I can’t imagine eight members of Council together voting to cost the City millions of dollars for a few hundred dollars of personal income, but the argument has been made.)

To inform our debate, I have plotted the CPI versus AWE annual change over the last 20 years.

As you can see, CPI has been below AWE for the last seven years, but AWE was equal to or below CPI for five years before that—they do tend to converge over time. The average over this time frame for CPI was 2.4% annually, and AWE was 3.2% annually. (These numbers are skewed a bit by the relatively large differences in the last two years. From 1992-2006, the averages were 2.4% CPI versus 2.8% AWE. The abnormality of the last two years is one of the reasons I argued that we should reduce the increase last year.)

While conceptually it makes some sense to tie our salaries to wage inflation, I have also found that many people find it more satisfying and easier to understand when it’s tied to price inflation, since that’s what all of us feel every day when we go to the grocery store or gas pump. I therefore support Ald. Chabot’s notion that CPI should be used rather than AWE this year and going forward.

- Mayor Naheed Nenshi

Celebrating 3 Things for Calgary

Schools across Calgary are enthusiastically getting involved in the 3 Things for Calgary movement, and Sunalta School is a great example. At an all-student assembly yesterday, Mayor Nenshi's Chief of Staff Chima Nkemdirim spoke with students and teachers about how they could get more involved in making Calgary even better.

You can read Metro's coverage of the event here.

And here's an excerpt from the Calgary Herald article about Sunalta School's take on 3 Things for Calgary: 

Some civic-minded youngsters have taken on a challenge from the mayor to do three things to make Calgary a better place before the end of the year.

Around 300 students from a southwest school made the pledge Tuesday, collectively promising to make nearly 900 contributions to their street, neighbourhood and city by the spring.

An initiative of the mayor’s civic engagement committee, 3 Things for Calgary was launched in October with the goal of getting Calgarians to take on projects that benefit their community.

“The idea is that we’re all part of a community and we can all do stuff to make that community better,” said Chima Nkemdirim, the mayor’s chief of staff. “You can pick the thing — big or small. It could be helping to organize your kid’s little league team or inviting your neighbours over for a barbecue in the summer.”

In a speech to the Rotary Club of Calgary on Tuesday, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the campaign was devised by volunteers.

There are many ways to give back, he said, some big and some small.

“My single favourite example is the guy who told me, ‘I’m going to have a barbecue, but I’m going to have it in my front yard instead of my backyard. And I’m going to invite all the neighbours I don’t really know,’” he said.

At a school assembly Tuesday, Sunalta students took turns sharing what their three things might be.

“Shovelling my neighbour’s sidewalk” and “Picking up garbage off the street” were popular, but “Listening to my mom and dad” drew appreciative nods from the adults in the room.

Principal Kel Connelly said the project fits well with the Calgary Board of Education’s curriculum emphasis on developing students’ sense of citizenship...

So, what are your three things for Calgary?

- Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team

Video: Mayor Nenshi's 2012 State of the City address

On Tuesday, January 17, Mayor Naheed Nenshi gave his annual State of the City address at a Rotary Club luncheon. Couldn't make it? Here's the full 30-minute speech.

In a nutshell, Mayor Nenshi's speech touches on the following topics:

• How 2012 will be Calgary's year
• Highlights from 2011
• The growth pressures facing our city and Mayor Nenshi's plans to manage and take advantage of these opportunities
• The latest on the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative
• The start of a 30-year plan for Calgary Transit
• How Calgary can better plan and build the communities and infrastructure we all need and want
• An update on building new rec centres in Calgary
• Mayor Nenshi's priorities for 2012 that will set the stage for a strong future for Calgary
• A challenge to all Calgarians to do 3 Things for Calgary

This is the first time we've recorded a full speech by Mayor Nenshi, and we plan to do it more in the future. Apologies for some of the audio quality. We'll try to fix that by next time.

- Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team

Mayor Nenshi's East Calgary tour

Ralph Klein Park: The Environmental Education and Ethics Center and the
"Hawk Hill Calgary" Sentinals by Beverly Pepper.

In December 2011, Mayor Nenshi met up with the Toronto Star's Petti Fong for an afternoon drive to some of his favourite spots in the east side of our city. You can read the story as it appears in the Toronto Star, or get it all here:

The mayor of a city isn’t supposed to admit to having a favourite neighbourhood but Naheed Nenshi doesn’t need much persuading to reveal that East Calgary is where he goes to eat at his favourite restaurants, discover new parks and reconnect with his roots.

Nenshi, recently voted one of the country’s most popular politicians, went to Harvard and worked at the UN in New York before returning to his hometown where he won the mayoral seat in 2010.
“The city can learn what has worked in other cities and what hasn’t. We don’t want to create Boston or New York or Paris on the Prairies, but we can pay attention to what other cities are doing,” says Nenshi.

Strictly speaking, Calgary began in what is now East Calgary at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers on the site of Fort Calgary.

“My East Calgary is even further east, in that diverse funky mélange of humanity east of Deerfoot Trail where people live and work, shop and play in an environment that can only be described as completely real,” says Nenshi.

Here’s Nenshi’s list of the six things visitors to East Calgary must do when they visit the city.

1. Mirch Masala

This family-run restaurant in a shopping mall (6208 Rundlehorn Dr. NE) was the first place Nenshi went for dinner the day after winning the election. Husband and wife team Sam and Rampi Thind treat the mayor as a favourite son. “Don’t tell my husband,” says Rampi. “But I have a bit of a crush on Naheed. I’m always glad to see him when he comes in with his family.” Papri Chaat, a refreshing dish of pastry with yoghurt and spices, is always waiting for the mayor.

2. Telus Spark Science Centre

It took a decade to plan, design and construct the Science Centre (220 St. George’s Drive NE) which opened in November and became the first science centre to open in Canada in 25 years. “Hey, look how full the parking is on a Saturday afternoon,” Nenshi pointed out. “It’s a remarkable building and it looks amazing at night when it lights up with LED and different colours depending on the season or the occasion. It’s proving to be very popular and has just been opened a couple of months.” During a recent exhibit on sound, Nenshi says he has a new idea for his desk at city hall. He wants to replace the desk with a giant drum set.

3. 17th Avenue SE

The street is lined with shops and restaurants from many corners of the world. Grocery stores from different cultures and countries bring a bit of home to new arrivals to Calgary who long for a taste of something familiar. “It’s called International Avenue and it’s worth a look. It’s not yet beautiful, and we’re working on making it a better pedestrian environment, but the shops and restaurants from every corner of the world make it a great example of Canadian multiculturalism at its real, front line, gritty, just-came-to-the-country best,” says Nenshi.

4. Rotary Challenger, Prairie Winds and Ralph Klein Parks

East Calgary has had a dearth of great public spaces, especially outdoor public spaces, in the past, but this is changing. Rotary Challenger Park (3688 48 Ave NE) and Prairie Winds Park ( 233 Castleridge Blvd. NE) in the Westwinds area, and the city’s newest Ralph Klein Park (12350 84 St. SE) feature great views and big prairie skies. “If you’re lucky you can kick around a soccer ball or jump on a toboggan with people from around the globe,” says Nenshi.

5. Bai’Tun Nur Mosque

One of the country’s biggest mosques, the Bai’Tun Nur Mosque (4353 54 Ave. NE) built by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, has become a gathering place for all cultures and religions “We welcome everybody,” says Khalid Choudhry. “This is a place where anyone can come to visit, to make new friends, to join their families. Our door is open.” On Fridays, more than 1,600 worshippers congregate here. The Ahmadiyyas follow the teachings of Muhammad, Jesus, Confucius, Buddha and Abraham. The adjoining community centre includes a full-service kitchen where hundreds can join in meals and a recreation area where ping pong is rigorously played by visitors from a range of cultures and backgrounds.

6. Short Pants Plaza and Pacific Place

The multiculturalism in East Calgary means the best Indian, Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese and African foods are found at Short Pants Plaza (255 28 Street SE) and Pacific Place (999 36 Street NE). Mayor Nenshi’s favourite place to grab a quick lunch is at Express in the Pacific Place food court, which specializes in Vietnamese, or Banh Mi, subs. Then there’s also his favourite burrito place called Las Tortillas, the meat patties at Village Bakery, the beef ribs at Safari Grill and the Tandoori chicken pizzas at Supreme Pizza where to get it right, you have to ask for the pizza Punjabi-style.

- posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team

Mayor Nenshi's vision for Calgary neighbourhoods

Over the course of 100 days in late 2011 and early 2012, the Calgary Herald produced Project Calgary--a great, well-researched look at our neighbourhoods. If you haven't had a chance to read some of the articles in this series, we recommend you do.

To launch Project Calgary, Mayor Nenshi wrote a column about the challenge of making our neighbourhoods better. As the project learned, our neighbourhoods are great, but there's much more that can be done. 

To mark the conclusion of Project Calgary, Mayor Nenshi joined with other prominent Calgarians to share his brief vision of Calgary neighbourhoods 30 years in the future. Here is his response in full:

Over the last few months, we've learned so much about Calgary neighbourhoods—what works and what could work better—as a result of the Project Calgary series.

My hope is that, a generation from now, Calgary will be a city of sustainable, walkable, livable, lovable, complete communities. When we speak with Calgarians about the kind of neighbourhoods that they want to live in, the answers are very similar. It doesn't matter whether they live in the inner-city or the suburbs or if they are young or old—people want to live in neighbourhoods where they can walk to the store, where kids can walk to school, where young families and seniors can both be comfortable, where that second or third car is really a choice for families and not an absolute necessity.

Neighbourhoods will have great recreational facilities nearby where people can play soccer or hockey without being up at the crack of dawn or driving all over the city. Arts and cultural activities will flourish, and people will know their neighbours, meeting in libraries and community centres.

Sound utopian? Maybe. But we have to try. Building neighbourhoods like this is the best way for our city to survive—for us to be socially, financially, and ecologically sustainable.

Focusing on the three Ds of great cities—density, diversity, and a sense of discovery—as we build new neighbourhoods and revitalize old ones gives us the roadmap we need to get to that better Calgary we're all dreaming of.

You can read all of the responses here.


- Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team

Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative leadership announced

Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative leadership announced
Stewardship Committee will create the plan to fight poverty

Calgary, AB – January 11, 2012: Today, Mayor Naheed Nenshi and United Way are announcing the full membership of the Stewardship Committee for the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative. Starting immediately, this 18-member committee will create an inclusive, multi-sector plan for poverty reduction in Calgary. The Co-Chairs of the committee are well-known Calgarians Steve Allan and Cathy Williams. (A full list of committee members appears in the backgrounder.)

“Poverty lessens our great city every day; we must take action rather than pass the buck between other levels of government, and now we have the team in place to do that,” said Mayor Nenshi. “This is a group of very effective individuals who have demonstrated great integrity, compassion, and a commitment for getting things done. I’m confident they will do an excellent job of creating a poverty reduction plan that brings together all the organizations that fight poverty in every part of Calgary.”

The Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative is jointly funded by The City of Calgary and United Way of Calgary and Area with an investment of $200,000 by each party. The Stewardship Committee will work with poverty reduction experts throughout Calgary to prepare a comprehensive plan of action. Although modelled on Calgary’s successful 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness, the resulting plan may not be a single big idea and instead involve a suite of actions from many organizations across many sectors.

“This boils down to answering the question “how can we improve the quality of life for all citizens in Calgary?” said Heather MacDonald, Acting CEO of United Way of Calgary and Area. “Our collaboration with The City of Calgary and so many interested and dedicated partners shows how serious the entire community is about making positive and lasting change against poverty.”

“We will ensure that this is a very collaborative process engaging all of Calgary's anti-poverty experts to find the best solutions,” said Co-Chair Steve Allan.

Selection of the participants on the Stewardship Committee balanced government, community, and business representatives. Group dynamics, strategic non-traditional thinking, diversity, and passion for the issue at hand were also important considerations.

One of the first actions by the Co-Chairs was to work with the Office of the Mayor, United Way, and The City of Calgary to select the Executive Director of the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative. Derek Cook, currently a research social planner in The City of Calgary’s Community and Neighbourhood Services department, will take on the role of Executive Director immediately.

“We received over 30 stellar applications for a short term contract, and it was a unanimous decision to hire Derek Cook,” said Co-Chair Cathy Williams. “Both Steve and I are looking forward to working with Derek. He brings a strong background in collaborative leadership and the ability to work thoughtfully and effectively with corporate and community leaders and those living in poverty.”

The first meeting of the committee will be in late January and an update on the committee’s progress will be shared with City Council in March 2012.

-30-

BACKGROUNDER 
Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative Stewardship Committee

Leadership

Steve Allan, Co-Chair
Steve Allan was born, raised, and educated in Calgary. Steve is the Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Tourism Commission and past volunteer Chairman of the Board and President of the Stampede. He has received many awards for his community involvement including recognition as Calgary’s Citizen of the Year in 2006 and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta.

C.L. (Cathy) Williams, Co-Chair
Cathy is a senior leader in Calgary’s oil and gas industry, past volunteer Chair of Mount Royal University’s Board of Governors, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Dean of the Business School at Queen’s University. She is currently Managing Director of Options Capital Ltd. In 2008, she was named to the Women’s Executive Network Hall of Fame.

Derek Cook, Executive Director
Derek Cook has over 20 years of experience in the field of social work and community development. For the past twelve years, Derek has worked for The City of Calgary as a Research Social Planner in the Community Services Department where his work has involved conducting socio-economic research, trend analysis and policy development with specific expertise in issues of poverty, diversity and the labour force.

Membership

Shannon Bowen-Smed, President and CEO, BOWEN Workforce Solutions
Carlene Donnelly, Executive Director, Calgary Urban Project Society Health and Education Centres
Corinne “Cori” Ghitter Director of Recruitment and Professional Development, Fraser Milner Casgrain
Jeff Loomis, Program Director, Momentum
Gael MacLeod, Alderman, Ward 4, The City of Calgary
Dr. Dave Marshall, retired President, Mount Royal University
Carol Ann Elizabeth Mason, Executive Director, Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary
Bob McInnis, Executive Director, Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids
Brian K. Petersen, Co-Head Investment Banking, Managing Director, Head of Energy, Stonecap Securities
Michelle Rempel, Member of Parliament, Calgary Centre-North
Dr. Gayla Rogers, Professor and Former Dean, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
Sheenah Rogers, Founder and Principal, Anstice Communications
Nashir Samanani, Board Chair, United Way of Calgary and Area
Wayne Stewart, Former President and CEO, Calgary Homeless Foundation
Alina Turner, Vice-President, Strategy, Calgary Homeless Foundation
Teresa Woo-Paw, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Calgary-Mackay

2012 will be Calgary's year

I write a monthly column in the Calgary Herald. Here is the full version of my January story:

Happy New Year! I hope you had a joyous and relaxing holiday season and are now ready to hit 2012 with a new sense of excitement and purpose. As for my part, I am filled with optimism about 2012, which can't help but be Calgary's year.

One of the biggest surprises of my job is the sheer number of centennial events at which I find my-self. Since 2010, we've celebrated the 100th birthdays of Mount Royal University and the YWCA of Calgary (each started by one-half of a married couple), the City of Calgary Parks department and Calgary's Chinatown. And City Hall, the beautiful old building I work in every day, was opened 100 years ago.

In 2012, we blow out 100 candles for the Calgary Public Library, for the Pumphouse and Grand theatres, and for that little party we like to call the Calgary Stampede.

All this got me to wondering - what was going on in Calgary in 1912? What was in the water that people were starting such lasting institutions?

In 1912, Calgary was at the end of a major boom. 40,000 people lived here, up from 4,000 a decade earlier. But when you look at City Hall, this is not a building built for a city of 40,000. The people then were building not for who they were, but for who they dreamed of becoming. They had their faces turned firmly toward the future.

When I think about Calgary in 2012, I feel that same sense of optimism. We know that anything is possible, and that we can be anything we want to be, and that it's time to start making it happen.

It will certainly be a big year politically. We're moving forward on many fronts at the City, including my personal emphasis on a new plan for Calgary Transit and cutting red tape throughout the organization.

A provincial election will also give us the opportunity to talk about the future of a strong Calgary within a strong Alberta. I'll be pressing all the party leaders on their plans for ensuring that Calgary maintains its standing as the economic driver of this province and of this country, and I encourage all of you to do the same with your candidates.

But life, shockingly, is about much more than politics. 2012 will be a year for us to celebrate our neighbours, our communities, and everything that makes life worth living in this great city. From massive dance parties in Olympic Plaza to block parties in your neighbourhood, it's all about doing more of what we love this year...

Our naming as Canada’s Cultural Capital, in particular, gives us a chance to get together and do great things in our community. I encourage you to learn more about how you can be involved at calgary2012.com.

But the key is: for this city to be even greater, we need to all play our part. If you have not yet thought about your role, please consider participating in “3 Things for Calgary” (www.3thingsforcalgary.ca).

This simple program encourages all Calgarians to do three things for the community this year. They could be big things like joining your local community organization or taking on a major volunteer role. Or, they could be small thing such as vowing to pick up litter or carry an extra plastic bag for dogwalkers who may have forgotten theirs.

My favourite example was the guy who said he was going to throw a barbecue this winter. But this barbecue would be in his front yard instead of his backyard, and he’d invite all the neighbours he has yet to meet.

The key to “3 Things”, though, is to share. Share what you’re doing online and in real life, and encourage three other people to do their own three things.

Together, let’s use 2012 as our starting point towards creating the community that the people of 2112 will still enjoy. And let’s make that future mayor go to lots of centennial events!

- Mayor Naheed Nenshi

Mayor Nenshi's Meetings: December 2011

Below is a list of external meetings hosted by the Mayor during the month of December 2011. During December, Mayor Nenshi attended many community events around Calgary and at City Hall. Fortunately, he was also able to take some time off between Christmas and New Year's to relax and spend time with his family.

For an explanation of why this list exists and who's on it, please visit our post about highlighting accountability in the Mayor's Office.

December's meetings included:

• Ambassador Andrea Meloni, Embassy of Italy - December 1, 2011
• Maria Michela Laroccia, Embassy of Italy - December 1, 2011
• Augusto Ambrosino, Honourary Consul (Italy) - December 1, 2011
• George Brookman, Transformation Calgary - December 6, 2011
• Clive Wright, British High Commission - December 6, 2011
• Alex Budden, British Consul-General - December 6, 2011
• Steven Hildebrand, Calgary Student Caucus - December 8, 2011
• Meghan Melnyk, Calgary Student Caucus - December 8, 2011
• Raj Dillai, Murugan Society - December 8, 2011
• Chocku Chockalingam, Murugan Society - December 8, 2011
• Arumush (Jay) Jayanthan, Murugan Society - December 8, 2011
• Vettivelu Nallainayapa, Murugan Society - December 8, 2011
• Cristi Birch, Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee - December 8, 2011
• Kari Giddings, Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee - December 8, 2011
• Vern Kimball, Calgary Stampede - December 9, 2011
• Mike Casey, Calgary Stampede - December 9, 2011
• Bob Holmes, Calgary Telus Convention Centre - December 9, 2011
• Brad Kijan, Calgary Telus Convention Centre - December 9, 2011
• Marcia Lyons, Calgary Telus Convention Centre - December 9, 2011
• W.A. Sam Shaw, Encana - December 13, 2011
• Adam Legge, Calgary Chamber of Commerce - December 13, 2011
• Peter Macleod, Mass LBP - December 13, 2011
• Mike Blanchard, Wildrose Party - December 14, 2011
• Murray Young, Mount Royal University - December 14, 2011
• Gerry Turcotte, St. Mary's University - December 14, 2011
• Christopher Harper - December 14, 2011
• Gordon Ritchie, Winsport/RBC - December 20, 2011
• Bruce Graham, Calgary Economic Development - December 21, 2011
• Mary McConnel, Calgary Economic Development - December 21, 2011
• Bruce Graham, Calgary Economic Development - December 21, 2011

- Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team