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Mayor Nenshi Reads "Halloween Good Night"


In this Halloween edition of the Mayor Nenshi Reads series, Mayor Nenshi tackles the very serious issue of how monsters and aliens say goodnight to their parents. This one was a bit of a team effort with the sound effect assistance of me and Franca.

Please enjoy our presentation of Halloween Good Night by Doug Cushman and have a safe and fun Halloween!

- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team
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Video: Leader/Citizen/Leader: community building as nation building


Recently, Mayor Nenshi was invited to give the annual Galbraith Lecture at The Harris Centre at Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland. Here's the description of his presentation:
Our strength is in our citizens. Let's explore the potential of citizens to take leadership and understand how we can create more powerful communities of citizen leaders—people who take action and use their own hearts, hands, and minds to make their communities better every day. 
Join Calgary Mayor, Naheed Nenshi, for a discussion and question and answer session as the Harris Centre presents the 2012 John Kenneth Galbraith Lecture in Public Policy.
You can watch the full video (90 minutes) here.

- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team
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Survey says... we're happy Calgarians!

CitSatToday, Mayor Nenshi joined with Ipsos to release the latest Citizen Satisfaction survey. This annual survey is a great third-party, statistically accurate way to measure how Calgarians feel about The City and the services it provides.

The short of it: we're a happy bunch who feel Calgary is on the road to been an even greater city. You can see the full results (and participate in the #heartyyc contest!) here.

Here's the release that was given to media this morning:

CITY CELEBRATES THE CITIZEN SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS WITH "HEARTYYC" CONTEST

Calgary, AB – The 2012 Citizen Satisfaction Survey results are in and 81 per cent of Calgarians believe that The City of Calgary fosters a city that is inclusive and accepting of all.

“The survey shows that Calgarians are happy with their municipal government—with increases in satisfaction since 2010,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

Other notable highlights include:

  • 88 per cent say the quality of life in Calgary is ‘good.’
  • 83 per cent of Calgarians rated The City’s quality of service as consistently high.
  • 81 per cent of Calgarians say they are satisfied with City programs and services.
  • 74 per cent believe that Calgary is moving in the right direction to ensure a high quality of life for future generations.

“This year we’ve received the highest overall satisfaction rating with 95 per cent of Calgarians recognizing the work The City does every day,” says City Manager, Owen Tobert.

The survey proves to be an encouraging report card for City employees.

“We strive to put citizens at the centre of everything we do,” said City Manager, Owen Tobert. “We are proud of The City employees’ efforts to provide quality services.”

The survey also found that 89 per cent of citizens are proud to be Calgarians. “It’s no secret that Calgarians love this city and love living here,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

To celebrate, The City of Calgary is having a HeartYYC contest and inviting Calgarians to post why they love living in Calgary on The City’s Facebook page. Contest judges include Karen Ball, Kris Demeanor, and Simon Mallett—well-known individuals who continue to make Calgary the best place to live. Visit Calgary.ca for more information.

The complete survey findings are available on calgary.ca (opens as PDF)

Onward/ The Citizen Satisfaction survey is an important measure of how well we are doing./ By 2020, The City will continue to deliver services and programs through a culture that supports innovation and is adaptable to Calgary’s changing needs.

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- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team
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Video: Transforming Government with Mayor Nenshi



In The City of Calgary's latest Report to Calgarians on Global TV, Mayor Nenshi talks about how The City is transforming government to make life better for all of us.

To learn about the latest Transforming Government projects and services, please visit TransformingGov.ca.

- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team
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Video: Is Calgary the "city of the future"?


In early October, Toronto Star reporter Christopher Hume visited Calgary and had a chat with Mayor Nenshi. In this video, Hume suggests that Calgary may just be the Canadian city of the future. His discussion with Mayor Nenshi includes talk about the greatest challenge facing all Canadian cities: paying for the infrastructure we need to support the more than 80% of Canadians who live in cities. 

Here's a quote from Mayor Nenshi in this interview:
When you have a great city, people invest in it and you actually grow the economy. And if we can't continue to provide cities that are attractive for people to live in, then we lose that economic engine.
- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team
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Video: Cutting red tape at City Hall


In this edition of Shaw TV's City Matters, Mayor Nenshi speaks with Phoenix Phillips about The City of Calgary's Cut Red Tape initiative

To share your own experiences with red tape and your suggestions on how to cut it, please fill out this survey before November 15, 2012.

- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team
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Making Calgary even better

Naheed Nenshi - formalI write a regular column in the Calgary Herald. Here is the full text of my October story: 

Nearly two years ago, Calgarians elected a new mayor and city council with a mandate for real change. As I did last year, I thought it would be helpful to provide a progress report on what’s been done and what work remains for the final year of our term.

In 2011, your council unanimously passed our fiscal plan for Calgary after consulting with more than 20,000 citizens. The plan begins with these words:
Calgarians have always been innovative, confident, entrepreneurial, and willing to make things better. They expect no less from their city council. We need to continue to transform government, becoming better at delivering the services Calgarians need. We do that by valuing City of Calgary employees as colleagues, and by empowering them to do their jobs better. We will strive to be more efficient and more effective, while focusing on transparency and engagement with all Calgarians.
So, how are we doing? Some changes were quick: finally getting a direct bus to the airport, starting a pilot project on cutting red tape by approving food trucks, halving the sprawl subsidy that encouraged unsustainable growth, and improving snow removal.

Some of the more systemic changes will take longer to implement, but we have laid a strong groundwork to make Calgary an even better place to live in the future, while maintaining our property tax rates among the lowest in Canada.

Significant progress has been made on each of the five main elements of the plan.

First: ensuring every Calgarian lives in a safe community and has the opportunity to succeed. Crime rates are the lowest in a generation, and Calgarians report that they feel that our city is safe. To ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to participate fully in their communities, we also launched the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative. I'm excited about the big ideas coming forth on how we can use existing community resources to help those most in need.

Second: investing in great communities and a vibrant urban fabric. I'm proud of the first investments from the new Community Investment Fund. We've been able to support parks, libraries, recreation and fire halls and equipment using these newly available funds. Soon, we will also see a new Central Library and four new recreation centres in parts of the city that are sorely lacking.

Third: moving people and goods throughout the city efficiently and sustainably. We have embarked on a major strategic, operational and customer service plan for Calgary Transit known as RouteAhead, and have dedicated major funds — pending provincial government release of the money — to reduce congestion on the existing LRT system and improve transit service to southeast Calgary. Major road projects like the airport tunnel remain on time and on budget, and the enhanced level of snow clearing has received rave reviews.

We are also making a modest, but important, investment in commuter cycling infrastructure. Improving safety and convenience for cyclists reduces congestion on our roads and on transit. Not only does it give people who would otherwise be in a car or on a train another transportation option, it also improves efficiency for everyone by separating bike, vehicle, and pedestrian traffic.

Fourth: making Calgary the best place in Canada for a business to start and flourish. The cut red tape initiative is already yielding results, saving businesses who deal with the city many hours and thousands of dollars. Council also agreed to consolidate the business tax with the non-residential property tax, eliminating our stand-alone business tax and putting us on par with other Canadian cities.

Fifth: becoming a more effective and disciplined organization. We are undertaking a number of initiatives under the title of “transforming government” to create a culture of constant, relentless, citizen-focused improvements at the city. This includes the introduction of zero-based budget and operational reviews throughout the organization. We are also launching a major review of our city planning processes to streamline the system and make it easier to build great things.

Finally, we must focus on changing the rules of the game to ensure better financial capacity. As a city of well over a million people, we cannot rely on the whims of other levels of government to fund our capital needs. We require transparent, predictable funding for the long term. In transit alone, we will need up to $8 billion over the next 30 years to fund new capital projects, including new bus rapid transit and LRT lines. Planning for a project of this scope is challenging when we have no idea what funds will be available to finance its construction.

That’s why we are having conversations with the provincial government about getting a city charter for Calgary. While this sounds dry, it is probably the most important thing your council is working on. Getting this right will ensure that the city can continue to grow and be prosperous, free of bickering and buck passing between governments. 

I'm proud of what your council has accomplished, but much work remains. Long-term projects require vision and focus. We must be diligent in our stewardship.

The opportunity to be mayor of Calgary is humbling. Thank you for giving me this chance.

- Mayor Naheed Nenshi

You can visit the Calgary Herald online version of this story here.
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Mayor Nenshi's office budget and expenses: Jan. 1, 2012 - Sept. 30, 2012

Below are the Mayor’s Office expenses for January 1, 2012 to September 30, 2012. This is part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and openness.

The below document includes a budget summary as well as the details of the expenses in areas like travel, hosting, and communications.

Overall, the Mayor's Office is under budget for the year to date.



(Click here to download/view the above budget document using Google Drive)



(Click here to download/view the above expenses document using Google Drive)

- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team
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Your Turn to Cut Red Tape at City Hall

2011-0550 Cut the red tape_p7.indd
City of Calgary launches Cut Red Tape survey
Calgarians asked for solutions to their red tape experiences

Calgary, AB: Today, Mayor Naheed Nenshi unveiled The City of Calgary’s latest step to continue to cut red tape at City Hall. The Council-supported Cut Red Tape initiative is a chance for all Calgarians to share their solutions to cut red tape based on their own experiences working with The City.

Citizens can complete the Cut Red Tape survey at www.cutredtape.ca or by calling 3-1-1. The survey will run until November 15, 2012.

“By cutting red tape, we’re making it easier and better for citizens to interact with The City,” said Mayor Nenshi. “The best solutions to red tape often come from those who experience it directly—that’s why it’s so important to ask citizens for their ideas.”

Every red tape experience and related solution will be reviewed and considered for implementation. Updates will be provided at www.cutredtape.ca.
Cutting red tape at City Hall
Mayor Nenshi and Alderman Demong literally cut red tape
to launch the new survey.

Phase One of the Cut Red Tape initiative was launched in March 2011 and included asking City of Calgary employees what they felt could be done to improve customer service at The City of Calgary by cutting red tape. More than 180 submissions were received over two weeks and a handful of recommendations are being implemented and many business units are including many of the other recommendations in future work plans.

For Phase Two, Mayor Nenshi brought together a host of business advocacy organizations to collaborate on solutions to cut red tape. This involved asking the various organization memberships for red tape solutions and determining, as an advisory group, the next steps for implementing short, medium, and long-term recommendations. More than 200 submissions were received during this phase.

Since this initiative began, The City of Calgary has implemented a number of improvements to remove anything obsolete, redundant, wasteful or confusing that diminishes Calgary’s economic and lifestyle competitiveness. Examples of these changes include:
  • Increased (and continue to increase) the number of online 3-1-1 Service Requests from 40 to now over 100
  • Increased ability for citizens to register for recreation classes by training 50 staff across the city to make it easy to register for recreation courses right at the facility
  • Made it possible to book inspections through 3-1-1 with simply giving a permit number or address
  • Made it possible for business customers and the trades industry to book appointments online (eAppointment)
A longer list of changes can be seen on the below backgrounder.

To submit a suggestion to cut red tape, or learn more about the program, visit www.cutredtape.ca.

-30-

BACKGROUNDER

In Phases One and Two of the Cut Red Tape initiative (www.cutredtape.ca), we asked City of Calgary employees and the Calgary business community, respectively, what red tape could be cut. We received hundreds of great suggestions and some changes are already being made (e.g. more online services, easier recreation registration, improving 3-1-1, etc). We are planning to implement as many cut red tape improvements as we can in the coming months.

Phase Three of the Cut Red Tape initiative asks all Calgarians to recommend ways to improve how The City of Calgary works with citizens.

Examples of improvements made through this initiative include:

3-1-1 Improvements
  • Increased (and continue to increase) the number of online Service Requests from 40 to now over 100.
  • Simplified various Service Requests to reduce the number of questions a caller is asked.
  • Increased the number of Service Requests that don't require the caller’s name (unless needed).
  • Improved status reporting specifically related to Roads requests.
Development & Building Approvals
  • Created ability for citizens to book appointments with Development and Building Approvals.
  • Created capability to book inspections through 3-1-1.
  • Allowing trades and businesses to see the estimated fees prior to completing online applications.
  • Enabled counter employees to provide customers with up to five free photocopies.
  • Enabled 3-1-1 access to view trade permits online.
  • Created trade show licenses have been changed from show-specific licences to venue-specific licences, shifting the ownership of adhering to planning and fire requirements on the venue instead of each individual trade show that comes to Calgary.
Recreation Registration
  • Increased ability for citizens to register for recreation classes by training 50 staff across the city to complete the registration at the facility counter.
  • Created three "how to..." videos for online customers.
  • Installed kiosks in recreation centres so citizens can register for classes themselves.
- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team
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Mayor Nenshi's meetings: September 2012

Office sign photo

Below is a list of external meetings hosted by the Mayor during the month of September 2012.

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

September meetings included:
  • Peter Kujawinski, US Consul General - September 4, 2012
  • Greg Turnbull, Calgary Zoological Society - September 4, 2012
  • Clement Lanthier, Calgary Zoological Society - September 4, 2012
  • Mike Shaik, Calgary Police Commission - September 5, 2012
  • H. E. Zhang, Ambassador of China - September 5, 2012
  • Governor Mark Carney, Bank of Canada - September 6, 2012
  • Jack Redekop, Seton Sport, Recreation, Culture and Wellness Society - September 11, 2012
  • Vern Kimball, Calgary Stampede - September 11, 2012
  • Mike Casey, Calgary Stampede - September 11, 2012
  • Arif Lalani, Ambassador of Canada to the United Arab Emirates - September 11, 2012
  • Julianne McKinnon, Stratavera Partners - September 12, 2012
  • Mike Urquhart, Stratavera Partners - September 12, 2012
  • John Rook, Calgary Homeless Foundation - September 12, 2012
  • Rick Farrell, Calgary Homeless Foundation - September 12, 2012
  • Paige Douglass, The Clearing - September 13, 2012
  • Patti Engstrom, The Clearing - September 13, 2012
  • Alison T. Love, Calgary Foundation/Kahanoff Centre - September 13, 2012
  • Vicki Willis, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks - September 13, 2012
  • Glenn McMurray, Calgary Foundation/Kahanoff Centre - September 13, 2012
  • Kathi Sundstrom, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks - September 13, 2012
  • Eva Frieson, Calgary Foundation - September 13, 2012
  • David Swanson, YYC Airport Authority - September 13, 2012
  • Garth Atkinson, YYC Airport Authority - September 13, 2012
  • Gianna Manes, Enmax - September 19, 2012
  • Greg Melchin, Enmax - September 19, 2012
  • Paul Zed, Cisco - September 19, 2012
  • Greg Masniuk, Cisco - September 19, 2012
  • Mahyar Khosravi, Cisco - September 19, 2012
  • Shirley Stunzi, Cisco - September 19, 2012
  • John Hall, Accenture - September 19, 2012
  • Harvey Lam, Tri-Sector Forum, September 20, 2012
  • Matthew Thomas, Tri-Sector Forum, September 20, 2012
  • Ryan Meili - September 25, 2012
  • Woolsey Smith, Craigavon Borough Council, Northern Ireland - September 25, 2012
  • David Smith - September 25, 2012
- Posted by Daorcey from Mayor Nenshi's team