February 2014 Newsletter

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Hello newsletter readers! My Aldertalk sessions have been such a success and an enjoyable experience that it seems only natural that they would continue. In fact, the first Aldertalk of the new term took place last month at Parkland Community Hall. Due to some delays in scheduling it did not make my January column, but thank you to all who showed.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, my Aldertalk sessions are an opportunity to speak with me directly about any topic you like. I book rooms in community halls across the Ward on an almost monthly basis, and make myself available for any questions. All are invited.

For those of you who ARE familiar – yes – I am aware of the incompatibility of the term Aldertalk with my new title of Councillor. I have struggled to come up with a term as catchy as Aldertalk. So if you think you have a catchy new name that fits nicely on a sign, please share. You can bring it with your other queries to Willow Ridge Community Hall (680 Acadia Drive SE) on February 22nd between Noon and 2pm for the second Aldertalk of my second term.

I’m asked Waste and Recycling questions often, even at Aldertalk. Maybe you have a burnt out CFL light bulb, an old car battery, or even a used Christmas tree. It must be disposed of properly, and might even be recyclable, but where do you take it? With the City’s new online ‘What Goes Where’ tool you can now search for a specific item, pick from a list of popular items, or search alphabetically to find the answer to that question. You can find the tool at www.calgary.ca/whatgoeswhere, and if you’re not the ‘online’ type, you can find answers by calling 311.

Through a Notice of Motion and my participation in the 311 Guiding Coalition, I have been working to improve 311 for several years now. I am proud to say that my efforts have helped to speed up the launch of the 311 mobile app, and are contributing to its continual improvement. Part of my June 2012 Notice of Motion mandated that 311 remain citizen focused. As a result, there have been 16 new service request types added to the mobile over the past few months. We will continue to add service requests based on citizen feedback, and improve 311’s responsiveness to citizens. You can download the app at www.calgary.ca/mobileapps

That’s pretty much it for now. For those of you following Anderson Transit-Oriented Development, there will be an open house in the next few months. I will update you as soon as I have details, and feel free to contact me at any time.​