Common Council gets down to budget deliberations in earnest tonight after learning its unconditional grant from the province will be cut next year by 200 thousand dollars. That, along with a freeze on property assessments, is going to make it challenging to say the least, according to Mayor Ivan Court.
The Mayor estimates the city spends something like 800 thousand dollars on community events and that could be in jeopardy. City Police and the Fire Department have been told to limit their budget increases next year to an even 1 per cent.
Court says Council will have to distinguish between wants and needs with the needs coming first and the wants getting any money that may be left over.
The budget is not expected to be ready until sometime in January.
Some developers don't appear to be happy at what appears will be a change with future development in the city with less building outward and more upward closer to the urban core.
Urban designer Mark Reid tells CHSJ News the city will have to work with developers, asking them what they need to make this work along with sprucing up what have become known as the priority neighbourhoods and putting its money where its mouth is with incentives.
Plan SJ is looking at a growth boundary being established in the outskirts of the city to put a halt to urban sprawl. Suburban growth would be concentrated on Gault Road, Forest Hills, Lakewood and Millidgeville.
There's a byelection in the city today with voters in Ward 3 being asked to go to the polls are select someone to fill the seat on Common Council which became vacant with Carl Killen's election as the M-L-A for Saint John Harbour.
There are six candidates on the ballot....... Jay Chang, John Campbell, Anne Marie Mullen, Mark Leger, Dan Robichaud and Mel Norton.
The town councillor at large position will be filled with the byelection in Grand Bay-Westfield. There are three candidates to choose from........Stephen Evans, Mike Likely and Allen Titus.
The polls open at 10 this morning and close at 8 tonight.
Your level of literacy can mean the difference between moving up at work or staying still.
The Saint John Learning Exchange is partnering with local employers to offer skills training and it many cases it leads to a full-time job.
Executive Director Christina Fowler tells CHSJ News literacy is about more than reading and writing.
Fowler says literacy really means that you can get a job but, you do not have the skills to move to the next.
The Saint John Learning Exchange relies on government for about 70 per cent of their funding, the rest is through donations and fundraising.
For more information go to www.sjle.org
A watermain leak at the Port causing those living on the lower West Side to lose their water for a few hours this morning.
Spokespeson Chesley Hynes with the Department of Water and Sewerage tells CHSJ News things are back to normal.
He says the leak began around 6am.
He adds crews will be spending the day making repairs but there won't be any loss of service.
The River Road Community Alliance looking for support from Common Council to continue its work fixing the Westfield Road.
President Mike Bonga says they're looking for money for phase B, which would involve improvements from civic address 2300 and onward.
The remainder of phase A has already been approved and will be completed in the 2011 construction season. The group is also appealing to the province for funding to repair the Martinon Bridge.
A price tag has not been attached to the phase B funding.
The flurries yesterday afternoon causing some headaches on the road.
City police report 14 accidents as the snow fell. No serious injuries but police are reminding drivers to slow down this time of year.
Also, a moose is dead and two cars are banged up after a moose-vehicle collison on the airport arterial.
One car struck the moose and then another followed suit as the moose was on the ground.
No one was hurt.
If you live in Ward 3, tomorrow is the day you choose your ward's city councillor.
There are six candidates running for the empty seat left by Carl Killen, who became the MLA for Saint John Harbour back in September.
The polls are open from 10am to 8pm.
About 680 people cast their ballots at advance polls and through special ballots.
Voting locations are:
Carleton Community Centre, 82 Market Place West
Boys and Girls Club, 1 Paul Harris Street
St. John the Baptist/King Edward School, 223 St. James Street
St. Joachim's Parish Hall, 603 Loch Lomond Road
Returning Office, 120 MacDonald Street in Loch Lomond Mall
The Mackay Highway going westbound is backed up due to a multi-vehicle accident.
The crash occured around 8 o'clock at the Rothesay Avenue overpass.
No serious injuries but police are cautioning all drivers to slow down and drive carefully.
A nice honour for a local company from south of the border.
J.D. Irving winning the award for the creation of and it's committment to the Irving Nature Park.
It's the second time J.D.I. is being recognized by the Gulf of Maine Council Awards.
In 2004, the company picked up the Visionary Award for its work in watersheds and coastal areas of the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine.
JDI Naturalist Kelly Honeyman accepting the most recent award in Portland Maine earlier this month.
The Province's Department of the Coastal Areas and the Marine Branch of the Province's Department of the Environment nominating the company.
The Saint John Police Force encouraging you not to drink and drive over the Holidays or ever.
The annual Impaired driving enforcement program for the Christmas season is underway.
Traffic Enforcement Officer Jeff Lafrance tells CHSJ News part of the program involves educating the public.
He says unfortuneately they still have to tell people that drunk driving is a very dangerous and it could lead to death something police do not want that on our streets and highways.
The Saint John Police Force will be conducting spot checks throughout the city.
Since December 1st, 8 impaired driving charges have been laid.
WorkSafeNB investigating a workplace death that claimed the life of a 44-year-old Quispamsis man.
Leonard Allan Deveau was working with a crew at McDonald Applicators Limited, using a boom truck to load a 1-ton metal drum suspended by a sling.
As the sling was raised, the drum slipped out and struck Deveau.
WorkSafeNB health and safety officers are investigating to find out how the accident could have been prevented and if there were any violations to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
There have been complaints about the winter street parking ban from the lower west side.
Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase says the city will conduct a review on whether there should be more exemptions in addition to the one affecting those drivers who live along the portion of Douglas Avenue that's closest to Main Street North.
The head of Municipal Operations Paul Groody says the ban is working well and he is cautioning Common Council to be careful about making any changes but Chase maintains there are some anomalies which need to be addressed.
Mayor Ivan Court is dismissing the criticism being voiced during the byelection campaign about Common Council being out of touch with what the people of Saint John consider to be priorities.
Court points to the 2010 citizen's survey which indicates the priorities of Council are very much in line with those of Saint Johnners.
Court maintains reducing the tax rate is not the top priority of people who live in the city.
Anne-Marie Mullin is taking her second crack at getting a seat on Common Council.
She ran two years ago and is taking a run at the Ward 3 seat left behind by councillor-turned-MLA Carl Killen.
Mullin tells CHSJ News her campaign principles are pretty straight-forward.
She says she advocate for greater accountability, transparency and respect around the table.
She says the important files she wants to tackle are clean drinking water and air quality.
Ward 3 Candidate Mark Leger is feeling great as voting day for the byelection approaches on Monday.
He tells CHSJ News the people he is meeting going door to door want city hall to focus on services and infrastructure improvements that impact them directly.
He says voters want them to spend less time on big projects like Peel Plaza, the parking garage and the transit building and more time on quality of life issues.
Leger adds water is the issue that affects the entire city and he thinks the city should find the funding to get a water treatment plant build so we don't continue to have the embarrassment of boil water orders.
An investigation has been launched by Worksafe NB into what went wrong after a 44 year old unidentified man was killed in an industrial accident at the McAllister Industrial Park. City Police say a barrel was being loaded onto a truck when it somehow broke free and struck the victim.
A veteran blood donor will escort his granddaughter for her inaugural donation today.
Harry Cross, who has given blood more than 600 times will welcome granddaughter Amy to kick off the Holiday blood drive of Canadian Blood Services.
Amy Cross is a Grade 12 student at Saint John High School. Harry Cross is one of three New Brunswickers to donate blood 600 times.
C-B-S is asking busy shoppers to give them one hour of their busy schedule to donate blood.
The Crosses will make their donations at noon today at Canadian Blood Services in Millidgeville.
When its lease expires, The Bargain Shop at the top of King Street will be closing its doors. At one time when Shirley McAlary was Mayor there was talk of an IMAX theatre going up there. The General Manager of Uptown Saint John Peter Asimakos tells CHSJ News he doesn't anticipate it will lay idle for very long.
He says a property of that value with it's proximity to the park and other uptown assets will remain vacant for long but, it may requires substantial changes.
As for the Paramount Theatre, Asimakos says a business plan has just been completed with the conclusion that the project will be self sustaining.
Ward 3 candidate Mel Norton is hoping to take his place at the council horseshoe after Monday's byelection to fill the council seat left behind my Carl Killen.
He tells CHSJ News he brings a lot to the table with his law background.
He says in his everyday life he advocates for clients and he can bring the same approach to common council.
Norton says he's being told by citizens that clean drinking water is a huge concern, which means he'll make it his top priority.
If you live in Ward 3, Monday, December 13th is the last day to cast your vote.
