First, let me say that I did not attend the seminar on June 3rd, as I only just became aware of it. I am hoping to make the one on the 9th. Therefore, this feedback is only based on the pdf file, and not what may have been added during that meeting. If some of my points were addressed at that meeting, then I apologize for making them here.

I read through this so called 5 year business plan and did not see anything new in there. There are all these plans to hold different festivals downtown to bring people down there. There have been festivals downtown. There have been Show and Shine and others down there. It has not really helped. Yes, while that particular event is on, you may have people down there for the day, but what about the next when there is no event on. Until something is done about the buildings and street people down there, nothing will change, as that is what is keeping people away. There was no mention of this in the 5 year plan. All I could see was ideas to make more money, without offering ways to actually rectify the problems downtown.

I have worked downtown for over a decade. The biggest problem down there is the pan handlers, street people and druggies. They are there because all the Social networks are concentrated there. On George Street between 1st Avenue and 5th Avenue, it reminds me of East Hastings in Vancouver. I have even had tourists tell me the same things. Until something is done to move the Social Services and needle exchanges away from downtown, nothing will change. Want to find a drug dealer downtown, go to the needle exchange. They hang around in front of there. The druggies are also why there is the vandalism downtown. The Social Services, needle exchange and shelters should have been put on the other side of Queensway years ago, and then we wouldn’t be having near so many problems.

Excellent points.

However, based on my experience in producing special events (conceptualizing, promoting, coordinating, acquiring sponsors, etc), I don’t think the running of DPG is a one-person job. However, perhaps 2 or 2.5 people could be the ideal staffing level to get the job done as well as address your concerns regarding bureaucracy and remuneration.

We must remember that at a personal productivity level task-switching is very costly. I believe the scope is far too wide to expect one person to execute properly, even if they did have the skill set. They simply would not have the attention to effectively deal with all the initiatives we all believe must be achieved for a positive downtown.

I enjoyed your presentation, and as I mentioned at the Ramada meeting, I sincerelly appreciate your passion and percerverance with respect to the current disgraceful condition of downtown Prince George.

I copmprehend what you are trying to achieve, but the proposed Downtown Renewal Plan is top heavy with staff, has a disproportionate wages component, and is the beginning of yet another breaucracy.

A brand new organization does not need four staff members to develop the programs that you have recommended. A new organization does not need an Executive Director, and a Public Safety Manager, and a Marketing and Events Coordinator, and an Administrative Assistant. To hire these four positions and collectively pay them only $117,600 is totally unrealistic! You pay peanuts, and you get monkeys!

I strongly believe that the duties of the first three positions can be accomplished by a single, well-paid, talented person. I have recent 2008/2009 experince with this very concept in downrtown Prince Rupert. In Prince Rupert, a single person, ( anew UNBC graduate), with a smart, part-time administrative assistant is accomplishing all of the tasks (and more) that you have identified.

I want your Downtown vision to succeed. We need an impoved downtown. Three of my staff members have had their parked vehicles broken into this past week alone. Please do not let your plan fail, because of the bloated staffing levels that have been proposed.

If the staffing levels are reduced to a single, well paid (and smart) Executive Director, then I will be supporting your vision, and I will work my ass off to help you make it succeed.

David McWalter

I’m a little bit concerned about the big jump in cost to the building owners and I think the public safety manager wages are daunting when I’m not really sure how civilian patrols can really change anything downtown.

Somehow, the online picture of uniformed street patrol people suggests a cross walk guard thing to me — it’s also somehow like barred windows and barbed wire: it says out loud that the downtown is too dangerous to wander unassisted.

How are civilian patrolers going to change things like pan handling, cigarette butts and other disgusting litter, drugs briefly but openly being ingested right on the sidewalk, brief bouts of nudity, difficult personalities, REALLY EMBARASSING SHOUTING, and other uglies?

I very happily and gratefully see the police making a real presence downtown but these relatively minor infractions cannot really be policed well. I see the police pass and within seconds the undesirable behaviours continue without so much as another backward glance.

Can we bring in some kind of heritage promotion and celebrations? I am so very proud of my building and excited about our downtown – it’s almost 100 years old and full of wonderful history that could really excite tourists and residents!

The Keg theme is beautifully appropriate for our downdown. The museum has wonderful pictures of our past. Could we bring back some replica of our beautiful stage coach? Could we set up a replica of our old paddlewheelers? Even if stationary, or a restaurant or something, it would really bring unique colour to our downtown. You should see the archived pictures from the 1950s after the Strand Theatre let out at night — bumper to bumper traffic; lots of people; colourful neon everywhere – truly inspiring. Things like movie theatres and the arts theatre centre they are proposing would definitely bring people downtown. So would children focused events. So would residential components, if anyone is brave enough to live there.

To me, rather than have civilians walking the streets, almost kind of suggesting the streets arent safe, i would rather throw our money into funding concrete things with fun themes that will regularly fill the streets with both tourists and local people looking for recreation, thereby providing safety and normalcy in numbers instead.

Celebrate the good things. We have lots of those too.

I also think you do not need a public safety manager, as the gentleman pointed out. There could certainly be a more senior safety person on the team that does the work, and supervises alongside.

You absolutely need an executive director who is well paid and well supported, or they’ll just keep burning out and moving on. Would the admin person be part-time? The events co-ordinator is a MUST.

Kirk does a great job but it’s time for fresh faces – where are they?? That’s why we need this plan and the resources to do it, so more businesses will see the potential and get involved. It’s to their benefit.