Earl Answers a Question on Municipal Policing

Question:  "What are your thoughts on municipal policing?  It is just something that has come up in my circles as a topic of discussion.

Earl Porter's Answer:

The RCMP charges the City well over $2 million per year.  There are around 25 members in Portage.  The problem is we are a training centre for Junior officers and after a year or 2 they are transferred out.  It is a revolving door.  By doing this we never have any continuity in our force and our people who really get familiar with our situation.  On the other hand starting a Municipal force like Morden, Winkler, or Brandon is very expensive.

The City has talked to Brandon Police about training and it is also very expensive.  The RCMP have their own agenda and can refuse to enforce a City Bylaw like the curfew.  A Municipal force would take direction form the City and address problems we request.  There is good and bad on both sides of the equation.

I do not think for financial reasons this is the time to change our present situation.  Perhaps with the RCMP Inspector that is here currently,  will be more approachable than our past ones.  He seems to walk the walk

I attended the Terrier game on Friday and was impressed with the new rink.  Too bad we lost in  OT.
Also attended Children's Wish fundraiser at Bostons Pizza and won one of the draws.

What brought me to City Hall

Theft and vandalism plagued the City in the mid 90’s and as a result I spearheaded the implementation of the Curfew Bylaw.  In 1998 I successfully ran for City Council and served 8 years.

During that time I sat on the following committees:

Public Safety

Transportation

Community Services

Waterworks

Economic Development

Community Policing

Beautification

Yellowhead Highway 

Portage Regional Landfill

Handivan

Our City Council's achievements over those eight years were the following:

City and RM Tax Sharing Agreement

Simplot

Splash Island to replace the Lions Pool [on budget]

Several Years of Zero Tax Increases

New Bingo Hall

Crescent Lake Walking Path

Crescent Lake Bank Stabilization

New Rescue Truck at the Portage Fire Department

Kelly K Subdivision

I truly enjoyed council and all of its challenges and achievements.


I am asking for your support for Mayor on Wednesday, October 27th, 2010.

My Interests

Terrie and I are supporters of the Rotary Student Exchange Program.  Cole went to Taiwan for a year with this program.  We have since hosted Clair from France and Tobias from Norway living in our home for 4 months each.

I was a volunteer for the 2006 Canada Senior Games and the 2010 Power Smart Manitoba Winter Games.  I have coached Minor Hockey and was a Meet Official for the Piranha Swim Club.  I have done fundraising for the Portage Terrier Hockey Club by organizing Golf Tournaments and Socials.  I have been involved with Toastmasters and the Kinsmen Club.

My hobbies include carpentry, golf and old cars.

My Platform

Debt Management

The new Council’s next 4 years will be a struggle to make ends meet because of the massive debt our present City Council has incurred.  It is imperative that the new Council work as a team to manage our debt while maintaining our City’s infrastructure within a budget.  Huge tax increases do not benefit our City, our Businesses or our Citizens.  Instead of increasing taxes to cover the PCU Centre debt, I would propose paying this debt in the form of a Levy, just as you would for paving streets.  When the debt is paid the Levy would be dropped.  That way tax payers would know what they are paying for and when it would end.  

Increased Communication

City Council represents the Citizens of Portage la Prairie and makes decisions on behalf of those Citizens.   Our last council failed at this task miserably.  Council has to listen to public input and act accordingly.  Far too often issues of public interest or importance are held in camera.  I will not allow this to happen with the next council if elected. 

Community Support

Businesses in Portage have always been very generous and have supported various groups and causes. The latest proof of that fact is the generosity shown to the Centennial Community Club Inc. who want to manage the 3^rd ice sheet at the Centennial Arena despite Council's determination to close the facility.  Legitimate grass root initiatives have to be supported by Council, if not in dollars, then in some other way to help.

Economic Development

While I was on Council, a Tax Sharing Agreement was made with the RM of Portage and the City in which it was agreed to share taxes on any new development in our respective areas.  Simplot locating to Portage was a direct result of that ground breaking agreement.  Good relations with staff and councillors from both sides made that deal happen and I intend to maintain that relationship if elected.

Attracting new business, big or small, to Portage la Prairie is good for our City.  Before any business relocates or starts up in a new location, they have obvious concerns, such as cost of land, taxes, water availability, zoning, trained labour, and red tape.  We fall short in two of these concerns.  First is taxes and the second is trained labour.  We have an Immigration Policy somewhere in City Hall collecting dust and the trip to the Ukraine has produced nothing.  If we want to increase our chances to attract business we have to look seriously at our Immigration Policy and make it work like other Cities and Towns in Manitoba who have been very successful.  Council must also stay focused on the businesses we already have in Portage.  Keeping Portage a healthy place to do business will also enhance our possibilities of attracting new prospects.

I was on Council when it was decided to develop the Kelly K Street Subdivision.  The intent was to  provide reasonably priced lots for the public or independent contractors to increase housing starts and create jobs.  It Worked!  We now have about 25 new homes on that street.

This is a small example of what Council can do to create jobs and increase housing and I believe Council should continue on this path.  City Council recently made an about face on that project and sold the remaining 28 lots to one individual contractor and new starts have halted.

  

Public Safety

Have you been to the Provincial Building on a court day lately???

The Women’s Provincial Gaol is scheduled to close in 2011.  There has been no word from the Province as to what their plans are for the building.  The building is connected to Court of Queens Bench. Court is presently in the Provincial Building and is surrounded by health and safety issues for court staff and other government workers located in the building.  The holding cells are small and inadequate for the number of prisoners being held. There is a shortage of interview rooms which often doubled for female or juvenile holding cells and safety for all is a nightmare.

I will lobby the Provincial Justice Minister and recommend that the Women’s Gaol would be the ideal place to hold all the courts. The result would be adequate holding facilities for all prisoners, space for proper interview rooms and increase safety for the staff, lawyers, judges, public and prisoners.  This is a common sense solution to our present situation.

The upcoming election is very important to our City.  It is not about personalities, it’s about who is right for the job.  It is about making decisions based on experience, maturity and grass roots common sense. I have the experience.  My years on Council, running a successful business and 10 years in the RCMP is a life time of experience.  I have lived in Portage most of my life and I know the challenges our community faces, both urban and rural.   Most importantly, I will stand up for what I believe in.  

  

I can be reached for comments or concerns at many places.  Feel free to contact me at my residence, by gmail @ earljporter@gmail.com or find me on facebook (me and my 55chevy) and follow the link to my blog, earlporterformayor.blogspot.com

    

On OCT 27th I ask for your Support.