#yyc #yyccc #food #urbanag #LFS #LocalFoodSystem #FoodAccess
I remember a meeting with Chima Nkemdirim @chimaincalgary (Mayor Nenshi's @Nenshi Chief of Staff) in
late 2010. He asked me what my business model was for growing food &
#Urbanag. I asked what his & the city's business model was for growing grass (Kentucky Blue Grass).
There are 10's of 1000's of local food production economic development
opportunities (all sustainable, healthy, nutritious, align with policy:
Triple Bottomline, Sustainability 2020, Onward, imagineCALGARY,
Food Assessment Action Plan, et al). There are very few for growing
grass other than golf/turf management (Almost none that are sustainable,
as most require, or are addicted to, massive doses of chemical
fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides & significant maintenance
resources to the tune of 1,000,000 person hours/annually in #YYC).
The Calgary Food Committee has been around for over 2 years & has,
like so many #YYCCC committees, devolved into a back slapping networking
opportunity. There is literally nothing that has changed in the #YYC
#UrbanAg Local Food System landscape in these 2 years. There is still no
#UrbanAg
Zoning. There are no new #UrbanAg programs. No comprehensive, ranking,
weighted, land inventory to access for aspiring urban farmers (We do
however have some 111,000 acres of unused, empty land in #YYC). We
continue to exist in a simple proteins only local food environment. Of
course, all of this has been suggested to individuals at the highest
municipal level, in council committees & to individual elected and
non elected officials throughout municipal government since 2008.
The Role of an Ombudsman in Strengthening Municipal Democracy
The institution of the ombudsman, first created in Sweden more
than 200 years ago, is designed to provide protection for the
individual where there is a substantial imbalance of power.
Initially, this imbalance was between the citizen and the
state but as the institution has developed, it has embraced other
sectors. Ombudsmen now exist, not just in the public sector, but also
covering the private and independent sectors.
As well as considering complaints about public services,
Ombudsman Association member schemes consider disputes between
consumers and companies or between universities and students, for
example.
However, in the private sector, coverage is fragmented and
sparse with, in a very few cases, some duplication (where the ‘industry
member’ can choose which scheme to belong to). None of this is ideal,
but will require legislation to improve the situation as few sectors
now readily establish schemes voluntarily.
What ombudsmen do
- Ombudsmen offer their services free of charge, and are thus
accessible to individuals who could not afford to pursue their
complaints through the courts.
- They are committed to achieving redress for the individual,
but also, where they identify systemic failings, to seek changes in the
work of the bodies in their jurisdiction, both individually and
collectively.
- They can generally undertake a single investigation into
multiple complaints about the same topic, thus avoiding duplication and
excessive cost.
- They are neutral arbiters and not advocates nor “consumer champions”.
- They normally ask the body concerned and the complainant to try to resolve complaints before commencing an investigation.
- They usually seek to resolve disputes without resort to formal investigations where this is possible and desirable.
- Where they identify injustice, they seek to put this right.
In the private sector, ombudsmen usually have the power to
make recommendations which are binding on the bodies in their
jurisdiction unless successfully challenged through the courts. The
cost of their services is normally met by a charge to the bodies in
their jurisdiction. Most are established by, or as a result of,
statute, and the relevant industry or sector is obliged to participate
in the scheme.
An Ombudsman for Calgary. It's an imagineCalgary Target for 2008, but yet, 6 years later, Calgarians are still waiting for Calgary City Council to initiate this official policy. Montreal & Toronto have civic Ombudsmen.
Alberta provincial government dollars are available as defined in the MSI: "Eligible operating projects include capacity building activities that improve efficiency or effectiveness..."
Let's look a little closer at how an Ombudsman can strengthen our municipal democracy:
The Role of an Ombudsman
The institution of the ombudsman, first created in Sweden more
than 200 years ago, is designed to provide protection for the
individual where there is a substantial imbalance of power.
Initially, this imbalance was between the citizen and the
state but as the institution has developed, it has embraced other
sectors. Ombudsmen now exist, not just in the public sector, but also
covering the private and independent sectors.
As well as considering complaints about public services,
Ombudsman Association member schemes consider disputes between
consumers and companies or between universities and students, for
example.
However, in the private sector, coverage is fragmented and
sparse with, in a very few cases, some duplication (where the ‘industry
member’ can choose which scheme to belong to). None of this is ideal,
but will require legislation to improve the situation as few sectors
now readily establish schemes voluntarily.
What Ombudsmen Do
- Ombudsmen offer their services free of charge, and are thus
accessible to individuals who could not afford to pursue their
complaints through the courts.
- They are committed to achieving redress for the individual,
but also, where they identify systemic failings, to seek changes in the
work of the bodies in their jurisdiction, both individually and
collectively.
- They can generally undertake a single investigation into
multiple complaints about the same topic, thus avoiding duplication and
excessive cost.
- They are neutral arbiters and not advocates nor “consumer champions”.
- They normally ask the body concerned and the complainant to try to resolve complaints before commencing an investigation.
- They usually seek to resolve disputes without resort to formal investigations where this is possible and desirable.
- Where they identify injustice, they seek to put this right.
In the private sector, ombudsmen usually have the power to
make recommendations which are binding on the bodies in their
jurisdiction unless successfully challenged through the courts. The
cost of their services is normally met by a charge to the bodies in
their jurisdiction. Most are established by, or as a result of,
statute, and the relevant industry or sector is obliged to participate
in the scheme.
For more info on an Ombudsman, please consider following the City Ombudsman Project on facebook or the Twitter account: @OmbudsmanYYC
With thanks to the Ombudsman Association.
Paul Hughes, 2014
@paulyhughes
I remember a meeting with Chima Nkemdirim @chimaincalgary (Mayor Nenshi's @Nenshi Chief of Staff) in
late 2010. He asked me what my business model was for growing food &
#Urbanag. I asked what his & the city's business model was for growing grass (Kentucky Blue Grass). 
There are 10's of 1000's of local food production economic development
opportunities (all sustainable, healthy, nutritious, align with policy:
Triple Bottomline, Sustainability 2020, Onward, imagineCALGARY,
Food Assessment Action Plan, et al). There are very few for growing
grass other than golf/turf management (Almost none that are sustainable,
as most require, or are addicted to, massive doses of chemical
fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides & significant maintenance
resources to the tune of 1,000,000 person hours/annually in #YYC).
