Taking Advantage of Summer at Work

With many of our staff on holidays, not just at the City but in other agencies we deal with, the summer months provide an excellent opportunity for those still at work to get caught up. On a regular, day to day basis, the information flow and workload in City Hall can seem relentless. Incoming correspondence from countless sources, e-mails, reporting requirements, Council meeting agendas and minutes, reports to Council and the list goes on. The work is challenging and the days go extremely fast. However, the pace often doesn't allow us to keep up with the less critical, but equally important functions such as keeping files in order, planning for future initiatives, connecting informally with staff and other things that tend to take a back seat when we are busy.

It is important that the CAO and senior staff have an opportunity to get their heads 'out of the trench' and dedicate time to anticipating the future, evaluating what we are doing, how we are doing it and if there are better ways to do it. Too often we do things the same old way, not because it's the best way but because change takes time and effort. More often we are forced to make a reactive change when something goes wrong. However, it is preferable that we make changes 'proactively' so that we have time to think the issues through and implement change effectively. The summer months give us the opportunity to do just that.

Stampede A Huge Success

Another Williams Lake Stampede has come and gone and from all accounts, it was a great success. The weather cooperated for a majority of the weekend, especially Saturday for the Parade. The downtown was a buzz with activity Saturday and hats go off to the WLBIA for a great job organizing Street Party. The Rodeo ran without a hitch as usual with good crowds for all the performances. My only concern was the number of particpants in the Mountain Race as it seemed a little too many to be safe (or as safe as the Mountain Race can be).

The RCMP reported a relatively quiet Stampede Weekend with very few serious incidents. They had a good presence in the community which sets a tone for how folks behave. Our Stampede is certainly becoming more and more a true family event.

I had a little different perspective this year as I spent two mornings slinging bacon and hash browns at the Rotary Breakfast. It was fun to see all the comings and goings and to experience breakfast from the other side of the grill.

Now it's time to put away the cowboy boots and hat and enjoy the rest of summer!