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We hear a lot about accountability these days. Here, right in our own town, is a true model. Only after taking full stock of what we have, and who we are, can there be any fruitful debate on where we are going as we approach the coming millennium. The City has done an important, and responsible, job. Grandma would be proud. The 24 business plans will, when completed, be an essential tool of the redesign. These plans will aid in discovering what realâ€" ly drives costs in each department; helps the staff in each departâ€" ment become more aware of the impact they have in their jobs; and may uncover the potential for any revenue that could be genâ€" crated within the unit. Rob Deyman, Senior Consultant of Organisational Effectiveness for the City, told me that the estimated cost savings to Waterioo, as a result of the redesign is 10 per cent over the next three years â€" an estimated $700,000 a year â€" beginning in 1997. The longâ€" term goal is for the City to become selfâ€"sufficient, and thereby nonâ€"reliant on provincial grants, by 2000. Deyman said that the City‘s redesign is "so much more than a restructuring. It is looking at the way we track the roles people play, our slulls and knowledge base. It is quite comprehensive and tmes to attack all aspects of what we are, and do, as a City." Deyman adds, that he is not aware of "any other municipality that has attempted so comprehensive a municipal redesign". As a city, Waterioo is breaking new ground in this area, and has recerved calls of interest on the project from Victoria, St. John, N.B., and internationally from the Philippines and Tanzania, as ~_Smeeiiiiiie.." In the City of Waterloo‘s case, p n there are 24 pantries, ert, business infdodbedibedeedodiea i)) units that were analysed. City staff requested 18 months to finish the project, but Council wanted it completed in 12 months, and staff are on target for completion by year end Every year, exactly two weeks before Christmas Day, my Grandmother would open the doors of her kitchen pantry, and thoroughly clean it out. it was an elaborate exercise, the first step in the preparation of the feast to come. Rolling up her sleeves, full containers, and making lists of what she needed to buy new. it was an exercise that she continued all her life. Even when she was sick and facing what was to be the last Christmas we were to spend together, she still insisted that Pantry Day contin ue. I recall that when 1 protested, and suggested that we skip the cleaning for this one year, she pulled herself up and looked stem ly into my eyes. "Lisaâ€"girl", she said with a air of rightcous indignation, "How can you know what you need, if you don‘t actually know what you‘ve got?" She was right. We spent that last 0“1 Pantry Day together. Watching her THE | | e sock of bet laichen: L leagned a Waterloo Town Square Deborah Cranda 75 King St South, Suite 201 Tim Gardner Waterloo, Ontanio Display Adverti N2J 1P2 Jennifer Bettke Telephone _ 886â€"2830 Maureen McNab Fax No. 886â€"9383 OPIvION In a sense, this is the same exerâ€" cise that the City of Waterloo has completed with the its Redesign proâ€" ject, which was celebrated at Grandma and her pantry, you evenâ€" tually have to poke about the cupâ€" boards to know what is really Gerry Mattice Pete Cudhea (Sp.Ed.) Deborsh Crandall Melodee Martinuk Heather Mitchell Andrew Pearen Denise Tucker Shannon Blacker Lynn Mitchell None of them sounds like a moncy-'mzkzr W};atr;boul the restaurant? Every amateur figures he‘s an expert on restaurants because he eats every day. Make money on food? Eyewash! Kitchener Coun. Mike Wagner, who‘s always on a cityâ€"as developer kick, sees the building as housing restaurants, a criminology museum, a children‘s museum and at vanous times, as home to the Waterloo County Hall of Fame Crowbar Hotel: A regional commuttee is having a whir| at finding a future for the old Waterloo county jail and governor‘s house. All the options except one make no sense That reasonable option would be to demolish the buildings But, given Kitchener council‘s proclivity for messing around with white elephants, there‘s a chance the jail will be sold to Kitchener with the understanding the city will develop it. By all accounts, the meetings hit new lows in fatuous oratoâ€" ry. I don‘t know about the politicians having intwtive power, but they‘re certainly great at forestalling the future No, I wasn‘t at recent regional council meetâ€" ings on restructunng. For the same reason, I haven‘t spent a lot of time watching paint dry or puddles freeze Comments ranged from Kitchener Mayor Chnstys "It would be an insult.." to Waterloo Coun. Joan McKinnon‘ claim that the region is making progress without a mediator No Help Wanted: Regional mayors and politicians are mostly poohâ€"poohing the prospect of a provincial mediator to help regional restructuring the underâ€"aged and too many teenagers who look much older than their years Probably, the wouldâ€"be buyers will be glad when they‘re of age. Then at will, they can puff on cigarettes, cigars and for certain, the stairs Regional police are cracking down on retailers who sell cigâ€" _ invest in the project, although there‘s talk of a catalys. Thats arettes to minors but it‘s not something they can expect to _ an ominous and potentially costly word, as the recent S stamp out Jerome‘s venture and adventure shows. Theres too much phony ID, too many fmends who‘ll buy for _ And let‘s remember that nothing historic ever happened at Happily, there‘s an admission that no council h;s]mo:ey to Demolish Waterloo county jail ie maggauio ht s eangite Sharon Walter Jerry Fischer Rick Campbell Group Publisher Cheryl McMener Millie Martin Darlene Rovle Publisher: Rick Campbell > The Waterloo Chronicle is published by The Fai a division of Southam Inc. 75 King St. S., Suite 201, Thl’ views ()[ our the views of the r / figure with their record profits « there‘s gotta be room for some competition, : Waterloo Chronicle is published mw on dan aipranaids Eepummere ty re present views of our columnists are their own and do not necessarily views of the newspaper. PPTC ONCE OVER |JGHTIY Say, speaking of English and its niceties, one Reform MP is 0ppos‘:s 128 bilingualism and doesn‘t want an ~{oreig" languages taught in school. He says that if English was good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for all Canadians. The Fairway Group Subscription rates 240 Holiday Inn Dr., Unit F $45 yearly in Canada Cambridge, On. $90 yearly outside Canada N3C 3X4 +GSTI International Standard Serial Mumber Strike That Cliche: I don‘t purport to be the last word on proper language, but 1 know a cliche when I see or hear one. That cliche of the season is once more "winter wonderland". Given the number of words there are in the language, "win ter wonderland" has popped up with disconcerting {requengy on CKCO newscasts and in the Record photo captions (Call it a personal aversion, but the cliche drives mt bananas. Still, some would say it‘s not a drive at all, that its only a short putt.) 2 RMepRMEDTATCOCTE They‘re testing an electric car, bu 11s overall 7 cost is prohibitive. That‘s unlike a previous model. You could drive all the way to e Vancouver on three dollars worth of «lâ€"cincity p There was only one hitch â€" that $50,000 _ extension cord. Fallen Leaves: The Toronto Maple Leals after a faltering start have slowed almost completcly Any day now we‘ll see encores of the terrible jokes that bugged the lousy Leaf teams in the midâ€"1980s Sample: What has 46 legs, is ferocious and dwells in the c lar? The Toronto Maple Leafs. (1 was just kidding about the ferocious.) the jail, unless you count the escape o| Pelietier and Lauzon, the Ayr bank robbers Gosh, ultiâ€" mately they couldn‘t have been more unlucky if during the robbery, the bank has repossessed their getaway car. High Octane: We‘re a long way past the peak driving season, but the price of gasoline hasnt dropped appreciably. h anesiaiengre, Consider th major pay cut rewarded its e es. More recer Saddledome i renamed the A! Al so it was n approaching t three pay cut Canadian pro deeper proble roll. Going ba ly allowed the those intrins demand for inevitable. But, as Ha wage cuts wer lems, it wou Canadian em pay cuts in 1 salaries far be this would b at that. Muct based on its asking his m joined in this of Public E clearly in tro of its employ in order for i justified virtually un incredibly With a