The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to take stock of how we are living our lives. A great time to review the goals we have set for ourselves, a time to ensure we are moving in the direction we want to go.
This requires the willingness to reflect and honestly assess our progress, scrutinizing how efficiently we have been spending our time and resources, assessing our savings and expenditures. This process of personal inventory and accounting can be arduous and time consuming. However the results are worthwhile, energizing and often liberating.
This process is exactly what council is engaged in at a corporate level. Each of your city’s management team is taking their turn presenting reports and budgets to your representatives (council) on progress made in 2015 and plans for 2016. We have been hearing about water, sewer, hydro, roads, parks, trees, information technology, facilities maintenance, recreation, libraries, fire services, police services, arts, culture and economic development.
We are also reviewing and sharing how each of us has executed our duties and responsibilities. This evaluation process is much richer now that council has the benefit of our first year behind us. We have a wonderful mix of experience and perspectives around the council table which always leads to some lively discussions. Decorum is easily maintained because even the most staunchly conservative and those with very progressive liberal views recognize that it is through respectful listening and debate that we will find the best course of action.
We actually have more in common with each other than we would like to admit. We would all agree that “There is no place like home” especially when that home is in Nelson, BC. We have a common goal, which is to make the best decisions on behalf of our constituents to ensure that Nelson remains one of the best communities in the world to live, work, and raise a family.
My personal New Year’s reflections caused me to consider the many blessings for which I am so grateful including the decision to make Nelson our home. I also want to be very clear that it is the unique contribution of every person who lives in Nelson that makes it such a great place. A recent phenomenon is using people’s level of happiness to measure the health of a community.
I subscribe to the view that true happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done. Of course it is a decision we each make internally and then when our actions reflect that internal decision we demonstrate and share our happiness. Nelson has many happy people. The reward of being willing to donate time, effort and resources to endeavours that help others, creates more happiness.
According to a report prepared for Nelson’s Social Planning Action Network and the Women’s Centre “Nelson is home to well over 80 non-profit organizations that rely on assistance from volunteers.” Looking for more happiness? Get involved. To the many Nelsonites who already contribute, thank you for helping to make Nelson the great community that it is.
Questions or comments? Please contact me directly at mdailly@nelson.ca.
Nelson city councillor Michael Dailly shares this space each week with his council colleagues.