Options to reduce city costs during the Pandemic and beyond

From: J Birch <Birch403@outlook.com> Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2020, 8:37 PM To: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca; Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca; dujarric@un.org; GlobalOttawa@globalnews.ca; news@skynews.com; tips@GlobalTVBC.com; contact.nbcnews@nbcuni.com; Secretary@HHS.gov; marnie.rice@vancouver.ca; sarah.carten@vancouver.ca; alan.rockett@vancouver.ca; mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca; sean.pander@vancouver.ca Subject: Options to reduce city costs during Pandemic and beyond (Opinion)

Hey Everyone,

I was reading that some cities might be facing shortfalls in the near future due to the Pandemic.

Specifically, Vancouver is worried about property taxes being missed due to the current situation. I was therefore brainstorming ideas for cities in general to curb expenses without reducing levels of service for the populace.

I was thinking perhaps opening up building walls and curbs to graffiti artists to showcase their work and gain exposure for their art portfolios and defer any major art project to 2021. You can also offer spaces like street corners for different sculptors and artists to place their work for public showcase. The city is able to get city art for free and the artist gets citywide exposure and you can even let people donate to that artist or others if they want.

What I was also thinking was for cities in the near future to also start implementing self sustaining power grids for city buildings and infrastructure. With minimal start-up costs you can place solar panels on each of the skyscrapers to power government and city buildings and reduce operating costs for energy year by year.

In addition you can place solar panels on public buildings and businesses with consent and export extra power to other cities that need it. The companies would get a power supplement to help them reduce costs and the excess can be used to create more revenue for the city moving forward.

In addition you can also invest in compact homes to not only solve the homeless and affordable housing crisis but also use some as city airbnb's to generate revenue for anyone visiting the city. This will not only help generate income but allow you to help the homeless while reducing costs in general.

Perhaps it will even allow those looking to buy an affordable house options to purchase compact homes directly from the city. Additionally you can start skyscraper farms to grow produce within the city to help feed the homeless, bolster food banks and even export to other cities that might require produce.

This will again allow you to reduce operating costs for the homeless, create jobs and generate revenue for the city as it exports fresh produce year round.

There may be more options that would be great for Vancouver and other cities and coupled perhaps with short term low or no interest loans the city will not just be able to survive this crisis but thrive in spite of it.

Stay Safe, Stay Sanitized and Stay Supportive,

John Ames Birch

@johneames2