I want to again thank everyone for taking part in the Council Forum. I’d also like to expand on the questions asked and ensure those who did not attend have some insight as well…so here are the questions asked, and my unabbreviated responses. 1. Infrastructure such as roads, sewer and water upgrades or replacement, is a big issue in many municipalities. How do you propose to keep up or catch up with infrastructure demands in Kimberley? • We have all heard plenty about the necessary upgrading and increasing demands on infrastructure. There has been a 100 flat tax levied and we have also seen an increase in utility costs to property owners. This will keep us catching up, but only partially. There is a lot of work on the go already, and we can all see it. Moving forward, let’s be certain to have a plan to get us out of this hole. We know we need more and we will find a way, but planning for future expenses needs to happen today, not in 30 years when replacement is necessary again. For now, we continue to tighten up, perhaps finding money in the budget that can be utilized or sourcing grant dollars to assist in baring costs. In the future, this is about reserve funding, and I’ll touch on that in a later question. 2. Many City Politicians have stated their goal is to bring more light industry or other significant employers to the City. What specifically would you do to bring more employment to Kimberley and how is this different from what has been done before? • This is an all too familiar and age old question. Sourcing the right fit for Kimberley is vital, and continuing to explore every option is essential. What, or who is it specifically? No one has that answer, however I look around Kimberley and what I see is we do have an industry that is vibrant and healthy…..SMALL BUSINESS! Moving forward, I will optimistically continue to seek an “anchor tenant” if you will for industry or employment, not at all forgetting about or losing any focus on what we have already. Whatever it is, it has to fit Kimberley, not just make the city money. We have some space, we have many great small businesses, and before investing a ton of dollars in developing new sights for new industries, let us maximize the use of what we have. 3. How do you propose to support the Arts & Culture scene in Kimberley? • Arts and Culture in our City is a major asset. I support the grant money given to the Arts. I will make no promise of increasing dollars, but I will openly advocate and engage the community in promotion and support with every available resource. Just as every asset the city has, we cannot reduce the value it carries, and at the very least we must maintain it. 4. Can you explain the reserve fund, how it is used and how you think it should be used? • From what I understand about the reserve fund, is it is currently a simple rainy day slush fund, utilized for whatever may need to be done. I work daily with corporations and reserve funds. What I would like to see is that the City reserve be progressive, not reactive. In my field, our reserve funds are targeted, which means the corporations I manage have an inventory of all depreciating assets. Each asset has an expected life and projected cost over a 35 year period with the goal in mind of not having to make “cash calls”(or tax hikes) to the owners(or citizens). This just makes sense, and should be common sense, and in fact for these corporations it is actually government legislation! 5. If a capital project is approved, for example the Flume and Aquatic Center, how will you ensure costs will stay on budget? • This is simple, it is about PROJECT MANAGEMENT! There is or should be a lead on any project and a watchful eye is fundamental. Accountability. I firmly believe and understand the difference between quotes and tenders, and it appears the city simply gets a quote. A tender is a binding contract that simply measures binding deliverables by the parties involved. For example, the city puts out a call for tender on the rock work for the Flume, and collects perhaps even just one bid. That bid then becomes a contract and that contractor is legally obligated to uphold their end. If the contractor says the job will be done at X dollars, it is done at X dollars! If a contractor makes an error on their end, it’s their responsibility. The City should have contracts, not estimates for capital projects. 6. If Successful in your bid for Councilor, you are representing the interest and wishes of the citizens of Kimberley. How will you communicate with the citizens to ensure that you are representing those interests? • This is just another day at the office for me. Essentially, the citizens are my clients. In my field of work constant communication with clients is my livelihood. Phone, text, email is all public information. For specific interests, on a one to one level and for individual requests or conversations, I will make time for face to face. Basically, the citizens of Kimberley become my livelihood to the community. If I tell you I’m going to do something, I’ll do it. Being responsible is: -A fundamental financial obligation. I do not believe in spending it before we have it in the budget or the bank. -Being available to the community and being accountable for what is spent and what is said. - Service reviews, open discussion, fact based decisions that are clear, concise and supported. I am an active and very willing participant in the community. I will be the young gun with the least city council experience, however my 40+ years have provided me a great deal of positive experiences including a desire to not just remain involved, also to grow with an be part of evolving. My goal is to look back each year and recognize the challenges overcome and the measured successes for all of us to share, and say, yes, Kimberley is a good place to be. NOVEMBER 15th, for responsibility now and for every tomorrow, vote DARREN CLOSE dclose@ekrealty 250-427-8711 call/text
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 20:32:27 +0000