1) Why are you running?
I know that there will be many challenging questions that will arise around the council table. Each one is unique, each one is important. I have relished the challenges that I have helped resolve in the past, all of which have developed my character and broadened my world-view. I believe that I have the desire, the experience, and the ability to utilize the various talents of the members of council and staff to create, consult, and implement innovative solutions. The Municipality of Kincardine has much to offer its residents now. I want to do all I can to make sure that it has all that, and more, to offer for the generations to come.
2) Are there any steps municipalities can take to help ease cost of living concerns?
Sound financial practice dictates that you save money in prosperous times so that you can draw on those reserves in difficult times. Kincardine must take advantage of all the “best practices”, all the cost saving measures, and all the collaborative efforts that we can to provide the best value for our constituents. A focus on increasing our municipal population, though a long term project, would be helpful in mitigating large tax increases.
3) What are your ideas for economic development in your municipality?
Every municipality desires a robust retail, commercial and industrial base. Highways 9 and 21 provide a unique intersection where properties can be developed to service a growing population. Council must be prepared to offer new industry options whereby both the industry and the Municipality will prosper.
The Municipality of Kincardine is also home to many smaller, thriving communities. Each one can be home to businesses of varying sizes. It is not good planning to overlook the fact that small business employs many, many more people than big business.
4) Do you think the municipality has a role to play in the recruitment and retention of physicians and other healthcare workers?
When it’s all said and done, physicians and other health care providers need more than financial incentives to convince them to stay in a particular municipality. We need to maintain a healthy incentive and we need to provide a community that respects, encourages, and supports all aspects of our health care teams. It is important for our community to do such things as maintaining flower beds and gardens around the hospital, taking responsibility for the maintenance and replacement of needed hospital equipment, and respecting the nature of an emergency department. Most importantly, we must continue, all of us, to work as a team to provide health care.
5) What would you like to see in Kincardine for growth-related development?
Accommodation availability in Kincardine is a critical issue. Housing in all its various forms is vital for our continued growth, both in population and in commerce. Planning, zoning, and innovative construction is needed to supply our housing market. As well as being diligent in using all the available space within the urban centres in our Municipality, we must all be well prepared for development that does not look like it used to look. Houses of various sizes, configurations, densities and cost must be available to anyone when they choose the Municipality of Kincardine for their home, their employment, their future.
6) What would you like to see included in the Waterfront Master Plan?
The Municipality of Kincardine’s beaches are a priceless resource. Access to the beach by everyone, resident and visitor alike, is of primary importance. The challenge in all this is to provide balance between nature and each person’s desire to enjoy nature. Improvements in the boardwalk, in parking, in access to the beach without damaging the important vegetation growing there, in providing amenities (such as vendors of all descriptions and active parks) and seasonal camping are all necessary but each one puts a stress on the natural beach. Our beach extends the entire length of our Municipality and the Waterfront Master Plan must eventually do so as well.