These are my responses to the Lethbridge Accountability Municipal Candidates 2013 Survey. (Questions in regular print, followed by my responses in bold.)
Your full name: Jeff Wall
Your Email address: jeff@jeffwall.ca
Your phone number: 403-394-5603
Your website URL: www.jeffwall.ca
What position are you running for? Councillor
What is your position on Revitalization of downtown Lethbridge?
We should have a vibrant downtown, that is the talk of all Alberta, where thriving business and community life is consistently exhibited and enjoyed. Continued partnership with BRZ and Heart of the City to keep our downtown moving in the right direction. We should also be evaluating the hurdles to businesses being in the downtown and take appropriate action to attract new businesses while keeping current businesses.
Human activities are contributing to global warming and climate change.
Agree
(Comment) The ecosystem of the world is made up of smaller ecosystems that are all interconnected. In any ecosystem the removal or addition of elements within that system will affect change in that system thereby affecting other systems. Human interaction with nature will cause change in that ecosystem and to the global ecosystem to a greater or lesser degree depending on the human actions.
The Environment Lethbridge Council have requested a seed grant of $120,000/year from City Council. Would you support the City providing seed money for the Environment Lethbridge Council?
It’s complicated.
(Comment) I would be open to hearing the purpose and intention of the Environment Lethbridge Council for the seed money. If it is deemed the purposes of the funds are necessary and beneficial to the city and it’s residents, and the funds are available, I would not have a problem supporting the grant.
Do you support expanding the City’s waste management plan to include curbside recycling?
Agree
(Comment) I believe that curbside recycling is beneficial to our residents and a responsible choice as a city to reduce the amount of recyclable material in our landfills.
Some cities, like Medicine Hat offer incentives to utility consumers to improve their homes and reduce utility use. Are you in favour of implementing a similar incentive program in Lethbridge to encourage residents, businesses, and the City itself to reduce their carbon footprint? (another example is Pickering)
Yes
(Comment) As a city we should be looking at ways to cut our utility usage as well as encouraging our residents to do the same.
In 2012, Lethbridge City Council adopted a non-binding resolution opposing the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in drilling for oil and gas within municipal limits. Would you actively seek to enforce this resolution?
Non Binding Resolution
(Comment) Yes, I would actively seek to not allow any drilling for oil and gas within municipal limits, however, the final say rests with Provincial governance. As A city I believe we need to keep the oil and gas wells out of our city limits.
What is your position on Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) and the function they serve in the future growth of the City of Lethbridge?
Support P3s
(Comment) P3s may not be the best option for every project, however, where this partnership would serve the city best, we should utilize this structure.
Is the contracting out of public services necessary to the operations of the City of Lethbridge?
Yes
(Comment) Each situation needs to be evaluated if it would be better to do the work internally or contract it out. The contracting out of services supports local businesses and may save the city financially while keeping it internal may save on costs.
Buy-local or Made-in-Canada purchasing policies should be supported even if they result in higher costs.
Strongly agree
(Comment) I believe we need to support our local businesses as long as the quality and expertise satisfies what is necessary.
Closure of Federal Government service offices and reductions in Provincial funding to post-secondary education have implications to the community of Lethbridge in terms of service loss and job loss. What is your position on these closures and reductions and, as a municipal leader, what should the City’s role be when the decisions of other levels of government affect citizens of Lethbridge?
When there are closures that constitute loss of service to our residents, private or municipal replacement of provided services should be investigated. New industry should be proactively pursued to fill service gaps and provide employment for those affected by job loss.
Most of our public services and facilities have a user fee but the City subsidizes the cost of the facility or service. What is your position on the subsidization of public services and facilities?
A user fee should be charged to all users.
(Comment) While there should be a user fee charged, there should be reduced amounts for low income, students, and seniors.
The City of Lethbridge should endorse an expanded Canada Pension Plan strategy and implement a Living Wage policy.
Somewhat agree
(Comment) As a city it is important to provide for employees in a responsible manner. An expanded CPP my not help if it corresponds to a decrease in RRSP’s and RSP’s resulting in less retirement in the end. I would be open to these discussions to find the best solutions.
Which of these approaches do you favour and explain why you favour this approach in the comment section. (Investing additional funds to accommodate future growth) Yes
(Comment) I don’t believe these two options (“Building infrastructure and facilities to meet current needs in order to keep taxes low” and “Investing additional funds to accommodate future growth”) have to be mutually exclusive. I believe we can be planning for the future while meeting the needs of today and sometimes that means investing a little more upfront, which will result in savings in the long run. I would like to work toward building for future growth and keeping taxes low.
These three projects may come up in the next community improvement plan process: Performing Arts Centre Developing the Exhibition Park Completion of the final phase of the Crossings Ice Complex. If you could only fund one of these projects which would you choose? Please explain your choice in the comment section.
Crossings Ice Complex
(Comment) We need to finish projects we have started and there is a need for more ice surface just to meet our current needs. Tough decision as the Performing Arts Centre would enable more performances to be attracted to the city as well.
During the last phase of the 2013 CIP, only the aquatic portion of the leisure centre was approved. What would be your commitment to having the final phase (the fieldhouse portion of the centre) completed?
There is quite a desire among families in the city to have more venues, I would like the see the leisure centre completed to provide those in our city with greater opportunities.
The Recreation and Culture Master Plan report commissioned by the City of Lethbridge found that Lethbridge has inadequate recreation facilities. Why do you think that this situation developed and what would you do to rectify this?
As a city I believe we need to be progressively planning for the future while meeting the needs of today. We need to regularly evaluate all areas of services to the city and strive to be meeting projected growth not just current needs. With this approach we will ensure we do not fall into this same situation again with recreation facilities or other services of the city.
Many Lethbridge residents with First Nations’ Status face considerable difficulty when accessing services in the City of Lethbridge. As Status holders, they are referred to support on reserve. On reserve, they are referred to services in the city as they are residents of Lethbridge. As an elected official, how would you propose to remediate these gaps in service and accessibility issues?
I would propose a partnership between the reserve and city support providers to find a system where responsibility is shared to fill in the gaps.
On council, would you actively support the following? (Ward system for electing councillors?)
Yes
On council, would you actively support the following? (Councillor become a full-time position?)
Unsure
The City of Lethbridge is a signatory to the Canadian Coalition of Municipalities against Racism and Discrimination. In addition to this, do you support the allocation of additional financial resources to create local initiatives that foster the city’s commitment to inclusion? In the comment box please elaborate on your answer.
No
(Comment) As a council I believe we should be receptive to individual requests for financial resources for local initiatives, however the availability of additional resources as well as the viability of the proposed initiative should be evaluated for each case before approved.
Do you support a bylaw that ensures all buildings serving the public (existing, renovated and new) are physically accessible? Please elaborate on your answer in the comment section.
Yes
(Comment) As a City we have residents with a wide range of physical challenges who deserve the right to have access to all buildings serving the public.
The following are some of the issues you may be asked to address on City Council. Please choose your top 5 priorities.
(Rank 1) Vibrant downtown
(Rank 2) City operated curbside recycling
(Rank 3) Low residential taxes
(Rank 4) Affordable and plentiful family recreational and leisure opportunities
(Rank 5) A third bridge to the West
All candidates responses are available at the Lethbridge Accountability Survey 2013.
Jeff Wall for Lethbridge City Council – Integrity, Service, Respect.
Image credits: © Can Stock Photo Inc. / PixelsAway
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