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Dance a Little Sidestep

10/9/2016

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This is the third installment in my High River Byelection Blog Series.  Read the first installment "Stirring the Pot in High River", and the second installment "The 365-Day Councillor". You can also skip ahead to "Post Forum Mashup: Keeping It Classy", "Bonus Round: Taking Your Questions", and "What's a Voter in High River to Do?", the final entry in the series.
When a politician doesn't know the answer, what do they do?  They dance a little sidestep.  I am of course not immune to it, as an aspiring politician myself.  It's how fancy their footwork is that helps you determine what type of representative they will be.  Do they take a stand, show their values, or provide a strategy in their responses?  Do they sweep around the wide step, cut a little swathe and lead the people on?  In this set of responses, each candidate finds themselves dancing a little sidestep, and the results are telling.
As one would expect, the completion of the southwest berm is a priority for each candidate, with only Jamie Kinghorn suggesting the delay may mean a different plan may be necessary.  But some similar themes emerged elsewhere in these responses, including accessibility for everyone including those with mobility issues must be maintained, and patience with the construction.  However what we find in these questions about flood recovery, Downtown, secondary suites and community-led initiatives is that there are now far more differences between the candidates.

"Walkable" High River is a large target for the current Council, and each candidate supports it.  Michael Nychyk rightly points out that the construction Downtown is not because we wanted to make town more "walkable", but rather that infrastructure required repairs following the flood; upgrading the look and feel of Downtown is simply taking advantage of the timing of the rebuild to reimagine a vibrant Downtown.  Jamie Kinghorn, Sandra Wiebe and Terry Coleman focused on the economic impacts of the Downtown design, with Coleman being specific about not wanting the Downtown to be "a medical center".  Wiebe and Nychyk also discussed the healthy-living and community components of a "walkable" High River.

The issue of parking shows the most significant contrasts between candidates so far.  Kinghorn suggests that the vast majority of residents are disappointed with parking and is worried about problems amplifying with the completion of the provincial building.  Wiebe and Nychyk, on the other hand, indicated they felt the issue of parking has been exaggerated, and encourage the physical activity of walking.  Both Coleman and Nychyk indicated that communities are dynamic, and review would be necessary, with Coleman being quite specific about how that might look.  Kinghorn, Nychyk and Coleman offered some ideas for solutions, but each referred to consultation to get to the best solution.

Where the issue of secondary suites is concerned, once again there is a clear difference amongst candidates.  Kinghorn demonstrated a strong understanding of many of the various sides of the issue, and suggests that the solution can't be found in High River alone, but must be done in collaboration with other communities.  Wiebe was interested in supporting the existence of secondary suites to deal with affordable housing issues.

Each candidate points out that economic recovery for the community should encourage the rebuild of empty houses in "swiss cheese" communities, but the assessments of "the real problem" are what sets candidates apart.  Kinghorn states a solution must be found because empty non-taxpaying houses impact everyone else's taxes, but solutions must be approached on an individual basis.  Nychyk offers that the best solution is to keep the public areas around these properties in good repair, and that attractiveness will help.  Each candidate suggests incentives are required.

Improved marketing and communications are the orders of the day according to Kinghorn and Wiebe when it comes to community-led activities.  Coleman instead wants to get rid of reducing red tape and barriers to success, while also helping people to be stronger community supporters.

Many of my readers (and my students) have asked questions that did not get covered by candidates' responses in my original questions.  As a result, I sent out another request for responses to candidates over the Thanksgiving weekend (and told them not to answer until they had turkey).  So you will see a "Bonus Round" blog later this week to cover the questions you have raised.

In the meantime, on Tuesday night (October 11) from 7:00 to 9:00 PM you will find me at the Highwood Memorial Centre for the All Candidates Forum hosted by the High River and District Chamber of Commerce.  It leads into my next blog in this series, the "Post-Forum Mashup".

Candidate Responses Part 2

The southwest berm has not yet been completed, and other flood mitigation projects are underway. Which of these projects do you deem most important, and how do you intend to approach these projects if elected?
Jamie Kinghorn - ​This term Is for only one year however a stronger push for the completion of the SW berm or a change in the plan may be appropriate, I would like to investigate the raising of 12th ave and revisit the diversion objections to investigate if there is still a solution there.
Sandra Wiebe - ​The southwest berm needs completion first in order to open up that roadway for better community access.
My approach is to be supportive of the processes already in place and to determine where to best use my skill set.
Michael Nychyk - ​I would approach these projects with urgency and stay the course to completion. I cannot speak to the details of what has transpired so far but I can say they are very important to complete. Current Council sees them as critically important as well and I believe my attributes and experience lends very well to seeing these projects to completion.
Terry Coleman - Continue to work with the necessary levels of government and land owners where necessary.
Mostly, working with the provincial government

Downtown is constantly under construction moving towards a vision of a "walkable High River". What, in your opinion, is the value of a "walkable High River"? If you support it, how exactly will you do so. If you do not support it, how will you see that issue addressed?
Jamie Kinghorn - Downtown road construction will be completed this year. I think we should give it a chance however if business do not move in we have to take some action and come up with a strategy to encourage business to come back. The operation cost associated with the area need to be reviewed to determine best solutions to cover those costs. I would like to meet with all business owners in the downtown core and get a real consensus on how to help them make the core successful.
Sandra Wiebe - I most definitely support this vision. Walkable means you see more, you engage more, this means as citizens we will care more about each other. It will then affect our decisions, and opinions will be made with others in mind and not just "what's right for me" or "right for me right now".
There is more to be accessible to downtown that just those who own vehicles. Many of our citizens do not drive but use other modes (walk, cycle, wheelchair, etc) of transportation. It needs to work for everyone. It needs to feel safe for everyone
Michael Nychyk - Lets clarify this a bit. Downtown is getting a remodel and following a vision of people first or a "walkable High River". But the construction was not initiated by the vision. The construction was unquestionably required because the infrastructure (ie. water, sewer,etc) had collapsed. In concert with the infrastructure repairs Council took the opportunity to renew the downtown core streetscape.
I do support the the vision as I am a member of the Planning and Renewal Advisory Committee that provided Council with information, opinion and direction while working with the Urban Planning firm contracted to complete the design.
The value of a walkable High River is already apparent in our communities love of our outdoor environment. We are citizens who love to walk along the river, ride bikes through our neighborhoods or watch our kids play in the green spaces or have fun at the skate park.
Happy Trails are the arteries running out from the heart of our community - the downtown. This is how I envision our downtown, the heart, the place where we gather and come together as a community. Whether it's for a large event like the car show, the gathering of a community service group in the Memorial Center, playing ball at George Lane or just enjoying a coffee with a friend on one of the many benches. Happy Trails gets us there by foot, bike, skate board, or whatever your into. It also gets us to our friends and neighbors in other parts of town. Physical activity has incredible value from a health and wellness perspective and walkability gets us out and interacting with each other which also has nothing but value for our community.
Terry Coleman -
​I support it but we all have to look at how we can attract viable retail business to the down town area. It has to be more than a medical center.
This will require some innovative thinking and implementation.

Another issue in the Downtown region is parking, or a perceived lack thereof. If you see it as a significant issue, do you intend during your term to address this issue? If you do not believe it to be an issue, how do you intend to address the fact that many have such concerns?
Jamie Kinghorn - It is an issue according to the vast majority of residents and I suspect will only get worse as the new office building is completed. We must come up with a solution for the business to stay in the downtown. Once construction is completed it will be better, but one thought I have is to exploring golf carts and more scooters into the core and of course more areas to park, shorter parking times may also help as well but again I need input from the business down there, they know the area best.
Sandra Wiebe - This ties in with a walkable community. People are currently pushed out of their comfort zone to have to walk a little further, but I encourage each person to consider how far that really is. Walking is good for us, it provides us opportunity to slow down, and to connect with others who make this small town awesome. Maybe by walking a little you'll also take time for a shop you've been meaning to visit or notice a business that you may not have noticed before.
Michael Nychyk - Personally I have not had an issue parking downtown. Sometime I have to walk a bit to get to my destination but I have never left downtown because I couldn't find a single parking space. However, I can appreciate the frustration of some residents as there has been so much construction completed the last few years.
People with mobility issues must find it very difficult but the finish line is so near. I appreciate the frustrations but I would ask that people give the downtown a chance once the work has cleared out. And those that are frustrated also need to know there are ongoing discussions and plans regarding parking. A community is organic and ever changing so issues like this are never stagnant and always need review and attention. But solutions can always be found if the challenges are communicated. As a Councillor I would always be open to listening to the concerns of a resident regarding parking or any other issue.
Terry Coleman - We need to closely monitor parking. This is not unusual in any urban setting.
After two years in operation, a comprehensive evaluation will be required of the finished product to see what should be adjusted. Much parking can and should be accommodated on the old railway tracks. However, this must all so be landscaped and access made so that Center street belongs in the downtown area.


The Land-Use Bylaw, particularly with attention to secondary suites, seems to be an ongoing issue. What solutions are you hoping to achieve with respect to secondary suites, and how will you work toward those solutions?
Jamie Kinghorn - The secondary suite issue is a huge issue for all communities in the province. I am not sure there is a solution that can be resolved by one municipality on its own. I would like to see this issue taken to AUMA and share ideas to see if a broader solution could be developed. We do need to define exactly what a secondary suite is. If my son lives in the basement or if my aging parents come to stay with me is that a secondary suite? One change is I would like to see it mandatory that any secondary suite approval has the condition the home owner must live in the residence was well. ​
Sandra Wiebe - Secondary suites provide an excellent solution to affordable housing - both for renter and landlord. The solution is in working with the development office to set standards to ensure suites are safe and for council to develop an efficient process for approving suites.
Michael Nychyk -
​Secondary suites exist both legally and illegally in our community. My work on this issue would simply be to ensure peoples safety by having legal suites that meet code requirements.
Terry Coleman - I don't have off the cuff solutions. I have some ideas but they need full discussion at Council. It is difficult to address secondary suites in isolation of addressing the Bylaw in total.
We operate in a systems world

Following the flood, there remains "swiss cheese" communities and business areas, where vacancies exist. What role will you take as Councillor in addressing these vacancies to help rebuild these communities?
Jamie Kinghorn - The core question is why are people not rebuilding their homes. Once we have those answers we try and assist by dealing with the major issues. It may be providing incentives through the tax system and working with banks or other groups to help the owners. These "vacant" properties are part of the higher taxes we are all paying. We must come up with a plan to encourage redevelopment of the properties, One method may be a tax deferral system where the owner could defer taxes or if necessary we could investigate a vacant properties or serviced properties addition tax.
Sandra Wiebe - There continues to be people moving to High River. These community vacancies will fill in time. With more population will come more business owners.
Once we get past the construction and flood mitigation we can again start to promote our community as a great place to live and work. New marketing plans are already in the works and it is my intention to work with them to promote this community as a great place to live and work.
My role will be to support our Economic and Tourism departments in their campaigns, help raise awareness and listen to the needs of our business owners.
Michael Nychyk - The question is somewhat misleading in that Council cannot rebuild privately held properties. What Council can do is ensure these areas are maintained to an acceptable level. It is unlikely someone looking to build a home in a certain area would do so in a poorly maintain or dilapidated neighborhood. There are bylaws already that deal with property maintenance but perhaps these need to be revisited for the flood effected cases.
Looking from an innovative perspective, maybe the property owners (who may not want to rebuild) would agree to having their lot used as an urban garden? We saw great success this year with the two community gardens in town. This would alleviate the maintenance issue for the property owner, beautify the neighborhood and provide a sustainable food source for those who wish to participate in community gardens.
Terry Coleman - Ideally we can consider this when determining land use bylaw.
Continuing with strong economic development initiatives including appropriate incentives are critical


Community-minded people build a sense of community. How will you, as Councillor, encourage the continued development of community through citizen-led initiatives? Are there any initiatives you envision that must instead be Town-led to achieve prosperity?
Jamie Kinghorn - I am very support of community-led projects and am involved in a number of them currently. Council needs to support such activities. I would like to see another community garden as well as more events. One area the town can lead in would be the marketing and promotion of the town which of course includes the events. An example of that is at the Home and garden show I saw a number of towns with booths showing off their community benefits.
Sandra Wiebe - Participating in citizen-led initiatives and giving them opportunity to share with others is a great way to show support. I know from offering personal citizen-led initiatives, I was heard but not followed up with. With communications as my background I feel it's extremely important to follow up with citizens who wish to take on projects or have ideas that can better the community. It will be my job to help them find funding and support for these initiatives.
Michael Nychyk - Engaging and supporting citizen led initiatives empowers them to continue their work or bring forth new ideas. We have great momentum in our community and we are also great through action. Long standing events like our parades, or rodeos and new initiatives like the farmers market on 4th, or the Long Table dinner show the vibrancy of what we can accomplish. Council supports these existing events and encourages people to bring new ones forward. The Community Vitality Fund just introduced by the Economic Development Department is a solid example of Councils support. This fund was created to foster new initiatives by providing seed money to get them off the ground. As a Councillor I would always be looking at such opportunities to support and encourage event growth.
Terry Coleman - Council should help by not creating barriers and/or ensuring unnecessary barriers are removed. The community building session held for three days last winter was well planned and successful. I participated. We could do that every two years with a different facilitator
See all the installments of the Byelection series by WindyJMusic:

Stirring the Pot in High River
The 365-Day Councillor
Dance a Little Sidestep
Post-Forum Mashup: Keeping It Classy
Bonus Round: Taking Your Questions
What's a Voter in High River to do?
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