By: Kate Jackman-Atkinson

myWestman.ca

On Feb. 13, Neepawa’s three mayoral candidates took part in a live forum co-sponsored by NAC-TV and the Neepawa and District Chamber of Commerce. The forum offered candidates an opportunity to speak to the voters about themselves and their platforms as well giving voters the opportunity to submit questions to the candidates.

Candidate Murray Parrott spoke first saying, “I am running because I feel I can make a positive difference.” He stressed the need for proactive solutions and a council that is responsible and accountable to the citizens. Parrott was elected councillor in the 2010 general election and resigned his council seat in order to run for mayor.  Since he has been part of the current council, he said that he has a good grasp of the issues facing council.

Talking about what the Town needs, he said, “There’s a need for a strong leader to build strong teams.” He added that his wide ranging career experience has contributed to a strong skill set, noting in particular his experience in negotiations and team building. He believes that the town needs to diversify its economic base and “actively search for new economic opportunities”.

Candidate Ken Waddell was the second to present his introduction and opened by stating his platform which includes a long term infrastructure plan, addressing the housing shortage, sustainable growth and improving how council works. The Town is facing a number of challenges and Waddell said, “We need to see them not as problems but as opportunities.”

Waddell said that voters must decide “who is the best person to lead council”. He continued saying that as the chairperson, the mayor speaks the will of council and the community, “[The mayor] hears the heart and will of the community and speaks at the right place and the right time.” He also mentioned the delays in redeveloping East View Lodge saying, “The mayor didn’t speak up for what the community needs.”

Candidate Bob Durston was the last to speak and said, “I put a lot of thought into letting my name stand... I got a lot of support to run.” He explained that when he and his wife decided to move to Neepawa they chose to come because of the many opportunities.

As a two term mayor and former councillor, Durston talked about the many projects he’s been involved in such as the completion of Country Meadows personal care home, two housing subdivisions and the hiring of an economic development officer.

Durston said he’d like a strategic plan for short and long term goals which would then be taken to the community to get their input. He says that the Town needs a “strong council with a strong leader”  and added that from the voters, he was looking for “your confidence in my ability to provide leadership for council.”

• The first question had to do with the Town’s decision to stop offering a pre-payment discount on property taxes for 2012.  Both Durston and Waddell said that they prefer the discount, but would review the annual bylaw to determine what’s in the Town’s best interests.  Parrott, who was part of  council when the decision was made, said that the prepayment was resulting in the Town losing money. As a property owner, he said he often made use of the discount but put his personal preference aside in voting to end the discount.

• Candidates were asked about how they would meet demands on their time if elected. Durston, who is retired, said “I have a very flexible schedule... My commitment will be to be available during the day and evening.” Parrott said that as a teacher, he works between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. but said, “I’ll make appointments after school or during the noon hour,”  and added that he is available by phone and email. He also noted that the deputy mayor can be made available if need be.

• The candidates were asked where they stand on the redevelopment of the East View Lodge building. Parrott explained that his understanding is that it’s “a very old structure [that has been] left to go to the weather and damaged due to a leaking roof.” The building is owned by the ARHA and he said the Town will act as a “catalyst between the owner and the developer but won’t take ownership” of the building. Should the Town buy it, it would result in about $120,000 in land transfer taxes and fees. Waddell called the situation “a disaster from day one” and said the Town should take another look at the building and would like to see a public meeting. He said, “It was built with local money...[and] local blood sweat and tears... It should be salvaged if it’s the will of the community.” He added that if the community wants it to be salvaged, he would fight for that. Durston explained that initially, the Town had a developer for the building and the ARHA supported its sale, but the province chose to put the property up for tender in the hopes of making more money. There were no tenders on the building. He said that had the province gone ahead with that initial sale, the town would have an addition 64 units of housing. While the final decision rests in the hands of the provincial government, Durston said that he would ask them to make a final decision.

• Candidates were asked about their definition of “affordable housing”. Waddell said that the term “means different things to different people” but said that it generally falls in the $120,000 to $150,000 price range. He noted that many people are buying older houses and fixing them up, which is another form of affordable housing. Durston agreed with the price range mentioned by Waddell and noted that there was a shortage of affordable housing when he and his family moved to the community. He thanked HyLife for their work in bringing a developer to the area to meet the need but added, “We need to attract more developers.” Parrott said that he has helped create some affordable housing and that an influx of demand has driven the price of houses to above $100,000. He would like to see the development of additional multiplexes and added that that the development of more mid-range houses could free up more affordable housing and people move up into more expensive houses.

• Further on the topic of development, the candidates were asked by it takes so long for aspects like rezoning to be completed.  Durston said that for development that requires rezoning, first the development plan must be amended, then the rezoning done and then the development agreement signed. He explained that during his terms, all three were moved along together to speed up the process. Parrott would like a developers package to be available at the town office which would feature a flow chart of all of the steps required.

 This would include information such as meeting nights and advertising deadlines so that developers are informed about what information they need to have when which will speed the process. Waddell said that council needs a “little more aggressive approach” in order to respond in a timely manner and ensure that they are working through the system. He noted one case where a building permit took 10 months saying, “That’s ridiculous... I don’t know what went wrong.”

• A question directed at Parrott asked if he maintained an office in his classroom where he attended to non-school business during class time. Parrott answered, “I do not maintain a business office my classroom and do not conduct business during school hours. I am a devout teacher.”

• The candidates were asked about their thoughts regarding a regional hospital and its location.  All candidates agreed that the development of a regional hospital is important and thought that it should be located in Neepawa. However, if locating the hospital in Neepawa isn’t possible, they will support a location between Neepawa and Minnedosa. The final decision of the hospital’s location will be made by the provincial government.

• All candidates want to repair relations with the surrounding municipalities and service groups.

• Candidates were asked whether they thought the mayor should live in the town in order to be effective. Durston said, “My preference is that [the mayor] live in the community.” Waddell agreed saying, “My personal preference is that the mayor live within town limits.” Parrott, who lives in Franklin, disagreed saying, “My preference is that [the mayor] can live where he wants to live.” He noted that Franklin is part of the Neepawa community and added, “I do live in this town, I’m only 10 minutes away.” He noted his business investments in the town saying, “I’ve made an investment in this community for life, my investment is unquestionable... I’ve poured actual million through this town.”

• As a developer, Parrott was asked whether being mayor would result in a conflict of interest to which he responded, “You bet it’s a conflict of interest, it’s a conflict of my interest.” He noted that it will result in his hands being tied and him being unable to “pursue all the great projects”. He added that all of his current projects are on defined lots and require no variances. He says that he dreads the first time he has to go forward with a variance request.

• In closing, Durston said, “I’ve been your mayor, I’ve been your councillor... You know my leadership that I’ve  provided to the community... I want to stand on my record of what I’ve provided to the community.”
Waddell said that in the nine years since he was mayor, he’s grown wiser. He also noted that during his term, taxes increased by only 1.25 per cent in four years and said, “I believe that growth in income from tax base should be based on growth of [the town’s] assessment... not from increasing the mill rate.” He stressed the need to “grow out of our growth”.

Parrott said in closing, “True economic diversification doesn’t happen by default, we need to actively explore opportunities  which will propel us forward. Housing and infrastructure development must be a priority for the Town.” He noted the need for specific long term, measurable and attainable goals. He noted, “I conduct myself with integrity and a solid work ethic. I seek this position with a desire to give back to the community.”

In photo: from left: forum moderator Lyle Watson and candidates Murray Parrott, Ken Waddell and Bob Durston. Photo by Kate Jackman-Atkinson.