Each week prior to the election, the Sylvan Lake News will be featuring several candidates running for town council.
Each of the 14 candidates running for council have been given the opportunity to answer the same six questions, and will be shared in question and answer format.
This week the News is featuring Chris Lust, Tim Mearns, Graham Parsons, Jas Payne and Teresa Rilling.
Chris Lust
Chris Lust has 40 years of municipal experience working as an employee, volunteer, consultant and elected official. Her nine years as a divisional strategist has given Lust the chance to work in the municipal areas of policing, transit, prosecutions, strategic planning, bylaw development, social planning and recreation parks and culture.
Lust worked in municipal recreation, parks and culture in the communities of Taber, Olds, Lacombe and as the first recreation director for Sylvan Lake.
Lust has experience working with volunteers and organizations in the areas of policy development, organizational effectiveness and strategic planning as a trainer for the provincial Board Development and Program Skills for Volunteer Management. Lust has also sat on the board of two provincial organizations; Alberta Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA) and the Alberta Sportive Gymnastics Federation.
Q. What would you like to see changed?
A. Cultural development in the community is an area near and dear to my heart. I am pleased to have the Culture Master Plan in place to provide the vision and strategies to move forward. One of the recommendations of the plan is a part-time position dedicated to cultural development. I feel this is a necessary staff position for the success of the Culture Master Plan implementation.
Q. What do you want to accomplish and how will you get it done?
A. Increased revitalization of the downtown through various initiatives is already in the works. The Waterfront Redevelopment Strategy will be an extensive community consultative process and ultimately an economic driver for the downtown. Implementation of the Festivals and Special Events Strategy and Culture Master Plan will help to create the downtown as a destination for residents and visitors alike.
Creating a healthy environment that retains existing businesses and welcomes new businesses by working with the Sylvan Lake Chamber and supporting the work of the BRT. Sylvan Lake increasingly has garnered recognition well beyond our borders based on the investments made in the economic development area. We are well positioned to take advantage of opportunities that arise as the economy starts to recover.
Ensure that we have sustainable, liveable neighbourhoods. The renewed Municipal Development Plan provides the broad vision and the Environmental Master Plan ensures that future development incorporates existing tree stands, wet lands and environmentally significant areas. My focus will be that we stay the course on these plans to ensure the vision is maintained through the approval phases of outline plans, area structure plans and subdivisions.
Tim Mearns
Tim Mearns is a business advisor who has lived in Sylvan Lake along with his wife and three children for the past 25 years.
Mearns says he has a passion for volunteering. this can range from flipping burgers for a barbecue, organizing events and volunteers for the TELUS Days of Giving or volunteering at the Juvenile Diabetes Walk for a Cure. He was also a member of the Sylvan Lake Fire Department in the 1990s.
He currently sits on two volunteer boards: Chairman of the LCA School Board and the Vice President of the TELUS Community Ambassadors of Central Alberta.
Q. Why are you running?
A. I have been a part of Sylvan Lake for over 25 years. My wife Lori and I have raised our three children here and Sylvan Lake has given so much to us as a family. This town has truly been an integral part of our lives. With our youngest still at home, and our two oldest children moving on to post-secondary education, I feel that I have the time and energy to give back to the community as a Town Councillor. I have done a lot of research and understand that this is a very large commitment and a massive responsibility. I fully understand the weight of the position and I am ready to represent the voice of Sylvan Lakes citizens. After some key conversations with a few respected residents, I really felt led to run for Town Council. I know that I will bring a new and different viewpoint to the table on how Sylvan Lake moves forward and how we are preparing for the years to come. I love this community and I’m excited for its future. It has so much to offer and I want to make sure that Sylvan Lake keeps moving in the right direction.
Q. What do you want to accomplish and how will you get it done?
A. I truly believe the measure of my success comes through being a voice for the people of Sylvan Lake. There will be a lot of decisions being made throughout the four-year term and I want to ensure that there is a high level of communication and accountability so that the citizens are represented properly. There are numerous projects currently on the go. These includes the 60 West development, and the Vista, just to name a couple. As a part of these new developments I would like to make sure that there is provision for infrastructure and the needed facilities for those wishing to retire in our town. I will measure the direction of these and other proposed projects against the Mission and Vision Statement as drafted in 2014 in the towns 10-year strategic plan
Graham Parsons
Graham Parsons was first elected to Town Council in 2010. On top of his seven years as a councillor, Parsons has also contributed to Sylvan Lake by sitting on various boards and committees.
Parsons is currently the chairman for the Sylvan Yuletide Festival, and he was the chairman of the 2014 Sylvan Lake Kraft Hockeyville Committee.
For 17 years, and one term as president, Parsons served on the Sylvan Lake Minor Hockey Association Executive, as well as serving eight years on the Board of Directors of Hockey Alberta.
Q. What do you want to accomplish and how will you get it done?
A. Soft services, such as programs for everyone from youth to seniors, disabled or misfortunate, must be created and maintained. We are very fortunate to have many dedicated groups and agencies to champion these causes. As well we have an award winning FCSS department that is creative, passionate and able to ensure all social initiatives are kept at the forefront and not forgotten.
Q. What issues are currently facing Sylvan Lake?
A. Of more immediate concerns, Downtown, is ongoing. The move to the east and the ‘big box’ stores, caused a gigantic shift in commercial traffic from the downtown core. It was and is common to communities once the population hits 10,000. The first major step to alleviate the problem ,was the creation of the Economic Development department. Public consultation and the creation of the Business Recruitment (BRT) was next. As a municipality, we don’t own those properties downtown. Owners and landlords do. Our responsibility is to create an atmosphere conducive to generating investment in the area. A couple of things have been done to help. One was the construction of the NexSource Centre anchoring the south end of the area. The next was the purchase of Lake Front Park, the old water slide property. That, along with the acquisition of the Provincial Park will allow us, with public consultation, the ability to create an attractor to the west end of the lakefront. It will also give us the ability and flexibility to host a myriad of festivals and events, year around, to reinvent the core as a destination arts and entertainment district.
Teresa Rilling
Teresa Rilling has worked with the Urgent Care committee to see the opening of the Advanced Ambulatory Care Service in Sylvan Lake. She is a long-time volunteer who works in many capacities such as organizing events, fundraising, emceeing and even mopping up after an event.
Rilling is a published author of “Just Breathe, Hope Beyond Hurt” and is a motivational speaker. Rilling has worked with non-profit organizations in many capacities including as a volunteer and as an employee.
She has lived in Sylvan Lake along with her husband for the last eight years.
Q. Why are you running?
A. Sylvan Lake is my home and I love it!!
I believe with my experience in leadership, relational intelligence and hard work ethic I will represent you well on Town Council. I am a persistent and committed woman who listens to the hurting, and cares for the lonely. My passion for community building, networking and collaboration are part of my core values.
Q. What do you want to accomplish and how will you get it done?
I see my main task being to be your voice on town council and in collaboration with council set the pace for the future of our awesome town in a fiscally responsible manner. This includes: infrastructure, revitalizing the downtown core, implementing a wastewater system to meet our current (getting rid of the wastewater in an environmentally responsible way until the pipeline to RD is complete) and future needs, as well as a welcoming place for businesses and residents.
Also Sylvan Lake is a unique community with tourism being a large part of our industry. As was mentioned at the Forum on Thursday night we need to somehow get people to the lakeshore. The Chamber of Commerce and Town Staff have been and are working hard at revitalizing the Downtown Core. People on Lakeshore will create revitalization – they eat, buy, rent water equipment, etc.
To help draw people downtown I would be happy to use my experience as a motivational speaker to be a ‘voice’ for Sylvan Lake tourism.
Jas Payne
Jas Payne is an educator who has sat as a town councillor over the past four years. He has worked with a number of services and organizations in town through his capacity as a councillor.
Payne has experience working on community services, corporate services, The Municipal Planning Commission and other community focused boards and committees.
Q. What issues face Sylvan Lake today?
A. Sylvan Lake is in a difficult situation in regards to Water and Waste Water. These issues are serious because the growth of Sylvan Lake was not considered fully when previous councils made decisions to use the Lagoon Systems in the past. Now, the need for a new solution to the Waste Water situation demands Provincial Partnership. Fortunately this is happening. The Water situation is not as severe, but will demand a similar partnership in the years to come.
Sylvan Lake, like many Alberta communities, is suffering through an Economic Crisis as a result of the fall of the Oil and Gas Industry. Diversifying of Economic Base is the only solution to the dilemma. This is more of a Provincial responsibility, and Federal to a large extent, as Oil is still the number one resource we rely on. Use of our own Oil industry before moving to International sources should be a priority. That, unfortunately, is a Federal Issue.
Q. Why should people vote for you?
A. I love this town. I work tirelessly to make sure people are taken care of. I work hard to serve the needs of all Sylvan Lakers and I believe I have the judgment and experience to continue to make decisions for this town that are responsible, accountable and clear. I have a family focus and I know that sustainability and accountability are not just catch words to throw around in an election. I know what they mean and what they look like in real practice. I believe this council has done a wonderful job caring for and supporting Lakers in their stewardship. I hope we can continue to do so. Onward and Upward.
megan.roth@sylvanlakenews.com
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