PLATFORM
"After eight years in a council seat I look forward to giving back to the community that raised me by giving another four years of service. My priority through to 2030 is to maintain the accessibility I offered in my first term by inviting you to call me, email me or share your thoughts via my social media channels as we work together to keep Squamish livable."
LIST OF ISSUES
Community First
We're not the community we once were.
What will it take to get us there?
First, greater emphasis on that which brings us together. Park improvements, recreation facility improvements, trail maintenance, continued library improvements (and planning for a new library), space and programs dedicated for seniors (Westwinds), family-friendly events, transit improvements (including transit service to West Vancouver and Whistler) and more diverse housing options.
These are all things that connect us as community members. I'm including housing diversity because when we're paying reasonable amounts of money for our rent and mortgages we'll all have time to enjoy days off work so we can spend time in our parks, more time swimming, skating, playing, enjoying programs at the library or riding, climbing, sailing, hiking and attending local festivals. Too many of us are spending more than 45 hours a week working because that's what it takes to afford housing here.
Between 2018 and 2026 I was part of council teams that pushed District of Squamish staff and developers in Squamish to create new community connections while improving what already exists. I'm committed to continue that push and finding ways to raise the bar.
I'm also committed to continuing my work to bring more diverse housing forms to this community. Work I've done to legitimize tiny houses resulted in a specific reference to Tiny Homes as a desired housing form in the Loggers East Neighbourhood Plan. There are approved new developments with apartment units of various sizes being built alongside townhouse units and commercial spaces to create complete, walkable and sustainable new neighbourhood areas. I'm committed to pushing for more of this as our climate changes and forces us to rethink how we get around and the energy we use in our daily lives.
Team Work
District of Squamish Council is made up of seven individuals and those individuals need to work together with the Chief Administrative Officer to run the community.
I have seen first-hand how unproductive council meetings get when personalities conflict and the work of council becomes bogged down in petty squabbles. It is my wish that Squamish once again elects a diverse council with a range of skills, qualifications and knowledge. You can count on me to work with the other six members of council and the municipal staff for the good of the community.
Three basic commitments I'm making:
-I'll show up
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voters expect elected officials to attend meetings and events
-I'll listen
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I'll hear your thoughts and do everything I can to leave you satisfied that you were authentically heard
-I'll put the community first
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every time I vote it will be based on what I believe is best for Squamish
Housing Affordability
It is expensive here. Housing is on everyone's mind.
Simply put, demand is greater than supply. The amount of housing available here for working families is lower than the demand. The way to address this is to treat developers like partners with the knowledge that the District of Squamish gets the final say.
Let's make local government's role in the permitting process cost-effective. Managing wait times for those who want to build is an ongoing process that needs constant monitoring. When a pivot is required, change has to come. When builders have to wait long periods of time to get the permits they need it adds to the final price of new housing.
We now have an organization similar to the Whistler Housing Authority. The group is advocating for employees and finding ways to create below-market and cost-conscious housing to ensure the local workforce can afford to live and work here.
Regional Transportation
This is still an active discussion the provincial government needs to take more seriously. A transit service from Mount Currie to West Vancouver was needed years ago. The demand for such a service exists. Seniors who need to get to medical appointments in Metro Vancouver need this service, young people accessing shopping and recreation want this service and commuters are desperate for an alternative to private vehicle use getting to and from work.
Cooperation between elected officials and municipal staff in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton has been rock solid with our MLA and First Nations. Despite that we still aren't offering the service so many are asking for.
I'm committed to pushing the provincial and federal governments to get serious about helping us run transit busses on a regular basis up and down our corridor.
Environment
A quick look around Squamish tells the story of how valuable our environment is.
It is one of our best assets. Maintaining it as a top asset is a priority. This is done by exercising smart planning and planning growth around maximum environmental preservation. Infill potential remains a key goal. Secondary suites, accessory dwelling units (like Tiny Homes for example) and co-living have the potential to provide living units that are more affordable than current market rents for apartments in our community. I support land owners who want to build these forms of housing on their properties.
I'm committed to pushing the provincial government to work with us to improve our transit system by offering 15-minute service between downtown and Garibaldi Estates while establishing regional public transit service to West Vancouver and Whistler.
Official Community Plan
Yup, it's time to update that key planning document.
I'm committed to pushing to get the process of reviewing the OCP started as soon as possible.
We're a fast growing community. Things change quickly and we need to make sure our OCP is current and provides a modern version of our community vision.