Righting the Ship! First 100 Days as Mayor of Chestermere

I am pleased to share my 100-day plan as part of Righting The Ship. But after that is done there will be much more to do. After checking out this part of my plan, I ask you to check out my After 100 Days plan.

Bring Council Up to Speed

For all intents and purposes, this will be a new council with 16 months to get work done before the next election. There will be training from Municipal Affairs. There will need to be time set aside to review the current budget and prepare for work on the 2025 budget. There will need to be a discussion around the Municipal inspection (more on that below) while setting a foundation for the next council term.

Re-introduce Question Period to Council Meeting Agenda

This was inexplicably removed from the agenda. I want to give our citizen back their voice. I want them to have the opportunity to ask their questions to the council.

Additional Communication With Residents

When I was on council we had Mocha Mondays with the Mayor. Later, I introduced Council Corner on Saturdays. I will bring both of these back. So that residents have options to interact with their Mayor and council. We will also consider other opportunities to enhance interactions.

Address Staff Dissatisfaction

Our staff are the backbone of our city without them and their dedication we achieve very little. Acting CAO Pat Vincent has done an absolutely incredible job in re-establishing a great work environment for our staff, but as a council, we need to support our CAO and staff as they continue to work toward instilling that foundational value and culture.

Staffing Needs

Have the CAO undertake staffing requirement needs and provide a plan to address these needs, outlining the roles and a time frame for filling these roles. These hirings will be incorporated into the budget so that it is reflected in funds available to us while minimizing any impact on taxes.

Part of the staffing needs for the city will be the hiring of a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). As the lone employee of council, we will need to take the lead on this hiring. This will take time to find the right person. This person will need to have the appropriate education and experience and be able to implement the direction of the council and manage our city. Allow me to assure you we will not be looking at recycling a previous CAO. We need a new and fresh perspective as we continue to grow and develop.

Committee of the Whole

This will be a critical component of bringing the council up to speed. These will be open to the public so they can be informed as well.

Public Hearings

We are a young community, and they want to be involved and informed. Therefore I want all public hearings to be at 6 pm. That will allow more people to listen, be informed, and speak to the applications.

Conduct a Full Review of the Financial Municipal Inspection Report

There is a lot to digest in the report. Council will need to be brought up to speed on the report, the directives, and the next steps. All along the way I promise to keep the citizens up to speed on what is being done, why it is being done, and how it impacts everyone.

---