MOOSE JAW — Incumbent councillor Doug Blanc has announced that he is running in the Nov. 13 municipal election for another term as councillor. Presented below are Blanc’s answers to questions from the Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. Some answers have been edited for length.
Why do you want to run again?
I am running because I want to continue be a voice for the citizens of Moose Jaw. I said four years ago that councillors should treat citizens as their customers, and I still believe in that. We need to work for the citizens of Moose Jaw.
I have tried to represent everyone who called me. We will have some major challenges in the next few years. We have the Crescent View pump house that needs considerable work or a complete replacement. We have an aging outdoor pool that needs to be replaced. We have the Fourth Avenue Viaduct that needs major repair along with road repair.
I want to work for the citizens to ensure that these issues can be completed in a fiscally responsible manner.
What did you think of your previous experience/first term on council?
Experience on city council is a huge asset. But past experience can also be a benefit. With my background I believe I have the qualifications. My four years on city council, along with being on the parks and recreation committee, Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, Moose Jaw Exhibition Board, roads and infrastructure committee and Moose Jaw Police Commission, has provided the opportunity to have considerable experience.
My past experience on different boards, both within Moose Jaw and in previous work, has provided me the opportunity to deal with complex budgets and issues that have provided me the experience and knowledge to be sit of city council.
What do you think this council did well and what were some of its achievements?
There were a number of areas that I feel we accomplished. We hired a new city manager ( Maryse Carmichael) to replace the previous city manager who retired. This has allowed a fresh look at city operation and streamlined some of the departments. This will continue in the future to assist with better delivery for our residents
We approved a new joint school that should be in operation in 2025. The Great Plains Power Station was completed, which brought economic growth while under construction and will continue in the future.
We have worked with developers to expand West Park development. We have an additional housing Complex being constructed on Fairford Street East and Laurier Street in the future. We have serviced lots on the market by the new joint school. We approved solar panels on some of our complexes, which will reduce our power bills and assist with climate reduction.
I, along with Moose Jaw Police, have lobbied the provincial government to fund some of the police activities. This included the ICE unit, which they fund for Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. However, there was no funding for the Moose Jaw operation of this unit. We were successful in having the province pay for eight additional officers. This will not only pay for the two officers working in the ICE unit but will allow more patrols on the streets and in our parks.
What areas do you think council should have done better or missed addressing?
We need to listen to our citizens better and deal with their concerns. Although we have the “report an issue” on the city's web page, I think this needs improvement to allow friendlier and easier usage of this app.
We could make our city more attractive to visitors by ensuring that our entrances are free of weeds and garbage. We need to work on our infrastructure projects better to allow less interruption for our citizens, while maintaining quality work. Our bylaws need improvement to have permits issued faster and easier.
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
Over the next number of years, we have many projects that will require additional work or new work. The first that needs to be addressed is the Crescent View pump house. This station is responsible for ensuring all our sewage and stormwater is pumped to our lagoon. This will require renovation or complete replacement.
As the cost of this is astronomical, we need to lobby the federal and provincial governments for assistance. The Crescent View pump house needs to be at the top of the list.
After this there are a number of projects that we need to work on. They include, but are not limited to the Fourth Avenue Viaduct, outdoor pool, continuation of cast iron and water repair work and road repair. We also need to maintain our buildings, as some will require maintenance to keep them operational.
How would you make life more affordable for residents?
Affordability is a concern in all municipalities across Saskatchewan and Canada. We need to look at our budget so every dollar is spent correctly. No money should be wasted.
We need to look at our tax system. We currently have a contract with SAMA to complete property assessment. This contract is set to expire in December 2025. City council needs to review this and determine if we should continue with SAMA or move assessment in-house as was done in the past. We can also look at other municipalities and see how their assessment is done.
No matter what manner we choose, the assessment system must be a fair and reasonable assessment. If we have a different approach or rules this will allow residents to know that it is a fair process.
I believe that we should hire Moose Jaw contractors for our projects. If we use local contractors, the money or a portion of it would help other local businesses, as they buy their essentials in Moose Jaw. We also need to promote Moose Jaw more to attract new business.
With the current provincial election completed, and the current government shut out in Regina and a majority of Saskatoon, we need to lobby for more funding or assistance in getting business in Moose Jaw. We should work with our MLAs to have more industry and businesses in Moose Jaw.
Would you approve of using taxpayers’ money to support the Hilton Hotel project and/or a related parkade?
I support a new hotel on River Street and hope they are successful. I will continue to work to have bylaws completed quickly and remove barriers that they may have. However, I don't believe that city money should be used to assist in the construction of the hotel or parkade. The city should provide services to the residents but not invest in private development.
How would you address the issues facing the community’s impoverished and homeless residents?
Although we have a problem with people being homeless or lacking social assistance, this is a provincial government responsibility. We can provide some guidance as to the location of shelters or treatment centres.
We cannot use municipal money to pay for these. If we start funding these programs, we will not be able to quit paying for it. Our focus needs to remain on looking after our infrastructure and services to the residents of Moose Jaw. Any support we can provide morally, we should, but not financially.
How would you enhance security or safety in the community?
I mentioned in an earlier question that we will have eight more police officers in the future. This will provide more police presence on the streets and parks. We have implemented the “no trespassing” and shopping cart law, which has helped reduce some of the problems. I am committed to having more police officers visible and patrolling our community.
What is your long-term vision for the community 10 to 20 years down the road? How would you bring that to fruition?
I hope in the future I will be excited and happy to be a resident of Moose Jaw. I would like to see Moose Jaw prosper and grow. We need to promote our city as we are on major highways and the CPKC main line. We have affordable housing, a great municipal airport and wonderful shops and great parks and entertainment facilities.
Why should people vote for you?
I want to continue to represent the citizens of Moose Jaw. As stated earlier, we will have some major infrastructure projects in the next few years. I would like to be part of these discussions to represent the citizens of Moose Jaw. I have always used the philosophy of dealing with the issue and not personality.
I feel city council should make decisions based on facts and information and leave personality out of it. If the majority of council voted in favour of an issue that I voted against, I still supported it as it was passed by the majority.
I believe I have had a good working relationship with the other city councilors, mayor and city administration. I might not have agreed with their stand on an issue, but I respected their opinion and never had any personal issues with it.
We may not agree on every issue, but it is important to hear the views of everyone. This allows a person to hear all the details that assist in making informed decisions. I have always left personality out of all decisions and will continue to operate in that manner.
I have attended all council and executive meetings along with other committee meetings in person. I feel I have listened to citizens and other councillors, which allowed me to make informed decisions. I have been extremely honoured to represent the citizens of Moose Jaw not only at city council meetings, but outside Moose Jaw at other venues.
I have tried to deal with every issue that residents have contacted me with. Any issues that were presented at city council, like building requests, I inspected personally so I could make an informed decision. I will continue to take to role as city councillor as a privilege and would once again be very honoured to represent you on city council for the next four years.
