MOOSE JAW — Outgoing councilor Doug Blanc has announced he will run for another term as councilor in the Nov. 13 municipal election. Below you will find Blanc’s answers to the questions of the Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. Some answers have been edited for length.

Why do you want to introduce yourself again?

I am running because I want to continue to be the voice of the citizens of Moose Jaw. I said four years ago that advisors should treat citizens as their clients, and I still believe it. We must work for the citizens of Moose Jaw.

I tried to represent everyone who called me. We will face major challenges in the coming years. We have the Crescent View pump station which requires considerable work or complete replacement. We have an aging outdoor pool that needs to be replaced. We have the Fourth Avenue Viaduct that needs major repairs as well as road repairs.

I want to work for citizens to ensure that these issues can be resolved in a fiscally responsible manner.

What did you think of your previous experience/first term on the board?

Experience within the municipal council is a considerable asset. But past experience can also be an advantage. With my background, I think I have the qualifications. My four years on city council, in addition to serving on the Parks and Recreation Committee, the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, the Moose Jaw Exhibition Board, the Roads and Infrastructure Committee and the Moose Jaw Police Commission, gave me the opportunity to gain considerable experience.

My past experience on various boards, both in Moose Jaw and in previous work, has given me the opportunity to deal with budgets and complex issues, which has provided me with the experience and the knowledge necessary to sit on the municipal council.

What do you think this council has done well and what have been some of its accomplishments?

There are a number of areas where I think we have accomplished. We have hired a new City Manager (Maryse Carmichael) to replace the previous City Manager who retired. This made it possible to take a new look at the functioning of the city and to rationalize certain services. This will continue in the future to contribute to a better service for our residents.

We approved the construction of a new common school that is expected to be operational in 2025. The Great Plains Power Plant was completed, which brought economic growth during its construction and will continue into the future.

We worked with developers to expand the West Park development. We have an additional housing complex under construction on Fairford Street East and Laurier Street in the future. We have developed lots on the market through the new common school. We have approved solar panels on some of our resorts, which will reduce our electricity bills and contribute to climate reduction.

With the Moose Jaw police, I lobbied the provincial government to fund certain police activities. This included the ICE unit, which they fund for Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. However, no funding has been provided for the operation of this unit in Moose Jaw. We managed to convince the province to pay eight additional officers. This will not only pay for the expenses of the two agents working in the ICE unit, but will also allow for more patrols on the streets and in our parks.

What areas do you think the board should have done better or could not have addressed?

We must listen better to our citizens and respond to their concerns. Although we have the “report a problem” feature on the city’s webpage, I think this needs to be improved to allow for friendlier and easier use of this application.

We could make our city more attractive to visitors by ensuring our entrances are free of weeds and trash. We must work better on our infrastructure projects to allow fewer interruptions for our citizens, while maintaining quality work. Our regulations need to be improved so that permits are issued more quickly and easily.

What do you hope to accomplish if elected?

Over the next few years we will have many projects that will require additional or new work. The first thing to fix is ​​the Crescent View pumping station. This station is responsible for ensuring that all of our waste and stormwater is pumped to our lagoon. This will require complete renovation or replacement.

Since the cost of this measure is astronomical, we must lobby the federal and provincial governments for help. The Crescent View Pumping Station has to be at the top of the list.

After that, there are a number of projects we need to work on. They include, but are not limited to, the Fourth Avenue Viaduct, the outdoor pool, continued cast iron and water repair work, and road repairs. We also need to maintain our buildings, as some will require maintenance to remain operational.

How would you make life more affordable for residents?

Affordability is a concern in every municipality in Saskatchewan and Canada. We need to examine our budget to ensure 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 carry out the property assessment. This contract is set to expire in December 2025. The City Council needs to review this and determine whether we should continue with SAMA or move the assessment in-house as has been done in the past. We can also look at other municipalities and see how their assessment is done.

Whichever way we choose, the evaluation system must be fair and reasonable. If we have a different approach or rules, it will let residents know it is a fair process.

I believe we should hire contractors from Moose Jaw for our projects. If we use local contractors, the money, or part of it, would help other local businesses as they purchase their essential products in Moose Jaw. We also need to promote Moose Jaw more to attract new businesses.

With the current provincial election over and the current government shutting out Regina and the majority of Saskatoon, we need to push for more funding or help to start business in Moose Jaw. We should work with our MPs to have more industries and businesses in Moose Jaw.

Would you agree with using taxpayer dollars to support the Hilton Hotel project and/or an associated parking garage?

I support a new hotel on River Street and hope it succeeds. I will continue to work to have the regulations drafted quickly and to remove any obstacles they may have. However, I don’t believe city money should be used to help build a hotel or parking lot. The city should provide services to residents but not invest in private development.

How would you address the issues facing poor and homeless residents in the community?

Even if we have a problem with people being homeless or not having access to social assistance, that is the responsibility of the provincial government. We can provide you with advice on the location of shelters or treatment centers.

We cannot use municipal money to pay for them. If we start funding these programs, we won’t be able to stop paying for them. We must continue to focus on managing our infrastructure and services to the residents of Moose Jaw. Any support we can give morally we should, but not financially.

How would you improve safety or security in the community?

I mentioned in a previous question that we will have eight more police officers in the future. This will ensure a greater police presence on the streets and parks. We implemented the “no trespassing” law and the shopping cart law, which helped reduce some problems. I am committed to having more police officers visible and patrolling our community.

What is your long-term vision for the community in 10 to 20 years? How would you make this happen?

I hope that 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 because we are on major highways and the CPKC main line. We have affordable housing, a great municipal airport, great shopping, and great parks and entertainment facilities.

Why should people vote for you?

I want to continue to represent the citizens of Moose Jaw. As previously stated, we will have major infrastructure projects over the next few years. I would like to participate in these discussions to represent the citizens of Moose Jaw. I have always used the philosophy of treating the problem and not the personality.

I think the city council should make decisions based on facts and information and leave personality aside. If the majority of the council voted in favor of an issue that I voted against, I still supported it because it was passed by the majority.

I believe I had good working relationships with the other municipal councilors, the mayor and the municipal administration. I may not have agreed with their position on an issue, but I respected their opinion and never had a personal problem with it.

We may not agree on every issue, but it’s important to hear everyone’s perspectives. This allows a person to hear all the details that help them make informed decisions. I have always left personality out of all decisions and will continue to operate in this way.

I attended all board and executive meetings in person as well as other committee meetings. I feel like I listened to citizens and other advisors, which allowed me to make informed decisions. I have been extremely honored to represent the citizens of Moose Jaw not only at city council meetings, but also outside of Moose Jaw in other venues.

I have tried to resolve all issues residents have contacted me about. I have personally inspected all issues presented to the City Council, such as building applications, so that I can make an informed decision. I will continue to fulfill the role of municipal councilor as a privilege and I would once again be very honored to represent you on the municipal council for the next four years.