Smith wants to remain at the table
Kevin Smith’s first term on council has been a rewarding and educational experience, and he hopes to remain part of council for another four years.
Smith has confirmed he will be seeking a second term on Estevan city council. He ran for council for the first time in 2012, finishing sixth to earn his seat in the chambers.
The first year on council was particularly difficult, he said, as he not only had to learn about the nature of the job, but council had to make some difficult decisions.
“I’m really excited to put my name forward, just simply because I think we do have a really good team put together, and it starts with an expectation from council … for our managers to do better, to operate the city more efficiently,” said Smith.
The city’s employees are buying in, he said. Greenspaces are looking better, and there’s a greater emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles in the city, with better opportunities for people.
“We heard, all too often, from different groups, that wanted to see better greenspaces and a lot of those kinds of things to enhance our community,” said Smith.
Events like the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup junior A hockey tournament and the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games were great for the city, he said, because they not only boosted morale among residents, but they showed visitors that Estevan is a great city to live in and visit.
“I know one of the biggest comments from the public was we looked really good, and they’re really grateful for how the city got cleaned up and looking much better,” said Smith. “Collectively, I think we can say that’s what our goal is going forward, that we want the emphasis to stay on our parks and our cleanliness and our grooming of the city.”
There are things that council wants to do over the next four years, but it will be contingent on revenues. Most of their income comes from property taxes.
“If we want improvements to our community, we also need people buying into taxation,” said Smith.
Smith believes council has also done a good job of engaging the community. He cited the discussions regarding the business bylaw earlier this year. People had questions and concerns about the document, and they were able to speak to council about those issues. Those concerns resulted in several changes to the document.
The present council has also done some new things, such as gathering outside of their regularly-scheduled meeting times to discuss the issues facing the city.
In the next term, Smith thinks council needs to be focused on short-term and long-term goals, and finish what they started.
“When we first got on council, there were lots of projects that were Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 and Phase 4,” said Smith.
Smith had some understanding of city business before joining council, thanks to several years as a member at large for the Estevan board of police commissioners. But he realized there was a lot to learn once he joined council.
Knibbs has enjoyed his first council term
Trevor Knibbs has enjoyed his time on Estevan city council, and he hopes he can return to council for a first full term as a councillor.
Knibbs was elected to council during a byelection in April 2014, defeating four other candidates to fill the vacancy that was created by the resignation of Chris Istace.
Since that time, Knibbs has been learning the nature of the job. Being part of council has proved to be a big learning experience.
It proved to be very different from what he expected.
“I continually learn every time I go into council,” said Knibbs.
This current council has put Estevan first, he said, even though some of their decisions have not been popular, such as paying down debt or raising taxes.
“We all have the goal to make it the best city it can be, and that’s why I’m excited to say ‘Yeah, we are (on the right path),’” said Knibbs. “Whether we agree all the time or not, we all, in the end, just want Estevan to be better.”
He believes council has started something great, and they have momentum to keep moving forward, so that the debt repayment can continue, while other improvements are made.
“We have made some great improvements over the last 2 1/2 years that I have been on council,” said Knibbs.
The management team that is currently in place is making a big difference, he said, and they have a desire to make Estevan better.
Knibbs believes the next term on council should be a lot smoother, now that he has learned the ropes. He knows what council can do and what they can’t do, and what the public expects them to do.
He recognizes that councils have to make decisions with the future in mind, particularly when it comes to sewer, water and infrastructure.
“When I first got on council, I thought that what we do today will happen tomorrow,” said Knibbs. “It doesn’t work that way. There’s so much that’s put already into motion for the next year to year-and-a-half. And it’s just to keep things moving forward.”
They might not always agree on the issues, since they have all have different perspectives on what is best for the city, but Knibbs said they will usually reach some form of a consensus.
Council has also placed a greater emphasis on transparency during this term.
“When I came in, that was already put into motion,” said Knibbs. “I just walked into that, where they were saying we want to be transparent … so I never knew anything that was different. To me, it’s all
working great.”
He is appreciative that council had a lot of experience already, as Mayor Roy Ludwig had been a councillor for 18 years before becoming mayor. Brian Johnson (16 years) and Dennis Moore (seven years) have both been councillors for multiple terms.
And when it comes to things that happened in the past, the newer members of council can draw upon the experience of the longer-tenured councillors.
Hoffort seeks to remain councillor
Greg Hoffort wants to be part of Estevan city council for a second consecutive term.
Hoffort joined council for the first time in 2012 after finishing first in a nine-candidate field for councillor.
“I feel like our council has made a lot of progress as a city this year,” said Hoffort. “When you’re considering if you want to run for another term, you want to feel like you’ve made a difference, and that you’ll continue to make a difference.”
Council has done a lot of positive things during the past term, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
“It’s no secret that we were in quite a financial predicament at the start of our term, and this council has, together, made a very … remarkable difference, in that regard, to draw down the debt, in excess of $10 million, over the course of the term,” said Hoffort.
He believes the debt repayment efforts need to continue into the next term. Once the debt is reduced, council will have more money to spend on infrastructure needs, such as roads.
Some important infrastructure projects, such as the rebuild of Souris Avenue North, have been completed during the past term.
When he first joined council, Hoffort said people would approach him to explain everything that was wrong with the city. Now they tell him they’re noticing improvements, particularly when it comes to parks and greenspaces.
“They’re also noticing that we’re making improvements to the financial situation of the city,” said Hoffort. “And that’s so important.”
One of council’s best moves has been hiring the new management team, with people like city manager Jeff Ward, parks manager Rod March and roads and drainage manager Norm Mack.
“Those guys are making a difference in our city,” said Hoffort. “It’s become a really solid team at the City of Estevan, with great potential. We are the city of opportunity.”
Hoffort had lots of municipal experience when he joined council, thanks to his tenure as the administrator for the Rural Municipality of Estevan. But there was still a learning curve for him, as he had to get up to speed on where the city was as an organization, from a financial and management perspective.
“We set out as a team to make improvements in all those areas,” said Hoffort.
Hoffort hopes the trends that have occurred can continue in the next four years. Decisions that council makes must have the best interests of the city in mind.
“Make no mistake, we don’t fix a single street ourselves,” said Hoffort. “We don’t jump on a piece of equipment. We depend on our managers to lead the way in that regard, and we empower them with the policy and the resources that are necessary to do that.”
He believes council also needs to support community groups and those that are trying to improve the community, such as the committees that organized the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games and the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup junior A hockey tournament.
Johnson will run for council again
One of the most experienced members of Estevan city council hopes to return for another term.
Brian Johnson, who was first elected in 2000, has submitted his nomination form for councillor. In the last election in 2012, he finished fourth in the ballot count in the six councillor race.
Johnson believes council has completed a number of tasks and ideas have been presented to move the city forward during this past term.
“Working with this council has been a real pleasure,” said Johnson. “It’s been a good group.”
During the 2012 election campaign, roads were a big issue, and Johnson believes council has made progress. Souris Avenue North and 13th Avenue were resurfaced. Funding from the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program was used to resurface the Estevan Regional Airport runways.
Johnson is also pleased with the management team they have in place. There has been significant turnover in some of the departments, and they dismissed two different city managers.
“We’ve got a very good nucleus now of department heads who are in place,” said Johnson. “They’re carrying out these tasks, they’re doing an excellent job at it, and I think we’ve found what works in Estevan.”
When he talks to people on the street, they’re happy to see what’s happening in Estevan, and they’re seeing improvements in the services.
“We’re making sure that we go back to these areas that are deteriorating, like Royal Heights Park,” he said. “We spruced that up. We bring in new pathways, we put in new trees, we put in that spray park for the kids.”
But there is a lot of work that needs to be completed in the next term. King Street needs to be resurfaced, and it needs to be widened between Petterson Drive and Pine Avenue, in front of the Estevan Shoppers Mall.
He also wants to see the new Estevan Regional Nursing Home proceed. Council needs to look at how they can help make that project happen.
Council also needs to continue to pay down the debt, although Johnson is pleased with the debt reduction efforts of the past four years.
He is pleased Estevan has been able to host big events, such as the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games and the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup junior A hockey championship, and Johnson hopes additional big events can be brought to the city in the future.
“It showcases Estevan and it brings a lot of pride to the community,” said Johnson.
Johnson hopes to see a healthy contingent of candidates for this election campaign. All of the current members of council have submitted their nomination forms, or have said they would run again, and Johnson finds that encouraging.
He looks forward to seeing at least one new face on council.
“It shows an interest in the people who want to run,” said Johnson. “It’s not an easy job. It’s a commitment. It’s a big commitment. You reap a number of wholesome rewards. It builds personality. It strengthens your mind and it strengthens you as an individual when you’re involved and engaged in the community.”
