The fifth person to file nomination papers for a run at one of six councillor positions on Elliot Lake City Council this fall is project manager Bruce Ibbitson.
In his campaign literature, he leans heavily on his three terms on the Township of St. Joseph Council and over 25 years experience as a project manager.
"I am a recent three-term councillor for the township of St. Joseph on St. Joseph Island. I sat on up to seven different committees and boards, ie: Roads, Finance, Personnel, Marina Committee etc.," he wrote.
"I have also been a member of the St. Joseph Island Planning Board for the past 20 years.
"I am also currently a Board Member for the local Hospital Saint Joseph General Hospital Elliot Lake and I volunteer for many organizations in the City," he continued.
He wrote that his intention is to rely on his municipal experience and career background to make informed decisions for the people of Elliot Lake.
"Council work is not easy. Nor is it meant to be a place where everyone agrees with everything. It is mutual respect, and passionate debate resulting in meaningful direction for our city.
He went on, "With over 25 years of experience in the Project Management and Technical sectors, I promise to make informed, logical decisions on your behalf. I am very proud of my past municipal experience and I ask you to let my experience work for the City of Elliot Lake during these difficult and challenging times."
ElliotLakeToday: What do you see as the city's greatest strengths?
Ibbitson: Elliot Lake is one of the north’s best-kept secrets, a true diamond in the rough, we as a community have to learn to accept what we have, enjoy what we have and build on our city’s reputation in a positive manner.
I have worked all over northern Ontario. Ontario and North America and Elliot Lake does not have to take a back seat to any community.
ElliotLakeToday: What would you like to see changed?
I would like to see council act in a more cohesive positive manner, I am tired of the infighting as it is totally counterproductive and expensive.
I would like to see the budget approved much sooner than what appears to be the norm so residents can make informed decisions from items occurring in the budget. The summer camp is an example.
I would like to have a listing of construction-ready projects that can be applied to various grant opportunities as they become available. Grant opportunities are few and often have a very short response time.
With a construction-ready project, the grant application would be very detailed making the success of obtaining the grant more likely. It is a competition for funding dollars. There is an up-front cost for the required engineering, budget/schedule development but stays relative over time and can be updated quickly as required to fit the grant application.
I would like to ensure there is a preventative maintenance program in place.
The collapse of the Civic Centre would not have happened if a snow depth measuring program was in place for all city facilities. Preventative maintenance vs. breakdown maintenance, the former is the preference in the areas of cost and level of service.
Safety is a concern of mine. With Elliot Lake being the birthplace of safety in Ontario, we need to ensure that we are compliant with all Health and Safety regulations. Safe employees are happy employees, happy employees are productive employees. It is a win-win situation for everyone.
Infrastructure projects should be prioritized, particularly projects that can save ongoing operational and maintenance costs.
Operational efficiencies should be reviewed across all departments.
ElliotLakeToday: Councillors are not highly paid. Should there be a wage review before the municipal election on Oct. 24?
Ibbitson: I believe that is an outgoing council responsibility, if not it should be.
ElliotLakeToday: The city has had little luck in attracting major project funding from Ottawa and Queen's Park. Do you agree with the decision not to build the Recreation Hub?
Ibbitson: Not sure. I would like to review the thought process on how the decision not to build was determined. What were the determining factors, budget, location, etc.?
I expect that the cost has gone up such that without significant grant funding the cost is simply prohibitive for the city.
ElliotLakeToday: Should there be a try made to raise funds some other way, like the way the hospital foundation raised money for the CT scanner?
Ibbitson: Maybe a different approach is required, a combination of municipal, government and private entities (if it has not been tried already). Sault Area Hospital (SAH) is an example of a performance-type contract where several entities worked together to build and operate the hospital.
I believe Infrastructure Ontario and Ellis Don were part of that collaboration. This is an action plan that should be explored.
ElliotLakeToday: What is your best hope for Elliot Lake over the next four-year council term?
Ibbitson: I am a realist, in these times of escalating inflation and the ever-present COVID hangover (maybe another wave this fall) I think if council was able to keep tax increases to a minimum while prioritizing infrastructure projects, that would be a win for the city and put us in good shape coming out of these precedent-setting times. Anything over and above that would be a bonus.
Also in the running for the six city councillor spots are Tammy Brown, Gary Kirk, Richard Laurin, Mike Thomas and Tammy Van Roon.
Municipal election day is Oct. 24 and advance polls will be held on Oct. 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13. Special ballot advanced voting will be offered weekdays except holidays at city hall in September and October.
Nominations close at 2 p.m. on Aug.19.