JOE BRATKOWSKI
Joe Bratkowski wants Lantzville to have a responsible fiscal plan that protects current residents and future generations.
Bratkowski, 58, said it’s a challenging financial time for residents, and council needs a better balanced budget and less government to keep costs low.
“We do a good job but I think we can do better,” said Bratkowski. “We spend too much and need to do with less government.”
He also wants core services in the district, including water and sewers, roads and fire protection, reviewed and improved.
Government needs to listen and learn from residents while taking a leadership role in the community, said Bratkowski. He said leaders need to be inclusive, conciliatory and forward thinking about finding solutions.
He would also like to create plans for Lantzville’s waterfront, the foothills area and the village centre to protect marine resources and ecological and recreational values.
Bratkowski has lived in Lantzville for more than 30 years and is a past member of the Lantzville Fire Department, a member of the Vancouver Island Regional Library Board and has a long history of volunteering for events in the community including the annual breakfast with Santa at Costin Hall and Minetown Days celebrations.
For more info:
Joe Bratkowski
@joebratkowski on Twitter
250-390-2767
joebratkowski@shaw.ca
BRIAN DEMPSEY
Brian Dempsey is seeking election for his third term on Lantzville council and wants to continue to build on bring amenities and services to residents.
Dempsey, 65, has a long history of being involved in Lantzville politics. He served for 12 years on the Lantzville Improvement District as a trustee before incorporation.
“I’ve got the experience and I’ve shown I’m dedicated,” he said. “I enjoy what I’m doing. It’s something I can do for my community.”
Key issues for Dempsey in this election include water, seniors housing and building the necessary infrastructure to bring services such as a sewer system to residents.
He said the community needs seniors housing and other forms of affordable housing for residents, but development hinges on water.
He said acquiring sources of water is essential not only for current residents, but for future development.
Lantzville council has been negotiating with the City of Nanaimo to purchase water to open up more opportunities for the community, and Dempsey said buying water would be the only real true solution for Lantzville.
He has received calls from residents concerned about the quality and quantity of water in their wells and he wants to connect people to those services.
For more info:
Brian Dempsey
250-390-4222
bdempsey@telus.net
JOHN DUNN
Ensuring Lantzville remains a semi-rural sustainable community with affordable taxes for residents are important issues for John Dunn.
Dunn said debt reduction and restraint should be the goal of any councillor.
“Fiscal responsibility comes from living within one’s means and holds true for the home and the community as a whole,” he said in a press release. “Common sense and an open mind will guide me if elected to council and I will work for all residents on all issue with equal vigor for the best outcome for all.”
As a volunteer on the Parks and Recreation Commission and with the Nanoose Streamkeepers Society, Dunn said he wants Lantzville to remain as green as possible.
He wants to continue working on the trail system for residents to enjoy and hopes to encourage residents to participate in village core beautification initiatives on roadsides and in public spaces.
He said by engaging residents in stewardship projects it will give them a sense of ownership while creating an inviting atmosphere for residents and visitors.
Dunn wants to create an inclusive community where all residents have and equal voice.
“Only through real community involvement can we make the choices that benefit all,” he said.
For more info:
John Dunn
j.dunn@telus.net
JORDAN GAIL
Jordan Gail wants to involve the community in district decisions by consulting residents and forming community-based committees and community projects.
“The foundation of a community is enhancing the connections of people within the community,” he said.
A social worker, Gail said he’d like to reduce barriers for community involvement in local government.
Three important election issues for the 30-year-old are water, revitalizing the downtown core and providing services and housing for seniors and families.
Issues addressing downtown revitalization include a plan to guide development and attract a tax base to the area, create more sidewalks and gathering spaces in the community and develop access through trails.
Gail would like to see an assessment of current water sources in the district and create a plan for storm water and grey-water projects.
He also wants to pursue environmental grants and create incentive-based conservation programs for residents.
To create more housing, he would legalize secondary suites for residents residing in them who are 65 years and older. He would also encourage water retrofits in the suites.
Gail also wants more bus shelters so children and seniors don’t have to stand in the rain.
For more info:
Jordan Gail
250-933-4204
jordan.gail@hotmail.com
MICHAEL GESELBRACHT
Creating a sustainable and revitalized community while ensuring a well-rounded age demographic are important issues Lantzville candidate Michael Geselbracht hopes to address if elected Nov. 19.
Geselbracht, 27, wants to use the upcoming Official Community Plan review to include a 100-year vision for Lantzville to ensure it goes beyond the interests of current residents and addresses the needs of future generations.
His platform includes: improving water resource management such as more grey-water systems before pursuing external sources; encouraging a well-rounded age demographic in the community by encouraging the construction of seniors’ housing and the creation of employment opportunities for young adults; revising and creating bylaws to promote agriculture in rural and suburban areas; and improving communication mechanisms between council members and residents through community forums.
Geselbracht said he’s running for council because he wants to increase his political involvement in Lantzville after working on community development and activism projects on the Island.
“It’s just a way to be involved in part of the positive change in the community,” he said.
Geselbracht proposes Lantzville pursue a healthy, vibrant and resilient community by using a framework of inclusive community engagements.
He said the economy must also be relocalized by exploring options for local food production and energy sources.
For more info:
Michael Geselbracht
www.wix.com/michaelgeselbracht/cover
WARREN GRIFFEY
Warren Griffey says he’s seeking re-election to serve the constituents of Lantzville because he cares about the direction the community is heading.
On council since incorporation, Griffey wants to continue to serve to bring important services to the community such as water and improvements to the tax base through development. He says he wants to help shape the community identity.
Griffey, who works in retail investigations and is a security director, said there is still work to be done in the community, but it must be done carefully.
He said he represents experience, commitment and possesses rational thinking and good judgment to help accomplish those goals.
“I believe the constituents have faith in the process of what is a democracy and they place in me the ability to have their voices heard,” he said. “I listen, I consider and then I act on what direction they give me.”
Griffey said he bases his decisions on more than what is heard at meetings or from special interest groups, taking the collective whole into consideration.
For more info:
Warren Griffey
250-390-3540
warrengriffey@shaw.ca
DENISE HAIME
Denise Haime wants the opportunity to continue working for Lantzville residents to keep taxes low and build on community projects already underway.
Haime, 51, has served as a Lantzville councillor for the past six years. She’s a chartered accountant and says she has the skills to ensure and carry out the effective management of the district.
She wants to see the continued construction of the E&N Trail system that creates recreational opportunities and alternative means of travel for residents.
As chairwoman of Lantzville’s parks and recreation commission, she helped spearhead the parks and trails plan.
Water is a key issue facing Lantzville and is crucial for the future sustainability of the community, said Haime.
Council is negotiating with the City of Nanaimo on a water deal and Haime said completing it would allow council to implement the goals outlined in the Official Community Plan including creating seniors housing and revitalizing downtown Lantzville.
She said her experience, dedication and knowledge will provide the continuity required by council to meet the goals of the community.
Haime also wants to use social media and the Internet to bring additional local information to the community and develop an emergency alert system.
For more info:
Denise Haime
www.denisehaime.ca
denisehaime@shaw.ca
JENNIFER MILLBANK
Water and development are big campaign issues for Jennifer Millbank.
The 35-year-old said the current council is negotiating a water deal with the City of Nanaimo and Regional District of Nanaimo, but the public is in the dark about the details.
She said it’s important for the public to know the long-term development implications of a deal, and promises more transparency on the issue if elected.
She said more consultation is needed with the public on other important issues as well.
While Millbank is seeking election for her first term as a councillor, she’s not new to politics.
In university she cut her teeth in political processes as a page in Ralph Klein’s Alberta government and the experience let her take an inside look at the everyday decisions needed in politics.
She’ll also bring her analytical and communication skills to the table. Millbank has been a litigation lawyer since 2002 and works for Ramsay Lampman Rhodes. She says her background has given her the skills to bring people together.
Millbank believes Lantzville has an all-star candidate lineup to choose from in this election.
“This is finally the community’s opportunity to come out and have a say in what is going on,” she said.
For more info:
Jennifer Millbank
jpmillbank@shaw.ca
ANDREW MOSTAD
Andrew Mostad promises fiscal responsibility, community revitalization and community involvement in the urban agriculture issue if elected to council.
The 23-year-old B.C. Institute of Technology graduate has a bachelor in business management and administration with a focus on finance and strategy and is the spokesman for the Friends of Urban Agriculture.
He said a committee needs to be created on urban agriculture, but without a constrictive time frame so the issue can be explored fully.
“This is a great opportunity to build our community and create a more unique community feel through urban agriculture,” said Mostad. “To build a healthier community that is more self-sufficient and more capable of handling development issues.”
He said urban agriculture is also an important component of revitalizing Lantzville and ensuring it retains a semi-rural atmosphere.
Mostad said he wants to bring more transparency and accountability to council. He promises fiscal responsibility and district administration costs should be examined as well as costs of the water deal being negotiated with the City of Nanaimo.
Mostad would also like to see an independent community committee formed overseeing council wage increases instead of council controlling it.
For more info:
Andrew Mostad
250-327-2285
andrewmostad@gmail.com
or search Facebook for ‘elect Andrew Mostad’
DOUG PARKHURST
Doug Parkhurst believes in bringing a balanced researched view to council decisions and creating a flourishing community that embraces all members of the community.
“The community needs balance. It needs people not running on a single issue and a knowledgeable, steady hand,” said Parkhurst.
The 49-year-old chartered accountant wants Lantzville to retain its semi-rural character and he’s dedicated to transparency and fiscal responsibility, ensuring budgets are increasing no more than the rate of inflation.
He wants to ensure amenities such as sewer, recreational opportunities and the expansion of trail systems are available for residents.
He’s served on council since incorporation in 2003 and prior to that was a member of Lantzville’s improvement district.
For Lantzville to develop, the district needs to secure another source of water besides wells.
Parkhurst said negotiations are taking place with the Regional District of Nanaimo and City of Nanaimo to connect into those region’s water systems.
“Nothing can develop until there is water,” he said.
Seniors’ housing and affordable housing for young families is needed in the community, said Parkhurst.
He believes in seeking out the public’s opinion and trying to develop a balance approach to government that considers all stakeholders, not just special interest groups.
For more info:
Doug Parkhurst
douglas.parkhurst@gmail.com
GRAHAM SAVAGE
Graham Savage says water supply is an important issue that will determine Lantzville’s future.
Savage, 68, said important issues such as creating seniors’ housing in the downtown core, accomplishing Official Community Plan goals and supporting urban gardening are tied to the availability of water.
If elected Savage wants a review of existing groundwater source, which also examines other options to increase water capacity. He said revitalization is dependent on securing water.
“Lantzville is pretty much dormant in terms of development because of lack of water,” said Savage.
He says development is needed but must be kept in check to preserve the semi-rural style of the district.
He also wants a scientific study on the effects of urban gardening on water safety and more recreational activities available to Lantzville residents that will solidify a more cohesive community.
He said Minetown Days is the only community-wide event and more needs to be done to ensure Lantzville isn’t viewed as a bedroom community.
Savage worked for 30 years as a government consultant advising on land development, municipal engineering, public works projects and planning. He spent 25 years with the City of Nanaimo as a manager of development.
For more info:
Graham Savage
grahamsavage@shaw.ca
JAMIE WALLACE
Jamie Wallace says one of the most critical issues facing Lantzville is the lack of public consultation on important matters that affect the community.
If elected Wallace, 48, wants more transparency on issues and more interaction between council members and residents.
“We should be looking for feedback from residents of Lantzville regarding what they think and want,” said Wallace.
Key issues for Wallace this election are food security and sustainability, village core planning and water conservation.
Wallace said he’s concerned with the transparency of the current council’s negotiations regarding water with the City of Nanaimo. He wants more measures in place to conserve current water sources, such as low-flow toilets and shower head installations, building codes requiring grey water use and more. He said he’s worried that Lantzville may be forced to develop to recoup revenue used in the water deal.
The village core also needs to be strengthened to ensure it’s an inviting area for residents, he said.
He said it could be an inviting area with a cohesive look that may make an ideal location for a farmers’ market. Wallace would also like to see the formation of a Food Advisory Committee to discuss ways to encourage local food production.
For more info:
Jamie Wallace
www.jamiewallace.ca
jfcwallace@shaw.ca
250-390-0029