Caryl Green: Find new revenue to keep projects going

It is arguably the most important election in Chelsea’s history. The municipality is at a crossroads and its future development has never been more passionately debated.

The Low Down Q&A will hopefully shed some light on who and what residents are voting for this Nov. 1.

We sent each mayoral candidate the following Q&A questions by email, written answers of no more than 175 words per question to be sent back within three days.

What are Chelsea’s options for reducing its municipal debt?

Chelsea’s debt is an investment in our community’s quality of life; it has allowed us to spread the cost of significant improvements – to our roads, public security, health, and culture and recreation – over several years.

To reduce our debt, we can: 1) increase taxes, 2) reduce services, 3) find alternative sources of funding.

As mayor, 1) I intend to keep annual tax increases to a minimum. 2) I will review the costs of all municipal services with a view to delivering cost-effective services that support a healthy community life. 3) I will work with the other mayors to reduce the MRC expenses, for example, by increasing group purchasing for items such as insurance and supplies. I will work to increase the provincial compensation for Chelsea’s garbage reduction and recycling efforts. As a member of the Union of Municipalities of Quebec and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, I will lobby for new, permanent funding, for example, the gas tax credit. Once the waste water systems are finished, Chelsea would receive approximately $500,000 for road improvements through this credit.

What are essential municipal services? What services can be scaled back or eliminated? Please be specific.

Municipalities are required by law to provide road maintenance, fire protection, policing, snow removal, garbage pick-up and zoning regulations. Several of these services are handled regionally by the MRC. Chelsea transfers 20% of our tax dollars to the MRC for these services; they are non-negotiable.

Other services provided by the municipality include road improvement, sports and recreation, culture and heritage, environment and sustainable development. While not required by law, I consider these services to be fundamental for the well-being and health of our community. If these services were cut, our community would function at a maintenance level only. For example, the roads would remain in their current condition with no tax dollars for improvement; as well, we would cut our library services, eliminate maintenance of our soccer fields, abolish protection of our environment. I believe our community’s quality of life would be severely compromised.

That being said, as mayor, I intend to implement a thorough financial analysis of all municipal services in order to determine how we might be more efficient and cost-effective.

Does the next council need to revisit the plan for the Meredith Centre? Under what circumstances?

The next council does not need to revisit the plan for the Meredith Centre. The results of the June referendum gave the municipality the mandate to proceed with the construction of the centre. A company, CIMA+, has been hired as the project manager; currently, they are compiling the Request for Proposals (RFP) in preparation for the tendering process.

The only deliberation that might take place is in the event that all the bids in the tendering process are over the maximum cost (set at $9.8M).  Based on a recommendation by the Joint Construction committee (comprised of municipal staff and members of the Chelsea Foundation), council may choose to reduce the scope of the project. This could involve a reduction in the overall size of the centre but does not mean eliminating any of the three components.

The Meredith Centre will be built with a “Design/Build with Risk Transfer” approach. This approach implies that any cost over runs will be absorbed by the construction company. They will not be passed on to Chelsea residents.

Chelsea Creek caused a huge debate over density in “rural” Chelsea’s centre village. Describe your vision for the centre village 10 years from now, including a specific number when it comes to density (housing units per acre).

At present, the majority of homes in Chelsea are built on one acre wooded lots throughout the Gatineau hills and along the Gatineau River. As mayor, I will work to preserve this ‘rural’ life style and current housing density.

My vision for Chelsea is based on my understanding of a ‘healthy, sustainable community’ that allows for a range of housing densities in the centre village itself. Practically speaking, I see clusters of houses - for example, single dwellings and semi-detached homes – with large green spaces in between. As mayor, one of my main priorities is to provide affordable, accessible housing for two important demographics – our young adults and for our seniors. Giving our young adults and our seniors the choice to remain in our community allows for a multi-generational reality that is critical to the health of Chelsea.

I believe that in order to be a ‘healthy’ community we need a centre village that offers local services, and we need infrastructure that supports these local businesses, serving both Chelsea residents and our visitors.

Just about every candidate talks about the need to re-unite this divided community. List three specific ways you would improve Chelsea’s situation.

It’s said that Chelsea is a ‘community of communities.’ As mayor, I intend to stay in touch with the different needs and concerns of each of these ‘communities.’ I plan to visit the six wards at least twice a year, in order to meet with residents face-to-face. As well, I will ask each of the councillors to give a monthly report on their ward’s concerns, and have them report back to their constituents on a regular basis.

I will give my full support to the Centre Village visioning process. This community-led initiative will engage as many residents as possible in kitchen table discussions and town hall meetings. I believe that this process will bring focus to the many, diverse opinions of all residents. This will give us the opportunity to chart the path forward together and guide the upcoming revision of the Master Plan.

I intend to examine the mandate and structure of all municipal committees in order to draw upon the experience and knowledge of Chelsea residents in a more effective manner.

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