Rivers and Daly ratepayers listen to Riverdale representatives

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Published on Friday, October 17, 2014

By Sheila Runions

      Banner Staff

Municipal elections will be held Oct. 22; to allow voters to make a more informed decision, a candidates meeting was held at Rivers Legion Hall. When the crowd quickly outgrew the chairs set, more rows were added; the hall held approximately 160 people from Rivers and RM of Daly. These two entities will amalgamate in January 2015 and form Riverdale Municipality.

It will be governed by a reeve and six councillors; there are 11 candidates hoping to claim those seven seats. All hopefuls but Marlin Beever and Warren Smallwood are incumbents. Each were asked to speak for no more than five minutes with councillors going first and reeve second; they were slated in reverse alphabetical order, councillors then reeves.

First up was Cam White who reminded people he moved to Rivers in 1989 “because of schools, recreation opportunities and health care. I believe these amenities will continue to attract families for years to come. This next term will be incredibly busy as amalgamation takes place and council will have to work diligently on behalf of ALL residents. While it has been said there are urban and rural issues, council will have to focus on all issues, regardless of where each councillor lives. Council will need to be proactive and forward-thinking to make sure residents of Riverdale are represented fairly and that their tax dollars are spent wisely. I will continue to commit myself to the betterment of the Riverdale community.”

Ken Tait commended the crowd for their attendance because it “shows me you care as much about Riverdale as I do. The next  council must be willing to go in with an open mind and make decisions that are best for the entire municipality, not just the community you reside in. It will be a learning curve for all elected; there will be many decisions to be made that will affect the entire municipality. There are issues such as policing, infrastructure, lagoon, water treatment plan, growth and development to name a few. I do not claim to have solutions, nor am I going to make false promises. I do assure you I will commit the time needed to help make amalgamation a smooth transition. I am prepared to work hard and listen to you and do what is best for the entire municipality. I am dedicated and eager to serve another term to make Rivers and Daly a thriving and enjoyable place to call home.”

Bryan Smith told everyone he grew up on the family farm in RM of Daly and lived there until 2006 when he moved to Rivers. Although his job necessitated a move for four years, he’s been part of the Riverdale community for 44 of his 48 years. He is proud that both his children are now married with children and that each of his kids have also made Riverdale their home. “Our roots in this community run deep; running for another term in the new Riverdale, a combination of two communities that have given so much to my family, would be an honour. I will not make promises but I am aware of some issues: our rural roads need attention; your next council must find a reliable water and sewer system; your next council must come up with a suitable policing agreement.”

Smallwood questioned if amalgamation will “be brought about efficiently, fairly and with transparency. This was one concern that started to bug me six to eight weeks ago when I decided to run. The amalgamation in the next 12 months will set the tone for probably the next 10 years. If we’re excited to move forward fine, but misinterpretation will stir up and may divide the community for a long time. I taught for 20 years at Rivers Collegiate before moving to a small school in Brandon. Over the next few yeas, I was very involved in the amalgamation of two schools with very different policies and attitudes. That experience showed me how to handle human resources with staff all over and policies to solve, that’s the kind of issue we’ll deal with. The community has a lot going for it. We are growing and have several advantages over other municipalities. Let’s continue to work together to make this a great place to live and raise families.”

Tim Gray moved to Rivers 13 years ago and has been on council for 12 of those years, starting when he was 26. His family “moved here for the school, police, recreation, etc. When I first ran, it was to help further these areas and now we’re at an interesting time. We have an opportunity to grow together and make this area a role model. Please consider me based on my past dedication to work to future goals, some of which are to maintain a fleet of equipment, to upgrade our lagoon, to have well-trained staff who can make decisions on the fly and not have them under council’s thumb. I pledge to represent you well with hard work and dedication.”

Like Tait, Larry Fast also recognized the good intentions of the people when he said, “It has been said that home is where the heart is and by the excellent turnout, it’s clear our hearts are in the right place. In 2002 I was granted the privilege to serve on council; these past 12 years have flown by. As we are faced with the challenge of amalgamation, the spirit of teamwork is alive and well. I need only to look at our past examples — fire department and waste disposal — to see we are ready to face the future. Our citizens tell me the concerns they have are infrastructure (sewer and water), recycling, policing and building a strong and stable future for our young people. These are all concerns that will be met head-on by a council that is working together. We are building this community for the future with guidance from the past years. Involvement in summer camps, 4-H etc. have shown me the generation value of working with youth in our community. I trust the people of Riverdale will all take part in shaping our future.”

Dave Falkevitch and his family “moved to the southwest corner of Daly in 1981 because we wanted a rural life for our children. We wanted them to be educated in a small town school and be part of a smaller community where you know almost everyone; people tend to look out for one another more. Looking ahead to after amalgamation, I see a period of several challenges, none of which will be insurmountable if we elect a council in which everyone has a strong voice while ultimately working for the betterment of the community.  I see our aging infrastructure as our Number 1 challenge, whether is is water treatment, crumbling bridges, new lagoons or rebuilding roads. While there are issues that are specific to rural or town, the new council will have to find a solution that is fair for everyone. I feel it will be very important to have a council comprised of individuals who have a strong understanding of the unique challenges and needs to both rural citizens and residents of town.”

Like Smith, Ian Dyer mentioned his family tree, which has been in Daly since 1881 so his “roots are deeply seated in the community. I have the best of both worlds — I live in the rural area and manage Redsper in Rivers. Not only do I keep well informed as to what is going on around town, but living in the country and working in agriculture provides me the knowledge of who lives where and farms what. One of my major concerns is water. Clean, safe drinking water is of utmost important.Disposal of waste water and the age and capacity of Rivers’ lagoon will need to be addressed. Excess water continues to have serious impact on farmland [and caused] $500,000 damage to culverts, bridges and roads. Another challenge will be policing. Existing councils have taken amalgamation very seriously in meetings striving for the best for everyone. I will do my best to be approachable, open-minded, accountable and committee to the people of Riverdale.”

Darren Bray lived on the family farm west of Rivers for most of his youth (age six-graduation) and moved to Rivers 16 years ago. He believes his 27-year career with Manitoba Hydro as a negotiator supervisor and accountant will “serve me well at the council table. I thrive in the environment of working within a team to resolve issues. I look forward to take on the many challenges the new council will have.” He suggested capital projects (water treatment, lagoon, roads and bridges) “to replace aging infrastructure and plan for future development. It is important that we maintain a balance and be equitable as we look at funding these projects and here is where my strengths lie. Creating financial plans and providing funding scenarios are where I feel most comfortable. The newly-elected council will have the challenge of blending a financial plan that works for both rural and urban citizens. It is important for council to work hard to minimize or hold property tax increases. If elected, I cannot promise that I will reduce or freeze taxes for the next four years, but I will do all I can to make sure council is conscious of their spending.”

The first reeve hopeful (and current mayor) Todd Gill told people a secret! He said, “The secret to change is to focus your energy, not dwelling on the past, but building on the future. Balance must be the theme moving forward; balancing the needs of rural and urban citizens, prioritizing projects, putting together financial plans that are fair and equitable to all. Balancing the ever-challenging needs of our community is not an easy task. Results sometimes come with hard decisions and changes that are not always popular. Our biggest task will be to structure a financial plan that ensures the future of our community is sustained without placing excessive burden on our ratepayers. I assure you I am very aware of the concerns with regards to amalgamation. My primary residence is in Rivers but I also have a residence in RM of Daly. As a ratepayer of both Daly and Rivers, I share some of these concerns, but I am confident we will move forward with an amicable resolve to all issues.”

The final speech of the night was delivered by Marlin Beever, who hopes to renew his term of reeve (he was the 1992-2002 Daly reeve). Like Gill, he is a ratepayer in both Rivers and Daly; he’s “invested in rural and urban communities with our business in town and living on the farm. I’ve been asked why I want to get back into politics; there’s likely some things the same and some changes, but I can learn those changes. It was with a lot of care and consideration that I decided to come back. I’ve learned it doesn’t matter who is on council, you have to find ways to work with everyone. As we move forward in amalgamation, the major issues are policing, water and sewer and lagoon. I envision that this can be achieved through sensible discussion as we’ve done in the past — the dump and fire department — and can do so now. Another issue that made me consider getting back into politics was the image of Rivers and its many check stops. I heard so many comments, ‘That we used to drive through Rivers and don’t anymore.’ There are many reasons to come through town and I’m concerned about losing that traffic. We need a vision to encourage people to have Rivers as their destination.”

The first question noted that six of 11 candidates mentioned the need to upgrade that water treatment plant in Rivers, but none mentioned a plan; the ratepayer wondered who had a plan. Gill responded, “Plans are in the works with Manitoba Water Services Board to cost-share the design; by year-end we hope to have shovel-ready plans. We’ve applied for the first stage of funding but we have to wait for the word before we can proceed.”

That was followed with: “Will RM ratepayers expect tax increases for the plant?” Gill said it was a “complicated question I’m unable to answer at this point. The demand on the plant by Daly for a rural line also has to be considered. I can probably see anybody who contributes, directly or indirectly through the utility on bulks sales or rural pipeline, will have to pay. The new council will have to address that but all who benefit will not be exempt. I would hope to fund it through sales.”

Beever reminded everyone he was “not party” to amalgamation discussions but he said, “If someone wanted service, I would expect they take the service expense. As for a lagoon levy, I would expect a cost but if you’re not getting the value...”

Gill countered that “septic and holding tanks contribute by hydraulics to our lagoon and we must accommodate that. Our lagoon operates on seepage to the river; our new lagoon must retain 120,000 square metres, it will not be seepage, and it must include all the hydraulic loading, so of course it would be expected there would be a contribution toward that.”

Candidates were asked if they would advocate a switch from Rivers Police Service to RCMP. All said no but some expanded their views. Smallwood said to switch to RCMP “would cost more and the service you get for the amount you pay is not equivalent. I’m very much in favour of local policing and come 2017 we have to be be under one police service; I think it would be Rivers.” Smith said information received by Rivers council earlier this year noted “RCMP officers were paid $130,000-$135,000 per year salary; we have three officers. One RCMP salary alone exceeds the entire operating costs for one of our officers.” Falkevitch said, “RCMP download to Rivers Police in some cases, so I favour a reactive service from the town.” Bray said Daly has discussed this in the last year of amalgamation planning and said it “may be as simple as a levy or per call basis like the fire department does.” Fast “supports a reactionary force of Rivers Police for our rural people; our officers could be at farms quicker than RCMP.” Gill didn’t want to “discredit RCMP. Bluehills has 2,286 square miles with 17,000 people and three offices in 18 communities so 24-7 response in a timely fashion is unrealistic with six officers.”

Beever was then asked to clarify his comment about the check stops; “I understand it is a Manitoba Public Insurance situation. I’m not saying don’t do them, but we need to encourage people to still come here and not avoid us.”

The final question before the two-hour meeting concluded was candidate plans to “keep youth here and occupied.” Gray mentioned that besides current facilities and activities, “the kids park gets looked at every year and we’ve just received a proposal for a spray park; we have to work with local people.” White said, “Lots of young families have moved to town and the RM to use Riverdale Community Centre (RCC). We have our drop-in centres and kids park. I’d like more events but we need people with ideas and who are willing to volunteer hours to chaperone.” Smallwood partially agreed, saying the “physical resources are here but we don’t have the human resources for coaching or Girl Guides.” Gill announced that Navi Gill (no relation to the mayor) was hired on Oct. 8 as the new facilities manager and recreation director. “His job description is to develop better plans for youth, not only in RCC where we host a number of recreational opportunities.”

For more complete information on this evening, please watch Channel 12 (Westman Cable) tonight, Oct. 20 and 21 at 7 p.m.