|
This page was exported from Shelburne Free Press
[ https://shelburnefreepress.ca ] Export date: Wed Nov 27 20:44:31 2024 / +0000 GMT |
Mayor Bennington reflects on 2015 The New Year is upon us, fresh with hope, renewed energy, and anticipation for all that lies ahead. Mayor Bennington took some time this week to answer questions from the Free Press reflecting on the year that has past, the achievements of Council in 2015, and the challenges for Council and staff in 2016. Q. What do you consider Council's most important achievement in 2015? Mayor Bennington: “2015 was quite a year in Shelburne. It was our first full year of a new Council and my first year as Mayor. A year filled with highs and lows, the tragic death of a young local girl was certainly the lowest point of my term as Mayor. The discovery that the principle investors had walked away from the table of our East end commercial development was another low point. On the positive side, housing developers continue to construct subdivisions in a demanding market, drawing new residents to Shelburne. We heard the grand opening of our first ever radio station, Country 105, and I love their sound. Our downtown street festival was the best ever! The streets were overflowing with classic cars, and the soap box derby, and bed races were exciting events to build on. Another first for Shelburne was the hiring of our first ever full-time Fire Chief. Chief Brad Lemaich, will lead the Town as our Fire Prevention Officer, and Fire Chief, and will finally close the book on an unflattering Provincial Fire Marshall's report on the Town of Shelburne issued in 2013.” Q. What brings you the most pride as Mayor of Shelburne? Mayor Bennington: “As our wonderful town continues to grow, I find the community support in Shelburne gives me the most pride as Mayor. Neighbours helping neighbours, the minor sports volunteers, the donations to various charities and causes…I can't possibly list them all. The way the community rallies together, in good times, and the bad. Like our Town slogan quotes, ‘a people place, a change of pace' I can't imagine living in a better town.” Q. What do think will be Council's biggest challenge in 2016? Mayor Bennington: “Council's biggest challenge will continue to be our sewage allocation. With developers knocking on our doors, we will need to balance our sewage demand for housing growth without compromising our industrial/ commercial component. Luring commercial investment into town will continue to be a priority of Council. With all the housing development of the past few years, I anticipate a commercial ‘boom' right around the corner.” Q. What are your New Year's resolutions for the Town of Shelburne? Mayor Bennington: 1. Continued value for dollar spending 2. Focusing on removing barriers to improve Shelburne's accessibility concerns 3. Ongoing improvements on communication from Town Hall to residents Q. What do you, as Mayor, most look forward to in 2016? Mayor Bennington: I look forward to the completion of the Well 7 project. With cost overruns and construction delays, this is one project I can't wait to see finished. The new softball diamonds should be ready to go in the spring! I've already heard a ton of positive feedback on the main ball diamond; I'm excited to see the finished product. The overhead flashing crosswalk on Main Street should be complete by March. I expected it to be finished for December, but other agencies didn't want to cooperate, which has caused a few months in project delays. I look forward to working with council and staff, as we continue to make Shelburne a better place! Mayor Bennington reminds residents to contact him with their ideas and concerns at mayor@shelburne.ca “Happy New Year Shelburne! I hope 2016 is filled with peace and prosperity for young and old alike. I wish you all full hearts and good health in the year to come.” – Mayor Ken Bennington By Marni Walsh |
|
Post date: 2016-01-08 18:23:47 Post date GMT: 2016-01-08 23:23:47 Post modified date: 2016-01-15 16:48:56 Post modified date GMT: 2016-01-15 21:48:56 |
| Powered by [ Universal Post Manager ] plugin. HTML saving format developed by gVectors Team www.gVectors.com |