First 100 Days

(from media release October 22, 2010)

I am here today after knocking on thousands of doors, and talking to individuals and groups about why I think Brandon can be better and working with you, how I would try to make it better. If people in Brandon decide that they want change in the leadership at City Hall, I would like to flesh out what the first 100 days of a new city Hall could look like.

Process:

• Book and hold the first community town hall meeting
• Book and hold monthly Coffee with the Mayor events
• Develop new media strategies to allow for public input and information sharing
• Establish recruitment process for the city manager position
• Commission a review of City Hall tendering/ operating policies to ensure the systems are in place for openness, transparency, and accountability

Planning:

• Establish Advisory Councils on Housing, Economic Development, Seniors, and Aboriginal and First Nations Issues
• Work with the new City Council to establish a policy for how the city prepares long-term plans
• Meeting with Treasurer and City Auditor to review status of the City Budget and recruitment status of the City Treasurer position

Vision:

• Sit down with YMCA and begin negotiations to allow for the Sportsplex to remain open
• Set a date for an Economic Roundtable to establish economic growth priorities for the City of Brandon 2011-2015 with participation from community stakeholders including Brandon Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor's Economic Advisory Committee, and Brandon Economic Development
• Meet with neighbouring municipal leadership and begin to build bridges between Brandon and western Manitoba, identifying opportunities and discussing issues of mutual concern
• Meet with Provincial and Federal Ministers to lay the ground work for major infrastructure/program supports over the next 4 years and beyond
• Meet with Brandon First to get a status update on the 2017 Canada Games bid

Leadership:

• Leadership means doing the above well. It means taking planning for the future seriously. It means believing that we all have a stake in building a better Brandon
• It starts with respect for the citizens of Brandon, for City Councilors, and for the people who work for the City
• It is sustained by establishing open communication so that people know what the City is doing, and why