Mulmur election 2018: council candidates
We put the following three questions to those running for councillor in Mulmur. Four people are running for three available seats. Please see their numbered responses (in alphabetical order):
1. Traffic and speeding are a common concern for residents. Do you support the decision to spend additional tax dollars on police enforcement?
2. As a new council member, how would you reconcile your personal views with those of your constituents to consider the township as a whole?
3. A lot has been done to create a cohesive identity for Mulmur and build community, what are the next steps?
Shirley Boxem
Hometown: Toronto
Profession: Executive Director of a Not for Profit
Hobby: Growing food in my gardens.
Favourite destination within Mulmur: Our trails and our wonderful restaurants!
1. As this is a safety issue, my short answer is, yes. We have all seen too many cars passing uphill, solid yellow line, and when the leading car is already going over the speed limit. This reckless impatience endangers too many people. Living near Stanton on Airport Road, I’ve seen the success of the flashing speed sign and that it grabs attention and makes many or most drivers brake and slow down. Understanding best practices and what investments are most effective can help us target our spending most effectively. This involves conversations with our police representatives and neighbouring municipalities. As well, helping residents to understand what they can do and that this is a community issue will contribute towards solutions.
2. I have found door knocking during this campaign to be very insightful. It has been a great opportunity to listen to our residents and to share perspectives. This has informed my views on what priorities exist, not just with residents in general, but also with those residing in different areas or pockets of the municipality. Council members are there to represent the best interests of the community and that involves keeping the communication lines open. We have quite diverse populations here in Mulmur, so my approach is to keep asking and listening, and seek common ground where possible. I was recently asked about expanding hunting opportunities in Mulmur. I was honest in saying it wasn’t something I could personally champion, but agreed that I needed to be better informed on the issue. I have a lot to learn and listen for.
3. Like distribution lists, building community is hard work. It means asking questions, inviting feedback and participation, pressing for connectivity and more. And then repeat, repeat, repeat. One of the challenges is helping residents understand and identify their part in all this. We have residents from a wide spectrum of available resources and needs, so in some cases the potential for contribution is low. I would argue there is something everyone can do, even if only to stay tuned. The 150 committee has done a wonderful job of running events that engage. And now we have a farmers market. These are great advancements from just a few years ago. We can continue to build upon those successes and encourage support.
Patricia Clark
Hometown: Toronto
Profession: National Executive Director for Active Aging Canada
Hobby: gardening, biking, walking, snowshoeing, badminton, reading, playing the bagpipes with the Sandhill Pipes and Drums.
Favourite destination within Mulmur: My property
1. Yes, I do, depending on the purpose and goal for the additional police enforcement. If it is to reduce speeding, additional police enforcement may help. There may also be alternative methods that may compliment and reinforce the increased policing, such as the flashing speed signs, speed bumps, additional stop signs, etc. The extra police enforcement may or may not reduce the volume of traffic.
2. My experiences of Mulmur are very different from others, simply based on our geographic location. What others may perceive as an issue, I may not, as I have not experienced it. That does not make it any less important. It is necessary to ensure that we address any concern raised by a citizen of Mulmur, gather any and all pertinent information and then discuss it with the Council. My personal view may have no bearing on the situation and the good of the township as a whole must be the objective of the Council when making a decision.
3. To evaluate the success of the initiatives and determine if they need to be modified and/ or enhanced. I believe one necessary step is to improve the communication and promotion of all events and activities in Mulmur. Website promotion is one method but other methods are also necessary to reach more residents, to enable them to be informed of the activities, which will in turn increase community engagement.
Ken Cufaro
Hometown: Toronto
Profession: police constable with Metropolitan Toronto Police and later with the OPP (Barrie Detachment), farming, Certified Building Code Official and Licensed Paralegal, Chief Building Official with the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio and later Essa Township, Investigator with Tarion Warranty (formerly Ontario New Home Warranty).
Hobbies: raising and training my two purebred Boxers, landscaping, welding, politics, and hockey.
My favorite destination in Mulmur: out my front door, overlooking the Boyne Valley and walking our dogs along the country roads and in Dufferin forest.
1. Yes, I do support the decision to spend additional dollars on police enforcement, but not to hire regular police services.
I believe Mulmur Council should investigate the possibility of entering into an agreement with the OPP and or Shelburne Police Services for the hiring of Special Constables as provided for under the Police Services Act.
The Special Constables mandate would be to enforce the Highway Traffic Act within the municipality of Mulmur.
The presence of Special Constables will address traffic-related issues while increasing police presence within the community. At the same time, this would free up the regular constables to concentrate on higher level calls.
Costs would be greatly reduced through hiring Special Constables. As well their one and only duty is Highway Traffic Act enforcement for the ratepayers of Mulmur.
2. As a resident of Mulmur for the past 18 years and having farmed in Simcoe County previously I believe I have the same vision and concerns as my constituents.
My vision for Mulmur is to help the agricultural, residential and business communities’ to thrive within the municipality of Mulmur while sustaining a balanced protection of resources and growth. I wish to protect the agricultural, rural character of Mulmur. We have a unique municipality that deserves our protection from unwanted exploitation from the Aggregate Industry.
3. In order to create a cohesive identity for Mulmur and build the community, you need to invite all members of community groups, to participate in Town Hall meetings, Council Meetings, and Committee meetings, to voice their concerns and ideas toward this cohesive identity.
A few council members cannot do this alone. Council member’s ideas may not reflect what the majority of the community may envision.
Citizen involvement is essential. We do have that now to some degree, but we need more members with fresh ideas to participate.
Jim deMelo
Hometown: Toronto/Mississauga
Profession: Carpenter, facilities management, currently a Project Manager focusing on Retrofit Construction in the Multi-Residential Sector.
Hobby: skiing, ice fishing, sightseeing in Mulmur, with some hiking mixed in.
Favourite destination within Mulmur: Mansfield Ski Club, Pine River Fishing Area, and Dufferin Forests.
1. Yes, but not in the usual manner. Police enforcement is part of the solution and if we are going to spend tax dollars it needs to be prudent and targeted. Current council has begun the process but there is more to do.
I would propose a selection of targeted areas with targeted solutions.
The following could be deployed in rotation. a.) Mobile speed display signs to show the drivers their actual speed. b.) “Police Constable Decoys”. These are full size models complete with replica radar that motorists will believe are actual radar enforcement to slow them down. c.) Police Enforcement deployed to select areas where speeding continues to be an issue.
This is one example where these could be rotated through the targeted areas. Using rotation helps to keep motorists from getting used to the traffic calming strategies.
This reduces cost with the highest impact. It could be shared with other municipalities to reduce costs.
2. Listen, gather the facts, explore the issues and finally vote your conscience. Stay engaged to ensure the residents understand the reasons the decisions were made.
My personal views are part of who I am. I am confident that my views are consistent with the majority of Mulmur residents. That said, as a council member it would be my responsibility to represent Mulmur’s residents.
Constituents will not always agree with the decisions made at Council.
That said, I believe the decisions will be respected if the effort was made to reach out and explore the concerns, thoughtful discussion made to understand the issues and the decisions made to the benefit of the majority of residents.
And finally that we stay engaged to inform of the outcomes.
3. It is important to reach out to residents and engage with them. To meet at a smaller community level (Honeywood, Mansfield etc.) to get input on the community’s needs, wants and identity. Gather the common elements and check back with the identity as a whole for all the common themes. The next steps include sharing the findings at the community level and reach out to community leaders for feedback.
