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Tim Wake, candidate for council.

I know we can do better

Name: Tim Wake

Age: Still Young (54)

Website: www.timwake.ca

Occupation: Housing consultant and Father.

Last book read: Passage to Juneau (Jonathan Raban)

What music are you listening too these days: Mostly what my daughters are playing. Jack Johnson, the Shins, the Beatles, the Stones, Guster and hot mixes, like from The O.C.

Favourite recreational pursuits: Skiing, hiking, biking, sailing, kayaking and BBQ.

1. Why are you running for council?

My wife, Leslee, asked me the same question. The short answer is: I know we can do better. I am determined to get in there and contribute to positive change. It’s not easy being Whistler and we need to work hard at it. We need a strong leadership team to keep things moving forward. I have the experience and approach to help build a great team, a team that will get things done.

2. What are the biggest issues facing Whistler?

The economy, delivering the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, delivering affordable housing, delivering on Whistler 2020 , delivering more for our tax dollar spending, improving our relationship with Victoria.

3. What needs to be done to address those issues?

Economy — The economy is our most immediate challenge. We worked hard to ramp it up in the ’90s and we have been hit hard by a combination of things, some of our own doing and some beyond our control. The good news is we are still on our feet and in the game, but we have to focus on value, exceptional service and growing our business rather than our capacity.

2010 — We have an excellent VANOC team co-ordinating things here in Whistler. The sliding centre and Nordic centre are on track. So are the highway upgrades. We have work to do on the sledge hockey arena and the athletes village, and there will be some heavy lifting coming soon on both of these. Having a functional team in municipal hall (mayor/council/administration/staff) will help, and that will be Job One for the new council.

Housing — This is huge. If we can’t deliver more affordable housing very soon, the community will erode. We have all the tools to provide a very workable range of housing solutions for our community. It is already working, but there is not nearly enough. We have identified good sites, the developers and builders are keen, we can do it affordably, the WHA can administer the waitlist and the restrictions, and 500 folks are ready to purchase. There are more than 2,000 beds in the pipeline. So what is holding us back? We need stronger and clearer direction from council to assist with the delivery of these solutions. As a councillor, I will be a champion for housing.

Whistler 2020

— The plan is done. The implementation team is strong. But the challenge is daunting. Taken as a whole, it is overwhelming, but we can make steady progress by staying focused and diligent. As a community, we are leading the pack with this stuff, and hard work will keep us out in front. Can we afford to do it? We can’t afford not to. And we have already learned that it is hard work, not spending, that gets the job done.

Our Spending — We spend too much for what we get. Village Park was too expensive. Millennium Place, the Spring Creek Firehall, and now the library cost more than we reasonably have to spend. Don’t get me wrong, these are valuable facilities. They just cost too much.

We seem to spend a remarkable amount on our municipal administration. We keep putting in landscaping that is high maintenance, and then we have an immense fleet of trucks, mowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers to keep it all tidy. And then there is the irrigation. We keep building big wide curb and gutter roads that cost more to maintain and keep clear of snow. These things add up. We can be a great resort and deliver great service without spending this much. It’s time to pay attention.

Victoria —   The B.C. Government and Whistler are partners in the economy, in the Olympics, in tourism, in the environment, and in the social fabric of the province, the region and the resort. There are other partners… First Nations, the Sea to Sky communities, VANOC and the federal government to name a few. Being good partners begins with a strong relationship, good communication and an understanding of each other’s needs. We do not have a strong relationship with Victoria. Victoria does not understand our needs. We need to build that relationship at the political level, beginning with our MLA Joan McIntyre, and at the administrative level. Once we have that relationship, issues like financial tools, Class 1/Class 6 taxation, the 2010 Games and transportation will all be easier to solve.

4. How will Whistler 2020 help us?

Whistler 2020 has already done two things for us. It has shown us that we can engage the community and, with good guidance, work co-operatively to meet a difficult challenge (in this case, producing a comprehensive sustainability plan). It has also given us a detailed roadmap or framework to make decisions as we move forward. It will help us set priorities and make these decisions. But it will not make the decisions for us.

5. Name three things you expect to accomplish in this council’s term.

1. Get affordable housing built.

2. Make the mayor/council/administration/staff/community relationship more functional.

3. Improve our relationship with Victoria.



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