Candidates For Mayor
Running for Mayor - Profile for Bruce Botkin:
Good morning,
Hello my name is Bruce Botkin and I am running for mayor of Pense. We moved to Pense ten years ago to experience and enjoy all the benefits that a small town has to offer. I work for and help manage a second generation family business, W.F.Botkin Const. I am running for mayor because I would like to contribute to the community, help it grow and prosper , while maintaining all the core values that make this town great. I feel that my 35 years in the construction industry, managing projects, working with engineers, estimating , and budgeting, would be an asset to the community. I only have the towns best interest at heart . If I am elected I will do my best to serve the community to the best of my abilities.
1) What’s your biggest accomplishment as a councilor or biggest career accomplishment?
Answered in my profile statement
2) How would you solicit interest in Pense to external agencies?
Work together with council to develop policies on tax incentives and build relationships with all levels of government and municipalities.
3)How would balance decisions on the advice from solicited professionals that may be in conflict with the interests of residents?
Nobody likes making tough decisions especially if it involves people’s taxes. Decisions must be made with best interest of the whole community in mind. Proper planning and communication with the residents is imperative.
4) How would you address residents' concerns regarding their water bills?
Council must be open and transparent on issues such as water bills. Providing information to residents on these types of issues is crucial. I would ensure that there is a policy in place that would allow taxpayers access to such information.
5)If unsuccessful, how do you plan to keep active in making Pense a better place to live?
I am running for mayor to do my part in contributing to the health of the community. If Not elected , I will still contribute where I can, to make Pense a better community.
Running for Mayor - Profile for Garrett Small:
My name is Garrett Small and I am running for Mayor of Pense. I would like to take a little time to introduce myself to those that don't know me. I have lived in Pense 3 times: 2003-2004, 2017, and now. I have purchased a place years ago and my girls and I now call Pense home. My daughters attend school here in Pense and enjoy the community and the relationships they have formed. I run my business here as well.
In March of 2019 to September 2020 I was the Pense foreman while also running my own successful business. While I was foreman I saw a lot of opportunity for change and growth within the community, so I would like to become a leader to bring business and family to this great town and to continue to grow and prosper.
1) What’s your biggest accomplishment as a councilor or biggest career accomplishment?
Staring my own business from an idea to now 5 years later still growing strong was my biggest accomplishment. In building a business there is a lot of planning, research, and adapting to each unique situation for the most successful outcome.
2) How would you solicit interest in Pense to external agencies?
With my business in sales and transport I have no problem approaching people and businesses to develop a successful relationship for all those involved. I research options to ensure all decisions are made with all the best information possible. It's about thinking outside the box and working with the town council and the public.
3)How would balance decisions on the advice from solicited professionals that may be in conflict with the interests of residents?
Self employment has taught me to live within my means but also to plan ahead. Doing my own research on cost, downtime, and how decisions affect people now and later on so all options are known are some examples
4) How would you address residents' concerns regarding their water bills?
With being past foreman, I have had to address residents concerns on the spot at times. Examples: water, trees, roads, and even curb stops. It's about actively listening to the concern, presenting available solutions if there is one or taking concerns to the next town meeting to be addressed. Be up front.
5)If unsuccessful, how do you plan to keep active in making Pense a better place to live?
I will still offer my time and knowledge to the town to help the town move forward. I may not have been born here but I promote Pense any change I get as a great place to live and to raise children. Positive actions create successful results which promotes growth.
Not Running for Mayor - Shauna Young
Thanks past council and administration for their service.
It is great to see so many people interested in local government!
Serving as an elected official is a great act of public service.
I have enjoyed serving Pense as Mayor over the past four years. After care thought, I am happy to step aside and let others take a leadership role in our community.
I was unable to rescind my nomination in time; as a result, my name remains on the ballot.
Over the past four years we have accomplished a lot together, and I would like to take this opportunity thank both town council and administration for:
- Water Meter Replacement Program – planning is complete, the rollout of this program will see the installation of new water meters – allowing for remote water meter reads, monthly billing and increased confidence among ratepayers
- Town Infrastructure Review – engineers completed a full review of our infrastructure, we now have a clear picture of key infrastructure needs (water and sewer) and a recommended investment strategy.
- Town Hall Restoration – we completed much needed updates to our town hall
- Aggressive Grant Funding – over the past year we have taken an aggressive approach to grantfunding and are anticipating good news on investments in some key areas!
- Focus on Town Administration – we spend some time sorting out internal governance, decision making and human resource practices - modernizing in a few key areas
- Strong focus on regional cooperation – as Mayor I served on two regional planning groups, these group are essential for information sharing and finding new ways to deliver services.
As you look to cast your votes, here are a few thoughts.
- The Town is in good financial shape and will be debt free in the next few months.
- The next round of investment needs be carefully planned - we will need to go underground as much of our water and sewer system dates to the 1960’s and is in need of investment.
- The need to stay connected beyond our community – looking at issues and opportunities through a regional lens.
- Ensuring a transparent and service orientated approach to town administration
Candidates for Councillor
Running for Council - Richard Chamberlain
As an IT manager, the big picture and the goals creates the plan to move forward. Focus and problem solving build the details for the plan. Documentation lays out the steps in the plan and the actions are taken. When the above is done, a complex project becomes simpler and measured.
An IT Leader looks at the plans laid out and works with the teams to find a way to move things forward. The leader provides training and guidance to move the people and projects forward. Moving the people forward is key. Projects layout the steps needed but people drive a project.
Without seeing the bigger picture or problem-solving, this cannot be done.
I want to use those skills on Town Council to help move Pense forward. I want to work with the residents to come up with goals to move the town in a focus direction.
1) What’s your biggest accomplishment as a councilor or biggest career accomplishment
As a programmer, I was tasked to create a program to help gas controllers to schedule natural gas down a pipeline. One of the gas controllers let me know I was not the first to try. He did not have to say the rest but I did have a feeling " I was not the first to try and fail".
I came to like Glen, that gas controller, very much and we worked well together to create what they were looking for. I worked for a larger company and gas control came off as down to earth cowboys. They were not the same as the business people from upstairs. The others that try to create the program, from what I could tell, thought they knew what gas control needed. I learned from the gas controllers what they needed and created the program they wanted. After it was done, Glen wanted me to join gas control. This was in the US and my visa would not allow me to do it but I wish it did. I could have learned a lot from these guys.
I was proud of them and what we accomplished. I miss them.
2) How would you solicit interest in Pense to external agencies?
I believe you need to know why something is or is not happening before you can change it. Why are more businesses not opening in Pense? Why do we see For Sale signs on yards for over a year?
How do you find those answers? Talk to the towns that are growing and see what they did. How about small business groups around the area? What do their members feel is important when starting a business? What do the real estate agents think of Pense? What do they say to interested buyers wanting to move out of Regina?
As a counselor, I want to be there to get those answers. Once we know why we can start the change.
3)How would balance decisions on the advice from solicited professionals that may be in conflict with the interests of residents?
As an IT Manager, I have to balance the needs of the users with the needs of the IT team. I tell my team that I feel like a negotiator. Trying to balance the needs of the business with the security the IT team is looking for.
As a counselor, it is what is good for the town long term. I would like to see more businesses open in town but who wants it down the street from them. What is good for the town may not be good for everyone. I love the small-town feel of Pense. See neighbors walking around town and stopping to talk. It is fun to watch kids barely able to walk ride by on a bike with mom not far behind. Even on the roughest days at work, seeing those things brings a smile to my face. Those as well as other things are what Pense is to me.
At the end, when the decision is made, could I tell my parents or grandparents what I wanted to do? Would they agree?
4) How would you address residents' concerns regarding their water bills?
I can understand people's concern about the price of the water bill. Water is more expensive than gasoline. There are going to be short-term pain for long-term relief. At the last council meeting, this subject was talked about. It sounded like a few issues with the water system have been fixed which is good. The council suggested a contingency be build-up to help pay for future unknown issues. It sounds like a great idea. How many of us put a few dollars away when we can for future emergencies?
How big of a contingency and how quickly to build is the question. COVID has affected incomes and times are harder now for some families. The thing I have learned about the people of Saskatchewan is they are a strong responsible group. If you let them know why and in general for how long, they can work through most things. I want to work within the town council to get those answers as well as the progress in building contingency.
5)If unsuccessful, how do you plan to keep active in making Pense a better place to live?
I am currently on the committee reviewing the Bylaws so I would continue with that. Before running, I did help a friend bring a concern to the town hall and I want to help others to do that also.
I think the key to Pense growth is to bring more families into town. I would like to work with the town council to find a way to do that. It would be good if the town council and a group of residents work together to make the town grow. I'm not sure if there is a committee on this but maybe there should be.
Running for Council - Profile for Ariane Desrosiers
My name is Ariane Desrosiers and I have lived in Pense for three years now. I am a stay-at-home mom to our 1.5 year old daughter, Rosie. I am a do-er and like to keep busy by being on boards (currently the Pense Playschool), volunteering and taking on short-term work contracts. I have put my name forward for Pense Town Council because I like to contribute and be an active participant in the world around me.
1) What’s your biggest accomplishment as a councilor or biggest career accomplishment
Regardless of whether you are an elected official, people want to know you can get the job done right!
My biggest career accomplishment was (and is) building a home to raise our daughter.
2) How would you solicit interest in Pense to external agencies?
This demonstrates your ability to collaborate. How would you support or attract new businesses to the Town, how would you lobby other branches of government to get additional funding for improvements etc.
I am certain that every iteration of the Pense Town Council has worked hard to establish our current level of funding. In my opinion, the first step would be to familiarize myself with what has been done and build upon it.
3)How would balance decisions on the advice from solicited professionals that may be in conflict with the interests of residents?
Sometimes you have to make tough decisions, no one wants to see their taxes go up, investments now can save more money down the line. Are you able to make those tough decisions?
Long term planning and open communication is how I would balance professional advice with the best interest of Pense residents.
4) How would you address residents' concerns regarding their water bills?
People get excited about their water bills, and this could be a common concern you have to deal with.
I think the past/current council has focused on making our current water bills as simple and effective as possible with the system that was in place. They are currently moving towards bringing the system to new modern standards and I would like to support them in this transition.
5)If unsuccessful, how do you plan to keep active in making Pense a better place to live?
If I am not elected to Pense Town Council I will continue to be an active member of our community and volunteer to participate in boards that might need my help.
Running for Council - Michele LeBlanc
I moved to Pense in 1995 with my husband, Jay, because we wanted a safe, small community to raise our son, Jason, that was within commuting distance for my job as Manager of Information Systems for Harvard Developments in Regina, where I’m still currently employed.
Growing up on a ranch in Alberta, my family was always involved in the local community and 4-H club. This instilled in me a responsibility to give back to the community in which I call home.
I was first elected to the Village of Pense Council in 2000 and have served continuous terms as Councilor or Mayor since then. My goal as an elected representative of the people has always been to find ways to keep the town vibrant and healthy to keep our school open and property taxes affordable.
I was also editor of the Pense Progress for 5 years; was on the Pense Centennial Committee and published the book “30 years of Pense Progress”; was involved with Communities in Bloom project; was a member of the Pense & District Lions Club; was a driving force behind creation of “Pense Day” and I’m currently a member of the Pense Sledrunners Snowmobile Club and the Pense Legion.
1) What’s your biggest accomplishment as a councilor?
My biggest accomplishment as Councilor has been furthering the necessary initiatives to increase the enrollment at Pense School from 75 to over 100 for the school to remain viable and protect the resident’s property investments and quality of life. These actions include new residential development to increase the population base and supporting the Pense Rink and Recreation Board’s efforts to provide programming to support families. I was also involved in the process of elevating Pense from a Village to a Town.
2) How would you solicit interest in Pense to external agencies?
When I was Mayor, I represented Pense in a new inter-municipal initiative we branded as the Regina-Moose Jaw Industrial Corridor to proactively promote economic development in our region.
https://leaderpost.com/.../moose-jaw-and-regina....
Our current Pense Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw are results of our participation in this group. I was also in contact with many developers and builders regarding furthering residential development in Pense.
3) How would I balance decisions on the advice from solicited professionals that may conflict with the interests of residents?
Our current utility infrastructure is over 50 years old and must be maintained and upgraded. I was involved in approving the project to upgrade our water reservoir from a 10,000 gallon facility to a 120,000 gallon facility which was necessary to provide the volume of water that a community our size uses. This required imposing a levy on the resident’s utility bills to pay for the project and ongoing costs to maintain our water and sewer systems. In my first term as Mayor, we completed a utility infrastructure upgrade and paving project for which we had received grant funding. This was difficult as it would impose new financial obligations on residents to fund our 1/3 share of the project costs
4) How would I address residents concerns regarding their water bills?
Open and transparent communication with residents regarding utility and property tax bills is extremely important. I have learned over the years that this communication must be ongoing as residents come and go. I am always happy to explain the basis for utility rates to any resident who asks.
I am also willing, and have done so in the past, to investigate any specific situation where the consumption on their utility bill seems unreasonable. For example, one resident approached me about their bill and after investigation we found that one of their toilets was continuously leaking.
5) If unsuccessful, how do you plan to keep active in making Pense a better place to live?
Pense is my home and that will not change if I am not re-elected. I will continue to support Pense events and organizations both financially and with my time.
Running for Council - Profile for Colleen Lorenz:
My husband Kevin and I made Pense our home about 10 years ago. Now our kids and their families have made Pense there home too.
Most people in town know me from my time working at the Meat Up. Now I am the office administrator for Canadian Oakworks in Regina.
I have chosen to run for council because I believe there is opportunity for the growth and enhancement of our community.
I have great commitment and determination. Commitment to follow through on tasks and issues and the determination to get results, these are two qualities that I would look for and vote for in this election for town council.
1. What is your biggest accomplishment as a councilor or biggest career accomplishment?
I believe my greatest accomplishment was by agreeing to move to Ontario so that Kevin could further his career with his company. At the time I had worked for the Saskatchewan Gaming Corp. for 6 years as a Manager of Security. When we returned, I was able to return to my position for a few more years until my position was eliminated. All of this brought us here to Pense which is now home.
2. How would you solicit interest in Pense to external agencies?
I would solicit interest in Pense by using social networking as well as business networks and a belief in what I am promoting.
3. How would you balance decisions on the advice from solicited professionals that may conflict with the interests of residents?
Clear and concise communication with residents. Ensure that residents know what the issue at hand is, that it is good for the community. Also, that these types of decisions, that are difficult in nature are not made lightly but necessary.
4. How would you address residents’ concerns regarding their water bills?
I would address their concerns with the facts, the rates, and calculations. I would also help with suggestions and ideas on how to change the way they use water, helping to decrease their bill.
5. If unsuccessful, how do you plan to keep active in making Pense a better place to live?
If unsuccessful I will continue to support the community as I have in the past by contributing to and attending town events as well as support the town council in there endeavors.
Running for Council - Profile for Ken Lovell:
Hello all.
The name is Ken Lovell. I am a local born and raised and have worked and volunteered my whole existence in this community. I am currently employed with The R.M. of Pense No. 160 and have been for over 30 years.
I have been a community volunteer involved in many fund-raising activities and volunteer groups and received a medal from the Provincial government for doing so. I have been a member of the original Medical First Responders group from 1995-2010 and am participating in my 25th year as member of the Pense District Volunteer Fire Department. I am currently seeking another four years of volunteering my time serving the ratepayers of Pense because I believe it is the right thing to do. All the previous volunteers did the same.
1) What’s your biggest accomplishment as a councilor or biggest career accomplishment?
The biggest accomplishment as a Councillor is fulfilling the time commitment. I have missed only one meeting in four years that could not be re-scheduled and that was due to illness. Obtaining 5 out of 6 Leadership Modules offered for elected and appointed Officials. Volunteering for Council is not a highly paid position and none of us are doing it for the money.
How would you solicit interest in Pense to external agencies?
2) The networking that is and can be accomplished through professional and volunteer activities has garnered conversation of our local community with other communities.
How would balance decisions on the advice from solicited professionals that may be in conflict with the interests of residents?
3) Our local governments are mandated to follow parameters set forth by the Municipalities Act.
Open houses have been held to incite community input. We also must be transparent in our activities with Ratepayers. Regarding making tough decisions, Council has addressed this type of decisions as a collective group determined by the democratic process.
How would you address residents' concerns regarding their water bills?
4) Questions regarding resident water-bill concerns is also being addressed with the implementation of every water meter being replaced with modern technology communicating to one’s personal choice of electronic media for consumption reporting. Council has instilled this forward thinking to put all Ratepayers on a level playing field due to the various types and ages of the existing waters meters and varying reads.
If unsuccessful, how do you plan to keep active in making Pense a better place to live?
5) If I am an unsuccessful Candidate, I will continue to do as I have always done. I will keep volunteering with all the other great volunteers that make this great community what it is.
Running for Council - Profile for Angela Neumann:
Hello Everyone,
My name is Angela Neumann, but most people know me as Ann. I have lived in Pense for 20 years and have raised my family here. My son Luke even worked for the town for a couple of years. I have been a stay at home mom for many of those years as we have children with special needs and they needed that extra mom care. I am now working part-time at the Post Office.
I have volunteered on a few boards in town over the years and was a consistent parent volunteer at the school for the the 14 years we had children going there. My husband and I believe in giving back, and have quietly helped the town and residents out with our time and resources when we were able.
While raising special needs kids, you learn to look at life from a different perspective and i hope to bring my insight and patience when mediating difficult situations that may arise. I want to help the town with a common sense attitude the could benefit all.
Thanks, Angela Neumann