Region of Waterloo

Legend for the Survey:

Y – Yes

N – No

U – Undecided

NMI – Need More Information

C – Comment that was too big for the table. Place your cursor on the link near the “C” and a box will pop up with the response from that candidate (if you allow ActiveX) or you’ll be taken to the bottom of the page where all the comments are located (click on the comment link to take you back.)

I - Incumbent

Chair; Councillors: Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo

Chair candidates

Urban Planning
Questions	Robert A. Ross did not respond	Ken Seiling (I) www.kenseiling.com	Robert Verdun
Do you support: 1. - stopping development on the Waterloo Moraine groundwater recharge areas on the West Side of Kitchener and Waterloo		C [C1]	Y: This is a gross error that occurred primarily because Regional officials were accommodating the interests of an insider.
2. - stopping development of Hidden Valley		C [C2]	Y: The extension of River Road is wrong.
3. - increasing urban intensification and brownfield development		Y: This is part of the Region's Growth Management Strategy.	Y: Top priority.
4. - a defined urban border to prevent further greenfield development		Y: This is part of the Region's Growth Management Strategy which is being incorporated into the new Regional Plan. I introduced this in 2001.	Y: We still must have sufficient greenfield development to accommodate families, but it must be properly planned
5. - more Environmentally Sensitive Landscape (ESL) designations in the Region		Y: The Region approved the first two ESL's earlier this year and will look at more as work on the new Plan continues	Y
6. - recreational and commercial facilities in all neighbourhoods		The Region supports mixed developments where feasible. This is a lower tier planning issue.	Y: We particularly need safe, off-road bicycle trails (also suitable for rollerblading, etc.)
Climate Change:
Do you support local emissions control through: - municipal practices and purchases		Y: Where feasible. For example, we have paid a premium for friendlier diesel fuels for buses and upgraded the technology on them	Y
- building codes		Y: Where building code changes can help, they should be pursued	Y
- appropriate land use plans and policies (e.g. reduced parking requirements for developments providing bike racks)		Y: Many of these are issues of the lower tier but where possible and feasible, our policies and plans should support our policy goals	Y
- the use of alternative energy sources (e.g. solar)		Y: We are using alternate energy sources as we build new structures (i.e. new Emergency Medical Services building built to gold Leed standard. Silver standard is approved for all new buildings)	Y
- changes in local codes and bylaws to encourage alternative energy sources		This is an issue for the area municipalities	Y
Heritage:
Do you support: -preserving heritage buildings, especially through innovative re-use for lofts/office space?		Y: I have long been a supporter of readaptive reuse. The Waterloo County Gaol is a good example.	Y: We’ve lost too many buildings already. Top Priority to develop attractive high-density living situations close to popular public amenities
Waste:
Do you support: - stronger waste recycling program for the Region		Y: We have initiated program as they become feasible and sustainable. There is no need to start programs which end up landfilling things that people thought they were recycling	Y: More deposit/return systems
- technologies that re-use construction material		Y	Y: Have advocated and practised this for years
- a “green-box” programme for compostables		Y: See my first comment. We are beginning pilots this year for compostables.	Y: Bi-weekly collection required in summer because of odours.
Water:
Questions	Robert A. Ross	Ken Seiling	Robert Verdun
Do you support: - financial or other incentives to encourage water conservation measures for local business and homeowners		Y: We have a long history of water conservation practices which are incentive based. As long as we have a split jurisdiction for water, we cannot use rate structures effectively for conservation purposes.	Y: A third-world country, Barbados, is way ahead of us with “conservation pricing” – which means the more you use each month, the higher the rate per cubic metre.
- stricter groundwater protection bylaws		Y: The Region has some of the most progressive ground water protection policies already in place and has served as a model for the Province and other communities.	Y
Green Space:
Do you support: - increasing expenditures to obtain parks and natural areas in the Region or your municipality		Parks are mainly the jurisdiction of the area municipalities. The Region does maintain a forest system and may in the future need to look at whether it might be expanded.	Y: Better planning will do more to increase greenspace, but some additional purchases will be warranted.
- not allowing motorized transportation on trails in municipal parks		This is within the jurisdiction of the area municipalities.	Y: Definitely not. Off-road is the place for safety and serenity.
Procurement:
Do you support: - the community obtaining goods and services locally to limit transport-related pollution and maximize local economic opportunities		Our Region depends heavily on selling goods and services to other communities. Trade and purchasing wars with other municipalities and jurisdictions would damage the local economy and probably put people out of work.	Y
- policies that will (within existing legislation) encourage local procurement of materials and services for your municipality		same comment	Y
Pesticides:
A Region-wide bylaw, effective 2007, requires signs and notification of all pesticide applications and prohibits only the use of herbicides in July and August. It is supported by a $0.5 million campaign to educate people on pesticide alternatives. Should the bylaw be more restrictive?		The Region has taken a measured and staged approach to the issue.	N: This is a good START.
Do you support the education cost?		Y	Y: People will cheat if we move too quickly
Do you think the Region should stop the use of larvicides (insecticide) in catch basins for West Nile Virus carrying mosquitoes?		N: There are times when public health must take precedence. Larvicides are used only when there is evidence of need. West Nile is not something we should allow to spread in our communities.	Y: We should start a community-wide campaign to eliminate all stagnant pools, faulty eavestroughs, etc. Catchbasins are a minor part of the problem.
Air Quality:
Poor air quality is a major issue for Regional residents and contributes to premature death for some and respiratory distress for everyone. - What measures do you propose to alleviate this problem?		We have participated in clean air groups and their projects, invested new money in public transit, are studying a rapid transit system for the Region, and have supported alternate transportation programs. The new roundabouts will also cut down on engine idling.	End traffic congestion; it’s the worst offender. My program includes massive use of rail where practical, and effective bus-based transit elsewhere.
Transportation:
Questions	Robert A. Ross	Ken Seiling	Robert Verdun
To limit global warming, pollution and gridlock, alternatives to personal car use must be found. Do you support: Increased bus service		Y	Y: Frequency is the key to increasing patronage
Light rail		Y	N: Current King St. concept will fail; east-west line is feasible using existing rail line
Streetcars			N: Antiquated technology; electric buses maybe
Airbus			Y: A technology whose time is long overdue
Monorail			N: Inferior to airbus, and more expensive
Other			Get on the GO!
- increasing both on-street as well as off-street commuting and recreational bike and walking trails		Y	N: I will not personally ride a bicycle on a busy street, and discourage family members from such dangerous folly. Off-street is the only way to go.
- installing more bike racks in the core urban areas		Y	Y: Thanks to the bicycling tradition of actors, Stratford and Niagara-on-the-Lake have great parking for bikes; we should build on their example
- promoting membership in the People’s Car Co-operative (i.e. car sharing) and promoting carpooling through Carpooltool.com, in combination with developing carpool parking lots (e.g. along Victoria Street in Kitchener)		Y	Y: As Regional Chair, I would use People’s Car and get rid of the taxpayer-owned car that is currently provided to the Chair. People’s Car and carpooling are all part of the big solution.
- GO Train or similar facilities coming to the Region		Y: I have long supported increased inter-city rail service. This might be VIA or some form of GO service. There will need to be some caution as we wish to remain a balanced community and not become a bedroom community for the GTA.	Y: Top Priority. This is how to create a public-transit mentality, by providing a needed, superior service
Gravel Extraction:
Do you support: -stronger regulations for gravel extraction?		Y	Y
Agriculture:
Do you support: - policies that will help local and organic farmers to market their produce in the Region		Y: The Region has been a leader in the Grow Local Grow Fresh campaigns.	Y
- stronger measures to reduce non-point source agricultural pollution (pesticide/fertilizer run-off, nutrient mismanagement) into our water		Y	Y: I made great progress in the 15 years that I operated my 100-acre farm. Drastically reduced herbicide use.

Questions
Incumbents Only: Ken Seiling
What environmental issues did you champion during your previous term(s)?
Regional Growth Management Strategy Environmentally Sensitive Landscapes Rapid Transit and expanded public transit Preservation of rural and environmental lands (hard edge) Groundwater protection (I have been appointed by the Province to the advisory panel for the implementation of the new groundwater protection act)
What environmental issues do you intend to champion if re-elected?
as above From Robert Verdun: I appreciate your comprehensive approach to the questionnaire, but I don't feel as if I was given a chance to clearly enunciate my environmental vision. Unless the region is going to stop welcoming new and expanding industries, we must deal with population growth. There must be an adequate supply of competitively-priced building lots, and that means greenfield development. (Housing is becoming prohibitively expensive, which will inevitably lead to increases in crime as people are forced to live in undesirably-dense situations, with car-clogged streets, and with parents who are working overtime just to make the mortgage payments. Lack of supply is driving up prices such that a tiny 26-foot lot for a semi-detached is priced from $85,000 to $115,000 before a shovel goes into the ground. That is why builders are selling homes that have only a double garage facing the street. That is all thebuyers can afford.) However, there are places to put Greenfield development that will not consume prime farmland and not disrupt our Old Older Mennnonite community. The problem is that these areas are outside the current "compact" urban lines. Southwest Kitchener is the prime example, where there is a large amount of marginal farmland in a rather scenic area. It would be ideal for a well-planned greenfield development built around effective public transit and a true community centre with shopping, recreation, meeting spaces, schools, etc. Ken Seiling has been preventing this from happening, particularly by blocking the much-needed interchange at 401 and Trussler Road. The real challenge is to create desirable locations for high-density housing that will appeal to aging baby boomers. Most of the obvious sites have been ruined with inappropriate industrial development, such as Victoria Street along the Grand River, which is so tantalizingly close to the little-used rail line -- which should be used for both local transit and frequent rail service between London and Toronto. However, I have identified other sites that could be turned into high-density apartments that would appeal to the boomers, in areas that could have great trail networks, effective public transit, and easy access to recreation, culture, etc. It requires some outside-the-box thinking that Ken is incapable of tackling. We do not need a pipeline for water supply. It would only encourage profligate growth and waste of water. The alternative is a two-pipe system, whereby large-volume users are supplied with lower-quality water for industrial purposes -- thus saving the existing high-quality groundwater for domestic needs. From my work in the Caribbean, where water supply and sewage treatment are much more challenging issues, I am aware of sewage-treatment and water-reuse systems that are far superior to what we are using here. Again, we have to think outside the box. There is much more to be done, but I think that will give you some appreciation of what I would like to do!