I have been a full-time resident of Union Bay since 1992, where I developed and ran a small motorcycle business until I retired four years ago.
As a small business owner, I had to wear a lot of hats. Besides doing the work to create revenue, there were numerous tasks dealing with finance, inventory control, work scheduling, client relations, and keeping current with new technologies and laws relating to my business.
Yes, I also swept the floor.
I believe the common goals for the community are shared by most of our Union Bay residents. The UBID has three areas of responsibility. Here are my thoughts:
1. Street lighting: This has never been an issue.
2. Water: Maintain the security of our water source. Ensure our new water treatment plant gets completed and put into service as soon as possible. Get rid of the boil water advisory.
3. Fire Protection: As a former Union Bay volunteer firefighter, having served for 10 years, I take a deep interest in this important responsibility. We will need a new fire hall sooner rather than later.
As an improvement district, we cannot take advantage of any grants or government funding. Neither can we take advantage of sub-prime loans. In other words: no financial aids. For this reason, I would like to pursue joining the CVRD and thus become eligible for some serious money-saving opportunities. This would also allow us to take advantage of a large professional entity that offers many services and programs – some of which they already supply. I believe this is critical for the growth, development and sustainability of Union Bay.
In conclusion, my goals are to preserve and protect services for Union Bay and keep more money in your pocket.