The following is a Q&A that was distributed to all District of Sechelt candidates.
Candidate name
Darnelda Siegers
Age
64
Occupation (s)
Mortgage Broker
Which position are you running for?
Mayor
Live in Sechelt? For how long?
13 years
Incumbent? If so how many years on council?
11 years on council
What are your priorities if elected?
Housing and homelessness, proactively addressing sustainable development, airport industrial lands, downtown gathering space, regional growth strategy, long-term water provision, collaboration with governments and community organizations.
Should Sechelt facilitate creation of more affordable housing? How?
Yes, prioritize purpose built rental, use affordable housing fund, access provincial land and provincial and federal sources of funds, accept developers land in lieu, use Housing Needs Assessment to proactively go after targeted development identified.
Should Sechelt prepare for climate change? If so how?
Review our Development Permit Areas; work with the Climate Caucus, educate the community on coming impacts, collaborate with local governments and seek funding from other levels of government
Is Sechelt managing growth appropriately?
OCP and Zoning Bylaw dictate where and what. OCP is slated to be updated followed by incorporation of changes to Zoning Bylaw. Upgrading infrastructure within our control is being prioritized. Highway and ferries are not ours to control.
How would you balance pushback on development with need for housing?
Housing Needs Assessment provided to developers and encouraged to follow recommendations. If development is inline with OCP and Zoning Bylaw, we cannot deny building. We currently have 200+ rental units slated for downtown Sechelt. Townhouses and apartments in the wings.
What is the greatest infrastructure challenge facing Sechelt?
We implemented an Asset Management Plan to assess the state of our infrastructure. We'll then be able to quantify and prioritize maintainance and repairs, budget appropriately and seek grants.
What do you wish we'd asked you?
What are the biggest challenges facing Sechelt today?
Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/MayorSiegers
Website address
Who else is running for Sechelt council? See profiles for Warren Allan, Micky Argiropoulos, Donna Bell, Thomas Bramble, Cheryl Chang, Anna Jade Chen, Tim Horner, Darren Inkster Dianne McLauchlan, Christopher Moore, Brenda Rowe, Adam Shepherd and Alton Toth. See mayoral candidate profiles for John Henderson, Allan Holt and Jeri Patterson.
