Three previously undeclared candidates joined the race for the six seats on Sechelt council just ahead of the close of nominations on Sept. 14, bringing the field to 13.
Lennea Perpet, 53, told Coast Reporter she didn’t aspire to be a politician and didn’t really foresee getting into politics, but over the past few years more and more people have approached her to say she was the type of person who should represent the community.
“I have been referred to as a career volunteer… I really enjoy it and I really have a passion for this community and the people in it. I saw [running for council] as another step to be able to go forward and make a difference,” she said. “I can sit back and hope for change or I can use the knowledge and experience I’ve gained meeting the people in the community.”
Perpet said water and affordable housing are key issues for her and they represent a bigger issue of problems that can no longer be ignored. “We’re at a stage now where these problems are overtaking us and people are under the delusion that our community is not changing, but it is. We need to find ways to adapt with that and keep the community feel we want ”
Perpet also said she wants to focus some of her campaign on getting “the most vulnerable in our community” who may not feel their vote matters out to the polls. “The ones that are living in motorhomes and tents and cars and couch surfing … they need to have a voice.”
Perpet, a long-time member of the Lions Club who sits on the Lions Housing Society Board, said she can also bring the experience of working with BC Housing on major projects to the council table.
As an outsider, Perpet said she feels the current council is sometimes too cautious, and she points to the water situation as an example. “I think the problem is people have been afraid to just take the suggestion that’s been made and say, ‘OK, this is the best way to fix it’ and just spend the money and make the decision to do it.”
She also said that although she didn’t support all the elements of the SSC Properties development proposal, she felt council was too hasty in rejecting it.
Janice Kuester moved to Sechelt from Chilliwack in 1996 and is currently the general manager at Sechelt-based Custom Carpets. “I was approached about running for council by several members of the community,” Kuester, 45, said in the introductory post to her campaign Facebook page. “After some thought, I realized I am committed to being part of the solution to make this vibrant community even better… We need to capitalize on opportunities that support responsible growth, economic development and improvement of our vitally important infrastructure, including of course, water. We need to focus on key issues – water, affordable housing and economic development are my priorities.”
Kuester also said she feels “it’s time to stop doing studies and consider options – there’s a time to get the experts involved to provide us with best solutions” and that “we need to change the way Sechelt does business and deals with development.”
“The uncertainty does not serve our residents well,” her statement continues. “It leads to higher taxation without improved services. That cannot be good for any of us – old or new. Rather, we need to encourage young families to come here and thrive, which will happen with specific actionable plans that will promote job creation and help build affordable housing.”
On water, Kuester’s campaign message said, “The District of Sechelt has an important and integral role. It is likely that the solution will be complex, but it is there. We need to engage the experts and the other levels of government to design and help us pay for the best solution – for today and for the next many decades. If we do this, there will many people willing to help us build and pay the costs.”
Kuester concludes by saying, “We can’t keep on going in the same direction we have been heading, especially recently, and I will do my very best to make a positive change in the community we all share.”
Tom Lamb, who sat on council from 2011 until his defeat in the 2014 election, has been travelling and unable to respond to Coast Reporter’s request for details about his platform before the print deadline.
