James Burrows will make the case for a fourth term to St. Albert voters this fall.
Burrows, who has been on council since 2001, announced this week he intends to seek another term and plans to focus on giving citizens more input into city planning.
Burrows wants the city to bring back the municipal planning commission, an advisory board that reviewed proposed developments prior to them coming before council.
The commission, which was formally eliminated in 2008 had most of its powers stripped away in 2005 in favour of administration. When it was functioning, it included one citizen-at-large, city councillors and several members of administration, but Burrows envisions a new body with three citizens-at-large and two councillors.
He said he believes citizens want more input in how the city develops.
"People want to be re-involved and reconnected with the planning decisions of the city," he said. "When the previous council got rid of it, I really feel like this was a really big mistake."
Burrows points to the city's debates over smart growth and the Arlington Drive project as examples where a commission would have streamlined the process.
"If something really looks silly or doesn't make sense it would get nipped in the bud much sooner."
Burrows also wants to bring in redevelopment plans for the city's established neighbourhoods, like Grandin, Mission and Akinsdale. Those communities were built without broad area structure plans or development concepts commonplace today and there is a need to define how those communities will change, he said.
Burrows said the Arlington Drive debate shows the city needs a plan for the current school sites that might not be needed for learning. He said enrolment in city school boards is not climbing and many of the existing sites may never see a school.
Commercial development
Burrows said he believes bringing in more industrial and commercial development to the city would help stabilize property taxes.
"I realize our taxes are high, but we all know why they are. We don't have an upgrader in our city, refinery row doesn't exist here."
Burrows also favours creating another industrial park in the city, north of Villeneuve Road west of Walmart on the city-owned Badger lands.
He said it could become a "Nisku-north," attracting oilfield service companies and other firms wanting to be closer to upgrader developments in Sturgeon County or have better access to Fort McMurray.
One key to such a location would be the completion of Ray Gibbon Drive, but Burrows said he is confident the money for stage three will soon flow from the province.
"I find Ray Gibbon highly frustrating, but I am not naive and I know that Ray Gibbon and its funding is related to the overall financial health of the province of Alberta," he said. "If the economy turns around and the guys down at the dome are getting more money from natural gas and bitumen and other various taxes, that will bode well for us."
Burrows also wants to see the city complete a park and ride station on the south side of the city and would like to see the provincial and federal governments help out with the Riel Park project, where reclamation costs have spiralled.
Burrows said this term of council has been very productive and he credits Mayor Nolan Crouse for much of the hard work in making it happen. He also said everyone on council has respected each other's opinions.
"I respect every single member of council that I sit with, everybody has their strengths and weaknesses."
To date, the race for city council has 12 candidates, including challengers Stanley Haroun, Cathy Heron, Malcolm Parker, James Van Damme, Aisling Pollard-Kientzel, Cam MacKay, Frances Badrock, Wes Brodhead, and incumbents Roger Lemieux, Gareth Jones and Len Bracko.
Election day is Oct. 18.
