City of Cranbrook council (2011-2014) was sworn in last night (Dec. 5) during a formal ceremony at the Royal Alexandra Hall at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel.

The following is the inaugural address delivered by newly-elected Mayor Wayne Stetski.

Thank you,

I’m going to start by saying Thank You to a number of people who helped make this evening special – please hold your applause until the end.

Jennifer Osmar (representing MLA Bill Bennett)

Dr. Fon Roubister (member of the Ministerial Association performing the Invocation)

Chief Cheryl Casimer

Mr. David Walker (one of two students from ?aqamnik Elementary School who delivered the Ktunaxa prayer)

Mr. Nevada Joseph (one of two students from ?aqamnik Elementary School who delivered the Ktunaxa prayer)

Amanda Musso, Sweetheart of Sam Steele

Mallory Balfour, Princess of Sam Steele

Leanne Jensen (Chief Election Officer who performed the swearing-in ceremony)

Bernice Reed, City of Cranbrook staff

Will Pearce, City of Cranbrook staff

Marnie Dueck, City of Cranbrook staff

Vicki Knudsen, City of Cranbrook staff

Garry Anderson & staff

Brian Clarkson, Cranbrook Photo

Lowell Threinen, Just Music

Heidi Romich, Heidi’s Restaurant

Jason Beauchene, Audiotomic

None of us would be here today without the help and support provided to us by family and friends and I am no exception. Thank you to Audrey, Shawn, Kellie, Adrian and Lalita for your love and support. Thank you also for caring enough about Cranbrook to allow me to undertake this challenge.

All of us who sit up here owe a huge debt to all of you for your willingness to get involved, for your support and for your work on behalf of all the candidates who participated in this election. Your care and concern, your hard work and your voting are what makes democracy happen – thank you very much. I appreciate all of you.

I also want to thank Scott Manjak, Jim Wavrecan and Liz Schatschneider for their years of loyal service to the citizens of Cranbrook. Your accomplishments were many and our thanks to you well deserved.

Work plan priorities

There are 12 pieces to my platform, ranging from environment to infrastructure, from youth to seniors, and from arts and culture to citizens first planning. They are all listed on my website – www.stetski.com – and you will be hearing a lot more about them over the next three years.

Why: Because I believe in accountability to you, the citizens of Cranbrook. What we told you we would do when we ran for office, we now need to deliver. The priorities that you heard earlier from Council, along with my priorities, will become an Annual Work Plan, which we will publish in January. Every December we will report back to you on what has been accomplished and what is still outstanding – that is what open and transparent governance looks like to me. You need to know what we’re doing well, what we’re not, and why.

While I do have a dozen areas that I want to see improvements on for Cranbrook, I have said that there are three priorities in particular that we deliver on:

A more attractive Cranbrook

A stronger economy

An empowered community – that’s you!

My pledge to you is to always represent citizens’ interests – your interests – first.

We will need your help to be successful in moving forward our workplans each year. By your help, I mean ensuring that city staff, non-profit societies, the Downtown Business Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the committees of council, business leaders and you, the people of Cranbrook, are all aware of what we want to accomplish, support it and are excited about helping to deliver on it. There is nothing more powerful than working towards shared goals – the results can be truly amazing!

Council

I want to take a few minutes to talk about our current council. Those of you who have followed politics in Cranbrook over the last few years will know that, at times, there has been a little tension based on a divergence of views on how best to develop Cranbrook and move it forward. I have never, let me say that again, I have never heard anyone say that we didn’t need new business and new development in Cranbrook. I truly believe that those who said that Cranbrook was anti-development or anti-business as a result of the East Hill Boundary referendum did a major disservice to our community – it simply was not true then and it is not true now. Cranbrook is open for business and for new development within the existing boundaries of our community so long as it benefits Cranbrook’s citizens. If we don’t have space to accommodate a new initiative, we will look immediately adjacent to our current boundary to find it.

I am excited about the composition of our new council because it is this divergence of viewpoints that will make for better decisions. You know there is an old saying that goes, “If you and I agree on everything, one of us likely isn’t necessary in life.” I truly believe that discussion, respectful debate and a diversity of viewpoints lead to better decisions. As citizens of Cranbrook you are a very diverse group – you need to feel that collectively you have a council that represents your diverse viewpoints. I believe that we have that in the group you see before you as your new council.

Our job, as mayor and council, is to set the tone for Cranbrook, to establish annual priorities that reflect your priorities and to pull together the people and resources to deliver on those priorities.

People often say that getting elected to municipal government is largely about name recognition. For better or worse I think there is some truth to that. What I really want this council to be known for three years from now is brain recognition – did we make the right decisions and do the smart things to make Cranbrook a better place?

City staff

It’s important to take a minute to talk to city staff; it is always a bit disconcerting when leadership changes. I have been a public servant most of my career and I truly believe that serving the public, and in this case, our city, is one of the best things that you can do in life. Why? Because you make a difference both in people’s lives and in the life of our city.

What do people expect from us? To be listened to; to be valued; to be respected; to be treated fairly and equally; to be informed on both what’s wrong as well as what’s going right.

Will people always be happy with our decisions? No. Should people always be satisfied with how we treated them – in my mind, yes.

Being a public servant is one of the most difficult jobs that there is, but helping people and making a positive difference in their lives is also one of the most satisfying, and I really do look forward to working with you!

Next three years

I want to conclude this evening by telling you a little story.

I worked with a great group of people, both in putting my campaign together and in delivering on it, ranging from 19 to 83 years of age. I owe them a great deal of thanks.

When we were preparing to do the radio ads, both Katie, an exceptional youth, and Karl, an outstanding senior, wanted to write their own ads. I thought that would be a great idea.

What Karl wrote in his ad both moved, and very much challenged, me. You see, Karl has lived in Cranbrook since the 1950s. In his ad, he said that he truly believed that with me as Mayor and with the help of a new council, that Cranbrook could have the best municipal government that they have ever had.

Will we be the best mayor and council that Cranbrook has ever had? Well, that remains to be seen, but I do promise you this: With your help and guidance we absolutely will do the best that we possibly can to make Cranbrook a better place.

Thank you very much for sharing this evening with us.

Wayne Stetski,

Mayor City of Cranbrook

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