Kelowna Candidate Matcher
- Responses from Luke Stack
| 1. Do support the current rabbit cull program? | Yes | I encourage the TRACS organization to save as many rabbits as they can, but the City needs to Cull the rest. |
| 2. Would you give final approval to the CD21 downtown redevelopment zone currently before council? | Yes | As a member of the City of Kelowna Advisory Planning Commission I voted in favor of this downtown revitalization plan. |
| 3. Do you think the City should limit the height of highrises? | Yes | The City will soon allow up to 27 stories in the town core. I think building massing must be limited more than the height. I support tall buildings provided view corridors and open public space are provided at street level. |
| 4. All other things equal, if you were forced to make a decision that favours neighbours or a developer, which would you choose? | Neighbours | This is not a yes-no question. Often the developers are the neighbors! It is important to note that many "neighbors" are the very "developers" that want to develop their own property in their own neighborhood. As I have learned on the Advisory Planning Commission, each application must be examined individually. |
| 5. Would you support an increase in Development Cost Charges to reduce the taxpayers' contributions to covering the costs of new development? | No | Development Cost charges are charged to build infrastructure in new neighborhoods. DCCs' already cover the lion's share of new infrastructure and should not be increased to reduce property taxes. It is important to note that DCC charges add to the cost of a new home. Kelowna already has a housing affordability issue. |
| 6. Are you accepting developer contributions for your campaign? | No | I am not accepting any corporate donations. I am willing to accept personal donations up to $99.00 from any person who supports my platform even if they are in the building or development business. (To date Nov 3, 2008 I have not received any) |
| 7. Do you support the use of the alternative approval process such as was used with the Mission Aquatic Centre? | Depends | I prefer a referendum for large capital decisions. |
| 8. Should non-Kelowna rate payers be charged extra user fees for using City amenities such as the future aquatic centre? | No | I swim in the Johnston-Bentley pool for the same prices as people on the West side, the same should be offered to Kelowna's guests and neighbors. |
| 9. In general, do you think the City of Kelowna should | maintain current service and taxation levels | |
| 10. Have rural / agriculture lands been adequately conserved within the City? | Yes | The City should stick to its agricultural land policies. |
| 11. Do you think big box retailers are a net positive or net negative for the community? | neutral | |
| 12. With regard to the Official Community Plan, do you think past councils have: | struck the right balance | This is a working document. The unprecedented growth in Kelowna in the last 5 years placed a lot of pressure on the plan. It needs a complete update, but even after being updated, I expect on-going changes to the plan. Council cannot anticipate all future growth trends. |
| 13. Do you think local government should subsidize affordable housing? | Yes | Municipalities can best promote affordable rental housing projects by providing low-cost lease land to non-profit housing providers. The Province and The Federal governments should provide any rent subsidies to those that qualify. |
| 14. With regard to in-camera (not open to public) council meetings, do you think Kelowna council has: | struck the right balance | |
| 15. Do you support the City temporarily closing public spaces for large private for profit events such as concerts or sporting events? | Depends | I do not like to see public space closed. I would need to study this issue. |
| 16. Do you support the sinking of the old floating bridge pontoons in Okanagan Lake? | Depends | I will look to the Ministry of Environment for a decision that causes the least pollution. |
| 17. Would you be willing to increase taxes to support more road infrastructure? | No | If the Citizens of Kelowna make this a priority and direct Council to do so I would re-consider this position. |
| 18. Over the last three years, do you think that Council has made decisions that treat all neighbourhoods fairly/equally? | Yes | |
| 19. Would you vote to ban plastic shopping bags? | Yes | I need to review this more to see if it effectively reduces wastage at the land fill, but I think it is a good idea. Another concept worth exploring are plastic bags that break down very quickly (within one year). Generally, we need reduce waste wherever possible. |
| 20. Would you support the Kelowna's amalgamation with boundary communities such as Ellison and Joe Rich? | Yes | If the boundary communities desire this. It makes sense to consolidate civil services. It would likely lead to better administrative efficiencies. |
| 21. Which party did you support in the recent Federal election? | Won't say | Voting is right and a privilege. Even a person seeking political office has a right to vote in private in Canada. This must always be protected. |
Open Ended Questions (Optional) | ||
| 22. The 2008 Citizen Survey ranked the city poorly on conducting business open and fairly as well as being responsive to citizen needs. What would you do to change this? | The City should continue to hold open houses and public hearings. I believe most of the poor rating by the people is connected to several very unpopular court cases(Mission Greenway-Serwa case and the Simpson Covenant) Hopefully, the City can avoid such disputes in future by dealing openly and fairly with land owners. | |
| 23. The 2008 Citizen Survey identified weaknesses in transit, roads, and senior services, bylaw and police. What would you do to address this? | A long-term plan is necessary. Once the plan is established it is important to implement the plan. There will always be limited resources. Council needs to set priorities and follow these once established. | |
| 24. What is the greatest problem facing Kelowna and what would be your approach? | Housing affordability. Many working people are under pressure to meet the cost of housing. If housing is affordable, then life is affordable. When housing is affordable people have household income for food, clothing and recreation. Council should look to create zoning options to keep land costs low. This may mean density increase, and a more multi-family neighborhoods. | |
| 25. Open ended comment section | I see Kelowna as a City of opportunities more than a City with problems. The problems we face are the same problems all other Cities face. We are not unique; however, the natural assets our City has are second to none! This is a great City that we should all be proud of. I want to harness our collective energy to build a City that others will look to for creativity and leadership. | |
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