After 20 years serving Kaslo in different capacities, Mayor Suzan Hewat is seeking another term, saying there are several projects she wants to see through to completion.
Hewat was first elected mayor in 2014, after serving 10 years as a village councillor.
She said she’s enjoyed serving the community and believes she still has more to give.
“I think I still have something to contribute and there’s some projects that we have on the go that I would like to see through to completion,” she said.
Among those projects are the village’s development approvals project, which recently received provincial funding, an expansion of the sewer treatment plant and potential housing development on the Kaslo South lands.
Hewat sees housing affordability and availability as two of the biggest challenges facing Kaslo over the next four years.
“There are many people that would like to call Kaslo home or continue to call Kaslo home, but they are not able to do so because there, there is not housing stock available, and if it is available, it’s not at a price point that they could even think about buying a home,” Hewat said, adding that rental accommodation remains limited.
She said infrastructure upgrades will play a key role in creating more housing opportunities and increasing the local supply, though that work has already started.
The village recently received grant funding to expand its sewer treatment plant, which she said could allow larger properties to be subdivided and create new lots for housing.
“There are infrastructure upgrades that need to be done to service additional properties, which is where the grant we got for expanding the sewer treatment plant is so important,” she said.
“That allows us that ability to expand our sewer treatment area so people, if they have a larger lot, they could perhaps subdivide and create a smaller lot that somebody could build on.”
FireSmart and public safety are also priorities for Hewat. She said provincial funding changes could have a “detrimental effect” on the village’s wildfire preparedness work.
She said the education component is particularly important in helping residents prepare their homes for wildfire.
“When we were down at UBCM, that was heard, I think, loud and clear by the government. That all local governments, whether they be regional districts or municipal governments, want to see that reinstated.”
Hewat said she wants to promote more housing opportunities while limiting the impact on Kaslo’s tax base.
“We have a lot of seniors and young families who don’t have a lot of spare cash,” she said. “So, I would like there to be minimal impact on the tax base regardless of what we do.”
Hewat is running against councillor Erika Bird in the Oct. 17 election.
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