Elliott C.E Bessey

Running for City Council

245 allan St
Red Deer, AB

T4R 2T6

phone number: 403-352-1570
fax Number: 403-347-4241
email:ebessey@empireparking2003.com

ELLIOTT C.E BESSEY

Candidate for City Council

I am much honored to be a Red Deer citizen. I have lived here for 14 years and been actively involved in many faucets of the community. I believe I have the fortitude to help the city and the fine people of Red Deer continue to grow and prosper. I have learned so much and am ready to learn much more to make sound decision based on Red Deer needs now and in the future. I believe to be an effective leader it takes a passion and above all, an open minded willingness to learn and grow to help the people you serve, the Citizens of Red Deer.

Biography

I moved to Red Deer in 1990, I graduated from LTCHS High School in 1997. I was actively involved with #24 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron from 1993-1999 were I achieved the Rank of Warrant Officer first Class and was awarded the Lord Strathcona Medal of Excellence. I have been involved with the Youth and Volunteer Centre since the summer of 2000, more so as a camp counselor for the Camp Alexo Summer camp program. I have been a screened volunteer with the YVC for four years helping out with some after school programs and fundraising events like the Zed Fm Haunted house and Hoopfest. I also helped plan and run the 2001 Aids Network walk for life. I also am a manager of Empire parking 2003 Inc a parking lot control and Maintenance Company that is 100% red deer owned and operated. In 2001 I ran for Mayor of Red Deer and finished second out of three candidates. I am currently a student in the 4 th year of a 5 year combine degree program for Bachelor of Arts in Native Studies and Bachelor of Education Secondary.

My Ideas for Red Deer's Future

Youth Development :

I would like to see the City of Red Deer step up and take a bigger step if providing safe, fun alternatives for the youth of Red Deer . With today society many parents are working long and hard hours in the workforce. This is leaving many kids with lag time in supervision or alternatives as most school is over at 3:30 pm . I would like Red Deer to help fund drop in centres like the north hill boys and girls club located in Normendeau. Where kids of all ages can go and play games, do crafts, get help with their homework and belong to something good. Red Deer could pair up with many neighbour hood groups or agencies already providing this care and provide some funding and resources to start up and maintain this healthily alternatives for youth. It would probably keep many youth off the streets and out of the way of bad influences, bad people and bad situations. After all the type of leaders we will have tomorrow depends the way we are preparing our youth today, it is everybody's reasonability.

Growth management :

Red Deer is a city of rapid growth for some time now and must plan ahead with strong leadership to ensure the future is a success. One idea expressed in the last election was a creation of a task force that would have a mission contacting and visiting other cities about Red Deer size and bigger and exploring the problems they faced with their growth and how they dealt with those problems. This would provide many real life situations of what Red Deer could face and mostly likely will face when our growth continues. It gives us a heads up on successful and not so successful tactics of dealing with growth management. In the long run it may save us money as we see what works in other communities and can learn form that so it does not end up costing us.

I also believe Red Deer has to focus on its needs and not it wants, as many others are saying. It will take a lot of planning and preparation now and years from now. But the grim fact must be presented as well that this economic time of prosperity can not continue forever and will slow down . We need people on council not so set in their ways that are unwilling to listen to new ideas and solutions because they have been in power for "X" amounts of years and know what is best for Red Deer . Being a council member should be an everyday learning experience as every day problems and lives are changing. NO ONE PERSON HAS THE ANSWER. All one can hope for when someone talks about future growth management is that they will do the best the can, and my best will be :

A Community Friendly Council

Not to say that council is not friendly, I am saying Councillors and the Mayor need to be more open and accessible to the people of Red Deer . Besides the two days at the mall for questions and answers. They need to get out more to the people and hear what the people are saying. Attend more events in their official capacity not just hockey games or Canada day celebrations. I have been in Red Deer for 14 years and the most I have seen the Mayor or a councillor is at Canada Day and the occasional pancake breakfast. Maintain office hours where you set aside some time on a set day where any Red Deer citizen can come without an appointment and talk to a councillor or mayor. This will empower more people to step and be heard and 73,000 sets of eyes and ears can see a lot more than the 9 on council including the Mayor. Council must become more accessible to people in the long run it will help out everyone but most of all it will help out Red Deer .

I thank you for your time and PLEASE VOTE ON OCT 18 th 2004