Having grown up in Lake Country, I have seen the incredible transformations from the 1980s through to today. To me, at its core, Lake Country is still the same small town from when I was young. My focus is keeping the small community feel that we all love, while allowing strategic growth for maximum community benefit. I believe in steady, financially prudent upgrades. I want clean drinking water, manageable taxes, and opportunities for ALL ages and demographics. My parents and my kid live in LC and their needs are not necessarily the same. I want steady, predictable local government that can be a reliable partner with upper levels of government and the private sector to maximize benefits to the entire community. The world is crazy right now but Lake Country doesn’t have to be. We have a safe, beautiful, community-oriented town. That’s the Winfield I knew. That’s the Lake Country I know. And that’s the Lake Country I hope to see for generations to come. I hope you will trust me once again to represent you as your Councillor At Large.
What Lewis said at the Rogers tv panel. Each summary was written by AI and checked by a person. The quote under it is exact, and the link opens the video at that moment.
Asked And with that, we'll start with introductions. To the candidates, as a reminder, you have two minutes to present your introduction.
Summary Michael Lewis grew up in Lake Country and says it is the best place to raise a family. Lewis says permits for building and development used to take years instead of weeks. Lewis says council worked together to fix this problem and wants to serve another term.
when it comes to permitting and development, building houses, building a deck, renovating your house, any little thing, took years, years instead of weeks.
Asked What do you think makes Lake Country, Lake Country, and how would you preserve that character as our community grows over the next 10 to 20 years?
Summary Michael Lewis grew up in Lake Country and says the community is still much like it was. Lewis says its character comes from its people and how people treat each other. Lewis says farmland is already protected, with 47% of Lake Country in the ALR.
So what makes Lake Country Lake Country? It's not the building. I think it's a culture. It's the people. It's the way people act with each other.
Asked Do you see a challenge in engaging Lake Country's youth today, and do you have any specific actions that you would suggest to improve youth involvement in the community?
Summary Michael Lewis says engaging youth is always hard. Lewis believes kids need to learn about local government and what council does. Lewis agrees with a youth committee and floats a youth council, liaison or committee as possible ideas. Lewis is willing to speak at schools.
honestly I think kids need to learn about local government. I think most adults don't understand what we do.
Asked What strengths do you feel that you bring to complement a future council, and how do you feel that you would contribute to a balanced team dynamic?
Summary Michael Lewis says having been on the citizen side, trying to work through district processes, is the main strength offered. Lewis says council should show empathy for applicants and look at issues from their point of view. Lewis says council members all need to get along and work together for the community.
empathetic, empathy for the applicant, the person standing in front of us, and saying, look, let's look at it from their point of view. It's not just about us. We have to all get along here.
Asked The next question, what do you see as the biggest challenge facing Lake Country over the next four years? What concepts or process or ideas do you bring to help address it?
Summary Michael Lewis says Lake Country needs a water treatment plant because Beaver Lake water quality is poor. Lewis says the $86 million plan depends on development charges and money from new users as homes are built. Lewis says people dislike growth and traffic, but the community needs clean water.
Yes, people are nervous about growth. I know that. People don't like it. They hate the traffic. They hate the growth. But we need clean water.
I want steady, predictable local government that can be a reliable partner with upper levels of government and the private sector to maximize benefits to the entire community.
Asked Lake Country businesses often struggle to recruit and retain employees because of housing costs and availability. What actions would you support to increase attainable workforce housing?
I will continue to advocate for housing diversity. We need to have a place for people to start and a place for people to end, and everything in between.
We need strategic, carefully monitored development to maximize community benefit without allowing certain segments to overwhelm or overcrowd our small town.
My primary focus is on obtaining clean drinking water via a water treatment plant. This has been in the works for more years than most people realize and I think with our current trajectory and relationships with senior levels of government, we can finally make it happen.
Lock in a permanent, longterm solution for our Waste Water. We have bought ourselves some time with current agreements but we should push for something more permanent that looks way in to the future and beyond.
Asked How would you control municipal spending and keep commercial property taxes, business-licensing costs and other municipal fees affordable?
I think the most important thing is that the budget review process is not diminished and that it remains a line by line process over several meetings. It's the only way council can keep tabs on every dollar spent.
I’m just going to be honest here: I don’t believe in cutting or reducing services. I think Lake Country is a very well-run town and it shows in our low crime rates and the wide range of activities and amenities for a community of this size.
Improved road networks to relieve our problem areas with traffic. This includes Beaver Lake Rd and Glenmore Rd. We have made great strides towards this in this past council term and I believe we are close to making a meaningful difference here.
Continued investment in road maintenance and repair. We have increased funding for road maintenance and have made great progress in some areas but we need continued investment and strategy to improve the quality of our roads across the District.
Asked How would you address traffic congestion, parking limitations and transportation challenges affecting employees, customers and commercial deliveries?
This is just basic planning stuff. It is an ever-evolving and changing landscape and we just have to ensure we are on the cutting edge to keep our businesses competitive and adaptable to a changing world.
Asked What are the three most important actions the District should take to support the growth and success of local businesses?
Time is money and people cannot afford to sit around waiting for the District to process permit applications for construction, renovations, or otherwise. We have to set clear expectations and follow through with clear communication.
Asked What specific changes would you support to make building permits, development applications, inspections and business approvals faster and more predictable?
There must be a will from council to direct staff to review and sometimes remove overregulation that is causing more problems than it is solving.
Asked What are the three most important actions the District should take to support the growth and success of local businesses?
We have to treat business owners or people starting new businesses as valued customers. We should do everything we can to make it as easy as possible for them to get going.
Asked What steps would you support to improve public safety, cleanliness and security in Lake Country’s commercial areas?
That said, things can change in a blink so I think maintaining our stellar relationship with our local RCMP and keeping those communication lines open and friendly goes a long way.
Asked What steps would you support to improve public safety, cleanliness and security in Lake Country’s commercial areas?
Information and communication are vital to maintaining safe, clean streets. We can't address issues that we don't know about and catching something early before it grows into something unmanageable is also crucial.
Mayor and Council have a responsibility to ensure that there is meaningful public engagement for ALL of the major plans – especially the Official Community Plan.
At the Council table, I believe that Council has a responsibility to use fact-based decision-making. There should be respectful discussion and strict adherence to process and conduct.
Asked How would you ensure businesses receive adequate notice and meaningful consultation before roadwork, construction or other municipal projects disrupt access, parking or customer traffic?
I think a strict communications plan for every major road or construction project is a must.
