WHITEWATER REGION — Charlene Jackson is hopeful of being a leader once again in Whitewater Region. She is running for her second term as a Councillor in Whitewater Region.
“It’s been an interesting four years,” she said after recently filing her nomination papers at the township office in Cobden.
“More so the first half than the second.”
Coun. Jackson said during the first half of the term, council would receive verbal reports from staff, while the second half it was written reports.
“The written reports ensures council has in front of them all the information they need to make a proper decision, and that has happened over the last year-and-a-half, and it’s been a big improvement for council,” she explained.
Looking back over the past four years, Coun. Jackson said four reviews of municipal business were completed, which she felt were necessary to be done – fire, administration, public works and finance. (The financial review was received behind closed doors previous to last night’s council meeting.)
“There have been so many staff changes, we needed to take a good look at how things can be improved upon in the township,” she said.
Coun. Jackson has been a municipal employee for various municipalities in her career.
“This has helped me understand,” she said, adding, “I come in with the knowledge and background of municipal work, rather than business. Even for a business person coming in, it’s not quite the same.”
Owning and operating a business isn’t the same as
municipal business, she said, explaining, one person cannot make a decision, it’s all of council.
One of the big decisions council made was to hire a full-time fire chief.
“I struggled with that decision, with regards to a full-time fire chief,” Coun. Jackson said. “However, after looking at all of the reporting, the training and the reorganization that needed to be done within the fire department, it became quite clear there needed to be a full-time fire chief.”
This person also deals with emergency management, she noted.
“You need to have fire services and someone has to be responsible for it,” she said.
While there was a volunteer fire chief previous to the hiring of Jonathan Wilker, Coun. Jackson said, “Being there are five fire stations, it becomes very difficult for a volunteer to do that job, especially if they have a job elsewhere during the day. The amount of reporting as required for everything with regards to new training, regulations coming in, the fire marshall’s office that needs reports for every fire, and the MTO reporting whenever there are accidents on the highway, it becomes very difficult to do as a volunteer.”
Things council has accomplished in the past four years is the change in administrative leadership, she said. Chief Administrative Office Robert Tremblay has been a driving force with all the positive changes in the last 18 months.
In regards to economic development, this council is very pro-active, she said. Instead of putting the brakes on development, this council has tried to work with the entrepreneurs. The Whitewater Brewery had a few roadblocks put in its way, but council was able to divert them, and the newest business, Glasswork Botanics, is moving ahead, she said.
“We’re open to different businesses,” Coun. Jackson said.
The Community Improvement Plan program is a good thing for the township, she said.
“It’s important that the community understand that small businesses need to remain in the municipality for the municipality to remain successful,” she said. “By helping them with a small stipend of money to improve their façade, improve accessibility, however we can help them, I think is important to the community.
“Without the downtown businesses, you’re lacking bringing tourism into, and business into, your municipality.”
With all the changes in the last 18 months, Coun. Jackson wants to ensure they continue. The current council has a mindset of moving the municipality forward, instead of status quo.
“Change is a good thing,” she said.
Looking to Whitewater Regio’s future, Coun. Jackson believes in the importance of active transportation lanes and to work with all tourism companies.
“I want people to know where Whitewater Region is and it’s not just the municipality between Renfrew and Pembroke, it’s Whitewater Region, that’s who we are, and they should know where we are,” she said.
Coun. Jackson believes since the township has taken over recreation, there will be great things happening, which will make the township more cohesive.
“There is less and less stress between the former municipalities than there was before,” she said. “It’s important we know we are from Whitewater Region, and it’s a whole.”
As a councillor, she has learned much about Whitewater Region and has earned the right to have her voice heard at the council table – and that’s why she encourages people to run.
“I think the ideal candidate is somebody who’s looking to make Whitewater Region great, to move it forward, with regards to economic development, make good decision in regards to spending municipal funds,” she said.
When she looks back over the past four years as a councillor, Coun. Jackson said it failed in communications between council and the residents in the first two-and-a-half years.
However, with CAO Tremblay at the helm, that has changed.
“The community involvement is more cohesive,” she said. “He’s very good at involving the communities.”
As an example, Coun. Jackson said Whitewater StreetStrut is wonderful community event, involving various organizations and volunteers. She admits that while this event was to move to another community within Whitewater Region, the decision to remain in Cobden for one more year was the right decision.
“My goal is to move StreetStrut next year,” she said. “I think with the logistics that they ran into last year, they felt it was important to try it one more time in Cobden on the main street.
“There were a lot of hiccups right close to the end that could have caused StreetStrut to fail, and I think without having a full year to consider how to smooth out those hiccups next time, there needed to be a whole lot of work done before it moved to any other community.”
She recalled that StreetStrut was put together in just a few months and Jordan Durocher, the new community services manager, did an amazing feat following how successful it turned out to be.
When it’s time to vote, Coun. Jackson is hopeful people will put a tick beside her name.
“The municipal experience I have is a benefit to the municipality at the council table,” she said. “I may not have a business background, but a municipal business background is important as well.
“I’ve worked in several municipalities, and I bring all that experience with me, on how other municipalities are run and the ideas they have.”
It’s important to Coun. Jackson that her voice be heard around the table, and it is, she said.
“I certainly speak up for the people and I speak up for what I feel is right,” Coun. Jackson said. “I’m not afraid.
“As everybody knows over the last four years, I’m not afraid to speak up and question the decisions or the recommendations of staff that are coming forward.”
Married to Paul for 31 years, the couple has two adult boys – Brandon and Kyle.
When not working, Coun. Jackson enjoys riding her motorcycle and travelling. She noted in the winter, she is busiest at work, because it’s year end and budget time.
