PROFILE: Neil Krog, Grand Forks Council

 

Hello my name is Neil Krog and I am seeking a seat on Council. My wife Andrea and I passed through Grand Forks on our honeymoon 23 years ago. We liked the community so much that we, along with our family, moved here in 1988.

 

I am a first aid and safety instructor for Selkirk College, I also own Twisted Forks Catering. My reason for running is that I want to see the city move forward and feel that with my experience I can help.

 

 

I have previously served on city council for 12 years and was a director for the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary. This experience allowed me the ability to see the opportunities that we have to work together. Through these venues I have sat on or chaired a variety of committees.

 

It is imperative that our council work together and focus on their mandate, not personal agendas, personalities, or special interest groups. I would see my role on council as that of a stabilizer, using my experience to help keep council grounded and on track. Not off reinventing the wheel or wasting time in non-productive activities.

 

 

It is hard to choose as there are many and topics such as health care, infrastructure, youth and senior concerns but I believe these and others all fall under three headings:

 

Economy & Sustainability - Effective Functioning Council - Planning

 

SUSTAINABILITY:

 

I would like to see the community of Grand Forks work toward self-sustainability.

There has been a lot of talk about attracting green industries to our valley but the reality is they are few and far between. We need to market our city.

 

The B.C. economy runs on small business, we need to attract more of these. As important is the need to focus on growing our existing businesses. It is a fact of life that not all products we need are available locally but the majority is, and we need to ensure that they remain so.

 

Economically we are at a crossroads. A vision of what this community can become is essential to achieving a healthy and sustainable economy that supports the people and families who live and work here. This vision must incorporate the strengths and talents of our business people, our seniors, our artists, and our young people.

 

EFFECTIVE COUNCIL:

 

I believe that communication and decision-making must be inclusive of, and responsive to, all our citizens’ needs. In order to function properly the city needs to be seeking more public input not discouraging it.

 

We also need a more precise method of decision-making that establishes priorities based on a range of factors and ensure its decisions are for the benefit of the community as a whole. It is a fact that not everyone will agree with all decisions that a council makes. But if their concerns have been heard they can agree that they are part of the final decision.

 

PLANNING:

 

I believe planning is the most critical aspect of a municipality’s future and this is where our focus should be. The future will be an era that will see continued decreasing support from Federal and Provincial governments as well as a shifting and downloading of responsibility to the community level.

 

We must focus on the future by preparing and planning for it now. Along with this it is imperative that we have an excellent working relationship with regional areas C and D. What affects one of us usually affects the other. It is important to remember that Grand Forks is not a walled city; we are part of a community.

 

 

Hard work and focus is the only way we can meet challenges now and in the future.

I am ready, willing, and able to bring that to the table.

 

 

 Dedicated – Knowledgeable - No-nonsense (“yes it is one word”)

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and the other candidate’s profiles. You have the power to decide the future of our community, make sure you vote for your choice on November the 19^th.

 

Thank You, Neil Krog