Steve Sobering

"What are your plans to deal with the increased crime rates in Dauphin?"

Crime is a serious concern and big issue in this election. Opioids and drug use, mental illness and homelessness have greatly increased during the pandemic. Dauphin has a shortage of 3 RCMP officer positions and there is no one to hire. In the short term I would reallocate the budgeted money from these positions to install more surveillance in public spaces, support Citizens on Patrol and invest in crime prevention programs. In the long term we need to focus on making Dauphin a more attractive community to help with recruiting skilled labour and retain our population.

"Fast-Forward to 4 years from now. What is your vision for what our community will look like under your leadership?"

The next 4 years are going to likely be the most challenging we have seen in a generation. The pandemic was a setback in many ways, and it is likely there will be no return to “normal”. It is much more likely that we will have to recreate and redefine our approach to growth and prosperity.

The City of Dauphin has enjoyed stable population growth over the last 10 years and has consistently added new businesses and amenities. Even during the pandemic Dauphin enjoyed historic investments for construction/renovations of commercial buildings and establishment of new industry.

With the global focus on transitioning to a carbon neutral economy there is a tremendous opportunity. The jobs that will be required likely don’t even exist now and if we embrace technology to develop new models of education and job training, we can create opportunities for good paying careers without having to relocate.

"Growing our community is a buzz-word that gets thrown around. What does that mean to you? What does that look like?"

The metrics I use to measure growth are commercial vacancy rates, building permits issued for both residential and commercial, hotel occupancy rates, census data and civic projects initiated and completed. These categories can give council relatively good sense of where money is being spent and the general economic health of the City.

"There are a growing number of homeless people in Dauphin. What, if anything, can the city council do to address this issue?"

I believe the council would be best served by supporting existing organizations that are tackling homelessness. This can be through direct funding or petitioning the Province and Federal Government to provide funding. I also believe that there needs to be a pragmatic approach to ensuring we do not allow our parks and playgrounds to become living areas for our City’s homeless.

A large portion of the homeless people that are currently residing in Dauphin do not originate here. That is a common thread in many large Cities and is described more as Canada’s problem. People without means or struggling to find places to live are looking to Cities for the services that are offered. I would approach the issue by speaking to other Cities that have tackled homelessness and learn what successes we could copy and what mistakes to avoid.

"What would you say to someone who is considering moving to Dauphin? What are the city’s greatest selling points?"

When I speak to people considering relocating to Dauphin I would say we are a small City with large amenities. With a population of less than 9000 people we have low housing costs, good schools, a great movie theatre, Northgate Trails, recreation for whatever a person is interested in. A good salary goes a long way in Dauphin and I believe we are becoming more diverse and open to newcomers because of it.

"What would you do to keep taxes down and attract investment and development into Dauphin, all at the same time?"

The best way to keep taxes low is to be smart with how tax revenue is spent. Sometimes it can be about making strategic investments to lower operating costs in the long term. Taking an asset management approach to infrastructure that plans for ongoing replacements and upgrades replacing the worst assets first and avoiding extra costs from emergency repairs. Managing energy costs through reduction measures can yield annual savings in the hundreds of thousands. Revenue growth is the other half of the equation, and is achieved through higher assessment values and new businesses.

"The political arm of the city and the administrative arm need to work hand in glove, and respectfully. How do you propose to create that constructive team?"

At the forum I explained how the City council sets the direction, goals, ways to track progress and budget resources. The council then works with the City manager to work with their teams of department heads and managers to execute the projects that will achieve the goals.

"What do you think is the role of city council in bridging the gap between the Indigenous population and the non-indigenous population in the Parkland area?"

The City council has the opportunity to consider indigenous people individually when setting policies, through the organized indigenous entities like Treaty 2, and reaching outside of Dauphin to build better relations with the surrounding indigenous communities.

"Small Business is one of the pillars of the community. And locally, many small businesses are struggling to rebuild from the devastating effects of the pandemic. What role do you see the city playing in facilitating the recovery? And do you have any specific programming in mind that you would like to see implemented?"

Small businesses should be able to spread the payment of property taxes over 6-9 months with a maximum limit to ensure the benefit stays with small business. The best way the City can support small businesses is to attract people to the community through tourism, keep the community clean and well kept, and make sure the infrastructure is in good repair.

"Rental affordability and availability is an ongoing issue in Dauphin's housing market. What role should city government play in attempting to fix this problem?"

The City needs to take a more active role in creating development of new builds of affordable homes. This could be accomplished by developing parcels of City land for spec home builders and create an infill strategy to encourage builds on empty lots in gentrified parts of the City.

Another issue is the purchase of affordable homes by rental companies that exploit people in poverty. To put it bluntly there are too many homes owned by slumlords that are in poor condition and devaluing the community. All single unit dwellings that are purchased for rental should be registered with the City and subject to rental specific rules and regulations. Homes that are not up to minimum standards should be automatically demolished and serviced for the construction of new spec home builds.

"How will we support post-secondary education in the city of Dauphin?"

ACC community college has waiting lists for programs such as licensed practical nursing. We need to strongly advocate to increase the volume for students from one intake every 2 years to 1 intake a year. We should also create a space where students could virtually attend any number of universities and colleges such as U of M, U of Brandon, College of the North, Red River and even schools outside the province of Manitoba.

"I'm fairly new to Dauphin, and notice that there are a number vacant and unsightly buildings in the area. How do you feel about the first impression of the city? Do you have any plans to address it?"

Renovations are expensive and entrepreneurs who invest in improving the facade of their buildings are given an increased tax bill. I would put a 5 year municipal tax freeze for any renovation that exceeds $25,000 and reinstitute the $5000 downtown redevelopment grant and increase it to $10,000. I would also accelerate the replacement of the main street sidewalk and improve the weed removal program.