Election questionnaire: Mike Young

Name:

Mike Young

How many years have you lived in Squamish?

18

How many council or committee meetings have you attended since Sept. 1, 2017?

15-Dec

What do you love most about Squamish? (150 word limit)

The people of this community possess a friendly, supportive and welcoming spirit.  The natural environment shines, with an abundance of lakes, rivers, ocean, mountains and rain forest.  The area is gorgeous and provides access to a rich abundance of healthy activities.  From hiking or biking the incredible trails and mountains to having a family picnic and swimming at Alice Lake.  The area offers world class conditions for sailing or kite boarding and the face of The Chief draws climbing enthusiasts from afar.  There really is something for everyone whether its arts, culture or recreation we have it all.  All of this coupled with the fact that it is a safe place to raise a family with the added bonus of having the great outdoors literally in your backyard makes it truly the best place to live.

Are you endorsing a particular candidate for mayor? (question for councilor candidates)

No/Not at this time

What do you think is the biggest single issue facing Squamish? (150 words limit)

The biggest single issue is housing affordability.  All of the citizens of Squamish need an affordable place to call home.  As a community, we need a wide range of options available for new and existing residents.

In the last term, what was council's single greatest accomplishment? What was council's biggest failure? (150 character limit)

 The Council's greatest accomplishment this term was the completion of Squamish's Integrative Flood Management Plan.  It has replaced the outdated plan from 1994 and took three years to complete.  The new plan has taken into consideration the growing population, new standards and regulatory requirements and climate change to protect the community. 

The biggest failure relates to the inability of Council to create collaborative relationships within Council chambers and with community partners. 

Residents often complain about traffic (speeding, parking etc.) What would you do to improve traffic and parking in Squamish? (150 words limit)

The one-way in and one-way out coupled with the growth of the downtown has created a parking and traffic problems.  We need to create another access route into downtown as well as Valleycliffe to ease the traffic and create connectivity between the areas.  We need to enforce the parking bylaws downtown particularly along Cleveland Ave.  We should explore the construction of a parking structure.  Improving the transit service, making it more convenient for residents who would normally take their cars.  Investigate more ride sharing and car sharing options.

Squamish has a housing affordability crisis. What would you do to improve affordability? (150 words limit)

We need to create a Housing Authority, similar to the Whistle Housing Authority, that oversees the affordable housing stock.  Request money and affordable units from Developers.  Funds would go towards constructing more housing units.  Seek opportunities from the Provincial & Federal Governments and community partners to provide more affordable housing.  We need to create policy around zoning, licensing and taxing housing used as nightly rentals. 

Do you support stronger regulation of AirBNB?

Yes

How would you attract new businesses and employers to Squamish? (150 words limit)

We need to create a diverse and sustainable economy making it easier for businesses to do business here.  We can encourage business by fast tracking the process for municipal approvals, protecting and expanding our employment lands and encouraging the construction of more purpose built offices.

Do you have a strategy to implement regional transit? (150 word limit)

We need to work with our neighbours to establish a Regional Transit Authority and work collaboratively  the private sector to increase routes and to fill the gaps. 

Given limited financial resources, what do you think is the single highest priority for Brennan Park? (150 word limit)

Besides the needed maintenance and repairs to the existing infrastructure, the highest priority is to add a second arena.   There is not enough ice time to fulfill the current need.  As our community continues to grow, demand for ice time will only increase.  We can't continue to have our young children practicing at 5:45 am on a school day.

Do you support cannabis retail shops in Squamish?

With strict regulation

Would you consider yourself pro-WLNG or anti-WLNG?

Somewhat supportive (2)

Are you supportive of the Garibaldi At Squamish project?

Somewhat supportive (2)

Do you support development of the Cheema Lands (Lot 509/510)?

Somewhat supportive (2)