If elected to one of the six city council positions up for grabs in the upcoming municipal election, candidate Joni Brisbin wants to use her background in engineering to help move the city’s development forward with positive change.
Brisbin has been a Moose Javian for over 20 years, and she thinks the city deserves a council that works to foster positive relations both inside and outside of city government, to help further potential development.
“I hope to put [my expertise] forward and affect some positive change,” said Brisbin. “I think the city has done some great things in its recent history, and I would like to be a part of it moving forward.”
As a professional engineering technologist, Brisbin has experience in the field of environmental engineering and infrastructure development. She owns a consulting business and has sat on numerous certification boards within the province.
She is also a member of the board for the Moose Jaw Transition House and has previous experience working on boards for school communities, grad committees, Household Waste Day, and as a liaison for SaskPower for events in the city.
Brisbin said her biggest concern, as she approaches a seat on council, is the need to build relationships and trust within the city, outside the city, and with the province itself.
“From those relationships, we can build platforms to move projects along, working together to complete them and to positively influence change within the city,” said Brisbin. “And to change some of the past history into something more progressive, but not in a negative light because I think every council has been challenged many times.”
For Brisbin, forward development means offering more support and promotion for new businesses that have opened up in the community and highlighting the city of Moose Jaw’s attractions.
“[In last year’s strategic plan] one of the statements made by consultants was the fact that we don’t promote ourselves properly and we’ve always played second fiddle to Regina, and so I think we need to explore opportunities to really stand out,” said Brisbin.
In regards to the proposed Wakamow Valley subdivision development, Brisbin felt that she need to see more of the plan documents — such as the environmental impact assessment, the geo-tech report, the archaeological report, and the community response — before making a concrete decision about the project.
If elected to council, Brisbin said her experience working with municipal governments and her knowledge of project development would serve her well in city hall. She also feels that her time working on numerous boards has taught her the right kind of patience and communication skills to succeed.
She also said that she wants residents to look into all the candidates before voting, and consider what each person brings to the table.
“I hope they will look at the fact that I have an extensive background in engineering, as infrastructure seems to be another hot topic [and] I think that would be beneficial to everyone,” said Brisbin.
The municipal election will take place on Nov. 9.
