Laird Lee
Laird Lee is a master electrician who has lived in Tehkummah Township for the past two years.
“Ever since I moved here, I thought running for council was something to try out. I saw there was a need,” he said. “I sat in at one of the council meetings. I saw that’s where my background would fit in. I think I bring a lot to the table. I understand business, I’m self-employed, I worked as an operator for Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) for four years and then as a trainer for another four years. I’ve handled a lot of contracts—I’m pretty well-rounded when it comes to business.”
His primary reason for running for a seat on council is to use his particular skill set and past experience and history to support and provide representation for the people in the township. “I thought I had something to give,” he stated. “I have no personal agenda. I just want to serve.”
He continued, “I think that as a councillor, you are deemed to look after certain things. You have to represent what you feel are the needs of the people. You have to understand people and what their needs are as opposed to wants. Council has to be an amalgamated voice for the people. I think I can help keep council transparent and operating completely on behalf of the community. I’m big on integrity. We need to maintain that in everyday business. You have to make sure you’re representing the town and not taking away from the town.”
Mr. Laird feels that his background with OCWA after the Walkerton water crisis helps him understand downloading and how it affects municipalities. He explains, “you have to improve awareness by making people fully aware of how things are with respect to legislation. I’ve seen a lot of times, pamphlets are sent out but they’re written by a lawyer. We need to include education in that. That might mean bringing the people to council meetings. One thing I’ve learned as a trainer is that you need to educate. If there’s no practical understanding, it won’t work. Sometimes you have to back up and explain. If you don’t have the support of the people it’s a lot harder to get things done.”
He sees asset management as the main priority for the township. Infrastructure is important, he feels. “Where are we going to be in 10 years when it comes to population? What do we have in place to promote new business? Already they’re starting to look at more bridges that are starting to crumble. It’s how to manage that so it’s not a burden to the municipality. You have to manage contractual agreements and ensure the people are compensated in the time frames aren’t adhered to. You have to ask, what are we getting back for what we put in?
“Take the bridge. It’s not the fault of the township, it’s just circumstances. But we can learn from our past experiences so we don’t make the same mistakes.”
