EloraFergusToday asked candidates in the upcoming municipal election to tell us a little bit about themselves and their platform.
Name: John Sepulis
Occupation: Retired professional engineer
How long have you lived in Puslinch? 33 years
Why are you running in this election? We enjoy living in Puslinch and have raised three children in this great place. I would like to give back and serve the community by using the skills and experience I had developed during my working career.
What qualifies you to represent Puslinch? I have been a councillor for the past six years. I have the necessary council and previous work experience to tackle issues facing us.
I have been the chair of the Puslinch Planning and Development Advisory Committee for the past six years.
I am also a member of the Lake Erie Source Water Protection Committee.
Why should people vote for you? I am very proactive on moving forward on issues facing us including high taxes, poor internet service, improvements for recreation, and sustaining the environment.
What do you see as the main issues facing residents of Puslinch on a broader scale? At a very high level keep Puslinch sustainable by having low taxes, by finding way to increase revenue and by addressing economic, social and environment issues.
Specifically:
- Having a plan in place for climate change.
- Maintaining the integrity of our groundwater.
- Getting the Morriston Bypass finally constructed to allow Aberfoyle to realize its potential.
- Curtailing the unbridled expansion of aggregate operations.
- Curtailing the illegal dumping of excavated material
- Curtailing activities that are not zoned for the area
- Encouraging development of our commercial and industrial lands
- Providing natural gas service across the Township.
- Improving proper access to Puslinch Lake for residents.
- Addressing issues associated with the Guelph Junction Railway.
- Enhancing our parks and trails
What is the most important thing you want to see changed in Puslinch?Provision of natural gas service for all residents. Natural gas is an affordable energy source that can be made available and will significantly help reduce household costs.
What services need to be improved in Puslinch?
Frequency of snow removal.
Paving of gravel roads.
Removal of dead trees accompanied with more planting.
More opportunities for recreational activities.
Is Puslinch growing too fast, just the right amount, or not fast enough? I believe it is growing at the right pace but has to be sustainable.
What can be done at the local level about the rising cost of housing? One of the ways it can be addressed is the construction of new housing. As Puslinch does not have a municipal water supply, more housing can be provided by permitting more severances and expanding the boundaries of existing villages and hamlets. Planning work is underway with the county.
What should be done to address ongoing issues with the aggregate industry? Dialogue with the province to hear us and give us the tools to control the extent of aggregate operations permitted at one time in the township.
How do we make Puslinch an even better place to live? Encourage residents to engage more with Council and staff to understand and appreciate the issues facing them and move forward together to solve them.
Any link to an election website or social media account:
Website: http://www.johnsepulis.com
Email: [email protected]
