Name: Kevin Mooney

Ward You’re Running In: 9

Current Occupation: Director, Employee Health & Safety

Voter Information: 949-5589; ktmooney@me.com; www.facebook.com/mooneyward9

I have lived in Regina for 33 years and currently live in ward 9 with my wife Kelly and two boys Tyler and Mason. I graduated with a Bachelor of Human Justice from the University of Regina in 2000 and became a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) in 2008. I have worked in the field of occupational health & safety for 10 years in both the public and private sector. In 2011, I received the Saskatchewan Safety Professional of the Year award. I have volunteered in a number of organizations including: chapter chair of the Canadian Society of Safety Engineers – South Saskatchewan Chapter, volunteer probation officer, and auxiliary constable with the RCMP.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. Briefly, why are you running for council?
I am running for council because we need a council that is more transparent and open to new ideas. Cities around the globe are innovating and I believe that we can do more to make Regina an affordable place to live and an inviting place to do business.

2. What is the single most pressing issue facing Regina? How would you solve it?
Affordable housing is the single most pressing issue in the city. We can solve this issue by taking a leadership role, learning from other jurisdictions and setting bold goals and objectives to increase our vacancy rate. It may take a regional approach with various levels of government support to solve this issue.

3. Imagine the Regina Of The Future that you want to help build. What will it look like?
I would like to help build a city that is creative and regarded as a global leader in innovation. Cities around the globe are innovating and finding new ways to be competitive. Some cities have found efficiencies through green energy. Portland and Vancouver recently installed turbines in their fresh water pipes and successfully generated electricity from the water running through their network. Recently, Boise made 2.8 million through the operation of a commercial farm. Each city has it’s unique opportunities; selling Regina’s grey water to local solution mines could be a profitable innovation that we could leverage.

4. Beyond immediate concerns like housing, the stadium and infrastructure renewal, what “big idea” project do you want to work on that nobody seems to be talking about?
I would like council to engage the civic employees in uncovering efficiencies in the operation to increase customer service and reduce operating costs. The city of Prince Albert did some interesting snow removal research and discovered that ‘gated plow trucks’ allowed them to complete snow removal on their priority roads 4 times quicker; allowing them to be more responsive to residential roads. A number of cities in Ontario partnered together and found economies of scale by using a single North American vendor to supply parts for their bus fleets which led to efficiencies and savings to tax payers. I believe that efficiencies will lead to lower operating costs and will free up savings that could be re-invested into the civic employee pension fund.

5. Name something the last council got right.
The Regina Revitalization Initiative is a win-win solution. A new world-class stadium, affordable housing and renewal of the rail yards will lead to 100’s of millions of investment into our downtown.

6. Now, point out their biggest mistake.
The 12th Avenue project was mismanaged.

7. What are you reading these days?
Election coverage.

8. Beyond your residence, do you own any property in Regina or in the immediate area?
No.

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FUN QUESTIONS!

1. What is your favourite Regina restaurant?
Original Joe’s

2. Who is your favourite Regina artist?
The Waltons

3. What actor would play you in the gritty cable drama, Queen City Hall?
Matt Damon

4. How would your character die?
Zombies

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PICK A SIDE

Cats or Dogs? Dogs

Vampires or Werewolves? Werewolves

Boxing or Roller Derby? Roller Derby

Steak or Sushi? Steak

Hill Towers or Legislative Building? Hill Towers

Quance Street or Dewdney Avenue? Dewdney Avenue

Artesian or Wascana Park Gazebo? Wascana Park Gazebo

Prairie Dog or Richardson Ground Squirrel? Prairie Dog

Giant Grasshopper or Stegosaurus? Stegosaurus

Saskaboom or SaskAdvantage? Saskaboom

Bike or Sports Car? Sports Car

Le Macaron or Five Guys? Five Guys

The Beatles or the Rolling Stones? Rolling Stones

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BONUS QUESTION: Make up your own question (And answer it, of course!)
Favourite movie this year?
The Grey

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Find out about all the other people running in this election on our Candidate Profiles page. And follow all of our online election coverage — including interviews, analysis and podcasts — on our Regina City Election 2012 page.