Pandemic and climate crisis issues exhaust SCRD board director.

Calling his 2018-2022 term on the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) Board of Directors “the most demanding and satisfying I’ve done,” Area F Director Mark Hiltz shared more details. with Coast Journalist why he is not standing for election. The first-term director representing West Howe Sound and the Islands contacted by email on August 8 after saying he would not stand in the October 15 local elections at a SCRD board meeting on July 28.

“Thinking about another four-year term just doesn’t spark my motivation like it did in 2018. Perhaps the global pandemic and climate change-fueled emergencies have worn me down,” Hiltz wrote.

Feedback on his SCRD experience

Highlights of the tenure for Hiltz were the learning opportunities related to the geography and people of the coast that the Director’s role provided, as the Board made hundreds of decisions about SCRD services that affect residents.

“Becoming aware of the balance between political decisions, elected officials, and administrative decisions that deliver services has been revealing,” he wrote. He added that “hearing from Indigenous peoples, learning the path of reconciliation and how we can become better ancestors gives me hope.”

When asked what he finds most challenging as a board member, Hiltz wrote, “Finding out where to contribute and how to make decisions with confidence took time because stepping on board the ship 50-year-old SCRD is complex. The hardest decisions are the ones that force residents to pay more knowing that the community has to pay now for future benefits, and at first that made my chest ache.

Tips for its replacement

His advice to potential candidates: “The work needs to be done and perhaps the time is right for a term at the SCRD board table. Dive in and commit to participating. Difficult campaign. If elected, then transition to governing decision maker role. Learn the role by taking excellent training, especially with the Local Government Leadership Academy. Use the WAIT (why am I talking) approach and think about how your contributions can strengthen decisions. »

Looking to the future, Hiltz said he wants to see the new board “take over this mandate and continue the approach of continuous improvement and decisions leading to sustainable services.”

What’s next for Marc?

For him, it will be “taking the time to pull yourself together and recharge your batteries. Less time in front of computer screens and more time with family. More time to garden, paddle around the coast and visit SCRD parks. Less time in meetings and more time reading the Coast Journalistwrote Hiltz.