My 1st Year as an Elected Official

It was a year ago tonight that I was elected to the position of Electoral Area 'D' Director of the Cariboo Regional District and again, my thanks to those who placed their trust in me by way of voting for me and to those who could not, I will work hard at gaining your trust over the 3 remaining years of my 1st Mandate

Although I served as an Alternate Director for Area 'D' from Feb 2013 - Nov 2014 and it did prepare me, in part, for the life ahead as an Elected Official, I am very thankful for the many resources available to me as an elected official, whether it's Cariboo Regional District (CRD) Staff which I feel that we at the CRD Board are truly blessed with, my fellow colleagues around the Board table or throughout the Region/Province, by way of fellow local government elected officials

My new life as an elected official started with a sit-down with Janis Bell, the Cariboo Regional District Chief Administrative Officer, a few days after the Nov 15th, 2014 General Local Election laying out where I wanted to go during the term of 2014-18.

Once sworn in on December 12th, 2014 - I began the life of a Rural Elected Official, attending various CRD Board, Central Cariboo/City of Williams Lake Joint Committee or Central Cariboo Rural Caucus Meetings plus many local meetings in Electoral Area 'D'.  In addition, I attended the following Convention/Conferences:

Feb 4-6, 2015 -- Newly Elected Official Seminar, put on by the Local Gov't Leadership Academy

May 6-8, 2015 - North Central Local Gov't Association AGM/Convention

May 26-28, 2015 - "Keeping It Rural" Rural Economic Development Convention in Salmon Arm, BC

Sept 21-25, 2015 - 2015 Union of BC Municipalities AGM/Convention

Oct 1st, 2015 - Fraser Basin Council Strategic Planning Session, for CRD Area 'C' Director John Massier

In addition to the above, I made an effort, using my own personal money, to attend other Regional District Board meetings in BC throughout the year to learn how they operate and how to bring their best practices back home.  Those RD's included Fraser Valley (twice), Columbia-Shuswap and Fraser-Fort George RD's

In terms of successes in my 1st year as an elected official for Electoral Area 'D' - I was able to help get a new AED installed at the McLeese Lake Community Hall, get the renewal of the McLeese Lake Community Library back on track, assist in getting funds for the new McLeese Lake Farmers' Market and assist the McLeese Lake Ind. Fire Department in meeting their own goals as examples.

I was appointed by my colleagues in the Central Cariboo as the Chair of the Central Cariboo Rural Directors' Caucus (a small working Committee consisting of the CRD Electoral Area Directors' for Areas D, E, F, J and K) for 2015.  I also have published my monthly expenses and meeting calendar, both here and my Steve Forseth - CRD Area 'D' Director Facebook page and I will be continuing the monthly updates (meeting/expenses) for the remainder of the term

Have I made mistakes? Yes, I have but I have learned much in my 1st year so the remaining 3 years should be much more successful, both for myself and for the people of Electoral Area 'D' (Commodore Heights - McLeese Lake) whom I am ultimately answerable to

I am looking forward to the challenges ahead in 2016 and looking for the opportunities that lie in those challenges and look forward as well to continue serving the very fine people within Electoral Area 'D'.

~SF