Community outlook 2013: attracting visitors and businesses to Cranbrook

Cranbrook’s mayor, Wayne Stetski, said that he is first and foremost a public servant. He said he and city hall staff work for the citizens of Cranbrook, and want to know what’s on their agenda.

Stetski said he makes himself very accessible, with an open-door policy at the office, monthly coffee-with-the-mayor and brown-bag lunch drop-in meetings for the public, and a monthly community update spot on the radio.

“The objective is to ensure that people have lots of opportunity to provide me with their views on things,” said Stetski. “I’d like everyone who comes to city hall to know they are welcome and their opinions are valued. How effectively we function as public servants is linked with how well we represent the diverse views of the people in Cranbrook.”

Tax savings encourage development

Stetski said that enacting the Downtown Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw, initiated by the previous council, was the most important economic booster that his council put into place in 2012.

“What it means is that if you develop your business within the downtown area, you’ll get a nice property tax break on the improvements for five years—especially if it’s a combined commercial/residential development,” Stetski said. “I would like to see high-end living in the downtown area. When it’s full of people and excitement—like during the farmers markets—it’s a very vibrant and desirable place to be.”

Beautification of Cranbrook

“We are grateful for all the beautification work done by Cranbrook in Bloom through the years, especially along the Highway 3 corridor,” said Stetski. 

He said that the Cranbrook strip can be made still more attractive to visitors with landscaping, art, construction, signage and sprucing up old buildings. Local blacksmith Paul Reimer has designed a Welcome to Cranbrook sign for the Elizabeth Lake end of the city.

Listening to their concerns

Stetski asked Cranbrook's chamber of commerce to do a report on the barriers to business in Cranbrook, and the chamber presented its survey report at the December council meeting.

“I’m excited about this," said Stetski. "One of my priorities for 2013 is to put a plan in place and report back to the chamber about the initiatives and action that will ensure at least some of those perceived barriers are being addressed.”

Stetski has several ideas for attracting visitors and new businesses, and for making Cranbrook a better place for those who live here. He extends an invitation to the public to send him their ideas for new business and improvements that they would like to see in Cranbrook in 2013. That input, combined with existing factors, will give him an exciting agenda for the new year, and he is looking forward to getting to work.