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THE NEW TANNERTHURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018 7THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, MAY 10, 20186 A Day in the Life: Guelph/Eramosa Mayor Chris White By: Vivien Fleisher Mayor Chris White lik- ens the job of Mayor to a bit of a puzzle: "Every- thing touches on other things." He's on many boards and committees: AMO, ROMA--both in Toronto--GRCA, Board of Health, and county councillor--chair of fi- nance, there too. It makes your head spin, but the highly energetic Mayor says the pieces are all inter- related and he's at home in a world where "nothing is consistent except the fact that it's consistently go- ing." The cross-pollination allows him to interface with ministers and advance other files and makes him more effective in his role by getting him out of the strictly-local silo. "In the old days, it was 'plow the roads and go home'" he says, citing the proximity of the GTA as a big factor, where more time goes into planning than ever before. From a tiny municipality to one that required a full- time mayor, Guelph/ E r a m o s a To w n - ship (GET) did not amalgamate until 1999, causing angst amongst residents concerned by the attendant staffing ex- pansion alone. Before the Township office in Brucedale was ex- panded eight years ago, they were so short on space a trailer was needed to house three staff. The Township doubled in geographical size and near- ly in population--8,000 to 13,000. A lot more plan- ning legislation, services, asset management, clerk- ing to handle licensing, etc. followed. To keep a lid on costs, the reno did not in- clude a mayor's office. On this day, Mayor White is up at 7:30 a.m., work- ing out of his home office answering emails and scheduling meetings and events. Without an assist- ant or office, home is often his base. He usually arrives at the Township by 10:30 a.m., giving staff time to get their days started. To- day he's there at 10 a.m. for a meeting in council chambers with Welling- ton County and the public to determine what kind of services "Older Adults" would like to see in their community. It's over quickly however; no public shows up. He then does the rounds--every other day he touches base with staff-- chatting with Parks and Rec's Robin Milne, Public Work's Harry Niemi, and finishing up in CAO Ian Roger's office, where they discuss upcoming items. White carries on the hu- mour about the upcoming "lame duck" period, where the CAO runs the show during the run-up to the election this fall. Today is not typical-- the schedule is light--so he uses the rest of it prepar- ing for the next one, which will begin at 9 a.m. with a development charges meeting at town offices; a 1 p.m. budget meet- ing in Puslinch; a 3 p.m. event at Wellington Coun- ty Museum; and a 4 p.m. Board of Health meeting in Guelph, where he sits on behalf of the County. Two or three scheduled events a day is average. Back to today. Before heading out, he files his papers for Mayor, hav- ing secured 25 signatures. Now in his third term, he's been at GET for 14 years, starting as Ward 4 councillor. His background travelling as a quality manager prepared him for a lot of time on the road and lunch on the fly, which he does on route to the County Office in Guelph to talk about the Xinyi glass plant pro- posal; a big public meeting in Marden next week prom- ises to be lively, and there's lots of prep to do. The rest of the day involves smaller items: he helps some resi- dents determine who's responsible for a lot line dispute in a development. Its afternoon now; he works on GRCA files. They're winding down the i r ren ta l hous ing program, with three sev- erances coming up at council. His schedule is very fluid with two or three big things that flow along like the Hidden Quarry ap- plication, and the Xinyi Glass plant proposal. He only started using social media during the last elec- tion, using Facebook to stay accessible throughout the day. He stops around 9 p.m., barring a major issue, but never turns off his phone. His advice to would- b e m a y o r s : be careful of burnout, pace yourself and keep things in perspective by seeing the other person's point of view. His rule for really stressful situa- tions: wait 24 hours before responding. The hardest part of his job? "When things come out of the blue that you can't control, like stuff designated at the provincial level that impact individuals locally." But he loves his job. A lifelong passion for politics has led him to this moment, where he can actually get things done instead of watching from the sidelines, adding, "This job is what you make it." Come join our team! We are looking for candidates that share our corporate values of Honesty, Excellence, Team, Fun, Creativity and Respect. These values are second nature for the successful candidate and are demonstrated in their work and interactions with colleagues and the community. We are currently seeking part-time Pool Maintenance Operators to provide the highest standard of care for the cleaning and maintenance of Town Facilities. For a detailed description of the job responsibilities, qualifications, and application procedures, please visit our website at www.haltonhills.ca/jobs Qualified candidates may submit their applications by May 17, 2018. Pool Maintenance Operators - Multiple Part time Positions POSTING No. 201824 R O TA R Y G A L A : Power outages Friday evening, didn't hold up the Rotary Club of Acton's Annual Spring Gala and Auction. The tables at the Town Hall Centre were filled to capacity and the bidding was strong. - Les Schmidt photo Parks and Rec planner Robin Milne Mayor White with Ward 3 Councillor Louise Marshall at the Firehall on Saturday. Last stop CAO Ian Roger's office.