A Morinville lawyer, businessman and father of two, Gordon Putnam says council will have to collaborate closely with others when it comes to making decisions about the town’s future. He relies on his years of experience in working with his clients and in economic development to gather support for a seat on Morinville Council.
“I think it’s time for some change in terms of growth and I want to be part of a team that would put together a vision that would set the course for Morinville over the next few years,” he says.
Putnam has been a resident of Morinville since 1996. He is active in a number of community and regional boards, such as the Rotary Club of Morinville, the Morinville Minor Hockey Association and the Sturgeon Economic Development Committee where he serves as chairman.
In his 10 years with the committee, Putnam says he saw how administration, municipalities and politicians can collaborate to make decisions that benefit the community and its residents.
He now hopes to bring a similar approach to Morinville council, setting his priorities on working on economic development, creating role clarity between council and administration and developing a community where people like to live and work.
“The Municipal Government Act really sets out that council’s role is to create a vision and it’s administration’s role to implement that vision,” he said. “And then council evaluates that as it goes along to make sure that implementation is happening and doesn’t need to be adjusted or altered.”
Putnam said Morinville Council has to consider what the community offers in the region and what kind of policies are required to see it strive. That includes adding new businesses based on demographics and needs, having the right zoning in place, and setting a clear vision on how to attract and retain entrepreneurs. He also likes to see existing businesses thrive, he said.
He added that certain departments should work together more – he mentioned planning and economic development as an example – to learn and benefit from each other’s expertise and work together on implementing new regulations.
“I am flexible in terms of what the vision is but the key is that we need to have a vision and that we all align with that in moving forward,” he said.
