Submitted questionnaire

Kevin Kraft

Homestead Operations Manager and RDCO East Area Director

This is the candidate’s public questionnaire. It is not a ForChange recommendation. Committee recommendations will be published after the review is complete.

1. 01 · Why are you running for Kelowna City Council?

   First of all, thank you for doing this and thank you for the opportunity. I believe in a strong, balanced council from the full political spectrum. I also believe we need candidates willing to speak with logic, confidence, and experience. I am running because I know I have the experience, the relationships, the drive, the work ethic, the respect, and most importantly, the history and knowledge of this place we call home. Having grown up here, my family owes Kelowna in many ways; I want to give back to the community and be involved in decisions and directions representing young families like mine, farmers, and different industries, and bring a wealth of knowledge to the table. I may be on the younger side of the race, but I believe that my education, workplace, and life experiences put me near the top when discussing a plethora of issues impacting local government. I have been a regional firefighter, a teacher, a farmer, a business owner, and I currently serve as an elected Area Director with the Regional District of Central Okanagan. Each of those experiences has given me a different perspective on government, leadership, and public service ready to contribute from day one

2. 02 · Issue #1: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

   Crime and Community Safety:
   Knocking on doors, there is no doubt that it is the number one issue. Drug-related concerns, homelessness, street disorder, theft, encampments, and the list goes on. I also understand that this is the most complicated file when it comes to enforcement, resources, and upper-level government laws and legislation. It also represents a large segment of our city budget, as it involves emergency services, law enforcement, city bylaw, and supportive services and programs. It impacts businesses daily in various ways and can't be ignored by any potential candidate. We need a council and mayor willing to stand up for our city when advocating to different levels of government. One area the city can have long term impact is to improve proactive intervention through sport, recreation, and more youth programming. Happy to discuss more throughout the interview process.

3. 03 · Issue #2: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

   Agriculture and Emergency Preparedness:
   As one of the only candidates talking about agriculture, it's extremely important to me to discuss ways to help support our food systems in our valley. Water management, systems, and services from the upper reservoirs to the valley bottom need to be improved and planned for in long-term infrastructure planning. I put this with emergency preparedness, as we need to look at our overall systems and how they are interconnected. Flood, drought, fire, and other risks are reasons to be adaptive, responsive, and prepared. That said, policing, fire, and EMS have long been outpaced by growth and changes impacting their abilities to serve. We have spent a premium on policing for our additional officers hosting sporting and community events; we need to shift and plan for permanent officers, improved fire apparatus, and more EMS support that people rely on.

4. 04 · Issue #3: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

   I struggle between council/city transparency and transportation infrastructure. I look forward to addressing transparency issues, but for this purpose, I will talk about traffic and transportation, as it impacts my family and families like mine daily. There is road construction everywhere, detours, and accidents, further impacting an already congested roadway network for travelers and commuters. We need to take a look at the project planning and coordinate project timing to mitigate impacts. I get tired of planners saying that the highway is MOTT jurisdiction. There are things we can do to improve highway flow. Things like eliminating much of the commercial parking lot access directly to the highway, and more sensor-triggered left-turn lanes permanently on. These two changes would eliminate many of the accidents that further clog up traffic. More can happen, but this is just a start.

5. 05 · What experience, skills, and community involvement do you bring to the role?

   I bring experience in local government, business, emergency services, education, youth development and community organizations. I currently serve as the EA Director for the RDCO, Chair of the Electoral Area Services Committee, and have served as Vice Chair. I also serve on the following: the Okanagan Basin Water Board, Central Okanagan Hospital District, Airport Advisory Committee, Sterile Insect Release Program, Okanagan Regional Library, Okanagan Film Commission, and the Collaborative Leadership Table (ONA).
   My community involvement includes the Okanagan Sun, Kelowna Minor Football Association, UBC Thunderbird Football Association, Oceola Fish and Game Club, BC Wildlife Federation, and coaching U12 football.
   Professionally, I am an Operations Manager with Homestead Foods. My previous experience includes eight years as a regional firefighter, three years as a TOC with SD23, coordinating an at-risk youth centre, and eight years with UBCO Varsity Athletics.

   These experiences have taught me to listen, collaborate, manage resources, understand different perspectives and make practical decisions. I believe they provide me with the knowledge and experience to contribute on day one.

6. 06 · How will you approach council decisions when priorities compete for limited resources?

   The new council will need to take the strategic priority-setting exercises very seriously in addressing staff direction and allocating resources. This sets the stage for guiding what our priorities are. Though we have a large municipal budget, this will be a guiding principle when allocating funds, but provide some transparency and clear priorities. There is no doubt things will come up, files will need attention, and emergencies will happen, which will need to be addressed. My priorities when addressing council decisions will be asking how this improves the service and function for the taxpayer, and how we can mitigate future risks and unforeseen circumstances; whether this solves the issues at hand or is a temporary solution; and finally listening to the needs of the people and collaboratively working towards a solution between council and staff. A great example regarding balance and meeting the needs of the existing community is the most recent Apple Bowl announcement. I look forward to this conversation in the coming months.

7. 07 · How do you work with people who see an issue differently than you?

   Even before becoming involved in politics, I was often told that one of my greatest strengths when working with boards and committees was my ability to work with people who have different perspectives. I understand that we will not always agree, that we will not always get every decision right, and that once a decision is made, we need to learn from it and continue moving forward.

   I do not want to see “left” or “right” define our City Council. I want to see qualified, engaged councillors with different experiences and areas of knowledge come together, have respectful and meaningful debate, and ultimately make decisions based on what is best for the people who elected us.

   I have always valued relationships with people who I agree and disagree with, and I am proud of my ability to have difficult conversations without allowing disagreement to become personal. I believe good government requires listening to different perspectives, challenging ideas respectfully, and being willing to change your mind when presented with better information. I am prepared to bring that approach to Council.

8. 08 · What else should voters know about you?

   Most importantly, I am prepared and informed to contribute from day one if I am successful in this campaign. At a complicated time in federal and provincial politics, I believe Kelowna needs strong local leadership with the experience and relationships to advocate effectively for our community and get things done.

   I am a proud Rutland Senior Secondary graduate and was raised in Rutland. I have built my career and my family here, and I care deeply about the future of this community.

   I am also an avid outdoors enthusiast with a strong interest in conservation, wildlife management, forestry, and improving the natural spaces that make the Okanagan such a special place to live.

   I believe in being fiscally responsible, transparent, and accountable with public dollars. I also care deeply about agriculture and food security in our valley. I want to see our farmers have the opportunity to produce, prepare, and succeed while protecting the agricultural land that will matter to future generations.

   At the end of the day, I want voters to know that I am someone who is willing to listen, do the work, and bring practical experience and common-sense decision-making to City Council.

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