Please Vote

Our right to vote for our choice of representation in government is the most important benefit we have in the democracy that we and all Canadians have worked and fought so hard to create and maintain.

I want to encourage all of us to vote in this election, regardless of who we choose to support. 

The more of us who vote, the truer the selection of candidates will be, and the better our community will be served.


Please Vote. Thank you.
Richard

What Makes a Successful Town Council?

I am proud to have been part of an exceptionally successful Council over the past 3 ½ years. Here are some of the reasons why I think we did so well.

1. Diversity of perspectives and good decision making process

Council decisions are better when the discussion is informed by a diversity of perspectives and is guided by a good decision making process. Our Council worked well together to make good decisions: each member of Council brought his or her unique experience, knowledge and opinion to the table, shared these, listened to one another, and worked toward solutions that satisfied the broadest requirements of the issue.

With this process of developing the best solution, it is rare that any Councillor has to abandon any deeply held conviction. Success came from working together in a process, sharing diverse views, listening, and contributing to an improved final solution.

2. Having staff understand and support the strategic plan is crucial

The creation of the organization that delivers the result Council wants at the standard that Council wants was a critical achievement of the last term. Business as usual was not going to be good enough when our term started. To us, the Town of Pelham needed to become a leader in the provision of municipal customer service, both to the residents and to developers. Systems and processes – the way things get done - needed to be updated, adopted, learned, and implemented by staff.

The shape of the organization was changed to better meet expected outcomes, and Pelham’s employment policies were reviewed and updated to allow staff to do the quality of job they wanted to do, and to recognize and reward the good performance Council wanted. As we all know, change is hard for some, and this is reflected in organizational changes that happened early in the term. But the result is that our staff produces more municipal work faster, better, and without creating a greater tax burden on residents.

3. Resident involvement is critical. 

We are creating more opportunities and better processes by which residents can be involved in the activities of the Town. Resident involvement is an important goal within the strategic plan. Resident involvement helps keep us real, grounded and in close touch with what residents want in Pelham.

Resident involvement has contributed a lot to the cultural quality of life in Pelham. Consider the role of residents on committees and as volunteers in the Farmers’ Market, the Suppermarket, programming at the bandshell, Canada Day, Summerfest, the 160th anniversary celebration in Fenwick, the Rhiel Skatepark, and soon the design of the proposed community centre in East Fonthill, among many more. Our town is defined by these cultural and recreational opportunities as much as our roads, waterworks, and governing bylaws.


It was my honour and pleasure to represent the residents of Ward 1 in the Council whose term is now concluding. With your help and support, I hope to be elected to the next Council to continue effective, efficient and responsive town governance in the years to come.

Public service is a privilege and a duty, and as I have the time, energy and interest to contribute, I want to continue to offer my services to my community and represent the concerns of the citizens of Pelham Ward 1 at Town Council. Richard

Request a Sign!

Would you like to help my campaign? Email me at rrybiak@gmail.com and a I will call you to discuss ways you can participate.

One of the best ways to show your support is to place my election sign on your property!

Many thanks,
Richard

Why Me? Quick Read Version!

Fenwick has been my family's home since 1956; I grew up here and have now retired here.

Like the people I meet, I value our quiet, clean, open, green environment, and how friendly, helpful, and caring our neighbours are. I want to help ensure that Pelham's development and growth occur in ways that complement the essential character of our town.

My work experience has contributed to the development of skills useful in Town Council: listening, responding, communicating results; strategic planning, decision making, problem solving; negotiating; performance management.

In my career, I have been successful in dealing with community infrastructure issues in the past, including housing, transportation, security, safety, electricity, water, communication, recreation, and doing this within budget and within the expectations of the community using the services. This was work I enjoyed, and I look forward to doing more of it here for the benefit of Pelham.

My desire to be on Town Council has also been affected by my experience on Pelham's Committee of Adjustment over the past four years. This has given me valuable insight into the concerns and aspirations of our residents, and the bylaws and standards that guide decisions in the town.

I believe that the best way forward is by listening, proceeding strategically, and respecting our taxpayers' money.

Richard Rybiak
Tel: 905-892-2105 FAX: 905-892-9506 email: rrybiak@gmail.com

Richard Rybiak Announces Entry to Pelham Ward 1 By-Election

Richard Rybiak announced today that he has filed documents at Pelham Town Hall to stand for election as Councillor for Ward 1 in the by-election to be held on June 20, 2011.
"I am motivated to run by two things: a desire to give back to the home town which is so important to me, and to be part of an exciting and forward looking town council," Rybiak said. "We have a mayor whom the citizens of Pelham overwhelmingly recognized for his principles, values, and talent, and councillors who are greatly committed to the success of the town, and I would love to contribute what I can to making Pelham the best place in which to live."

"My time with the Committee of Adjustment has also sharpened my taste for public service. I found it quite satisfying to help resolve resident’s concerns within town requirements when the two might be a little out of sync. You also get a good sense of what people are trying to accomplish in their lives from this perspective. I look forward to participating in the broader business of the town in Council," Rybiak said.

Rybiak has deep roots in Ward 1, from childhood on Foss Road where his family made a home in 1956, to returning in 2003 and purchasing the same family home from his parents when he retired from his career in Human Resources around Canada and abroad. He and his wife, Wieske, consider themselves to be "semi-retired" as they are kept busy managing the Fenwick rental development constructed by his father, Joe Rybiak, in 1989.

Rybiak expects to campaign actively in the Ward, and has opened a blog at http://www.voterybiak.ca/ to keep in continuous contact with residents.

For more inforrmation: Richard Rybiak 905-892-2105 rrybiak@gmail.com

For Release April 6, 2011