All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes

Sam Hiemstra

City/Township Council · Wilmot Ward 4

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All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes
This candidate finalized their responses after this guide and scoring methodology was published.
Housing & Homelessness 3 questions

Housing & Homelessness

How should municipalities and the Region balance providing permanent housing with the management of encampments in public spaces?select up to 3 per part
A. Pathways to permanent housing
  • Prioritize rapid acquisition or conversion of existing buildings
  • Partner with non-profit and supportive housing providers
  • Use publicly owned land for permanent or interim housing
B. Interim management of encampments
  • Establish and maintain clear minimum standards (sanitation, safety, outreach)
  • Expand the hours and capacity of extreme-weather shelter protections beyond current levels
  • Allow temporary encampments to persist while permanent housing options are actively being developed
C. Accountability and collaboration between levels of government
  • Establish clear regional leadership with coordinated municipal roles
  • Assign clear municipal responsibility for public-space management
  • Actively advocate to the province for defined funding triggers and program supports
Getting Around 4 questions

Getting Around

How should municipalities use existing street infrastructure to better prioritize walking, cycling, and public transit?select up to 3
  • Reallocate space on selected streets (e.g. road diets, transit lanes, protected bike lanes)
  • Adjust signal timing, curb use, or intersection design
  • Prioritize active transportation improvements during routine resurfacing
What role should public transit play in regional growth, and how should future transit investments be prioritized?ranked from highest to lowest importance
  1. Prioritize expanding coverage area
  2. Use transit to shape land use
  3. Invest in rapid transit to anchor growth
  4. Prioritize maximizing operational efficiency
  5. Prioritize lower-cost or incremental transit improvements
Do you support the municipality taking responsibility for snow removal from sidewalks adjacent to private properties?single choice

Yes, sidewalks should be cleared alongside roads as part of regular winter maintenance

Do you support expanding fare-free transit for the Region?single choice

Yes, for all residents

Please describe one criterion or principle that should not be compromised when making transit investment decisions.candidate's own words

Transportation must be accessible to the most vulnerable members of our communities, with programs focusing on affordability and township accessibility.

Climate & Sustainability 3 questions

Climate & Sustainability

How should municipalities and the Region incorporate climate and sustainability into policy, including development and infrastructure decisions?select up to 3 per part
A. Perspective on climate change
  • Climate change is an urgent and defining crisis of our time; reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be a primary consideration across municipal decision-making
  • Commitments passed by previous councils, like the 50x30 pledge or declarations of climate emergencies, should guide current council decision making
  • Our local and regional governments need to renew coordinated action towards implementing the Transform Waterloo Region strategy
B. Building and development standards
  • Where possible, require or incentivize energy efficiency standards in new development, beyond current provincial minimums
  • Require green infrastructure as part of development approvals (e.g. stormwater management, tree canopy, permeable surfaces)
  • Use development agreements to require climate sustainability measures as a condition of approval
C. Infrastructure and capital planning
  • Prioritize active transportation and transit investment
  • Require climate change mitigation and adaptation impact assessments for large growth decisions (greenfield expansions, settlement boundary changes)
  • Require an assessment of impacts on aquifer recharge

Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on sustainability?candidate's own words

Growing up in New Hamburg, I have seen first-hand the changes we are experiencing when it comes to extreme weather events (namely flooding). Preparedness for these occurrences need to be considered when navigating all potential projects and regulations. Sustainability is at the heart of these conversations, and is a topic that I look forward to championing if given the chance to serve my community as Councillor.

Food Systems & Security 3 questions

Food Systems & Security

In the context of growing pressure for economic development and the connected loss of farmland, what role do municipalities and the Region hold in promoting local food livelihoods, production, and processing?ranked from highest to lowest importance
  1. Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system
  2. Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
  3. Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
  4. Encourage and support local landowners to rent to newcomer farmers
  5. Leave local food livelihoods to the private market
How should municipalities and the Region approach food insecurity and affordability?select up to 3 per part
A. Access to food
  • Partner with local charities, non-profits, and other organizations to strengthen access to food and redistribution of surplus food and produce for low-income residents
  • Support the development of community buying clubs or municipal grocery stores
  • Support local food procurement for school food programs, including processing/preparation infrastructure, food literacy, and youth learning opportunities
B. Access to land for growing food
  • Make public lands (Regional and municipal) available for sustenance food provisioning, including in urban and peri-urban spaces as cities expand
  • Enable access to land and resources for local people who want to grow their own food (e.g. the community-garden model)
  • Encourage and support private landowners to make lots available for food provisioning

Please describe one concrete policy, program, or decision you would support to strengthen the local food system.candidate's own words

Accessible community gardening with accompanying educational programs would be an incredible asset for my community.

Growth & Planning 4 questions

Growth & Planning

How should councils weigh the long-term cost of maintaining existing infrastructure when making decisions about outward growth and expansion?ranked from highest to lowest importance
  1. Require detailed cost and risk analysis before approving
  2. Prioritize infill and intensification where infrastructure
  3. Use development phasing tied to infrastructure capacity
  4. Limit outward growth unless full lifecycle infrastructure
  5. Proceed with outward growth to address housing supply
How should councils balance provincial and regional mandates for increased housing density with neighbourhood opposition and local infrastructure constraints?select up to 4 per part
A. Planning & zoning tools
No response
B. Managing neighbourhood opposition
  • Use public engagement to inform design, not to veto density
  • Require demonstrated city-wide benefits to justify local impacts
C. Infrastructure & servicing
  • Approve density where infrastructure capacity already exists
  • Pair density approvals with targeted infrastructure upgrades
  • Use development charges or conditions to fund needed upgrades

What can the municipality/region do, if anything, about land which sits vacant for years because it is being used as an investment (land banking)?candidate's own words

Land banking is not productive for growth and I am interested in researching more on the tools available to hinder its persistence.

Budget & Taxes 5 questions

Budget & Taxes

Do you think the Region's or municipality's budget process should be more transparent and accessible to residents?single choice

It should be more transparent and accessible

Municipal and regional costs have generally risen faster than revenues restricted by property tax rules and limited local revenue tools. How would you balance tax increases against maintaining service levels and long-term financial sustainability?select up to 3 per part
A. Revenue approaches
  • Moderate, predictable tax increases to maintain service levels
  • Actively pursue provincial and federal transfer funding and grants
  • Exploring new local revenue tools where permitted by provincial legislation
D. Growth & cost recovery
No response
B. Service levels
  • Maintain current service levels, even if taxes rise
  • Adjust service delivery models to reduce costs without reducing access
C. Capital & infrastructure
  • Require lifecycle cost analysis before approving any new infrastructure
About the Candidate3 questions

About the Candidate

Why are you running for this position?candidate's own words

I have been a longtime advocate for environmental issues, and the recent ground water crisis our Region is facing was too much for me to stand on the sidelines. I have a history of governance, am a young and progressive voice, and believe that there are few things better in life than being a part of and giving back to your community.

How does the current two-tier structure of municipal and regional government affect the Region's ability to make coherent decisions on housing, planning, and infrastructure?candidate's own words

The structure creates gaps or duplication that lead to worse outcomes, Structural reform deserves serious study before the next election cycle

Please describe one specific area where you think the governance structure helps or hinders good decision-making.candidate's own words

With the rise of social media and general voter apathy, I believe the biggest hinderance of the current system is a lack of mutual communication. Regardless of any true efficiencies this system provides for community decision making, the political rhetoric being hurled between the tiers of government have been muddling any positive consensus building. Good decisions may be coming forward but the general sentiment of the populace is always going to focus on the divisive "in-fighting" over progress being made.