In the run up to the 2017 election, we asked our readers and listeners what issues matter most to them. Every day, we ask candidates for their thoughts on healthcare, growth, traffic, city facilities, downtown, and the other issues important to their campaign. Today, Al Jones addresses your issues.

Council candidate Al Jones is one of the many candidates hoping to win a seat in the upcoming municipal election on October 16. Jones believes much of the growing pains Airdrie is experiencing can be addressed through long-term planning. He says we can no longer plan for today's needs, as that only results in bandaid fixes. Rather, we need to anticipate growth and plan for 20 years down the line.

As the city grows, Jones said he understands the need for multifamily dwellings, but he worries we might be approaching a saturation point that could affect property values and in turn, taxes. He's also worried that those dwellings are being built without adequate parking. If elected to Council, Jones would like to revisit what is being built in Airdrie, what appropriate parking looks like for those developments, and whether the City is building enough social infrastructure to keep up with growth.

Jones said another burden associated with growth is traffic. He sees traffic issues as mostly a matter of east-west access and entry and exits to the the City and believes the next Council needs to pressure the Alberta government to complete the 40th Avenue overpass.

"It's no longer a want. It's a need. We currently have two roads connecting East Airdrie with West Airdrie, being Yankee Valley and Veterans Boulevard. The 40th Avenue overpass would alleviate a lot of congestion with east-west traffic, especially at rush hour."

Jones thinks the City also needs to create more access over the train tracks. If elected, he'd like to push to fast track the rail underpass at Yankee Valley Boulevard. If that underpass proves successful, he thinks it might be worth considering adding another underpass elsewhere in the City.

Jones also said there's an absolute need for community facilities like another recreation centre, more meeting spaces, an expanded library, a new museum and an additional fire hall. With those facilities, the City also needs to plan 20 years out. Jones thinks the City needs to ensure tax payers get a good return on investment for the facilities that are built, and we can't keep upgrading facilities when we run out of space. New facilities need to be large enough so that the city can grow into them.

Jones thinks there are opportunities for synergies in addressing facility needs. He thinks it's unfortunate that most of the Nose Creek Valley Museum's collection is in storage, and proposes building a large centre that can house both an expanded library and the museum, with room to grow.

Another need is a large convention centre. Jones said it's a travesty that Airdrie loses out on hosting conferences and events because we don't have a large enough space. He thinks building a centre with capacity for 2000 people would allow the City to bid on conferences and large scale events. Adding collapsible walls means the centre could host multiple smaller events as well. Jones thinks a convention centre would have a huge benefit on the community, leading to economic stimulation.

During this election, Jones has been frustrated by the rhetoric around downtown redevelopment. He said you can spend a lot of money on focus groups, visioning exercises and public engagement, but if stakeholders aren't involved and on board, the results will be fruitless.

"Unless the actual stakeholders, meaning the owners that own the downtown properties, unless they're at the table, giving not only support but insight towards a sustainable and common theme, look and atmosphere, it's not productive."

Jones believes before anything else is done to plan for downtown redevelopment, there must be complete buy in from landowners in the core.

Jones was part of the original group that helped bring the Urgent Care centre to Airdrie. At the time, Urgent Care was supposed to go to 24 hour service within 18 months. Even though that building was built by the City on donated land, the facility is run by Alberta Health Services. Eighteen months turned into 11 years, and that experience makes Jones hesitant to gamble and build structures that are then handed over to the Province without stringent and accountable signed commitments.

Jones thinks the work being done by the Airdrie Health Foundation and the Airdrie and Area Health Benefits Cooperative is the right way to address Airdrie's healthcare needs.

"That being said, the path will be much more direct and easier to travel if we have the Provincial government as a vested partner. I would see my role being a commitment to forming a relationship with the Provinicial Health Minister's office, so as to effectively advocate for that partnership."

Questions, comments or story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com