Jesse Ketler Steps Down After a Decade on Cumberland Council
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The Village of Cumberland has received the resignation of Councillor Jesse Ketler effective June 30, 2024. Councillor Ketler is serving her tenth year on Cumberland Council since first elected in November 2014.
“Since my election in 2014, it has been an incredible honor to work alongside such dedicated and passionate colleagues. Over the past decade, we have achieved remarkable milestones and navigated through significant changes, always striving to make Cumberland a better place for our residents,” said Ketler. “Balancing the demands of Council duties with my current personal responsibilities has become increasingly challenging, and I believe stepping down is the best course of action for both myself and the community we serve.”
Councillor Ketler served through a transitional period for the Village, which saw considerable population and economic growth. Council successes during this time included the adoption of a new Official Community Plan with innovative environmental development permit tools, capital improvements to the Village’s drinking water supply and treatment systems, negotiation of an agreement that saw substantial amenity fund contributions to the Village for hosting the regional landfill, and a Bevan industrial lands strategy to diversify the Village’s tax base. Jesse contributed to the Village’s path towards an environmentally sustainable method to treat the Village’s sewage waste, and to holding land developers to the Village’s environmental development standards. Jesse was appointed director to the Comox Valley Regional Board from 2018 to 2023 and served as chair for four of those years.
“I am sincerely grateful to Jesse for her contribution to the Village and the broader Valley,” says Mayor Vickey Brown. “During her time on Council, Jesse was a key player in the Village’s work to protect the wetlands and sensitive areas around our Village core and in reducing corporate greenhouse gases. Jesse was always a passionate advocate for affordable housing and for quality services to the community. I think I can speak on behalf of all of Council and the community when I thank Jesse for her dedication to the Village. Jesse’s time at the Council table can be characterized by her thoughtful deliberation, high standards, and wisdom that always served the community’s well-being. It was a privilege to work alongside her and she will be missed at the Council table and all the other places this role takes us.”
The B.C. Local Government Act requires that a by-election be held to fill a vacancy in an elected local government office that occurs due to a resignation. A by-election is expected to be held in September 2024, with the candidate nomination period in August.
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