New Steinbach council takes oath of office

Newly elected city councillors gathered for their inaugural council meeting on Tuesday, taking the oath of office, arranging their committee appointments and being challenged to invest in the community by a guest speaker who led them through a Bible passage, message and prayer.

Rueben Singh, executive director of Youth for Christ Steinbach, compared what councillors do to making financial investments.

“You’re investing in Steinbach. You’re investing in our residents. You’re investing in our community,” he said.

He read Mark 2:1-12, the story of four men who brought their paralyzed friend to meet Jesus in Capernaum, only to lower him through the roof after being prevented from getting into the crowded house.

It’s the determination of the four men that Singh used as a model for what councillors should strive toward.

“These four guys cared about the paralyzed man,” he said. “They saw a solution and they worked toward it.”

He urged councillors to keep caring.

“Seeing and investing in people can be exhausting but the longterm is worth it,” he said.

He added that though they are working with policies, codes and bylaws, the role is much bigger than that.

“Don’t forget that it’s an investment in the community and its people,” he said.

He also encouraged councillors to be open in their approach, adding that the paralyzed man’s friends had every intention of going through the front door, but adapted in order to achieve their goals.

“We have the opportunity to be open in our approach to work together to find solutions that are good not only for the individual but for the whole,” he said.

He also urged them not to allow the cost to deter them, pointing out the men in the story proceeded despite the social and possibly financial cost of cutting through the roof.

“Not everybody would have been very happy with them, especially the people that owned that house,” he said.

He encouraged the councillors to serve well.

“May you serve with integrity, care, resilience and grace,” he said.

Appointments

Mayor Earl Funk also made his appointments.

Coun. Susan Penner will serve as deputy mayor, the city representative on the Steinbach Community Development Corporation and the Steinbach and RM of Hanover joint action committee.

Coun. Ron Falk will serve as the council representative on the Jake Epp Library board.

Coun. Bill Hiebert will be the council representative on the Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District.

Coun. Damian Penner will serve on the Steinbach Community Development Corporation and the RCMP advisory board.

Coun. Greg Carlos will serve on the Steinbach and RM of La Broquerie joint action committee.

Coun. Jake Hiebert will serve on the Eastman Regional Municipal committee.

Mayor Earl Funk sat on the RCMP Advisory Committee last term but stepped down and added Steinbach corporate services manager Adam Thiessen to the role.

Other citizen appointments were announced including Keith Unger and Jack Kehler to the Steinbach Community Development Corporation and Rueben Singh and Trevor Arseneault to the RCMP Advisory committee.

A citizen appointment for the Jake Epp Library board will be announced at the Nov. 17 council meeting.