After four years as Councillor for Ward 5 in Hanover, Gord Meneer is ready for more. The Kleefeld area Councillor has announced he is running for re-election.

Meneer beat out Neil Warkentin and Leonard Friesen in the 2014 election and is wrapping up his first term on council.

"The last four years have been very enlightening," offers Meneer. "I've learned a lot and at the same time I have a lot of aspirations to continue some of this good work I've been doing and help to see some of these projects that have either been started or are in the process of being started to get completed in the near future."

One of those projects has been the paving of Aspen Bay in Kleefeld. Meneer says it was satisfying to complete that work this year without impacting ratepayers.

"I think it's important to be able to see that and not put that detriment on the ratepayers," he says. "So let's budget properly and account for our dollars and make sure we can do projects that benefit everyone. So that was a great project."

Meneer says what didn't happen during his first term in office was bringing a new water supply to the community of Kleefeld. The idea of a water pipeline from Grunthal has been nixed and Hanover is now working on alternatives with the province. Meneer says, whatever happens, the water source will be reliable and sustainable and more cost effective. He notes this will be one of his top priorities if re-elected.

Other priorities include improving sidewalks and active transportation routes in Kleefeld. He suggests this will benefit the community as a whole, and bring everybody together.

Municipal-wide, Meneer says there is a need to address their dust control program. He says the program is good right now but could be better and he would like to get started on an improved policy.

According to Meneer, the first year as a new Councillor provides a steep learning curve. But he says in the last few years he has really been able to accomplish some of the goals he had set out to better the community of Kleefeld. Meneer says he has received a lot of support to try a second term in office.

"For me, being active, being in the community, participating in all of our events that we have within Kleefeld and within the RM of Hanover, I think gives me a really good understanding and a good opportunity to meet the people, understand what they are looking for, what they want, what they need, what they are expecting from us," says Meneer.