YORKTON – Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle went back to school recently to gain some additional insight into his municipal role and responsibilities.
Kienle attended the Mayor’s Summer School at the University of Regina, a program he told Yorkton This Week he had previously attended in 2018, adding he found that experience “awesome.”
So going back this year seemed worthwhile, and Kienle said he found the most recent experience “better” than it was in 2018.
A key takeaway for Kienle came from a presentation by former Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark who focused on the importance of building trust in the various relationships a mayor has – with their council, administration, community and media.
“Trust was highlighted as absolutely paramount in this work and all the work we as a Council are doing,” detailed a report by Kienle filed by Council at its regular meeting Tuesday.
Following on somewhat the same theme Kienle noted Ian McCormack presented on (un)civility and the need for municipal leaders to adapt to a changing world.
The Yorkton Mayor said he also appreciated Rosthern Mayor Dennis Helmuth’s presentation on regional co-operation-based on the experiences of the Twin Rivers District where seven communities work together regionally on initiatives such as health care advocacy, waste collection, and Community Safety Officers.
In his submission to Council Kienle summed up the experience writing the “Mayor’s Summer School provided excellent learning opportunities and reinforced key principles that are essential for effective municipal leadership: collaboration, trust, emergency preparedness, good governance, and relationship building both within and beyond our community.”
The two-day event attracted 47 mayors from across the province, and Kienle wrote,”It was awesome to spend time with so many other community leaders from all sizes of municipalities.”
