Niagara-on-the-Lake lord mayor-elect Vaughn Goettler says residents should see a change in how town hall communicates, with recorded council votes, clearer expectations for answering questions and fewer roadblocks to getting information.

Alongside that promise, he is putting infrastructure and flood prevention at the top of his agenda — including a call to pause development while assessing whether the town’s infrastructure can accommodate it.

In an interview with The Lake Report, Goettler said he has already met informally with incoming councillors to discuss how they will work together.

“Residents must believe that we are a different council because we’re open, transparent, and we’re communicating that,” he said.

Goettler said councillors agreed to resume using the town’s existing electronic voting system so votes are recorded. He wants those records readily available to the newspaper, allowing residents to see how their representatives voted.

He also wants councillors and staff to put away cellphones and smartwatches during council meetings, saying their attention should be on the discussion rather than messages from one another or people outside the room.

“We need to have a council that has open discourse and agrees to disagree where needed,” he said.

That includes arriving prepared, having read meeting materials and being willing to ask questions when something is unclear.

To help councillors manage lengthy agendas, Goettler wants executive summaries that explain the key issues while allowing members to consult the full documents for more detail. He said he has not yet discussed that proposal with staff.

His transparency commitments extend beyond the council chamber.

Goettler said residents and reporters should be able to obtain information without routinely having to file freedom-of-information requests. He wants to identify barriers with town administration and establish clear expectations for responding to inquiries.

Returning a phone call within 24 hours was one example he offered, describing it as both reasonable and courteous.

“It makes people feel they’re not being ignored,” he said.

However, Goettler stressed he has yet to learn the town’s internal processes. Specific response standards, including timelines for freedom-of-information requests, would need to be determined, communicated and followed.

He acknowledged there will be occasions when an employee is away or information is unavailable.

“But that should be the exception, not the norm,” he said.

Goettler also wants staff to know council supports them in communicating with the public. Employees should feel able to do their jobs without fearing that an honest mistake will leave them without support, he said.

He suggested recognizing successes, even with something as simple as pizza after a week in which every call was returned within the established timeline.

The aim, he said, is to build a workplace where people feel engaged and take pride in serving the community.

On infrastructure, Goettler said his first task is to understand the scope of the town’s problems, develop a plan and begin addressing them in stages.

“Infrastructure has to be right at the very top of the list. I am really committed to no more flooding,” he said.

“We can’t fix it in a day or a week or a month, but we can understand it very quickly if we put our resources to understanding it.”

That assessment would include conversations with Niagara Region and questions about whether infrastructure can support further development.

He pointed to grinder pumps in St. Davids as an example of equipment whose capacity needs to be examined. If the infrastructure cannot accommodate what is proposed, he said, development should not proceed.

He called for “a healthy pause on development” while determining what existing or new infrastructure can accommodate.

Since the election, Goettler said he has received an outpouring of congratulations that has left him feeling both excited and aware of the responsibility ahead.

He said mayoral rival Erwin Wiens called on election night and offered his help. Outgoing Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa also reached out that night, and the two spoke the following day.

Both were gracious and supportive, Goettler said.

His own message to residents who backed another candidate is that they have just as much claim on his attention as those who supported him.

Those voters had good reasons for choosing someone else, he said, and he wants their input.

“I’m still here to lead for you, and to have a council and a staff that delivers for you,” he said.

Goettler said neither council nor staff has the luxury of carrying grudges against residents.

People who ask questions and seek answers are engaged in their community, he said.

“They’re residents who make a difference to the town. So they’re all my constituents.”