Yellowknife (Jan 10/05) - On Mayor Gord Van Tighem's wish list for this year is to get things done more quickly.

Whether it's an increasingly demanding city council, a reluctant partner in the territorial government, or the tedious process of getting homes built and on the market, the mayor says he had hoped to have accomplished more in 2004.

The GNWT's archaic Planning Act proved particularly irksome last year, the mayor says.

"The biggest challenge legislatively is the time concerns," says Van Tighem.

"We've been really emphasizing with the GNWT that the Planning Act needs to be updated. It's 35-years-old.

"It doesn't provide any surety for developers. In the North there's really nothing that supports development. It's about control because we all descended from Indian Affairs (and Northern Development), and they were into control."

Several development projects, including Phase VI of the Niven Lake subdivision, were held up last year because of a provision in the act that allows just about anybody to appeal a development.

The mayor also pointed to his frustration in the lack of GNWT support for a 911 emergency phone system and other housekeeping matters that clearly belonged in the realm of the legislative assembly.

The feud between two rival massage therapy organizations which ate up weeks of city council time is one such matter.

"That is health and social services more than a public safety issue," says Van Tighem.

"It's over there now, but it came through here."

The year didn't go by without some significant achievements, however.

Van Tighem says his happiest moment as mayor last year came when the city was able to reach a deal with Diavik Diamond Mines to speed up construction of the second ice pad at the Multiplex Arena. The agreement shaved $2.25 million off the expected price tag and took more than two years off its scheduled opening date.

"When the president of Diavik, who is an engineer, saw what was there and what the potential was, we were able to work out a plan for them to lead and manage the project," says Van Tighem.

"It was amazing how it evolved. The community involvement was very significant."

A deal that allowed Con Trailer Court residents to lease their land and stay put was another highlight, says Van Tighem.

A year into his second term, Van Tighem senses the gloves have finally come off. His first term was relatively conflict-free, but he acknowledges that he will have to work hard to maintain his seemingly impervious popularity as mayor.

"In your first term you're providing new ideas, a different outlook, different insights," says Van Tighem.

"You're taking a big ship and trying to nudge it a bit. In your second term some of those nudges become actual projects, and then you've got to be careful of what you ask for.

"We put just about 1,000 new housing units on the market. Every single one was either difficult to get through legislatively, or it became an environmental concern or an aesthetic concern."

The mayor says he finds the latest crop of city councillors to be a good mix, but also more demanding than during his first term.

The 2004 General Plan took months longer than expected to pass. Pet projects like the waterfront development plan have not gone as smoothly as hoped.

Life in council chambers may only get tougher now that the city is facing tax hikes for the next three years.

"This council is much more results-oriented," says Van Tighem. "They're more tenacious, if you will. If there's an issue, they'll follow it through to closure. Nothing sort of drifts."

Van Tighem says top priorities this year include getting 911 service moving, figuring out what to do with the Gerry Murphy Arena site, and revamping the city's water supply and electrical systems, which he says are sorely out-of-date.

There is as lot of work ahead, but Van Tighem says he is still enthusiastic about the job.

"It can be as simple as the (Dec. 16) night when I went to dinner with the seniors," says Van Tighem.

"We all got on a bus and went around looking at everybody's Christmas lights. These people watch for this stuff. It's all part of the knowledge and enjoyment of this community."