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“Doug Ford Is Hiding His Decision on the Fate of Our Town Until After the Federal Election

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“Doug Ford Is Hiding His Decision on the Fate of Our Town Until After the Federal Election NEWS AND UPDATES FROM MAYOR ROB BURTON • FALL 2019 “Doug Ford is hiding his decision on the fate of our Town until after the Federal election. ”~ page 3 Bill 108: Radical Change to Growth in Oakville ~ page 5 Council Declares Climate Emergency ~ page 6 PCs breaking pledge to save Glen Abbey? ~ page 10 Our Vision: To be thLEeT’S mTALoKs FAtL Ll i2v01a9 b - l1e- MtAoYwORn RO iBn B UCRTaOnN ada Oakville Mayor ROB BURTON T: 905-338-4173 E: [email protected] 1225 Trafalgar Road Oakville ON L6H 0H3 @OakvilleMayor, @MayorRobBurton Dear Neighbours, On behalf of our Town Council, I’m pleased to present information and updates on the news of interest to us all. Oakville is facing some of the most important challenges it has ever encountered. The fallout from changes in provincial legislation and the prospect of a possible municipal amalgamation combine to result in real threats to the livability we have taken such care to build. I strongly encourage you to read the articles inside and take action. On a more positive note, we have much to be proud of. Our new South East Community Centre is taking shape and the revitalization of Downtown Lakeshore Road is in full swing. We’ve brought new library services to north Oakville and construction of our newest elementary school is underway near Sixth Line and Dundas. Four major road projects are moving ahead which will result in better movement of people and goods, easier commutes and improved transportation access for local business. In recognition of Truth and Reconciliation, we welcomed the addition of a permanent First Nations flag to Town Hall and recently, Council passed a resolution to declare a Climate Change Emergency. We have asked staff to update Oakville’s climate change strategy and report annually on our actions and progress. We continue to work together for Canada’s best place to live. Mayor Rob Burton LET’S TALK FALL 2019 - 2 - MAYOR ROB BURTON Will Oakville Disappear into a New City? Doug Ford is hiding his decision on the fate of our Town as a local “I really believe, and it goes back to my roots of being a councillor, municipality until after the Federal election. To date, more than 4,200 we have to empower the cities and the towns themselves. Nothing Oakville residents have written to protest the idea of amalgamating is worse than the province, you know, dictating this, that and the Oakville into a new “City of Halton”, with a mayor and six councillors other thing. That’s why we always say, opt in or opt out. And that’s for representation. what we’re focusing on more. Let the communities decide.” - Premier Doug Ford The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing appointed two special advisors known to believe in municipal amalgamation to provide Residents are due fair representation at all levels of government. It is advice and recommendations to the government on various aspects residents who should choose to opt in or out of any proposed changes of regional governance including efficiency of decision making of to local municipal structure. upper/lower tiers, duplication of activities, opportunities for cost savings and the ability of councillors to fairly represent residents. Take Action, Write a Letter The Minister’s Office has confirmed that they received the advisors’ During the Legislature’s break, there continue to be opportunities for report September 20th. However, with the Ontario Legislature residents to make their concerns known and we all need to encourage recessed until October 28, the release of a decision will not come until the Premier “to let the communities decide”. after the federal election. A community action group has set up the website: WeLoveOakville.org Regionalization of local government and or services will have serious to provide comprehensive information about the province’s regional consequences for Oakville and Halton Region in the form of higher review. The site has made it easy to send a letter to the Ford costs and taxes and reduced local representation and access to local government through its website. municipal government. If we want Ontario’s new Government for the People to do what we, In April at a Halton Chambers of Commerce event, Premier Ford was the people, want, the people need to tell them. The more e-mails they asked about the Province's amalgamation review of the Region of receive from people in Oakville, the better informed this government Halton. Premier Ford answered: for the people will be. LET’S TALK FALL 2019 - 3 - MAYOR ROB BURTON Integrated Growth Management Strategy Oakville Council and Town Staff are working to ensure that the Town is prepared to deal with the magnitude of growth that the Province has forecasted for Halton Region after 2031. The provincial government’s 2019 Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe requires Halton Region to plan to accommodate 1,000,000 people and 470,000 jobs by 2041. Growth until 2031 is already set in law at 820,000 people and 390,000 jobs. Oakville Council and Halton Region are considering several growth models on how to accommodate this forecasted population and employment growth in the region as part of the ongoing Regional Official Plan Review and the Region’s Integrated Growth Management Strategy (IGMS). Some models range from building on undeveloped We are Canada’s land or to require new population to be accommodated within planned urban areas. Currently, Oakville’s urban structure directs Safest Community future growth to a system of nodes and corridors in order to protect Oakville and Halton Region have maintained their position as the the most valued components of Oakville – our natural heritage, our safest large municipality in Canada, according to Statistics Canada's public open spaces, and our cultural heritage resources. This helps to annual report on crime in Canada. maintain the character of our established neighbourhoods that make Oakville communities unique and desirable. The latest report, released in July, revealed Halton’s ranking when compared to police services across the country. The public had the opportunity to join public consultations or to participate in an online survey on the Town website. Oakville Town staff The report found that Halton: are currently feeding into Halton Region’s IGMS process to ensure that • Had the lowest Crime Severity Index (CSI), Violent Crime Severity the work already completed for our urban structure and our Official Index and Non-Violent Crime Severity Index when compared to Plan is directly integrated into the IGMS work. The Town will also Ontario's "Big 12" police services; communicate to the public any changes at the Region to residents. • Had the lowest overall crime rate, violent crime rate, and Council will ensure that the interests of Oakville are protected and property crime rate among Ontario's "Big 12" police services; that growth goes where it makes sense environmentally and economically. • Has maintained its position of the lowest CSI of all Canadian municipalities with a population of 100,000 or more for 14 straight years. The “Big 12” includes Halton, York, Hamilton, Peel, Toronto, Windsor, Sudbury, Durham, Waterloo, London, Ottawa and Niagara. I have served on the Halton Regional Police Services Board since 2010 and been chair since 2014. Halton Regional Police Services Board provides strategic governance to the Halton Regional Police Service. It is the Board’s responsibility to ensure the residents of Halton Region receive adequate and effective police services in accordance with policing standards issued by the Province. LET’S TALK FALL 2019 - 4 - MAYOR ROB BURTON BILL 108: Radical Change to Growth in Oakville Bill 108, known as the More Homes, More Choice Act, was passed by to be addressed and potentially resolved before an application is the Legislature and given Royal Assent on June 6, 2019. formally submitted; and, Bill 108 shifts costs to taxpayers by reducing fees developers pay • Allow municipalities to deem an application incomplete for toward the costs of growth. The Bill also reduces the local planning qualitative reasons (e.g., a required supporting study did not powers of elected local councils. provide sufficient technical analysis in accordance with established submission criteria). The Bill affects 13 different statutes and carries changes to legislation that will affect everything from fees for developers to protection of • Include provisions that allow an applicant to consent to “stop” endangered species. It directly affects residents, municipalities, the timelines from running in order to allow the parties to work environmental protection, wildlife, conservation authorities, heritage through any technical issues rather than simply allowing the and more and will have massive repercussions on municipal planning, timelines to expire and having applicants file so-called “protective” revenue generation and financing infrastructure projects. appeals prematurely to the LPAT. When introduced, Bill 108 was described by the Ontario government Community Benefit Charge as having the goal of advancing a greater number of housing opportunities to market in a shorter timeframe. It is not clear how any Oakville’s position is that growth should pay for growth, but of the proposed changes will achieve such a goal. provincially-imposed exemptions and discounts have reduced the abilities of municipalities to collect for needed services with the result Perhaps the most impactful changes are those that deal with how that the existing property tax base has to pay. municipalities deal with growth and the ability of Councils and residents to appeal development applications. Bill 108 will further erode development charges by abolishing DCs for “soft services” such as recreation and library facilities, thereby placing A Return to the OMB even more pressure on taxpayers. The Province has promised developers that their payments for these soft services will be less in a One notable change is the legislation’s repeal of Bill 139, which saw new “Community Benefits Charge”.
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