 By Pepper ParrFebruary 5th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We reported yesterday on a Motion the Mayor put forward to create a Public Health Bylaw that Council didn’t want to say all that much about at the time.
The Motion put on the Council Table came after a two hour CLOSED session during which it is believed the Meridian Aldershot Quarry and the air pollution issues were discussed. Council had the benefit of advice from legal counsel that had a strong environmental background.
Later this week we will report on a Staff Direction response that set out for Council just what the issues at the Meridian Quarry are and what might be done to mitigate the concern residents that have been raised by the Tayandaga Environmental Coalition.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward has taken a significantly different approach to being Mayor than her predecessor Rick Goldring. Goldring took the position that the quarry had a license and there was nothing the city could do.
 The West and Centre quarry cells are close to depletion. Meridian Brick wants to open up the East Cell creating air pollution problems for West Haven residents.
In a report Mayor Meed Ward sent to council she sets out what she calls the “Aldershot Quarry Community Liaison Committee(AQCLC)” and its Terms of Reference.
She has created yet another committee that has the potential to make life very difficult (but respectful) for the Meridian Brick people.
1. Mandate The Aldershot Quarry Community Liaison Committee (AQCLC) is group comprised of community stakeholders, city staff and Quarry representatives to provide a forum for discussion, information sharing and action around the Meridian Quarry activity in the Aldershot area of Burlington.
2. Purpose The AQCLC provides an opportunity for respectful dialogue between stakeholders to share questions, concerns, ideas, and new information related to the Quarry’s ongoing activities. The committee is also an opportunity to identify agreed-upon action items by any stakeholders. Note: Any advocacy activities for or against the Quarry’s activity rest solely with external organizations – this committee is not an advocacy group.
3. Member Selection Membership will be comprised of:
Mayor Meed Ward, City of Burlington
Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith, City of Burlington
Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan (based on quarry activity taking place in his ward)
Mike Greenlee, Customer Experience Manager-Business Development, City of Burlington
2 representatives from Meridian Quarry–to be recommended by Meridian Quarry
 2 representatives from Tyandaga Environmental Coalition–to be recommended by Tyandaga Environmental Coalition1 representative from BurlingtonGreen–to be recommended by BurlingtonGreen
1 representative from Conserving Our Rural Ecosystems (CORE) Burlington–to be recommended by CORE
1 representative from Protecting Escarpment Rural Land(PERL) – to be recommended by CORE
 1-2 citizen representatives from the Burlington community – to be appointed by a subcommittee of the Mayor, Ward Councillor and Customer Experience Manager based on a call for expressions of interest from the community.Secretary from the Mayor/Councillor’s office (non-voting)
Ex Officio Tim Commisso, City Manager (optional attendance, not counted for quorum).
That is more than a dozen people for a committee that one Council member said might be around for 25 years.
Additional members can be considered and added with committee approval. Representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will be invited to each meeting.
4. Meeting Roles & Responsibilities Chair:
The meetings will be co-chaired by Mayor Meed Ward and Councillor Galbraith who will oversee setting the agenda and providing advance materials, calling the meetings to order, turning the meeting management to the facilitator, and closing the meeting with summary of next steps. Secretary: a member of the Mayor’s team or Councillor Galbraith’s team will be present to take minutes during the meeting and distribute said minutes to members in a timely manner afterward.
The secretary will also forward agendas and any supporting materials in advance of each meeting, and send calendar invites with virtual connection details. Until further notice, all meetings will be conducted on a virtual platform (Zoom or Teams).
Facilitator: An impartial and trained facilitator appointed by the City of Burlington (TBD but ex: Stephanie Venimore) will move the meeting through the agenda and ensure respectful dialogue occurs, with reasonably equal speaking time be provided to all participants who wish to contribute to the conversation.
5. Meeting Schedule The AQCLC will meet virtually or in person at minimum twice annually, with the option of additional meetings should they be mutually agreed upon by members. Meeting invitations will be sent out several months in advance and will be estimated to be approximately 90 minutes in duration unless the agenda warrants otherwise, and schedules can accommodate.
6. Meeting Protocol The agenda will be distributed by the Secretary one week prior to each meeting. Agenda items for discussion are due to the Mayor’s and Councillor’s office two weeks prior to each committee meeting (one week prior to agenda going out). Items for discussion that are raised after the agenda is circulated will be addressed under “Other Business” if time permits.
Meetings shall be attended by members listed above, with the option to invite additional guests as relevant and when agreed upon by all members.
There is no mention as to whether or not the meetings will be public.
Related news stories:
Could a Public Health Bylaw slow things down at the Adlershot Quarry
Mayor Meed Ward takes on Aldershot Quarry for Ward 1 residents
Former Mayor Goldring struggles to find a position that will satisfy West Haven residents. .
 Pepper Parr
February 4th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
We don’t always get it right and we have learned that sometimes the less said, the better.
Councillor Kearns sent us a note asking for a correction
We had said:
 Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns. Councillor Kearns wanted to see a more honed in approach to whatever it was the Mayor wanted done. Reference was made to where this fit into the V2F document (Vision to Focus) by Kearns but not before she could say that she thought the city was lucky to have Nancy Shea Nicol on Staff (she is the Executive Director of Legal Services) because she was “an amazing person.”
Kearns felt we had gotten it wrong and sent us a note.
Subject: CORRECTION
“I said this about Sheila Jones when I misplaced her professional title.”
Councillor Kearns was objecting to what we wrote. In a response to Kearns we said we wondered why she felt it was necessary for her to “gush” over staff so often.
We (the Gazette) wondered if “gushing” about staff publicly was good politics. Council is there to hold the administration accountable.
Kearns replied: “I only gush about people that deserve it.” Then added “It’s protocol courtesy to thank staff for the reports that come forward.”
Really – there is a protocol saying thou must fawn over every report that staff prepares for Council?
By Pepper Parr
February 4th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The end result of a good discussion at the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee, (CSSRA) on the use of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations was to:
Direct the Executive Director of Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services to develop a policy to guide the expansion, operation and maintenance of electric vehicle charging infrastructure on city property.
 EV chargers are becoming part of the landscape in may large malls. Behind that Staff Direction was an informative presentation on what the city has in the way of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and where they are located and the astounding fact that the city cannot charge a user for the electricity they let flow into their vehicles.
Apparently only Burlington Hydro can sell you electricity.
The need to electrify transportation has been identified as a vital action in both the City’s Climate Action Plan and Corporate Energy and Emissions Management Plan.
 EV charging stations downtown  EV charging stations throughout the city. The City installed its first public access electric vehicle (EV) charging station in 2015 in the downtown parking garage and has expanded its portfolio each year with the largest installation being in 2018 with the addition of 12 dual head stations partially funded under the province’s Workplace Electric Vehicle Charging Incentive Program.
The City of Burlington currently has 23 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations on city property with a total of 44 charging heads. The majority of these units can be found in downtown parking lots.
There are three types of charging stations available for use, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.
Level 1 stations would be a charger that would come with an electric vehicle when purchased and plug into a standard 120 volt, 15 amp wall outlet. Charging times at these stations vary with vehicle and charger but will typically charge 200km in approximately 20 hours.
Level 2 stations are stations like the city currently has installed in its parking lots. These are stations with 1 or 2 charging heads using 240 volts and either 40 or 50 amps. Typical charge time at these stations is 200km in approximately 5 hours.
Level 3 stations or “Fast Chargers” operate at direct current (DC) voltage, sometimes as high as 800 volts, and can charge a vehicle 160km in approximately 30 minutes.
Currently all City of Burlington chargers are Level 2 chargers.
 Example of a level 2 charging station In 2020 additional stations were installed for city operated fleet vehicles at Fire Station Headquarters, Roads, Parks and Forestry Operations Centre and the Burlington Animal Shelter.
In 2020, funds from the Parking District reserve were allocated to install 3 additional EV charging stations in City owned parking lots namely in lots 1, 8 and one level 3 EV charger in a lot in close proximity to Brant Street. Due to the reassignment of Parking Services staff and other additional unexpected work assignments, the EV chargers were not installed in 2020. This work is expected to be carried out in 2021.
During budget discussions at the January 12, 2021 CSSRA Committee, staff were directed to provide further information on the Parking District reserve fund specifically related to how the fund is broken down and funded.
 The city absorbs the cosy of the electricity that comes from Burlington Hydro The city cannot sell the electricity. The Parking District reserve fund was set up for funding capital improvements to city owned parking facilities within the downtown as well as funding in years with operating shortfalls. Since the one reserve fund model did not sufficiently differentiate the use of funds, in June 2020 council approved the creation of three separate and distinct reserve funds to ensure the most efficient use of the balance by clearly distinguishing funds for stabilization of operations, lifecycle costing for all parking assets (renewal) and future growth in parking supply.
 Parking fines go into the Parking Reserve fund – which at this point is covering the cost of the EV chargers. As of September 30, 2020 the existing Parking District reserve fund has a balance of $9,566,345.
Based on a financial model the balance is being allocated amongst the three newly created reserve funds as follows:
Parking Renewal – $2.5 million reflects the city’s parking asset inventory and required needs
Stabilization of Operations – $0.2 million this balance reflects a target of 10-15% (3 year rolling average) of operating revenues for the purposes of stabilization of operations
Parking Growth – $6.9 million to reflect the anticipated growth in parking demand
The revenues (and associated percentages) that support the total expenses and provision to the reserve fund are as follows:
property tax levy against the business properties of $304,200 plus a payment in lieu for exempt/partially exempt city properties of $39,327 for a total of $343,527 (13.0%)
parking fines of $470,000 (17.7%)
parking fee revenues of $1,838,546 (69.3%)
Staff believe that it is appropriate to use the Parking District funds to cover the costs of EV chargers for city owned parking facilities in downtown Burlington.
 This bar chart shows the number of unique users . City staff are also currently working on the installation of 11 additional dual head charging stations for spring 2021 that will be accessible to the public. These stations are being installed as part of the council directed budget addition in the 2020 capital budget. Charging stations will be installed at the following city facilities;
– Tansley Woods Community Centre (4 heads)
– Appleby Ice Centre (4 heads)
– Central Park Campus (4 heads)
– Mountainside Recreation Centre (2 heads)
– Haber Recreation Centre / Norton Park (2 heads)
– Nelson Recreation Centre (2 heads)
– Aldershot Arena (2 heads)
– Mountainside Recreation Centre (2 heads)
With the installation of these charging stations the City will have 33 charging stations installed with 26 of those being publicly accessible.
It is expected that additional stations will be installed in the coming years as part of the green fleet strategy for corporate vehicles.
Detailed information on charging usage and times is available for 20 of the city’s 23 chargers. Staff are currently working to secure a more accurate means of monitoring the other three charging stations.
Through the years the utilization of the publicly available charging stations increased annually with the installation of additional charging stations and increased awareness of the stations. However, an obvious dip can be seen in the graph below in March 2020 coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Other sustainable mobility options will be considered and assessed through the development of the Integrated Mobility Plan.
Currently there are no fees for using a city EV charger, however, electricity used for these stations carries an annual cost as does ongoing maintenance and programming/data access for the charging stations.
Annual costs of operating the EV charging stations vary.
These costs are expected to increase annually by an additional $20,000 to $39,000 (electricity cost plus operations/maintenance), depending on charging activity, with the installation of the additional 13 charging stations as part of the 2020 capital budget.
These projected costs do not include the operational costs of the level three charging station that is to be installed in 2021 due to unknown charger specifications and utilization rates.
The City does not charge staff or the public for using the chargers. However, due to the rising utilization of the City’s charging stations and the general growth of the City’s charging assets the addition of an hourly fee to our charging stations is necessary. The City is unable to charge directly for electricity consumption but can base the charge on an hourly rate to use the charging station.
That idea didn’t sit well with most of the Council members. Mayor Meed Ward saw the charging stations as a draw the malls and large box retailers would use to attract traffic.
 The usage of the EV charging station has grown – the dip during the first lock-down is evident. A new policy regarding fees for EV Charging is recommended to be developed in 2021. This would include items such as fees for public users and staff users, charging time limits, introduction of a penalty fee if an overstay is detected, as well as how to direct the funds that are collected.
Currently the cost of electricity consumption at the charging stations are covered under operating budgets for electricity accounts for the various assets that house our charging infrastructure. Installation and ongoing maintenance fees have been covered through facility or parking asset operating budgets.
Since 2015 the city has helped residents and our own corporate fleet reduce emissions by approximately 82.5 tons, which is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by approximately 1356 seedlings grown for 10 years.
 By Pepper Parr
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
It was one of those walk-on items; a piece of city business that wasn’t on the agenda.
It came from the Mayor who did not appear to have consulted with her peers before the meeting.
There was a certain awkward silence, which is hard to pick up on when the meeting is virtual and you can’t always see all the players at the same time.
It was short; set out as a Staff Direction it read:
Direct the Executive Director of Legal Services to undertake a detailed review of the feasibility of enacting a city wide health protection bylaw to be funded from the Contingency Reserve fund and report back by Q2 of 2021.
My first reaction was – what is this all about? Don’t we have a Public Health Unit at the Region that focuses on public Health?
The motion wasn’t actually ready – Council took a few minutes break while the short paragraph was typed up and put up on the screen.
 Kelven Galbraith, Chair of a Standing Committee waiting for the Mayor to complete the writing of a Staff Direction Kelvin Galbraith who was chair of the meeting asked if there were any questions. Rory Nisan, who seems to be the person that automatically supports whatever the mayor puts forward said he was very interested to see where this could go.
Angelo Bentivegna was next with his standard “two quick questions” approach. He wanted to know more especially about the “detailed” part and just how much of the Contingency Reserve fund was going to be used. He asked “how far are we going to get into this” and added that at this point he could not support the Staff Direction.
Council had just come out of a two hour CLOSED session on the Meridian Aldershot Quarry and were scheduled to do a hard stop at noon – with that hour just minutes away.
They needed to take a lunch break after which City Manager Tim Commisso spoke saying he felt that Bentivegna deserved a more detailed answer to his concerns.
Commisso pointed out that the Legal Services budget was not public. He seemed to be aware of what it was the Mayor wanted to bring forward and pointed out that Council can do whatever it wants to do.
Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman said he had concerns over the scope of what was before Council. He wanted to know who will do the actual work and noted that there is a Public Health Unit at the Region adding that he was not clear on just what was being done.
 Nancy Shea Nicol, Executive Director Legal Services At that point the Executive Director of Legal Services spoke saying she could put together a Terms of Reference document.
Commisso then said that this was something that was dealt with in the CLOSED session. Which CLOSED session?
 City Manager Tim Commisso Commisso was referring to the CLOSED session that had taken place earlier in the day relating to the Meridian Aldershot Quarry where Air Quality issues were part of the discussion.
We were aware that the city had included outside legal counsel with a background in environmental matters.
Commisso said there would be a specific lead role and that “Nancy will provide executive guidance that would provide a “consolidated approach”.
A muddy picture was getting muddier.
Councillor Stolte then spoke saying she wanted more information. She would later vote to move the matter to Council later in the month at which time the City Solicitor would have more information for them.
Councillor Kearns wanted to see a more honed in approach to whatever it was the Mayor wanted done. Reference was made to where this fit into the V2F document (Vision to Focus) by Kearns but not before she could say that she thought the city was lucky to have Nancy Shea Nicol on Staff (she is the Executive Director of Legal Services) because she was “an amazing person.”
Kearns wanted to know if this was an internal look at public health; did it include audio, smells – adding that the wording was obtuse and needed fine tuning and could be the equivalent to opening a Pandora’s box.
She wanted the matter deferred to Council.
 Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Meed Ward then spoke saying that “we are constrained” about what we can say and that the public will not know what we are talking about and what can be shared with the public.
Withholding information is the beginning of a slippery slope that leads to deliberately hiding information from the public.
What the Mayor did not share when she spoke was that previously the Executive Director of Legal Services had been asked to find lawyers with environmental experience.
Those lawyers are what we at the Gazette believe were speaking to Council in that CLOSED session.
In the fullness of time all the facts will come out. What we don’t want to hear is that the approach the Mayor has taken was what was best for the city.
Weeks before the 2018 election took place we said that of the three candidates running for the Office of Mayor Meed Ward was the only real choice.
And she is certainly in the process of making her mark on the city. She is also creating a profile of being bold and courageous and doing good things.
What is also being left is the view that she always knows best – this is not a view that is shared by most of her colleagues. The collaboration and a collective will of Council is not as evident as the Mayor would like it to be.
A Gazette reader recently made a comment that this Mayor wants everyone to know that She Is in Charge – democracies don’t work that way Your Worship.
What we will learn in the fullness of time is that Council will try and pass a city wide health protection bylaw that will relate to the quality of the air and what corporations will not be able to do when their product or the work they do releases pollutants into the environment.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Is there less traffic on the streets?
What has the traffic volume curve looked like ?
What do you make of that? Does the curve represent your traffic pattern?
Director of Transportation, Vito Tolone. told Council today that Traffic Volumes on Burlington Roadways during the lock downs has been volatile.
• Traffic sensors have been collecting volume data from various permanent count stations situated on arterial roadways across the City
• Volume data for Tuesday through Thursday is taken from each station as a “typical day”, totaled for each period (am, pm, 24hr) and averaged to get a “weekly average” for each period
 Traffic is certainly lighter during the lock downs. Highlights:
• March 2020 traffic volumes decreased significantly by 40-45 per cent
• June to December 2020 – traffic volumes steadily increased to reach almost 95 per cent of pre-COVID volumes
• Following Province wide shut down, 2021 volumes have again decreased by 35– 40 per cent.
Transit Volumes Update
• Ridership has been recovering since April 2020 as the economy re-opens from the 1st Provincial Lockdown
• A new schedule went into effect since late August 2020
– Enhanced midday service on New St, Plains Rd, Fairview St, and Industrial Area
– 15 minute or better service on New St, Plains Rd, and Fairview St (Route 1, 10)
• Dec 2020 ridership was 67.5% of pre-COVID levels (comparing to Dec 2019)
– GTHA average is 40% of pre-COVID levels
• Jan 2021, after the 2nd second Provincial Lockdown, ridership was ~44% of pre-COVID levels (as of Jan 24, 2021)
– Adult ridership down to 56% of pre-COVID levels
– Seniors, Students, and Children ridership down to less than 30% of pre-COVID levels
By Pepper Parr
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
In a report to Council today Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation advised that the City has been asked to provide up to three facilities for Phase 2 (March/April to July/August) and Phase 3.
Everything of course depends on just when the vaccine is available.
This task will move very very quickly once the Vaccination Task Force knows when the vaccine will be available.
Burlington Fire Chief Karen Roche said there is preliminary work that is being done now to determine where the locations should be and how they should be operated.
The decisions will be made by the Regional Council on the advice of the Public Health Unit.
The Region has identified a list of criteria for the consideration of immunization sites. Among the locations are schools and private properties that meet their criteria as suitable locations..
• Fairness and equity will be central to these decisions
• City user groups and program providers will be displaced which will further reduce the facility inventory; already operating at a deficit due to current lack of use of school gyms
The region has identified the following as their criteria for selecting a vaccination centre location:
• One room at least 800m2 in size, preference is for 1200m2 (e.g. arena ice pad, 3-4 single gyms)
• Ample parking (minimum 100 spots) adjacent
• Space to be dedicated to the clinic. Separate entrance and exit required for people flow
• Facility must be accessible
• Exclusive use of facility is not required – other components of a multi-purpose facility can continue to be used for community activities
• Emergency power (minimally for refrigerators, preferably for entire facility so clinic can proceed without interruption)
• Accessible via Public Transit
• Heating, Cooling and Ventilation
• WIFI
• Hours of operation: 7 days a week, 8-12 hours a day
• 800-1400 people to be vaccinated at each site daily: goal 140 per hour.
Now which facilities? That’s when different ward Councillors began to speak up for their communities.
 The Skyway Area is probably out of the question – the Forestry department is using the space – not that easy to find a new place for them. A major concern is where is the population located – looking through an age lens. These are the people that are at a higher risk and they may need some help getting to vaccination locations.
The map below provides a look at where the population is by age, and how close they are to possible vaccination locations:
 This is where the people are by age – are their sites near them. Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation is involved on the city side with site selection determination.
He did say that the Public Heath Unit expected to be able to have people make appointments.
 By Staff
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Intimate Partner Violence is the dark under belly part of our society.
We don’t want to hear about it, however it is going on all around us.
 9-1-1 call from an individual reporting that a male was assaulting a female in a residence, and that help was urgently needed. The Halton Regional Police Service report that if the current trend continues, officers will attend more than 4,000 intimate partner violence incidents by the end of this year.
Last month, the HRPS received an early morning 911 call.
Officers were dispatched and arrived at the residence. Nothing could be seen or heard from the house which was in total darkness. Officers gained entry to the house and soon located a male, as well as his common-law partner who had multiple red marks and bruising on her upper body.
Officers learned that the male party had been drinking for several hours during the evening. Two children in the home reported hearing slapping, yelling and loud noises throughout the remainder of the night until police intervened.
The male was arrested soon after and subsequently transported to Central Lock Up. Thereafter, the HRPS Intimate Partner Violence Unit took carriage of the investigation. The accused was charged with Assault, Assault Causing Bodily Harm (Choking), and Forcible Confinement.
The female party was admitted to hospital for her injuries and was referred to the Halton Regional Police Service Victim Services Unit.
The Victim Services Unit connects victims to appropriate support services in the community, assists with victim care, and, through the Victim Quick Response Program (VQRP+), can provide immediate short-term financial support toward essential expenses for victims of violent crime.
Last month, our officers fielded 343 calls regarding intimate partner violence (IPV), compared with 279 calls in January 2020. In the same time period, we made 83 IPV arrests, compared with 51 IPV arrests in January 2020. A total of 206 IPV-related charges were laid in January 2021, compared with 85 IPV-related charges in January 2020 (an increase of 142 per cent).
Tragically, January is not an anomaly. Our analyses indicate that this is a continuation of a trend of an increasing frequency and severity of intimate partner violence incidents in the community over the course of the pandemic. What is particularly concerning is that we recognize that all forms of family violence are under-reported.
 An increase of 142 per cent year over year for the month of January. If you see something, say something. Someone’s life may depend on it.
Every person has the right to feel safe in our community.
Victims of intimate partner violence or sexual assault and witnesses are encouraged to contact the Halton Regional Police Service.
The following is a list of support services and resources in Halton Region for victims of intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence:
• Halton Regional Police Service Victim Services Unit 905-825-4777
• Halton Women’s Place 905-878-8555 (north) or 905-332-7892 (24-hour crisis line)
• Halton Children’s Aid Society 905-333-4441 or 1-866-607-5437
• Nina’s Place Sexual Assault and Domestic Assault Care Centre 905-336-4116 or 905-681-4880
• Thrive Counselling 905-637-5256 or 905-845-3811
• Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services (SAVIS) 905-875-1555 (24-hour crisis line)
 By Staff
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Anita Cassidy put it bluntly when she said, “It is not a pretty sight”.
In an update report to the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Standing Committee, Cassidy reported that:
 181,000 Canadian small businesses consider shutting down permanently
• CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business) estimates 1 in 6 Canadian small business owners consider permanently closing
– Ontario could lose close to 75,000 businesses
• Economy risks losing 2.4 million jobs, equal to 20% of all private sector jobs
– Ontario can see over 873,000 jobs lost
• Businesses in the hospitality and arts and recreation sector most at risk
– 1 in 3 businesses considering closing.
Small Business Recovery will be an average of 1 year 5 months (across all sectors)
 By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
On January 31, 2021, at approximately 3:50 pm three suspects entered a Shoppers Drug Mart store located near the intersection of Walkers Line and Dundas Street in Burlington. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun. The suspects threatened store employees and forced them to lie on the floor.
 Bandits fleeing the scene of an armed robbery in a stolen vehicle. The suspects then stole a large quantity of Tylenol pills, Percocet pills and a quantity of cash before fleeing the store in a waiting vehicle.
They were last seen driving northbound on Walkers line in a stolen 2017 White Hyundai Elantra (see photo attached to website).
No employees were physically injured during the robbery.
There are no suspect descriptions available at this time.
 Anyone with information pertaining to this incident is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825 4747 ext. 2316.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. “See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com
By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
In the summer of 2020, the Halton Regional Police Service started an online extortion investigation when two separate victims reported being contacted over social media. The victims were asked to send a nude image in exchange for money. The suspect indicated the image would only be viewed for a few seconds before being deleted.
After receiving the image the suspect was able to save a copy and threatened to distribute it unless additional images were sent. No money was exchanged.
The suspect ultimately distributed the images without the consent of the victims and in one case the victim was under the age of 18.
On January 28, 2021, the suspect, Nathan Haslett (25) of Oakville was arrested and charged with the following:
• Extortion (3 counts)
• Distribution of Intimate Image Without Consent (5 counts)
• Distribution of Child Pornography (4 counts)
• Possession of Child Pornography (3 counts)
Police believe there may be other victims and are asking anyone who had contact with the online identity of “Jason Tottersmith” and/or Instagram account “jay.totts” or Snapchat account of “jtottersmith” to contact police.
Police want to remind the public of the following:
• All images shared over the internet can be saved without your knowledge.
• Never send images to unknown persons over the internet.
• Increase all privacy and security settings to all of your social media accounts.
• For additional internet safety tips, please visit https://www.cybertip.ca/app/en/
Anyone with information in regards to any of these occurrences is asked to contact Acting Detective Stephane Verreault of the Oakville Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2260
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
Media Inquiries:
By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
On Saturday January 30th, 2021, at approximately 3:40pm, a lone female entered the Shoppers Drug Mart located at 4525 New Street in the City of Burlington. The female proceeded to the fragrance area and concealed $1,200.00 worth of product in a large purse. The female exited the store, making no attempt to pay for the items.
 Lady on a shopping spree – forgot about the check-out aisle. If you can identify this suspect, please contact Cst. Kate Bechard at 905-825-4777 ext.7501 or kate.bechard@haltonpolice.ca.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers ‘See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers’ at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
 By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Mountainside Outdoor Pool has served the community well for over 50 years.
The City of Burlington is planning a future revitalization of this popular community outdoor pool. The renewal project is anticipated to begin after the 2021 summer swim season. The pool will remain open for use this summer, pending public health and provincial COVID-19 direction.
 Time for an upgrade. The ward Council is now a happy camper – he has delivered something for his constituents The City is inviting and encouraging all families and individuals who use the pool to take the online survey to help guide them with the style and themes of amenities and features planned for the new pool. The survey is open until Feb. 19, 2021: CLICK HERE for the survey.
Styles and themes of amenities in the survey include:
- Pool water spray features
- Climbing wall
- Water slide
- Shade structures
The revitalization will create an attractive, fun, active and welcoming multi-use outdoor swimming pool, that invites the community to participate and experience swimming and water play while encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle.
Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2021, with completion expected in the spring of 2022.
About Mountainside Outdoor Pool
Mountainside Outdoor Pool and Splash Park (2205 Mount Forest Dr.) is an important community hub and aquatic recreation destination in the Mountainside neighbourhood. The pool is well used and serves on average 27,000 participants in a wide variety of activities including recreational swimming, lap swimming and learn to swim lessons each summer.
 Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture explains what the City is doing and the timeline for the revitalization. “Mountainside Outdoor Pool is over 50-years old and has served the community and the city very well. It’s now time to revitalize it and make the needed upgrades, repairs and updates so it can be a community activity hub for another 50-years. By starting the construction in the fall, we can ensure people have another opportunity for healthy, active recreational swimming this summer, and weather and construction permitting, have it open for the 2022 outdoor swimming season.”
By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
In honour of Black History Month, the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) and its Black Internal Support Network are soliciting the community’s help in the design and creation of a Black Heritage Police Cruiser.
“Due to the pandemic, we are unfortunately unable to organize or participate in Black History Month events like we historically have,” says Deputy Chief Roger Wilkie. “This cruiser is a unique way for us to highlight our commitment to working with and learning more about our region’s African and Caribbean community, not only during Black History Month, but year-round.”
This initiative is in collaboration with and supported by the following community partners:
 The Regional Police have in the past wrapped a vehicle supporting a part of the community. • African Caribbean Council of Halton
• Black Mentorship Inc.
• Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce
• Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton
• Caribbean and African Coalition of Canada
• Halton Black History Awareness Society
• Halton Regional Police Association
• I am. I can. I will.
Together, the HRPS and these community partners envision this dedicated police vehicle featuring key figures and imagery that celebrate the region’s rich history of African and Caribbean culture.
“This wrapped vehicle will symbolize the Service’s commitment to, and solidarity with, the black community,” says Constable David Joseph, who proposed the design project in collaboration with members of the HRPS Black Internal Support Network. “Together with our community partners, we hope this project will help expand our collective awareness and appreciation of black heritage in Halton.”
All residents of Halton are encouraged to submit design proposals that highlight the rich history of African and Caribbean culture in the Region of Halton. From contributions to the Underground Railroad, to key figures, and significant historical landmarks, the vehicle wrap could highlight a number of contributions from right here in our own region.
Submissions will be accepted throughout Black History Month, February 1 – 28, 2021. A selection committee comprised of the HRPS Black Internal Support Network and community partner representatives will select a winning design. The individual who submits the winning design proposal will be awarded a one-time $2,500 youth scholarship to be used personally or by someone of their designation for post-secondary education. This one-time scholarship is proudly funded by the HRPS and the eight community partners listed above.
Visit to learn more about the contest and submission criteria, and to submit your design.
The HRPS would like to thank its community partners for their support of this initiative. This project is just one of many ways we are working together to strengthen the way we serve our diverse community.
The HRPS would also like to thank the community in advance for its submissions. The final design and content of the cruiser will be at the discretion of the HRPS, in consultation with the submitter and the HRPS Black Internal Support Network.
By Pepper Parr
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The City has created a Burlington COVID-19 Task Force
It is huge.
 It is all about getting a needle in your arm. – a Task force with more than 25 people is not what people want to hear – Tell me when I will get my inoculation and where do I go. The Task Force will share information and mobilize community and agency resources to support our hospital and healthcare workers as we prepare for an anticipated surge of patients in the coming days and weeks and work through a recovery period, as well as coordinate our broader community efforts on COVID-19.
Members will bring information and/or requests for assistance back to each of their own organizations and emergency response tables.
While this information-sharing and collaboration is already happening, the Task Force simply formalizes this effort and adds some structure as we collectively serve our community.
Membership
Membership includes community leaders and decision-makers representing various organizations and agencies involved in the COVID-19 response. New members may be added as the situation evolves.
Each participant is likely to be a member of their own organization’s COVID-19 response group, with an ability to bring information from that table, where appropriate, to the Task Force, and vice versa.
Invitees are similar to the panelists on the Mayor’s recent public telephone town hall.
Community response to that event was overwhelmingly positive, with residents specifically mentioning that they appreciated the assembled panel of cross-functional experts and leaders, and seeing the evidence of collaboration, sharing of information and coordinating of efforts to serve them.
Invited guests/organizations at this time:
Chair, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
City of Burlington Emergency Control Group:
Burlington Fire Department:
Karen Roche, Deputy Fire Chief
Amber Rushton, Business Continuity and Emergency Planning CEMC
Dan VanderLelie, President, Burlington Professional Firefighters Association
City of Burlington:
Tim Commisso, City Manager
Joseph Brant Hospital
Eric Vandewall, CEO and President
Dr. Dale Kalina, Medical Director of Infectious Disease
Halton Regional Police Service:
Roger Wilkie, Deputy Chief of Police
Superintendent Anthony Odoardi
Halton District School Board:
Stuart Miller, Director of Education
Halton Catholic District School Board
Pat Daly, Director of Education
Halton Region:
Lynne Simons, Senior Advisor to the CAO
Members of Parliament:
The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development, MP, Burlington
Pam Damoff, MP, Oakville-North Burlington
Adam Van Koeverden, MP, Milton
Members of Provincial Parliament
Jane McKenna, MPP, Burlington
Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP, Oakville-North Burlington
Parm Gill, MPP, Milton
TEAM Burlington:
Carla Nell, Burlington Chamber of Commerce
Anita Cassidy, Burlington Economic Development
Pam Belgrade, Tourism Burlington
Brian Dean, Burlington Downtown Business Association
Judy Worsley, Aldershot Business Improvement Area
Lita Barrie, CEO, Burlington Public Library
United Way Halton & Hamilton, Halton Poverty Roundtable
Tyler Moon, Senior Manager, Community Impact
The Burlington Food Bank:
Robin Bailey, Executive Director
Burlington Hydro:
Gerry Smallegange, President & CEO
Reach Out Centre for Kids:
Kirsten Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer
Royal Hamilton Light Infantry:
Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer Alex Colic
Diocese of Hamilton
Rev. Rob Thomas, Chaplain, Burlington Fire Department
Halton Islamic Association
Sr. Osob
NUVO Network
Bridget and Shawn Saulnier, Owners
Burlington Foundation
Colleen Mulholland, President and CEO
Food for Life
Graham Hill, Executive Director
By Staff
February 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Addressing the Speaker of the House of Commons Friday morning Adam van Koeverden said:
 Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change released a list of the 325 conditions that the CN intermodal project must meet before it could proceed with any development in my riding of Milton. I recognize that these conditions address some of the concerns raised by my community and that this conditional approval is a technical assessment not an endorsement by the federal government. However, let me be very clear that these conditions do not change my position. I have always advocated for a rejection of this project and I remain strongly opposed.
 Adam van Koeverden speaking to Milton residents Today, I want to directly address this to CN. Its own regulations recommend against new residential development within a thousand metres of an existing intermodal facility. Therefore, why would CN consider building one that same distance from a strong, growing and vibrant residential neighbourhood?
This fight is far from over. Miltonians will not give up. I will not give up. For me and our community, our top priority will always be protecting our people’s health and a clean environment. In instead, I encourage CN to invest its time and energy in a community that welcomes this development and all the benefits it claims an intermodal will bring.
By Staff
January 30th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
You have to give Oakville North Burlington Member of Parliament Pam Damoff more than a high five for giving the drive to get Terry Fox on the new five dollar bill more than the old college try.
The Petition she presented to the people at the Mint who will be printing the new $5 bill had 1251 Burlington signatures on it.
An announcement is due soon on who will be on the currency.
What the Gazette didn’t know was that Ms Damoff is a football fan.
Here she is speaking in the House of Commons yesterday:
 Pam Damoff taking the Polar Dip on a New Year’s Day – not this past year though. “Mr. Speaker, eight worthy candidates are being considered by the government for the new five-dollar bill, but one stands out from the rest: Terry Fox.
“I am proud to sponsor an e-petition initiated by Burlington resident and CFL Hall of Famer, Tony Gabriel, to have Terry Fox chosen to be on the five-dollar bill.
“In 1980, Terry embarked on the Marathon of Hope to raise funds for cancer research. When he came through Ottawa, he participated in a ceremonial kickoff at an Ottawa Rough Riders game. Tony told him there was not one person on the team that could possibly physically do what Terry was doing.”
 Tony Gabriel and Pam Damoff beside the Terry Fox marker on the Burlington waterfront. This gave Terry an emotional lift. The Marathon of Hope made Terry Fox a household name and a Canadian hero. Over $800 million has been raised for cancer research in Terry’s name.
As Tony would say, let us get Terry in the end zone. It is time to put him on the five.
By Pepper Parr
January 29th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
“Hope is certainly on the horizon” said the Mayor who voted along with her colleagues to extend the face mask bylaw to the end of the year.
 “Hope is certainly on the horizon” The hope the Mayor was talking about was the arrival of a vaccine which, according to the information the Mayor got from the Provincial COVID19 Vaccination Task Force, vaccination efforts will take through the spring and summer, and likely into the fall.
Not exactly on the horizon is it ?
For the foreseeable future, additional health measures will still be necessary – washing hands, wearing a mask, staying 6ft apart from anyone we don’t live with.
Foreseeable future isn’t exactly on the horizon either.
 Mayor Meed Ward: Clearly there was a struggle in determining just what “on the horizon” means. “We want to be up front with the community about that” said the Mayor, “and be clear about the need for continued health measures and our bylaws for some months. Council did discuss ending the bylaws sooner, and in the end unanimously voted to extend to the end of December.
“My own view in supporting this extension till the end of December is that it is better to be up front and honest with our community.”
We are still in this pandemic for a long period of time, and that it is preferable to be able to lift the regulations early, than dash the hopes of our residents if we had to continually extend the bylaw.
Clearly there was a struggle in determining just what “on the horizon” means.
What is perfectly clear is that this council has extended the bylaw that governs the wearing of face masks to December 31st, 2021.
By Pepper Parr
January 29th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
 Oakville North-Burlington MP Pam Damoff in full election mode Pam Damoff, the MP for Oakville North Burlington will be holding an on-line Town Hall on the federal budget.
The event is part of the federal government’s pre-budget consultations and will take place on Thursday, February 11, 2021, from 6:00pm – 7:00pm.
All residents of Oakville North-Burlington are welcome to attend. To register for the virtual Town Hall and for additional details about the discussion please click here.
At this point in time the federal government is throwing billions into the economy to keep things as stable as possible while everyone works at beating the COVID19 virus which keeps sprouting variants which makes the job very difficult.
Damoff explains that “when COVID-19 is under control, our government has a plan to make smart, targeted investments to jump start our economic recovery, restore growth, create jobs, build a greener, more competitive, inclusive and resilient economy and repair the damage done by the pandemic.”
Over the coming weeks, the government will host virtual round tables with diverse groups of people from a range of regions, sectors and industries, including those hardest hit by the pandemic, to allow our government to hear the best ideas from Canadians and experts across the country about how Budget 2021 can best support Canadians through the pandemic and help us build back better. The round tables are an opportunity to discuss the very real challenges Canadians are facing and listen to the ways that the government can ensure a robust recovery that leaves no one behind.
Participants will be able to share their ideas and priorities about how the government can best invest to create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and build a greener, more competitive, more inclusive, more innovative, and more resilient economy.
Pam Damoff: “After the virtual Community Town Hall, my office will compile a report detailing the suggestions from Oakville North-Burlington residents to submit to the office of Federal Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. Chrystia Freeland. The number of participants is capped at 100 and priority registration will be given to residents of Oakville North-Burlington.
“All Canadians are invited to share their ideas through an online questionnaire at LetsTalkBudget2021.ca, which will be available until February 19, 2021.
“In last year’s 2020 Fall Economic Statement, our government committed major federal transfers to the Provinces. Below, I have outlined the federal transfers to Ontario for reference.
“In Ontario:
• $16.2 billion through the Canada Health Transfer, an increase of $616 million from the previous year; and
• $5.8 billion through the Canada Social Transfer, an increase of $182 million from the previous year.
• $5.1 billion for Ontario through the Safe Restart Agreement:
o $1.2 billion support with the costs of increasing testing capacity, perform contact tracing, and share public health data that will help fight the pandemic;
o $466.0 million to support health care system capacity to respond to surges in COVID-19 cases and to support and protect people experiencing challenges related to mental health, substance use, or homelessness;
o $287.4 million to address immediate needs and gaps in supportive care and provide health and social supports for other vulnerable groups;
o $776.6 million to support municipalities with COVID-19 operating costs
o $1 billion to ensure critical transit services are maintained;
o $1.2 billion to ensure health and non-health workers have access to the personal protective equipment that they need; and
o $234.6 million to address the reduced availability of childcare spaces and the unique needs stemming from the pandemic.
• Up to $763.3 million available through the Safe Return to Class Fund
• $1.1 billion through the Essential Workers Support Fund
Pillars of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan by the Numbers in Ontario:
• Canada Emergency Business Account: as of January 21, 323,617 loans provided to businesses, worth a total of $16.35 billion.
• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy: as of January 10, 791,810 applications, for a total of over $23.32 billion in subsidies paid out, helping protect 1.72 million jobs.
• Canada Emergency Response Benefit: as of October 4, over 3.5 million Ontarians supported. In a population of 14.7 million, this is nearly 1 out of every 4 people.
• Canada Recovery Benefit: as of January 10, $3.3 billion provided to 682,080 Ontarians.
• Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit: as of January 10, $94 million provided to 110,220 Ontarians.
• Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit: as of January 10, $375.2 million provided to 106,690 Ontarians.
By Pepper Parr
January 28th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Operations draft budget suggests a tax increase of 4.99%.
The Mayor doesn’t like the look of those numbers and has said that she could live with a 3.99% increase and asked the Finance department to come back with some suggestions as to how this might be done.
Members of Council will be given Budget Action Requests (BAR) which is how the members of council ask (tell?) Finance where changes can be made to get the required number.
It is not at all certain that every member of this Council is as married to the 3.99% number as the Mayor. It difficult to see but the word we have from council sources (given to us as background and on a not-for-attribution basis) is that Council would like to have their views being equal to the Mayor’s.
The budget is far too big to do a really deep analysis – we certainly don’t have the resources to do that work and we are not at all sure that very many people would read through it all. So we have picked 10 items to comment upon, and asking the question – why this spend?
The Gazette doesn’t want to overwhelm with detail so we are going to do three at a time over the next few days.
First: a spend of just under $50,000 for a part time audio visual person. Why?
Information Technology Services (ITS) is seeking to hire a part-time A/V Specialist to support audio and video technology within the Council Chambers, web streaming of Committee and Council sessions and virtual meeting services required due to COVID.
The ITS department currently has a single A/V Specialist and has no effective backup that would be able to support a meeting of Council in the event that this sole resource becomes ill or is otherwise unavailable.
 The Mayor, the City Clerk and Dave – the AV guy are the only people in the Council Chamber when the meetings are “virtual”. Without Dave – no one would know that there was a council meeting taking place. The part-time A/V Specialist will also provide backup and supplementary support of other types of public engagement meetings and corporate A/V including the Emergency Operations Centre, Halton Court Services, general meeting rooms and training facilities.
There a significant risk that a Council meeting could not be easily held and could only be conducted in a very constrained and modified fashion that would fail to meet the expectation of Council and the public. There currently is no viable plan B.
This spend is a must – vital actually. Right now a man named Dave Thompson runs the audio visual system that delivers council meetings to the public as a web cast on the city website.
Dave is run ragged every time there is a Council or Standing Committee meeting. There are at time some minor mistakes – they are usually corrected very quickly.
If Dave were to become victim of COVID-19, or slip on a banana peel somewhere, a council meeting would not be broadcast – and if it isn’t made public – is the meeting still deemed to have taken place?
We think Dave is pretty close to the hardest working man in the city – quite why a backup person wasn’t hired six months ago defies explanation.
Approve this one in a flash and find a way to get it approved before March – which is when the budget is expected to be approved.
The people who concern themselves with Risk Management certainly dropped the ball on this one.
Where do the numbers come from ? Figure this one out.
Municipal Finance people do accounting differently. All too often people with strong private sector experience and a lot of experience handling budgets and balance sheets are stunned when they look at city financial statements.
Frank McKeowan, the one-time Chief of Staff for Rick Goldring when he was Mayor once said that municipalities don’t have balance sheets or Profit and Loss Statements. To some degree he was right.
There is an item on the budget for $116,700..It is described as the cost for a service that is being delivered.
 The Seniors pushed for years for a better transit deal. It took six years but with a new progressive thinking transit director and a council that saw transit as a necessary service – changes came about. The service being delivered is free use of transit between 9:00 am and 2:30 pm Monday to Friday. Seniors will board any bus in the city use their Presto Pass and not be charged for the trip they are taking.
So what does the cost of $116,700 represent?
The buses are already on their routes – there is no additional expense. Does the $116,700 represent money the city thinks it would have received if those seniors had been required to pay a fare ?
The free fare program has proven to be very popular – ridership numbers soared when it was first introduced.
Those ridership numbers do increase what the city gets in the way of gas tax rebates from the province.
The city seems to be budgeting for funds it would normally get at the fare box, and because it will not be getting these funds, the city has put in a figure of $116,700 to offset the loss!
Before the pilot began, seniors accounted for approximately nine percent of the transit ridership.
Key successes from the pilot include:
• Almost 70,000 rides were provided for seniors for free from June to December 2019
• Mid-day boardings increased by over 2.5 times, this is directly co-related to the increase in the number of seniors using transit
• Ridership did not change outside the free period, seniors who already used transit did not shift their travel times to the free period
• Senior ridership increased by 41% between June 2019 and February 2020
•• The growth in seniors made up approximately 35% of Burlington Transit’s overall ridership growth from 2018 to 2019
• Increased ridership could potentially increase provincial gas tax by $13,000
Based on the success of the program, it is recommended to continue this program on a permanent basis.
Great idea – but what does the $116,700 that the budget book shows as a project cost amount to. How does not getting paid amount to a cost?
So why is the $116,700 figure even in the budget book.
Hiring another lawyer? Afraid so.
Ideally the person hired will save the city a reasonable amount of money and a lot of grief.
Local Planning Authority Tribunal (LPAT) hearings amount to groups of lawyers arguing the merits of the developers’ plans while the city lawyer argues why the LPAT appeal should be dismissed.
One additional solicitor position is being requested for the Planning, Development & Real Estate practice group in order to support the on-going work of Community Planning. At present, the practice group is led by one Deputy Corporation Counsel and consists of one Solicitor assigned to real estate law, and one Senior Law Clerk supporting planning, development and real estate. The demands for legal service has been steadily increasing and there simply isn’t sufficient capacity in the current staffing level to continue to “do it all”.
The Key Drivers of the growing demand for legal service support for Community Planning are the same drivers that are impacting Community Planning organizationally. Legal works very closely with Community Planning on policy initiatives, at the front and back ends of development files, and on any resulting appeals. As has been identified, Community Planning is expected to grow from current staff complement of 29 to 51 over the next 3 years.
 Every development requires input from the legal department. This development has been “in the works” for at least six years. – approximately 50 active major development files (7,000 residential units, 40 Tall/Mid-rise buildings, employment, commercial)
– 30 major development pre-consultations to date
– pre-building permit applications are up more that 50% over last year
– # of application approvals “on hold” due to ICBL continuation
– major policy development work either in progress or anticipated in the forseeable future including comprehensive zoning by-law review, housing strategy, Regional municipal comprehensive review, various urban design guidelines, cultural heritage study, adjusting the Urban Growth Centre and removing the MTSA from the downtown .
The addition of one solicitor position would resource the planning and development practice group to take on the day-to-day legal support for Community Planning.
The additional resource will create capacity for the Deputy Corporation Counsel to manage the sheer volume of LPAT work that is coming out of the planning and development area. The government has reversed changes made to the Planning Act with respect to how hearings are conducted. The legislative changes will result in more appeals for the municipality to defend, and lengthy and expensive hearings de novo.
The sheer volume of appeal work will be handled by a combination of internal and external legal resources. The magnitude of the job to be done requires a great deal of internal coordination. The nature of the appeals demands that the appeals are handled consistently so that the city doesn’t lose sight of the inter-relatedness of much of the work that is underway.
Finally, the additional position allows for greater succession planning in the Planning, Development and Real Estate practice group. The City is at a point where it will have a new official plan and new comprehensive zoning by-law. Bringing on a new solicitor will allow this individual to start “on the ground floor” as these new instruments are applied and tested. Building that internal capacity is important in a small department like Corporate Legal Services.
Failure to expand Corporate Legal Services internal capacity will have negative consequences for the City:
-Risk of failing to deliver key results on Council’s Strategic Plan (defend the new OP, defend the changes to the planning instruments, defend changes to the comprehensive zoning by-law, development of MTSA’s along major transit corridors)
– Risk of failing to provide timely advice to Community Planning on a day-to-day basis.
– Heavier reliance on the use of external counsel which is more costly to the municipality.
– Failure to develop our internal talent to the detriment of the individual and the corporation. Succession management is critical given that specialized positions have proven difficult to fill in the past.
– Reputational risk to the department if we are unable to meet the needs and expectations for legal services.
– Potential for increased legal risk to the corporation. Having legal involved early on in planning issues makes for better decision-making.
There are key applications being processed such as the Nelson Quarry expansion that may have environmental impacts. Dealing with these types of issues requires a lot of planning and legal resources and have the potential to end up in major, lengthy hearings.
By Staff
January 27th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
During February City Councillors will be debating the Operations budget which threatens to come in at more than 4% higher than last year.
Councillors are now going through the 436 page document and preparing BAR forms (Budget Action Request) that set out what changes different members of Council want made.
This is the place where pet projects get advanced. If a council member can drum up enough support and get 4 of the seven votes the project becomes part of the budget.
What will get a little tricky is the desire to keep the tax increase as low as possible and at the same time deliver something that matters to the people who voted for you at the same time.
These will get debated during the month.
The plan is to have an agreed upon budget before city council to be approved on March 3rd.
This year, the City is piloting an educational budget simulation tool, Balancing Act, to educate the public on the City’s budget and highlight the challenge of maintaining and improving services to the public, with limited sources of revenue. Using this tool, the public can simulate where they would recommend City Service budgets be amended to either increase or reduce overall spending and revenues.
The “simulation” exercise lets people decide what should be kept in the budget and what could be left for another time. This is an exercise for people to see what the impact of their choices would be – it won’t be taken by city hall as your advice to them.
It’s a little on the complex side but it is worth the effort.
The approach the city takes to the creation of the budget is to present it in what they call a Services Delivery approach. All the expenses are pulled together into one of seven categories.
You will see a list of where the city spends the tax money and other sources. There are seven categories.
 The Service Delivery categories put the spending into groups that make it easier to see where the tax dollars are going.  See if you can come up with a different allocation of the tax money and still have a balanced budget. Have fun. There is a link to get to the simulation program.
Anyone who thinks they might have what it takes to be a member of council is well advised to try their hand at budget making.
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