Is forgiving any interest due on tax arrears good policy or a dumb idea financially ? The city isn't exactly flush with cash these days

SwP thumbnail graphicBy Pepper Parr

June 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The retail and hospitality sectors have been bleeding badly – they needed every break they could get.

For many rent and the hydro bill were the biggest nuts they had to deal with.

Many residents were finding that they were not always able to make the rent and city taxes were something they just had to put on hold.

The city jiggled the due dates on property taxes for the resident section which was a help.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward put forward a motion at a Standing Committee last week asking staff to set out what things would look like under different tax relief scenarios.

One was to set aside the policy of charging people interest on their outstanding taxes.

The Mayor argued that it just didn’t seem fare for those who were struggling to get by during the pandemic to have to pay interest on overdue tax payments. It was like holding people down financially and insisting on collecting interest on overdue taxes just so that the city could meet its financial commitments.

A little on the altruistic side but that’s part of where this Mayor comes from.

What happens then with the taxes owed the city by the two large shopping venue – Burlington Centre and Mapleview Mall.

The public learned last week that the two locations had not remitted taxes since mid-March but were expected to do so by the end of the month.

What if they decide it is just good business to hold on paying taxes and use the cash available to get their operations up to speed and pay whatever interest was due.

During the 2008 recession Burlington had a city Councillor who did just that – why shouldn’t the malls do the same thing.

Would the city forgive the interest for the large commercial operators or is this proposal to apply to everyone – the big corporate interests, the small business operations and residents?

Are there any unintended consequences lurking in that proposal.

Can’t see this one riding all that well on the stomach of the Director of Finance.

Finally, did the public have the right to know that the malls were late on their tax payments – or more correctly that they had taken advantage of a program the city put in place?

Related news story.

Tax collection dates shifted to ease the financial strain.

Pepper - Gazette shirt - no smile

 

 

 

 

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.

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Regional Health Unit reports on data up to the 14th.

covid virusBy Pepper Parr

June 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

A large part f the reason the Provincial government decided to open things up for the Region of Halton was the numbers that came out of the Public Health Unit work.

The numbers are pretty good. Data up to end of day on June 14, 2020 was released this morning.

Cases over time

787
COVID-19 cases among Halton residents to date (708 confirmed + 79 probable)

102
COVID-19 cases currently active among Halton residents (89 confirmed + 13 probable)

Figure 1

 

Fig 2

Figures 1 and 2 show the 787 COVID-19 cases among Halton residents reported by end of the day on June 14. All cases have been graphed according to their episode date, which is used to estimate the date that symptoms began. Figure 1 shows the number of new cases per day, while Figure 2 shows how cases have accumulated over time. Counts for the past 14 days should be interpreted with caution (indicated using the grey shaded area on the graph), since there is a delay between when a person becomes infected and when they develop symptoms, get tested and are reported as a case. Please note the large increase on April 11 is due to expanded testing and identification of COVID-19 among asymptomatic individuals at Mountainview Residence.

Individuals who are lab-confirmed cases are shown in green. Individuals who are probable cases are shown in orange. Probable cases are individuals presumed to have COVID-19 because they have symptoms of COVID-19 and are travelers returning from an affected area, have had close contact with a confirmed case and/or lived/worked in a facility experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, or have indeterminate test results.

 

Fig 3

For each day, Figure 3 shows the average number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past seven days, including only those cases that are not staff or residents/patients associated with an outbreak in an institutional or congregate care setting. Cases have been graphed according to their collection date, which is the date that a sample was taken from them to be tested for COVID-19. The graph suggests that the average number of new cases per day was highest in late March/early April, with another increase in mid-May. Counts for recent days should be interpreted with caution (indicated using the grey shaded area on the graph), since there is a delay between when a person is tested and when their test results are reported to Public Health and entered into the system.

Case demographics

78
cases were residents or patients of an institution experiencing an outbreak (10% of all cases)

113
cases work in health care (14% of all cases)

 

Fig 4

Figure 4 shows that by end of the day on June 14, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 283 cases, or 36%). 441 cases (56%) were female.

Figure 4 shows that by end of the day on June 14, the most COVID-19 cases were among Halton residents aged 40-59 (with 283 cases, or 36%). 441 cases (56%) were female.

Fig 5

Figure 5: COVID-19 cases, by municipality of residence, Halton Region, 2020

Figure 5 shows that by end of the day on June 14, the greatest number of COVID-19 cases were among residents of Oakville (with 265 cases, or 34%). Two cases with municipality information pending are not shown. Please note this figure shows counts, and therefore does not take into account the different population sizes or age structures of the four municipalities. Counts in municipalities can also be inflated by outbreaks that have occurred within institutions in their boundaries.

Case exposure source

Fig 6Figure 6 shows the percentage of COVID-19 cases by primary exposure category for Halton’s four municipalities and for Halton overall. For Halton overall, by end of day on June 14, 312 cases (40%) had contact with a confirmed case that was believed to be the source of their infection. 234 COVID-19 cases (30%) had no known travel or contact history, and therefore were believed to have acquired the virus within Ontario, making them community cases. 131 (17%) were residents/patients or staff associated with an outbreak in an institutional or congregate care setting. 99 cases (13%) had a history of travel that was believed to have been the source of their infection. Information on exposure source was pending for the remaining 11 cases (1%). These proportions vary by municipality. It is important to note that cases can have multiple exposures, and these data reflect only their primary exposure category based on information gathered during case investigation.

Case and contact follow-up

Fig 7

Figure 7 shows that 98% of Halton cases reported over the past seven days (June 8-14)

Fig 8

Figure 8: Percentage of COVID-19 community contacts reached by Public Health within one day of being reported, Halton Region, contacts identified Jun. 8-Jun. 14, 2020

Figure 7 shows that 98% of Halton cases reported over the past seven days (June 8-14) were reached by Halton Public Health within one day of being reported, which exceeds the provincial goal of 90%. Similarly, Figure 8 shows that Halton Public Health reached 100% of contacts identified over the past seven days (June 8-14) within one day, compared to the provincial goal of 90%.

Case outcomes

96
cases who have ever been hospitalized to date (15 listed as currently in hospital)

661

cases who are recovered/resolved

24*
cases who have died to date (11 of the deceased were residents or patients of an institution experiencing an outbreak).
* Please note that the total number of deaths has decreased from 25 to 24 as there was a reporting error to Public Health that has now been corrected.

Institutional outbreaks

19
confirmed institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 reported to Halton Region Public Health to date (1 is ongoing)

Figure 9: COVID-19 institutional outbreaks, by date outbreak was declared, Halton Region, Mar. 1-Jun. 14, 2020

Fig 9Figure 9 shows the 19 confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19 in Halton institutions reported by end of the day on June 14. Institutions are defined as long-term care homes, retirement homes and hospitals. 18 of the outbreaks have resolved, and one is ongoing. Among the 19 confirmed institutional outbreaks reported to date, 11 (58%) have been in long-term care homes, seven (37%) have been in retirement homes and one has been in a hospital (5%).

Lab testing

>2,300
Halton residents were tested for COVID-19 within the past seven days of available data (May 31-June 6).

>19,720
Halton residents are known to have been tested for COVID-19 to date.

61%
of Halton cases reported in the past week to Public Health had been tested for COVID-19 within the past two days. This is an indicator of current lab reporting timeliness.

Comparison to Ontario

32,370
total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario to date

Figure 10: Age-specific rates of COVID-19 (per 10,000 population), Halton Region and Ontario, 2020

Fig 10Figure 10 shows age-specific rates of COVID-19 for Halton and Ontario. Rates take into account the population size of each age group to make it possible to compare between different areas. Halton’s age-specific rates are currently significantly different from the provincial rates for all age groups except youth aged 0-19. For example, Halton has 36.4 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+, which is statistically significantly lower than the 84.1 cases per 10,000 residents aged 80+ in Ontario overall. It is important to note that these rates will fluctuate as numbers increase throughout the pandemic and that differences between age groups may reflect differences in the likelihood of developing symptoms and being tested.

Data limitations and data sources:

Halton case data: integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), extracted at 7:00 AM on June 15, 2020, to reflect data entered by the end of the day on June 14, 2020

Halton lab data: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Number of individuals who were confirmed positive for COVID-19, COVID-19 Testing Period: 15 Jan 2020 to 6 June 2020. Received on June 8, 2020.

Ontario case count overall: Public Health Ontario, Epidemiologic Summary, COVID-19 in Ontario: January 15, 2020 to June 14, 2020, posted on June 15, 2020 to https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus.

Denominators for Halton and Ontario age-specific rates: Population projections [2020], IntelliHEALTH Ontario, extracted on April 8, 2020.

Data notes
All cases of diseases of public health significance diagnosed in Ontario are entered into iPHIS by local public health units. iPHIS is the Integrated Public Health Information System. It is a dynamic disease reporting system which allows ongoing updates to data previously entered. As a result, data extracted from iPHIS represent a snapshot at the time of extraction and may differ from previous or subsequent reports as data are updated.

The data only represent cases reported to public health and recorded in iPHIS. As a result, all counts will be subject to varying degrees of underreporting due to a variety of factors, such as disease awareness and medical care seeking behaviours, which may depend on severity of illness, clinical practice, changes in laboratory testing, and reporting behaviours.

Cases are included if their “diagnosing health unit” in iPHIS is Halton Region, which means counts include only individuals whose primary residence is in Halton Region. The case may not necessarily have been managed by Halton Region, if they were temporarily residing elsewhere during their case management period. Cases managed by Halton Region who normally live elsewhere but who were managed by Halton Region staff because they were temporarily residing in Halton during their case management period have not been included.

Cases for which the Disposition Status in iPHIS was reported as ENTERED IN ERROR, DOES NOT MEET DEFINITION, DUPLICATE-DO NOT USE, or any variation on these values have been excluded.

Cases are considered “currently active” if they are open in iPHIS.

Figures 1 and 2 distinguish between lab-confirmed and probable cases. Probable cases are defined as epi-linked cases, which means they are presumed to have COVID-19 because they have symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and have travelled to an affected area; have had close contact with a confirmed case; and/or lived in or worked in a facility known to be experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19; or have indeterminate test results. All other figures and numbers include both confirmed and probable cases combined.

Figures 1 and 2 use episode date, which is a field that is intended to approximate the symptom onset date for each case. It is calculated hierarchically, using symptom onset date if available; when it is not available, specimen collection date is used; if neither symptom onset nor specimen collection date are available, the lab test date is used; and finally, if none of these other dates are available, the date the case was reported to Public Health is used.

In subsequent reports, counts in Figures 1-3 may increase as cases are added from past dates as individuals become symptomatic, get tested, and their results are reported to Halton Region Public Health, as well as any past results are added due to delayed data entry or new arrival of lab results.

Cases are considered to be patients or residents of an institution experiencing an outbreak if they are linked to a confirmed Halton institutional outbreak in iPHIS, and they are not known to be a staff person at the institution.

Cases are considered to work in health care if they are known to have an occupation that involves caring for patients, e.g. physician, nurse, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, chiropractor, paramedic, midwife, orderly, etc. Individuals who work in health care settings but do not provide direct care to patients (e.g. managers, cleaning staff) have not been included.

Exposure type is determined by examining the exposure and risk factor fields from iPHIS to determine whether a case travelled, was a resident/patient or staff member in an institution or congregate care setting experiencing an outbreak, was a contact of a case or neither. A hierarchy has been applied as follows: Travel-related > Associated with institutional or congregate care setting outbreak > Close contact of a confirmed case > Neither (indicating community acquisition) > Information pending. It is important to note that cases can have multiple exposures, and these data reflect only their primary exposure category. Numbers are relatively low, and differences between municipalities have not been assessed for statistical significance. Known cases reflect only individuals who were prioritized for testing, which means that differences between municipalities are currently difficult to ascribe to other factors.

Case outcomes (hospitalizations, recovered/resolved, deaths) reflect the latest available information reported to Halton Region Public Health and recorded in iPHIS by the extraction time.

Cases are considered to have been reached within 24 hours if their investigation start date and case reported dates in iPHIS are no more than one day apart.

Contacts are manually tracked to determine if they were reached within one day. Any contacts referred to Public Health Ontario for follow up have not been included.

Institutional outbreaks include outbreaks of COVID-19 in settings such as long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals and prisons.

Lab testing data reflects only lab tests that have been assigned to Halton Region based on the methodology used by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. There are several known limitations associated with this data which result in the numbers being underestimates:
• The unit of analysis is the tested individual. Once an individual is confirmed positive, subsequent tests for that individual are excluded from the daily totals;
• The COVID-19 test results were captured in the Ontario Laboratories Information System (OLIS). The testing date represents the date of specimen collection: “observation date” in OLIS. Due to the time required for transportation and processing of specimens, it takes six days for approximately 95% of results to be finalized and reported for a given testing date. Some laboratories did not report all or part of their COVID-19 test results to OLIS. Unconsented test results were excluded;
• Daily counts less than six suppressed;
• The location of tested individuals was based upon the test recipient’s postal code (and corresponding PHU) recorded in the OHIP Registered Persons Database (RPDB) for those residing outside a long-term care (LTC) facility, and the LTC address on the OLIS test requisition for specimens collected from LTC facilities. These address assignments lead to misclassification of PHU in approximately 14% of individuals.

For daily Halton case tables and up-to-date information about how to protect yourself and others, please visit halton.ca/covid19

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Burlington to open up to Stage 2 on Friday

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

June 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Premier Dog Ford will announce later today that the following parts of the province will move to Stage 2 on Friday, June 19, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.

Lakeshore looking east to Brant north side

You will be hard pressed to get a seat this weekend – city moves to Stage 2 – things open up.

Informed by public health advice and workplace safety guidance, and supported by the collective efforts of businesses, workers and families to limit the potential spread of the virus, the latest public health unit regions allowed to move into Stage 2 on Friday, June 19, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. are:

• Durham Region Health Department;
• Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit;
Halton Region Health Department;
• Hamilton Public Health Services;
• Lambton Health Unit;
• Niagara Region Public Health Department; and
• York Region Public Health Services.

These regions are in addition to the 24 public health regions that entered Stage 2 on June 12, 2020. Before opening, business owners need to review the workplace safety guidelines and public health  advice.

“Thanks to the collective efforts of our frontline health care workers and the people in these regions to stop the spread of COVID-19, more businesses will be able to open their doors and thousands of people will be able to go back to work and put food on the table,” said Premier Ford. “With the public health trends improving day by day across the province, I am hopeful all regions of Ontario will enter Stage 2 very soon. But we must remain on our guard to prevent any potential surge or secondary wave by continuing to follow the sound advice of our public health officials.”

The following regions will remain in Stage 1 under ongoing assessment until trends of key public health indicators demonstrate readiness to move into Stage 2:

  • Peel Public Health;
  • Toronto Public Health; and
  • Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

“Opening more regions of Ontario is another positive sign that we are making steady progress in our collective efforts to contain this deadly virus,” said Minister Elliott. “As many more Ontarians begin to work, shop and interact with others, it’s never been more important that we continue to follow public health advice, especially physical distancing with anyone outside of our social circle, so we can soon successfully and safely move into Stage 3.”

Public health remains the government’s top priority. All Ontarians must continue to follow public health advice, including practising physical distancing, wearing a face covering if physical distancing is a challenge, washing hands frequently and thoroughly, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth. If you think you have COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone who has COVID‑19, get tested.

The Chief Medical Officer of Health and health experts will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation to advise when public health restrictions can be gradually loosened or if they need to be tightened.

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City hall has been adapting on a daily, sometimes hourly basis as the rules from the province change.

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

June 15th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Audit Jones - said no

Sheila M. Jones, Executive Director, Strategy, Accountability

In a report to Council Sheila M. Jones, Executive Director, Strategy, Accountability, explained that “the need to re-design and to be agile to respond to the time-sensitive nature of some decisions, this report serves as a template for bringing decisions and information to the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability (CSSRA) Committee. As such, it is beneficial to provide an overview of how and what is expected in this report format.”

Jones was talking about the Service Redesign that gets upgraded almost every day. By service she means the services the city delivers to the citizens of the city – something that went through a radical change when the province declared a State of Emergency and used the power behind that legislation to order that municipalities limit severely the opportunities the members of the public have to congregate the city found itself having to lay off most of the part time staff and move most of the full time staff out of city hall and have them work from hone using ZOOM and their cell phones as their method of communicating.

In the early stages, mid March to near the end of April it was hectic and a close to 24/7 operation.

There wasn’t much news coming out of city hall, some city Councillors felt very much out of the loop.

City Manager Tim Commisso was living a constant round of meetings with the email volume almost unmanageable. The Gazette was able to get through to Commisso on a few occasions.

As the calendar rolled into May we began to see some stability and staff were a little more comfortable with the way they now had to do business.

The public wasn’t really aware with what senior city staff had to deal with – the change was relentless – they rarely knew was was coming at them next.

There were serious financial pressures building up – huge drops in revenue and expenses piling up at the same time.

Parks were closed; schools were closed. The streets were open and the public was asked to yes get out for some exercise but don’t congregate while out for a walk and stay at least six feet away from other people.

Pharmaceuticals were not rationed but all you could get was a one month supply. You had to keep your dog on a leash – which turned out to be very difficult to enforce.

The number of new Covid19 infections in Burlington are the lowest in the Region and the deaths at Long Term Care facilities were low – relative to the rest of the province.

Commisso had to not only manage his own time and energy but he had to keep a very close eye on his senior team to ensure that they are at least coping.

Tim Commisso - finger up hard eyesIn an interview with the Gazette Commisso said “I have a conversation with each of them frequently on how they are doing personally and listen very closely for signs that the stress might be getting to them.”

Commisso doesn’t talk about how he is coping. At times he does sound a little tired and he surely must wonder if taking on the task of serving as city Mayor was the smartest career move he ever made.

Burlington is now waiting hopefully for the province to announce that the GTAH – Greater Toronto Area including Hamilton can move into phase 2 which will allow, hopefully, some restaurants to open, and for more in the way of city services to be opened.

The Summer Camp program for kids was cancelled and Parks and Recreation is working through some ideas for what they will be able to offer once the province moves the city into Phase 2.

Thus the reporting template that Jones introduced on how the Emergency Coordination Group is going to get updates to Council.

It has been a hectic three months for this group of people; many have been pushed to the limit and worked well beyond an 8 hour day.

Vacations are coming up – Commisso knows that his people need that time off – but vacations are dependent on when the need to constantly adjust the programs being offered slows down a little.

Getting into Phase 2 is essential – limiting the number of Covid19 infections is vital.

And at this time in this world vital trumps essential.

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Photographer reports that things were pretty dead on Brant Street on Saturday

News 100 yellowBy Staff

June 13th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

We are pretty certain that Don Smith was not really offering curb side pick up – the sign could perhaps have been revised.

Smith Funeral Home curb side

Sign outside the Smith Funeral Home on Brant Street

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Your social circle can now be up to ten people - which ten?

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

June 13th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

This could become just a little awkward. Embarrassing as well

The province has said we can make our get close and comfortable circle which the province calls our bubble – also known as a social circle.

We were limited to five people – at first we all had to live in the same house.

No one followed it all the tightly – the Premier broke that rule when it was convenient for him

The province, despite the fact that the number of new infections each day is nowhere near being flat, as decided that we can now have social circles of up to ten people – with some rules.

You can only belong to one circle and you have to swear the equivalent of a loyalty oath that you won’t wonder into a different circle.

5 point social circle

Only a bureaucrat that has worked for the government too long could write rules like this.

Here are the rules.

How do you decide who will be in your circle – Is Mom a given?

Yes to Mom

Is Mom on the list ? How do you manage that issue?

Close friends who aren’t family but they are great conversationalists and they always bring really good wine.

People that had a habit of dropping by can be managed – the “boy” who brings his laundry home when he visits – along with the girlfriend that you don’t particularly approve of.

Do you now have a solution to that problem?

What do you do for your damaged ego when you don’t get included in a bubble you thought you were already a part of?

 

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There will be a Parks and Recreation program - rules are not yet known.

News 100 yellowBy Pepper Parr

June 12th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

There will be something in the way of a summer program if and when the province decides to let Burlington move to Stage 2 of the re-opening of the province.

Kids in splash pad

Splash pads will be open.

Splash pads will open – not all of them.

Mountainside - ice rink with chnage rooms BEST

Some rinks will be open – Appleby and Aldershot will not be opened – nor will Skyway

Some of the ice rinks will be open but only for groups that have the permission of their Sports organization. The one expected to make the most use is the figure skating people.

The Parks and Recreation people need to be assured that there will be at least 40 hours of ice time rented, preferably 60 before they begin to make ice – a process that will take two weeks.

Nelson swimming pool

Outdoor pools will be open

Outdoor pools will be opened – subject to whatever the province puts in place in terms of rules and approval from the Regional Public Health Unit.

Mayor Meed Ward said she would like to see at least one indoor pool made available.

There will be something in the way of a Summer Camp program – here as well – the city is waiting for the rules.

How many children can there be in any one camp; where will the camps be held. At this point the Standing Committee that met virtually on Thursday has more questions than answers.

It did give the Parks and Recreation people an additional $300,000 to spend – that was on top of the $500,000 that was already in the budget.

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Council getting a look at a lot of bad financial news - they have to depend on what the federal government is going to come through with

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

June 11th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It has been a tough week for members of Council.

They have been dealing with normal day to day business; looking at some fascinating tools related to win and shadow studies and trying to get a handle on just what the lock down is doing to the local economy.

Burlington Hydro reported on how much of a financial hit they have taken.  Their numbers are not that bad – and they have only cut off service to one location for non-payment.

The Tourism people talked about the vacancy rates.

tourism Pam Belgrade

The data was obtained from a screen shot of material that was shown to members of council who were meeting in a virtual session.

And the finance people are looking at where we are likely to be financially when this is all over – and at the same time casting an eye on what the 2021 budget might look like.

losses graph

This graph sets out the revenue lost from the shut down of programs and fees tat were not paid

savings mitigation graph

This graph shows what the city has done to offset as much of the revenue loss as possible.

Director of Finance Joan Ford produced two graphs that set out what the financial picture looks like.  The biggest financial draw has been for transit where there is no revenue and a lot of expense.

 

Neither mall has paid their taxes – the city is expecting them to be caught up by the end of June.

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Metrolinx updates public on what they are dong to keep the GO trains safe from a health perspective

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

June 11th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

At some point people will begin going back to work.

Will they drive?

That will plug the roads and highways.

Will they take transit? Would you?

The risk is certainly there.

Metrolinx has published a video on what they are doing to make the GO train service safe and clean enough to ride.

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Region releases data on where Covid infections are highest - Orchard wins that prize for Burlington

News 100 redBy Staff

June 11th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Halton Region released data on where Covid19 infections are located by neighbourhood.

Number of infections per 100,000 population. Data is based on the 2016 census.
Rate-of-cases-by-neighbourhood-June6Acton (Ac) 5.7
Aldershot (Al) 7.6
Central Burlington (CB) 5.9
Central East Burlington (CEB) 6.5
Central West Burlington (CWB) 3.6
East Milton (EM) 15.6
Escarpment (E) 12
Glen Abbey (GA) 11.4
Lower East Milton (LEM) 17.2
North Bronte Oakville (NBO) 11.2
North Burlington (NB) 4.8
North Central Oakville (NCO) 24.0
North East Oakville (NEO) 9.7
North Georgetown (NG) 14.1
River Oaks (RO) 8.2
Rural North Halton (RNH) 11.6
South Central Burlington (SCB) 6.3
South Central Milton (SCM) 15.0
South Central Oakville (SCO) 12.7
South East Burlington (SEB) 8.4
South East Oakville (SEO) 8.9
South Georgetown (SG) 11.3
South West Oakville (SWO) 10.3
The Orchard (TO) 9.8
Upper East Milton (UEM) 11.2
Upper Glen Abbey (UGA) 17.8
West Milton (WM) 25.7

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Halton Mayors write the Premier: Make us a stage two Region

News 100 blueBy Staff

June 9th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Today, Halton’s Regional Chair along with the Mayors of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville sent a letter to the Ontario Premier outlining how the Halton community has, in fact, met the criteria set by the province to move Stage 2.

Halton region does not have the same issues as other municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area and Greater Golden Horseshoe, and given this should be allowed to move to Stage 2.

In the letter, the Halton Municipalities detailed how the community has met the Provincial criteria. As of June 8:

• Halton has 745 confirmed cases and 91 active cases of COVID-19;

• no known institutional outbreaks;

• Halton’s COVID-19 case numbers make up a small fraction of the total provincial cases;

• local hospitals are sustaining adequate capacity;

• 90 per cent of new COVID-19 contacts are being reached by Halton Region Public Health within one day; and

• strong adherence to physical distancing and public health measures within our community.

“Halton Region is appreciative of the Provincial Government’s leadership in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 and partnerships with all levels of government continue to be important” said the letter, adding that “As the focus turns to recovery both locally and across Ontario, the Halton Municipalities will continue to protect residents from COVID-19 and support our local economy.

Burlington wants a Stage 2 designation.

Burlington wants a Stage 2 designation.

“The Halton Municipalities strongly urge the province to reconsider allowing Halton Region to transition to Stage 2 of the reopening.”

All Mayor Meed Ward had to do was add that Burlington is the best city in the country to live in and that should get us something. Other than that all the phrase does is take up space on media releases and perhaps business cards.

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For those laid off - money for food isn't what it used to be. Help if you can

News 100 blueBy Staff

June 9th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The poster says it all.

If you can – please do.

The poster says it all

The poster says it all

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Making more space for walkers and cyclists on city streets not setting any speed records as it works its way through the bureaucracy

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

June 9th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

It was a good idea at the time – but by the time the city gets around to this one much of the summer might have passed us by.

Councillor Stolte looking for a response to her motion - put forward last April

Councillor Stolte looking for a response to her motion – put forward last April

A motion was presented to Burlington Council on April 20, 2020 by Councillor Shawna Stolte which sought to direct staff to prepare a list of potential streets under the City’s jurisdiction that could be closed for the purpose of allowing space for walking and cycling within the roadway/road allowance in a manner that does not conflict with provincially mandated social distancing regulations. This motion failed, however in its place, the following staff direction was approved:

Defer item 14.1 “Shared Streets Burlington” (ADM-02-20) regarding road closures to aid social distancing during the COVID-19 emergency to staff to determine criteria and return back to Committee or Council in May.

It is now June

In preparing this report, staff kept the following significant principles in mind:

• There must be demonstrated and measurable need for increased space for pedestrians and/or cyclists.
• That any road space re-assignment does not encourage large gatherings.
• That any road space reassignment be sensitive to the impacts to neighbourhoods and businesses and will be effectively communicated.
• A “one size does not fit all” approach to developing solutions to identified problem areas.

After careful consideration and taking into account the above principles, staff recommend a “responsive” approach as the best way forward when considering whether to implement road or sidewalk closures. This approach involves the identification of an issue requiring consideration of closures and developing a plan that addresses those site-specific conditions.

Once a particular roadway section, intersection or sidewalk has been verified as a problem, staff can take a phased approach commencing with education, signage, coning off areas of conflict and/or proceed with the closure option from the very beginning.

With several variables to consider when closing roadways and/or sidewalks, it was determined that setting pre-determined criteria for closures would not give staff the flexibility needed to address a wide range of issues and changing conditions at locations across the city.

For example, finding solutions for the downtown or the Aldershot business areas require distinctively different approaches given the needs of merchants versus other areas of the city who may have the luxury of underutilized private parking lots.

Given the State of Emergency it is further recommended that the Emergency Control Group (ECG) and Task forces be advised of any need to close roads and sidewalks to ensure consistency and alignment with provincial orders

Through the City’s Delegated Authority By-law (099-2012), authority is given to the Director of Transportation Services, Director of Engineering, Director of Roads and Parks Maintenance, and Fire Chief, or their designate(s) to approve short-term emergency and temporary road closures. Any closures which could involve a longer time period will require consultation with Legal Staff and Council approval.

In response to the varying needs already identified, the following initiatives have been undertaken by Transportation Services staff:

Traffic Signal Timing Changes
As a measure to address issues of social distancing for pedestrians waiting to cross at signalized intersections, traffic signal timing changes have been implemented at intersections with high pedestrian volumes. Specifically, wait times for pedestrians were reduced through eliminating advanced left turn phases where possible and activating the pedestrian walk symbol automatically during every cycle to reduce the need to use the push button.

Paid On-street Parking Conversion to 20 min. Drop Off Zones
As Burlington retailers begin to re-open and offer curbside pickup, the City of Burlington has made changes to all on-street parking within the downtown. Changes include converting all on-street paid parking areas to 20-minute parking only. This initiative, developed in conjunction with the Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA), is intended to aid businesses in providing curbside pickup and was implemented on May 22, 2020.

Will Burlington see special lanes opened up for cyclists and walkers?

Will Burlington see special lanes opened up for cyclists and walkers?

The downtown is an obvious source of high numbers of pedestrians, so it is not surprising that it has emerged as an area that requires attention. A number of intersections on Lakeshore Road through the downtown are continually being monitored by staff in order to quickly respond to changing conditions. City By-law staff who are continually circulating around the city are reporting hot spots so that staff can focus their attention on developing solutions.

Staff recognize and appreciate the importance of Burlington residents communicating with their ward Councillors. Staff plan on using this intelligence by holding an open weekly invitation to Council members to convey what they hear from their constituents as it relates to pinch points around the city.

Options Considered
A pre-determined list of criteria to support road and sidewalk closures was considered, however, the varying nature of roadways across the city and the limited number of issues identified to date has resulted in staff preferring to take a responsive approach that examines the merits of each request and considers context-sensitivity when developing a solution.

This one gets debated in a virtual city council Standing Committee meeting.

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A wag said to me last week - 'would you like to hear what I think about City Council ?' This was a reliable source. Listen in

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

June 8th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

We have a city Council that is approaching the half way mark of the term. It has been a roller coaster of a ride so far. From firing the city manager on basically their first day on the job to having to deal with a totally different form of doing their jobs – locked down in the homes and doing everything via Zoom while the City Manager runs the city with in a way he didn’t think he would be doing when he signed on.

City Council meeting - before COVID

City Council meeting – before COVID

Five of the seven had absolutely no civic government experience; they were flying close to blind with nothing but their aspirations to guide them. Every one of the five have learned that this was not a simple gig. All have never worked harder in their lives. Some may decide this isn’t the business for them – and for some this isn’t the business for them.

There are people who live and breathe what goes on at city hall.  We refer to then as “local wags” people who have their ear to the ground.
One of them gave us their view at what we were getting from our politicians. These are the views of people other than Gazette staff.

And no – we are not going to identify the wag. This person has been a very useful source of information.

Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith – wants Aldershot to secede from the city so he can become Mayor of Aldershot. Could be – you never know.

Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns – wants to be Mayor at some future date. Don’t put any real money on that every happening.

Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan – wants to serve as the Mayors Lieutenant. Isn’t he already doing just that?

Ward 4 Shawna Stolte – not bad for a former social worker. Tough on the spending side.

Ward 5 Paul Sharman – the moment he thinks the Mayor is about to slip on a banana peel he will be at city hall filing nomination papers for the Office of Mayor.

Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna – he is better than the person he replaced but not by that much. Has serious difficulty fully understanding the issue in reports.

Mayor Meed Ward – she leads a council but that council doesn’t work as a team under this Mayor. And this is a Council that wants to be led in a collegial fashion.

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Resiliency and mental health - subject of an online workshop June 18th

eventspink 100x100By Staff

June 6th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Resiliency and mental health can determine how well individuals overcome the stresses and uncertainty of any situation.

Mental health

Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

They are two very important aspects connected to a pandemic and how we cope with the social isolation and major disruption to the way we live our lives.  Burlington residents are invited to attend an educational online talk from Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

There is no cost but participation is limited to the first 500 participants.

To register, please email getinvolved@burlington.ca by Tuesday, June 16 at 4 p.m. Participants will be emailed the Zoom Meeting link on June 17.

The events in these first few months of 2020 have been an incredible test of our resilience. Our existence has been stripped down to the essentials. We are in a global fight to protect and manage our health. This global crisis will change the world forever, and each of us will inevitably be transformed by the experience. This pandemic will be taught in future history classes!

As with all seasons and events of challenge, how we respond is crucial. In this remote learning event, Dr. Hanley-Dafoe will present her work on resiliency that includes the five core competencies from a global perspective. Dr. Hanley-Dafoe will discuss how to best navigate personal and professional resiliency in times of uncertainty through stress performance, targeted focusing and value alignment.

She will also introduce the Resiliency Trajectory Model to serve as a tool for seeing resiliency in action. The information is researched informed, readily available, and is grounded in wise practices. Her aim is to facilitate knowledge mobilization that is relatable, accessible, sustainable and realistic. The information presented here may not be radical, but it is ultimately practical for the everyday resiliency we all need right now.

Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe is a psychology and education instructor who specializes in resiliency, navigating stress and change, leadership, and personal wellness in the workplace. Described as transformational, engaging, and thought-provoking, Robyne’s keynotes provide practical strategies grounded in global research and case studies that help foster resiliency within others and ourselves.

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Solidarity marchers turn out in the thousands supporting the Black Community

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

June 6th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

A reported 5000 people marched from Walkers Line to City hall last night in support of protests against the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .

He was murdered by a police officer who had pressed his knee again Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes at which point Floyd died.

The last words heard from the man were ”I can’t breathe”.

There were certainly issues of social distancing but the march was a typically Canadian peaceful event.

The crowd in civic square was quiet and not filled with people pressed together.

Half an hour after the event Civic Square was empty with not piece of garbage littering the space.

Would that Spencer Smith Park and the Beachway looked as tidy at the end of a weekend.

Civic square after

Civic Square was basically spotless half an hour after the Solidarity March took place Thursday evening. It was more than a respectable crowd which struggled with the social distancing rule, especially those on the right hand side who were clustered far too tightly. Will we see an uptick in infections in a couple of weeks?

civic sq solidarity

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Free non-medical cloth masks from participating council members

News 100 blueBy Staff

June 4th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

If you need a non-medical cotton mask you can send a note to ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith or ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte.

The other four Councillor did not take up the opportunity to make free masks available to citizens.

Councillor Stolte – ward4@burlington.ca

Councillor Galbraith – ward1@burlington.ca

Galbraith couple

Ward 1 Councillor Kelvin Galbraith and his wife Angie Blignaut

Shawna and daughter

Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte with her daughter wearing one of the free masks.

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Testing is getting better - the charities are going to bleed for some time.

News 100 blueBy Staff

June 4th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Rose parking spot

Parking spot for those getting tested.

Some of the negative and positive fall on the COVID19 front.

Testing at Joseph Brant has gone up 70% since the Premier encouraged more people to get tested

Test results are taking 24-48 hours to come back, on average

A big question being asked, being led to a large degree by Collen Mulholland, is how charities will have to do things a lot differently in the years ahead.

Sally Ann

This is what the Salvation Army would like to see – it may not be what will happen.

The Salvation Army Kettle Campaign won’t be able to proceed as usual without retail locations they can be in front of and the handling of cash will be different – that’s a $400K campaign for them annually.

Ribfest south lake side

A very successful event that raised thousands for Rotary and was heavily attended. Can the event recover if they close for a year.

Cancellation of Ribfest is a huge loss for Rotary fundraising.

There is a need to look at innovation and flexibility in how charities fund raise – something to give thought to in future meetings.

Domestic/family violence/mental health continues to be an issue – upcoming June public meeting to hear messaging around support.

There are a lot of questions that have to be addressed.

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Is the city seeing and hearing from their Mayor often enough?

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

June 4th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Mayor Meed WardWhere is the Mayor?

There are dozens of places where her presence – at a safe social distance would be welcomed. The Burlington Food Bank would like to see her helping out for a bit; the Compassion Society would make room for her.

A drop in at any one of the Ambulance stations would be appreciated.

A bit of a tour in the hospital, personally thanking the staff.

A picture of her wearing a mask and once again getting out her message – six feet apart and wear a mask – and if you are in quarantine – please follow the rule.

She was seen yesterday on the webcast of a Special Meeting of Council she called – media wasn’t advised.

She will be chairing the Mayor’s Task Force on Covid 19 this evening – starts at 6 pm

Many municipalities post their Mayor’s daily schedule on line.

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That cheque for Seniors - expect to see it in your bank account around July 6th.

News 100 yellowBy Staff

June 4th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Seniors facing higher costs for groceries, transportation and prescriptions due to COVID-19 can expect emergency aid payments of up to $500 in early July.

Trudeau announcing the 300 July 6

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing the date for that seniors COVID bonus. He hasn’t looked very happy of late.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced during his daily news conference in Ottawa Thursday that the payments would be distributed starting the week of July 6.

Trudeau initially announced the one-time top-up on May 12.

The payments are to offset increases in the cost of living due to COVID-19. Seniors who qualify for Old Age Security (OAS) will be eligible for a one-time tax-free payment of $300, and those eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) will get $200.

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