 By Pepper Parr
June 10, 10, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
It could not have come at a better time for the north Burlington residents who are looking forward to a second day in court where they hope what they see as an errant, illegal land fill operation finally have the boots put to it.
The Gazette has followed this story since we first got word of the truck rumbling up and down Appleby Line with landfill from quite where no one knew.
Three notices of libel during which we were given an opportunity to retract what we had published, notices to two other north Burlington residents as well and then finally a Statement of Claim from the Burlington Air Park Inc., that we had damaged their reputations and needed to be punished to the tune of $100,000 by way of exemplary damages, And this isn`t over yet.
CBC National News has picked up the story which will broadcast this evening on the national network. The following is a transcript of what the CBC will run.
Rural Ontario residents fear contents of soil dumped near their properties
Anger over some landowners accepting millions of dollars worth of soil dug up in Toronto
Jun 10, 2014 11:43 AM ET
Marnie Luke, CBC News
Residents living in rural communities near Toronto are demanding to know what’s in the thousands of truckloads of soil being dumped on property near them.
 Barbara Sheldon’s farmland is located on the edge of Burlington, Ont., and is now walled in by a three-storey berm of dirt brought in by her neighbour, who owns the small Burlington Executive Airport next door.
She is worried about what might be in the muddy mix.
“We’re sitting ducks waiting for the contaminants to leach,” she said.
Sheldon told CBC’s Diana Swain that anyone in the country could face the same problem.
“They could lose everything. That is what happened to me. I lost everything,” she said.
“I’ve lost my property value. For five years I’ve lost the use of my land, I’ve lost the use of my home. I mean, from sun up to sun down and sometimes at night and on weekends we’re talking back-up beepers, we’re talking about dump trucks surrounding me,” Sheldon said.
Need for places to dump dirt will increase
Rural residents are angry that some landowners are taking in millions of dollars worth of soil dug up from Toronto-area construction sites with little oversight. The City of Toronto estimates nearly four million cubic metres of soil will be dug up in the next 10 years for Toronto water and transit projects alone.
With more and more soil being displaced to make room for condos, transit, Pan Am Games venues and other urban development projects, the need for places to dump that dirt is only going to increase.
Some municipalities have bylaws about using private property for landfill, but rules around soil testing and the amount of dirt that can be dumped are muddy.
Ontario environmental commissioner Gord Miller said it’s time for tougher rules as well as clarification on who has jurisdiction.
“We don’t have security on piles, on areas where we know there is contaminated soil … and it can be removed and sort of mixed in and how would we know? So there is legitimate concern when large volumes of soil are being deposited in rural areas with very little checking,” he said.
‘Disingenuously raising concerns’
Sheldon said every level of government she contacted for help since the dumping began five years ago said it wasn’t their responsibility.
 Court documents obtained by CBC News show Vince Rossi, owner of the Burlington Executive Airport, earned more than $855,000 accepting fill at the Burlington airport between the years 2011 to 2013.
In a statement to CBC News, Rossi accused his neighbours of “disingenuously raising environmental concerns.”
Rossi said the Ministry of the Environment has not found a problem with the fill he is using.
He also said that municipal bylaws don’t apply to his property.
“As for the issue of jurisdiction, our view is that only Transport Canada has a say over the nation’s airports,” he wrote.
The City of Burlington took the airport to court last year and got the dumping stopped. An appeal of that decision will be heard on June 11.
Similar disputes are playing out in other rural communities, like New Tecumseth in Simcoe County, which sits on the environmentally protected Oak Ridges Moraine about an hour north of Toronto.
A caravan of trucks began dumping dirt on the local air strip there four years ago, and concerned residents say they haven’t been able to get answers about what’s in the soil or the potential impact to well water.
Voluntary guidelines
Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment issued voluntary industry guidelines last year on testing and disposing of soil. But a report by the City of Toronto’s chief planner raises concerns that the guidelines do not deal with excess soil moved across jurisdictional boundaries.
“As a result, there continues to be a policy and regulatory gap in this area,” the report says.
Concerned citizens and environmental groups have formed the Ontario Soil Regulation Task Force, and are calling on the province to create an enforceable Clean Soil Act.
“That fill has to go somewhere. Somebody’s going to find a place for it, because it’s got money attached to it,” Sheldon said. “Until that money is removed from the fill, they should charge people. You want to put it here? OK, you pay us, developers. The whole system’s broken from the start.”
Miller, Ontario’s environmental commissioner, said to tackle the problem, you have to start at the source.
“The people who dig the holes should be responsible cradle to grave to making sure that soil is not only going somewhere where it’s safe, but somewhere where it’s wanted, and deposited in a manner that’s acceptable to the receiving municipality and the local residents,” Miller said.
The CBC is understood to be planning a series of television features on the problem. The natives north of Dundas will be beating their drums wildly tonight as they prepare for the appeal hearing tomorrow.
 By Pepper Parr
April 14, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
This isn’t the first run up the hill for James Smith, he has run for the ward 5 council seat before and did credibly well in 2010. Federal liberal in 1988
For James the issues in the 2014 election are personal – he is passionate about the need for public transit, worked himself ragged to get the Freeman Station onto a site where work at restoring the structure could begin. In his campaign material Smith says: “As president of the Friends of Freeman Station I learned some very valuable lessons about consensus building and finding solutions to problems city council couldn’t or didn’t want to tackle.”
James Smith has been around politics a large part of his life. His first political encounter was back in 1968 – during the days when Paul Hellyer, was a force – he became the Minister of Defence and merged the armed forces putting them all in the same colour of uniform.
Smith hung around political offices and did all the usual stuff young people do in elections. He did what that generation did and took the “trip to Europe” with some friends. Met a woman who had a cousin and married the cousin – they’ve been married 34 years and have two grown children.
Smith worked for Sears in western Canada for nine years as a store planner; they sent him east where he worked in Scarborough. The work was decent but Scarborough wasn’t for him. They liked the High Park area but prices weren’t within their budget. “We kept moving west, found Burlington and have been here ever since” is the way Smith describes his introduction to the city.
 James Smith, second from left, at the signing of the Joint Venture with the city to move and refurbish the Freeman Station. There was a family to be raised and the Harris government took over the province – not much room for Liberals in those days. Smith hunkered down and raised his children. Smith is a former Director of the Burlington Arts Centre; a past member of Burlington’s Official Plan citizens advisory committee and a founding member of the Burlington Conserver Society – the group that saved the Sheldon Creek Woodlot
Smith was a member of the Shaping Burlington Committee – they advocated for the adoption of the City of Burlington Engagement Charter. Council accepted the Shape Burlington recommendation but the public hasn’t seen much of the concept since then.
Smith, whose father was a broadcaster is the co-host of Transit Talk on Usual Sources Radio CFMU-FM 93.3 In 2013 Smith established the Save Skyway Arena Campaign and stopped the closure of Skyway Arena.
He was host and moderator of BFAST’s (Burlington for Accessible Sustainable Transit) Town Hall meeting in June 2012; an event that brought some of the best minds in transit in the province to Burlington. Smith is the Burlington Representative on the GTA West MOVE Task Force and co-author of the soon to be released MOVE Task Force Report
BFAST takes credit for saving the John Street Bus Terminal.
An finally, Smith is a founder (one of several) and Past President of The Friends of Freeman Station; he has been tireless in finding a home for the station and leading a sound board and team of volunteers that will soon be out refurbishing the station that now sits on Fairview – next to the fire station.
Smith is an active Catholic as well.
The campaign to win ward 5 this time around is based on three premises: Planning, Moving and Prosperity. What the public has seen from Smith is a consistent approach to the way we move people around. He argues that grid lock, the increasing cost of gas, an aging population that will not be able to drive a car at some point and the impact of carbon on the environment make it vital that the city look at different forms of public transit.
GO works well and the service is now more frequent which keeps cars off the QEW. Smith tends to focus on local transit and our ability to get from community to community. Getting Burlingtonians out of their cars is a little like spitting into the wind. Car culture dominates and Smith doesn’t believe this council and particularly the member for ward 5 really understand transit. Their arguments tend to focus on the cost to the city while James believes cost is certainly a concern but that there is a bigger concern that isn’t being seen. Were Smith to be elected there will be different conversations around the council chamber horseshoe.
James Smith believes that the city needs to do a better job of planning. He is pretty blunt and direct when he says: “Burlington has no green fields left to pave.”
Urban sprawl, he points out, costs us all in additional services and hidden costs. He then adds that the only thing people seem to hate more than Sprawl is Intensification. Smith fully understands the province’s “Places to Grow” legislation and the city’s official plan – not something that can be said for every member of the current council.
Smith makes the uncomfortable point that “with no more room to build, the fact we have built to the edge of our urban boundary means intensification is coming. We have to be ready for and understand how to make the changes we want to see in our communities.” Not exactly great vote getters but they do reflect the reality Burlington faces.
Smith has serious issues with a number of the decisions made by the current council and while he earns a very good living as an architectural technologist – he took time last December to hunker down with family and friends and decide if he could win an election and if he felt he could – mount a campaign and work at it full time.
What the public often does not realize is that the people who run for office do so at their expense. They have to put quite a bit of their own money into the campaign and they have to give up on their gainful employment and go door to door in the ward listening to votes and seeking their support.
Smith has been delegating to city council for years – he takes on an issue and will work his way through the work plan and get it done.
He’s Irish and while the temper is seldom seen, it is nevertheless there and on an unfortunate occasion he set aside the words he had prepared and asked council if they “were on coke” – they were going through a transit report that should have been before council several weeks before. Smith just lost it.
How we get around has been an overriding issue for Smith. He believes we have to work with other governments and agencies to develop an action plan to build a CN grade separation on Burloak before 2020. Smith is adamant – we have to use the Gas Tax monies we get for transit; that is what the funds were intended for. Smith and his Bfast colleagues get close to apoplectic when they see gas tax monies being spent on roads.
While there has been a lot of talk about working with employers to put active transportation plans in place – there hasn’t been much actually implemented.
Smith wants to re-allocate resources and review transportation budgets for waste and duplication with the Region of Halton and plan for a Transit system people will use and can rely on, with a City commitment to funding transit at least to the level of the GTA average
If James Smith makes it to city hall expect him to press hard for a commitment to work with Oakville, Waterdown and the province to plan and build the Dundas BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) called for in Metrolinx’s BIG Move. Should he end up with more votes than anyone else in ward 5, the city will finally have a true transit advocate on council.
Burlington now has Prosperity Corridors. Smith isn’t overly impressed with the public relations language and points out that with a fixed urban boundary the city has to look for creative new ways to attract new development, industry and residents. He seems to have forgotten that the city has an Economic Development Corporation, albeit one that hasn’t done very much and currently has its head buried in a governance exercise. Smith would like to establish a Task Force on unlocking the potential of Employment Lands. He will be walking into a hornets nest on that one. He wants to involve residents in the earliest phases of planning to develop community supported new development. The BEDC has yet to ever invite the public into its deliberations – anything Smith can do to open up that operation will be welcome news and certainly in line with the objects of the Community Engagement Charter that can’t seem to get outside the doors of city hall.
Smith wants mixed use for all Employment Lands to at least be considered and to insist on a residential component for all retail re-development – he would like to add in a residential and an affordability component as well.
So who is this guy? Irish that’s for sure. A citizen who has paid his dues and shown that he can get things done. City council basically threw its hands in the air with the Freeman Station – Smith was part of a team that saved the station so that citizens could refurbish it.
In 2010 there were eight candidates running for the council seat. Paul Sharman won that contest after deciding that he wouldn’t run for Mayor – he filed nomination papers for that job first.
The candidates were: Serge BERALDO, Rick GOLDRING, Paul KESELMAN, Dave KUMAR, Anne MARSDEN, Cal MILLAR, Peggy RUSSELL, Paul SHARMAN and James SMITH. Goldring dropped out as a ward council candidate and ran for Mayor.
David Kumar went on to his heaven by getting appointed to the Committee of Adjustment, Cal Millar went on to become president of the federal Conservative Party association in Burlington.
While Sharman has yet to file his nomination papers for re-election in ward 5 (maybe he is going to file to run for the office of Mayor and mean it this time?) the race is currently between Ian Simpson and James Smith.
Background links and related stories:
Smith loses it.
 By Pepper Parr
March 5, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The John Street transit terminal will remain in place – for now. On a vote of 5-2 (Sharman, Dennison were prepared to let people stand out in the cold) The city is currently looking at the matter of transit hubs – there are four that are being avidly discussed – with the John Street location seen as one of the more critical locations. The Burlington GO station has more bus routes going through it – 16 as opposed to the 8 that run through the John Street location. The Mayor sees it as a critical part of the downtown core.
 There was a time when a much larger bus terminal existed 25 yards to the left of this small terminal on John Street – it was where people met. There were fewer cars, Burlington didn’t have the wealth then that it has now. We were a smaller city, as much rural as suburban. The times have changed and transit now needs to change as well. The transit people wanted to shut the terminal down because the drivers wouldn’t need the facility and the public would be able to get answers to their questions at the Harvester Road transit office which is open longer than the terminal and has staff available on Sunday. What Spicer kept calling “fare media” when he meant bus tickets, would be available at local retail locations in the downtown core. The Queen’s Head and Coffee Culture are the closest retail locations that are open long hours but Spicer told council that his people had not approached anyone yet.
Were the terminal to be closed, tickets will be available at city hall – but the hours there are limited. What was startling was no mention whatsoever about customer comfort. In this brutally cold weather that has been with us for more than a month the outdoor shelters just don’t cut it. The terminal is a warm place to wait for a bus.
Mayor Rick Goldring said transit had to have a meaningful presence in the downtown core and added that he talks to a lot of people who use the John Street terminal.
The Mayor and Meed Ward were the only two people to talk about the terminal. Meed Ward then moved on to part two of her transit mission: where was transit in the Transportation Master Plan review which has focused a bit on the creation of four mobility hubs. Burlington’s friends and supporters of transit (Bfast) couldn’t see it in the proceedings so far.
 Mobility hubs at the GO stations is close to a no brainer – it is the possible hub in the downtown core that has yet to be thoroughly thought through. Council decided that closing the terminal on John Street to save $8000 a year was not a bright idea. Meed Ward was the chair of the committee reviewing budget submissions which means when she has a question she turns the gavel over to her vice chair Paul Sharman who behaved like an enforcer on a hockey team and appeared to feel his job was to keep the puck away from Meed Ward and if she did get her hands on the thing – then his job was to knock her down. It was particularly deplorable behaviour during which there was precious little respect shown. We have seen this kind of behaviour from Councillor Sharman in the past.
With the gavel in his hands Sharman challenged her right to bring a new matter to the committee meeting. The Clerk ruled that Meed Ward could bring a new matter and given that transit was being discussed and her matter was related to transit she wanted to proceed.
What became clear during the discussion about the John Street terminal is the difficulty the city is having with just what it wants to do, will have to do and can afford in terms of public transit.
The transit advocates maintain that the city had not made it perfectly clear that transit was part of the Master Transportation Plan the city is currently reviewing.
General Manager Scott Stewart put that dog to rest when he made it perfectly clear that transit is a vital part of the transportation thinking.
 Doug Brown, chair of Bfast – Burlington’s friends and supporters of transit, can read a bus schedule better than most bookies can read the Racing Guide. He meets with Susan Lewis a transit user. Doug Brown Bfast chair said he has been asking if transit was being considered within the Transportation Master Plan and hadn’t been given an answer. Last November Brown sent the following questions to everyone he felt was involved. He says he has yet to get an answer. Bfast wants to know:
1) Will the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) develop a comprehensive long-term transit plan, including funding, to guide the growth of a robust transit system?
2) Will the TMP fully analyze and assess all opportunities to minimize road and intersection widenings and the construction of additional parking facilities through investments in transit, active transportation, and Transportation Demand Management?
3) Will the TMP be evaluated against criteria demonstrating that implementation of the TMP will:
a) meet the City’s own planning objectives (ROPA38 requirement to increase local transit to 11% modal split from current 2%);
b) meet the objectives of the City’s Strategic Plan (walkable, liveable, inclusive communities; GHG reduction targets)
c) will be environmentally and economically sustainable by determining all costs and benefits of proposed transportation options
4) Will the TMP look at successful measures in other cities (i.e. Portland, Ottawa, Victoria) to increase transit and active transportation modes.
Meed Ward read these out at the budget meeting. Stewart said he wasn’t aware of the questions; Meed Ward said she would send them to him.
The discussion around what the transit issue really is was instructive. Burlington is expected to increase the transit part of its modal split (that is the number of people who use different forms of transportation) from 2% to 11% by 2031 and that can only happen if transit ridership increases by 10% each year.
Blend into that the fact that transit ridership was lower in 2013 than it was in 2012.
City manager Jeff Fielding points out that our population is only going to grow by 1900 a year for the next ten years and then asks: “Do you really think you are going to get a modal shift from 2% up to 11% in the next 20 years. I can’t see it, I really can’t see it and I’m a big transit supporter. There may be some other approaches we need to look at.”
Councillor Taylor was just as direct. He said we are not going to get new people to take transit. If transit is to grow it will have to come from the existing population – and that is going to mean changing our communities and intensifying. The one way you can change transit said Taylor is to make it more convenient for the users.
 Councillor Sharman was both direct and blunt. Burlington is a great city and a place where wealthy people want to live. Wealthy people have cars. No one moves to Burlington to get around using transit.
Those views sum up the predicament and the challenge that transit faces.
That brought Meed Ward back into the conversation with a question for staff: “Can they tell us with some specificity how transit will be handled within the Transportation Master Plan?” Stewart was able to oblige her. Transit will be part of the Transportation Master Plan discussions but there will not be a transit business case coming out of the TMP.
Stewart undertook to get answers to the Bfast questions; when, asked Meed Ward. Not in March, that’s for sure responded Stewart; probably in April or May.
Transit is due to produce their first report card on how the service is doing in June. Add to that the news that transit is currently working with the providers of a technology that will give the transit managers real-time data on who gets on and off a bus and exactly where this happens; data Burlington Transit says is vital if they are to effectively allocate the resources they have.
As the discussion was coming to a close Sharman, filling in as chair of the meeting, asked Meed Ward if she had a motion. No, she replied and I now want to withdraw the motion I might have had. She had made her point – transit was now very much on the table and a part of an upcoming agenda.
Viewpoints that were not known before were now public.
The city does have a transit advisory committee – problem with that committee is that it can’t manage to meet which increases Stewart’s frustration level.
 Susan Lewis a consistent transit user, she doesn’t drive, was asked to join the Transit Advisory committee and headed downtown in January for a meeting. When she got to city hall she and one other person were the only people in the room; the meeting had been cancelled and not everyone was told.
Mayor Goldring and Councillor Meed Ward want clarity, the transit advocates want a clear policy commitment and better funding. The city manager doesn’t want to provide that money because he doesn’t see value in it and the bulk of this council don’t have a lot of time for transit. They spent more time talking about the removal of snow.
There is one sliver of hope. The city manager is a transit supporter and he would very much like to have some bold ideas to work with. The Bfast people, who can be a bit pedantic at times, do know what moving people around on public transit is all about.
If Stewart does manage to get all the players in the room he just might find that the Bfast people have a lot to offer; he just has to manage the frustration that overcomes him on occasion. He might think in terms of making Bfast the transit advisory committee. It couldn’t be any worse than what he has now – and the transit staff would be well served to listen carefully to these people. More respect for each other would go a long way as well.
The discussion really wasn’t a budget issue; Meed Ward was pushing the rules, but she brought to the table a discussion that has been needed for some time. Councillors Lancaster and Dennison had nothing to say; it will be a long time before you see either of them on a bus.
 Back to those mobility hubs and the John Street terminal. The hubs and hinged to the GO stations which makes sense – the downtown hub was the location that council wasn’t as certain about.
One of the “big picture” tasks the city is working on is opportunities to develop the north end of John Street where the city owns a parking lot that abuts the plaza at the top of John Street.
 Medica One or the Carriage Gate project – pick the name you like best – will go up at the top of John Street and consist of a medical offices building, an above ground garage and an apartment/condo complex. It will bring significant change to the intersection and drive redevelopment of the plaza to the immediate north, A transit hub a couple of blocks to the south then makes a lot of sense. The Carriage Gate group is expected to break ground soon on its medical building, parking garage and apartment/condo tower which will make the Caroline and John Street part of town a busier place.
 Parking lot # 3 at the top of John Street just south of the shopping plaza is being given a very close look for redevelopment. The Carriage Gate development will draw people to the area creating a John Street that could undergo significant development. There might be life in the downtown core yet. Some of the city thinking has the plaza at the top of John Street being given a massive make over and that portion of John Street north of Caroline a cleanup – it looks more like a laneway right now. All this thinking will impact what happens at the south end of John, where just blocks away the Delta Hotel and the Bridgewater condominiums are about to see some real construction activity.
A John Street mobility hub then would be a critical part of any makeover of this part of town which is all very much a project that is in the thinking through the ramifications stage.
The Mayor wants to stay with this one; get in front of it and lead the parade.
 By Pepper Parr
February 28, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
The number isn’t nearly high enough – but it is a start.
A couple of months ago the city invested in a service that would result in the creation of a panel of people who would be asked their opinions on a number of critical issues. It was basically open to anyone who lived in Burlington.
 Burlingtonians have opinions – the city manager wants to hear what you think – become part of his Insight panel. The tool was something the city manager wanted – it is something that operates out of his office. The politicians can suggest questions that get put to the panel but this is an administrative tool – intended to give the city manager insights on what the people mailing in those property tax cheques think.
As of Feb. 21, 421 people have completed the introductory survey. The city wants people to know more about our Community Insight Panel
Most are long time Burlington residents with 57% having lived here over 20 years, 13% 15-20 years
- The majority of you are over 31 years of age
- The majority own their homes
- Quite evenly split between male and female
- Several both live and own a business in Burlington
The top three responses to “Why are you interested in being involved in the panel?”
- Share Opinions
- Influence decisions
- Provide Input
A few examples of alternate answers provided by panel members: participate in meaningful engagement with the City, Encourage innovation, participate in the democratic process and to be involved in the community.
Your top five responses to “What matters most to you?”
- Parks and public spaces
- Property taxes and city spending
- Infrastructure for walking, biking and transit
- Libraries and recreation facilities
- Public safety
383 panel members provided a response to what you like to do in Burlington, and 232 panel members provided a response to what other topics interest you.
Are city council members getting behind this initiative? Every council member has a data base of people in their ward. It’s a list of people who have supported them in the past; people who have come to them for some help.
Most Councillors will send out what they call an “e-blast” which is an email that goes out to everyone they have an address for. Council members also have a Newsletter they send out.
Each council member’s list has to have at least 1000 names on it. They were asked to send an eblast to their constituents to advise them of the creation of the Insight Burlington panel
My math has 7 members of council with 1000 names each – getting me 7000 names – but all we have is 421 names? Did the council members really send out an eblast? We have our name on each of those lists and we don’t recall getting an email from anyone about the creation of the panel. To be fair some have mentioned the panel in their Newsletters.
Just doesn’t seem that the members of council are fully supporting a tool the city manager has that council members can’t take advantage of – and that is a shame.
If you haven’t already signed on to the panel – take the time to do so now. Click on the link – and spread the word: Insight Burlington.
Background links:
City manager wants to hear what public thinks.
 By Pepper Parr
February 23, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
The process Burlington Transit is going through as they rationalize their routes and look for more efficient ways to serve the needs of those who choose to use transit and those who have no choice got me to thinking longer term.
Stay with me on this.
Students or first time drivers have to go through a graduated license process and don’t get to drive on the 400 series highways the moment they pass their first test.
 It will not be too long before rules like that are going to apply to seniors. I personally find that my eyes don’t work the way they used to in the dark of night and my reflexes aren’t as sharp as they were when I was 25.
I frequently find myself driving behind a senior who gives the word cautious a whole new meaning. There is timidness to older drivers and once there are more of them on the road – and that day is not far off – traffic is going to move slower.
Between older people driving slowly and young people believing they can text and drive, the roads in town will become hazardous places. But that is not my point.
 We will need buses that can carry dozens of people with walkers – because they won’t be driving. I believe there will come a time when the province will require doctors to report any patient whose responses are such that they perhaps should not drive at night. Many of you know of adults who have had to go through the difficult process of telling Dad that he has to give up the keys to the car and not renew his driver’s license.
What do those seniors do then? Are they to be land locked in their homes – because they aren’t going very far with the service Burlington Transit offers?
It doesn’t require a degree in rocket science to figure out how many seniors we have and where they live – the federal census data will give you that information. We already know in large numbers how many seniors we have and which postal code they live in.
We know where the libraries are, where the food stores are and where the hospital is. If we know the ages of the people in this city, and we know where they live and where they will most likely want to go – then we can begin thinking about what kind of transit we are going to need to move these people around.
That is the kind of long term thinking a city council should be doing. I have watched and listened to council members discuss how many people were on a particular bus route at a specific time – none of their business – that’s what the transit people do.
Council’s job is to think today and plan for tomorrow on how the city is going to meet the transit needs of all the seniors that we are going to have living in the best medium size city in the country.
 Specialized buses will be needed and it will take longer to load passengers. When the capital budget for the next 10 year is drawn up there should be funds set aside to buy the kinds of busses the seniors will need. We need to begin putting money into that reserve find now and doing some early education work as well.
Perhaps we will see a Staff Direction to this effect sometime soon?
Will Burlington lead in the transit service it provides its seniors?
 By Pepper Parr
February 20, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
Doug Brown knows more about what Burlington hasn’t managed to do with its transit service than anyone else in the city. He has personal files that cover more than 25 years of transit history. He brings a strong personal commitment to public transit and can tell you how difficult it is to get about not only the city but the Region if you rely on public transit.
 Doug Brown and Susan Lewis look over a 1982 copy of the city’s bus schedule.  They called the bus schedule the Digest in 1982 – a time when Burlington had 18 bus routes and a schedule that fit on one large piece of paper. The current bus schedule is 28 pages long – many of the bus drivers don’t understand the thing. We met with Doug Brown and Susan Lewis to talk about the delegations each of them had made to the Community and Corporate Services Committee Brown brought along a copy of the 1982 transit schedule – which at that time was called the Burlington Digest
Last year Brown and a group known as Bfast , Burlington for Accessible Sustainable Transit, made presentations to the Standing Committee that was reviewing the budget for 2013. In their presentations, they presented what they believed was clear evidence that Burlington had continually underfunded transit. They presented the findings of consultants reports, and compared Burlington’s capital and current transit budgets against peer communities (the same communities used in the City’s budget report to compare tax rates). Bfast had hoped the City would carefully weigh the facts and either make some adjustments to the transit budget, or explain to them why they should not be influenced by the facts. To the dismay and disappointment of the Bfast people Committee members had no questions for the delegation, and adopted none of the recommendations.
Bfast hoped the committee reviewing the budget for 2014 would follow the guidelines in the recently adopted Engagement Charter and give citizens meaningful involvement in the budget process. We expect Council and staff to “walk the talk”.
Bfast was of the view that 2013 witnessed a step backwards for transit in Burlington. Despite some restoration of operating funds in the operating budget, there were many route changes which riders found confusing, resulting in reduced service on some routes. Also, the 8.4% fare increase, which was not supported by any analysis or staff report, resulted in Burlington Transit riders paying fares even higher than Toronto’s TTC. Transit users were not consulted about any of these changes. The net result is widespread dissatisfaction with Burlington Transit and a loss of riders from both actions.
 In 1982 there were a number of ticket agents throughout the city. Today there is one bus terminal which the transit people want to close; the public would have to troop over to city hall to buy a ticket. City hall closes at 4:30 pm – never opened on weekends. The 2014 budget does not increase the City’s investment in its transit system. The fulfillment of Burlington’s Official Plan and Strategic Plan require significant additional investment in transit. ROPA (Regional Official Plan Amendments) 38 requires that the transit modal share go from its current 2% to 11% by 2031. This will require an average annual increase in ridership of 10%.
The growth of transit in Burlington requires a long-term plan and funding commitment. The ongoing Transportation Master Plan is an opportunity to develop a long-term transit plan, however, we have been advised by Transportation Department staff that the Transportation Master Plan will not do this. Since the termination of the Transit Master Plan in January 2012, the City has lacked any long-term transit plan.
The budget according to Bfast, continues to treat transit in isolation to the other parts of the City’s transportation system (roads, parking, and active transportation). The majority of the capital budget is for roads, (increasing in 2014 to 54% from 51% in 2013), while transit’s small share of the capital and current budgets does not even get shown in the budget pie-charts.
During the 2013 budget deliberations Bfast we recommended the City look at traffic demand management (TDM) as a means of reducing the very costly widening of roads and intersections in the 10 year capital budget. In the case of the Appleby/Harvester EA, we have been told by the project engineer that TDM was not being looked at or considered.
There are some budget items that reflect the City’s low priority for its transit system.
We note that the funds approved in the 2013 capital budget for transit priority measures ($100,000 for 2014) have been quietly removed from the 2014 budget. Transit priority measures should be part of the Transportation Master Plan and the current Appleby/Harvester intersection plan, as such measures will reduce the car traffic and forego the need for expensive road widening.
Bus Cleaning: It is not clear what is being proposed or if more or less money is required. Bfast fears that that the City may be considering a lower standard of cleaning for the buses. This would be unfair to both drivers and passengers, and sends a wrong message to current and potential transit users. However, Bfast does support the proposal to have the cleaning done by city staff rather than by external contract provided bus cleaning is not compromised.
 There was a time when the car did not rule and the transit department saw bus service as something that was vital. The marketing people certainly took a different approach. Imagine something like this coming out of the transit department today? Back-end loading of transit in 10-year capital budget. Bfast points out that 75% of bus purchase expenditures occur in 2018-2023 and only 25% occur in 2014-2017. Similarly, a large proportion of bus stop location upgrades and bus shelter expenditures occur in 2018-2023.
To be fair, the city has said it will be doing a total revision of the current capital budget –so anything in that budget beyond this year has to be seen as something that will be getting a very close look. Bfast might want to begin developing its own long term capital plan and prepare to take that to the city.
It appears that the City is planning to close the Downtown Terminal on John Street which Bfast describes an important place of shelter, information, tickets, and washrooms for passengers and drivers. While not a major budget item, the Downtown Terminal is very important to transit users and for the development of a walkable, liveable downtown. Ward 2 councillor Marianne Meed Ward has said she will be speaking very strongly for the retention of the John Street terminal.
Bfast argues that city council has not yet seen a detailed business case for the closing of the terminal downtown and more significantly, neither the general public nor transit users have yet seen a business case for the closing of the terminal. Bfast adds to that the Official Plan process that is holding meetings on potential mobility hubs with the downtown as one of four such mobility hubs. One of the fundamental parts of a mobility hub as defined by the City’s Official Plan process and Metrolinx is that they contain a transit terminal. Further, the Master Transportation Plans is integrating all modes of transportation including transit and at this point we do not know how that plan will deal with transit and the downtown terminal.
 If there was ever a place to locate a transit terminal – that would be John Street where the only terminal in the city is now located. Transit department is recommending it be removed and tickets sold at city hall. Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward isn’t buying that business case Bfast suggests this Council is not in a position to determine whether a downtown transit terminal may indeed be a necessary part of an effective transit system that can grow and serve the public effectively in the long run. Any decision to close the downtown terminal now to obtain efficiencies which translate to only $16,000 annually might create long term problems and cost the City far more if the City then has to re-introduce a terminal in the downtown. Bfast is recommending that the future of the downtown terminal be deferred until the Council is more clear on the direction of the Mobility Hub concept re the downtown and the Master Transportation Plan ideas re transit in the downtown. Further, Council needs to direct staff to consult with transit users and the public regarding a possible closing of the terminal.
In their remarks to the committee hearing budget delegations Bfast points out that the 2014 capital budget does include a major investment ($3.4M) in street-scaping in the area of the Downtown Terminal. Surely, this is an opportunity to redevelop the present “kiosk” into a first-rate terminal facility.
There are parts of the transit portion of the budget that confuse Doug Brown, part of the Bfast committee. Referring to a part of the budget about Restoring Transit Services, Brown says “it is unclear exactly what is meant by the item, we haven’t seen the separate report referred to in the Budget document. It would be logical to assume that the Restore Transit Services item comes from the lost capital revenue from changing the federal gas tax funding from a 70-30 split to 80-20. ($500,000 for two years gives $1,000,000). This shouldn’t be regarded as an additional funding option since the funding is already there, just diverted to roads.
Bfast believes Burlington Transit needs to put money into new, (replacement and additional), buses, more shelters, real-time schedule information online and at bus stops, and, more marketing.
When Burlington created its first really relevant Strategic Plan it had no idea how readily the citizens would take to the document. There are very few delegations made that don’t refer to the document. Bfast puts a firm grip on the making Burlington “a walkable, liveable community”. Brown points out that this view has been reinforced by some thoughtful presentations at the bat the Mayor’s Inspire Series where Christopher Hume and Gil Penalosa spoke. Brown wants to see at least some of the ideas that were brought to the city adopted. If we aren’t going to pay any attention to the experts we bring to Burlington to talk to us – then why bother bringing them?, asks Brown.
Dan Burden, an urban planning expert, was engaged by the City to “set the tone” for the Transportation Master Plan. Burden recommended the City create narrower streets to create street life and make the streets safer and more useable by pedestrians and cyclists.
However, the 2014 Budget includes very large expenditures for widening the roads and intersections ($21M for Walkers Line & North Service road and $23M 10 yr. total for Harvester – Appleby to Guelph Line) while, transit, sidewalks, and safe cycling facilities have been underfunded.
 Doug Brown, chair of Bfast, wants to see a bus schedule with routes that work for people and not the current bus route set up in place. It doesn’t work claims Brown. Susan Lewis, who does not drive looks on. There are places she just cannot get to in the city because transit doesn’t work – at least not for her. Brown makes a point that many make on the budget review process Burlington has in place. “Public input on the Budget has again come at the 11th hour, when large changes to the budget are not possible. We encourage the City to provide their citizens with a much earlier opportunity to help shape the budget in the future.”
Doug Brown is chair of Bfast. He brings degrees in science and engineering to the volunteer work he does. What boggles a lot of people is that Brown isn`t used by the city as a significant source of information and advice. Doug Brown was riding the bus in Burlington before the current Direct of Transit Mike Spicer even got to this city.
The city has an asset it needs to consider leveraging.
There is a lot more to be written about transit and how people like Susan Lewis get around in the city. Let’s see what city council decides to do with the current transit budget.
 By Pepper Parr
February 10, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
With the city budget determined as both capital costs and Operating costs – it can still be very confusing.
Council members have tons of questions. Rather than have some questions asked several times city staff pull
together all the questions and consolidate them – letting staff dig out the answers and put the collection in front of council
– it runs to 25 pages.
 Markings identifying portions of the street intended for cyclists. Future plans for bike lanes:
Setting aside part of roadways for cyclists is still a work in progress in Burlington. The cycling advocates
lost the battle to have dedicated lanes on Lakeshore Road – something to be remembered come the
civic election.
Question: Provide a consolidated breakdown of capital funding sources and total cost to install bike lanes for the projects identified in the capital budget.
Response: Preliminary Bike Lane forecasted costs
Ref # 2 Appleby Line @ Harvester Intersection
$ Costs if part of road expansion
Standalone costs (no planned expansion)
Year 2018 $22,000 $822,000
Ref #
|
5
|
Harvester Road @ Guelph Line IntersectionYear 2017 |
$22,000 |
$148,000 |
| Ref # |
6
|
Harvester Road – South Service Road to CenturyYear 2017 |
Drive$161,700 |
$823,200 |
| Ref # |
7
|
Harvester Road – South Service Road to WalkersYear 2017/2020 |
Line$365,200 |
$699,500 |
| Ref # |
8
|
Lakeshore Road – Maple Avenue to City LimitYear 2015/2017 |
$451,000 |
$957,000 |
| Ref # |
11 |
North Service Road @ WalkersYear 2014 |
$187,000 |
$277,000 |
| Ref # |
12 |
Waterdown Road NorthYear 2016 |
$528,000 |
$818,000 |
| Ref # |
13 |
Waterdown Road WideningYear 2014 |
$72,600 |
$312,600 |
| Ref # |
16 |
Plains Road Reconstruction |
|
|
| Year |
2015 |
380 m @ $220 /m = |
$83,600 |
$1,005,000 |
| Ref # |
17 |
South Service RoadYear 2016/2017 |
$52,800 |
$209,600 * |
| Ref # |
19 |
Brant Street @ Plains RoadYear 2017 |
$22,000 |
$66,000 |
| Ref # |
20 |
Harvester Road @ WalkersYear 2016 |
$22,000 |
$272,000 |
| Ref # |
21 |
King Road – SSR to NSR |
|
|
|
|
Year 2019 |
$57,200 |
$2,532,000 * |
| Ref # |
23 |
Walkers @ DundasYear 2016 |
$22,000 |
$52,000 |
| Ref # |
24 |
Walkers @ Upper MiddleYear 2018 |
$22,000 |
$122,000 |
| Ref # |
25 |
Waterdown Road Bridge Widening at Hwy 403 |
$17,600 |
$1,500,000 * |
| Ref # |
28 |
Burloak Drive Grade SeparationYear 2020/2021 |
$44,000 |
$2,000,000 * |
| Ref # |
31 |
Lakeshore Road ReconstructionYear 2019 |
$37,400 |
$179,100 |
| Ref # |
32 |
Plains Road @ York Blvd RoundaboutYear 2023 |
$33,000 |
$83,000 |
| Ref # |
33 |
Walkers Line – Hwy 407 to No 1 SideroadYear 2020 |
$239,800 |
$824,800 |
| Ref # |
85 |
Eastport Drive Cycling ImprovementsYear 2017 |
$11,000 |
$1,000,000 * |
|
|
TOTAL
|
$2,473,900 |
$14,702,800 |
Harvester Road corridor:
Question: Harvester Road Corridor Improvements and Widening. Provide the total cost of all works proposed along the Harvester Road corridor.
Response: The total gross cost of projects along the Harvester Road corridor is $ 27,489,500.
 Sealing cracks on roads is one of the preventive maintenance tools before a road has to be rebuilt. Shave and pave have proven to be money well spent – and we are spending a lot of money on this tool. Road repairs – sealing cracks:
Question: Provide the list of suggested roads that will be crack sealed.
Response: The following table identifies the proposed 2014 crack sealing candidates
| Road |
From |
To |
| WILLOWBROOK RD |
PLAINS RD |
ENFIELD RD |
| GLENWOOD AVE |
NORTH SHORE BLVD |
TOWNSEND AVE |
| RICHMOND RD |
MAPLE AVE |
HAGER AVE |
| POMONA AVE |
LAKESHORE RD |
SPRUCE AVE |
| PINE COVE RD |
SPRUCE AVE |
NEW ST |
| ROCKWOOD DR |
WOODVIEW RD |
WALKER’S LINE |
| TURNER DR |
LONGMOOR DR |
BENNETT RD |
| GRAPEHILL AVE |
WALKER’S LINE |
STRATHCONA DR |
| MELBA LANE |
SPRUCE AVE |
STRATHCONA DR |
| LINDEN AVE |
HAWTHORNE AVE |
SPRUCE AVE |
| REEVES RD |
WHITE PINES DR |
TOTTENHAM RD |
| MAPLE |
LAKESHORE |
FAIRVIEW |
Downtown street lights:
Question: Is the sum of $884,000 in addition to the $1.9 million included in previous budgets to complete Decorative Street Light Restoration works on the downtown?
Response: The sum of $884,000 is new funding. The restoration project is to start in 2016 and continue yearly for 4 years with an expenditure of $222,000 per year. The previous Capital funding was for the reconstruction of Brant Street, burying utilities and installing Decorative Street Lights.
Central Arena Facility Renewal/Enhancements – Skyway
Question: Is money needed for these arenas? What is the future direction of Skyway?
Response: Funds for Central Arena are identified for 2015 and funds for Skyway Arena are identified for 2017. Staff will be conducting an ice needs review in 2014 to determine if the current inventory will meet customer needs for the next 5-10 years. The results of this review will be presented to Council. If the review warrants major renovations to either arena, staff will submit a business case in conjunction with the 2015 budget submission.
The capital budget will be recast in 2015. As such, the 2014 capital budget and forecast focused on 2014 projects. The project in the capital budget assumes a revitalization of Skyway Arena based on life cycle renewal requirements. However, prior to proceeding with this a strategic review of the need for this facility vis-a-vis ice user needs as well as other community needs will be under taken as directed by Council.
 Longer term thinking has city hall being replaced but for the immediate future improving the sound system in Council chamber – FINALLY! and improving some of the meetings rooms is where capital dollars will be spent this year. City Hall:
Question: What work is being done on the city hall building for the $250k in 2014?
Response: A City Hall Administrative Study is underway which will provide a recommended strategic option for City Hall needs. Funding identified in 2014 is to advance the high level option recommended in this study to design development including costing for capital budget purposes.
Looking at what to do with city hall long term doesn’t mean it will be left to disintegrate.
Question: Provide the detail of the work being done in 2014 for public meeting rooms and council chambers.
Response: (a) Meeting rooms on 3rd floor: Replacement of carpeting, furniture and technology. (b) Council Chambers: Audio equipment only.
 Now the biggest park the city has – and the furthest from the bulk of the population. City View Park:
It is now the biggest park the city has – but very few people get to use the place tucked away as it is in the north-west sector of the city – easier for Waterdown people to get to the place.
Once you are there – the site is wonderful. Many don’t like the plastic grass and argue that we will rue the day we have to pay for its replacement and cost of getting rid of it. It was hoped the location would be a big Pan Am Games attraction but all Burlington is going to get is a decent chunk of rent money for space soccer teams use to practice. The public will not be allowed onto the site during those practices.
Question: Outline the need for the 1.8 FTEs and $158K of operating requirements in 2016 and 2017.
Response: 2014 request of $5K supports the portable washroom facility required at the site. The amounts for 2016 and 2017 should be adjusted as follows:
Move request for $15K and 0.3FTE from 2016 to 2015 to provide a student for maintenance of the 3 premier sports fields starting in the Pan Am year. This student will work weekends and will provide a presence in the park, collect litter, groom fields as needed, inspect the trails and ensure the fields are being used as permitted. Three artificial turf fields have been built out and the large investment in this infrastructure requires a greater level of oversight and service.
Move request for $143K and 1.5FTE to 2019 when the Pavilion construction is scheduled. The FTE’s are for one permanent staff person (Equipment Operator) and one seasonal temp. With the build out of the pavilion, the washroom building will be open and the picnic areas. Much like other city parks (such as Central, Nelson, Sherwood Forest, Millcroft, Lowville) the investment in infrastructure combined with high use require increased staff levels to ensure that maintenance standards are met.
 Information technology is everywhere – but not always something you can put your finger on. Done well it will save most people time and the city administration a tonne of money. Expensive – yes – but we couldn’t exist without it. Information technology:
City hall is going to use the internet as much as it can to both improve its communication with its citizens and to reduce its costs. The Information technology department will be charged with delivering on the policy that Council decides upon.
There will be some bumps along this road – we don’t have an IT department that manages to be ahead of the curve in the IT field – to be fair few municipalities are able to keep up with the change. Major corporations stumble on this one. Add to that – that technology takes longer to complete – almost every time.
Project: E-Government Strategy Implementation
Question: a) How much funding has been committed to the E-gov’t program (to date and future)?
b) How many FTEs (permanent and temporary) are assigned by year?
c) With the money being spent, what will be the outcomes / transactions?
Response: a) The E-government program funding is:
Approved to-date:
$1.21 million (2011 – 2013 capital budget requests for software, hardware, implementation, IT staff costs). The projects supported with this funding are the web portal, e-commerce, public involvement, community calendar, service requests.
$490,000 (current budgets for business project staffing costs). These staff are supporting projects for recreation services, web design and migration and overall e-government program implementation. (one-time expense)
2014 capital request:
$240,000 to support projects in development services, open data and staff support.
Total of $1,940,000. This reflects what was requested in the 2012 budget in a 3 year capital program (2012 – 2014).
b) Staff assignments to E-Government Program:
Program manager 3 years, Business Analyst – 2 years, Application Analyst
– 2.5 years, P&R Business Lead – 1 year, Web Specialist – 1 year. The Program Manager and Application Analyst positions finish in 2015 and all others end in 2014.
All of the positions are temporary assignments done through secondment or contract.
c) E-Government Program deliverables are focused on enhancing and expanding our customers’ online experience. Our goal is to introduce more electronic service options for the public and enhance the information access/search ability with improved navigation.
Services delivered to date include: The online Live and Play guide with direct connection to program registration, Public engagement through MindMixer, Tax bill/statement electronic distribution and payment through EPost, Online Tyandaga tee time bookings, P&R program waitlist notification and receipt printing, Online facility availability, Online P&R membership registration.
City information data sets available through our Open Data project for developers and interested community members e.g. our transit schedule is now available through free apps to make it easier to know what bus to take based upon where you want to go.
Our future deliverables are:
Providing a single online reference point for Public Involvement opportunities with the City through a new web page
Online facility availability to meeting rooms and picnic spaces
Revitalized map views to make them easier to use and understand
More data sets for developers to create apps for our citizens to use e.g. cycling routes, construction plans, approved budgets
A new website with the ability to put more services and information online in an easier to access format e.g. service requests, development service permits and applications
An enhanced community calendar
A more user friendly and flexible e-payments solution
Emerald Ash Borer
This is one of those projects where we often don’t know that we are doing – but then no one else in the field knows all that much either. It is complex, based on science that we are still learning about and it is expensive. The hope is – and that’s basically all we have at this point – is that we can keep ahead of it. Not much of an upside but the downside is to lose thousands of trees – and if tax payers are concerned about property values – imagine a street that loses all of its ash trees. This is a tough one.
 This little creature is costing us a fortune – and we are not at all certain we are going to win the battle to stop the infestation. Question: a) How effective is the current program?
b) What were the results of the pilot program in Oakville?
Response: a) Although the effectiveness of the current program is still being understood, observations indicate that treatment has contributed to the prolonged life of ash trees. To date, the trees requiring removal have been primarily those that are untreated and there has not been a significant impact to treated trees. In some cases, non-treated trees have been removed beside treated trees that are still standing.
 How much damage can the Emerald ash bore do? Trees in Cambridge that are lost. b) Staff will request information from Oakville staff about the results of their pilot study and provide Council with this information as it is received.
The above are a few of the items in the capital budget for 2014. The numbers are for the most part place holders while the city totally re-casts the capital budget for 2015 – which is when the new budgeting tools begin to come into play. Service based budgeting, Result based accountability and new Business process management tools will become THE approach used at city hall.
Will they make a difference. You want to hope so – there are some costs coming our way that could cripple the 2020 taxpayers.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON.
January 8, 2014
The city will get its first peak at the budget for 2014 next week when a Budget Overview is given to the Community and Corporate Services Committee.
Burlington has revised its Standing Committee, renamed them and set up a schedule that allows for meetings during the day and in the evening when it is easier for the public to attend. So far however, there don’t appear to be all that many evening sessions.
 Citizens diligently reviewing the city budget. Do these public events ever result in any change or are they just a one way flow of information: From them to you. The public will get a chance to get an up close and personal look at the budget document on Wednesday, January 29th when there will be a Community Meeting and Workshop on the budget at the Shoreline Room at the Burlington Art Centre. 7:00 to 9:00pm – no open bar.
These public meetings have always taken place “downtown” partly because there wasn’t a decent location north of the QEW. With the opening of the Alton Campus there is no excuse for not holding a second meeting in that part of the city. Attendance will be small but once people in the northern part of the city are told, in a meaningful way that they matter – the public will turn out. And the city will get a point of view they don’t get south of the QEW.
 Senior staff facilitate the budget discussions – dies what they hear get any further than the flip chart? And will the city hold public meetings on the Alton Campus? Burlington’s budget is broken into two parts: Capital expenses, things like road work, underpass construction (We won’t see any grade separation work done this year – Mainway and Burloak won’t be done this time around) and the maintaining of the infrastructure we have.
The city administration expects to get the Capital Budget & Forecast review covered and approved in a single session that will take place Tuesday February 11th in Council Chambers starting at 9:30 am. It will then go to Council for a formal vote.
Part two of the city budget – they call it the Current Budget – will be open for delegations on Thursday February 13th before the Community & Corporate Services Committee in the Council Chambers at 9:30 am.
Why this session is not being held during an evening session is very difficult to understand. If the city wants to encourage delegations – truth be told they don’t want to have to listen to a couple of dozen people taking their ten minutes at the podium and giving their opinions. This is how democracy works in Burlington – it is a recent change and not a healthy one. In 1947 Winston Churchill remarked in the British House of Commons that: Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” We paid a very high price for the democracy we have – let us not piss it away.
Council expects to approve the 2014 Capital Budget & Forecast in the Council Chamber during an evening session on February 18th, when delegations can take place. But, because this is a Council meeting, delegations are limited to five minutes and, as the chairs of the Standing Committees always point out – the “heavy lifting” gets done at the Standing Committee level.
The Current budget, which will be quite controversial this time out will get debated in Council chambers by the Budget & Corporate Services Committee on the following dates: Thursday, February 20, Tuesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 6 (if required). All of these meetings are at city hall starting at 9:30 am.
 After all that “heavy lifting” at the Standing Committees the budget will go to Council for approval on March 17th. That event will be an evening meeting.
During January Council members will have copies of the budget which they will review and advise the Clerks office of any items in the budget they wish to discuss in-depth. Each Council member fills in a form, the forms get put into a single pile and the Clerk’s office organizes everything so that Council can see which councillors want to debate which budget item.
In the past the city has held what they called a “budget bazaar” that had senior city staff gathering in a room, with each department at a different table so that Council members could go from table to table and discuss in detail a budget concern.
There are significant Current Budget concerns that will have to be addressed in the coming months. Based on the remarks made by the city manager in December it became evident that the city would not succeed in sticking to the promise to hold increase at not more than 10% during the term of office. Few Council members spoke of 10% as a target – except for the Mayor and he may have to live with that prediction.
Fielding, in his comments suggested that it was more likely to come in at 14%+ over the ten years. That is something Council will decide as it moves forward. The budget recommendations come from the desk of the city manager ever since he took that file from General Manager Kim Phillips.
Jeff Fielding did make it clear as well that 2014 is a transition year for the way the city develops its budget. He has brought in an impressive bunch of financial management tools that include Results Based Accountability, Business Process Management and Service Based Budgeting. These tools will result in a move away from the “silo” approach the city has worked with ; one that has each department working its territory when many of the services delivered involve several departments.
So – for 2014 the question is – will Council manage to stick with the 10% and trample a couple of planned changes – culture could be the place where the pinch gets felt; they want to add an additional full-time employee. What gets thrown under the bus? Has transit taken all the pounding it can handle?
Perhaps there is an opportunity to suck out a bigger dividend from Burlington Hydro. The ice storm may have eaten up any spare cash they happened to have in the kitty.
There is of course a bunch of “reserve” funds – piggy banks with money set aside for a rainy day. And an election year is seen as a rainy day.
 December 14, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. The snow plow roared by our driveway – it looks like it is going to need another touch from the new snow shovel my wife bought. I have to add that she was the one who tested the shovel.
The city has a full fleet out clearing primary roads, parking lots and walkways and adding extra buses to meet public transit needs.
 They move at quite a clip – full fleet of city trucks is out this evening. As of 4 p.m. today, all facilities remain open, except for Rotary Centennial Pond. The outdoor ice skating surface in Spencer Smith Park is snow-covered and subject to high winds. It will reopen on Sunday.
The city has received about 20 centimetres of snow as of 3 p.m. today, with another seven to 10 centimetres predicted by early tomorrow.
Updates on snow clearing are posted three times daily on the city’s website at 9 a.m., 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. during winter control operations.
Burlington Transit has added extra buses and maintenance staff to keep buses on schedule. Nice little bit of overtime for the boys at transit.
 Birds aren’t going to be out much today. “City staff has been working hard around the clock since yesterday to make travel safe in Burlington,” said Cathy Robertson, director of roads and parks maintenance. “While the storm continues, most of our resources are focused on clearing primary and secondary roads. Please be patient if your road has not been reached. The city aims to have all roads plowed within 24 hours following the end of a storm.”
The city asks residents to:
Drive safely, if you must drive
Avoid shoveling snow from driveways onto the roads
Clear fire hydrants near your home
Keep parked vehicles off the roadways so snow plows can get through
The Gazette learned earlier in the day that the library was closing for the afternoon. We passed that information along to the city’s media people. If you’re aware of anything else you think they should know – send the information our way and we will get it to them.
 September 20th 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. The Premier was in town for a Roundtable event facilitated by the Chamber of Commerce at which she listened to some 30 + area business people talk privately about jobs and the economy – which has been the anvil Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak has been banging his steel hammer on for the past couple of years. The Premier is clearly moving in on territory he had staked out.
The visit was the Premier’s second visit to Burlington this month – does she think the Burlington seat can be won?
Taking part in the Premier’s Roundtable in Burlington were: Tom Hughes, President –EarthFresh; Brad Wiseman, CFO EarthFresh; Sylvia Parr, 1st VP – Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies, and poultry farmer; Ken Forth-Local Farmer and past President of Canadian Horticultural Society; John Sawyer -Oakville Chamber of Commerce; Orla Johnston, Oakville Chamber of Commerce; Wendy Rinella -First Canadian Title; Rocco Delvecchio, Siemens; James Rowland, Ford Canada; Roland Tanner, Tanner Ritchey Publishing; Rick Goldring -Burlington Mayor; Ian Cameron, Burlington Economic Development Corporation, Paul Subject, CEO Stanmech Technologies, Ted Lee, Javelin Techologies; Hani Kaissi, VP-Anaergia; Steve Watzek; CEOAnaergia; John Dehne, President L-3 Wescam; Jean Jacques-Rousseau, Senior Manager AmerisourceBergen; Keith Hoey, President Burlington Chamber of Commerce; Eric Blinkhorn – Konecranes Canada Inc; Gerry Kavanaugh – Apex Composites; Glen Russell – Kontek Ecology Systems Inc.; Heather Gerrie Kwant, Gerrie Electric Wholesale Limited; Heidi Cowie, Stresschat Inc.; John Goodwin-MTE Consultants Inc.; Laurie Nadeau, Bevsupport Corp; Nancy Moore , Centre for Skills Development and Training; Marty Staz, Marty Staz – Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services; Michael Clothier, Inter Mune Canada; Sharon Jackman, Service First Forwarding Inc. and Jonathan Levy
Earlier in the week Premier Wynne announced a panel of prominent people who were going to take a deeper look at the public and municipal responses to The Big Move recommendations. You remember that one don’t you? The announcement that we needed billions to upgrade the transportation infrastructure so that we could get people out of their cars and put at least a dent in the grid lock that at times turns the QEW into a parking lot.
The Big Move report estimated $34 billion would be needed to upgrade public transit in the heavily congested region. The problem with that report was there was no consensus on whose pockets that money was to come out of. We all know whose pocket it is going to come from eventually – what’s going on now at all the political levels is none of them wants to be seen as the one that asks for the money.
When the Big Move report got to Burlington’s city council they all sat glumly realizing there wasn’t a thing they could actually do and fearful that the city would be given the job of sucking the money out of your wallets.
The Premier, doing her bit to ease the load on the QEW took GO to Burlington.
That has happened to Burlington before: while health is a provincial responsibility that didn’t stop the province from advising the Mayor that he had to come up with $60 million to pay a share of the cost of re-developing Joseph Brant Hospital. The Mayor gulped because that was all he could do.
Creating a panel to dig through the mounds of reports and find a consensus in there that will keep the public from voting them out of office is a monumental task. Hoping for a decision in December of this year is as close to a pipe dream as you’re likely to get.
This Premier needs an issue that makes her the clear favourite when she goes to the polls and she would like to choose the issue rather than have one slapped on her plate. Tricky business but that is what the art of politics is all about. The good ones are great at it – and this country has had a couple of great ones. Too early to tell if Kathleen Wynne has greatness in her.
She has managed to keep a fractious Legislature under control – no mean feat. While jobs is her biggest challenge resolving the transportation issues has to get done first and that isn’t a two year task. Wynne needs a quick political fix, one of those rabbits that get pulled out of a hat.
Can the panel she appointed do it? Anne Golden, the woman selected to head the panel, is certainly an accomplished and politically savvy social animator. Running the Toronto United Way and then the Conference Board of Canada and now at Ryerson certainly stands her in good stead. Can she make a 1% increase in HST sound palatable? Probably but a five-cent-a-litre regional gas tax is going to choke us. We are then in the $1.50 a litre realm. Add to that the $350-million-a-year business parking levy they have in mind and an additional $100 million a year in development charges and one begins to wonder just how much pain the public can handle. Was the appointment an attempt to stall the inevitable? Four months isn’t much of a stall. Do we have a Premier whistling as she walks by the cemetery?
Is there a consensus in here somewhere?
“I’ve always been opposed to revenue tools and I continue to be opposed to revenue tools,” said Ford. “People are taxed to death enough, and revenue tools is just a tax.”
The Progressive Conservatives criticized the Liberals for appointing a panel to study the recommendations from Metrolinx instead of making decisions about which revenue tools they want to use to raise the transit funding.
“I guess this is another study group, wrapped in a committee, buried in a panel,” complained PC Leader Tim Hudak. “When you call 13 political appointees to study this, that’s Liberal job creation, I guess.”
The New Democrats agreed transit expansion has to be funded, but said they would not support it being done on the backs of already overburdened workers, while the government is giving tax breaks to big corporations. They don’t believe the government’s plans to dig into the pockets of everyday families who are already feeling the pinch is going to be a successful strategy.
“This is a culture shift for this region, it’s a culture shift for the North American context, that people think not in terms of the automobile, they think about transit,” said Premier Wynne. “So we need to make sure that we make the fairest choices possible.”
 And Wynne desperately wants to do whatever she can to ensure that it doesn’t become a provincial election issue either. Quite how you hit the tax payers for $34 billion (that’s $34,000,000,000.) without making it an election issue is astounding.
Government studies show people in the greater Toronto-Hamilton area spend an average of 82 minutes a day commuting, and forecast that will jump to 109 minutes a day by 2031 if nothing is done. There’s an incentive for you.
Next year municipalities in Ontario choose their leadership. Transit will be an issue for Burlington – perhaps not as big as many may think. The transit people have handled the reallocation of services, an awkward situation, rather well. Cutting back on some routes and beefing up others is having an impact – quite how big an impact isn’t known yet but there are promising signs.
Meanwhile Burlington transit plugs away at improving its performance and the level of service it offers. About six months ago city manager Jeff Fielding looked at the transit financial and realized immediately that this wasn’t sustainable and called for less service on the under performing route and more service on those routes that showed potential for growth. The transit advocates didn’t like that decision but it was implemented and Mike Spicer, Director of Transit was given some breathing room and a more of a budget to revitalize transit – it was a city service that had lost its way.
 August 19, 2013
By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. As we get ready to move into September those of us who love film organize our calendars to get as much time in Toronto at TIFF as possible.
And if you don’t know what TIFF stands for – read no further – we don’t have much that will interest you.
But if film is a medium matters to you, if you make a point of getting to at least two or three films during the Toronto International Film Festival – then read on –we have a treat for you.
Ever heard of the Tottering Biped? You have? But you didn’t know what the words meant – we understand. Trevor Copp who put the two words together explains them this way: “Tottering Biped” was inspired by Phillip Tobias’ landmark study on human development, Man: the Tottering Biped, which contends that the human skeleton is not entirely bipedal, it is still in transition from a quadrupedal structure. This thought: that we are deeply incomplete; that the basic act of standing upright and living a conscientious life requires constant effort, informs everything we do.”
The Biped is planning a Film Festival for next January – right here in Burlington – not Toronto, not Hamilton – here in Burlington.
 Trevor Copp, founder of Tottering Biped Theatre and one of the partners planning on holding a Film Festival in Burlington. Trevor Copp and Christopher Giroux, Owner of Red & White Productions, are partnering to create a Canadian based film festival in Burlington. They are seeking new voices and supporting local and Canadian work by providing emerging artists with the opportunity to showcase their short films. It is the long-term goal that the Tottering Biped Film Festival will become an annual event. The “first annual” will be one-night festival on January 17, 2014 at The Burlington Art Centre.
 Copps produced and performed in “First Dance”; a production that pushed the edges of dramatic theatre. Copp has come to the realization that he doesn’t have to truck into Toronto to make a living as an artist – he can make a go of it in Burlington and has emerged as one of the best known artistic figures in the city. He founded Tottering Biped Theatre (TBT) in 2009, Burlington’s first professional contemporary theatre company. The company’s productions have toured throughout Ontario and been featured in Theatre Aquarius’ current TA2 season.
“I’ve become fascinated with the problem of art in suburbia,” says Copp, the performer and co-creator of TBT. “Suburbanites allocate their sense of culture to the city. They feel like we’re just an adjunct of the city, that our life is just sort of a surrogate thing, a temporary life between commutes. And I have a problem with the sense that our stories are not legitimate.”
Copp aims to change that, founding what he believes is the city’s first professional theatre company. Over the two years leading up to the company’s first original production, Copp and TBT have committed to presenting controversial, risky and award-winning scripts. They’ve tackled plays on incest (Home Free), mental illness (To the Ends of the Earth), sexual abuse (Blackbird) and terrorism (My Name is Rachel Corrie), topics that affect people nationwide, but that are usually only presented theatrically in larger cities.
Copp is also the founder of the Artist’s Collective of Burlington which is looking forward to becoming a force that will be heard as Burlington begins public discussion of a Cultural Plan. He was awarded one of the prestigious Chalmers Fellowships and was named Burlington’s Arts Person of the Year designation in 2012.
 Santaland Diaries – another Copps production His passion is “to see artists of all stripes see this place as a home, not a place to sleep between commutes. This town has every potential to be a thriving arts centre and this Film Festival will take us there.”
 Chris Giroux – the film side of the team planning on bringing a Film Festival to the city. Christopher Giroux has been working in the film industry for 10 years. A graduate of Sheridan’s Advanced TV and Film program he has worked as a producer, production manager, camera operator, gaffer and technical director.
His “oeuvre” includes associate producer on the coming feature film “Antisocial” from Breakthrough Entertainment and Black Fawn Films.
This team has been looking forward to working on this project together. As Copp puts it: “Chris brings tremendous credential both as an artist and producer to the Festival; he has both managed large professional film projects and slogged it out in the emerging film field. He’s a rising star in the Film world and we’re lucky for the Festival to hitch a ride.”
A panel of jury members will select a handful of works to show for the one-night festival on January 17, 2014 at The Burlington Art Centre. Shorts of any genre are welcome and must be under twenty minutes in length. More detail on submission deadlines and further information on the Tottering Biped Film Festival visit their web site.
The group also announced a poster competition for this year’s event.
The Festival is currently looking to expand their sponsors. If you or your company is interested in becoming part of this innovative event, contact them at tbffburlington@gmail.com.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. June 24, 12013. Chris Haber is a personal injury lawyer with a strong ability to promote. The name of his law practice is seen on buses and on ball point pens.
Things were going very well for the firm and Haber thought he would move up market and put his name on a building. While it wasn’t quite that simple – come September we will see the words Haber Recreational Centre, as part of the new complex being built on Tim Dobbie Drive in the Alton Village.
The complex consists of three buildings strung together consisting of a High School, to be named after Frank Hayden, a Library (they’ve not come up with a name yet) and the Recreational Centre that will have Haber`s name on it.
 From the left, Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster sitting in for Mayor Goldring who had to remain at Regional Council to assure quorum, as she signs the 20 year $1.3 million naming rights deal with Chris Haber in the Centre. Chris Glenn on the right is pleased with that much cash The idea of putting the family name on a public building got to Haber when his daughter, who runs the administrative side of the law practice, opened an envelope from the city detailing the new sponsorship program. Stephanie thought it was a good idea – took it to her Dad and, it happened.
Chris Glenn, Director of Parks and Recreation met with the Haber’s. The city put some numbers on the table, Haber being the superb negotiator he is put a number on the table and between those two numbers they found one that said $1.3 million spread out over 20 years – which is not exactly chump change. Much of the negotiating detail was handled by Stephanie Haber.
The deal went to council committee; they liked it and passed it along to city council. They liked it as well and all of a sudden Chris Haber will have his name in lights on one of the newest buildings in the city.
None of the Haber family has had a chance to tour the building yet and they don’t know exactly where the sign with their name on it is going to go – if Stephanie is involved in those conversations the family will be happy.
Burlington wants to do more selling of naming rights and is currently cataloging everything they have and determining what is available and what they want in terms of naming rights fees.
These are good dollars and there isn`t a municipality in the country that turns its nose up at this kind of thing. We might be seeing names on the Zamboni`s at the ice rinks soon.
So who is this guy Haber? He runs a law practice with seven lawyers on staff and a son who has returned to Burlington after a number of years in Toronto where he tried his hand at business and looked at how well his Dad was doing and decided to study law. Andrew is articling with his father’s firm and will write his Bar Admission exams next year and then be called to the Bar and become a member of the Upper Canada Law Society and be permitted to hang his shingle alongside his Dad’s.
 Chris Haber is one of ten children. His father ran an insurance company and was once the Ontario Table top Tennis champion.
Chris played a little hockey , left wing. Did his undergraduate degree at Waterloo and then on to Osgoode Law School and articled with Lang Michener, the firm that was once led by Rolland Michener who went on to serve as one of Canada`s more popular Governor’s General. It was Haber’s good fortune to be with a firm that was wonderfully connected.
Chris Haber is a litigator – these are the warriors of the law world. They live in Court rooms and they just love presenting a case to a jury.
“My job as a lawyer” explained Haber “is to do everything I can to get a jury to like me and to like my client. If I can do that – I win my cases”. Does he win them all? Unfortunately no, but he certainly wins enough of them.
Worst case he ever had to handle? Doesn’t want to talk about that one. Case that he will never forget? A young woman, a passenger in a car that was rear ended. “My client was sitting behind the driver who was a heavy woman. The force of the crash broke the seat the driver of the car was sitting in, which crashed backwards into my client who suffered very serious brain damage that left her epileptic and subject to small fits. She would never be able to work again and would need constant care. “We could not get the insurance company to settle. It took nine years to get that case into a court room. The trial lasted eight weeks. It was a jury trial held in Milton. There were more than fifty witnesses and I called three neurosurgeons to testify” explains Haber.
 We won that case for the victim – there was an award that exceeded a million dollars. I’ve never forgotten that case. These things stay with you.
 One of the top business promoters in the city, Haber & Associates is seen where they need to be seen and if that can get done with a ball point pen – then so be it Haber breathes the law. He has tapes of some of the great practitioners and spends some of his evening time listening to the best of the best. Who influenced his thinking the most? That would be The Lord Denning, who served as Master of the Roles in the United Kingdon. Denning is remembered for his role in the Profumo Affair that brought down a government over a spy and a sex scandal; juicy stuff. However, the Lord Denning was also one of the most progressive thinkers in British law, who, during his 38-year career as a judge made large changes to the common law, particularly while in the Court of Appeal, and although many of his decisions were overturned by the House of Lords, several of them were confirmed by Parliament, which passed statutes in line with his judgments. Although appreciated for his role as ‘the people’s judge’ and his support for the individual, Denning was also controversial for his campaign against the common law principle of precedent.
Asked who the best lawyer the country has ever had? Haber has no doubt about that – J.J. Robinette
John Josiah Robinette, was a Canadian lawyer who became a legal legend. In 1947, he appealed and eventually won the Hamilton case of Evelyn Dick after her conviction of murder in 1946. In 1952 he unsuccessfully defended the notorious bank robbers, The Boyd Gang. Robinette was also hired by opponents of the cancelled Spadina Expressway in 1971 to make their case at the Ontario Municipal Board. Haber either traveled with, read about or worked with some of the best legal minds in the country.
Haber hasn’t seen the recreation centre that is under construction yet. He didn’t even know it was being built but he knew an opportunity when he saw one – and his quick decision had his firm being the first to garner naming rights under the city’s new sponsorship program.
A sharp move.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON March 19th, 2013 – City media release. The City of Burlington has approved the city’s 2013 current budget, which will increase taxes by 2.07 %, or $19.08 for each $100,000 of residential urban value assessment.
“I would like to commend staff, and the city’s budget committee for a job well done,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “As a municipality, it is always a balance of priorities to look at the quality of life expectations of today with the long-term financial needs of tomorrow. I believe we have effectively made some decisions that serve the people of Burlington while still keeping tax rates competitive with those of other municipalities.”
“Council approved an increase to the hospital levy to $3.6 million, and an increase in funding for infrastructure, with $2 million dedicated towards the city’s local roadway resurfacing program.
“When approving the 2013 current budget, City Council focused on efficiencies in service delivery and the key strategic priorities, outlined in the city’s strategic plan, Burlington, Our Future,” said Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor, chair of the city’s budget committee. “Council takes very seriously every decision related to spending, whether it’s the operating budget or the capital budget. We are focused on what matters to the people of Burlington.”
It took them five paragraphs but they finally fessed up:
“The 4.46 per cent tax rate increase to the city’s portion of the property tax bill is combined with the Region of Halton’s increase of 0.8 per cent and an education increase of zero per cent, resulting in an overall property tax rate increase of 2.07 per cent.”
 Councillor Sharman wanted to skew the budget numbers to make them look better.  Councillor Taylor told Sharman “playing with budget numbers for political reasons will come back to bite you.” What council tried to do was use the regional portion of the tax levy along with the Board of Education levy, which were both a 0% increase over last year, and combine those two with the Police budget, which had a small increase over last year – and use those lower numbers to make the city numbers look better. That’s what we call “trying to pull a fast one”. It was Councillor Sharman, an accountant at heart, who first mentioned the 2% number. Bit of jiggery poking on his part which Councillor Taylor warned would come back to bite him. The surprise is that the Mayor went along with the scam.
At the Council budget debate, where they basically review and for the most part rubber stamp what was done at the committee level, the more contentious matters get a second hard look.
The public can delegate and this year there was a delegation from Bfast, a citizens advocacy group that wanted Council to defer the bus fare increase until there was an opportunity for some significant public comment. On that level the Bfast people were correct: the city did not take the matter of a rate increase to the public. So much for community engagement.
Transit, the funding of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation, the funding of the Performing Arts centre, finding the money to keep the roads in decent repair and ensuring that we maintain our contribution to the hospital were the items that got all the attention.
 Did they develop a good budget for you? It wasn’t a bad budget but it papers over quite a few problems and doesn’t provide enough money to fill all the pot holes. Taylor appeared to be the only person who had much in the way of empathy for the people who can’t afford the cost of transit. Meed Ward was with him on this to some degree – but the rest, they just didn’t get it. Going without isn’t a part of their life experience.
“In 2012 the city generated a surplus of $2.3 million. The surplus was used to reduce the impact of one-time or temporary costs on the 2013 budget, said the city’s media release.
It went on to point out that “The city has a long-term financial plan that creates a sustainable financial position for Burlington.” City Manager Jeff Fielding said: “The budget is aligned to the City’s investment and operational priorities as outlined in that plan. We are in good financial shape, with a solid base budget, responsible debt management and adequate reserve fund balances.”
Was it a good budget? It wasn’t a bad budget but given that the budget next year will be the last before this council has to go to the polls again – they’ve not left themselves much room to offer the voters some goodies to keep them happy and plump – before they get plucked again. Councillor Dennison sent his regrets – he was unable to attend the meeting – can’t blame any of this on him then can we?
A 2.07% increase – nice try. Just how stupid do your think these voters are?
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON February 28, 2013 “The impact per $100,000 CVA for an urban residential property is $16.32 with respect to the 4.46% city portion.” Those were the words straight from the horse’s mouth – Director of Finance Joan Ford, who shepherded city council through a marathon city council committee meeting at which the budget was basically set.
It will go to a city council meeting and be cast in stone. All kinds of detail to come but the basics are: Performing Art Centre got their money $225,000 to cover the short fall and money for two years for a technician (expect that to become full-time) and money for a sales associate who is going to get behind and push to ramp up the sales numbers – especially on the rental side where the Centre fell very flat last year.
The Burlington Art Centre got the funding they needed to recast themselves and to figure out who they want to be, where they want to go and then how they will get there. They didn’t get the chunk of change they needed to pay their staff what they felt they were worth. That’s an ongoing problem they are going to have to deal with – and it might result in their losing some key people.
 Finance department staffers excelled once again not only with the detail and the way they were able to grab numbers out of the air when questions were asked but with the way they presented the data so that council members could see the impact on the tax levy as they debated different sending requests. Burlington Economic Development got the money they needed to come up with an organization that can attract new business to the city. Burlington has reached residential build out – there ain’t no more land to put those housing projects on – unless we try to go north of Dundas- 407 and that is not going to happen.
So – find the analysts who can figure out what there is for us out there and then put a marketing genius in place who can do the work that has to be done to make Burlington a city that at least gets some serious attention.
Our Mayor can’t help himself when he says we are the greatest place in this province to live in but he has not managed to attract people to the city. In some municipalities, the Mayor is the #1 sales person and works the phones tirelessly to let people know why Burlington deserves a really close look.
That’s not the kind of Mayor we have – a Lee Iacocca he ain’t – so the city will have to find someone who can do the selling.
Transit got basically all it asked for – but you dear transit user are also getting what you didn’t ask for and that is a rate increase – 8% across the board with special situations we will set out for you later.
The fire department got an additional mechanic so that the fire trucks will be able to get out the door when the fire alarm is sounded.
The city manager has a pool of money that he dispenses to each department that is used as merit pay for staff that go above and beyond. And many of them do. The crew that pulled together the presentation of all the financial data, deserved no less than a double scotch or a bag of cookies – whichever they preferred, for their efforts today.
The ‘bean counters’ set up a computer that handled transactions and then fed the data into a second computer that projected the information on a large screen and also onto the monitors sitting in front of staff and council members.
Every time a decision was made to spend dollars the number would appear on the screen showing how much was spent and what that impact was on the tax bill.
 It was a tough, tough day for Councillor John Taylor. He sits on the board of the Burlington Art Centre and is passionate about the operation and the staff but he wasn’t able to get council to go along with an allocation that would allow Art Centre management to correct the significant imbalance between city hall staff and Art Centre staff salaries. At around 2:30 pm it Councillor Taylor who was chairing the meeting began to lose it. He was deeply hurt when he realized the Art Centre staff were not going to get what he believed they deserved and that weighed on him. He was tired and dis-spirited and suggested the meeting adjourn and come back to it tomorrow. His colleagues were not on for that and suggested he turn the chair over to Councillor Meed Ward and she ran the show for the balance of the meeting.
There were no delegations – this was council members dealing with the projects they wanted to see go forward. Then Councillor Craven snuck one in and asked if the Director of Museums could plead for $7000 for a curator. She got it – and Craven broke every rule in the Procedural Manual to pull that one off.
It was sort of like driving through a super market aisle and dropping items into your cart and seeing a screen with your total spend on it. Throughout the day – the session went from 9:30 to 4:00 pm with a 25 minute lunch break – the number went up, then down, but mostly up. As the budget session was near its end council members looked at the numbers and wondered where they could cut. They had given out a lot of money, which they felt was needed and that old shave and pave spend kept coming back. Councillor Dennison was merciless at getting every dollar he could grab. He argued, again and again, that every dollar spent now was $3 saved down the road.
Council decided to take the $2.2 million in surplus from last year and put it in the tax rate stabilization fund and transfer funds to accounts to pay the bills out of that account. The spending done amounted to $1,938,360 which when taken out of the $2.2 million surplus they had to play with – there wasn’t much to leave on the table. Some would treat the difference as a rounding number.
In the closing minutes of the meeting Mayor Goldring wondered what the city was going to do for what he called “opportunity” money; those situations that come along and shouldn’t be passed on.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON December 5, 2012 The city has made changes to its management structure that will result in the city leading with two general managers instead of three.
The management changes are effective immediately. Council has gone along with City Manager Fielding’s decision to work with a leaner structure until 2015.
Fielding will take on a much bigger job and have legal, information technology services, human resources and finance report directly to him.
At first blush it isn’t clear why Fielding is going to handle these departments which in the past reported to General Manager Kim Phillips.
Finance is in good shape but there are going to be some challenges in finding the money that will be needed to keep the tax rates at an acceptable level. The 2.5% increase the Mayor has staked his reputation on may not hold for 2013.
The commitment to egov – a techie name for making information available via the city’s web site and getting the public to interact with city hall electronically as much as possible is a large part of the city’s plans to improve service to the public.
 Kim Phillips gets to pull a different rope as she transitions into a different form of General Manager. She will handle Community Services effective immediately. Phillips will head up Community Services division; a significant departure for her and the skill set she brings to city hall. Don’t think we have seen the last change for Phillips.
 Scott Stewart, one of the city’s two General Managers, poses with an award he was given for leadership at the inter-municipal level. Scott Stewart, who brings a very distinct personality and style to his work, will continue with what he has been doing since he arrived in Burlington from Hamilton; all he gets is a different name for the section of the city he runs: it will now be known as the development and infrastructure division.
“Working with City Council, senior staff made a business decision to operate on an interim basis (through to 2015) with two general managers instead of three,” said City Manager Jeff Fielding. “The city will continue to offer a high level of customer service to the community.” Did Fielding mean to say he hopes to be able to offer the same level of service?
The city also announced that Mike Spicer, acting director of Burlington Transit since August 2012, is now the new director of Burlington Transit.
 Then interim director of transit – now the newly minted Director of Transit for the city of Burlington, Mike Spicer walks during the Santa Claus parade. Spicer replaces Donna Sheppard who retired as Director last August. Spicer began in Burlington Transit in 2008 as transit manager. He came to the City of Burlington from his role as transit operations manager for nine years with Brantford Transit.
“Burlington Transit is focused on providing sustainable transportation options for the people of Burlington” said Stewart, who oversees Burlington Transit. “Transit is an important service, one that I know Mike will continue to lead efficiently and effectively.”
Burlington is a fiscally responsible city of more than 170,000 people, with natural features that include Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment. In 2012, MoneySense magazine named Burlington the second best city in which to live in Canada.
Why do these bureaucrats still haul out that canard about our being the second best city in which to live? Guess it’s better than saying we have the most expensive pier the country has ever seen. That wouldn’t go with “fiscally responsible would it?
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 21. 2012 Transit Advisory meetings are going much better these days. Joanne Vassell-Pittman ended her stint as chair during which time she did a marvelous job under some very trying situations.
Eric Pilon, formerly with Oakville Transit, is the new chair and they seem to be off to a good start. With Mike Spicer serving as Acting Director of Transit he had some good news and some news that was not so good.
Two buses caught fire in a very short period of time. One was a 2009 New Flyer while the other was a newer 2012 bus from the same company.
 They zip in and zip out of the John Street terminal driven by well trained drivers who know what to do when there is an emergency. Two bus fires in a two week period, while unfortunate, were very well handled by the drivers. The bus manufacturer is working with the transit people to determine why the fires started in the first place. Bus fires are rare, not an everyday event and they certainly scare the daylights out of the passengers when the bus fills with smoke.
Spicer advises that the transit service has a well-honed protocol for handling these situations and in both cases no one was hurt.
The task now is to figure out what started the fires in the first place. While both buses were New Flyers the two fires started in different parts of each bus. The manufacturers of the vehicles had their technical people on site pronto and are working with Burlington Transit and the insurance company to get at the bottom of the problem.
Two buses out of service squeezes the vehicle inventory a bit but Spicer says “we still have more than enough buses in the fleet to meet the service demand”.
Should you happen to be on a bus when there is a fire – don’t panic and listen carefully to the bus driver. They really do know what they are doing – and they will get you off the bus safely.
Serving on the Transit Advisory Committee are: Eric Pilon – Chair, John Fuca – Vice Chair, Joanne Vassell-Pittman, Nicholas Civiero, Kevin Rahmer, Sonia Harrison, Brian Coleman, Jenny Wen and Cecille Wyte.
The Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month at city hall.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 7, 2012 — Twelve students from Burlington area high schools have been selected as Burlington Transit Youth Ambassadors (BTYAs) for the 2012-2013 school year.
Last year, the ambassador program with six teens from three city schools joined the BTYA ranks. This year the number of students has doubled with two representatives from Aldershot; Robert Bateman; Nelson; M.M. Robinson; Central; and Corpus Christie high schools.
 An orientation meeting was held at Burlington Transit on Oct. 29 with this year’s Burlington Transit Youth Ambassadors. From left to right: Madelon Haantjes (Aldershot); Nicole Volk (Corpus Christie); Maha Hussain and Abbie Wiggin (Robert Bateman); Katie Reynolds and Chloe Simpson (Central); Corinne Bulger (M.M. Robinson); Kale Black (BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association); Jill Mulveney (Nelson) and Sandra Maxwell (Burlington Transit) Six of nine Burlington secondary schools are now involved in the BTYA program.
“Teachers whose students were involved last year are spreading the word to their classes and the response has been great so far,” said Sandra Maxwell, Burlington Transit’s marketing co-ordinator who oversees the BTYA program. “Many new schools have heard about the program and are inviting us to present to students in their eco-clubs.”
And why wouldn’t they? The Burlington Youth Ambassador program has many learning and social benefits for students. Highlights of the program include:
The BTYA program provides peer-to-peer teaching opportunities where students can learn and talk about public transit and promote taking the bus as a healthy, environmentally-friendly transportation choice.
Youth ambassadors run promotional programs and special events in their schools and teach others about the benefits of public transit, spreading “how-to” information as well as information about the environmental impact of people using cars instead of taking the bus.
Students run promotions fully supported by Burlington Transit with information and materials.
Students earn points and rewards in exchange for their involvement. Schools can win cash for their eco-clubs.
Students are preparing to launch a Green Monster campaign, where they will ask students and teachers to make a “monster” statement and a commitment to bike, walk or bus to school the week of Nov. 19th.
 Paul Carvahlo (Burlington Mall Representative) with Dr. Jane Goodall and event sponsor, Joe Saunders of Burlington Hydro. Burlington Mall is a sponsor of the program, donating prizes and providing a $1,000 annual cash donation in June to one school’s Eco-club to recognize the efforts of the BTYAs from that school. Paul Carvahlo, the guy who makes things happen at the Mall, has been a leading advocate for a more environmentally involved commercial sector.
The BTYA program was jointly developed by Burlington Transit and the BurlingtonGreen Youth Network.
 One of the new buses added to the Burlington Transit fleet. There were buses that had more than 15 years on their tires – those old ones certainly rattled down Guelph Line when I was on one of them. Burlington Transit has been upgrading its fleet with newer buses coming on line. Transit has been a problem for the city – the volume is nowhere near what it should be but getting people out of their cars is not a simple matter in Burlington. Students are for the most part a captive market and creating the “hop on the bus” mentality will increase ridership.
The city cut back the frequency on a number of routes last year as part of an attempt to re-assign transit assets and get better value for the significant amount spent.
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 23, 2012 It was a good crowd. As many, if not more, than the 600 that showed up December 2010 when the Region was advised that the province wanted some arrows placed on the Region’s Official Plan to show where a possible highway through the Escarpment might go.
That was the first anyone had heard about an actual location for any road being built across the Escarpment. There was an arrow placed on a map way back in 2002 that crossed Guelph Line north of Dundas Street and south of No. 1 Side road, bringing a potential highway down a more gentle (and less populated) slope of the escarpment.
 Councillor John Taylor, war horse on Escarpment issues got a round of applause before he said a word at the community meeting, held to voice once again Burlington’s opposition to a highway through any part of the Escarpment. John Taylor, the politician who has been fighting any highway for longer than anyone else, took the standing room only audience back 40 years when the battle we are fighting today began. Twenty years ago it was the 403; in the 90’s it was the 407. That allowed the creation of Alton, a community of 10,000 people. Now they want another road that eats into the Escarpment – and we have to tell them that just is not on.
 Regional Chair Gary Carr, Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring and Councillors Blair Lancaster and John Taylor all spoke to an audience of more than 600 people at the Mainway Recreation centre – on an evening when it rained. When the event at the Mainway Recreational Centre was planned Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring and Regional Chair Gary Carr had an appointment with the Minister of Transportation (MTO) to impress upon him just how opposed both the Region and most particularly Burlington was to any kind of highway going through the Flamborough – Burlington part of the province.
At that time, just over six weeks ago, the government was keeping everyone in the Legislature to fight off any sudden vote that would bring down the minority Liberal government. The meeting kept being put off. Then the Premier resigns and all the rules change.
The Minister of Transportation was supposed to see Carr and Goldring on Monday, but that got pushed back to Thursday. One keeps wondering why these meetings keep getting pushed back.
Assuming Carr and Goldring meet with Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Transportation, they will be able to point to a room that was packed with people, every seat taken and all the walls lined with people standing as well as a couple sitting on the floor at the front of the room.
 There wasn’t a seat to be had in the meeting room. Standing room only. If what people think and feel matters – this was a crowd that politicians have to pay some attention to.
Gary Carr, Regional Chair spoke and then played a 5 minute video that is on the Regional web site.
Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring spoke.
Director of Transportation Services for Burlington, Bruce Zvaniga spoke and laid out the issues from a transportation perspective.
Pete Zuzek, spokesperson for Stop Escarpment Highway Coalition, gave the strongest presentation of the evening.
Burlington’s Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster spoke.
John Taylor, Councillor for Ward 3 rose to speak to a great round of applause and provided some of the history that went back 40 years. This is indeed a long fight.
Ted Chudleigh, provincial PC member for Halton spoke – forcefully one might add with not a word of notes.
Jane McKenna, provincial PC member for Burlington spoke, read from notes and released her correspondence to the Minister of Transportation.
While Tim Hudak, leader of the PC opposition at Queen’s Park is on record as being FOR a highway because he believes the issue is about jobs – both Chudleigh and McKenna were very clear that they were opposed to any highway going through Burlington. Would that opposition still be evident if a vote that could bring down the minority Liberal government was being held.
 They hunched over tables as they signed the petition opposing any kind of road through the Escarpment. Zvaniga set out where the province is in their deliberations. He laid out what had been done, when it was done, why it was done and what the next steps are going to be. Zvaniga had to give the technical overview because the province declined to send anyone to the meeting.
The MOT people have a job to do, part of which is to advise the government on what future transportation needs are likely to be. Part of the problem with this approach was brought to light when former Minister of Transportation, Kathleen Wynne explained to the Mayor of Burlington, during the last provincial election, that transportation engineers and planners don’t know how to think beyond the car and highways. At the time she said the province has one of the best highway building departments in the country – and that was the problem – they don’t know how to think outside that highway box. Which is a point the SEHC people are trying very hard to get across to the public.
There are more people on the roads and there will always be more people on the roads if we keep building roads. I had occasion to be at Pearson airport on Monday to pick up my wife returning from a visit with her Mother in Denmark. The flight was due at 3:00 pm, which I knew meant fighting rush hour traffic. It turned out to be a pretty quick trip – because we were able to use the HOV lane. There were very few cars in that HOV lane, but there were three lanes plugged solid on our right, bumper to bumper, with a single passenger in the car.
 None of these people want to sit in their cars with bumper to bumper traffic on the QEW. But of the 600 people in the room less than ten took the bus to the meeting. Why anyone would sit in that traffic, when they could be in a faster lane was something I couldn’t understand. Of course they needed an additional passenger in their car – why is that so hard to set up. Most of those people are driving to or from work, where there are surely people in their offices who live near them. Why are there not more people going on line to look for a person near them, that can share that drive? There is a smart phone app for people who want a lift (we used to call it hitch hiking) and are prepared to share the cost. It’s all done on line.
It was also pointed out that while rail isn’t being given the consideration it needs, a large part of that is because the federal government is not at the table. This is a provincial matter the government argues, while SEHC argues that it is a social matter and that we need to look at transportation issues at a much higher level and not focus on just what’s going on in Burlington.
SEHC believes people need to understand that we must look at transportation a lot differently and that we are going to have to get out of our cars. They point to global warming, the damage to the environment and the impact of commuting more than an hour to get to work and another hour to get home. Driving our cars is a habit we haven’t managed to break – and like smoking, it may eventually kill us.
Gary Carr finally got around to publicly thanking the people of PERL, Protect Escarpment and Rural Lands, for the hard fight they fought to win the Nelson Aggregate battle in North Burlington where Nelson had applied for a second aggregate mining permit. That application was denied – the first time anyone can remember such an application being turned down. It is perhaps a good omen. Carr, quite rightly, pointed out that were it not for organizations like PERL “we wouldn’t be this far without them”. Hopefully Carr will come through with some form of support for PERL – they are suffering from battle fatigue and they are hurting.
Carr pointed out that the Region has a population of 520,000 now and will have an expected 780,000 by 2031 and those people are going to have some way to get around. “This is a fight” declared Carr “that is going to last for decades. Fundamental changes are going to have to be made in the way we transport ourselves or a new highway will be needed. Somehow we have to get the cars off the road”.
But it is about more than just getting cars off the road; we have an agricultural economy in the Region and west into Flamborough.
Mayor Goldring pointed out again that the city has a 50/50 split between rural and urban settings and that any highway through the Escarpment will be the beginning of the end for the north Burlington we know today.
 The land identified by the red borders was made available for development when the 407 highway was completed. The northern edge of developable land is south of the 407. Prior to 407 the boundary was Dundas – a highway through the Escarpment would move the rural-urban boundary even further north – as high as Lowville? Taylor told of the Alton community that came into being when the 407was put through. The urban rural boundary used to be Dundas but the 407 created a piece of land that became available to developers and today we have a new community of 10,000 people.
GO got a solid mention – if the Lakeshore West line is electrified, that will result in GO trains every five minutes during peak travel times and every 20 minutes during the off peak. THAT kind of scheduling would take a lot of traffic off the QEW.
There were half a dozen speakers but they weren’t all politicians. Pete Zuzek, spokesperson for SEHC, the Stop Escarpment Highway Coalition, a group made up of 14 communities, grass roots level organizations with more than 15,000 members, gave a very clear presentation on what he felt was wrong with the approach the provincial government was taking to deciding if a highway was needed.
The Environmental Assessment is currently in Phase 1 – where they look at 1) Optimizing what we have, making better use of the roads we have; 2) expand the non- roads options; 3) widen the existing roads and 4) if none of those will provide the future means of getting around the MOT thinks we need – then look at new corridors.
One of those corridors would come though Burlington. It would swoop in at around Cedar Springs Road and drop down into that land on the North side of Dundas and joining up with the 407.
Pete Zuzek doesn’t want the province to get as far as that Phase 2. SEHC points out that building such a corridor will do very little for the traffic congestion down on the QEW.
What Pete Zuzek made clear was the immediate objective is to convince the MOT people that Phase 2 isn’t necessary – that there are more than enough sensible, environmentally sound options within the Phase 1 level.
The fear SEHC has is that should the province decide that Phase 2 is the direction to go in – then the planners and the engineers begin drawing lines on maps and thinking about expropriating property and the developers begin to plan for new housing developments. Some of the golf clubs along Walkers and Guelph Line will begin to get offers and before you know it – there goes the neighbourhood.
 Pete Zuzek argued that SEHC – Stop Escarpment Highway Coalition was the only independent set of eyes watching what the government was doing – and they didn’t like what they were seeing. Zuzek said there was no peer review and that the work being done for a project that would cost as much as $5 billion was both flawed and limited. Pete Zuzek wants the province to forget about a possible Phase 2 and he explained why – the work being done on the Phase 1 part is flawed and limited. “There is no independent peer review” explained Zuzek ” yet the want to spend $6 billion without a second set of eyes looking at their recommendations.”
What are the next steps? Keeping informed is the biggest part of it. Our Burlington has been on top of this story since the newest assault on the Escarpment by the provincial government became clear back in 2010. We have covered the creation of the SEHC – we were in the room when the deal between the city of Burlington and SEHC was worked out and when they came up with the SEHC name. Back then Burlington said it would support SEHC as advocates who would be able to say and do things the city couldn’t say and do. While the SEHC and city of Burlington relationship gets strained at times – it does work. At one Public Information Centre more than 1200 people turned out to protest. At that session there was an “open mike” segment that heard some very powerful statements. John Taylor, with his impish grin, advised that “they don’t do open mikes anymore.
Whatever the team doing the Environmental Assessment passes on to the government in the way of recommendations, they have to be put those recommendations before the public. And the EA team has to record every objection as part of their final report.
PERL fought the application for a second mine on the Escarpment for more than seven years – and they won. The fight to keep a highway out of the Escarpment will take far more than seven years. Back in the days when Bill Davis was Premier of Ontario he put a stop to an expressway that was planned to run right into the center of Toronto. Governments can make smart decisions – they just have to be nudged in the right direction. Last night at the arena on Mainway, 600 + Burlingtonians gave a bit more than a nudge.
Janet Turpin Myers on her blog put it the way Garry Carr wanted to put it: – “We need to get loud.”
 By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON July 25, 2012 Aldershot High School took the cash – $1000 donated by Burlington Mall, which was the prize for the school with the best Eco-Club. The cash goes to the high school`s Eco-Club – each of the Youth Ambassadors at Aldershot got $100 gift cards.
This is the second year in a row that Aldershot High has taken the prize.
The BT-YA program launched in September 2011 with two ambassadors from three participating high schools; Aldershot, Bateman and Nelson. The BT-YA program, in partnership with BurlingtonGreen and its youth network, is designed to help promote environmental messages and lead transit awareness through local high schools. The ambassadors are in charge of promoting environmental messages, leading in transit awareness and running events in their high schools, in exchange for rewards like gift cards, movie passes or PRESTO cards, as well as cash rewards to their school Eco-club initiatives. The program helps youth build leadership skills and expand their knowledge of promotion and marketing.
 From the left: Kale Black, BurlingtonGreen; Sandra Maxwell, Burlington Transit marketing coordinator, Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven, Billi Krochuk, Aldershot Highschool BT-YA; Donna Shepherd, Burlington Transit director; Paul Carvalho, Burlington Mall operations manager. “The BT-YA program is all about being eco-friendly and having youth lead in creating a better future. Our young people, including leaders like the BT-YAs have played a valuable role in fulfilling our future goals of creating a green Burlington by promoting transit in their high schools and through events such as World Car-Free Day,” said Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven.
 Cut line revised August 3, 2012
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON June 25, 2012 Donna Shepherd, Director of Transit, was quite prepared to ride off into the sunset but the city finds they need her skill set and understanding of how the bus system actually works and have asked Ms Shepherd to continue to work, part-time – three days each week, out of City Hall and the Transit Operations Centre for six months on select transit and corporate priority projects to assist the City in achieving its objectives.
Mike Spicer will be acting Director as of August 1st. The city expects a new Director will be in place by year-end.
Donna Shepherd joined the city in 1975 and since that time she has served the City well in leading the City in various roles, her most recent being Director of Transit & Traffic over a 12 year period from 1998 and Director of Transit over the last 2 years.
 Just where was the problems with transit? Senior levels at city hall want Shepherd to stay and help through the transition to a new Director. Was the relationship between the Council member and the Director part of the problem?
“ The really senior “poobahs” at city hall speak very positively and proudly of the contribution Shepherd made while running transit. Her “contributions will continue to have an enduring and positive impact on the City in areas such as the expansion and renovation of the Transit Operations Centre, the introduction of Transit Priority Measures and traffic safety programs, the implementation of the downtown parking financial strategy, various continuous improvement systems and programs, the PRESTO fare card and Metrolinx Joint Vehicle and Inventory Procurement projects and the creation of innovative transit promotion and ridership growth strategies.”
Donna’s leadership in excellence in customer service will provide a strong foundation for Burlington Transit going forward.” Sounds like a pretty strong reference letter to me.
What then was the problem at transit that brought Shepherd to the point where she decided she had had enough and was going to pack it in? Sexism is a very distinct possibility, being bullied a bit could go into the mix as well
The senior people at city hall weren’t cheap in their praise: General Manager Scott Stewart said: “On behalf of all staff and Council, I would like to thank Donna for her strong leadership and management in growing and operating the Burlington Transit system. She has provided persistent commitment to keeping Transit at the forefront of our discussions during the last decade as our City has grown almost to its limits. Council and senior staff truly appreciate the contributions that Donna has made over the years.
I think the city is going to have the steering wheel of a bus bronzed and presented to Donna at her retirement party.
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