 By Pepper Parr
January 27th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Having a spitting match with a constituent isn’t smart politics.
Larry Good wrote his Council member and got a response he wasn’t too pleased with.
But let’s let the record speak for itself.
Thank you for responding so quickly to my email. I apologize for my tardy reply but I decided to do some research given your strident response.
This is the response Larry Good got from ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven.
 Councillor Rick Craven – ward 1 Do you honestly expect me to completely ignore the expert advice from our Director of Transit………..
“Oakville transit has reported increased ridership on Mondays, but that has not equated into additional ridership increases for the other days of the week. Staff do not recommend this to be implemented in Burlington and would recommend the Reduce Fare Option – –a reduced fare during off-peak and weekend hours would provide opportunity to utilize the service in the off peak times. Staff are recommending the “TWO for a TOONIE” seniors program be created. This would allow two seniors to ride Burlington Transit conventional services between 10 am and 3 pm Monday to Friday as well as all day Saturday and Sundays.”
I support some version of the TWO FOR A TOONIE program and am willing to discuss it further.
Good wasn’t going to let remarks like that stand on their own.
“I assume” he said “ the question you asked me in the opening remarks of your response to me was rhetorical hyperbole and not intended to seek clarity. I wonder if you asked Mayor Goldring or Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster if they completely ignored the expert advice of our Director of Transit. Indeed, the Director’s advice is important but it is not the only informational input available to you and Council to arrive at a decision on Free Mondays for Seniors. I would hope you agree.”
“In addition to the Director’s input you could look to the success achieved by Oakville Transit with this program they introduced in 2012. According to a transit survey done in Oakville during their pilot program that transit ridership did increase and continues to increase, especially among seniors through out the week. It would seem Seniors in Oakville have been enjoying this service ever since their pilot project was completed close to four years ago. I am sure when a senior takes transit on Monday’s in Oakville they feel acknowledged and appreciated for their contribution to the community.
 Robert Lovell delegating at city council on the Monday Free transit for seniors proposal in the budget. “Another source of information comes form the Burlington Seniors Advisory Committee. This committee conducted their own research including direct conversations with the Oakville Director of Transit who fully supports this program. Mr. Lovell speaking on behalf of the Advisory Committee made a cogent and compelling argument to Council and the Budget Committee. In addition to the goal of increased ridership there are many other benefits which spring from this transit fare reduction proposal. This program could have an impact on Traffic Congestion, Road Safety and the Environment.
“Councillor Marianne Meed Wade’s website also has a wealth of information on this subject which you should take a look at.
“It was reported in the Burlington Gazette that you said very little during debate, Councillor Taylor felt this was a low income or a social welfare issue better dealt with by the Region, that Councillor Dennison has never been in favour of “support” programs. However, this same council supported spending $16,000 for the Car Free Event which only directly benefits approximately 3 wards in the City. The article went on to suggest it is the “old boy’s club” that did not want to see this trial take place. Although you have been a Councillor for quite some time I don’t think that alone qualifies you as part of an old boys club but perception can be a problem.
 Seniors gather at a table to talk about the state pf transit – a meeting sponsored by a Burlington advocacy group – there was no one from transit at the well attended meeting. “As has been pointed out Senior’s represent roughly 17% of the City’s population (even higher percentage in Ward 1) and all estimates point to this demographic growing. The next large demographic are the children of the seniors we are speaking about. As a demographic senior’s are more likely to vote than other groups. This demographic has greatly contributed to our community in many ways including raising our children, contributing to municipal life via volunteerism, charity and I dare say defence of our Country. Why would you not support this demographic? I visited China a few years back with the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and we were taken for a tour of a “Seniors Park” where there were hundreds of seniors dancing in groups, exercising on equipment provided, playing local games and generally just having a great time in the fresh air. I think we could benefit a lot from the Chinese culture in their strong admiration and unfailing support for Seniors. We don’t need to look that far to find inspiration, we need only to look to our neighbours to the east, Oakville.
 The ceremonies over the Naval Promenade becomes the focus with the Seniors’ out in force listening to the All Male Welsh Choir. “I hope you will not completely ignore the advice of the Burlington Seniors Advisory Committee, or ignore the apparent success of the Oakville’s Transit program or ignore the recommendation of Councillor Meed Ward. I continue to believe our seniors deserve all the backing they can be given and if it were up to me alone transit would be free all the time for those 65 and older. This pilot project and Oakville’s permanent program for free Monday’s for Seniors is not a social welfare issue it is a matter of respect and giving back to a segment of our community for their selfless sacrifice for us.
“Your willingness to discuss is belied by your rhetorical hyperbole, it would seem your mind is made up. Again Shame on you!”
There is a vote that shouldn’t be counted on.
 By Pepper Parr
January 27th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON.
The meeting started with a close to mammoth photo op – players from the Barracudas and the Eagles were on hand to receive certificates of appreciation for the very impressive work they did on the Giving Back project that brought in close to 300,000 lbs of food that was distributed to community organizations.
The Giving Back initiative has proven to be so successful that Brampton and Oakville are taking a look at it and there is talk about developing it as a national program
 The students who were given Certificates of Appreciation by the Mayor in turn gave the city a painting that noted the 10th year of the Giving Back program. It was perhaps fitting that the young people getting the certificates of appreciation were the opening act for a city council meeting at which a budget was approved that runs quite a bit ahead of inflation. The long term projection is for budgets that are usually above 3.5% for the next twenty years.
 The city finance department set out what they expected tax increases to be through to 2035. It is those energetic hockey players who are going to have to pay taxes that increase 3.5% year over year.
In 2011 when this council put out its first budget in their first term (they were all re-elected) the budget had a 0% increase.
The budget was not unanimously approved – Councillor Dennison did not vote for it and Councillors Meed Ward and Taylor were lukewarm – they wanted a different budget but couldn’t seem to pull the strings that would give them what they wanted.
The Free Monday transit for seniors was the issue that divided this council but it was not the structural issue that made this budget different.
Both Councillors Sharman and Dennison had detailed comments which they made once the budget was approved.
In his comments Councillor Dennison said he was not supporting the 2016 City Budget for the following reasons:
“I am not happy with a Burlington Tax increase of 3.19%” he said and “I had a number of recommended reductions including saving a possible $337,000 on the Transit Community Connection. He wanted the service to be paid for by users and the benefiting businesses. He pointed out that it costs $10 million to subsidize our current level of transit.
He also wanted to eliminate additional expense and staff for promotion of Canada 150 and save a potential $100,000.
Dennison wanted to reduce the amount that was being put into the Strategic Land Acquisition fund from $750,000 to $550,000 and save $200,000
Dennison wanted the provision for insurance claims reduced by $150,000. He pointed out that $500,000 from retained savings had already been put into the account and that was enough.
Dennison identified a total of $1,337,000 that could have been saved. His fellow Councillors didn’t agree with him. These changes would have brought our city of Burlington Tax increase down by 1% to 2.19%.
 The city collects taxes for the Board of education and the Regional government. City council is fully responsible for setting the city tax rate; it has no impact or input on the school board taxes. Burlington has significant input on the Regional tax rate but Burlington doesn’t have all that much clout at the Regional level.  Dennison said he continues to have concerns with service-based budgeting. “There are benefits to the approach but it does not replace the need to know how individual operations are performing.
Burlington moved to a service based approach to budgeting which groups different operations making it very difficult to drill down to a line by line look at costs. He pointed to the problem comparing single-pad arenas to multi-pad arenas with respect to cost of operation and concerns with the Paletta Mansion and the Ella Foote Hall in Kilbride.
Dennison doesn’t feel that serviced based budgeting lets Councillors see all the costs and wants both service-based and individual results in 2017 so he can properly review the budget.
 Councillor Jack Dennison has the best grip on where the budget dollars go – he does tend to drill down a little too deeply at times but he consistently wants to see the city spending less money. Dennison points out that “If we over-budgeted in 2015 that means that we over-taxed our assessed properties and the gross tax should be reduced by something closer to that amount and not just be put into reserves.
Just before the vote was taken, Councillor Sharman – ward 5 – said he wanted to on the record with respect to a few items:
“I fully respect and admire the work of community members who promote what they believe is a good idea. I deeply appreciate the time and effort and sometimes emotional strain undertaken by community members in delegating to Council. However, I often believe that delegations represent less than all of the opinions held by all members of the community.
“I have been and continue to be fully supportive of providing, timely, effective and affordable transportation to our community and especially those who have real needs. Perhaps as much as 37% of seniors need or desire to have use convenient transit at an affordable price, according to more thorough analysis of the Oakville free Monday Seniors Bus pilot program. That represents about 11,500 Burlington Senior residents. 63% of Oakville Seniors did not need or want free transit.
 Intense to the point of making delegations uncomfortable ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman does know how to drill down into the data and look for results. “I wonder why we should provide only one day a week free to those who need services when there is a high probability that they need it all the time. Research suggests that it should be all the time.
“I wonder about why we would not include other groups such as students. I don’t know how many people that would help, but I would like to know.
“We know that 9.5% or about 18,000 Burlington Community members live on less than the low income cut off threshold. Other people who have insufficient income to live on could push this figure up to 36,000 people who need or desire help.
“Without setting aside the legitimate desire and needs of seniors I wish to point out that we have in total perhaps in the order of 50,000 people who might legitimately be helped by Council. Split Pass provides us the way but it needs to be changed.
“Meanwhile, Burlington Transit has struggled to redesign itself to provide a viable business model that will meet the needs of all Burlington community members.
“I am not opposed to change for Transit. However, I am opposed to knee jerk inadequately thought out change. We have a chance to accomplish a properly thought out and real change when we discuss the transit service business case which we are committed to do as a result of my staff direction for Council to have a workshop to review each and every city business case.”
Other members of council had comments but they were not as extensive as those made by Councillors Sharman and Dennison.
 By Pepper Parr
January 21st, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Robert Lovell doesn’t understand.
Robert Lovell He was interviewed for the job he has as a member of the Burlington Seniors Advisory Committee and thought he was expected to do just that – advise city council on things that mattered to seniors.
BSAC met on a number of occasions and went into the community to learn when people wanted in the way of transit services.
They researched what Oakville was doing and came to the conclusion that the Free Transit on Monday’s was a good idea and certainly worth trying in Burlington.
They then delegated to city council and made a strong case for trying the Free transit for seniors on Monday’s.
They argued that ridership would rise and the free service might convince people to try the bus. They argued it would also allow people with limited means to use the bus service more often.
 Councillor Jack Dennison, Rick Craven and John Taylor voted not to proceed with a pilot project to learn how much additional ridership could be added to the transit service. All three voted for an allocation of $15,500 for the car free Sunday event that takes place in wards 4,5 and 6. A majority of city council didn’t see it that way and they voted (4-3) against the pilot program that was to run for six months.
Councillors Marianne Meed Ward, Blair Lancaster and Mayor Goldring voted for the pilot program.
Councillor Craven said very little during the debate. Councillor Taylor seemed to feel that the program was intended for those who could not afford transit – and he argued, if that was the case, there were Regional programs that gave financial support.
Taylor seemed quite prepared to have people submit to a financial means test to get support to buy a transit pass. He saw the pilot project as social welfare which he explained is handled by the Region.
Councillor Dennison has never been in favour of much in the way of support programs. Councillor Sharman said he didn’t have a problem with the program but he wanted to be sure everyone fully understood just what the outcomes and expectations were for the pilot project. He wanted the Director of transit to set out what would be measured so that a proper evaluation could be done when the six month pilot ended.
Lovell said he had been told by friends that the Advisory committees were just a sham – that they were put in place to let the public think the city wanted to hear what they had to say. “If that is the case: said Lovell, “then I am out of that committee. I am interested in working on committees that want to make a difference.”
Lovell was one of three people who delegated on the Free Transit for seniors on Monday – a program that Oakville has had in place since 2012 where it is reported to have increased transit ridership by as much as 14% in one period.
Burlington Transit has always had difficulty growing transit ridership. There have been significant price increases which has depressed ridership and route changes haven’t helped all that much either.
When the matter got to council for debate it was clear that some of the members of council didn’t hear what the delegations were saying the day before.
Jim Young was asking council to forget the cost but focus on service – he argued that it was taxpayer’s money and the seniors wanted this kind of service.
What council failed to see was the real opportunity that was being missed. Burlington has busses that travel the streets “more than half empty most of the time” if we understood what Councillor Sharman says.
 A new bus is added to the fleet – city hall staff and area politicians drove over to the transit garage to give a round of applause. They get paid for this – don’t they? We own the buses, we pay a driver to be behind the steering wheel – if there was a chance to increase the ridership at no additional cost and at the same time provide a service and entice people to use the buses – why wouldn’t one at least try the pilot?
The city wasn’t going to lose any money – there would be passengers on the bus who would not pay a fare – they wouldn’t have been on the bus anyway
There is an additional benefit if ridership can be increased. The gas tax rebate the province gives a municipality is based on two measurements: the population of the municipality and the ridership.
There are currently 130 municipalities sharing $332 million dollars.
There was an addition to the 2016 budget that was estimated to cost $14,000 – they spent more than an hour
Burlington has had problems convincing people to use transit. Doug Brown maintains the city does not have a plan to increase ridership and that there really isn’t anyone within city hall who will advocate for improving transit. There is no one at city hall who fully understands transit – responsibility for transit get mentioned by the people responsible for transportation.
More than 17% of the population is over 65 and while many people are able to drive their cars well into their 90’s our aging population is likely to become subject to graduated drivers licenses.
We will get to the point where a doctor will be required to advise the department of transportation that the patient is no longer capable of driving a car. What do we do when we have a growing cohort of people who are either not allowed to drive or are no longer comfortable driving?
The transit free Monday was an opportunity to learn if people would take a bus if it were free. The driving factor behind the pilot project was to see if this was a way to increase ridership.
Old school thinking had Councillor Taylor seeing the request as a social welfare issue, while Councillor Sharman wanted a clear understanding of what the expectations of the pilot were going to be.
 Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster – voted for the Free Monday transit service for seniors  Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward made her presence known to Council well before her election to office, the city knew what they were getting and she has delivered on that promise. Councillors Lancaster and Meed Ward were quite willing to let the Director of Transit take the time needed to prepare a report and if they had to move the start date of the pilot back a bit they could live with that as well. An amendment to the motion allowing for a report to be prepared didn’t pass either – the four opposed to the pilot project just didn’t want to see it take place.
When an item fails at the Standing Committee level there is always an opportunity to debate it again at a council meeting – these are usually held a couple of weeks later. However, budget meetings were slipped in and the normal rotation of meetings got jammed up. If there is going to be a change at city council – those who are behind this project will have to get a wiggle on.
The Gazette understands that the good folks in Aldershot are not at all pleased with the Councillor Craven vote against the pilot.
By Pepper Parr
January 19, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The report going to the Community and Corporate Services Committee asks city council to approve the 2016 Operating Budget including any budget amendments.
The proposed net tax levy for 2016 is set at $146,883,341.
Members of Council have had the Operating Budget book since November and will now debate the operating budget and listen to public delegations at meetings on January 19, 20 and 21.
The budget goes to city council on January 25th where it gets approved.
The city held a just the one public meeting on January 14, 2016 at Tansley Woods Community Centre. The intent of the meeting was to provide residents with an overview of the 2016 proposed budget.
A disturbing comment was made when city council discussed the operating budget. Treasurer said her staff would inform the public about the operating budget but would not be “engaging” the public. No one corrected the treasurer – so this city might have to swallow a budget that asks for an increase of 3.85 % over the 2015 budget.
With inflation at the 2% level one would think the people paying the bills would want to have some say in why such a big difference between inflation and the increase in taxes. Perhaps city council feels the public had their say when they re-elected every member of this council in 2014.
Members of Council are given thick binders will details on the spending plans and are asked to submit Budget Action requests in which each council member sets out items they would like to see changed.
Some of the changes that have been put forward are set out below:
Members of city council were given the budget on a memory stick that allowed them to do simulations on what the budget total would look like if they added or deleted an expense items. This year they went through the budget line by line individually. Based on what the public has seen so far – it doesn’t look as if there is going to be much in the way of cuts. From the left are Councillors Jack Dennison, ward 4, Rick Craven ward 1 and John Taylor ward 3. Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven wants to see the one time funding of $35,000 for the Downtown Data Collection Project pulled. He points out that the original staff recommendation in September 2015 included the following observation: “After considering the staff and funding resources that would be required to collect accurate and useful data to inform the performance indicators and headline measures, staff is of the opinion that the value of obtaining and maintaining such data as a means to evaluating the experience of the downtown may be limited” Remove project and one-time funding of $35,000
The Performing Arts Centre appears to be facing an uphill battle for the additional business case funding it is asking for; $72,500 for a technician and $115,800 for someone to work on community engagement.
Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison wants the Performing Arts centre to stay within their budget; Councillor Blair Lancaster (Ward 6) wants data to show the success of the previous contract position and indicate if the proposed permanent position could be self-sustaining.
He also wants to know: Why has the Human Resources budget been increased by 6.2%?
Why is the Arts and Culture – Human Resources year-end projection for 2015 $43,000 over the budget?
Why is the budget $1,009,140 for Human Resources?
Why has the Human Resources budget for Council and Citizen Committee been increased by $30,000?
Dennison has always been the Councillor with the best understanding of the budget and has consistently asked the toughest questions.
 Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward seems to have focused on transit and seniors in the changes she wants to see in the 2016 budget. Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward has focused some of her energy on seniors and transit.
She wants to replace the existing business case with the following staff direction (Part 1): “Direct the Director of Transit to implement a pilot program for free transit on Mondays for seniors (65+) for the period April 1 – Sept 30 2016 and report back with results and a recommendation as part of the 2017 budget cycle.” The goal of the program is to increase ridership among seniors; among the Key Performance Indicators that will be tracked during the pilot are: change in ridership among seniors on Mondays; change in ridership among seniors Tuesday to Sunday; change in revenue from seniors Mondays and the rest of the week.
Replace the existing business case with the following staff direction (Part 2): “Direct the Director of Transit to implement a pilot program of a $30 monthly pass for seniors (65+) (about $1/day) for the period April 1 – Sept 30 2016 and report back with results and a recommendation as part of the 2017 budget cycle.” The goal of the program is to increase ridership among seniors and remove affordability concerns for people who may not qualify for the Regional SPLIT pass. Among the Key Performance Indicators that will be tracked during the pilot are: change in sales and revenue of monthly passes for seniors; change in ridership among seniors.
Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman has focused om both information technology and corporate management and is asking that staff be directed to prepare an assessment of each of the services with respect to their relative strategic importance. The objective is help determine where we might wish to reduce/cut spending and therefore be able to re-allocate funds to services which are strategically more important.
 Councillors Sharman and Lancaster – both had changes they wanted to see in the 2016 budget. Staff be directed to conduct a series of Council Workshops to explain and seek agreement about each service: strategic positioning; service improvement goals; improvement actions: short/medium & long term resource/financial requirement projections.
The Strategic Plan has now gone through an extensive public review – when staff returns with its summary of what the public thought of the document it will be brought to Council for adoption. Some of what Councillor Sharman is asking for will then get matched up with what is included in the Strategic Plan.
Sharman is perhaps the Councillor with the best understanding of spending on Information technology. He suggests that a justification based on the 2 1/2 year old report is of questionable value today due the pace of change in technology. He points out that a report did correctly point out that City systems are aging and should be updated.
Rather than spend $209,350 in 2016 and $407,250 in 2017 Sharman proposes the following staff direction: Funding for IT Business Cases be approved but be refined by the City Manager relative to his assessment of the alignment of IT projects, in the context of the Strategic Plan, and the current strategic review of IT now underway, as well as the approach proposed in the subject Business Cases.
City manager James Ridge has some IT experience – but his desk is pretty full with managing the city – and he no longer has a management level between his office and the directors. Interesting that there has been no mention of just what the city is going to have in the way of a management structure going forward.
 Mayor Rick Goldring didn’t ask for any cuts to the 2016 budget but did want the city manager to look for ways to increase revenue. Mayor Goldring didn’t seem to see anything he wanted to cut in the 2016 budget but did want the city manager to study approaches that the city can take in revenue generation and provide a report to committee with the presentation of the 2017 budget
By Staff
January 12, 2016
BURLIGNTON, ON
Finally – the city made Vito Tolone the Director of Transportation; he has served as the acting director since May 2015 and is a long-time city employee.
Tolone has been with the city since 1990; has held various positions at the city, including transportation planner, project leader, supervisor of traffic signal systems and senior transportation planner.
 “After an extensive competition with a strong slate of candidates, I am very pleased that Vito has agreed to lead the city’s transportation group,” said City Manager James Ridge.
“Vito is well regarded in the Ontario municipal sector and brings extensive experience to this role.”
Tolone is a graduate of the Mohawk College Transportation Planning Technology program and a member of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists.
The transportation department at the City of Burlington oversees the delivery of various road-related services, including the traffic signal system, traffic services, transportation planning, parking, and school crossing guards.
If Burlington is going to function as a city people can move around in – Tolone is going to have to be right on top of how much in the way of financial resources are available to him to do the job. He knows the transportation field – will his advice and recommendations be heard?
 By Staff
January 12, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
BurlingtonGreen put its two cents on the table and gave city council and senior staff its views on the Strategic Plan that is currently out for public review.
They made several significant points: One being that there wasn’t enough focus climate change and they wondered why there was a long term vision but not much in the way of a four year, single term of office document. Burlington Green isn’t the only group asking that question.
Burlington Green’s Executive Director Amy Schnurr points to “the extensive community feedback” they received through their Greenprint for the Future outreach program where they learned what the citizens of Burlington had to say about a variety of local environmental issues.
 Ice birgs are melting. “Both globally and locally, the health of the environment and need for effective, results-oriented action to ensure a sustainable future has never been more important. Municipalities have an essential role to play in combating climate change and must prioritize and integrate associated action strategies into short and long-term planning. Additionally, with Burlington currently facing the conflicting challenges of build-out and population growth, the associated issues of intensification, infill practices, habitat destruction, local food security, waste management and effective transportation, combine to make sustainable planning a top priority.”
BurlingtonGreen strongly believes that climate change and the environment must be central to Burlington’s vision and planning going forward and respectfully offers the following input to aid the City in improving the draft Strategic Plan for 2015 to 2040.
Issue: Strategic Plan versus Long Term Vision: we feel the current document represents a strategic vision, rather than a plan which requires specific, measurable time-bound strategies.
Recommendation: Re position the document as “Burlington’s Vision for 2015 to 2040”and develop a five year Strategic Plan in consultation with the community, to implement the short and long term elements of the vision.
Issue: The Vision Statement “Where people, nature, and business thrive” is missing the element of community context.
Recommendation: Include the word “community”, so that the vision statement reads: “Where people, nature, business, and community thrive”.
 Smoke stacks are killing us. Issue: Climate Change: the document makes no reference to this, the most important environmental and social issue of our times, and though some elements, such as the City’s carbon-neutral proposal, address it in part, there is no cohesive or strongly-stated strategy articulated. Cities must be on the front line of action in dealing with climate change, and Burlington needs to demonstrate clear leadership here.
Recommendation: Add a fifth section to the plan dedicated to climate change because strategies dealing with climate change must include or involve all sections of the plan: not just health and environment, but also transportation and economic development and the type of growth we want to have and can sustain in the next twenty five years.
If it is deemed that an additional section cannot be added then all document sections should be strengthened significantly to integrate climate change mitigation and adaptation planning strategies.
Issue: A City that Grows: we support the thrust towards intensification and smart growth; however, there is insufficient recognition of the need to develop and preserve a livable and environmentally sustainable community, while promoting economic growth.
Smart growth must advance strategic plans that respect nature’s biodiversity and our irreplaceable green spaces that Burlington is fortunate to have. This additional point is not only important for Burlington citizens, but is fundamental to promoting economic growth in a postmodern information economy.
Reccomendation: Strengthen this section to clearly indicate that the vision is to absorb growth in the currently defined urban areas to support an economically strong, livable and environmentally sustainable community.
Issue: A City that Moves: we strongly believe that a much greater focus on public transit and active transportation is required in the draft plan.
Do we have enough buses and are they the right size to meet the changing demand? Recommendation: Make Public Transit and Active Transportation priorities by creating a dedicated section specifically dealing with “public transit” and “active transportation options”, in coordination with the Region of Halton’s recently published Active Transportation Master Plan, and where necessary, work proactively with the Region to suggest any improvements to the Plan that are needed to meet Burlington’s specific requirements.
Issue: A Healthy and Greener City: we find this section represents a fairly traditional approach to environment and more innovative and integrative thinking and strategies, with a strong focus on Climate Change are required.
 Tree canopies like this take decades to mature – is there a plan in place to replace these trees when they begin to fail? It is streets like this that give Burlington much of its character and value. Recommendation: Review this section approaching urban and growth issues from an environmental point of view, and ensure the inclusion of important issues such as:
• Green Space: include strategies for green space growth and preservation for its carbon sink capacity and quality of life and health benefits.
A comprehensive (city and privately owned) green space inventory and acquisition plan is required to support this;
• Tree Canopy: include strategies to protect and strengthen our tree canopy to meet Environment Canada’s community sustainability standards.
One example includes the establishment of a practical, effective private property tree bylaw given that the majority of our tree canopy is located on privately owned lands.
• Habitat & Biodiversity Protection: A balanced approach to development planning is essential to ensure the city’s natural areas are preserved and habitat restoration work is advanced to ensure local biodiversity is protected and enhanced.
• Waste Reduction: include municipal and community strategies to support the Region and Province to meet waste reduction goals. Advancement of the city’s green procurement strategies and establishing local targets, incentives and requirements for all events and festivals conducted on city property are a few examples.
• Energy: consider whether energy, being at the fulcrum of climate change, should be a distinct initiative in this section and perhaps whether the section might be renamed Environment and Energy. Include forward looking strategies such as developing community energy systems(s) by engaging industry experts and committing to community energy infrastructure development.
The test for feasibility should not be limited to existing business and geopolitical measures but should include forward looking plans that anticipate changes in support of combatting climate change.
• Farmland/Source Water Protection: include strategies that will strengthen the protection of our vital agricultural sector and water resources such as adopting a Food & Water First policy.
Issue: A Healthy and Greener City: we find this section represents a fairly traditional approach to environment and more innovative and integrative thinking and strategies, with a strong focus on Climate Change are required.
 Do we have a rural farmland policy? Recommendation: Review this section approaching urban and growth issues from an environmental point of view, and ensure the inclusion of important issues such as:
• Green Space: include strategies for green space growth and preservation for its carbon sink capacity and quality of life and health benefits.
A comprehensive (city and privately owned) green space inventory and acquisition plan is required to support this;
• Tree Canopy: include strategies to protect and strengthen our tree canopy to meet Environment Canada’s community sustainability standards.
One example includes the establishment of a practical, effective private property tree bylaw given that the majority of our tree canopy is located on privately owned lands.
• Habitat & Biodiversity Protection: A balanced approach to development planning is essential to ensure the city’s natural areas are preserved and habitat restoration work is advanced to ensure local biodiversity is protected and enhanced.
• Waste Reduction: include municipal and community strategies to support the Region and Province to meet waste reduction goals. Advancement of the city’s green procurement strategies and establishing local targets, incentives and requirements for all events and festivals conducted on city property are a few examples.
• Energy: consider whether energy, being at the fulcrum of climate change, should be a distinct initiative in this section and perhaps whether the section might be renamed Environment and Energy. Include forward looking strategies such as developing community energy systems(s) by engaging industry experts and committing to community energy infrastructure development.
The test for feasibility should not be limited to existing business and geopolitical measures but should include forward looking plans that anticipate changes in support of combatting climate change.
• Farmland/Source Water Protection: include strategies that will strengthen the protection of our vital agricultural sector and water resources such as adopting a Food & Water First policy.
 A rapt audience listens to an overview of a budget – did they have any real input ? Issue:
An Engaging City: we generally support what is here, however as a Blue Dot community, Burlington needs to step up to the commitment and advance a plan to stimulate citizen engagement specifically in regards to growth and environmental issues.
Recommendation: Advance plans to stimulate meaningful citizen engagement with respect to growth and environmental issues.
Burlington Green has been consistent with its plea that the public be listened to and heard. They argue that the City’s Strategic Plan for 2015-2040 “must reflect this commitment; they hope the constructive input and recommendations provided make it into the final document.
 By Pepper Parr
January 8th 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
Strategic plans are by seldom an easy read. They are however important – they set out where the politicians you elected want to see growth take place.
There was a time when Burlington had acres of farm land that was developed over time – the two malls we have were once very productive farmland at a time when Burlington was known around the word for the quality of its produce.
 The city – then a town – was once a produce garden known around the world. We grew and we now need a strategy to guide the growth, We shipped so much fresh fruit and vegetables that the railway had two tracks coming into what was then a town.
That was then – developers bought that farmland and put up a parking lot and added some stores along the edges. The old Burlington began to change and the downtown core that once was a place where people did gather began to wither.
 Strategic Plan is based on four strategic directions. The city believes it needs a Strategic Plan and spends a considerable amount of time and significant financial resources putting a document together and looking for public comment.
The draft version of the Strategic Plan that is now ready for public comment has four Strategic Directions: a city that moves; a city that grows; a healthy and greener city; and an engaging city.
This report takes material from the draft report and adds comments to put what the draft Strategic Plan is saying in context. See the draft plan as a piece of sales literature with one side of the story. The Gazette has added comment based on its five years of covering this council and attendance at all the meetings for the 2011 Strategic Plan and most of the meetings for the plan that is ready for public comment. The commentary is set out in bold italic.
Everything your city council wants to have happen in Burlington as it grows – and the city has to grow because the province says we must – is pinned to the four strategic directions. There was no public input on the choice of those four strategic directions. They came out of discussion and debate and wordsmithed by the consultants.
First strategic direction is related to growth. That growth is identified as coming about as the result of – economic development, intensification and smart population growth.
Each of these has a list of strategic initiatives the city will undertake and then a list of progress indicators telling us what real progress has been made.
Council wants to promote economic growth. Local incomes have risen and Burlington continues to be a prosperous city due to the co-ordinated action of the city, region, province, educational institutions and industry. The very significant increases in the selling prices of housing has made a difference as well; a recent report had the increase at the 9.2% year over year level.
More people who live in Burlington, work in Burlington and targets for employment lands have been met (15,000 new knowledge-based jobs by 2025) through the creation of an employment lands vision to unite the community, developers and industry.
 An empty lot on the North Service Road at Walkers Line was to be the home of a new IKEA – that didn’t work out but a six storey office building got built a couple of hundred yards away. The development community has been banging away at council to let quite a bit of the land set aside for employment be converted and used instead for housing – which is a lot more profitable.
The draft report claims that employment lands are connected to the community and region and include transportation links and options that are easy to access and contribute to a sustainable and walk able community. That statement is more than a bit of a stretch. A report earlier this week in the Spectator said that those who attended the Pan Am games didn’t make much use of public transit – and there is nothing wrong with the GO service.
Burlington hasn’t taken to the idea of public transit yet. When a significant number of seniors find that they can’t drive or find the traffic too congested to drive – they will make their concerns known to council and then watch how quickly city council comes onside and starts spending the gas tax rebates on transit – which is what they were intended for.
Small businesses contributes to the creation of complete neighbourhoods. Commerce aligns with land-use planning goals so that residents are close to goods and services.
Innovative, entrepreneurial businesses have settled or developed in Burlington. The city has helped create the technological support, business supports, infrastructure and educational environment to attract start-ups and growing businesses.
The people who write these reports keep saying things that are just not true – they seem to feel that if they say something often enough it will become true.
 This just isn’t a vibrant downtown – the site has been sold with yet another condominium being planned for the site – right opposite city hall. Two statements that need to be dealt with honestly – Burlington’s downtown is vibrant and thriving with greater intensification. The downtown isn’t vibrant – hasn’t been vibrant for a long, long time. Better minds than mine may know how to make it vibrant – but we aren’t there yet.
Much of the rural property is in the hands of speculators who limit what can be done with the land. There are farmers north of Dundas that would like to grow different crops but the owners of the property limit what they can grow. The City of Burlington’s rural areas will be economically and socially vibrant, producing commodities and providing unique recreational activities for the city.
How will Burlington make the growth wanted actually happen?
These are some examples of actions and measures of success:
Create an employment lands vision that drives investment and growth in the Prosperity Corridors.
 Getting the people who own the land to work with the city and develop with long term viability is the first step – some of the plans on the table for the land around the Aldershot GO station leave a lot to be desired.
Develop and put in place a redevelopment and intensification strategy for the Prosperity Corridors
Build one economic development brand for the City of Burlington that reflects the city’s economic development vision
Develop a holistic strategy for Burlington’s rural area. This strategy will consider economic, social and environmental factors in support of the rural community, agricultural industry, natural heritage and water resources
Develop a post-secondary attraction strategy.
 Something along these lines was planned for Burlington’s downtown core – but McMaster stifed the city when a nicer deal came along. There was a time when the DeGroote campus now on the South Service Road was going to be downtown on land that is currently the Elizabeth Street parking lot. That on got away on us. There has been some rumbling about perhaps getting some of the Mohawk College courses delivered in Burlington. Mohawk president Ron McKerlie says that isn’t going to happen. The one post-secondary institution we did have pulled up their stakes and moved on.
 Develop a business-friendly environment that attracts investment. The real issues is to find investors who look for long term returns and not the getting in and getting out to turn the fast buck. There is a project in the west end that the developer wants to get approved that doesn’t include very much, if anything in the way of amenities. There are developers building forms of housing that are not built that often. And at the same time there are developers prepared to work with city hall and the ward Councillors and not grab every last square foot of density available. There is a developer currently building what will amount to a new community that will house more than 2000 people.
Create and invest in a system that supports the start-up and growth of businesses and entrepreneurship. There are a lo of people who would love to know what such a system would look like. The role of government is to create the conditions needed for economic growth and then stay out of the way and let business people do what they do best. Keep the taxes low – provide services that people need fix the pot holes and keep the snow off the roads and sidewalks.
Progress indicators:
How will we know we are getting to where we want to get to?
• Median household income will rise
• Labour force by industry will tell us ho we are doing
• Industry location targets will be clearly identified
• Income distribution will be known to track inequity
• Percentage of families with low income will be lower
• Rural economic health indicator will exist
• Number of hectares of farmland under active cultivation
• Year-over-year employment land absorption
• Jobs per hectare in the urban boundary
• Percentage of the community that does not work in Burlington
• City’s gross domestic product
• Employment and unemployment rates.
There is a bit of a problem with this list of data – the city does not have a demographer on staff and without one it will be very difficult to report on any of the above. There was no mention made of hiring a demographer during the strategic plan discussions.
Intensification:
Growth is being achieved in mixed-use nodes and corridors, including mobility hubs and urban centres.
 The city defined four possible “mobility hubs” They appear to have settled on the Aldershot location. Mobility hubs are developed near each GO Station and in the downtown.
Aging plazas are being redeveloped and transformed into mixed-use neighbourhood hubs.
New/transitioning neighbourhoods are being designed to promote easy access to amenities, services and employment areas with more opportunities for walking, cycling and using public transit.
Older neighbourhoods are important to the character of Burlington and intensification will be carefully managed to respect this character.
Energy-efficient buildings and other onsite sustainable features are the norm, thereby improving Burlington’s environmental footprint. Existing buildings are being renovated to improve efficiency.
Intensification is planned so that growth is financially sustainable and supported by appropriate funding and service delivery.
Burlington has an urban core that has higher densities, green space and amenities, is culturally active and is home to a mix of residents and businesses.
Architecture, sustainable buildings and urban design excellence are being achieved through a commitment to creating public spaces where people can live, work or gather.
The city will create and implement an awards program to recognize and celebrate excellence in architecture, urban design and sustainability in all developments.
 Waterdown Road was recently widened from Hwy 403 to Plains Road. As part of an intensification exercise the planners prepared visualizations of what that Road could look like if there were some commercial development. This is what they thought possible.  This is what Waterdown Road north of Plains Road looks like today. How will Burlington make this happen?
These are some examples of actions and measures of success:
Strategic Initiatives:
The city will focus intensification to mixed-use nodes and employment corridors by updating intensification targets and co-ordinating infrastructure to achieve growth objectives. The city will incorporate revised intensification targets into its Official Plan. The city will demonstrate its commitment to growth management by preparing an intensification plan to manage projected growth and its related impacts. This will be complete in two years but will not limit prioritizing/directing intensification in the shorter term.
Through policy, the city will influence the redevelopment of aging plazas and transform them into mixed-use neighbourhood hubs.
The city will work with Halton Region and other partners to develop a servicing plan for intensification areas.
The city will conduct and implement an intensification plan that will include a specific focus on the Urban Growth Centre, and will develop a strategy for the downtown core that will promote residential and appropriate niche/boutique office development
The city will develop energy and sustainable site feature guidelines to require new/ renewed buildings to promote energy-efficient technologies.
The city will complete a city-wide fiscal impact analysis of all forms of development
The city will put in place the recommendations of Core Commitment in the downtown and extend, where possible, recommendations to other urban centres.
The city will create an independent capacity study to understand and comment on real estate economics and trends.
The city will create a design review panel and put in place an awards program to achieve excellence in architecture, urban design and sustainability.
Progress Indicators:
Percentage of aging commercial plazas that have redeveloped
Percentage of mobility hubs that are developed
Intensification (Jobs/people per hectare) for mobility hubs, urban centres, urban corridors, commercial plazas and urban employment areas.
Smart Population Growth:
Burlington is an inclusive city that has a higher proportion of youth, newcomers and young families and offers a price range and mix of housing choices.
Seniors are supported by a strategy that promotes health, recreation, transportation and aging in place.
How will Burlington make this happen?
These are some examples of actions and measures of success:
Strategic Initiatives:
 Fairview was seen as a street with people walking and lanes for cyclists. That’s not what it is today. Future development will be higher density, walkable, accessible and transit- oriented. The city will become a leader in walkability scores in the province, and will be fully aligned with provincial strategy and goals.
The city will prioritize one mobility hub, and will work with partners to ensure resources are available to allow the development to proceed in a timely way. The prioritized hub will be included in the Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan. Stakeholders will be consulted to help gain consensus.
Within two years, the city will develop a strategy in co-operation with other levels of government to support young families:
Housing supply will allow young families and newcomers to locate in Burlington
Infrastructure will support the economic, social and community goals of youth, young families and newcomers.
Within four years, the city will develop an economic migrant outreach and liaison office to attract investor/entrepreneur class immigrants, while remaining a destination of choice for all immigrants, including refugees.
An Age Friendly strategy for seniors will be developed within three years to ensure sufficient seniors’ programming space is provided throughout the city.
The city will improve its ability to monitor, track and understand Burlington’s demographic growth trends and profile.
If you give them enough rope – they eventually hang themselves – what’s with all the “within” dates? Do your best and try not to set yourselves up for failure by attaching a specific date to something you may have little control over.
Progress Indicators:
Walkability score applied to intensification and population growth
Population by demographics
Median age
Immigration numbers and percentages
Household size
Median housing price
Mix of available housing types.
More data is always nice – the capacity to make decisions is what taxpayers both look for and expect.
The remaining three Strategic Directions will be detailed in a follow up article.
There are three more public information sessions on the draft Strategic Plan; January 13 and January 18th.
 By Staff
January 12, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
An information release from the office of MP Karina Gould announces that Not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees looking to hire full-time workers for summer 2016 can now apply for funding under the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program.
 Summer employment has been the beginning of a lot of careers. CSJ creates summer job opportunities and valuable work experience specifically for youth aged 15 to 30 intending to return to their studies in the next school year. The program’s aim is also to help employers create summer job opportunities that focus on priorities important to their local communities, which could include special events such as sporting or cultural occasions.
In Burlington, the priorities focus on local special events and festivals, advanced manufacturing, tourism, and organizations that provide programs and services for seniors or disadvantaged community groups, but all eligible applicants are encouraged to apply. It is hoped that a number of employers will come forward with applications which will also complement a number of national priorities, including support for:
• employers who help welcome and settle Syrian refugees to Canada, as well as Syrian students;
• Indigenous people, who are among the fastest-growing segments of the Canadian population;
• small businesses working to become more innovative, competitive and successful, in recognition of their key contribution to the creation of new jobs; and
• cultural and creative industries looking to create jobs and to strengthen our rich Canadian identity. This latter priority will support the planning of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.
The application period runs from January 4, 2016, to February 26, 2016. Applicants approved for funding will be able to hire students as early as May 2016.
 An education is part of getting a job – some experience helps. For further information and to apply, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca/csj or visit a Service Canada Centre.
Canada Summer Jobs is part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy, which is its commitment to help young people, particularly those facing barriers to employment, get the information and gain the skills, work experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition into the labour market.
By Staff
January 7, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board has welcomed 12 Syrian students in Milton, Oakville and Burlington since December of 2015.
The Board has been advised an additional 13 students are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. While Halton Region is not among the seven communities designated to receive federally-sponsored Syrian refugees, the Board anticipates more refugees will be arriving in the coming months as Halton is a location of choice for many privately sponsored refugees.
 Syrian children at a refugee camp in Jordan learning something about Canada. Halton, and Ontario, are home to one of the most diverse populations in the world, where generations have come to build new lives. According to the Halton Multicultural Council (HMC Connections), approximately 100 refugees are welcomed to Halton on an annual basis. The current commitment to resettle Syrian refugees will increase the number of those settling in Halton in 2016.
To date, the Halton District School Board has supported the settlement and inclusion of refugees into our elementary and secondary schools and communities through our Welcome Centre, located inside Gary Allan High School in Milton (the former E.C. Drury High School) at 215 Ontario St South.
“We are pleased that in our own small way, we are contributing to the much needed aid of those who have lived through and continue to face great challenges in their homeland, says Stuart Miller, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support our Federal and Provincial governments in this humanitarian cause.”
 City hall staff refugee fund very close to its target. The following actions are being taken by the Halton District School Board to ensure a successful transition for Syrian refugees:
• With support from, and in consultation with, the Ministry of Education and the Federal government, the Halton District School Board will help settle Syrian refugees and integrate them into our communities, through our Welcome Centre, and into our elementary and secondary schools.
• All students who are new to the Halton District School Board and who speak a language other than English as their first language visit the Welcome Centre as their point of entry to receive settlement supports and academic assessments.
• The Halton District School Board’s School Programs department is developing English Literacy Development (ELD) and English as a Second Language (ESL) programming and instructional supports and resources for teachers.
• ESL instructional program leaders, in coordination with the Welcome Centre and schools, will support classroom learning and co-curricular experiences in academically appropriate and culturally responsive and relevant approaches. Examples of some resources developed include Q&A scenario-based documents, lesson plans appropriate to English Proficiency Assessment levels and entry points within the grade and subject curriculum, Arabic specific teaching tools and lessons to include all students in literacy learning through Arabic/English translation.
• A central resource teacher will be assigned to assist with the process of coordinating support for schools for ESL and ELD students. Based on volume and levels of language proficiency, schools may need assistance in integrating refugee students.
• School administrators will attend professional learning sessions with their ESL/ELD teachers to learn about targeted and focused supports for welcoming students and families, engaging newcomer families into school life, and developing a support network to enhance and enrich the learning experiences and inclusion of all newcomers in their communities.
• Ongoing support for all newcomers to the Halton District School Board includes orientation programs about the Ontario educational system and requirements. Newcomers are also provided information about the processes and programs specific to the Halton District School Board, the provision of interpretation services, as well as the translation of Board and school documents. Furthermore, information about parent and student engagement through Community Connects programming is available to promote academic success and social and emotional health.
• Many schools are engaged in initiatives to support Syrian refugees as they arrive and continue to grow and learn and become members of our Halton communities. For example, Oodenawi Public School in Oakville has developed ‘play kits’ to provide to students when they arrive at the Welcome Centre. The Halton Learning Foundation provides donations to students in need, including Syrian refugees.
The city of Burlington staff have created a fund to support a refugee family – they are very close to their objective.
 By Staff
January 5, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The word levée a social event that now takes place on New Year’s Day goes back to this country’s colonial times.
The Lieutenant Governor’s |levee still takes place at Queen’s Park and a number of armed forces regiments hold the event.
Close to a hundred different Ontario municipalities in Ontario hold a levee but Burlington apparently has never held a levée.
The times they are a changing. On Sunday, January 10th, Burlington’s MPP Eleanor McMahon and Member of Parliament Karina Gould will officiate at a levee to be held at the Art Gallery of Burlington from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
 McMahon and Gould at the 2015 Remembrance Day ceremony. No word yet on how the two women are going to style the vent. Will they have a receiving line, will they both wear long gowns?
Will McMahon sing – she has a pretty good voice.
Will there be a military presence?
Will members of the various youth military groups be on hand?
Will there be a piper?
Gould and McMahon have an opportunity to create an event that can be colourful, historical and not the usual “borington” event.
The two woman took part in the Remembrance Day event as a team bringing a quiet dignity to the role they each played.
“In the 18th century the levée in Great Britain and Ireland became a formal court reception given by the sovereign or his/her representative in the forenoon or early afternoon. In the New World colonies the levée was held by the governor acting on behalf of the monarch. Only men were received at these events.
It was in Canada that the levée became associated with New Year’s Day. The fur traders had the tradition of paying their respects to the master of the fort (their government representative) on New Year’s Day. This custom was adopted by the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors for their levées.
 MP Karina Gould The first recorded levée in Canada was held on January 1, 1646, in the Chateau St. Louis by Charles Huault de Montmagny, Governor of New France from 1636 to 1648. In addition to wishing a happy new year to the citizens the governor informed guests of significant events in France as well as the state of affairs within the colony. In turn, the settlers were expected to renew their pledges of allegiance to the Crown.
The levée tradition was continued by British colonial governors in Canada and subsequently by both the governor general and lieutenant governors. It continues to the present day.
As mentioned, the levée was historically a male preserve but during World War II levées were attended by female officers of the armed forces. Since then levées have been open to both women and men.
Over the years the levée has become almost solely a Canadian observance.
 MPP Eleanor McMahon Today the levée has evolved from the earlier, more boisterous party into a more sedate and informal one. It is an occasion to call upon representatives of the monarch, military and municipal governments and to exchange New Year’s greetings and best wishes for the New Year, to renew old acquaintances and to meet new friends. It is also an opportunity to reflect upon the events of the past year and to welcome the opportunities of the New Year.
It will be interesting to see how Gould and McMahon fashion this event – there is an opportunity to make it colourful with a historical tweek to it.
Keep the speeches short and ensure that the Tory’s are made to feel fully welcome – this isn’t to become a Liberal event.
By Staff
December 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The year in review – July, August and September – how did the city do?
July 2015
Union wage settlements of 4.25% and 6.95% negotiated by CUPE.
Burlington Transit asking its riders what they want
 We get to use HOV lanes with two occupants in the vehicle – as we prepare for the day when we have to pay to use that lane with just a single occupant in the car.
Burlington’s federal Liberals launch their campaign; they sense a victory in the air.
Changing the culture at city hall; bringing in the department leadership needed – and getting a Code of Conduct in place for the politicians.
Federal government decides the CN Milton Logistics hub needs to benefit from the eyes of an independent panel. Truck traffic impact on Burlington roads worrisome.
Messy council debate refers the Code of Conduct to the city manager.
 Community Foundation closes it books on the Disaster Relief Fund – $2.72 million distributed.
Is the Food Truck a fad, a new phenomenon or the shape of things to come?
Is there a future for the oldest farmhouse in the downtown core? Could be if the city planners and the developer get creative.
Premier plans to make room for more politicians in the legislature.
An electric vehicle charging station will be installed in downtown Burlington at the parking garage on Locust Street.
The Flood – It was small in area and it hovered in the one place and just kept pouring – dropping almost as much rain as Hurricane Hazel in 1954.
August 2015
Can we pull it off? The potential is significant and it will certainly change the city in a rather positive way.
Premier tells Ontario Mayors they will get a better deal next time there is a localized disaster.
 Burlington imports a new executive director for the Performing Arts Centre from Richmond BC; Susan Haines starts September 1st
Rebuild of the Freeman station is coming along nicely – they still need help with a lot of the work. Get in on it now – when this thing is done it will be something to be able to say you were a part of.
Where do we put 35,000 people in the next 25 years? And what will the city have in place in the way of roads and transit to move these people around?
September 2015
Hydro cuts the ribbon on a micro co-generation turbine that has the potential to contribute significantly to the city’s Community Energy Plan
Is there an Arts Council in the city’s future? Should there be one? Does anyone care?
 Stuart Miller appointed Director of Education for the Halton District School Board
A fourth GO station for Burlington? It is in the works.
City Clerk opens the kimono just a little and lets you see how Council voted on recorded votes.
Most of the community and corporate affairs discussion at council was be behind closed doors – six confidential items on the list.
City challenges residents to Think Outside the Car – the process of changing the car culture has begun
Transportation Minister explains what the provincial government is going to do with rail transit – catch up and keep up!
 Prime Minister in town with a promise to build an Advanced Manufacturing hub – if he is re-elected.
The full year:
Ist quarter – January, February and March
2nd quarter – April, May and June.
4th quarter – October November and December. To follow.
By Staff
December 29, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
What happened to our city during the 2Q (April, May, June) of 2015? Click on the link for the full story.
April 2015
Population shifts suggest there might be some consolidation, especially at the public elementary school level
Mayor assures audience that intensification will not impact traditional communities – Tyendaga golf course seems to be safe.
 THE Ice Storm Province gives the Region the balance of the $2.8 million promised to cover part of the cost of recovering from the ice storm December of 2013.
Community Foundation distributes $897,000 to groups in the city – highest level ever for the organization.
Strategic Plan deliberations begin – intensification and where people are going to live appears to be the question that will shape the conversation.
City and region give Transport Canada their views on how the regulations regarding public input on air park development can be changed. Progress – finally.
11,970 people take part in the 2015 CleanUp GreenUp of the city.
Transit advocates issue a short report with recommendations – will city council react?
Who are these people? They have been nominated as amongst Burlington’s Best.
Aldershot residents feel they aren’t being told the whole story – It’s not right and regrettable as well.
Councillor Dennison’s OMB hearing to overturn a Committee of Adjustment decision begins Tuesday.
 Air Park berm – built without a site plan City and the air park are back in court – city manager proving to be a man of few words when it comes to explaining what the city is doing.
Public gets a look and a listen to the plans for upgrading Brant Square – developers hope to have it done by 2018.
Early designs for the Windows on the Lake appear to get public support – local residents don’t seem to be as impressed.
Burlington’s former Miss Canada has her sights set on the House of Commons – bye bye city hall.
Public gets first look at the design for Beachway Park: it is almost five character parks strung together
Head of the culture and heritage in Grande Prairie coming to Burlington to lead the AGB – wait till he sees the cost of a house in this city.
 Ron Foxcroft – on hi way to met the Queen. Royalty is the next stop for Burlington’s most famous high school drop out.
Plans for rebuild of Lakeshore Road are shown – lots of discussion to take place on this one: road to be raised a metre in some locations.
Province to publish graduation rates: Halton Board released numbers yesterday.
May 2015
It is going to cost $686 million to educate 62,000 students in the public school system – they might have to get by with fewer French language teachers.
Province reviewing Municipal Elections Act to give municipalities more choice in municipal elections; ranked ballot under consideration.
Ontario plans to increasing protections for Condo Owners; little late for the $4 million that was taken from a number of Burlington condo corporations.
 Council during a recorded vote. Vote on Code of Conduct deferred – Dennison wasn’t able to attend the meeting.
Does the Ghent house on Brant Street at Ghent matter historically? Should it be saved and if it should how can a city do that?
Beachway Park will cost $51 million – includes everything – even the cost of removing the hydro towers.
Public will be able to take city council behavior complaints to an Integrity Commissioner once the Code of Conduct has been passed.
 The Test Kitchen Pop Up seating on Brant Street. Pop Up Patio on Brant opens – 21 tables where two cars normally park – interesting menu and a fun place.
Mayor returns after week long trip representing Burlington in Holland during historic 70th anniversary celebrating the end of WW II
There just might be some life in the Skyway Plaza in the east end of the city – proposals and ideas are being kicked around.
Community Foundation is ready to close the file on flood relief claims – $2.97 million will eventually be distributed.
June 2015
Community Foundation brings their Disaster Relief Fund drive to a close – 38 of the 310 claims were denied; $2.7 million distributed.
Residential re-sale prices brisk; up 17.7 % year over year.
Aldershot residents get an up close look at Masonry Court project – “not very imaginative” was one comment.
Director of Education has failed twice at retirement; thinks he can get it right on this his third attempt – expects to leave in August.
 Design for a Window on the Lake the public can actually get to. More than respectable Windows-to-theLake designs approved by a Council Standing Committee.
Art Gallery of Burlington raises $60,000 at its Parisian themed Art Auction
Board of education does a quickie and approves spending for both capital ($62.6 million) and operating ($685.7) spending in minutes – also says it will be going along with the new sex ed curriculum .
Conservatives in new Oakville North Burlington federal riding choose Effie Triantafilipoulos over Blair Lancaster.
New Burlington riding chooses Oakville Councillor as their candidate: Pam Damoff will run for the federal Liberals in Oakville North Burlington.
What Burlingtonians told market researchers they liked and did not like about living here – what’s not to like?
By Pepper Parr
December 24, 2105
BURLINGTON, ON
How many will there be? We have no idea, said Gillian Kearns, interim director at the Wesley Urban Ministries in Hamilton, one of the re-settlement points for those people who have been sponsored by the federal government.
We are gearing up to get ourselves to the point where we have 150 places we can house people – which we figure will allow us to handle up to 450 of these newly minted Canadians who have come to us from the war torn Middle East.
There are currently 17 people at the Wesley office in Hamilton where there are 36 rooms in what was once a senior’s home.
 Once a Seniors’ residence this Catherine street building in Hamilton is where the bus with new Canadians stops and where the process of re-settling people from the Middle East begins. This is the first intake point and where we begin the process of orienting them to life in Canada, said Kearns who has been working with Wesley Urban Ministries (WUM), for three years, an organization that has been around for more than 60 years. We help them open up their bank accounts, get them used to transit in Hamilton and walk through Jackson Square with them.
 A parking lot with graffiti all over the walls of a building across the street from the Wesley Urban Ministry offices is what greets the new Canadians who arrived last week – no grass and not a tree in sight – but the rooms are warm and the food is good. Wesley Urban Ministries is right in the middle of that part of town where there aren’t’ a lot of trees and the closest park is a couple of blocks away. One has to look hard to see any grass. An abandoned bus terminal is steps away from the entrance to the WUM door and a parking lot across the street with some very impressive graffiti. You’ll never see anything like that in Burlington – over here we call it public art and pay artists a pretty penny to put it in place.
Wesley is now in the throes of hiring intake case workers – there were four and now there are ten; just about everything else has scaled up at the same rate explains Kearns.
Kearn’s doesn’t know if any of the government supported new Canadians will get to Burlington. “The biggest issue is the cost of housing – the funds these resettled people get can barely pay for housing in Hamilton and as everyone knows housing in Burlington is much higher.
 Canada has grown to a significant degree from immigration – there was a time when the railways and steamship companies advertised for immigrants. This poster is part of the story told when times were very different. Those that get to live in Burlington will be part of the group that came into the country as private sponsorships – there is no link between the government sponsorships and those that are privately sponsored.
There are about 20 groups in Burlington that are working on private sponsorships.
Individuals and faith groups have banded together to support families – to do so the group has to show that is has $30,000 committed to supporting the family for a year. We don’t know at this point what kind of oversight there is for these private sponsorships.
We do know that the rest of the world marvels that Canadians pull together and help these people financially, emotionally – they almost adopt them.
Canada has brought in around 7,000 immigrants each year with about 300 of them starting their lives in Hamilton, so we have quite a bit of experience explains Kearns – this wave however is made up of people who had to make decisions very quickly and they left conditions that were pretty miserable.
Of the 25,000 the federal government has said will come to Canada about 10,000 will be private sponsorships.
Wesley has an offsite kitchen that prepares meals for several of the Wesley operations. Their chefs know how to prepare the diet Middle Eastern people want.
Each day begins with breakfast which the immigrants prepare for themselves in the small kitchen in the building, the other meals are brought in.
The first group haven’t been here a week yet and we don’t know when the next group is going to arrive. The general public know about as much as we do. When the aircraft land in Toronto or Montreal decisions are made at that end as to where people are going to be sent. We get a call telling us that a bus is on the way with a certain number of people and we take it from there.
 Hundreds of Burlingtonians gathered at a public meeting early in December to learn what they could do to support immigrants who were about to arrive in Canada. We have no idea what is coming our way and the people on the bus know very little about where they are going – just that they are now safe, that the sheets on the bed are clean and they have a future to look forward to in a country that has welcomed them.
The hardest part of the task for the people doing the day to day work is always being “brain tired”. The problems just keep rolling in. Our case workers explained Kearns hear stories that are horrifying every day – we have to ensure that both our case workers and the people they are helping get the support they need as they do what is difficult work.
We create a profile for each immigrant so that we can figure out what they need to learn in terms of life skills; what they have in terms of work experience and education. They are in our care for as much as a year. The objective is to get them started and let them figure out what they want to do – they can basically go anywhere they want. They are permanent residents of Canada and in five years they can become citizens.
 Gillian Kearns, on the right, exchanges information with Burlingtonians at a public meeting early in December. She works with a team of people at the Wesley Urban Ministries helping the immigrants that have arrived re-settle themselves. Our job is to know as much as possible about each person so we can help them resettle themselves. We bring in people to do a full medical checkup – we look for signs of serious emotional stress and guide people who have come from half way around the world to a place they knew very little about adjust. The work is exciting Kearns added but there is just so much to do.
Clothing for everyone; answering the questions they have and helping them keep in touch with those they left behind. Getting the children into school and ensuring they can adapt.
At a time of year when the rest of us are celebrating a major cultural and religious event, at a time when we usually have snow, we too have to adapt to a change and at the same time help those in our care adapt to the massive change in their lives.
It is exhilarating and at the same time it is tiring, adds Kearns – but if we get it right we will have brought to this country people who will add to what we are – a caring, giving people who made a place for them in this world.
There is a small reception office on the ground floor of the Wesley Urban Ministry on Catherine Street where a cheerful well informed woman answers the phone and keeps in touch with staff. From time to time someone will quietly walk in and place an envelope on the counter. The receptionist smiles and asks – “would you like a receipt?” No – you can mail it, thank you.
That’s the way it works in this country.
 By Ray Rivers
December 11th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
There is much to celebrate about how Ontario’s energy sector has progressed over the last decade or so. Going off coal has ended mercury and sulphur emissions as well as vastly reducing the province’s greenhouse gas emissions. That should make us a star at the climate change conference going on in Paris. And the lights never went off – except for that nasty ice storm a couple of Christmas’ ago, an act of God.
 Ontario shut down all electricity generating plants run with coal. Going off coal was courageous public policy, getting well ahead of the curve and ahead of just about every other jurisdiction in North America. But there is no free lunch in life. Ontario’s Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk, tells us that this road we’ve travelled has cost us dearly – some $37 billion dollars if her numbers were correctly reported by the newspapers.
I have written a few times on the energy file, as followers may recall. Ontario Hydro was never a perfect institution though it did make electricity a household word in this province. But Ontario Hydro, once the largest electrical utility anywhere, has also served as Ontario’s energy test kitchen.
The Davis government decided to adopt Canada’s home-grown nuclear reactors when he could have bought other, arguably, better systems off the shelf elsewhere.
 Cost over runs and nuclear generation plants seem to go hand in hand. And we paid a huge price for that experiment, as cost overruns became the norm and technology failures all too frequent. Then like drunken sailors, with too much booze in our heads and too few coins in our pockets, we just put it on our tab. And we’re still paying off that mighty tab with every energy bill.
Sometime before Y2K then Premier Mike Harris thought he’d seen the light. He believed that scrambling Ontario Hydro would create the perfect omelette. But his recipe was flawed and once the egg was cracked the result was blackouts, brownouts and rapidly rising electricity costs. Too late to get the egg back into the shell, it was left to his successors, Premiers Ernie Eves, Dalton McGuinty and now Kathleen Wynne to try to convert this mess into something more digestible.
 Small solar renewable energy set ups are now generating more power than the province needs – the contracts they put in place require the province to buy all the power generated even if they don’t need it. The Auditor General articulates the issues clearly. To ‘keep the lights-on’ the government contracted to pay renewable energy providers a fixed price for what they produced, whether we needed the power or not. These contract terms were so attractive that green energy adoption has been a huge success in Ontario.
In fact it was so successful that there is now more electrical generation capacity than we need, even with the coal plants gone. And we have to buy all that energy regardless; what we don’t use – we sell as surplus and at a loss. The knuckle-headed bureaucrats and political advisors didn’t see that coming. These were the same ones who had the energy minister at the time sign contracts for gas plants without a cancellation clause.
To be fair, the nuclear plants operate pretty well now that the bugs were nuked out – so we can thank Bill Davis for that. And with our dirty coal plants shut down, even Alberta is following our lead in attacking climate change – thank you Dalton McGuinty. But what about the 70% price rise in our electricity bill since 2006?
The Auditor General does a good job of nailing those factors which contributed to this situation. Poor or inadequate planning, flawed decision making, an absence of benefit/cost analysis, and those really bad contracts for energy supply. There is so little debate over the Auditor General’s well-documented conclusions – the government has already accepted most of her recommendations.
Though she didn’t say as much, it seems that we need to renegotiate or buy-out these lucrative 20 year contracts – or we’ll end up even further in the hole. Former provincial Tory leader Hudak had promised to cancel the contracts, but we all know that was never going to happen. Compounding the poor economics is the fact that energy use is falling, making the capacity issue even more of a problem.
 Renewable energy has proven to be a reliable source – solar panel farms are operating all over the world where sunlight is plentiful. The province’s $2 billion energy conservation program may finally be working, but more likely, the high price is doing what economic dis-incentives are supposed to do. Ironically we are conserving energy just when producing energy has become almost environmentally benign. The Auditor General points out that, with the coal plants closed, electricity generation is no longer a major source of climate warming gases. Instead transportation has taken its place.
Mass transit expansion, something both federal and provincial governments have promised, will require more electricity. But given Ontario’s urban sprawl, cars will still rule. And competitively priced electricity will be essential to propel all those electric cars we’re going to need to replace the gas guzzlers. To that end, the Premier has already committed $20 million in new money for province-wide electricity charging stations.
Christmas is supposed to be a season of joy, yet too many people find sadness and depression, more readily than hope and happiness this time of year. If you are one of those, I suggest you put off reading the well-written Auditor General report until the New Year.
We should all ask our Premier to make an unbreakable New Year’s resolution to get out the broom and sweep away the kind of problems the Auditor General has uncovered. Premier Wynne has barely three years left in the electoral term to fix this problem – notwithstanding it’s a problem she mostly inherited. Ontario rate payers need to see their electricity rates start to fall instead of rise. And wouldn’t that be a nice Christmas present for us all?
 Ray Rivers writes weekly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was a candidate for provincial office in Burlington where he ran as a Liberal against Cam Jackson in 1995, the year Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution swept the province. Rivers is no longer active with any political party.
Background links:
AG Report
Charging Stations
Fusion Reactors
 By Staff
December 5th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The people at the Joseph Brant Hospital re-build and re-development site are getting almost giddy – the last concrete pour is due to take place very soon.
In 2017, there will be nine modern operating rooms on Level 2 of the new Joseph Brant Hospital with capacity for an additional 1,770 inpatient and day surgery cases. The design of each operating room accommodates innovative surgical technology and a modern ventilation and power infrastructure.
he Level six slab is done!
Here is what has been done to date:
Forming and pouring for the Level seven slab is underway and the vertical from Levels 7 to 8 is also being built.
The Level eight slab will be done by mid-December.
 Architectural model of the hospital site – opening of the new section scheduled for 2018 Six elevator shafts and 3 main stairways from Levels six to seven are done. Construction continues for elevator shafts and stairways from Levels seven to eight and eight to nine.
Mechanical work and plumbing continues on the Main Level and on Level 1.
In our existing hospital, demolition of the second section of the loading dock is almost complete. The construction of micro piles and excavation for footings will happen over the next couple of weeks. Loading dock construction will continue until the end of February.
 Construction status on December 5th, 2015 Masonry work and most of the mechanical work is complete in our new Engineering Department. The department is now undergoing the finishing stages of construction, which includes painting, installation of fixtures and floor and ceiling. The department will be move-in ready for our Engineering team in January 2016.
Excavation, forming and pouring for the last set of footings for the bridge that will connect the parking garage to the main hospital building is done!
The first panels for our curtain wall (also known as building envelope) will be arriving in mid-December.
Quite an achievement – and so far there hasn’t been even a small industrial accident.
With construction going so well – the team at the hospital have moved into what they call their “readiness stage”.
You can view the construction site at any time – just CLICK HERE.
Pouring concrete and having the structure reach up into the sky is apparently the easy part – now they have to begin preparing for what the hospital is being built to do – take care of people.
 Lina Kiskunas coordinates operational readiness. Lina Kiskunas, is the Operational Readiness Coordinator. She works with a wide portfolio of programs in preparing for operations in our future hospital. Laboratory, Diagnostic Imaging, Pharmacy, Allied Health, Professional Practice, Rehab, Complex Care, Inpatient Medical Surgical and Maternal Child are things that keep her busy.
Each member of the Operational Readiness team plays an important role in achieving the targeted Opening Day vision and outcomes as they transition to the new hospital.
Lina Kiskunas is a nurse by background. “I spent time in many critical care roles” she said and comes to Burlington from Oakville where she did a very similar role in Operational Readiness for the new Oakville hospital
“The work is a mix of project management and strategy and melding that into the medical environment. I gained a lot of interesting experiences from the project that I’m excited to bring here.
“I moved to Burlington two years ago. Having worked on many redevelopment projects at different hospitals I think it’s nice to be part of such a big project at my own community hospital. This is where my family and I will receive care. Bringing Joseph Brant Hospital into their future is exciting.”
“I think in trying to understand Operational Readiness the best way I can explain it is if you want a new home, the construction company builds it and operational readiness makes this house a home. We will bring patients and families a sense of home at the new Joseph Brant Hospital” she said.
Lakeshore Road will be the new entrance to the hospital – and the setting will be be very nice. A concern has been expressed about the adequacy of Lakeshore Road as it cuts south to the lake. Lakeshore Road is going to be raised by as much as a metre which will impact the entrance to the Joseph Brant Museum.
 Road leading to the new hospital entrance from the Maple Street intersection. Will there be just the one lane leading past the museum to the hospital as shown in the picture above ? Not much room for an ambulance rushing towards the emergency entrance.
The plans for a massive expansion of the museum – the Museum Foundation has more than $2 million dedicated to making the museum more relevant to the community.
Is it possible that too much is being crammed into too small a space?
By Staff
December 4, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Ho Ho Ho man is coming.
Santa will be on his sleigh as part of the annual Santa Claus Parade Burlington has welcomed for 50 years.
The parade assembles at Prospect and Guelph Line proceeds south on Guelph to New Street where it proceeds west along New Street to where it turns into James Street, and continues along James Street to Brant Street.
north on Brant Street and finishes at Brant and Caroline Street.
 There is an added feature this year – Mrs. Claus will have a sleigh of her own and will be in the parade right behind Santa Clause and his eight reindeer.
 Mayor Rick Goldring – collecting for some organization during a previous Christmas parade. The floats representing perhaps as many as 100 groups and organizations from across the city.
Mayor Rick Goldring has in the past chosen not to ride a car in the parade – on year he walked along the street with a hockey stick that had a sock on the end of it to collect whatever people wanted to donate. Memory, flawed at times, recalls that the collection was for the Old Timers Hockey Club – but we might have that wrong.
Mayor Golding didn’t appear to have much in the way of smiles or Ho Ho Ho in the promotional video that was put out.
 When the Burlington Teen Tour Band takes to the street – they take up the whole street. While the band members do the marching – there are hundreds of proud parents lining the streets – many of whom met each other as teenagers in that band. The parade begins at 2:00 pm and ends at 4:30 pm
Block off traffic in streets and you are blocking transit.
The following streets will have access limitations:
Prospect Street
from Cumberland Avenue to Guelph Line. Local access only.
1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Guelph Line
from Prospect Street to New Street
New Street
from Guelph Line to Martha Street
James Street
from Martha Street to Brant Street
Brant Street
from Baldwin Street/Victoria Avenue to Elgin Street
Burlington Transit bus routes will have detours on routes 3, 4, 10, 21 and 25.
Stops within the road closure areas will be marked out of service and will have details for the nearest available stop.
Due to the number of road closures impacting transit service that day and the crowds of people attending the parade, please ensure you allow extra travel time to reach your destination.
The Routes 3, 4, 10, 21, 25 buses will be detouring around the parade and marshalling routes.
There will be no service on Guelph Line between Fairview Street and Lakeshore Road from 1 to 5 p.m.
• This affects the Route 3 which will travel around the road closure area along Fairview Street, Cumberland Avenue, New Street and Rossmore Boulevard. Please move to stops on these roadways.
There will be no service on New Street, between Brant Street and Rossmore Boulevard. from 1 to 5 p.m.
• This affects Routes 4 and 10 which will travel around the road closure area along Fairview Street and Lakeshore Road. Please move to stops on these roadways.
There will be no service on Prospect Street from 11 to 5 p.m.
• This affects Route 4, 21 and 25 which will travel around the road closure along Fairview Street. Please move to stops on these roadways.
There will be no service on Drury Lane or Teen Tour Way from 11 to 5 p.m.
• This affects Route 4 which will travel along Fairview Street instead. Please move to stops on these roadways.
 It is a Holiday Season and a festive season – lets not forget why and what we celebrate Christmas Day.
 By Staff
December 1, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It starts today – free parking in the Downtown Core. A freebie from the city – designed to entice shoppers to give the downtown merchants a closer look.
 City operated parking lots in the downtown core. Many feel that the malls offer a better parking deal – that’s not what we are hearing. We had a reader who wrote of driving around for 40 minutes to find a parking spot in one of the malls.
It was Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward who championed the free parking initiative. She said “it was something I heard from businesses when I ran in 2010; working with the BDBA (Burlington Downtown Business Association) and the Downtown Parking Committee we delivered on this last term.” Meed Ward sat on both the BDBA and the Parking Committee at the time.
The BDBA loves the program. They produced s winner of a video – CLICK to see the 36 second flick
Doug Brown doesn’t take quite the same view
“Going into it’s third year, the City’s ‘Free P in December’ kicks off once again tomorrow. Acting Director of Transportation Vito Tolone says “During the busy holiday season, we hope the promotion will encourage residents and visitors to come downtown and explore, shop and celebrate the holiday season with family and friends.” That is, unless you don’t have a car.
 Doug Brown probably has the most encyclopedic knowledge of what Burlington has done with public transit in the past – he just doesn’t agree with what the city is doing to transit these days. BFAST, said Brown, “has asked previously for data on what ‘Free P in December’ costs the taxpayers of the city in lost parking revenue. The responses have claimed that because parking revenue and expenses are dealt with under a separate silo known as the ‘parking reserve fund’ the cost to taxpayers is $0. We feel this is disingenuous however.
“How many people who might otherwise take transit, walk or bike downtown during the day end up driving their car instead because of the promise of free parking? There is no way to measure most of these, except perhaps the transit fare box, but other factors can influence this as well such as holidays or poor weather. But it is unlikely that there is no impact. Free parking incents people to drive their car, even if they are a short distance away.
 This is not what this mall parking lot looks like on the busy weekends. “We’d also like to see the city publish data on how ‘Free P’ affects the availability of parking in the downtown. Anecdotally we’ve heard that it is much harder to find a parking spot downtown during the month of December. Studies have found that in times of traffic congestion, as much as 30 percent of cars on the road were trying to find a parking spot. This increases local air pollution, and emissions of greenhouse gas emissions even more than would already be the case thanks to the increased number of car journeys taking place.
Brown calls on city transportation and transit staff to work together to develop a strategy to provide free transit trips to and from the downtown from all parts of the city. “This will allow all residents of our city to enjoy our vibrant downtown, not just those who drive”, said Brown.
By Pepper Parr
November 24th, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
When a new tax is created more than one department at city hall gets involved.
The Finance department is gathering data to determine how a tax to cover the cost of managing storm water is justified; what the tax should amount to and how it should be administered.
The Capital Works department works at determining what has to be done to protect people and property from storm water damage in the future.
The Engineering department is costing out the work that has to be done and creating time lines for construction and repair.
 Our flood – as seen on a radar screen. It is now understood that climate change is going to result in much different weather patterns. We are now paying the price for all the carbon we let into the atmosphere.
The three departments will prepare a staff report that will be a complete review and detailed plan including significant public engagement for the potential implementation of a user fee.
Municipalities tax property and use that revenue to run the city. The higher the value of the property – the higher the tax.
Storm water management taxes will be based on the size of the property and how much ground there is – people in condominiums will pay less than those with large yards and extensive driveways.
Figuring all this out will be the task of the Finance department.
 The yellow shading is the highly vulnerable part of the city Allan Magi, Executive Director of Capital Works uses the often precise language engineers bring to their work. “We need to determine the ‘conveyance capacity’ of the creeks and many of the culverts” he explains.
Tuck Creek is going to get a lot of attention with Roseland, Shore Acres – just about everything in the east end of the city getting a very close review.
 Burlington’s creeks in the east end of the city. The city had a policy of not grooming the banks of the creeks all that much – the policy was to let small vegetation take a natural process and work its way into the soil bed. Under normal circumstances that was a good policy – but with thousands of gallons of water rushing through the creeks towards the lake all that vegetation got pushed forward and in some cases became damns that produced floods.
Culverts that had been in place for years and thought to be the right size proved to be far too small – they needed upgrading. Bridges have to be rebuilt and water pipes up graded.
The city hired a consulting group to prepare a detailed report on what happened and why. The Conservation Authority reported on what happened at the watershed level. The city had to focus on the many creeks that run from the edge of the escarpment through the city and into the lake.
 The fifteen projects that have to be completed are part of the phase two remediation plan. The consulting firm, AMEC, produced a report that set out what had to be done to prevent the flooding and the engineers began to work through the costs.
The AMEC report, which is a document that is not easily read or understood and hasn’t been given the circulation it deserves. The consulting firm that did the work chose not to be available for any interviews which made it difficult to gain a solid understanding of the magnitude of what happened and what has to be done.
Both Finance, Capital works and Engineering are planning on holding a Workshop for Council that will set out what the issues are and discuss some of the options. There hope is that the full report can go to council sometime next summer.
 Culverts broke down – and water went wherever it could. Included in the thinking being done at this point is a closer look at the “asset management plan”. Everything the city has is considered an asset – front end loaders, building – city hall itself is an asset and pipes in the ground – these are all assets that have to be managed. They each have a life span and the city keeps track of what has to be repaired, upgraded or replaced. There is some thought being given to creating a reserve fund that would set aside monies needed to maintain these assets. A portion of any storm water fee might include funds that would get put into the reserve.
Burlington is currently struggling to get its roads up to a standard – have you driven down Guelph Line south of the QEW recently – and has chosen to use gas tax funds which it gets from the province that are normally used to fund transit – but has used some of it to get caught up with the huge infrastructure deficit.
The thinking is that creating a reserve now will prevent that kind of problem in the future.
 The system of pipes were unable to handle the volume of water and so up it came through the sewer system. Overland flooding, the way the insurance industry is looking at the problem, a closer look at the flood plains in the city and housing that sits on those flood plains are all part of the work that is being done.
There is a lot more to report on this subject. City council has a significant task ahead of it.
By Pepper Parr
November 23, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Storm water management began getting all kinds of attention soon after the floods of 2014 but it had been on the city’s radar screen well before that.
Former city manager Jeff Fielding had some ideas that would have resulted in a separate corporate entity that would have managed storm water and create a new revenue opportunity for the city – but that didn’t even get off the ground.
 The plaza and mall operators can expect to see a significant tax added to their operating costs – the smarter ones will begin looking for remedies. While Burlington was spending millions getting an understanding on why so much damage was done –other municipalities were developing plans to collect revenue for a problem that was now being looked at by everyone.
At the Budget review meeting held last week Councillor Lancaster asked how Waterloo handled storm water and was told that they had done a lot of public engagement and had a program that offers a credit of up to 45% of the stormwater utility fee for properties that manage their stormwater.
Residential stormwater management techniques can include rain barrels, trees, cisterns, infiltration measures or rain gardens.
Burlington has yet to create a program to collect any revenue but it is very clear that such a fee is coming our way.
Lancaster wanted to see incentives for people and a program that was easy to administer.
On Friday a group of insurance executives and senior people from Ontario municipalities met at the Royal Botanical Gardens to hear what the insurance industry was thinking and learn what some municipalities were doing.
 A storm water management tax is going to hit the bottom line of the malls – might result in significantly different parking lost designs as well. Could Burlington have become a leader in this field.  The mall operators will never put in parking meters but they will be thinking through how to redesign their parking lots to limit the damage storm water does on large space with no effective way for water to run off. There is certainly going to be a fee. The figure of $50 to $100 was mentioned for the average household with everything being based on how much ground there was.
The focus was not on just what a homeowner would have to pay- those with large parking lots are the ones going to take the hardest hit.
That includes the large malls who will have to build the tax into their cost of doing business. Places of worship that have large parking lots are going to have to find a way to pay a tax as well. Traditionally churches have been exempt from taxes. Those days appear to be coming to an end.
The stormwater credit program in Waterloo is available for commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-residential properties, based on the stormwater quality, quantity and education measures in place.
The good people of Burlington can expect to see something come out of city hall on how storm water management is going to be paid for early in the New Year.
Exactly who will manage the program and where the leadership will come from isn’t at all clear.
 City General Manager Scott Stewart will be taking his smile and his skill sets to Guelph. we are losing a good one. Earlier this month general manager Scott Stewart gave his resignation to the city manager and will take up the job of Deputy CAO of Infrastructure, Development and Enterprise Services in Guelph; he begins that job December 7th.
Stewart had been in the running for the job of city manager for Burlington twice – he was passed over both times and decided it was time to move on. There was a time when Burlington had three general managers – come December we will not have any – everything will land on the desk of James Ridge who took up the job late in March.
The management team below General manager has also seen a number of changes.
That roster currently includes:
Mike Spicer – Director of Transit
Cathy Robertson – Director Roads and Parks Maintenance
Nancy Shea Nicol – Director of Legal Services and city solicitor.
Joan Ford – Director of Finance
Bruce Zvaniga was the Director of Transportation – Vito Tolone is currently serving as the interim Director.
Chris Glenn – Director Parks and Recreation
Sheila Jones – City Auditor
Christine Swenor – Director of Information |Technology Services
Bruce Krushelnicki was Director Planning and Building – he has been replaced by Mary Lou Tanner.
Alan Magi runs Capital Works
Roy Male ran Human Resources for years – he retired and was replaced by Laura Boyd.
 Joan Ford, the city’s Director of Finance knows where every dollar comes from and where every dollar gets spent. The only person who could move into the role of a General Manager would be Joan Ford who does a superb job at finance. She is backed up by a solid team.
James Ridge has his work cut out for him. He has a number of messy files on his desk – none that he created – just past problems that are not going to go away. He has a Strategic Plan that has to be completed; his work plan has about 50 blank spots in it – no reflection on his management ability – he needs to know what Council is going to approve in the way of a Strategic Plan before he can know what he has to do.
Ridge’s biggest task is going to be creating the team that will work with him to move the city forward. The completion of the Official Plan Review is also in the wings. That work was progressing quite well – it has been moved to the back burner while Council focused on the Strategic Plan.
Then it got brought forward again – to the surprise of the Planner working on the file who was left with the impression that it had to be done quick quick quick.
Official Plans don’t lend themselves to quick quick quick.
Andrea Smith has been doing a superb job – better guidance on time lines and where the development of the plan fits into the bigger picture is what she needs most.
If you’re getting the impression that there is a little disarray at the most senior level at city hall you are more right than wrong.
 Municipal^pal civil servants are for the most part dedicated innovative people who work hard. They need an environment in which they can excel. The municipal world works at a pace that is significantly different than the private sector. There are some exceptional people who work within the municipal sector – they are creative, innovative and genuinely want to make the cities they work for better places to live. But they have to be led and Burlington has had some challenges at this level.
The current city council is not of one mind. There are very distinct differences between members of Council; there are council members who have been at the table far too long and solid strong leadership from the person who wears the chain of office just isn’t there.
 City Council – This is not a team that pulls together and it certainly is not of one mind. Every member of the current Council was re-elected in 2014. The taxpayers now have to settle for what they chose. And get used to the idea of an additional tax they will have to pay.
By Pepper Parr
November 12, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
This story and its headline have been revised since the initial publication.
Sometime in the very near future city hall will announce who has been selected to become the Director of Transportation. Vito Tolone has been serving as the interim for a short period of time.
The Gazette erroneously reported that Tolone had been appointed. We have been asked to publish the clarification that the this vacancy is going to be filled by competition, not by appointment. “You can imagine that reading the information in this article could make potential candidates quite uncomfortable” said the city communications department.
 Scott Stewart – his sweater says it all. Vito Tolone – now Director of Transportation Scott Stewart, General Manager of Development and Infrastructure nurtured Tolone for a number of years as he did with Chris Glenn and Alan Magi.
Stewart is the last man standing of the team that Jeff Fielding had to work with when he took on the job of city manager.
When Fielding left for Calgary many thought Stewart would fill that roll. That didn’t happen.
 Many thought Scott Stewart, on the left would succeed Jeff Fielding, on the right as City Manager. That didn’t happen. Has Stewart found a place where his skill set will be used and appreciated? Has Stewart found greener grass somewhere?
The Gazette has picked up comment from two sources – not sure yet if it is common chatter or do they know something the rest of us don’t yet know.
Losing Scott Stewart would be a serious blow to the city which at this point has just the one General Manager and a city manager who is getting a feel for the job.
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