Municipal Election 2018

I am delighted that I will continue to be at the Council table!  Thank you for your vote of confidence.

I ran for re-election as I wanted to continue serving King residents and businesses as I felt good about my contributions.   Furthermore I knew that there are challenges and opportunities ahead for the Township which require analysis, debate and tough decision making.

Draft Zoning Bylaw

On December 6 Council agenda is the draft zoning by law for the rural areas of King Township. The geographic area included in this bylaw is the whole Township except for the three villages. Here is the staff report which includes the draft bylaw and the schedules.  There is much that I am pleased about but there is one thing about which I am opposed. I am very pleased that the unique characteristics of the numerous hamlets is being respected and that our zoning bylaw will provide clarity on what on farm diversified use means. During the last four weeks I have submitted numerous comments and questions to the policy planner and have been impressed with the detailed responses. But I am very opposed to the effort to say that a long term care home, “as defined in the Long Term Care Homes Act, as amended” is in place today at the property referred to as the Marylake Monastery; see further below for explanation

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Library Survey: please do

Trees of Giving

If you haven’t cast your vote for the best Tree of Giving yet do plan to visit the Heritage & Cultural Centre in the next couple days; last day is December 18th.  The variety is incredible. The imagination of some of the community groups is outstanding.  The diligent execution of each is remarkable.

Nov. 27,28 Festive Events

Weekend of November 27, 28 there are several seasonal events happening:  the second weekend of the annual Kingcrafts sale; on the Saturday there is the King One of a Kind sale at the Heritage and Cultural Centre  (HCC).   At HCC there is annual Trees of Giving.  I dropped in yesterday to see the latter:  15 trees from community groups, each showcasing the imagination of the volunteers in thos groups.  I encourage you to drop in at some point (Tuesday-Saturday) through to December 18.  Look them over and show your appreciation for your favourite(s); purchasing tokens to cast your vote you will be contributing to the Southlake Foundation honoring frontline workers.

Street Names for Nobleton

On November 29 council agenda there is a report recommending street names for development in Nobleton. I always enjoy reading reports such as it often provides a quick snapshot of our social history. This is definitely true in this report which includes  the names of land owners and farms in Nobleton in the 19th century.  in this report there is also the curiosity of reading about a postmaster who tried to change the name of Nobleton but was stymied by the villagers of the day who took their petition to parliament.

Schomberg Community Hall

On November 29 Council agenda there is a report on the contract award for the renovation of the Schomberg Community Hall. Very importantly the report indicates that there is a budget to cover the $1.5 million dollar project and that the project will be completed in time for the Schomberg Agricultural Fair in May 2022. This Hall is very important community space; providing accessibility is a real game changer in terms of its value to the community today.  But, how will the community evaluate it in 8 years from now? Our Corporate Energy Management Plan is to reduce energy emissions in King by 45% in 2030. Will this Hall be dragging our overall performance down or will it be one of the stars i.e. the one we will point to as to how retrofits/renovations done “right” really make a difference.  The report indicates that there are several energy efficiency upgrades being incorporated. I will be asking for more information on what the end product will be in terms of energy use & conservation and reduction of GHG.