Platform for 2018-2022

All opportunities and choices before Council have been measured against the Sustainability Plan since its approval in 2012. I believe that this should continue.  Accordingly, I have organized my platform according to the 4 pillars of our Sustainability Plan (Environmental, Socio-cultural, Economic, Finances.) 

Environmental Pillar

  1. Champion high standards of environmental stewardship.
  • Our natural heritage assets (forests, water ways) are irreplaceable; we must maintain our buffers. Developments must respect them.
  • Our open, natural spaces where we can refresh ourselves, the spaces where we grow our food, will only be protected if we maintain our current urban boundaries. Expanding out and developing not only threatens these spaces which are irreplaceable; it increases costs for future taxpayers as there will be more kilometers of infrastructure to maintain. In addition, public transit will continue to be cost prohibitive.
  • We need to ensure i) that we are protecting healthy mature trees and ii) that we are planting more. This is critical because of the numerous benefits of mature trees:  carbon sequestering, provider of shade, water retention.

Socio-Cultural Pillar

  1. Champion increasing the mix of housing options in King; this is the only way to deliver housing options at a lower price point.
  • Rather than building single detached homes our developments need to include townhomes, apartments, condos. The designs need to consider the needs of 2 demographics which are largely ignored in King:  seniors and young adults.
  • Ensure our new Official Plan identifies the opportunities for secondary residential suites so they are established legally and safely.
  1.     Build the multi-use recreation facility with objectives of building what is wanted and what is 

               affordable.                

  1.    Improve the protection of established neighbourhoods.
  • We made a significant intervention with the passing of the new zoning bylaw in June 2017. I want to review impact of the bylaw during its first year to see if we have succeeded in better respecting the impact of replacement homes on the immediate neighbours in each of the identified zones.
  • The character of our established neighbourhoods is not only threatened by infill and replacement homes; the loss of mature trees is having an impact. I know that there are citizens who are very concerned about the latter and have researched and assessed options for addressing this.  I am anxious to see their proposals and to understand how we can implement policies and by-laws to achieve appropriate protections.
  1. Advocate for improvements in critical issues which affect the daily life of citizens, but over

          which I do not have direct decision making. Challenge timelines for delivering                 

          improvements. 

  • Examples include GO train noise, inadequate parking at GO train station and congestion on the arterial roads traversing King and the speed of the traffic.

Economic Pillar

  1. Remove a constraint on the businesses in the cores of our 3 villages, namely inadequate

           parking.

  • Current state is intolerable: inadequate parking harms the businesses and current parking practises (i.e. parking on both sides of Keele south of King Road, particularly in rush hours) contributes to the congestion at the Keele/King Rd. intersection.
  • Consultants have already been engaged to collect the data and to present options for both short term and long term implementation. Report anticipated early fall 2018. I anticipate some tough decisions will be required.
  1. Complete and approve the new Official Plan (OP).
  • Our out-of-date OP does not reflect a municipality open for business.
  1. Expand the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) beyond the village cores.
  • As well demonstrated in the village cores CIP’s do encourage investment in properties. CIP’s will incent our rural business owners to beautify and make other changes to grow their businesses.

Finance Pillar

  1. Accountability in terms of capital projects i.e. must be delivered on time and on budget.
  • Expanded King City library and new King City Seniors: total budget is $10.3 million.
  • New Town Hall which is almost complete: total budget is $21.5 million
  • New Multi use Recreational facility: early estimate is $32 million but this needs to be firmed up pending agreement on services to be provided before I will approve budget.
  1. Be sensitive to cost pressures on today’s tax payers without forsaking the need to build for

        the future, the next generations.