December 9, 2007
Sorry, it's been a month but alot has been going on and this is truly the first chance I have had to put some thought into a posting.
I'll start with the obvious, the fire in the Downtown core. It was quite spectacular as you've likely seen by now. I got the call at home from the Mayor and arrived shortly after midnight at the height of the fire. Our main focus was to ensure that our Emergency Services had what they needed from City Resources to effectively work to bring the fire under control. That meant having our Water and Operations Departments make sure that there was adequate water supply and pressure and having the salters and sanders on scene to avoid any risk of injury to the Firefighters and others on scene from the ice that was building up. Commissioner of Community Services Richard Forward was on location for most of the night to make sure that things ran smoothly and I believe things did. I want to commend our Fire and Emergency Service and Chief Lynn for their efforts as well as the other Departments who responded as part of the mutual aid request. This fire could have been much worse if not for their efforts. The construction of the older buildings make it very difficult to fight these type of fires.
A trust fund has been set up with donations being accepted at Bank of Montreal branches throughout the City. The fund is being administered by the Salvation Army and will go to the people who have lost everything as a result of the fire. Also, the downtown is open for business and the best way to support the store owners is to shop there. There were lots of media reports over the course of the day saying that the downtown was closed and I know that City Staff worked hard through the media outlets to get the message out that it wasn't. In my view, the economic impact of the fire should NOT be compounded by not shopping or eating downtown. NOW is the time that storeowners and restaurants downtown need our help by supporting them by shopping or eating there.
The other news this week was the Mayors admission that he had acted improperly in writing a letter of reference for a Barrie Police Officer for a disciplinary hearing. The question I have is why would he wait until now to admit he had acted improperly when he had that chance to do so when the incident first occurred. Admitting it earlier would have saved taxpayers money by not having to go through this process and quite frankly could have saved the Mayor some credibility. Does a persons back have to be against a wall before before they admit that they were wrong whether they did it intentionally or unintentionally? Apparently with the Mayor it does! It proves that Council did the right thing by having OCCPS investigate his actions and unfortunately, there is still the ongoing OPP investigation that we are dealing with surrounding the Mayors trip to China. Speaking of taxpayers money, it's been well publicized that the City is paying the Mayors legal bills. I wasn't on Council when the indemnification by-law was created in 2006. It was done to protect the Mayor and Council at the time from vexatious litigants who attempted to bring action against some members of Council for what was deemed frivilous lawsuits. I am not sure that anyone envisioned that it could be used to pay for legal costs incurred to defend either a sitting Mayor or a Member of Council as a result of their own actions and not those from the outside taking action against a Mayor or Councillor in the performance of their duties. In both the OCCPS and OPP incidents, the Mayor was acting on his own accord and judgement and not in the interest or with the authority of the entire Council so it would seem logical that taxpayers could question why we are paying for both circumstances. Furthermore, the "loophole" in the by-law needs to be closed and that is something that Council has the authority to do and in my view needs to be addressed. I would expect that if I were to use questionable personal judgement on something that warranted an investigation and perhaps the laying of charges either criminial or otherwise, that Barrie taxpayers should not be footing the bill. In my view if I made the mistake then I should be expected to own up to it and not hide behind a by-law who's intent in my view, was quite clear at the time even though it could have been better defined by the previous Council.
Around the Ward, some things of note:
- a week tomorrow, go trains start rolling and buses will be available to the go station from Allandale Rec Centre and the Downtown Bus Terminal.
- Holly CC opens January 5, 2008
- Bollards have been installed to prevent ATV and Dirtbike access to the County forest on Lugheed
- General Committee approved a 4 way stop for Brucker and Emms
- I am talking to staff about the parking around Holly Meadows School. At Community Services this past week, we had representatives from the school board in to address parking issues in and around all schools and we are hopeful to come up with something.
- I have been receiving snow plowing and sidewalk plowing complaints and have been addressing this weekend with City Staff
- I am meeting with Roberta Place residents on Monday December 10, 2007 to talk about issues including senior programs at Holly CC and the widening of Essa Rd followed by a tour of Holly CC with this months student Mayor who attends St. Bernadettes on Marsellus.
- the peer review for the accoustical fencing issue in the Maple Woodlands subdivision has been received by City Staff and they are evaluating it. I should have more information available this week on the results. It was received on Thursday.
That's it for now, I'll post again before Christmas and in the meantime take care.
John
November 8, 2007
It's coming up to one year since the election and I thought I would take this time to speak of my experiences on Council and Highlight some of not only my accomplishments but those of Council during the first year.
To begin, I will say that I have really enjoyed representing Ward 7 and I have worked very hard to be attentive to the needs of the residents by returning phone calls and e-mails as well as trying to resolve issues in a timely manner. There are still some outstanding issues that I am working on that have proved to be more of a challenge than I thought but progress is being made. There are times however that there is truly nothing that I can do to resolve an issue because it is either not within our area of responsibility like School Board issues or not within our municipal responsibility, like Provincial issues or even Federal but I do try to help residents as much as I can.
One of the things that has surprised me in the first year is the volume of work and the time required to do it as a Councillor. Going in, I knew that it would be busy but I never imagined that it would be this busy and it's not just me. Every member of Council works hard to meet the needs of the City and it's residents as well as trying to balance their primary work committments as well as family committments. It's quite a balancing act for everyone on Council but as I've said many times here, this is a very good Council and we are making some great decisions and I am very proud to be part of it.
In addition to the day to day representation of Ward 7 and the many issues that develop, I am also a member of several Committees representing the City on both a local and County level. Click here to see the list of Committees that I am on. Committee work and the preparation for it consumes alot of time and requires alot of reading.
I have also made an effort to be as visible within the Ward as possible which was a promise I made when I ran. I have attended Parent Council meetings, delivered my newsletter door-to-door during the summer (although I did not reach every house), have attended Business openings within the Ward and have held meetings with resident groups on issues that are affecting them. In addition, I have represented the City at many functions within the first year including the CIBC Run for the Cure, the MADD walk, but the highlight for me was hosting former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna when he came to Barrie to commemorate the TD Banks 150th. anniversary in Barrie and spoke to Business leaders over lunch about Barrie and it's potential. I have also had the opportunity to meet with Provincial Cabinet Ministers along with other Members of Council advancing City issues trying to gain funding for those issues and I believe the investment in building those relationships at the Provincial level will pay off in the Province assisting us with the financial needs required for Barrie in their recognition of the City as an Urban Growth Centre.
Finally, I realize that you are ultimately judged by what you have done both as an individual and as a Council. With the challenges of a new position, there is always a learning curve but as a new Member of Council, I can tell you that you better be able to adapt almost right from the sta rt because the day after I got sworn in, the phone calls and the e-mails started. In fact, I think they started before I got sworn in. To conclude this edition, I invite you to click on the link below to view some of my first year accomplishments within the Ward and to view Council's first year accomplishments.
Click here to view Council's first year accomplishments.
Thanks for your support as always and take Care,
John
October 25, 2007
The frost is coming and winter will soon be here. Snow removal will be the primary focus of this edition of the blog.
The Operations Department is gearing up for the season and have prepared all kinds of information that is available to residents on how and why snow removal is done in the manner in which it is. Pretty soon, information flyers will be available at various City locations, an insert will be placed in the Barrie Examiner, and the City's web-site, www.barrie.ca will have all kinds of snow removal information this season.
Of particular note is the fact that on-street parking will be restricted between the hours of 12 a.m. and 7 a.m. This came as a result of a recent Council decision and is an attempt to become more efficient at snow removal which in turn should save us money and assist in getting the City moving after a snow event. I have heard from some residents about the impact that this will have on having guests particularly during the Christmas season and over new years. There is no question that those are valid points and was considered during the debate at Council but in the end, it was felt that that ensuring cars were off the road thus allowing our crews to have full access to the roads would create the efficiency we are looking for and that residents expect. I expect however that as our efficiency in snow removal increases so to will the amount of phone calls about cars being ticketed. This change will be reviewed after the winter season at which time we will assess how this worked and make some change if changes are required. Council will also receive information on how this related to cost and if in fact any savings both in efficiency and dollars were realized.
Quick points for your information:
- Holly CC will have full programming beginning January 5th, 2008
- The traffic signals at the new Holly CC are pedestrian initiated and will stay green until accessed by someone crossing the road
- I am trying to amend the Community Safety Zone near Timothy Christian School and have a motion coming to Council Monday night to do so.
- The property that gets used by the ATVS and Dirt Bikes behind Lougheed and Selkirk has changed ownership. I spoke to the new owners Lawyer about the situation and am waiting for a return call from him after he was to consult with the new property owners.
- Last evening, I met with the W.C. Little School parent Council and came away with some suggetions on improving safety for the students in the area. I am meeting with Holly Meadows School parent Council in November.
- You'll also notice that the vacant land at the corner of Essa and Mapleview has been cleaned up. I asked staff to have the property owners cut the grass and generally clean things up on that lot and I apprceiate their efforts in doing so. The same thing was done at Coughlin and Essa.
- 4 ways stops are now in place at Brucker and Emms and will be that way until November 30th. After that the signs will be on Brucker only. Lines wil be painted soon.
That's it for now.
Take Care,
John
October 8, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather while we can because we all know whats coming......WINTER.
Speaking of winter, Council just passed a by-law that should allow for better winter control measures by not allowing parking between 12 a.m. and 7 a.m. on City streets. This proposal came to Council after an excercise involving City Staff from the Operations Department who clear the snow on how best to manage snow removal. Part of the solution adopted by Council will also involve the hiring of more by-law enforcements officers during the winter season and better co-ordination between by-law and winter control to make sure the streets are clear. The fact is that we, like it or not live in a snow belt and have to adapt to the conditions to make it easier for the streets to get cleaned and therefore the City to keep moving. We'll review how this works after a year and make some adjustments accordingly if we have to. The downside to this is it means less time to park overnight and could potentially impact residents who are expecting guests especially over the holiday period.
Some operational changes that have recently been approved by Council including the Economic Development Office reporting directing to the CAO and the establishment of a Legal Department within City Hall. It's expected that an in-house legal team will save the Corporation a substantial amount of money and provide the ability for the City to seek opinion and deal with operational matters more efficiently. We will however still be reetaining Burgar Rowe as our legal Counsel because of their vast experience in Ontario Municipal Board hearings and their expertise in dealing with Municipal Act matters. These are just a few of the very important steps being taken by the new CAO to maximize efficiency and effectiveness at City Hall. In addition, you may have noticed last week at Council, our CAO provided Council with an update on his activities. This was the first of what will be quarterly updates to Council about what he is doing at an administrative level and how that is impacting the organization. It's an important format I believe and plays into Council priority to be more transparent and accountable and I know that there has been positive feedback about Mr. Babulics presentation.
We are still waiting for a report from staff on Council's motion for more information about the proposed Ethanol facility. I know that a meeting was held last Wednesday and we are expecting a staff report shortly. Council has been receiving numerous e-mails about the proposed facility and I for one appreciate the opnions that are being expressed.
The first meeting of the Master Fire Plan steering Committee was held on October 3rd and went well for a first meeting. I will be Chair of the Committee and its expected that the Committee will complete our work over the next year or so. The report when presented to Council will be the template used by our Fire Services to guide them through the next 10 years so it is very important work.
Around the Ward, the Mapleton between Essa and Veterans issue is coming before Community Services tomorrow night. I am hopeful we can come to resolution on how to solve the traffic and speeding issues on this road. Holly CC is close to being completed with full programming scheduled to begin in January. There have been some concerns expressed by neighbours about the front of the building facing Mapleton and the amount of concrete that has been poured which could act as a pad for kids to skateboard on which is not the intent. I am dealing with Facilities staff on this to try to come up with a solution. The plaza at Mapleton and Marsellus is a constant cause for concern and I will say as much as I can about it without getting too deep into it but it is being monitored and there has been an increase in police presence in the area. Essa Rd. south of Mapleton has larger speed signs in case you haven't noticed. The intent is to warn drivers of the change in speeds by Timothy Christian School. I mentioned this before but Timothy does not qualify as a flashing 40 zone under MTO standards so that is why we have not installed them in that area. I am hopeful that the bigger, and they are bigger signs will help alert motorists of the pending speed changes. I am also dealing with a fence issue in the Maple Woodlands subdivision and am hopeful to find a resolution to this soon. The main issue according to the builder is whether a noise fence is still required and for the homeowners, it's the potential loss of 18 inches of their lots because of masonry columns that are to be installed. I am expecting staff to get back to me shortly on installing bollards to the entrance of the Simcoe County forest off a City owned lot on Lougheed to restrict ATV and Dirt Bike access. The bollards by all accounts have been helpful in the Ardagh Bluffs and were approved by Council as part of the Ardagh Bluffs Master Plan. Since l posted an earlier blog, the property south of Lougheed and Selkirk where we have been seeing the most problems with ATV's and Dirtbikes has been flipped to another developer so this past week I have had to start the process of contacting the new owners or in this case their lawyer to explain the situation and try to resolve it.
It's shaping up to be a busy week. There is no Council tonight but tomorrow I am representing the City at the Bell Business Awards Media event and we have a packed agenda for Community Services Committee including a presentation from Crimestoppers involving among other things my favourite subject.......grafitti. That's it for now and I'm sure I missed something but there always another blog to come.
The provincial election is this coming Wednesday so make sure you vote.
Take Care,
John
September 15, 2007
Last Monday at General Committee, Councillors Mike Ramsay and Jeff Lehman introduced a resolution that calls for further information and study to be obtained on the Ethanol Plant proposal for the old Molson Brewery site. Not surprising is the fact that representatives from Northern Ethanol will be making a deputation at Council in opposition of the resolution this week.
Up to this point, I have been extremely involved in trying to gain a better understanding of all of the issues related to this proposal in terms of zoning, planning, the environment, and the effects on our resources. It is extremely evident that this is an emotional issue for many people in the City, and part of the challenge quite frankly for me has been to distance myself from the emotion to gain as much knowledge as I can based on the facts.
City Council has been questioned in the media by way of letters to the editor of whether we are in fact providing any leadership on this issue and have been accused by some of not doing enough to address the concerns of those who are opposed to the location of the proposed facility. I believe that this resolution as I stated in the paper, properly addresses not only the concerns of Council, but also addresses the broader concerns of the people we represent. For the first time publicly, the resolution also shows what has been going on privately for sometime, that Council has been providing the leadership expected of us on this issue. It's also important to remember that six new members of Council inherited this proposal so naturally one can assume that it would take time to understand it's implications and then act. The key is to act in a manner that is legally defensible, reasonably practicable, and morally sound and I believe that General Committee by way of this resolution has done just that.
Do I share the same concerns as many of you do with respect to the uncertainty that this proposal and it's impact may have on the landscape of our City, you bet I do however that concern must be tempered by the fact that as a Councillor, any decision I make on any issue must be defensible. It will be interesting to hear what Northern Ethanol says on Monday at Council in opposition of a resolution that simply calls for information to be obtained from outside legal staff as well additional information from our planning staff. It would be hard for me to believe that they could call in to question or disapprove of Council's legislated authority to safeguard the interests of our residents and our City. Stay tuned.
Take Care,
John
September 1, 1007
The on-again off-again sessions of Council will be off again this coming Monday as we ease back in from the summer recess.
This past Monday, Council dealt with several items including the Outdoor Solid Fuel Burning Device by-law. Overall, I am pleased with the results of the by-law but we’ll have to review what the impact of it is after 24 months, which the by-law calls for. When this issue came to Community Services Committee, our objective was to engage the public for consultation on the by-law, which is one of Councils Strategic Priorities, try to educate people on how to use these devices in the proper manner, and to initiate a no cost way of keeping track of the devices and as Chair of the Committee, I believe we achieved all 3 objectives. Time will tell how effective we will be but as I said earlier, the by-law is up for review after 24 months and if we as a Council do not see an increase in responsible use of these devices, then the option does exist to ban them outright within the City. Click here for highlights of the new by-law.
A presentation was made on the Georgian College Neighbourhood Strategy. In effect, what this plan calls for is to offer incentives to developers who are interested in building student housing in certain identified areas as developable in and around Georgian College. The challenges being face from student housing is not unique to Barrie. City staff have consulted with many other municipalities who are experiencing the same problem that we are in an attempt to come up with the proper solution. Waterloo is a City that experiences tremendous pressure because of student housing given the fact that they have 2 Universities in the City. As a Council, we are determined to assist those residents near the College who are affected by this issue and I personally feel for these people. On Tuesday, I am meeting with Brian Tambyln, President of Georgian College and I am sure this issue will come up.
In other City issues, Council appointed Dawn MacAlpine as the new City Clerk to replace John Sisson who left for Bracebridge. In fact, a lot of Senior Management positions have been filled recently including Richard Forward in the Community Services Commissioner role, John Lynn as the new Fire Chief, Dave Forfar as Deputy Fire Chief, and Jon Babulic as the Chief Administrative Officer. In my opinion, all of these individuals have been excellent choices and will all make a tremendous contribution to the City. In fact, many of them have already.
The first meeting of the Finance Committee was held on July 30th and I am really looking forward to being a part of this Committee. The Committees purpose is to provide political direction on both the Operating and Capital budget process. Jeff Lehman, who I have a lot of respect for will be the Chair of the Committee and the Committee will also include the Mayor, Jerry Moore (an accountant), and Andrew Prince (a financial planner). The Committee will be a reference Committee not unlike the other 3, and was formed because of a motion put forward by Jeff and I, and supported by Council to have input that is more political on the budget process.
Over the next several months, the issue of grafitti will be gaining Council’s attention. City staff are expected to report soon on how to address this problem. Yesterday, I was interviewed by the Advance who will be doing a story on it on top of what was in the examiner last week. As stated in earlier posts, I believe that grafitti is nothing more than pure and simple vandalism that if left unchecked, could quickly create a ghetto like community that any self respecting person would not want to happen in this City. As a Council, we are intent on dealing with this problem. I have spoken with Crimestoppers and they do offer a cash reward for anyone who reports the name of the individual(s) who perpetrates this crime. Staff have been in contact with various police agencies, community groups, as well as individuals to figure out the best solution and I am confident that we will get there.
Around the Ward, I am still working on the ATV issue. If you have ever heard the expression, you can’t push a wet noodle; I’m dealing with precisely that with one of the developers who owns land just south of the problem area near Lougheed and Selkirk. I’ll be working on this again next week and it really is a simple solution if only they would call me back. Some of you may have noticed that lanes have been completed on both the north and south side of Mapleton in front of the new Holly Community Centre. This is to accommodate bus layovers near the facility to pick up and drop off passengers. Speaking of Holly, it’s near completion and will have full City programming by January. I’m personally looking forward to the fitness facility opening because it’ll have a great view of the Ardagh Bluffs throughout the year as you work out. Earlier this year, Michael Prowse and I introduced a motion to ask staff to look at improving Library services in the south end and that report is expected shortly. I am hopeful that Holly will be used as a pick up and drop off point for books from the main Library downtown for the convenience of residents. Also, I have asked engineering staff to increase the size of the speed signs on Essa Rd. in front of Timothy Christian School in order to alert drivers that the speed limit is 40 km/h and that it is designated as a Community Safety Zone. The problem is that it has to be a designated 40 zone because of the school but it does not qualify for flashing signals as per the guidelines of the MTO because the main entrance is not off of Essa Rd. Because of this, it will remain a 40 zone and although I am aware as most people who live near there are aware that the local constabulary likes setting up for radar on a Saturday or Sunday mornings, I am hopeful that the larger signs will make drivers aware that it is a 40 as you approach the school. I am constantly receiving complaints from people who’ve been caught speeding in that area. Other issues expected to come to Council shortly include the Mapleton Road study between Essa and Veterans as well as the traffic calming device study that I asked for earlier this year to address the problem of speeding in residential subdivisions that Ward 7 is plagued with. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be introducing a motion at Council to look at creating a policy for homeowners who live adjacent to City property to allow for the option of replacing the standard chain link fence that the City supplies with their own fence in order that they can beautify their property. It’s also Capital budget time and a meeting of the Ward 7 Ratepayers Association is planned for September 13th to get ideas of what is needed within the Ward. One example of a local improvement that will hopefully be addressed through the Capital budget is reconfiguring the many pedestrian walkways so that the gates are overlapping each other. I’ve had discussions with engineering staff about this and the purpose is to slow young bicyclists and skateboarders from going straight through the gates and onto roadways or speedways as I and many residents call them like Girdwood, and limit the risk of potentially being hit by cars. They are in agreement that this would solve a City wide safety issue but it will have to be addressed at Capital Budget time. It will also solve the problem of motorized vehicles using pedestrians walkways in the winter because they would not be able to fit through the gates.
Finally, I want to thank the many residents who I met with over the summer as I delivered my newsletter for their many positive comments on the job that I am doing and the job that Council is doing. As expected, I did not get to every house within the Ward but I will continue to come around as time permits throughout the fall. As you may or may not know, the Provincial election is taking place on October 10, 2007 and I urge you to become informed on the issues and exercise your right to vote. Traditionally, and I can only chalk this up to the commute, Ward 7 has had the lowest turnout of any Ward within the City for elections at all levels of government.
Council is back at it September 10th so that’s it for now, enjoy the rest of the Labour Day weekend and take care.
John
August 12, 2006
Well, there goes Council's summer recess and man it flew by. We're back at it tomorrow night with a package that's about 6 inches thick if not more. I told Michael Prowse that he if reads the top half of the pile, I'll read the bottom half and we'll meet in the middle on Monday and help each other out. Seriously though, I've read the package and we will be dealing with quite a few things.
The stop sign at Brucker and Emms is one of the issues being dealt with tomorrow. Traffic staff are recommending the reversal of the stop sign from Emms to Brucker and are quantifying it based on the vehicle and pedestrian traffic patterns that they have studied. In speaking to residents in that area, I know that they would like it to be a 4-way stop rather than the current 2-way stop and after reading the report, I will be getting more information from staff. We've also received a report to update the zoning by-law and I am sure there will be some discussion about that. Of note is the addition of secondary suites within the residential zoning designation which I have some concerns about and will be speaking to our City Treasurer about on Monday. Although this plays into Provincial Policy under Places to Grow in regards to intensification and affordable housing, I am concerned about the impact on Municipal Services if more people are living under one roof in a single family home yet the assessment of that home doesn't take into account the impact on our services like policing or recreation. As I said, I plan on getting a better understanding on this tomorrow morning.
We will also be dealing with the City intensification strategy which again is part of provincial policy. Intensification means building more density in areas that have not been developed yet. There is a guideline that is used based on a certain amount of people and jobs per hectare of land and there is a definite benefit to the City and taxpayers in that it prevents urban sprawl and allows for build out or build up in already serviced areas costing far less than having to provide infrastructure like public facilities, sewer, water, and roads in newer subdivisions Intensification is also one of Council's Strategic Priorities and this strategy will go a long way in seeing that we build responsibly with an ultimate goal of building a community in which residents can work, live, and play.
A naturalization policy is also coming before General Committee for consideration. Council requested back in 2003 for staff to look at this type of policy for our parks, sportsfields, protected areas, and other city owned responsiblities like boulevards and vacant lots. In essence, what the policy does and similar to what many other municipalities have adopted is ensure that as much as possible they be kept in a natural state. That doesn't mean that they won't be maintained, it means that maintenance will be less intrusive for lack of a better term than what our current practice is and will provide clear direction to residents of how public lands will be maintained going forward. Like I said Monday will be busy and the complete agenda package is available on the City web-site but you'll need to give yourself 3 days to read it believe me.
So you know, typically what happens is that Council receives a package on the Thursday evening prior to Council on Monday. I'll read through it over the weekend and if there are any questions, staff are available all day Monday to answer the questions. Every member of Council has the opportunity to bring up questions on Monday night or provide amendments to the recommended motion at general Committee at which point debate on either the motion or the amendment can happen and the vote occurs.
A couple of more things, I've been to alot of homes over the break to meet with residents but as I suspected, did not get to them all. I will continue to come around as time permits because I know many of you have appreciated talking about what has been happening at City Hall and around the ward. In some cases, we've been able to get some issues resolved right away like missing street signs but in others, like ATV's and Dirtbikes, it is taking more time than I had hoped but I am working on it. By the way, if you report the use of ATV's or Dirt Bikes to the Barrie Police service, specifically the address of the ATV'ers of Dirt Biker's, they will pay them a visit and warn them about the law prohibiting them within City limits and that they will continue to monitor for any further occurrences. If you're not comfortable calling the police, then by all means let me know and I will contact them on your behalf.
The last thing is graffiti. We're expecting a graffiti report soon from staff but this is really getting ridiculous and all of us must act on what is plain and simply an act of vandalism. It's glorified as "tagging" but it is nothing more than vandalism and is a blight on our neighbourhoods that costs an incredible amount of money to clean up both in staff resources and equipment for not only the City but private enterprise as well. Please keep your eye out for this type of activity and report it immediately. The City has a policy of cleaning it up off City property within 24 hrs because if left unchecked, it could lead to further acts of vandalism. When we receive the staff report, I will be moving a motion for the City to lobby the Provincial Attorney General to have young offenders as part of their community service sentences to be made available to clean up graffiti on both private and public property and there are some other things that I am looking into but I will await the staff report. I know that none of us want to see the ghettoization of our neighbourhoods so again please keep your eyes open and report any occurences.
That's it for now but now that we're back, updates will be more frequent and thanks as always for your support.
Take Care,
John
July 8, 2007
Two weeks into Councils summer recess and although I am trying to make up for some lost time with the family, City business continues and there are many things that still require attention.
Tomorrow, I am involved in Interviews to hire the Community Services Commissioner. It will be an important position to fill with the right candidate because 80 percent of the City's budget goes through Community Services. Whoever the successful candidate is, they will be responsible at a very high strategic level for some of the most high profile Departments within the City such as, Operations (including snow removal), Engineering, Leisure, Transit, and Facilities as well as the Fire Service. After they're done, I'm off to the Grand Opening of the new Starbucks at the Wal-Mart plaza on Mapleview.
This past week, the City included a notice about ATV's and Dirtbikes not permitted within City limits on our City page that appears in the Examiner every Friday. I also provided comments to the Advance after they asked for some from our Media Release last week so we may get attention from them as well. Other issues that have come up include the proposed site plan amendment for Bear Creek Secondary School. City staff have been told that the School Board intends on building a practice field in a location that is heavily forested. Although it is not zoned as an environmentally sensitive or protected area, several residents are concerned about the impact of the building of this field as it relates to cutting trees down as well as the costs, a taxpayers expense of building a practice field when a field already exists so I met with residents of Kenwell Crescent today to discuss this and to provide some guidance. I have also sent an e-mail to the School Board Trustee for that Ward Diane Firman.
Over the weekend, I have invited residents to subscribe to our Ward 7 mailing list. Although many of you have been enjoying the benefits of these posts right to your desktop for some time, I finally got around to inviting people who have not yet subscribed to do so and the response has been tremendous. That's not to say it didn't go off without a hitch. It seems that I had a choice of two buttons, one to automatically subscribe and the other to invite. Some of you received an invitation while others were subscribed automatically after I hit the wrong button. It's easy to unsubscribe if you like but judging from the response I have received so far, people appreciate the information that is being sent to them.
Finally, some of you who may have been to the Beer, Brew, and Ribfest at Centennial Park or driving around town today may have noticed alot of smoke coming from the Downtown core. There was a major fire downtown at the corner of Mary and Dunlop. The building has been destroyed and there is extensive water and smoke damage to the adjacent buildings. All available personnel and apparatus from Barrie Fire Services were on scene while Springwater and Innisfil filled in at our stations. By all accounts, and there were many, our Firefighters did a great job containing the fire inspite of the terrible conditions related to todays heat. You should be proud of all of our Emergency Services for a co-ordinated effort to mitigate what could have been significant property loss
That's it for now.
Take Care,
John
June 30, 2007
Happy Canada Day!
It"s a very busy weekend with Promenade Days happening downtown and the fireworks display in the bay on Canada Day at 10 p.m.
During the month of June I was Acting Mayor and as a result, attended many functions on behalf of the City. The highlight for me was hosting former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna who was in town as part of TD Banks 150 year affiliation with the City of Barrie. We planted a tree at Heritage Park, then strolled through the Downtown talking about our revitilization efforts, checked out the new T.D. Bank facility on Collier St. then concluded by having lunch at Oscars with a large contingent of Business people from Barrie and area. He was very impressed with the City and was genuinely excited about the prospects for the City and loved the waterfront. There were many other events that I attended and some of the photos from those events can be seen in the photo gallery.
Council is on it's summer recess right now and we are not scheduled to go back until August 13th. During the recess, I plan on meeting with as many residents as possible by going door-to-door. In fact, I've been doing that over the last 3 weeks on a limited basis and have been listening to Ward 7 residents on the issues that are of concern to them as well as answer any questions that they might have.
One of those issues are ATV's and Dirtbikes disrupting lives along 27 and to the south of Lougheed and Selkirk. This past week, I met with the Barrie Police Service, Municipal Law Enforcement as well as representatives of the North Simcoe ATV Club to work on a solution to this problem. We walked away from the discussion with some good ideas and we will be working on them over the next week. On Tuesday, the City will be issuing a Media Release about the use of ATV and Dirtbikes within City limits. I also had a meeting planned last Tuesday with Solmar homes, the property owner south of Lougheed but unfortunately they had to cancel. There is alot of ATV and Dirtbike activity on this property, which is privately owned and they are very interested in curbing the use of their property for these purposes. This will be alot more difficult and time consuming than I had hoped it would be to solve this problem and I do understand the affect this has on the quality of life for the people that live off Logan, Sundew, Selkirk, Lougheed, and Columbia but I am working on it.
Other issues Council dealt with before the break included the establishment of a Finance Committee of Council, which I will be a part of whos mandate it is to give direction for both the operating and capital budgets, the creation of more parking spaces near the waterfront, as well as some re-zoning apllications. Council also met on June 21, 2007, a Thursday, to give staff direction on our strategic priorities in a Corporate strategy session. It was one of the best sessions that I have been involved in on Council and effectively will set direction from Council on how we are to achieve our strategic priorities over the next 3 and a half years.
Finally, the first 7 months on Council have flown by and I have really enjoyed being part of this new and dynamic Council. I've said it before but there is alot of talent around the table and Council is working very well together to move our agenda forward but it is nice to have a break. Enjoy the summer and be safe!
Take Care,
John
June 9, 2007
Busy times at City Hall as we try to get as much business done as we can before the July break. In fact, Council will only be sitting one time within 6 weeks so there is lots to do. Last Saturday, I started going door to door meeting with constituents as I said I would during the summer months and I will say that I'll be lucky to get to every door but it is interesting to speak to residents about current issues and actually quite humurous when you see the shock they express that a politician has come to their door not during an election campaign but during a normal Saturday morning just to talk. The people I spoke to were quite appreciative of the opportunity to talk about issues ranging from the Mayor to Northern Ethanol.
City Council is functioning very well and has been dealing with some pretty substantial issues including the Little Lake Park Management Plan, we have denied several re-zoning applications from Industrial to Commercial or residential, which in my opinion, sends a strong message to everyone that this Council is intent on protecting its remaining Industrial lands. We've also been dealing with Northern Ethanol and have asked the Ministry of Environment to come before Council to answer questions as they relate to emmision and odour issues and we are hopeful that can be done before the break.
As Acting Mayor this month, I've been attending events that the Mayor has been unable to attend. Hospice Simcoe launched their Capital campaign this past Thursday with great success. CBC Radio was in town on Tuesday talking about a proposal to ring a CBC affiliate to Barrie which signals the extent of respect that Barrie is receiving as Canada's fastest growing community. On Thursday, I attended the W.C. Little Fun Fair and what an event. It was like a Carnival atmosphere and the parents of this school really did a great job with the event.
Last month, I asked Gary Calvert, the Development Services Commisioner to intiate a meeting between YOM, myself, and C.A.O Jon Babulic and the meeting occurred yesterday morning. Yom is one of the Major Industrial Companies in Barrie located in Ward 7. It was a great meeting focused mostly on how we as the City of Barrie can help them succeed. YOM is planning for future growth in the area and continues to expand it's product line of supplying car parts for the Automotive Industry. As City representatives, it's vital that are in constant contact with our business community not only to show support but it also encourages word among their sector that the City of Barrie is a great place to operate a business. Line one of Council's Strategic Priorities is to attract, retain, and expand business in Barrie and as a Council, we must always be mindful of that.
On another note, Veteran's Drive is now open after 7 months of Construction. This is great news to help the flow of traffic on Mapleview and will allow vehicles another east-west alternative as well as a north-south route on Veterans. Speaking of cars, I have an item coming to General Committee on Monday night that the City promote and encourage participation in International Car Free Day. Information is available at www.carfreeday.ca.
That's it for now except to say that our Ward 7 Ratepayers Committee will be coming to City Hall on Monday for an orientation afternoon to meet senior staff as well other staff members. I'm looking forward to it as a chance to better understand how things work at City Hall.
By the way, the winners of the $32 Million last week from Barrie live in Ward 7.
Take Care,
John
May 20, 2007
I hope everyone is enjoying the Victoria Day long weekend and the Waterfront festival downtown. It's amazing the amount of effort that goes into co-ordinating an event like this and it's also amazing that there are so many weekends throughout the summer that activity like this weekends festival will happen. Between Celebrate Barrie, Promenade Days, and Kempenfest among the many functions, there is always a good reason to stay home and enjoy what Barrie has to offer not to mention that with gas prices soaring the way they are, travelling has become expensive which is all the more reason to play right here in your backyard.
I want to talk about the members of Council and I'll start by saying how proud I am to be part of this Council. It's been amazing to me how everyone has come together throwing partisanship aside to ensure that the business of the City gets done in spite of the controversy surrounding the Mayor. In the last couple of weeks, we have had to deal with significant re-zoning issues that in my view Council has made the right decision about. Members of Council have been attending Inter-Governmental meetings with both Provincial and Federal Cabinet Ministers about an array of issues like Infrastructure funding to the challenges facing the City as it continues to grow. Council is ensuring that our strategic priorities and the agenda related to them continues to be implemented by staff. Council members are in constant communication with each other about the issues we are dealing with and about the issues that are coming up and how best to handle those issues. It really is amazing how involved and how in tune we are to each other. I have said this before but it is worth repeating, there is alot of talent around the Council table and each of us brings a unique perspective on things and as different as some of those persepectives are, every one of them is respected by the others.
We had another ratepayers meeting on Wednesday and I will now start posting the minutes of the meetings on this site. I am pretty sure that everyone is finding our meetings as informative and productive as I am. Issues like motorized vehicles (ATV's, Motorcycles etc..) using our parks and generally causing noise and disruption for homeowners are examples of issues that the group has been talking about and as I have been doing, will be dealing with that issue once again in the upcoming week.
I am also still working on getting the newsletter like the one on the front of the site delivered. I will be meeting with residents going door to door throughout the summer so I will have some printed for that. The challenge I have in sending them is that the Emergency Preparedness Conference in January ate up $2100 of my $3000 office budget so I have very little left for what I want to do like send out this Newsletter because I didn't expect the Conference to come out of my budget and was told prior to going that it wouldn't. I did support however for the Conference to come out of my budget after it was raised at Council, rightly so, that no funds had been allocated to the Emergency Management Committee and a motion was moved, to have the funds come from the accounts of those who attended. In supporting the motion, I knew that my budget would be affected negatively but it was the right thing to do.
That's it for now, more to come and as always, check back for the latest information.
Take Care,
John
April 26, 2007
By now, the issue of the Mayor's trip to China with a couple of prominent developers that he has admited was paid for in part while he was there by his Chinese hosts has broken not only locally but in the Globe and Mail as well. While I can't say much at this point, I will say that Council met about the matter in camera on Monday and the results of that meeting will be made public after Council this coming Monday night. I have heard some complaints about why this was done "in private" and to that I say anytime Council deals with a personnel, property, or litigation matter it must be done in that manner as mandated by the Municipal Act but it doesn't mean that we are not dealing with the issue(s) at hand. By Monday, I suspect that you will know that Council views the issue of the trip as a serious matter and that we will do what we need to to protect the interests of this City. The unfortunate part about this whole thing is that it distracts from the good things and hard work that is being done by members of Council to work on implenting our Strategic Priorities.
On Monday, April 30th, C.A.O. Babulic and I will be going to Guelph to meet with Public Infrastructure Minister David Caplan for a meeting of Urban Growth Centre Mayors to discuss the Provinces Places to Grow plan. I will be representing the City of Barrie which means that this will be the 3rd. time in less than 2 weeks that I have had an audience with the Minister who is in charge of Infrastructure money for the Province so to say that we are "working it" is an understatement.
Also on Monday, the long-awaited Ardagh Bluffs Park Plan will be presented to Council. The plan is a comprehensive review of the Bluffs and how we can continue to preserve and enhance the area. My main focus as we move forward on this plan is to ensure that we stop motorized traffic from ATV's and Motorcycles in this protected area because not only are they destroying the natural beauty of the bluffs but they are also causing quality of life issues for the people that live around them.
That's it for now. Take Care.
John
April 21, 2007
Things have been extremely busy at City Hall. Now that budget time has passed, the day to day operations of constituent issues as well as the many City issues are front and centre.
This past Thursday, Rod Jackson, Mike Ramsay, Director of Strategic Services Rebecca James-Reid and I met with Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Gerretson as well as Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal David Caplan. It was a great meeting that last an hour and fifteen minutes and in that time we talked about Council's Strategic Priorities and how that fits into the Provinces vision for this area and well as the City of Barrie's infrastructure requirements including the need for help with the Surface Water Treatment Plant and our roads among other things. We are a growing City with demands created from that growth and it cannot be funded solely by those of us who live and work here. I and the others who attended left the meeting feeling that we had their ear and that they were very much interested in partnering with Barrie to help us with our growth challenges.
Among the constituent issues I've been dealing with is the sale of Forest County lands and the impact on Columbia Rd. residents, trying to solve the ATV and Motorcycle problem in the south end, the plaza at Mapleton and Marsellus, as well as the roadway problems on Mapleton between Essa and Veterans. There will be a spring newsletter that is in the final stages of completion and it should be out by the end of the month. I made a pledge during the campaign to improve on the communication to the residents of Ward 7 and I do plan on doing this as often as possible but I think this website is still the best source for information.
Finally, news broke this week of the Mayor taking a trip to China over the Easter holiday and while that may not seem like a big deal because people do take trips, there is concern among Council as has been reported in the newspaper around the circumstances surrounding the trip. I, along with my colleagues on Council feel that the Mayor must account for the trip because there is widespread rumour and specualtion in regards to it. Prior to leaving, the Mayor was secretive as to the nature of the trip although we did know he was going away, none of us knew for what reason he was going.
As elected officials, we must be held to a high standard when it comes to the issue of accountability and transparency. It was a cornerstone issue for me when I ran as I know it was for others. Council has a legislated (under the Municipal Act) and moral obligation to be transparent and accountable at all times because if we are not held to a high standard, your trust and faith in your elected officials would be diminished and doubt as to the intent of our actions would be created. I feel very strongly about your faith and trust in us as a Council and I know my colleagues on Council feel the same way and that's why we will never be afraid to stand up to scrutiny and be transparent and accountable in everything we do. We will be asking questions about this trip for that reason.
Take Care,
John
March 28, 2007
2.99 %, that's what the final increase worked out to after Council approved the budget on Monday. I'm very pleased with this budget given the fact that it is our first as a new Council, but there is still more that needs to be done to ensure that we have better efficiencies and accountabilities at City Hall. What this budget does, is maintains alot of the services that residents expect as well as provides some much needed tax relief. It also maintains and in some cases improves on our strong reserve balances which is important for the City's financial security.
I and the rest of Council are now focused on improving the process for both the Capital and Operating budgets and there should be some news on that front very soon.
Take Care.
John
March 20, 2007
It's been awhile only because things have been so busy and my family took a vacation over the March break.
Two very important issues have been dealt with over the last two days. One is that the Budget has been approved by General Committee and two, that Council has approved the hiring of a new C.A.O. First the budget, I am very pleased with the amount of effort that staff put into the budget and the results of General Committee finalizing the budget. With Council approval still pending, residents are looking at a 3.88 percent increase in the municipal portion of their tax bill. For a house asessed at $218,000, that will mean an $89.89 tax increase for the year or if you break it down by the week, a $1.72/week increase. That's not bad for maintaining already existing services within the City while supporting increased services by our service partners such as the County of Simcoe and the Police. We had started at over 6.8% for the City portion so this is a great result and it's important to know that the City is in a very strong financial position with our reserve balances. My position has always been that I would support increases that were within an acceptable inflationary range that residents can keep up with and this does just that.
Having gone through the process with this being my first budget, changes are needed on how the process occurs going forward and today I spoke with the new C.A.O. on what those changes might look like and how we can make them happen.
Now to the C.A.O. In my opinion as stated in an earlier post, this was likely the single most important issue that the new Council would have to deal with during the next 4 years and I am very pleased to say that Jon Babulic is the City's new C.A.O. Jon brings extensive and very successful private sector experience and that, coupled with his experience as Commissioner of Community Services for the last 6 months is exactly what the City needs to implement the needed changes not only to the budget process but also in the manner in which the City provides services. As Chair of the Community Services Committee, I have worked very closely with Jon and I am very confident that he is the right person at the right time to energize Council, Staff, and the City. You can check out the City's Media Release by clicking here.
Finally, I was very pleased to gain General Committees support on 3 initiatives. They were to study the removal of parking restrictions near Holly Meadows School and W.C. Little School and to have staff in Engineering conduct a pilot project for traffic calming devices in residential subdivisions. Speeding combined with not having the resources to enforce it, is a significant problem that is widespread in this City and it needs to be addressed for the Safety of our residents and particularly our children.
That's it for now, I'll be posting alot sooner next time. Take Care.
John
February 6, 2007
Lots happening around City Hall. At last nights Council meeting, Councillor Prowse and I put forward an item for discussion to have staff work with the Library to come up with a plan to utilize existing community centres including Holly for an exchange of library matterials and to give residents better service to our library. We're hopeful that a solution can be found in the abscence of a permanent library at this point to meet the demand of Ward 6 and 7 resident for our library services.
Council also approved a policy for variable flashing signs for school located on arterial and collector roads. Basically, during the times that the signs are flashing, cars are expected to observe a 40 km/h speed limit but at all other times, the speed that the roadway was prior to the implementation of community safety zones will be reinstated. This will allow for better traffic flow on roads that were designed for 50 or 60 km/h speeds. I am not happy about the $250,000 that has to be spent on the signs however this situation is the right solution without resorting back to the way it was.
The other issue I will be addressing soon is speeding within residential subdivions. It's a problem that is occurring throughout the City so last Thursday I met with engineering staff including our traffic specialists to try and devlop a plan to deal with it. I believe that we have come up with a way to start the process but I will need the support of Council.
Finally, the budget process is well underway. Staff have presented options for increases ranging from 2.82 to 6.5%. There is no appetite among ratepayers for anything other than acceptable inflationary increases and I made that very clear last night at Council even though there are significant demands being placed on the City ranging from downloading to our service partners request for increases (i.e. Simcoe County and Police). In some cases, Council may have to make the decision to cut some services to meet the budget target. Over the past several weeks, many of you have been sending e-mails with your concerns and ideas, all of which will play a part in my decision making. I am very concerned for seniors on fixed incomes and young families who are increasingly finding it difficult to afford to live in this City and I will do my best to keep it affordable.
It's going to be a busy rest of the week with Board of Health meetings, constituent meetings, a meeting with the Province, and a short-list meeting about potential Chief Administrative Officer candidates which in my opinion is the single most important issue at least in the near-term that Council has to make.
Take Care,
John
January 18, 2007
I just returned from the Emergency Preparedness Conference in Ottawa. There were lots of Industry leaders in attendance and the City was represented by the Mayor, Councillor Jerry Moore, Commissioner of Community Services Jon Babulic as well as Bruce Griffin, the City's Emergency Preparedness Co-Ordinator.
All emergencies start at the local level and it's important that the City of Barrie is prepared in the event of an emergency occurring. On Saturday, on the heels of this conference, Emergency Management Ontario is conducting a one day seminar for all Councillors and Senior Management Officials at City Hall on the role and responsibility of Ontario Municipal Leaders in an emergency.
Two things stuck out after attending the Ottawa Conference. One is that funding is needed from both the Provincial and Federal Governments in order for individual Municipalities to better prepare in terms of training and equipping our emergency first responders (Police, Fire and EMS) because cities cannot provide the funding alone and second, a disaster or emergency is NOT the time to be exchanging business cards with people who provide assistance and that's why the Conference in Ottawa was so important. C.N for rail emergencies., Hydro One for blackouts, Public Health Canada for pandemic or other health emergencies, Public Safety Canada for weather issues, Telus for communication equipment, and I could go on were all in attendance and provided the City an opportunity to network during this conference to better prepare.
Council is back in session on Monday and I expect a very busy agenda that will include the City honouring Bryan Little of the Barrie Colts for his Gold Medal winning performance at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
John
January 11, 2007
There has been alot of media coverage regarding the Mayor's open houses. I attended the first one on Tuesday and spoke with quite a few residents about priorities over the next four years which is the intent of these type of forums.
Ultimately, Council will have the final say as to what direction we go but I do think its important to have the public input as we did during the campaign and as we are now.
I've read that Council should start now to set the course and that we should not wait any longer to tell Barrie residents where we are heading. While there is no doubt that Council's job is to set direction and to establish priorities, I take issue with the fact that this should be done in haste. It's important to know that there are some differences between this term of Council and the last.
First, this Council has four years to implement their plan. The Provincial Government made the change to Municipal Council terms in order to allow Councils time to forge agendas and implement them. To that end, the new Council has scheduled February 17, 2007 as the date for our strategic planning session. Last Council, with only a 3 year term, held their session at the end of January so the difference will only be a matter of a couple of weeks and only after all the public consultations are completed and reviewed which I believe only enhances the process.
Second, I know in speaking with other Councillors, that our priorities for this term of Council are in some cases not dissimilar to that of the previous Council or of residents as we are finding out.
Ultimately it comes down to doing what is best for the City, its residents and business community, and I am very confident that this Council has its head screwed on right and will not only create priorities but deliver on them. It just won't be tomorrow as some who are critical would like but if they can wait a couple of more weeks, I don't believe that they will be disappointed with the outcome and neither will you.
John
December 31, 2006
I want to begin by wishing everyone a Happy New Year and I hope that the holidays have gone well.
"Downtown Countdown" is on tonight at City Hall and it truly is a great family event. My wife has brought the kids for the last several years and they have had a blast. Unfortunately in past years, as is the case this year, my shift at the Fire Department has fallen on New Year's eve and I will not be able to attend.
Things will really start ramping up this next week for the new Council after the "honeymoon period" of December and I expect the January 8, 2007 meeting to be a busy one. I'll be meeting again with the City's Emergency Preparedness Co-ordinator this week as well as working on constituent issues that were brought to my attention and that I started to deal with just before the holidays began.
2007 will be a busy year with the establishment of the Ward 7 Ratepayers Association, Ward 7 issues as well as Committee work. In spite of all of this however, if there is something that you as a Ward 7 resident need from me or any of our staff members, please do not hesitate to ask. Take Care and again Happy New Year and please do not Drink and Drive.
John
December 15, 2006
Busy day today. I met with the City's Emergency Preparedness Co-ordinator Bruce Griffin to get some initial background on where the City is with respect to Emergency Preparedness. Bruce has a strong background in this area and his insight was appreciated. Mayor Aspden has indicated that placing the City of Barrie at an increased level of Emergency Preparedness will be a priority for this Council. Being prepared for an emergency takes into account alot of things. There's the obvious planning but a large part of the plan is to educate the public of what to do in the event of an emergency. The City is developing as one component of education, a section of its web-site specifically geared to public information that should help us to educate Barrie residents about preparing for an emergency.
I also looked at options for a library in the south end of the City. A library in the south end is something that Council, in particular south end Councillors are very interested in seeing happen soon.
I'm also narrowing down the dates of our first Ward 7 Ratepayers Association meeting. The establishment of this committee will be an asset to me and the Ward and I'm very excited about its prospects. The committee consists of people who live and/or work in Ward 7 and reflects a broad range of residents from seniors to those who have lived in the Ward for less than a year. They are all people who I met during the campaign and who expressed interest in forming this type of committee.
Finally, I am pleased to have been chosen as Chair of the Community Services Committee. The recommendation formally goes to Council on the 18th for approval. The Community Services Commission is responsible for: engineering, road maintenance, road improvements, pollution control, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, traffic, parking facilities, transit, street lighting, subdivision services, utility co-ordination, corporate and recreation facilities, leisure/recreation, parks, culture, transportation policy, fire and emergency services, environmental services, senior services, airport, and horticulture.
I am looking forward to working with the other members of the Committee, Councillors Prowse, Strachan, and Jackson. Given the scope of responsibility that this particular Committee has with respect to the amount of budget dollars involved, I am very glad to have the experience and strengths that these 3 Councillors bring to the table working in partnership with me.
John
December 14, 2006
Welcome to the new Ward 7 website. The previous site ran it's course because it was a campaign web-site and now that I'm elected as Ward 7 Councillor, I felt it was important to make the site more functional as a sitting Councillor site.
There will be lots of information available to you when you come here. My plan is to continually provide updates with relevant information about what I am doing within the Ward, at City Hall, and what Council is doing as a whole to make the City a great place to live. Feel free to browse for whatever information you need, and if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to call me. My e-mail information and phone number is located under the Contact John index on the left side of the page.
Thanks again for your support and I hope you enjoy this new site for Ward 7 because information is the key component to feeling involved.
John