This past weekend has been a bustle of activity placing my election signs around Ward 1. A big thank you all those who spontaneously invited me to place a sign on their lawn! Great to have your support and affirmation that raising awareness of community issues and the City’s communities having a voice is key to a strong Oshawa future! My campaign will be in full swing following tomorrow's Council meeting, the last meeting of this term. There are many items on the Agenda of note which prompt me to add that an election should not allow controversial and outstanding issues simply to be glossed over.
Here is a picture from my weekend of placing election signs - taken at the top of the City, Simcoe St N and Coates Rd. The picture does not give justice the panoramic view of Oshawa and Lake Ontario on a beautiful morning.
Below you will find a slideshow tracking-summary of all the items on the Sept 26, 2022 Council Meeting Agenda (4 pages).
My perspective on some of the Sept 26th Council meeting issues :
1. that there is clear need for a crosswalk on Coldstream from the Bloom Seniors residents to the Smart Centre Plaza and a sidewalk along the east side of the driveway into the Plaza! The recommendation at Community Services Committee was not on the Council meeting Agenda, when, imo, it could and should have been included for a full Council vote to see it added to time sensitive Budget items.
2. confirmation on where and when the promised high speed internet will be made available in north Oshawa's underserviced rural area. Oshawa's northern residents and businesses deserve to know what is happening with the Province's funding announced Aug 4, 2022! The City applied for and Oshawa is on the list of municipalities qualified to receive some of the $4 Billion going to 336 municipalities through 8 internet service providers,. But the fact that there is no word from the City or the Region or the ISP company awarded the contract is abysmal. The Region's other municipalities have received improved high speed to their underserviced areas, but Oshawa residents and businesses north of Hwy 407 are still waiting, many without internet (including me) for 8+weeks after the May 21 derecho storm that took out some telecommunication towers.
3. SOME PROVISION for affordable and accessible housing with the $5M in incentives the City is granting Medallion https://pub-oshawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=9621 . The City, the Region and Medallion should be able to come up with a program where one unit per floor in newly constructed high rise buildings is leased and sublet by the Region to help meet the Region’s “commitment to increasing the supply of affordable rental housing units; with its “goal of initiating 1,000 new units by 2024”
4. The September Standing Committees allowed me to bring a motion forward to ensure the Short Term Rental (AirBnB) by-law changes implemented in 2020 will be reviewed early next year. It seems there may be some unfortunate loopholes that require revisions with stronger consequences to STR providers (licensed and unlicensed) in the city.
5. The need for more community input before declaring ANY parkland surplus and sold to become a parking lot! The one newspaper notice in July seems inadequate. The sports user groups could be invited to give expressions of interest, as well as comments from the Parks Rec Library and Culture consultants recently retained to prepare a report on the City wide need for improved city sports, rec , library and culture facility assets. See report DS-22-174 https://pub-oshawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=9614
6. Report DS-22-189 concerning the HOPA/City signed Memorandum of Understanding and the 6 agreements being attachments 3 to 8 in Closed Report PORT-22-01 to be signed by the City and HOPA should be more transparent and not remain closed reports but should be made public after signing. I will attempt to make a motion that upon signing, the Report and agreements be made public.
Here is a picture from my weekend of placing election signs - taken at the top of the City, Simcoe St N and Coates Rd. The picture does not give justice the panoramic view of Oshawa and Lake Ontario on a beautiful morning.
Below you will find a slideshow tracking-summary of all the items on the Sept 26, 2022 Council Meeting Agenda (4 pages).
My perspective on some of the Sept 26th Council meeting issues :
1. that there is clear need for a crosswalk on Coldstream from the Bloom Seniors residents to the Smart Centre Plaza and a sidewalk along the east side of the driveway into the Plaza! The recommendation at Community Services Committee was not on the Council meeting Agenda, when, imo, it could and should have been included for a full Council vote to see it added to time sensitive Budget items.
2. confirmation on where and when the promised high speed internet will be made available in north Oshawa's underserviced rural area. Oshawa's northern residents and businesses deserve to know what is happening with the Province's funding announced Aug 4, 2022! The City applied for and Oshawa is on the list of municipalities qualified to receive some of the $4 Billion going to 336 municipalities through 8 internet service providers,. But the fact that there is no word from the City or the Region or the ISP company awarded the contract is abysmal. The Region's other municipalities have received improved high speed to their underserviced areas, but Oshawa residents and businesses north of Hwy 407 are still waiting, many without internet (including me) for 8+weeks after the May 21 derecho storm that took out some telecommunication towers.
3. SOME PROVISION for affordable and accessible housing with the $5M in incentives the City is granting Medallion https://pub-oshawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=9621 . The City, the Region and Medallion should be able to come up with a program where one unit per floor in newly constructed high rise buildings is leased and sublet by the Region to help meet the Region’s “commitment to increasing the supply of affordable rental housing units; with its “goal of initiating 1,000 new units by 2024”
4. The September Standing Committees allowed me to bring a motion forward to ensure the Short Term Rental (AirBnB) by-law changes implemented in 2020 will be reviewed early next year. It seems there may be some unfortunate loopholes that require revisions with stronger consequences to STR providers (licensed and unlicensed) in the city.
5. The need for more community input before declaring ANY parkland surplus and sold to become a parking lot! The one newspaper notice in July seems inadequate. The sports user groups could be invited to give expressions of interest, as well as comments from the Parks Rec Library and Culture consultants recently retained to prepare a report on the City wide need for improved city sports, rec , library and culture facility assets. See report DS-22-174 https://pub-oshawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=9614
6. Report DS-22-189 concerning the HOPA/City signed Memorandum of Understanding and the 6 agreements being attachments 3 to 8 in Closed Report PORT-22-01 to be signed by the City and HOPA should be more transparent and not remain closed reports but should be made public after signing. I will attempt to make a motion that upon signing, the Report and agreements be made public.
Above is a slideshow of the Council meeting 4-page-agenda summary and below is a picture showing the 'grassland' area at the Delpark Homes Centre that City Council is voting on whether to formally declare surplus (see my comment 5 above)
