Concerning the downtown problems, the BIA levy and the future of the Oshawa Clinic Group at 117 King St. E...although distinct issues, undeniably at this point in time there an overlap. The vote at the Special Council meeting today will not be an easy one.
Naturally, taking this job I knew there were going to be tough decisions, but after a year and a half on Council there really seem to be very few easy ones. Yesterday at the end of the second meeting of the day, I actually said "I'm plugging my nose and saying yes". That was coming out of a closed session matter, and as I was so wrapped up in the moment those words unpredictably slipped out of my mouth.
Going into today's Special Council meeting to vote on the BIA levy I regret to say part of the difficulty I'm having is that I don't feel Council has been provided enough information.
This is something I wrote to the City about two weeks ago and again on Friday to the City and the BIA. As I often say, being well informed is the key to strong decisions.
Going into the meeting my focus is to keep an open mind, ensure transparency and accountability and not be pressured into a reactionary decision. Yes, it was a shock to read in last week's paper the Oshawa Clinic Group is about to build a 'state of the art' 152,000 sq.ft. new clinic in Whitby to open in 4 years. The article was published the day before the CEO's letter on the Agenda for today's meeting. I tried reaching out to him but have not heard back. Below is a video clip from his delegation at the Feb 3, 2020 Committee meeting, 5 weeks before the pandemic state of emergency was declared.
Wishing my questions had been sharper and that he had mentioned how the drug, crime and litter problems were impacting 117 King St. E. Not copied here is how complimentary he was to the City and the BIA at the beginning of his delegation. He wanted something and that would be the logical approach I know. But all the lost time, and the downward slide accelerated with the pandemic...wish he had taken a different tactic then. However, I do appreciate the hard hitting words in his letter now, which hopefully can be the catalyst for changes needed.
To quote my friend Margo Mc Nab whose post I came upon this morning and found spot on: "If the city is not contributing to the general situation by providing a good environment then they need to be brought into the dialogue. They are an integral part of a healthy downtown".
In my email to the City and BIA Friday when today's Special Council meeting was called I had asked for specifics about:
1) the 2020 BIA rate and the 2019 rate..(incidentally, other municipalities include their BIA rate as a line item in with their annual tax rates, but for some reason it does not seem to be on the City of Oshawa's website -this should be corrected)
2) what 2020 funds have been disbursed so far to the BIA
3) an accounting both of its expenditures to date in 2020, and what reductions and savings from the original budget are expected to accommodate the impact from COVID-19 and details concerning the 2020 levy decrease now being proposed;
4) what would be the worst-case scenario costs that the City could incur should there be a shortfall resulting from cancelled contracts, lease arrangements, staff lay-offs or terminations, if the 2020 BIA funds levied fall short
It was clear on May 25th when I voted with a slim majority of Council to send the BIA 2020 levy matter back to the BIA Board of Management. I did not believe Council should unilaterally overturn the BIA budget without having its Board consider the impact of COVID-19 on their members and the BIA's future plans for downtown improvements. If I was holding my nose yesterday on another matter, I'm finding I'm holding my breath today.
Naturally, taking this job I knew there were going to be tough decisions, but after a year and a half on Council there really seem to be very few easy ones. Yesterday at the end of the second meeting of the day, I actually said "I'm plugging my nose and saying yes". That was coming out of a closed session matter, and as I was so wrapped up in the moment those words unpredictably slipped out of my mouth.
Going into today's Special Council meeting to vote on the BIA levy I regret to say part of the difficulty I'm having is that I don't feel Council has been provided enough information.
This is something I wrote to the City about two weeks ago and again on Friday to the City and the BIA. As I often say, being well informed is the key to strong decisions.
Going into the meeting my focus is to keep an open mind, ensure transparency and accountability and not be pressured into a reactionary decision. Yes, it was a shock to read in last week's paper the Oshawa Clinic Group is about to build a 'state of the art' 152,000 sq.ft. new clinic in Whitby to open in 4 years. The article was published the day before the CEO's letter on the Agenda for today's meeting. I tried reaching out to him but have not heard back. Below is a video clip from his delegation at the Feb 3, 2020 Committee meeting, 5 weeks before the pandemic state of emergency was declared.
Wishing my questions had been sharper and that he had mentioned how the drug, crime and litter problems were impacting 117 King St. E. Not copied here is how complimentary he was to the City and the BIA at the beginning of his delegation. He wanted something and that would be the logical approach I know. But all the lost time, and the downward slide accelerated with the pandemic...wish he had taken a different tactic then. However, I do appreciate the hard hitting words in his letter now, which hopefully can be the catalyst for changes needed.
To quote my friend Margo Mc Nab whose post I came upon this morning and found spot on: "If the city is not contributing to the general situation by providing a good environment then they need to be brought into the dialogue. They are an integral part of a healthy downtown".
In my email to the City and BIA Friday when today's Special Council meeting was called I had asked for specifics about:
1) the 2020 BIA rate and the 2019 rate..(incidentally, other municipalities include their BIA rate as a line item in with their annual tax rates, but for some reason it does not seem to be on the City of Oshawa's website -this should be corrected)
2) what 2020 funds have been disbursed so far to the BIA
3) an accounting both of its expenditures to date in 2020, and what reductions and savings from the original budget are expected to accommodate the impact from COVID-19 and details concerning the 2020 levy decrease now being proposed;
4) what would be the worst-case scenario costs that the City could incur should there be a shortfall resulting from cancelled contracts, lease arrangements, staff lay-offs or terminations, if the 2020 BIA funds levied fall short
It was clear on May 25th when I voted with a slim majority of Council to send the BIA 2020 levy matter back to the BIA Board of Management. I did not believe Council should unilaterally overturn the BIA budget without having its Board consider the impact of COVID-19 on their members and the BIA's future plans for downtown improvements. If I was holding my nose yesterday on another matter, I'm finding I'm holding my breath today.