Ward 5 News Update - December 10, 2020 - City of Burlington
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Ward 5 News Update – December 10, 2020
Christmas is coming, and this year everything will be different – that much is certain. This season will
be difficult for many people as we will spend the holidays with fewer loved ones, but it is important to
count our blessings.
Let’s embrace the holiday spirit and pull together for our
families, our neighbours, friends and people in our community.
Let’s do our part to take care of each other and make life better
for the people around us. Please remember those families who
are struggling and need assistance during this difficult time.
Consider giving to a local charitable organization or make a
phone or virtual call to a friend or neighbour. Let’s support each
other in this time of good will. Together we can make an impact
in the lives of others.
Remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s move forward as a community as we await
the arrival of the vaccines for COVID-19.
May the holiday season bring happiness, joy and good health to you and your loved ones.
Happy holidays and best wishes always.
City hosts seventh town hall on Dec. 16 to help answer questions about COVID-
19 and our community
On Wednesday, Dec. 16, between 6 and 7 p.m., the City of Burlington will hold a town hall event to
share information and answer resident questions about our ongoing response to the COVID-19
pandemic. The format of this town hall will be different than the previous telephone-only town hall
events. The Dec. 16 town hall will be a virtual one, made available through Zoom, with attendees
having the option to call in by phone or join in online.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward will host this virtual town hall and will be joined by a panel of local
leaders to help answer residents’ COVID-19-related questions, including:
• Tim Commisso, City Manager, City of Burlington
• Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation Services, City of Burlington
• MP Pam Damoff, MP for Oakville-North Burlington
• Dr. Dale Kalina, Medical Director, Infection Prevention and Control, Joseph Brant Hospital
• Eric Vandewall, President and Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Brant Hospital
• Anita Cassidy, Executive Director, Burlington Economic Development.
How to Participate
Residents who would like to participate in the
town hall can do so in the following ways:
1. Join virtually: Residents are invited to
join just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16
to take part in the town hall via Zoom at
http://bit.ly/townhalldecember16. If you have
not downloaded Zoom before, you will be
prompted to do so and create a personal
account. Please be advised that more than one
attempt may be required due to the high volume of traffic. A maximum of 1000 participants will be
able to join in this virtual town hall. If we exceed 1000 guests, you will still be able to watch the
recorded event online once it is posted at burlington.ca/townhall.
2. Join by phone: Residents are invited to join by phone by calling 647-374-4685 and entering
webinar ID 880 1886 1286.
Once the town hall begins, a moderator will provide participants with instructions for how to submit
their questions to the leadership panel. As with previous public town halls, the focus of this event will
be on the situation surrounding COVID-19. Participants are requested to ask any questions related to
COVID-19, the city’s response, impacts to residents, businesses, services and programs, hospital
and health-related questions, and the broader impact of the pandemic on our community.
A recording and related transcript of the town hall will be posted online after Dec. 16 at
burlington.ca/townhall.
Reduced rates for recreation service providers to continue into 2021
The City of Burlington’s rental fees for not for profit organizations and small businesses who use
recreation facilities to run programs for the community will continue to see a reduced rental fee that
will gradually increase to regular rates later in 2021. This support is provided to assist organizations
impacted by the COVID pandemic and the restrictions imposed on these organizations in order to
reduce the spread of the virus.
2
This approach lowers financial relief as we head into pandemic recovery.
This past August, Burlington City Council approved a 25 per cent fee reduction for the remainder of
2020.
Burlington has a strong history of partnership with both not-for-profit organizations and small, for-profit
businesses to provide recreation and sport opportunities for residents. These groups have been
adversely affected by the restrictions for COVID-19, such as the requirement to cap the number of
participants permitted in a facility at a given time, which reduces revenue, as well as the need for
special protective equipment, extra cleaning and screening protocols, and training for staff, all of
which increase expenses.
Continuing rental rate reduction support into 2021 will help as many of these groups as possible
survive this disruption, maintaining "something to come back to" post-pandemic. Groups will be
encouraged to pass savings along to residents, lowering or maintaining the cost of participation for
families and individuals. Priority is already given in the space allocation process to groups with a fee
assistance program; this will continue with the goal of maximizing safe, accessible, and affordable
participation in recreation and sport.
Fee Schedule
• 20 per cent rental fee reduction in the first quarter
• 15 per cent reduction in the second quarter
• 10 per cent reduction in the third quarter
• Return to pre-COVID-19 rates in the fourth quarter of 2021
Recreation Fee Assistance
Recreation is for all, regardless of financial situation. Recreation Fee Assistance is funding made
available to resident individuals or families who need help to pay for City of Burlington recreation
programs.
For more information or to apply, visit burlington.ca/feeassistance. You can also leave a confidential
voicemail message at 905-335-7738, ext. 8501 and our staff will return your call to assist you.
Pay for parking and get 90 bonus minutes in Downtown Burlington effective Dec.
1
Residents parking in a municipal lot or street parking spot in downtown Burlington will get an extra 90
minutes of parking added to the time they pay for parking. Burlington City Council approved this
initiative as a Pilot Project to temporarily amend Parking By-law 39-2016, effective Dec. 1, 2020. The
program will run until April 20, 2021.
3
This initiative is supported by the Burlington Downtown Business Association to encourage residents
to visit retailers in Downtown Burlington and support small businesses during these unprecedented
times.
How to get the bonus 90 minutes of parking:
1. Park in an on-street spot or in any municipal parking lot
2. Pay for parking at machine or using HonkMobile app. The minimum payment is $0.25.
3. An additional 90 bonus minutes will be added to the time you pay for
4. If your time expires, including the additional 90 bonus minutes and you wish to stay longer to
shop or eat, you can extend your time by paying for more parking using HonkMobile app,
credit, or inserting more money into the machine, up to three hours on street and all day in lots.
Parking in downtown Burlington is free weekdays after 6 p.m., weekends and holidays with the
exception of the Waterfront parking lots at Spencer Smith Park.
For more information about parking downtown, visit burlington.ca/parking.
Burlington's 2021 budget process underway: key meeting dates coming up,
along with opportunities to help inform the city's 2021 budget priorities in the
face of financial pressures from COVID-19 pandemic
Work to determine the City of Burlington’s 2021 budget is underway. The budget consists of both an
operating budget for the delivery of services to the community and a capital budget to invest in the
construction and renewal of city assets and infrastructure. An overview of the capital budget was
presented to Burlington City Council at a Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability
Committee meeting on Thursday, Dec 10. A livestream of the virtual meeting is available on the
City’s website, along with a copy of the report being presented (F-42-20).
Proposed 2021 capital budget
The proposed 2021 capital budget is approximately $72.1 million, with a ten-year program of $786.4
million. From the 10-year capital program:
• 70% is focused on infrastructure renewal projects, e.g. repair, refurbishment or replacement of
an existing asset to extend its useful life, in accordance with the city’s asset management plan
• 16% is for growth projects, e.g. capital to service growth in the city
• 14% is for new or enhanced projects, e.g. increases to current service levels that are not the
result of growth.
A copy of the proposed 2021 capital budget will be available at burlington.ca/budget.
4
Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on 2021 budget process
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is placing considerable pressure on the city’s financial position with
a forecast of over $18 million in revenue losses by the end of 2020. While a large portion of these
losses are being mitigated with an on-going expenditure restraint program and support from senior
levels of government, the City is projecting an unfavourable variance at year end of over $2.7 million.
It is anticipated these challenges will continue to impact city finances until such time as a vaccine is
developed and provincial restrictions are fully lifted.
To partially mitigate the 2021 impact of COVID-19 on the city’s operating budget, the planned
increase to the city’s dedicated infrastructure renewal levy in 2021 (1.25%) has been temporarily
redirected to the operating budget for one year. This will provide $2.18 million of one-time funding to
offset the anticipated one-time COVID-19 impacts in 2021, reducing the amount of 2021 capital
funding.
City seeking community input
Through the budget process, choices are made to ensure the appropriate balance between
affordability, service levels and financial sustainability is maintained. In a challenging budget year
where the city has fewer options for how to spend its money, community feedback about which
services are a priority for residents is more important than ever.
To gather feedback from residents, the City will be hosting an online survey at
getinvolvedburlington.ca, open from Dec. 2 to Jan. 8, 2021.
Residents can also share their ideas and thoughts at a virtual budget town hall on Wednesday, Jan.
20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Hosted by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, the live event will provide residents
with an opportunity to learn more and ask questions about the proposed 2021 budget. More details
about the town hall, including a link to join the meeting will be available on getinvolvedburlington.ca in
the coming days.
Application for 17th cannabis retail store in Burlington received by the Alcohol
and Gaming Commission of Ontario: Written comments due to Province by Dec.
11
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has received an application for a 17th
cannabis retail store in Burlington called Sweet Releafs Inc. The proposed location at 728 Burloak
Dr., Unit C4 is now up for public comment.
This application does meet the City of Burlington Council approved guidelines.
Written comments about the proposed location will be received by the AGCO until Friday, Dec. 11,
2020 and may be submitted online at www.agco.ca/iAGCO.
5
The AGCO will consider all written comments and available information to decide whether the
application for the proposed store location will be approved.
Ontario Adopts New Law to Protect Public Safety and Food Supply
The Ontario government is set to proclaim the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety
Act, 2020. The new law recognizes the unique risks that can result when individuals trespass onto
farms and agri-food processing facilities or when they interfere with the transportation of livestock.
The Act increases protections for Ontario's food supply, farmers, agri-food businesses and farm
animals from trespassing activities while maintaining the right for people to participate in lawful
protests on public property, provided such protests do not have the potential to cause harm and are
conducted in a safe manner.
The Act will help protect the food supply and deter trespassing by
• Escalating fines of up to $15,000 for a first offence and $25,000 for subsequent offences,
compared to a maximum of $10,000 under the Trespass to Property Act;
• Prescribing aggravating factors that would allow the court to consider factors that might justify
an increased fine;
• Allowing the court to order restitution for damage in prescribed circumstances which could
include damage to a farmer's livestock or from theft;
• Increasing protection for farmers against civil liability from people who were hurt while
trespassing or contravening the act, provided the farmer did not directly cause the harm;
• Removing consent to enter a farm property when it was given under duress or false pretenses.
Get Engaged with the Burlington Youth Student Council
The Burlington Youth Student Council is made up of high school-aged students from Burlington
coming together every month to discuss key themes and ways to take action in their City:
• Listen to presentations about upcoming City projects
and directions and provide feedback, ideas and comments
• Bring information back to your student body and be the connection between the City and your
school
The Burlington Youth Student Council has a new home on the
Get Involved page that will allow students to login, interact, get
involved, provide feedback and get engaged.
Learn more www.getinvolvedburlington.ca/bysc.
Interested in joining? For more information contact Lisa Crapsi.
6
Metrolinx GO Rail Layover
Metrolinx is improving service as part of the GO Expansion Program by increasing train frequency
and availability. The long-term goal and vision of the GO Expansion Program is to provide 15-minute
two-way all-day service on core segments of the rail network.
Proposed new infrastructure, as part of GO Expansion, includes new track and facilities (such as
layover facilities, storage yards, etc.) throughout the network and a number of grade separations
(places where the rail network is separated from the road network or other rail lines). These new
elements represent work that is required to enable two-way all-day GO service.
One new layover facility on the Lakeshore West Corridor is required to achieve the GO expansion
targeted service levels.
Based on feedback from the first and second round, Walkers Line has been identified as the
preferred location for the new layover. The proposed location has been relocated since round 2 of
public consultation due to a property conflict at the original site. Crew services and parking have been
moved to an adjacent property, while access to the site will remain from Harvester Road. The shift in
location was accounted for during the constraints analysis used to select a preferred location for the
layover site.
View information on the revised Walkers Line Layover Facility.
Participate now in the virtual consultation open through to Dec. 11, 2020. You can submit your
feedback and ask questions at Metrolinx Engage.
While public consultation will continue throughout the GO Expansion project, this is the last public
consultation during the assessment phase. The results will confirm the design of infrastructure across
the region.
7
Halton Region releases Notice of Decision approving the new Burlington Official
Plan, endorsed by City Council
On Nov. 30, Halton Region released a final Notice of Decision approving the new Burlington Official
Plan, as modified and previously endorsed by Burlington City Council on Nov. 26, 2020. With the final
Notice of Decision, a twenty-day appeal period has begun, running from Nov. 30 to Dec. 21, 2020.
Information about how to file an appeal is available in the Notice of Decision.
The Notice of Decision from Halton Region considers that the new City of Burlington Official Plan
conforms to, or does not conflict with, the Regional Official Plan, is consistent with the Provincial
Policy Statement 2020, and conforms to, or does not conflict with, the applicable Provincial Plans and
policies.
The modifications presented in the final Notice of Decision address the issues of non-conformity,
changes to Provincial Plans and policies, and Official Plan Amendments and the need to balance
Regional and Provincial conformity requirements. In addition, the modifications capture endorsed
policy modifications related to two areas identified by Council for re-examination and refinement. The
policies of the Official Plan with the recommended modifications establish a comprehensive policy
framework to a planning horizon of 2031.
For a detailed description of the modifications, please refer to staff report PL-22-20. To view a
complete listing of the modifications to the adopted Burlington Official Plan (2018), please refer to the
final Notice of Decision.
To learn more about Halton Region’s decision, including how to file an appeal, please refer to the
Notice of Decision.
Next Steps
Sections of the Official Plan where a Notice of Appeal has not been filed as of Dec. 21, 2020, will come
into effect on Dec. 22, 2020. At the appropriate time, through consultation with City legal staff, planning
staff will bring forward a repeal bylaw for the former Burlington Official Plan.
For more information, visit the new Official Plan website at burlington.ca/newop.
8
Enrico Scalera announced as Director of Roads, Parks and Forestry Department
The City of Burlington is pleased to announce the hiring of Enrico Scalera as the new Director of
Roads, Parks and Forestry Department.
Scalera brings 30 years of private and public-sector
experience in engineering and operations to the City of
Burlington. For the past 10 years, he has served as Director
of Roads and Works Operations with the Town of Oakville
and was responsible for road infrastructure maintenance, fleet
and operations facilities. During this period, he oversaw the
department implementation of many program improvements
and enhancements including Asset Management and Work
Order and AVL systems and implementation of customer
service and response tracking systems.
Scalera is a graduate of the Bachelor of Applied Science Program in civil engineering from the
University of Toronto and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He is also a member of the Board of
Directors for Ontario One Call, the Provincial agency advocating for best practices and
communicating locate requests for underground infrastructure.
Scalera will replace the current Director, Mary Battaglia, who is retiring in December.
Salvation Army Kettle Campaign
The Salvation Army 130th Christmas Kettle Campaign is underway. Every donation to a Christmas
kettle (Tap or online) remains in our community to help neighbours in need. Your gift will have a
transformative impact on the lives of vulnerable people.
A new, innovative touchless digital giving option for Burlington is here to help us
keep the community and volunteers safe as the annual Christmas Kettles Campaign
continues, later this year.
Powered by the Rogers LTE-M network, The Salvation Army’s signature holiday
campaign will now see Christmas kettles equipped in Burlington with touchless
giving™ technology, allowing donors to “tap to give” $5 up to 10 times using a credit
card, debit or smartphone to donate to the kettle.
Please consider supporting the Christmas campaign. The kettle drive donations are
critical to the running of programming, food support services and other needed
community resources for an entire year.
9
Look for the kettle locations at the following locations:
• Mapleview Mall (upper and lower level)
• Burlington Centre: (Indigo/Denninger's area and Sport Chek)
• LCBO's: Tuesday – Saturday
(Fairview, Appleby & New Street, Guelph Line & Upper Middle and Maple and Fairview)
• Fortinos: Appleby & New, Appleby and Dundas, Guelph Line and Upper Middle
• Metro
• Walmart at Fairview & Brant
• Sobeys
• Costco
Outside of the new kettle Tap Board in the stores you can also donate in other ways:
Visit the virtual FillTheKettle to donate. Login and keep support growing! It is managed online and
directed by postal code so it will know you are making a difference in Burlington.
Consider peer to peer fundraising. FillTheKettle is intended for peer-to-peer fundraising for the
broader Christmas Kettle Campaign. Friends of the Salvation Army can set up their own Virtual Kettle
so that they in turn can invite their peer networks to support the Salvation Army by donating to their
virtual kettle.
Holiday Cheer
Santa is visiting Burlington neighbourhoods on weekends
leading up to Christmas to spread some merriness along
the trail.
To keep residents safe, the truck will not make stops and
residents are asked to view Santa from within their own
household or if outdoors, follow public health direction and
maintain two metres physical distancing.
Check the schedule at burlington.ca/parade.
Look for Santa’s visit to Ward 5 on Saturday, Dec. 12 when he will visit in the Orchard, Corporate,
Pinedale and Elizabeth Gardens.
10Story Time with Santa
Santa will bring the magic of the holidays to your home and
reads ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (A Visit from St.
Nicholas), and shares stories of the north pole, his reindeer
and the nice list.
Don’t miss his virtual story time beginning Saturday, Dec. 19 at
6 p.m. available for viewing until Dec 31. Come listen as often
as you’d like. The video will be posted on burlington.ca/parade.
Enjoy an evening of intrigue while supporting our community. The
Burlington Food Bank and students of the DeGroote School of
Business are running a holiday-themed Escape Room on Saturday,
Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. Collaborate virtually to solve a holiday-themed,
family-friendly storyline! All proceeds from this event will be donated to
Burlington Food Bank. The suggested donation for entry is $20,
however, this is a pay-what-you-can event. Register now:
https://bit.ly/2L5mjp9.
Celebrate the season with the Burlington Civic Chorale
The Burlington Civic Chorale is pleased to share their
Christmas video, “Home Town Holidays”. The Burlington
Civic Chorale is a mixed-voice community choir formed
in 1994. This virtual choir project celebrates Burlington
and connects residents during the holiday season.
In the comfort of their homes, members have created,
just for you, a selection of seasonal favourites to enjoy
safely at home. You can even sing along - the words are
right there, along with scenes of sparkling holiday memories in Burlington.
The Burlington Civic Chorale is pleased to share the “Home Town Holidays” video with over 50
retirement and long-term care homes to bring Christmas joy to their isolated residents.
Watch the Home Town Holidays Video
To learn more about the Burlington Civic Chorale visit the Burlington Civic Chorale website.
11Tim Hortons free skating will be available to Burlington residents. Starting Dec. 20, the City of
Burlington is offering 65 free Tim Hortons recreational skating.
Keeping with current Provincial and public health directives, each skate time will allow for 10 people.
Residents wanting to skate can reserve their spot(s) up to 25-hours before their preferred ice time at
burlington.ca/recreation.
Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond
The ice rink at Burlington Rotary Centennial Pond (1340 Lakeshore Rd.) will open in December when
weather conditions are favourable. To help control crowds and slow the spread of COVID-19,
residents wanting to skate will be able to book a 60-minute time-slot. Details including how to set up
an account and reserve a spot will be shared once the details are finalized. Check burlington.ca/pond
for updates.
Brighten up your holidays and visit the 25th Annual Festival of Lights on
now until January 8, 2021. The lights are on daily from 4 pm-midnight in
Spencer Smith Park. The display is outdoors and is and well-paced to
ensure your safety. It is free and no tickets are required. The lights are
visible from Lakeshore Road if you prefer to drive instead of walking in the
park.
12COVID-19 Links and Resources
• For further COVID-19 information, including where to get tested, please visit Halton Region Public
Health www.halton.ca/coronavirus
• Residents can stay informed at www.burlington.ca/coronavirus as well as on our social media
channels: @cityburlington on twitter and facebook.com/cityburlington
• Government of Ontario: www.ontario.ca/coronavirus
• Government of Canada: www.canada.ca/coronavirus
• World Health Organization: www.who.int
• Joseph Brant Hospital: www.josephbranthospital.ca/covid-19
• Team Burlington - Burlington’s business organizations
• Other local parks: Conservation Halton, RBG, Bruce Trail
13You can also read
