Gordon Prentice at Large - Politics in Newmarket
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- Written by: Gordon Prentice
Aurora councillor, Tom Mrakas, has been in touch to say that his motion on the reform of the OMB is to be debated by the council on 19 January 2016. I incorrectly stated the motion was down for debate on 8 December 2015.
Why can’t a councillor here in Newmarket take a similar initiative? I hope Ward 7 councillor Christina Bisanz steps forward. She has doggedly stuck with the Glenway lessons learned agenda when so many of her Council colleagues want to forget about it and move on.
Earlier this year, Municipal Affairs Minister Ted McMeekin said a full review of the OMB was coming up in the “near future”. Whatever that means we know that reform is on the agenda.
In her mandate letter of 25 September 2014, Premier Kathleen Wynne, told McMeekin:
“Your ministry’s specific priorities include… leading a review of the scope and effectiveness of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Working with the Attorney General and key stakeholders, you will recommend possible reforms that would improve the OMB’s role within the broader land use planning system.”
Before the municipal election last year, Tony Van Bynen, promised Newmarket voters:
“Bringing reform to the Ontario Municipal Board and the Planning Act to ensure our residents have a say in shaping their community will be a priority in the next term. Our Council’s decision to fight for Glenway and defend our Town’s official plan was the right thing to do. I will be working with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and a number of mayors to meet with the Province to bring about real change to the municipal planning process.”
Newmarket should team up with Aurora and other like-minded Municipalities and get the ball rolling.
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- Written by: Gordon Prentice
Bill Fisch, the former unelected Chair of York Region, has been appointed to the Board of Metrolinx as a part-time director.
He will serve a three year stint until 29 September 2018 and will be at the centre of things as key decisions are made about Regional Express Rail and the Barrie corridor which slices through his former bailiwick.
As a Board member, Fisch will have to make do with a modest $200 per diem.
This is hair shirt territory for Fisch who received an eye watering $224,275 in remuneration in his last year at the helm of York Region. He also received pension, health and other benefits of $39,150 and claimed expenses totalling $6,828.
Fisch was famously “hands-off” during the York Region transit strike which dragged on for months in 2011.
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- Written by: Gordon Prentice
I see that Aurora councillor, Tom Mrakas, has tabled a motion on the reform of the Ontario Municipal Board which will be debated by Aurora Council tonight (8 December 2015).
He says his Motion asks the Province for much needed change to the powers of the OMB.
If it is carried, a copy of the Motion will be sent to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and to all councils in the Province. Perhaps our own Council here in Newmarket can follow Aurora's lead?
Before the last municipal election, Newmarket’s Mayor, Tony Van Bynen, vowed to make reform of the OMB the centerpiece of his third term but, so far, he has steadfastly maintained radio silence on the issue. He fears his own record of saying one thing in public and doing the polar opposite in private would be mercilessly exposed.
Parking Problems at the Aurora GO Rail Station
Elsewhere on the agenda (page 256) I see Councillor John Abel is concerned about parking at the GO Rail Station in Aurora. He says the parking lot is full “almost every business day”. He is calling on York Region to use money it got from the Province to introduce a new GO Station Shuttle Service which would encourage people to leave their cars at home. He also wants Metrolinx to discourage commuters from driving to the Aurora Go Station by charging a nominal parking fee. If this happens it will be a triumph of hope over experience.
The problem is, of course, only going to get more acute when Aurora gets its 15 minute all-day two-way GO rail service to Toronto and Newmarket languishes with its puffing billy.
GO rail stations offering a 15 minute schedule in peak periods are, inevitably, going to attract commuters from a wider catchment area. This was a point astutely raised by Ward 7 councillor Christina Bisanz.
At last month’s Metrolinx presentation to Newmarket councillors, Bisanz asked their Chief Planning Officer, Leslie Woo, if demand patterns could be expected to change if some commuters are drawn to the new Bloomington GO rail station on the Richmond Hill line. Woo told her the Richmond Hill line would not have the same frequency of service as the Barrie line.
Yet, confusingly, on September 10, in her presentation to York Region, Leslie Woo indicated that Bloomington would have a 15 minute service during morning and evening rush hours.
Woo can't both be right on 10 September 2015 and 9 November 2015.