The Town of Oakville is conducting a ward boundary review in advance of the 2014 municipal election and the Town would like feedback from Oakville residents in regards to the existing ward boundaries.
Currently, the Town of Oakville is divided into 6 wards. This system, which sees one local councillor and one local/regional councillor elected in each ward, was implemented in 1990. According to data from 2010, the wards represent the following number of eligible electors:
Ahoy Matey! The Town of Oakville will host the 41st annual Novice Swim Meet on Tuesday, August 30 from 9 a.m. to noon at Brookdale Pool. With a pirate theme, swimmers aged four to 14 representing six different town pools will compete in a friendly “pool versus pool” competition for the championship!
“This meet is very popular with the community and is a fun event for families,” said Nina de Vaal, director of Recreation and Culture for the Town of Oakville. “Once again, we’re raising money for the Lifesaving Society’s Water Smart Campaign, which promotes water safety and teaches essential drowning prevention techniques.”
Participants are invited to take advantage of family-friendly games and activities in the park including an appearance by Buddy the Lifeguard Dog from the Lifesaving Society. Barbecued goodies and refreshments will be available with all proceeds to the Lifesaving Society’s Water Smart Program.
Note: You must already be a member of a “Novice Swim Team” at one of Oakville’s pools to participate in the swim meet.
To register, contact your local town pool. For more information on pool locations and contact information visit www.oakville.ca or call Brookdale Pool at 905-827-1475. Brookdale Pool is located at 1215 Bridge Road.
Four years ago, Rob Burton became the Mayor of Oakville. On September 20th, 2010 Mayor Burton presenting his 4th Annual Town Status Report. So, how has the town been doing? According to Burton, it’s never been better. After the implementation of the Unanimous Four Year Strategic Work Plan the council set aside their political affiliations to work towards the improvement of the community.
Burton recognized a list of all the council members who had won awards from the Lifetime Achievement Award to the Prince of Wales Award.
Burton then discussed all the improvements the town has had over the past few years and where it needs to continue to develop. The transit system will become more effective to serve the elderly, the young, and those who rely on the system to get to work. The GO Station on Trafalgar will undergo construction of a 2000-vehicle parking structure. As well as the bus system being improved to accommodate the public when it is needed while also cutting down hours when it’s not necessary. The new transit facility cost $45-million and is still on budget and on time as it nears completion. From a transportation perspective Oakville has and will improve significantly.
The council has also aimed to preserve employment lands. Such spaces provide jobs for citizens and generate tax revenue and ultimately drive the economy. 100 square hectares of land can created up to 5,600 jobs. Oakville has maintained one of the lowest business taxes in the GTA.
The Town’s debt also decreased from $24-million to $22-million in four years, where the previous term before it had increased from $10-million to $24-million. The Town could borrow up to $250-million.
Regarding the new hospital, Burton explained that although the town was asked for $230-million they declined and instead agreed to pay up to $130-million after initial funding was over and construction is complete. Burton’s plan for Oakville Trafalgar will be rented back to the province in 2015 to become long-term care for seniors, but the final decision will be made in the future.
Burton also briefly discussed the ongoing battle for a future power plant, but outlined the steps that would need to be taken for the town to agree to its construction. The plan would have to be revised to include cleaner air bylaws as well as the option to employ rooftop solar panels that have proved to be a viable option.
In Burton’s four-year term the town of Oakville has seen some serious improvements and is on the verge of many more. The GO station will receive a much needed parking structure. The transit system has been revamped. Employment lands have been preserved and will continue to create jobs for the town’s residents, a new hospital is expected in 2015, and the power plant will require serious improvements before construction is given the go-ahead.
Mayor Burton’s Annual Town Status Report summed up what according to the town council was a very successful term and a very promising future.
On August 9, 2010, Town Council confirmed its support for Halton Region to proceed with servicing the Winston Park West employment lands. Winston Park West is located west of Highway 403, between Dundas Street East and the Queen Elizabeth Way.
“We are executing our plan to bring more jobs to Oakville and this high value project is expected to bring over 5,600 jobs to our town over a 15 year period,” said Mayor Rob Burton.
Based on a market assessment by Cushman & Wakefield Ltd., it is estimated that over eight million square feet of industrial and office construction will occur in Winston Park West. According to the assessment, full build out of the area will likely take 15 years beginning in 2013.
“Attracting more business to Oakville not only brings jobs, but it supports our tax base and helps Council provide programs and services for the entire community,” said Mayor Burton. “The taxes generated by Winston Park West could replace roughly a 1.8 per cent tax increase on residents in today’s terms.”
Estimates suggest that the town’s share of the taxes generated by Winston Park West could be $2.2 million annually. The town’s budgeted tax revenue for 2010 is approximately $124.9 million.
For more information about the business case for servicing Winston Park West, click here.
Oakville.ca
Screenshot of the Town of Oakville’s new online performance measurement tool.
Today marks the launch of the Town of Oakville’s new performance measurement tool. A section of Oakville.ca has been devoted to providing information regarding several key performance indicators and statistics to the residents of Oakville.
“This is part of council’s strategic plan and their goal of accountability,” said Jane Courtemanche, Director of Strategy, Policy and Communications for Oakville.
“We’re looking for ways to make information easier to access for the public. This is showing information in a much more simple way, rather than people having to go through various parts of the website to find information. We just wanted to put it all together,” Courtemanche said.
The interactive dashboard combines statistics and performance indicators for various capital projects, development revenues, operating budget, and transit ridership.
“This is just the beginning. We really wanted to get out there with some our first measures but we’re going in a new direction and making information available in a more interactive way.”
“The town has made great progress in its performance reporting over the last four years,” Mayor Rob Burton said in a news release.
This new addition to Oakville.ca will also bring together results from the town’s bi-annual citizens survey and annual strategic plan updates. With this addition and the annual Ontario Municipal Performance Measurement Program, it will allow residents to compare Oakville to other similar towns across Ontario.
“Taxpayers have a right to know that their tax dollars are being spent wisely and effectively. We encourage our residents to access this information and ask their local ward councillors if they have any questions or concerns about the town’s performance.”
Focus groups are planned for the fall to collect feedback on this new tool, and find ways to improve the town’s website.
This tool has been in development for the last year, and is just a small step towards providing information to the public through online resources.
To access the new web tool, visit www.oakville.ca and click on the performance measurement button on the home page.
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