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Erich Jacoby-Hawkins : Your Choice for Ward 10

HERE IS WHAT THE PEOPLE OF BARRIE DESERVE

Full-time Councillors
Barrie has for too long been 'served' by a part-time Council. Each Councillor comes to the table after dealing with their 9-to-5 job (often outside Barrie!) or running their own business. This means they don't have time for the research and communication necessary to do the job Barrie deserves. I have been volunteering as my main occupation for many years, working only part time - and I will be a full-time councillor. I won't be moonlighting to represent you - representing Ward 10 will be my primary focus. The salary of a Councillor is sufficient for me - I don't intend to work two jobs and short-change my Ward.

Respect, Openness, Transparency
I believe the citizens of Barrie deserve respect from City Hall. That means less secret ("in camera") council meetings, more meaningful consultation with citizens BEFORE making decisions, and a better flow of information in both directions. There is too much conflict of interest behind the scenes, too many people looking out for their own interests rather than those of the general public.

Better Treatment for Small Business
Barrie's Council recognizes that we need more and better jobs in Barrie, but is too focused on large-scale employers. We've seen over past years that large employers are more likely to close, downsize, or leave town suddenly - faster than new ones arrive. The future of our economy relies on small, local businesses which support our community. I will work to cut back the bureaucratic maze of permits and fees which hinder new and small businesses. If "Barrie Means Business", it should include small business, not just Big Business. I am supported by the following small businesses located in Ward 10:

Andrew Johnston, E-TAXI

David & Hong Upson, PROFESSIONAL TOUCH DRY CLEANERS

Bill Shoup, ALL ROUND HEALTH AND FITNESS

Sean Cooney, SNEAKERS

Ray Miller, Miller's Produce

Taxation Under Control
Barrie should not need to raise taxes above inflation. Large budget increases by our service partners (e.g. County, police) need to be questioned and justified - or refused, not meekly accepted. Costly new services should be balanced by the reduction of obsolete or less important services to prevent bloating of the budget.

Law Enforcement where it Matters
Speed traps seem to be set where it is easy to 'catch' speeders, like at the bottom of wooded hills (like Cundles east of Sunnidale, or Ferndale Drive north). Where we really need them is on streets that are busy with pedestrians (especially children) and driveways, like Hurst Drive. Increased enforcement should be targeted to areas needing increased safety, not to where you can issue the most tickets in the least amount of time.

Full City Focus
Barrie needs a strong and thriving downtown, but the outlying areas (like Ward 10) also need services - you shouldn't have to drive downtown for everything.

Whole Community
I believe City Hall must support a whole community. That means not just roads and houses, but jobs, sports & recreation, entertainment, business & commerce, the arts, transit, Nature, and faith. Playing these elements off against each other is a losing game - Barrie needs balance, not conflict. A whole community means you can meet your daily needs without having to leave your city - or even your neighbourhood. It also means there must be affordable housing options for every income level.

Living within our Borders
Barrie needs to learn to live within its borders, not annex more land to make up for the planning mistakes of the past. Infill and densification will help reduce taxes and make our city more complete.

Support for Community Initiatives
Citizens of Barrie want to be active in improving their community, but too often City Hall stands in their way, rather than supporting their efforts. City Hall must be flexible in regulation to allow innovative solutions to issues like affordable housing, poverty, and transportation.

Protected Green Spaces
Our city's health depends on healthy, natural surroundings. Green spaces must be protected and linked into living systems, not choked off. Chemical use in the city must be restricted to protect our streams and lake - especially considering that Ward 10 residents will soon be drinking lake water.

Long-term Planning
Barrie must look further into the future when planning, and plan to improve our quality of life, not merely increase our tax base. Barrie needs a clear picture of where we are going, and a plan for how to get there.

Reduced Car Dependence
Barrie is too focused on the automobile as the primary vehicle for moving within the city. This discriminates against those who are too young or old to drive, the disabled, and those who find car ownership too expensive. People should not have to depend on others to drive them around. Barrie must become more accessible to walking, biking, and transit to give everyone the opportunity to get around, not just those driving cars. We should have a community that is designed for the child, not for the car.

If you share these priorities, email me at [email protected] or call me at 812-1050 and you can contribute, volunteer, or have one of my attractive lawn signs.

Make Barrie an Energy Leader
There is no escaping paying for energy – and paying more. Energy costs will rise. Natural gas and oil heating costs continue to rise year-over-year, electricity will rise regardless of whether we get it from new nuclear, ‘clean’ coal, or wind and solar.

Rather than just accept paying these costs, Barrie should become a world-leader in energy efficiency. This will help keep our taxes down and attract new, modern businesses to our City. The sooner we invest in energy-saving technology, the more money we will save. Even adopting a few of the ideas below will put us on the map.

Simple energy projects the City could incorporate directly:

- use landfill gas plus organic digester at our landfill – import organics from Simcoe county, turn them into energy for electricity & heat as well as saleable fertilizer – we already do this at our sewage treatment plant

- solar hot water heating on all city facilities

- all new City buildings to meet LEED standards

More advanced energy projects:

- energy storage facility to buy cheap overnight energy for re-sale during peak daytime hours

- wind turbines in Kempenfelt Bay, or on the high areas around the edge of the city

Partnership with companies/households in Barrie:

- install a gas turbine in the south end to provide electricity along with district heat/cooling to new industrial facilities

- use lake water to heat/cool new developments downtown including downtown revitalization and new waterfront condos - it works for Toronto's Enwave, why not here?

- ground source heating/cooling for new townhouse & apartment developments and in new subdivisions

- have Barrie Hydro rent or lease solar water heaters just like they rent regular water heaters – your hot water cost savings would pay for the rental

- re-instate the EnerGuide for Homes program at the municipal level – small City grants will boost local small audit & renovation businesses and help homeowners make big energy savings

I have installed solar water heating on my own house and am already seeing the monthly savings. It is time the City did the same.

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