City Issues In the News Ward 10
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Erich Jacoby-Hawkins : Your Choice for Ward 10

How do you feel about the recent council/mayor salary increases?
What are your views on Park Place?
What are your views on downtown revitalization?
What about our high property tax increases?
What’s happening with drinking water in Ward 10?
Do you support the MacLaren Art Centre?
How will you achieve your goals on Council?
Questionnaire from Living Green
Questionnaire from St. Mary's Church
Questionnaire from Barrie Professional Firefighters Association

How do you feel about the recent council/mayor salary increases?
The salary for councillors and the mayor should not be set by themselves. They should be set by an independent committee, whose decisions should not be overturned or modified by Council afterwards. Once Council has set the terms of reference for the committee, its findings should be binding. The committee should look at factors like salary for similar positions in the public and private sectors, especially in cities comparable to Barrie, and consider the amount of responsibility each councillor bears. They might also consider the cost of living in Barrie compared with other cities.

Council salaries should only be increased at most by the rate of inflation, until a new committee reports if conditions (such as responsibilities of Councillors) change.

I see no reason why Council raised the Mayor’s salary above that recommended by the committee and do not support that increase.


What are your views on Park Place?
As this is a complex, many-faceted issue, I hope you’ll forgive a long explanation.

This issue has been oversimplified as a choice between a new shopping centre (Park Place) and an industrial development with high-paying jobs (City preference). Neither is a correct description.

The proposed Park Place development includes high-end shopping, “big box” stores, restaurants, light industrial, and business park uses. It protects the ravine and includes some environmentally-friendly design features which would make it superior to existing developments in Barrie.

The area is currently zoned industrial, and the City has said it wishes to preserve this zoning to attract industrial developers/tenants; the implication is that these tenants will offer better or higher-paying jobs than the Park Place plan.

In the past, the City has been too quick to approve zoning changes to industrial land, resulting in such problems as the traffic congestion on Mapleview west of 400 or putting residential too near heavy industrial. Therefore, it is proper that the City consider this proposed zoning change carefully.

However, in turning down the proposal, Council is counting on the arrival of significant new industrial tenants. This would be nice in theory, but in fact large industry is in decline in both Canada and Ontario. There is no reason to think that Barrie will buck this trend and attract large amounts of new industry while industry leaves the rest of the province and country. We can’t just wave a magic wand and make these things appear. Also, the City does not own the land in question.

By denying the Park Place proposal, the City is holding serviced land near the centre of the south end vacant, which has the effect of increasing costly sprawl at the fringes of the City. Instead, the City should work with the Park Place proponents on ways to improve their proposed development, such as by including residential elements for a complete community, as a condition of granting zoning changes. The City has much to gain by bargaining, rather than delaying and denying the proposal. Unless the City has industrial clients ready to buy and develop the land, they are letting a fantasy get in the way of much-needed infill development. Should industrial clients actually need land in the area, they will probably prefer the serviced lands offered by Innisfil just south of Barrie, as these offer better access to the 400 and lower tax rates.

Another point raised has been the issue of downtown revitalization, and a possible negative effect on this from Park Place. This is not a cut and dried issue, but in general it is better to support improved competitiveness from downtown merchants instead of trying to ‘protect’ them by stifling potential competition. There are also potential issues about some current members of Council’s ties to existing businesses.

Overall, I think Park Place represents a mixed development which has a good chance of increasing revenue for the City and its businesses. I would prefer something even more mixed, but don’t think holding the site vacant is a good approach.


What are your views on downtown revitalization?
I strongly support measures to make the downtown more competitive; however, these must focus on attracting positive growth and development, not on driving out ‘undesirable’ people or businesses. They must also be done in a way which is revenue-neutral or provides a good chance of increasing City revenues in exchange for any costs. We must also make the downtown more accessible for people not driving cars, both by increasing transit and making it more ‘walkable’. I believe we have to preserve the schools near downtown (Prince of Wales and King Edward) so that future generations of downtown residents will be able to walk to school instead of being bussed to distant suburbs. Concerning the recent parking increase, we should restore free Saturday parking and instead extend weekday parking fees later into the evening (perhaps to midnight), so that the bar crowds can offset more of the costs they create and to discourage drinking & driving.


What about our high property tax increases?
I do not see any justification to raise property tax any higher than the rate of inflation. (Over the past 5-6 years, taxes have gone up much faster than inflation). Expenses due to a growing city must be born by assessment on new properties, not extra increases on residents. I will work to find areas of low-priority spending within the current City budget and balance new spending with reductions in other areas.


What’s happening with drinking water in Ward 10?
Up until now, Barrie’s drinking water has been entirely drawn from deep wells. However, due to rapid growth and continued wasteful practices, water will soon be needed during peak times (summer) in excess of what the wells can provide. Therefore, the City is constructing a facility in 2007 on Big Bay Point which will draw water from Lake Simcoe and treat it for drinking. This water will be put into the main system, but will mainly flow to south-end taps. I am confident that under Ontario’s stricter water safety laws, the water will be treated so as not to contain harmful bacteria; nevertheless, the Lake receives much urban runoff which contains chemicals that cannot be economically removed from the water during standard treatment. Therefore, I favour more aggressive water use reductions and conservation measures so that we can again rely solely upon pure well water. We also must be even more aware that anything put on our lawns or streets (such as solvents, pesticides, or engine fluids) eventually makes its way into the lake and back out through our taps.


Do you support the MacLaren Art Centre?
I believe the visual arts are a vital part of a complete community, just as are our library, parks, recreation and community centres, and need to be openly and freely accessible to all members of the public. Therefore, the MacLaren has an important place as part of our public infrastructure. I believe the MAC should be treated similarly to the library; the City should own, maintain and oversee the facility, while the programs are run by experts in art collection, preservation, and display. In the past, the entire administration and building maintenance were run by the gallery, with the unfortunate results we have seen. I believe now that the City has taken over the non-art aspects, the future of the MAC will be more financially stable and not require bailouts or emergency funds. Despite increases in funding, Barrie still pays much less for its gallery (both in initial and ongoing costs) than many comparable cities do for theirs. (The same is true of our library).

The MAC has 5-6 main display areas, and usually uses them to display outside (visiting) collections. However, it also has much of the permanent collection on display in a roll-out section in the basement, and brings out parts of the collection to supplement various exhibits. It has also been very active (is actually a leader) in displaying art outside the gallery - through sculptures like Spirit Catcher and the Shore/Lines project, through programs like the Film Festival and Screen One, and with the very popular and successful "Van Go" school outreach program. (Now that many schools have cut their own art teachers or art programs, this fills a growing void in our education system). The MAC is also used by a number of local non-profit and charity groups for excellent meeting and event spaces which are superior to those offered by local hotels yet cost much less (or are free).


How will you achieve your goals on Council?
I believe that many of the planning failures of past Councils are due to a single factor: time. It is the general practice in Barrie for Coucillors to maintain a full-time job or business in addition to sitting on Council. This severely limits the time they can devote to understanding complex urban issues. One can readily see this when watching Council meetings and seeing questions asked about reports which are answered on the next page – clearly they have not carefully read the materials before meetings. Even Councillors who have the best interests of the City at heart cannot be effective if they don’t devote sufficient time to study the issues, background, and alternatives. They also can’t have enough time to properly serve their Ward residents if they are holding down a full-time job at the same time.

I already work only part-time so that I can devote more time to community volunteer activities, and will be a full-time Councillor. This will give me more time to communicate with residents to learn their side of issues; more time to get answers from staff; more time to find solutions that have worked in other cities and propose them for Barrie. None of our problems are unique; too often we overlook what has been successfully implemented elsewhere. With more time devoted to finding innovative solutions and presenting them to staff and Council, I believe I will be able to bring in new ideas and break old habits. Council needs to put in the extra effort to get beyond the surface symptoms and deal with the root causes – this will be my approach.

I have also worked with community leaders in numerous local groups addressing many issues (environment, health, affordable housing, arts, sustainable local economy) and can leverage those networks to influence other Councillors in seeing the wider needs of the City.


Questionnaire from Living Green
PART I- EMISSIONS REDUCTION

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to maintaining global environmental health and stability, but it will only have effects if all municipalities start fulfilling their leadership roles through example. Creating innovative regulations when it comes to the availability of clean, efficient public transport for the citizens of this city is a priority. The following question is multifaceted, but all related to the basic need for emissions reductions:

1. Would you support regulations for the installation of bike stands in every multi-residential unit in the City of Barrie?

Yes, absolutely. Our by-laws already mandate a certain ratio of parking spaces on the assumption that everyone drives a car; we should do the same for bicycles. We should do likewise for commercial areas (shopping centres).

2. Do you support bringing in anti-idling measures in the City of Barrie?

Yes. Other cities have successful by-laws or other anti-idling measures which we should learn from and copy. Smog is hurting our children and seniors. Local air quality is critical and protecting it is a municipal duty.

3. How do you plan to support and facilitate the process of bringing the GO Train to the City of Barrie?

I will work to make sure the stations and schedules are as convenient as possible for multiple uses, not just a certain commuter schedule. I will work to get the service in place as soon as possible to begin building ridership, with low-priority improvements done later if possible so as not to hold up the launch.

4. Would you favor regulations for taxis to reduce emissions in the City of Barrie?

Yes. Toronto requires taxis to be 5 years old or less, whereas Barrie is proposing a 12-year limit. We need to phase in shorter lifespans. High-use taxis produce 10-20 times the emissions of regular use cars. We should also provide incentives for hybrid taxis, which make 90-95% less emissions than regular taxis. Switching just one taxi to hybrid is like taking 10+ cars off the road.

5. Would you push for the conversion of Barrie’s bus fleet to biodiesel? Why or why not?

Absolutely. This would require no modification of the bus fleet, merely the creation of a dedicated fuel depot. It could also serve other municipal vehicles, such as waste collection, snow ploughs, and parks service trucks. We should even allow private citizens to purchase biodiesel for their own cars and trucks. This would improve air quality and help meet Kyoto targets.

PART II- FERTILIZERS

Chemical fertilizers contain concentrated amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as other toxins, which leech into our beloved bodies of water from farmlands and residential areas, contaminating water that all wish to be able to continue to enjoy and to be healthy and vibrant. Lake Simcoe, for example, has experienced algal bloom as a result of fertilizer runoff. The result has been the compromised health of the lake, and some cold-water fish have already been killed off.

6. Do you support a phase-in bylaw for the City of Barrie, restricting residential chemical fertilizer use; allowing only organic fertilizers?

Yes. Considering that we will soon be drinking lakewater, this is even more important. You cannot prevent runoff of chemical fertilizer.

PART III- PESTICIDES

Pesticides are harmful chemical agents which destroy life. Not only life that one intends to destroy- the one foolishly deemed pesky- but other life as well; creating gaps in ecosystems and affecting our natural environment at larger levels. Pesticides leech into groundwater, pollute lakes, rivers, and ponds, and pose a serious health threat to all who drink water and choose to still enjoy a swim in the lake on a beautiful day.

7. Do you feel that the City of Barrie should go in the steps of other municipalities, such as Toronto, Newmarket, and other places in Ontario, which have all adopted pesticide reduction bylaws? Would you support a phase-in bylaw which would eliminate the use of toxic pesticides for purely cosmetic application? Why or why not?

Yes. We should look at other cities which have done this successfully and learn from them. It is our duty to protect the health of our citizens from these unnecessary poisons. We also must prevent them from flowing into the lakewater we will begin drinking next year. The only way to keep them out of the Lake is not to put them on our lawns in the first place. No-one has a right to poison the earth for a ‘pretty’ lawn, especially since you can have a pretty lawn without using poisons.

PART IV- URBAN SPRAWL

A good way to reduce urban sprawl is to be smarter about the way we use the spaces we have already coveted; for example, utilizing existing spaces vertically, rather than opening up new spaces horizontally. Mall developments, for example, could be required to allow the first two stories for commerce and office use, and to allocate upper floors for residential spaces.

8. Would you encourage all future mall developments within the City of Barrie to conform to such standards? Why or why not?

Absolutely. It is a complete waste of space to have single-level strip malls. Other cities have proven that multi-level, multi-use developments with ground floor retail, 2nd-story office, and residential above that work well for the city and are profitable for their owners. The requirements would vary by area (3-story in suburbs, higher downtown).

PART V- ORGANICS COLLECTION

Composting seems intuitively to go hand in hand with recycling. It allows us to reduce our garbage output in large part, and keeps much waste out of landfill sites. Organic materials which are collected can be used to create healthy, natural fertilizers which revitalize soil, and that could replace our need for chemical ones. Promoting composting to the fullest extent possible is an opportunity to help break the cycle of throw-away consumption, and a way of enriching the land within the boundaries of our community.

9. Would you please tell us your thoughts about, and your commitment to further development and facilitation of the city of Barrie’s organics collection program?

I believe our program would have higher use if it were more convenient and accepted more items. We should consider a system like Toronto which allows for plastic bag liners (using old shopping bags which otherwise get thrown out). We should accept diapers, sanitary products, and pet litter & waste in the bins, or have a parallel system (especially for diapers). There are already companies which pick up diapers for recycling/composting for a small fee; if this were run as a City service, it would be even cheaper.

PART VI- ENERGY CONSERVATION

Brownouts and blackouts are fast becoming a reality in the winter and the summer times; as in winter heating is cranked up, and in summer air conditioners are running on high. Water supply is also fast becoming a concern. The town of Tofino, B.C. experienced their water shortage recently, and stands as an example.

10. What measures, strategies, initiatives –perhaps even bylaws- should the City of Barrie be able to adopt at once, but also in the coming years, in terms of electricity and water conservation?

The City should be more pro-active in enforcing our lawn watering bylaws. Our peak summer water usage is the only reason for $80 million worth of new water infrastructure in the coming year. We should hire students to visit all residents and provide a 30-minute water and energy conservation lesson – and reward participating families with a $50 voucher for local shopping.

PART VII- ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Energy and resource efficiency is a crucial aspect in controlling and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Many changes, small and big, could be made to building codes and municipal practices and policies so as to shift with more gusto towards and ethic of efficiency and sustainability.

11. What would you intend to do in those areas as concerns cleaner, more efficient energy systems in our municipality?

We should provide incentives for energy-efficient LEEDS construction and a municipal version of the former EnerGuide for Homes rebate for retrofits, which create huge amounts of local business activity for the price of small grants. The City should provide low-cost home equity loans for people installing energy-efficient upgrades like solar or on-demand water heaters. I think the City should take a lead role in the creation of local green energy systems, such as burning landfill gas, combined heat-and-power, wind turbines, or district cooling/heating downtown using the energy of Kempenfelt Bay, just as Toronto now does with Lake Ontario. These could be done in partnership with businesses, local investors, or community co-ops. City buildings should use passive solar, solar water heating, solar heating, and geothermal systems wherever affordable.

Towns like East Gwillimbury are now requiring that builders construct to the Energy Star qualification, which allows for all new structures to conform to a standard that protects the environment through energy efficiency.

12. Would you take a similar approach with the City of Barrie? That is, would you develop a similar policy of requiring builders to construct to more environmentally stringent standards? Why or why not?

There is more demand for homes in Barrie than space to build them. Therefore, we can demand that a higher standard be met in our last remaining developments. Where legal, we should require Energy Star homes be built. This will be a service to all future Barrie residents, especially the future owners of those homes. Barrie does not need any more cheap tract housing that costs us so much in future energy costs and waste.

PART VIII- ENVIRONMENTALLY PROTECTED LANDS

Environmentally protected (EP) areas are made immune to the sprawl and pollution which afflict our cities and suburbs. They are spaces which promote biodiversity, and provide a refuge, habitat, and breeding grounds to many species of animals, insects and plants. They are also important because they help to balance the ever-advancing sprawl of development which is fast spreading outward from our cities as populations increase.

13. Do you have a plan to increase EP lands in the City of Barrie, especially along Kempenfelt Bay? If so, could you please tell us a bit about it?

Barrie should restore, strengthen, and expand a policy of buying any land which becomes available along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, Little Lake, or the rivers feeding into them. These lands are critical to maintaining a healthy environment for all citizens of Barrie and our wildlife. This environment can be a treasure for our citizens and an attraction for tourists, helping local business and increasing property value. This also protects the quality of our precious lakewater (and drinking water).

PART IX- PARKS

Parks provide an important function for people in city communities: limited spaces for the unobstructed enjoyment of the natural world, and opportunities at a connection to nature in the urban setting. They are vital spaces of beauty. Ideally unfettered by traffic, city structures and commerce, they are cherished for the fact that they are areas left -relatively- untouched by the human hand.

14. How do you feel about the installation of city infrastructure in passive parks like Sunnidale and the Arboretum?

I am opposed to any inappropriate infrastructure in the Arboretum. I don’t think we need the new reservoir which is slated for Sunnidale Park; we could solve that issue through better water usage instead. I am opposed to putting the reservoir on Coulter Street, as this would use up one of the last remaining sites for much-needed affordable apartments (instead of more sprawl), and would still involve disturbing the naturalized part of Sunnidale. There may sometimes be need for infrastructure under EP land with minimal disturbance; we must keep in mind, for example, that Sunnidale Park is secondary growth created from a former sculpted golf course, not a piece of untouched land. The end result of any such infrastructure must protect or enhance the ability to use our parks.

PART X- ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

An Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) is a formal structure that allows a group of local citizens to provide input into municipal politics, including land-use planning. According to Ontario Nature, although there are over 447 municipalities within the province of Ontario, only 36 of them officially involve local citizens in environmental decisions through EAC’s. Despite the City of Barrie’s exploding growth, our city has not as of yet assumed to involve the participation of such a committee within its governmental structure.

15. What are your thoughts about the establishment of an Environmental Advisory Committee for the purpose of involvement and input to the City of Barrie Council?

There are many advisory committees the City should establish to better consult with citizens. One of these in an EAC; another would be a youth advisory committee. The City needs to work to get more and stronger input from citizens on environmental and other decisions. Too much has been left to busy staff or a time-strapped Council, leaving Barrie poorer for lack of citizen ideas and input. I would work to create or re-establish these committees to involve more people in our governance.

Questionnaire from St. Mary's Church
As a member of the Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness, 6-year Barrie Out of the Cold volunteer (11pm - 6am shift captain at Highway Pentecostal, now Bethel) and founding member of the Mayor's Taskforce on Affordable Housing (2001-2004), I am very concerned with homelessness and affordable housing. As a landlord, I see directly the impact of Barrie's lack of affordable housing choices. I believe that the City has a responsibility and ability to do more in this area.

1. The current council has supported anti-loitering policies as a way of cleaning up Barrie's downtown core. Do you support general or specific loitering policies? Should public facilities and public spaces be fully accessible to all in our community?

A: I do not support the current anti-loitering policies or associated by-laws (e.g. anti-busking). I believe our public spaces are intended for the use of all people in any way legal. Harmful or offensive behaviour is already adequately prohibited (and enforceable) under provincial statutes, so our bylaw is unnecessary. It should not be illegal to sit or lie down in public spaces unless one is impeding progress of other people. Our sidewalks are not just for shoppers; our parks are not just for walking dogs. We should also restore benches to public places for the use of all.

2. Are you in favour of a City of Barrie solution to homelessness within our city? How are you prepared to address the health and safety issues of the homeless in the City of Barrie?

A: I believe there are many measures the City could take to ease homelessness, although none would be a full solution. To begin with, the City should reform the Second Suites bylaw to be more general and focus on safety & healthiness of units rather than proof of their age. This has worked well in all other Ontario cities which have implemented such a system. The current bylaw is destroying affordable housing at the rate of 2 units per week or 100 per year. We should spread such units evenly within the city rather than concentrate them in specific new developments. The City should also require developers to include a certain amount of affordable housing (not merely high-density) in all new developments. This would be especially suitable as a part of downtown revitalization - for example, the 'elephant pit' parking garage should have some affordable housing units above the retail/office section.

3. Do you believe there should be public investment for a center for the homeless? Are you prepared to allocate a portion of the city budget for such a center?

A: Although the City pays the County to handle social services, this funding does not cover new infrastructure. I believe it is in the interest of the City and the public to create a permanent centre combining the functions of the David Busby (improved) and the Out of the Cold programs, along with other forms of assistance. There are vacant lots and buildings downtown which could be put to such use. It will not be costly for the City, because such a centre will reduce spending on emergency medical services and police services among other costs.

Questionnaire from Barrie Professional Firefighters Association
1. As a member of Council would you be willing to have an open line of communication to consult with the BPFFA on issues directly affecting the membership, before voting on any such issues?

Absolutely. Our past councils have shown a lack of communication and consultation, and this is something I am determined to change. I believe that part of the problem has been that our past councillors were all part-time councillors, with a day job or business that kept them busy before their responsibilities to the citizens of Barrie. I will be a full-time councilor, not someone moonlighting at public service. This will give me the time to consult more meaningfully with organizations such as yours and craft a better policy framework for all stakeholders.

2. Will you place a high priority on Firefighter Health and Safety issues and insist that BFES administration do the same?

Keeping in mind that the first duty of emergency personnel is to protect the safety of the public they serve even at risk to themselves, it is counter-productive to prioritize other concerns such as simple bottom line considerations above the safety of our firefighters. Safety overall must be the first priority.

3. Do you feel that Firefighters should be treated fairly with the same compensation package offered to the Barrie City Police in regards to wages, benefits and service pay?

Although Firefighters and Police are both emergency personnel with many parallels between their occupations, there are also differences. For example, police shifts tend to be more steady and predictable, whereas fire shifts are an on-call style with periods of intense activity between periods of relative calm. The nature of the risks differ (police are more likely to encounter hostility or violence, for example), as are the rewards (police have more opportunity to earn overtime and off-duty pay from event security). The training and requirements are not identical. The career length and advancement opportunities also differ – for example, Firefighters have less opportunity to be promoted up to non-frontline or investigative positions (“desk jobs”). Therefore, I feel the compensation packages should be fair and equivalent, but may differ as to specific elements because of the underlying differences in the two careers.

4. Do you feel the City of Barrie residents deserve a Full-Time Fire Service, and will you oppose the use of Part-Time and/or Volunteer Firefighters to supplement our Fire Department?

I grew up in a small town (Shelburne) with a volunteer fire service; my best friend’s father (a local shopkeeper) was a member. I saw the situation where, in fire calls, he had to drop his business and run across town to the firehall before suiting up to deal with the emergency. Although this style suited the economy and scale of a small town, Barrie is a large and growing city, and it needs a full-time fire service in order to respond in a timely fashion.

5. Please feel free to make any additional comments that you feel are appropriate and would like us to consider. Firefighters are consistently rated the most trusted profession by the public. We want to ensure that we are supporting the best candidates to improve the delivery of Fire Service for the citizens of Barrie. The BPFFA would like to sincerely thank you for participating in this survey.

One of the safety issues in Barrie for Firefighters is the existence of a large number of clandestine basement apartments which do not appear on City records. The City’s aggressive policy of closing down any apartment which cannot prove its existence prior to 1996 exacerbates this problem. Needless to say, this also decreases the supply of badly-needed affordable housing. If the City were concerned primarily with safety, the only requirement to register a basement apartment would be that it meet Fire & Building Codes, and otherwise be suitable for habitation. Under the current policy, owners of apartments are pressured to keep them secret because unless they can document sufficient history, they will be shut down. This is despite any efforts they may make or have made to ensure their units are save and habitable. Even if they can document sufficient age, they have to pay a minimum $500 fee, often more.

I believe the city should change this policy to remove the date/documentation requirement and instead focus only on meeting current safety standards, either as a new policy or through some kind of amnesty window, and reduce the registration fee. This would encourage more of the clandestine apartments to be registered, inspected, and brought up to standards. Until such a policy is enacted, the tendency will remain for apartments to remain unregistered, uninspected, and in many cases, unsafe. This puts the lives of our city’s most desperate citizens at risk, and makes your jobs more difficult.

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