A Year in Review: A Message From Mayor Doug Leroux
December 24, 2020 – This year, we have experienced many impacts upon our lives that we have not witnessed before, some known and some unknown. As we come to the end of the year, the season provides a time to take pause and reflect over some of the positive happenings that our Town has gone through.
As a municipality, we took this time to work with our residents to lessen the burden that COVID-19 brought. Our Finance department worked to ensure our 2020 Budget 0% overall tax increase was met by continuing to practice prudent and forward looking-financial management as outlined in the Towns Strategic Plan. Being forward thinking, the decision was made early in 2020 to offer COVID-19 financial relief for residents. Some of these reliefs include the deferred tax and water bill due dates and fee waivers for transit, fire permits and dog tags.
We are thrilled that the Arena and Recreation Study has taken shape over the last quarter of 2020. This study is one of the first steps in completing our strategic goal of upgrading our indoor facilities for sports and physical activity. Over the course of 2021, consultants will continue to work with residents to ensure their opinions and needs on a new or renovated arena are heard.
Recreation staff have also worked tirelessly over the year to ensure our facilities were safe for public users and staff. This was an achievement itself! Even while busy with the ever so changing COVID-19 policies and precautions, staff did not let their original goals for completion in 2020 fall short. In late summer, staff secured a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of North Simcoe to run the Penetanguishene Day Camp Program in 2021. This partnership is a great achievement for the Town and aligns with our plan to offer a larger range of program opportunities with reduced barriers to service.
2020 also provided us with the opportunity to come together to engage in planning and visioning of the Penetanguishene waterfront. The Town was successful in obtaining $40,000 through the County of Simcoe’s Economic Development Program to complete a Town Dock Secondary Plan Study. This study will explore potential new uses and assist with future investment decisions, a key aspect in the Towns 2019-2023 Strategic Plan.
We saw great acceptance for the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for our historic downtown. The CIP provides a set of municipal leadership programs and financial incentive programs to support the beautification, improvement, and revitalization of our local businesses. We are thrilled to have been able to offer the CIP this year and can already see the difference it has made to nurturing the retention and expansion of our existing businesses, which has been a Strategic Plan goal for the coming years.
Our Public Works department had a great year! The department completed a lengthy list of achievements including the completion of the drainage improvements on Kerr Drive and Spohn Drive; sidewalk installation and replacements on John Street, Robert Street East and West and asphalt Road Resurfacing on Therrien Street, Yeo Street, Alma Street and Fox Street.
As a community, we rely so much on the ideas and efforts of each one of you. It is essential that we continue to work together, cheer each other on and support all efforts to keep Penetanguishene a wonderful place to live and visit.
I would like to extend my warmest gratitude to members of Council and all the Town of Penetanguishene staff members for their continuous effort this year. You all have done a wonderful job at carrying us through the challenges COVID-19 has brought.
On behalf of Council and staff of the Town of Penetanguishene,
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.