From the Desk of Mayor Rawson & Council #15

21 August 2023

Summer is ending abruptly as we prepare for the return of school and fall activities.  

I want to start by addressing some of our community's concerns regarding the proposed tower that will be placed behind St. Ann's Church on the Knight of Columbus property. There have been many looking to appeal or have this application blocked. The Town of Penetanguishene has no approval authority for this application. The appeal period is open until August 24, 2023. You must voice your opposition, concerns and issues with Shared Tower or the federal regulatory body during this notice period. If you are opposed in any way, please reach out:   

Cheyenne Zierler, Senior Planning Manager  

1300 Cornwall Rd, Unit 101  

Oakville, ON L6J 7W5  

czierler@sharedtower.ca   

ISEDC Contact Information:  

Toronto District Office  

151 Yonge Street, 4th floor  

Toronto ON M5C 2W7  

Telephone: 1-855-465-6307  

Fax: 416-954-3553  

Email: ic.spectrumtoronto-spectretoronto.ic@canada.ca   

I also want to provide information regarding a common concern within the municipality. Many have raised concerns about speeding and unsafe motor vehicle flow of traffic. I will present these concerns at our next Police Services Board meeting on September 11, 2023. From a data standpoint, the police leverage their resources with known areas of concern. If you have found any of these concerns with vehicle flow, you should call the non-emergency OPP line at 1-888-310-1122. Please help us by reporting any of these concerns. Earlier this year, I presented this as a concern and would like staff to evaluate options for council consideration. Staff will present this report at our September meeting, and everyone is encouraged to participate, comment and provide feedback. I know this is an important issue, and we will work proactively to find suitable solutions to ensure we have the safest community possible.   

A couple of weeks ago, the council met and heard a presentation regarding Robert Street Wells as the best option for a secondary water source for our municipality. While the council has yet to decide on the final recommendations for the water source, we are well-positioned to understand the risks, rewards and engineering controls required to create a sustainable water supply for our municipality. Staff will bring forward options during this year's capital budget planning.   

You can read the presentation and report by visiting here: PowerPoint Presentation (civicweb.net)  

You can review the presentation on YouTube here. 

The annual AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) conference is this week. Councillors Doug Leroux, George Vadeboncoeur, Bill Waters, Deputy Mayor Dan La Rose, and I represent our municipality. There are many educational opportunities we are all working to leverage as much opportunity as we can. On Tuesday we have a delegation to the Ministry of the Environment about our secondary water source and Ojibway Landing - and the delays for approvals to allow us to begin any planning with this brownfield site. Through this delegation, we aim to bring the importance of a planned capital project like our secondary water supply and seek capital support.  

While at AMO, we came in contact with representatives from Ontario Government that are leading the high-speed connectivity across Ontario. We reviewed the challenges that some in our community have. Areas like Gordon Drive have limited internet access; the following link identifies each Ontario municipal address and the connectivity status. Updates are continuously happening as new projects are released and updated. We are hopeful that some projects will be updated for some of our outlying areas that do not have connectivity as of yet. You can find your address here.  

As previously mentioned, our 2024 Budget Survey is open until September 11. To complete the survey online, visit the Budget Survey, or you visit Town Hall or the Library to complete a hardcopy version.    

Please comment on the 20-Year Community-Based Strategic Plan | Connect Penetanguishene.  

UPCOMING COUNCIL EVENTS   

Wednesday, September 13, 2023, @ 7:00 pm - Town of Penetanguishene Council & Committee of the Whole Meeting.    

Mark your calendars - 2024 Budget Public Consultations will be held on November 1, 2023, at 6:00 pm at the Penetanguishene Memorial Community Centre and November 15, 2023, at 6:00 pm in Council Chambers.   

COMMUNITY INFORMATION   

If you want to review or see any previous council meetings, you can watch and listen to them on the Town's YouTube channel. Please subscribe to ensure you are updated on posted new meetings (all regular and special meetings are live-streamed).    

I have been doing Question & Answer sessions with Rogers Local Cable TV. If you have a question you would like answered for Rogers, you can email us at askus@penetanguishene.ca    

How to keep up to date with Community Events   

You can find community events on the town's website by visiting the Community Calendar. Subscribe to ensure you never miss an event. You can also submit any community events you would like to share with the community.   

Please help spread the word about this communication and encourage others to subscribe. We have placed this newsletter throughout the community (arena, town hall, library) and are open to other sources. A month's summary will be shared in the Midland Mirror on the fourth Thursday of each month.    

Subscribe to the Town of Penetanguishene News Portal   

Who to contact?   

For more detailed information and updates on our town's events, activities, and initiatives, please visit our website or contact us directly. We value your input and engagement in shaping our vibrant community.  

 

Mayor Doug Rawson

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