Cooper predicting policy changes for 2011

By MORGAN IAN ADAMS Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin January 5 2011
COLLINGWOOD–There’s some big changes afoot at town hall for 2011.
In a year-end interview with the Enterprise-Bulletin reflecting on her first month in office, and looking to the year ahead, Mayor Sandra Cooper suggested there could be several significant policy shifts from the previous term, including with the procedural bylaw, and the urban design standards.
Cooper also said there could be changes to the way site development proposals are presented to council in an effort to minimize some of the micromanaging of projects that occurred during the previous term.
“It (site development) is bogged down,” she said.
Although there are some development proposals that will come in very rough, and staff are available to provide them with information, Cooper said it’s unnecessary for councillors to get involved to the same extent as what occurred in the previous term.
On several occasions, councillors got into specific discussions about building design; on one occasion, councillors discussed specific locations where trees should be planted, even though the project exceeded the municipal standards for landscaping.
“I don’t see that happening, and I would hope that anyone who has a question, they can send an email to that department if it’s trivial. We have policies, and if something meets those standards (then it should go ahead),” said Cooper. “But that’s something staff should deal with, not council. Let staff do their jobs — that’s what they’re paid for.”
The same goes for the town’s urban design standards, which were approved in the final months of the previous term.
“I think I’ve heard from several members of council, and members of the public, and the Georgian Triangle Development Institute, about the urban design standards, and I think we can look at reviewing that and just have guidelines — while recognizing the work staff has put into it,” she said. “I believe it to be a guideline.”
Procedurally, Cooper would like to avoid some of the roadblocks that prevented new information coming to the table on a couple of issues — notably the debate over the location of restaurant patios on public sidewalks in the downtown. The procedural bylaw prevents a topic to be revisited unless new information comes to the table and two-thirds of council support bringing the issue to the table.
“If there’s new information coming forward, then bring it forward if there is supporting documents,” said Cooper. “Maybe we would make a change, maybe we do need to do things in a different manner.”
 Cooper anticipated budgetary issues will dominate much of council’s discussions for 2011, with councillors cognizant that the finances just aren’t available to undertake projects that aren’t absolutely necessary.
“Any decisions we make, we know will be affecting the taxpayers of Collingwood. That is in the forefront,” she said.
That includes the debate about the future of recreational facilities, including two in particular: the roof over the outdoor rink, and the future of the town-owned fitness centre.
On the former, Cooper says user groups have to step forward; she noted the Collingwood Minor Hockey Association is making a financial commitment to the roof.
“User groups have to step up and make a huge contribution,” said Cooper. “Everyone comes to the town looking for money… and we just write the cheque — that has to stop.
“Look at the hospital, they have their foundation, they fundraise; hospice, they fundraise. Everyone has to understand we can’t always handing out money or writing cheques.”
Cooper said Marta Proctor, the town’s director of leisure services, is preparing a business plan for all recreational facilities. That could lead to the town partnering on facilities with private and public interests — such as the YMCA; Cooper said she had a meeting with Simcoe-Muskoka YMCA CEO Tom Coon after his presentation to council in December, and “we’ll see what comes forward.
“There could be an opportunity for a huge partnership, with more than one private interest,” she said. “I have to give credit to the YMCA for looking to their future needs, and I recognize how they have assisted those who were members of the (town-owned) fitness centre.”
She’s also met with Admiral Collingwood Place and Strand developers Steve Assaff and Scott Strandholt on the aborted residential and retirement home proposal for Hume and Hurontario. Those meetings have been “very positive,” she said, and a proposal will be coming to the council table at the end of January.
She said the developers have some new ideas based on the marketing of the previous project, and what appeared to sell, “instead of what we think (the customers) would like.”
Another issue that will need to be dealt with–perhaps not in 2011, but at the very least within this council term — will be a new fire hall, and space issues at the fire/police complex at the corner of Ontario and Minnesota Streets. Cooper says the OPP has conducted an assessment of its space needs, “and they are bursting at the seams” with both services in one building.
It could mean the two services would be housed in separate facilities — though it’s more likely the fire department would be relocated as it would be costly to move the OPP, she said.
Along with reviews of its policies, council will also be reviewing options for the provisions of legal services. Cooper suggested it could mean having most of its legal services “in-house,” while more complex matters could be handed to a firm such as the town’s current firm, Aird & Berlis.
Council will also be undertaking a review of the town’s official plan; however, Cooper doesn’t anticipate many changes to the official plan outside of some “tweaking” as it’s reconciled with the growth planning exercise at the county level.
Cooper also said while some projects get reviewed, it’s her intent the municipality continue its ongoing program to replace aging sewer infrastructure.
“We’ve got 50, 80-year-old piping, so eventually it won’t work they way we want,” she said.
The sewer pipe replacement program has also had the added benefit of increasing capacity at the sewage treatment plant; the oft-discussed expansion of the plant would have been a costly endeavour.
The new pipes — as well as better separation between the system designed to handle stormwater and sanitary sewers–have meant less infiltration of water into the system.
Cooper said the first month in office has been active.
“The first month has been extremely busy, networking with the new council,” said Cooper, noting council members have been touring many of the municipal facilities.
She’s also been learning; during the two weeks of heavy snowfall prior to Christmas, Cooper spent time in a town snowplow.
Cooper said the response to her inaugural address has been well received, including to the four priorities she wants addressed this year: reviewing the patio bylaw, reviewing legal services, a review of the town’s approach to working with industry, and a full department and expenditure review.
“The feedback I’m receiving is very supportive,” she said. “Those are things we will have to look at, and it’s what most of (the new councillors) said during the election.
“My goal is to include everyone, to be inclusive.”