Latest Updates
Find the latest updates from the Mayor and City Hall.
Little ideas series for Burlington: Valuing Public Input
In the last election, residents made it very clear you want change in government. You asked for more input in decision-making, and you want decisions to better reflect a community vision for our city.
There are many steps we can take to improve public engagement in decision-making. I’ll discuss those in future videos and articles. But the first step is a change of attitude at City Hall to value the input we receive.
Residents say "no thanks" to community "benefits"
In exchange for approving the Molinaro building at Brock/Elgin at double the height and density allowed in the Official Plan, $500,000 in "community benefits" were negotiated. These talks took place behind closed doors in discussions with the developer and city staff with no community input, nor was I invited to attend on your behalf.
My Take: I'm concerned about the use of community benefits to negotiate extra height and density, and that's why I'm bringing a motion to reexamine this practise as part of our Official Plan review in 2012. Burlington is one of only four municipalities in Ontario that use community benefits, and it's fraught with complications. I believe the Official Plan should be respected with only minor variations allowed. Our plan is reviewed every five years - ample opportunity to make more significant changes that may be needed.
Video: Save our Waterfront
Burlington City Council set to block our waterfront with up to four 8-15 story towers. See the video for more details.
Check out the hundreds of resident's comments at the Save Our Waterfront website ( http://saveourwaterfront.ca/your-comments/ )