| On
Wednesday, April 26, 2006, City Council approved a motion by Mayor David
Courtemanche that will create a Community Solutions Team. This
citizen-lead team will conduct an extensive public consultation process
that will recommend solutions addressing issues raised by residents and
businesses in outlying areas.
Mayor
Courtemanche affirmed that the City is committed to building a stronger
and more inclusive community. 'It is no secret that, since
amalgamation, residents and businesses of outlying areas have had some
concerns. By working together we can take a productive and planned
approach to address these issues.” The Mayor further emphasized
that all Greater Sudburians stand to benefit from a stronger and more
unified Greater Sudbury. 'The Community Solutions Team is yet
another initiative, similar to the establishment of the Community Action
Networks, intended to engage citizens from every neighbourhood and
community across our vast city”, stated Mayor Courtemanche.
The motion
which was approved by Council included the following statements:
 | "The
new City represents a combination of urban, sub-urban and rural
settings;"
|
| "Residents
in outlying areas have expressed a desire for the City to be more
responsive to their needs;"
|
| "Municipal
services, by-laws and policies should reflect the unique needs and
issues facing outlying areas;"
|
| "City
Council should take a pro-active approach to addressing these needs by
identifying practical solutions to existing problems;" |
While
many are applauding the idea of the committee, there are others that are
saying it is six years too late and that with an election only six months
away, this is nothing more than a method of trying to diffuse the momentum
of the de-amalgamation petition.
The fact that the motion contains the statement that "municipal
services, by-laws and policies should reflect the unique needs and issues
facing outlying areas" leads one to wonder if by-laws will now be
altered to apply themselves to various parts of the City after all of the
work that has been done to make the by-laws more uniform throughout the
City of Greater Sudbury.
This action by
Council is being identified as a sign that Councillors are completely out
of control and out of ideas. They have made mistakes and are caught in a
corner with no way out. The Committee will discover nothing that
Councillors ought to know already if they were indeed representing and in
touch with their constituents.
|
|
Led
by former Nickel Belt MPP, Ontario Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier
Floyd Laughren, the Community Solutions Team will implement a public
consultation over the next several months and present their findings,
including recommendations, to City Council in January, 2007. 'As a
resident of the Walden area, and a long-time Sudburian, I am honored to
have been chosen to lead the Community Solutions Team,” said Mr.
Laughren. He noted that the Team's work will be open and transparent and
focused on getting results. 'This initiative is an important milestone in
the evolution of the City of
Greater Sudbury
. All
citizens will have a voice in the development of concrete and practical
solutions to improve how the City provides services to our communities in
the outlying areas,” added Mr. Laughren.
The Community
Solutions Team is a unique opportunity for Greater Sudbury residents to
get involved and influence decision making on issues and policies that
will unite Greater Sudbury's diverse communities and allow the City to
continue to thrive and prosper. The Team will promote a better
understanding between the City's rural, urban and suburban citizens, and
identify specific ways in which the City can improve its service delivery
to its outlying neighborhoods.
APPOINTMENT
OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
On May 10,
2006, City Council approved the members of the committee and provided them
with a budget of $75,000 to do their work.
In addition to
Floyd Laughren, other members of the team include:
| France Belanger-Houle |
A Chelmsford businesswoman |
| Barry Brett |
A retired police officer from Garson |
| Gisele Chretien |
A retired president of College Boreal and a resident
of Hanmer |
| Martha Cunningham-Closs |
A resident of Onaping Falls |
| Keir Kitchen |
A former town councillor in Capreol |
| Jack Oatway |
A retired teacher and resident of Walden |
It was also decided that the mandate of the committee will be to search
out suggestions on how to make the "current system work". As a
result, the committee will not entertain any discussion about
de-amalgamation during its meetings. |
