Economic
Development
Economic development left to chance doesn't work. As Mayor I will lead the
City of Orillia in targeting the industries we want to bring here. I'll make
sure the leaders of those industries and businesses come here to sample
Orillia's biggest asset, our quality of life.
The OPP headquarters, Lakehead University, and Teletech all came here because
the City of Orillia went to the decision-makers and made sure they knew exactly
why Orillia was where they wanted to be.
Georgian College, Lakehead University, the OPP HQ, the downtown core, are the foundations for Orillia's economic development. These, and everything
else Orillia has to offer - our sports facilities and recreation opportunities,
our culture scene, our natural setting- can attract more top-notch investments. I want an
organized effort to showcase Orillia. When the right investors look at Orillia
we need someone in the Mayor's office with the creativity and leadership to make
those investments happen.
For more please see press release- In
The News
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A
user-friendly City Hall
City Hall is a service
provider. As Mayor, I will lead City Hall in providing better, faster, and
more efficient service.
The City of Orillia must
invest more in communicating with Orillians. The City of Orillia's website must
be updated and designed so that residents can easily find accurate and relevant
information. We must commit whole-heartedly to GIS and move that initiative
along. These improvements are well underway and it is important that the
in-coming Council see them through.
The City needs valuable
input from the public. To get it, the City must provide the public with as much
relevant factual information as possible about issues affecting our city. We've
had to deal with too much misinformation in the past, and public debate and
discussion have suffered because of it.
I will continue to support
the recommendation to the February Budget meetings that the City invest more
resources on communications.
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Continued
Aggressive Road Improvement:
The City of Orillia must commit to
continued and aggressive road improvement if we hope to make ground on our
infrastructure deficit.
In 2005, Council approved my proposal
to add a dedicated, one-percent increase to the tax levy for road improvement.
Since then, approximately three million dollars has flowed into the Public Works
budget and has provided for an aggressive repair and improvement program for
Orillia's 165km of road.
We’ve also successfully obtained
federal/provincial funding that has allowed us to expedite major projects
such as the reconstruction of both West Street and Westmount Drive.
This year will see a major overhaul of
Colborne Street between the waterfront and Soldiers' Memorial Hospital.
In the design stage of the Colborne
Street project I convinced Council to ask for an enhanced downtown streetscape
which will transform this major artery that hosts Lakehead University and the
Hospital.
This
kind of innovation should be continued and the new Council should be encouraged
to become more involved in the design phase of our road projects.
Downtown
Orillia needs a
strong and sustainable downtown. It is a foundation of our city's economic
and social life.
Orillia's downtown is moving in the
right direction. Still, there are several issues that need to be addressed.
As Mayor, I'll make sure the City of
Orillia does its part so that our downtown can succeed in the long-term.
First, we must invest in our
assets. Orillia's downtown has retained
much of its original character thanks to a proactive Downtown Management Board
and a long line of City Councils that have worked to preserve our downtown's
century charm.
The BIA, however, is starting to
show its age.
The road surface has deteriorated, the
paving stones are past their prime, curbing has broken down, and the lights need
upgrading.
I will lead and implement an
infrastructure strategy to rejuvenate our downtown from the west end of
Mississaga Street to the waterfront. I have already requested a report scheduled
to be presented at this fall's pre-budget meetings. This report will outline
possible strategies with a phased-in approach and start the process of what will
likely be a five-year project.
Developing this strategy further will
need new ideas from the community. An expanded sidewalk that can accommodate
more outside cafes, downtown gateways, mini parkettes, and better access to back
parking lots are all ideas that should be on the table.
Second, Orillia must keep major
facilities in the downtown.
City Council has successfully kept the
Orillia Public Library, the Lions Oval School, and the Police Detachment in, or
very near, the downtown core.
Convincing Lakehead University to keep
a downtown presence, buying the Central School property, and supporting the
Orillia Museum of Art and History, are all examples of this City's commitment to
our downtown.
I have led these initiatives and I
have fought against proposals to move these "activity generators" away from the
core.
Third, parking.
Having enough parking spaces in the right places
is crucial to the downtown's success.
Self-sustaining parking garages,
increased street parking, the possibility of a Parking Authority, and better
access to back lots need to be considered.
I have been at the forefront of the
downtown parking issue for my entire political career. Ten years ago, Mike
Knight and I created the Parking Advisory Committee; I am currently acting
Chairman. I understand parking is a complex issue.
Council has commissioned a parking
study that will help define what we need and where we need it. I will ensure
new, creative ideas are part of the discussion and practical solutions are
implemented.
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__________________________________________________
A
respect-based Council
Debate is
healthy. And although democracy can be messy, it works.
Orillia's City Council is obviously
not going to be united on all issues, nor should they be. Some Councils may
work better than others, however, the ones that work best are the ones that
are based on respect.
For respect to exist, a member of
Council must feel that she/he has been well-informed, that she/he has had
every opportunity to make his/her argument, and that she/he has been heard.
There must be respect for the
position, respect for the process, and respect for each other.
There must be respect for the
public, and there must be respect for staff.
Respect starts at the top. As
Mayor, I would lead by example.
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Front
Line Affordable Housing Initiatives:
In 2008, I was pleased to support Ken
McMullen's Hillcrest housing project on Matchedash Street, North. This is
the kind of housing project I love. The 31-unit geared-to-income senior's
home was created by Orillians, for Orillians, and services the truly
vulnerable.
More recently, I was pleased to present a
motion to Council that committed to a similar project proposed by Mr. McMullen.
This project would see a 40-unit geared-to-income apartment building built on
an acre of either the Mount Slaven or David H. Church school sites, depending
on if funding becomes available.
Also, Kevin Ganglof has been pointing out the
need for a Youth Transition Home in Orillia. This is something the City should
put its full energy behind and I look forward to supporting this much-needed
frontline housing project.
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Georgian
College
Georgian College in
Orillia has expanded significantly over the past few years.
This, plus the arrival of
Lakehead University to our city, means education is a major foundation of
Orillia's economy and social life.
Georgian must be seen as an
investment opportunity. The City of Orillia must work with the decision-makers
of Georgian to ensure development of the Orillia campus and that student numbers
continue to grow over the long-term.
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Recreational
facilities in the City core
The Molson property
on West Street must be dealt with early in the next Council's term.
The property currently
sits like an open wound in the middle of the City - a pile of gravel, ominous
looking barrels and chain-link fence.
If the Ministry of
Environment certificate of approval is workable, and any legal challenges that
may arise are manageable, then the in-coming Council will need to be decisive.
Everyone seems to
agree the MURF plan will require modification if it is to be built on the
Molson property, as the success of the West Orillia Sports Complex has
changed the recreational needs profile of the city.
Modifications will take
time, and significant modifications may trigger more MOE approvals.
If
there are any significant delays, Council should start to look at a plan C which
could look at alternative sites such as the David H Church school property as
well as potential partnerships with Lakehead, Georgian, the School Boards, the
YMCA and the Common Roof. In the short term, Council should return the Molson
site to a state that doesn't resemble a wasteland.
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Responsible
Environmental Policy
Since being elected to Council in 1997, I've
partnered with Orillia's active environmental community and have helped make our
hometown a leader in environmental policy.
As past co-winner of TVO's "Greenest Community in
Ontario" award, plus yearly awards for being one of Ontario's top recyclers,
Orillia has much to be proud of.
I'm pleased to have taken a lead role in creating
and protecting of Scout Valley. Our success with Scout Valley is being
recognized around the province as cutting-edge environmental policy. I’ve also
led the establishment of Orillia's Environmental Advisory Committee, and the new
Tree Committee.
I've also led the debate on waste management
issues, banning pesticides, and the smoking bylaw.
Long before being green was the political fad it's
become, I've been at the forefront of promoting an environmental agenda for
Orillia. I will continue to be an advocate for responsible environmental policy.
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Waterfront
Orillia's waterfront
needs action.
The non-regulated,
non-revenue-generating parking sprawl that goes on around the port and the
boat launch has to stop.
I will push for a
commitment from Council to organize parking, reclaim a stretch of very valuable
property, and replace boat trailers with people.
Our waterfront has been
planned and master-planned into a state of paralysis. But there are many
affordable things that the City could do now, which would significantly enhance
the area, and not break the bank.
There may also be a
perfect storm of opportunity brewing at the bottom of Mississaga Street.
The former scrapyard may be available, the Ossawippi is for sale, Rexton
Properties is set to develop around the old Train Station, and the Legion
has been looking at a new arrangement.
The
waterfront should be treated in the same manner as the Lakehead University
initiative. I will make sure all interested parties come together in the same
room and explore the possibilities. I will create a focused task force, and
dedicate myself to getting a commitment from Council to invest.
As Mayor, I won't
let this opportunity pass. These developments could be the chance of a
lifetime.
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Airport
Orillia recently
ended its involvement in the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport (LSRA).
This planned exit enabled
Orillia to tap into government funds that otherwise would not have been
available. This strategy was agreed to by all parties.
Now that this grant
process has been successfully completed, I believe Orillia should again
actively support the LSRA.
But the previous form of
Airport governance was, in my opinion, too cumbersome. Before, Orillia,
Barrie, and Oro-Medonte municipal councils each had to vet budget approvals
for one of the respective funding parties.
Now, Orillia should
act as a good community partner, and using the original funding
formula, contribute to the LSRA annual operating deficit, contingent on a
staff review of the LSRA's annual financial statement.
This would allow for a
less tedious management structure, allow Barrie and Oro-Medonte to be more
responsive when opportunities arise, and Orillia can continue to protect a
valuable asset.
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IN
THE NEWS
Debate follow up
“I would do the deal again”
What I was trying to convey with my
statement “that I would do the deal again” was the idea that had an over
eager Council not proceeded to construction in 2004 the cost of the Murf
site today would seem much more reasonable. Here are the facts:
- As of October 1st
2010 the City had spent $6,627,806 in cash on the MURF project.
-
The City originally booked a value of $5,000,000 for the space that
the contaminated earth occupies at the Orillia Landfill site.
-
The city has spent to date $1,000,080 addressing the off-site VOC
issue.
-
This totals $12,627,886 spent to dated on the MURF project and does
not include staff time.
-
Of this $12,627,886, $1,444, 770 were spent on environmental and
geotechnical Consultants and as noted above $1,000,080 was spent on the VOC
off-site problem. This when totaled gives you an amount of $2,444,850 for
environmental/geotechnical services.
What does this all mean? It means if you back out the
actual environmental/geotechnical costs, take out the $200,000 for legal
bills, the remaining $10,000,000 are all related to the ill-advised decision
to proceed to construction. If you take the remaining 2.4 million which was
all we really had to spend to get where we are today, and divide it by the
36 acres we will reclaim in the middle of our City for recreational
purposes- it is- as I say a much more reasonable deal.
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Run the City like a City
The persistent refrain that it takes a successful businessman to run a
successful city, while worthy of consideration at one level – a good
business sense is always useful, misses a great deal in terms of
understanding how and why a city runs. From Mr. Orsi's home in Severn
Township, he may view Orillia as a place of business, but it is important
that he remember that for the 30,000 citizens who live here, Orillia is
their home. There is a fundamental difference between running a
development company and running a city.
Those who espouse the successful businessman can do anything theory miss the
point that mayor and council are not one person. Implying that business
practice can replace the consensus building and critical thinking that is
required of an effective mayor and council is misleading. There's a reason
why people go to work at a business, but come home to live in a city.
A
good business takes a narrow view of things, costs and benefits, usually
expressed in dollar terms. If it doesn't, it's not run right. While
business sense has certainly helped me during my time on Council, making
choices and decisions for the City is about a lot more. The task is to deal
creatively, and responsibly, with the dilemma of need and want; how to
provide services that are satisfactory and reasonable recognizing that
choices have to be made in keeping with constraints and good financial
management. Cities have to provide things business can't – roads, law
enforcement, environmental rules, parks.
A
business might seek a reputation for 'social responsibility' as part of its
bottom line. In running a city, social responsibility is the bottom line.
The City is already a Corporation. It has a corporate structure: a chief
administrative officer, a management team, reputable auditors and corporate
accountability. Micro-managing by the mayor is not an answer. A strong,
demanding, critical Mayor and Council that understand their role – and don't
have to learn on the job, is. Leadership and experience in a municipal
environment count.
As to "irreversible spiral downward", the City’s financial statements
indicate that we have cash on hand and we have no debt. A recently
commissioned review of our operations by an independent third party
described our City as "lean". From a business point of view this is good
news, and something Mr. Skinner might find helpful to know.
____________________________________________________
Letter to the Editor
I
am writing to correct Dick Sleep's baseless and false statement that "Lauer
has been onside with the MURF since its inception." (Letter to the Editor,
October 6, 2010)
As any Orillian who has been watching this process closely knows, I have
been a consistent critic of the way the MURF project was handled over the
past decade.
Over that 10-year period, I repeatedly questioned the cost of the project,
the quality of the advice we received from our environmental consultants,
the timelines, and the knee-jerk manner in which two councils reacted to
glitch after glitch.
I
voted against proceeding to design, against proceeding to construction,
against the program and against the budget. In fact, at one point, this
very paper, The Packet & Times, labeled me an "incessant complainer" in an
editorial urging council to stay with the MURF project as planned!
Although building a recreation facility for the people of Orillia has always
been a priority for me, and I had hoped we could make use of the Molson
property, the MURF as designed and costed did not, at any time, match my
expectations.
It was for this very reason that I initiated and moved Plan B forward to
Council in 2009, before the Community Centre was declared unusable, so that
some of the recreational needs of our community could be addressed in a
timely fashion. The West Orillia Sports Complex is the result.
In terms of the MURF costs, had an over-anxious Council not voted to proceed
to construction before Ministry of the Environment approvals, required
spending on remediation and preliminary proposals would have put the cost
per acre at approximately $110,000. By way of comparison, the City sold
five acres at the Lions Oval for $300,000 per acre.
I would also point out to Mr.
Sleep that he and the candidate he is quoting are ill informed in terms of
the City's business and planning processes. The City of Orillia does
strategic planning, as any good corporation would, and is managing to those
plans with the express purpose of ensuring that Orillia grows and develops
as a sound, vibrant and liveable community. Mr. Sleep should realize that
misrepresentation adds nothing to the process.
_____________________________________________________
NEWS
RELEASE: For
immediate release October 4, 2010
LAUER to Push for Proactive
Economic Development
(ORILLIA)—
Tim LAUER today released details of his economic development platform
designed to tackle a key impediment to growth in the City of Orillia.
"The
high cost to develop new facilities or to expand existing businesses in this
community is a major roadblock to economic development," says LAUER.
"Economic development is essential. It requires the right attitude, the
right incentives and a competitive level of taxation while at the same time
not putting undue pressure on the residential sector," he says.
LAUER's
plan would establish an organized effort to proactively target the
businesses and industries wanted and needed in Orillia, create a financially
appealing environment for business development, while at the same time
minimizing the impact on the residential taxpayer.
As Mayor,
LAUER would immediately lobby new Council for a two-year moratorium on
industrial development charges. This would give the Economic Development
Department and the City the tools needed to aggressively market Orillia in a
very competitive marketplace. The two-year industrial subsidy would be
treated as a capital expense and any deficits would be funded from reserves
and not the tax levy.
As Mayor,
Lauer would also re-start the initiative of moving Industrial/Commercial tax
ratios towards the provincially prescribed range of fairness. "At one point
the City of Orillia was praised for its commitment to this ideal but in
recent years we have lost our momentum," he says. At the 2011 Budget
Meetings, Lauer would put forward a four-year proposal that would ask
Council to commit to a move towards a more competitive Industrial/Commercial
rate.
According
to LAUER, economic development left to chance does not work. "We need to
target the businesses we want to bring to Orillia, create incentives that we
can afford and take concrete actions that will keep Orillia's tax levels
competitive. This is the leadership I will bring to the Mayor's Office"
Oct.4/10
The MURF and the HRC
Councillor Cipolla recently
announced that he was abandoning the idea of putting a MURF on the West St.
Molson property. His preferred location is now the HRC lands.
First some history:
Long before Councillor Cipolla
joined the present Council, the City began negotiations with the Province
for the acquisition of the HRC lands. The stimulus at the time was the
potential arrival of a University in our community. At the time several of
us met at Queens Park with representatives from the Ontario Realty
Corporation who at the time indicated that we were perhaps a year away from
acquiring the site if all went well. All did not go well and everyone still
shakes their heads over what was perceived as a great opportunity to turn
the HRC facility into a University.
Fast forward to today and know that
staff are aggressively seeking some sort of commitment from the ORC. At this
time we appear closer to seeing the Province actually dispose of the lands
although with visions of the Edgar site fiasco, one is hard pressed to be
too confidant.
Now that the University is not an
option on the HRC grounds, I think we have to turn our attention to Georgian
and the OPP; making sure that, if they have any interest in the property,
the City is at the table with Georgian's and the OPP's best interest in
mind. As for a MURF on the site, this would not be my first choice. We have
located Plan B (West Orillia Sports Complex) on the very edge of the City so
I think all avenues must be explored before we abandon the idea of
recreation facilities in the City core.
For the past seven years Councillor
Cipolla has had the blinders on refusing to ask critical questions about the
MURF project, and now within months of final resolution, he has abandoned
all hope.
Over that same seven years I was
labeled by the Packet as an "incessant complainer" for being critical of the
skyrocketing cost of the project, the quality of the service we were
receiving from our environmental consultants and the knee-jerk re-actions by
Council to the all-too-many setbacks.
Now, ironically I find myself
defending the site.
This Community deserves a positive
outcome at 255 West St. We have spent too much money and too much time
to just walk away.
In the next few months the
prescribed MOE process will, in my mind, decide the matter.
If we are into further delays and
costs, it may be time to look at plan C.
My Plan C would consider an
aquatic/gymnasium centre at the David H School site, restricting the West
St. property to field activities- which no one objects to- and looking at
partnerships with Lakehead, Georgian, the YMCA and district School Boards.
*
*
*
*
Conflict of Interest
As quoted in the Packet and Times, I
believe the question of Mr. Orsi's potential for conflict of interest should
be decided by the people of Orillia through the electoral process.
I also believe, as set out in the
Ontario Elections Act, Mr. Orsi is entitled to run for municipal office.
But I also believe Mr. Orsi has a
problem.
Three things to consider:
Mr. Orsi cites the number of
conflicts that have occurred over the last four years as a reason not to be
concerned. A closer look at these conflicts reveals that most were minor in
nature often involving receipt of correspondence during the consent agenda.
I don't recall the Mayor having to declare a conflict on any major issue.
However, had Mr. Orsi been in that
position in the last four years, consider the conflicts he would have been
obliged to declare. He would not have been able to participate in the
discussions involving Lakehead University, as they involved land he owned or
land that abutted his property. The same would have applied to discussions
that led to development of the West Orillia Sports Complex, Scout Valley and
even bus routes.
Looking forward at economic
development, how does the principal owner of most of the City's available
industrial land negotiate with potential investors? The first point of
contact for new development in the City is usually the Mayor's office. Mr.
Orsi's ability to handle these opportunities would, in my opinion, be
significantly impaired.
Finally, for Mr. Orsi, litigation
appears to be a favoured approach. When things don't go his way, the threat
of legal action is an immediate response. What Mr. Orsi will need to
understand is that there are many litigious folks out there just like him,
who, when they don't get their way, will take their case to the courts to
achieve their goals. The only way undeclared conflicts can be resolved is
through the courts. Warm and fuzzy rationale is not likely to win the day
there.
So the question is not whether Mr.
Orsi can be Mayor. The question, in practical terms, is can Mr. Orsi be
involved in key City business? Can he be an effective Mayor?
MYTH
BUSTING
Myth: Orillia is
over its head in debt.
Fact: The City of
Orillia is in good financial shape. Recent headlines could lead Orillians to
think that we are
swimming in debt. These are the facts:
-
Orillia recently approved a $10,000,000 line of credit to avoid cashing
GIC investments prematurely. That two week period has passed and we currently
have over $20,000,000 of our own money on hand.
-
Orillia recently gave the city Treasurer approval to borrow up to
$20,000,000. This loan will be activated sometime in 2011 and will be paid back
in its entirety, a year or two after construction is completed on the Police and
Fire buildings. The loan is essentially a construction loan, does not represent
any long-term debt commitment and does not require a tax increase to service.
Myth: The West
Orillia Sport Complex was built out of desperation and was a knee-jerk
reaction to the closing of the Community Centre.
Fact: Almost a year
before the Community Centre was closed, a committee was formed to evaluate where
we were in regards to the MURF and start the process of looking at a plan B. The
committee which I created and chaired met from the spring of 2008, all through
the summer until late in the fall. We received input from the hockey community,
the soccer community and the tennis community. We looked at existing facilities
and evaluated timelines. As a result and well before the Community Centre was
closed, a report was prepared recommending to Council almost exactly what has
become the West Orillia Sports Complex.
Months before the
Community Centre closed a majority of Council had indicated that they were
ready to consider Plan B. Being blind-sided by the closure certainly made it
unanimous and sped up the building process but Council was well prepared to
go ahead.
Myth: All tax increases are
bad.
Fact: In the early 1990s Orillia's Municipal
politicians took pride in keeping tax increases to a minimum while ignoring
inflation and ignoring depreciation. What they were doing in fact was
passing on capital costs to the next generation of tax payers. While Orillians enjoyed one of the lowest levels of taxation in the Province, they
also had some of the worst roads in Ontario, dated and inefficient
recreation facilities and undermanned Police and Fire Departments.
Every successful business owner
knows that you must continually be re-investing in your business. Every
smart homeowner knows that a leaky roof can not be ignored. Recent Councils
have been taking care of business. Over the past 4 years Orillia city
Council has done major overhauls on West St., Westmount Dr., Albany, Nottawassaga, Brant, Peter and are currently completing significant upgrades
to Colborne St. We have brought our recreational facilities into the 21st
century with the opening of the West Orillia Sports Complex. We have
expanded our emergency service compliments; we are about to tender for a new
police building and will soon start the process of building a new fire hall.
A new Library is due to open in 2011 and the City has invested $10,000,000
in Lakehead University which we believe, along with Georgian College will be
the significant economic driver in our community for decades.
This is money well spent.
Myth: The
Champlain pumping station in West Ridge is being built because Council would
not let the sewer line go through Scout Valley.
Fact: The sewage
pumping facility that is currently being built has been on the books since
development started west of Highway 11. It is designed to replace the temporary
unit that was there and it will service the new Stone Ridge development. The
final solution for servicing the new Sports Complex and University was a gravity
feed back to the existing pumping station. The effect of this strategy was a
minor increase in capacity at the Champlain facility.
More to
come.
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For
a Better Orillia!
Biography
IN
THE NEWS
MYTH
BUSTING
ISSUES
Click for more on these issues
Economic
Development
A
user-friendly City Hall
Continued
Aggressive
Road Improvement
Downtown
A
respect-based Council
Front
Line Affordable Housing Initiatives
Georgian
College
Recreational
facilities
in the City core
Responsible
Environmental Policy
Waterfront
Airport
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