This year's grade: B
Last year's grade: B-
It's been a busy year at Uxbridge Town Hall, and the challenges and projects facing municipal councillors don't seem to be slowing down.
Led by Mayor Bob Shepherd, the elected team has been making decisions on items with far-reaching implications, such as downtown revitalization and the location of a new fire hall, to smaller things such as sanding floors at the train station.
Uxbridge's politicians are up to speed on major issues impacting the municipality, such as growth limitations and resultant tax challenges and are keeping a sharp eye on provincial matters such as health care, as it relates to the Uxbridge Cottage Hospital. While Uxbridge council has no direct control over hospital matters, Town Hall was quick to step up to the plate and express concern that the Uxbridge hospital should be placed within the same LHIN, or Local Health Integration Network, as its parent site, the Markham-Stouffville Hospital Corporation. Local officials are watching to help ensure the hospital's services stay intact.
There are challenges on the horizon and the groundwork is being laid now. Information on the upcoming Brock Street "big dig" has been very forthcoming from Town Hall, as preparations are made to reconstruct the street. A preliminary look at opening up the Uxbridge Brook, which currently flows under the street, along with a 'town square', sounds quite exciting. It would cost a lot of money and wouldn't happen overnight, but coming up with a downtown vision now is very important. Moving ahead with an environmental assessment of the culvert is the right move; there are flooding concerns, as well as esthetics, to consider.
The location of a new fire hall is another weighty matter. Since Elgin Park Drive has been shot down, council needs to take a stand with the next recommendation, approve it and get the place built while any federal/provincial building grant dollars are still available.
Council also has a tough decision ahead whether to knock down the main dorm building at Kennedy House. The Kennedy House advisory committee told council the cost to renovate the building for private use would be "extreme". Council needs to consider a plan that would attract a viable permanent business that would share the costs of upgrading the site, while providing the business some kind of incentive such as parking.
Although councillors are sometimes sharply divided over issues, such as whether to relocate the farmers' market downtown, sanding floors at the train station and the location for a planned washroom for the Foster Memorial, there is room for more than one opinion on council and healthy debates are good. The key is for elected politicians to work together effectively. Mayor Shepherd is to be commended for opening his office doors on Saturdays to the community, willing to discuss whatever might be on residents' minds.
Overall, this council earns a B this year, up from last year's mark of B-, due to a more proactive approach. Collectively, Uxbridge councillors are serving the community well.
-- Uxbridge Times Journal
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