Opening comments: More at the end.
What City calls fair notice of public meetings is laid out here for you to judge.
City of Mississauga
Planning & Development meeting - Jan. 12-04.
RE: For file: OZ 02/023 W1 - Northmount Townhouse development.
Dear Committee: Jan. 12, 2004 - # 2
The key element to reviewing this planning process for the proposed Northmount townhouse development and future ones, is - does the City of Mississauga by its actions show that it is sincere and realist about having serious public input and review of this proposal? The documents would say no.
Here is some what the City has been done in the way of informing the public of meetings dealing with an Official Plan Amendment and Rezoning Application and what the City calls encouraging public participation;
1). Copy of the City of Mississauga's public notice date Oct. 3/02, post
marked Oct. 2.
- In this case the letter appears to have been sent out a day before it was
written.
2). Copy of letters to Carmen Corbasson, Ward 1 Councillor and
James N. Riddell, Manager, Development Team South,
dated Feb. 14/03
- A honest effort was made, in writing, to become knowledgable for the
purpose of informing the community and get them participating in the
planning process but there was no response from the City to these
letters. When I spoke to James N. Riddell, he outright told me that Joan
LeFeuvre, the City's Freedom Of Information (FOI), Coordinator had
said he should not to talk to me.
- The City has wrongly, in the past, refused to recognize the Cawthra
Ratepayers' and Residents' Association (CRRA). This has left the
Northmount area without a ratepayers group to represent their
interests. This and years of open hostilely towards me and community
supports by the City is the main why people were not involve in the
Official Plan for the area and this Official Plan Amendment and Rezoning
Application to a greater degree.
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3). Copy of the E-mail from Joan LeFeuvre, FOI Coordinator to Paulina
Mikicich, Planner.
- Ms. LeFeuvre has wrongly, over stepped her authority and the powers
granted to those who carry out FOI matters when she informed City
staff that I was blacklisted by the Information and Privacy
Commissioner (IPC). IPC orders can only cover FOI matters and
talking to Planning staff of my elected official are not FOI requests.
- Because the City did not respond or explain the matter to me, I was
not informed of the OMB meeting that if I had attended, I could have
been granted standing and be apart of the Hearing. Shut out and
just like what the City has done to our FOI requests.
4). Copy of the City of Mississauga's Resolution No: 0267.2003, dated
Nov. 26/03.
- At the Nov. 20/03, public meeting we were given no indication of the
City's interest in asking for a adjournment. In fact we were told there
would be no other public meeting held by the City. I was not told
about this Resolution till showing up at the OMB Dec. 8, meeting, after
I had handed out flyers to the community telling them about the
Dec. 9th OMB meeting they should attend.
5). Copy of the City of Mississauga's public notice date Nov. 26/03,
post marked Nov. 27.
- This official notice from the City is dated the same day as the Council
voted to ask for an adjournment and it was signed by Ms. LeFeuvre,
who works in Clerks and has been seen at Council meetings.
Non-the-less, it does not note there could be an adjournment and who
to call regarding that. The City is not being up-front with people.
It is acting like it does not want them to be involved in its meetings.
6). Copy of the City of Mississauga's public notice date Dec. 5/03, hand
delivered.
- The letter was dated Dec. 5th but it was not delivered till Dec. 8/03,
to my house about 4:30. It only says that the City will ask for an
adjournment not that it has been granted one, earlier in the day.
It also, does not note Jan. 12, as the City's planned next date.
Again the City is acting in a disrespectful fashion towards taxpayers.
- About 20 people showed up to address the Ontario Municipal board
(OMB) hearing. They were the people who heard of the meeting by
way of the flyers I had sent out and was unable to reach about the
cancelation of the meeting. Many more had shown an interest in
attending. Clearly when the community was informed, they were
willing to come out and address the issue.
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7). Copy of the City of Mississauga's notice of meeting cancellation,
Dec. 9/03.
- This was handed out to the people who showed up for the Dec. 9/03,
OMB meeting that was cancelled by the lawyer noted on it. He did not
have a sign up sheet for people to get on the list for the next notice
and the sheet does not note the City's intention for another meeting,
which is noted on the Nov. 26/03, Resolution No: 0267.2003.
8). Copy of the City of Mississauga's public notice date Dec. 24/03,
post marked Jan. 5.
- This one is a classic - the letter is dated Dec. 24/03 (one day before
Christmas), the post mark says it was not mailed till Jan. 5/04 and
not received till Jan. 7 or 8th in some cases. I am told that The
Planning Act states there should be 20 day advance notice for
either an Official Plan Amendment (Sec. 17 (16) & (17)) and
Rezoning Application (Sec. 34 (13)) meetings. In this case less then
a week!
Now City Planning staff say that this meeting is just considering a
revised proposal and therefore not a statutory public under the
Act. The 20 day notice was put in place to stop this very thing from
happening. The public is all but left out of the picture and yet the
City will claim that it has sought their "input". Would this be because
they would not want to hear taxpayers say no?
9). Copy of the City of Mississauga's internet posted Planning &
Development Agenda for the Jan. 12/04 meeting.
- The City calls a meeting for the public to participate and the report
they would need to review ahead of time and maybe even research is
not available in a timely fashion. I asked City staff to call me when it
would be ready, early last week and it was only today that I am told to
come in and get it. Fortunately, I am knowledgeable enough in the
ways of the City to go in on Jan. 9 - Friday, for the rest of the agenda
and much to my surprise there was a copy of the report there. It does
not sound like the City wants people to be participate and to make
meaningful or knowledge input, that may not agree with the City or
the developers plans.
- The fact that the item is last on the agenda (7), can be a problem and
if not moved up many would likely leave before it even comes up.
On behalf of the community I would ask that the City call another meeting on this issue and make sure the public has 20 days notice. Also, as our Councillor will not be at the Jan. 12, meeting it would be inappropriate to hold this meeting in her absence.
Please find enclosed _14__ Form letters that support this position and _14__ people have signed that I am the Chair of the CRRA, their ratepayers group. So far. [1]
Also, find enclose two letters from the community on this issue. So far.
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I am willing to discuss my letter with you, in case the wording seems a little ambiguous or you want a request explained. My phone number is (905) ***-**** & e-mail donbar@arvotek.net.
Please find enclosed:
1). Copy of the City of Mississauga's public notice date Oct. 3/02, post marked Oct. 2.
2). Copy of letters to Carmen Corbasson, Ward 1 Councillor and James N. Riddell, Manager, Development Team South,
dated Feb. 14/03
3). Copy of the E-mail from Joan LeFeuvre, FOI Coordinator to Paulina Mikicich, Planner.
4). Copy of the City of Mississauga's Resolution No: 0267.2003, dated Nov. 26/03.
5). Copy of the City of Mississauga's public notice date Nov. 26/03, post marked Nov. 27.
6). Copy of the City of Mississauga's public notice date Dec. 5/03, hand delivered.
7). Copy of the City of Mississauga's notice of meeting cancellation, Dec. 9/03.
8). Copy of the City of Mississauga's public notice date Dec. 24/03, post marked Jan. 5.
9). Copy of the City of Mississauga's internet posted Planning & Development Agenda for the Jan. 12/04 meeting.
10). Copy of a letter by Erica Nol (Peterborough).
11). Copy of a E-mail by Virginia Hughes, dated Jan. 10/04.
Sincerely yours, Donald Barber, President, FCB & Chair, CRRA.
[ COMMENTS BY DON B. -
[1] - The 14 is 9 + 5 from a letter that followed. This done by way of a very quick flying of a small area and not true representation of our full support in the community.
]