Ross-Zuj

Thank you very much for this question. The Chamber of Commerce is to be commended for their efforts to increase participation in this election and improve communications. To all of the candidates who put their names forward you are to be congratulated. Choosing public service is not an easy decision and it is your commitment to our community that is to be admired. Centre Wellington is the finest Community in the Province and we all contribute to an unique quality of life. The new Council will be faced with new challenges and with cooperation, respect and participation we will move forward with the best interests of the Municipality at heart. To all of those who supported my campaign I extend my sincere appreciation.  I look forward to serving the citizens of Centre Wellington for the next term.

Ross-Zuj

The leash-free dog park was an experiment that turned out to be very successful and well received by the community. We have established excellent partnerships and collaboration from dog owners and the park appears to be functioning quite well. To continue this practice will be a valuable asset to the community.

Ross-Zuj

With the places to grow document, created by the Provincial Government, our population is expected to be 40,000 by the year 2031. It is imperative that we develop and implement sustainability plans to protect our agricultural lands from being gobbled up from urban expansion. Currently our urban boundary is sufficient to accommodate our population targets and this will prevent urban sprawl. We are not protected by the Green Belt, but with a strong official plan we can control where development takes place. We must continue to connect with our rural produces and support initiatives that encourage buying local. We are off to a good start in developing this relationship and with our local market opportunities we will continue to support our local producers.

Ross-Zuj

The concept of developing a local transportation network is a very positive direction. The challenges we face as a small urban-rural community to finance such a venture are significant. Partnerships will be the answer to this financial need and, as your Mayor, I have been in discussion with a number of business persons who are investigating launching such a service. We have successfully developed bussing opportunities for our seniors with the help of service clubs and volunteers. We will continue to look for additional projects to address this very important need for all our citizens.

Ross-Zuj

The short answer is that I oppose the development of a wind farm in Centre Wellington; but, more importantly are the actions that I am taking to address this issue.

• We have hired legal council to protect our community interests
• We have requested a moratorium from the government on wind turbines until health issues have been addressed
• As Mayor, we have partnered with the county to have a collective voice
• As the Warden, we are grouping with other counties to create a larger voice of opposition.
• In the future, we will be meeting directly with the Minister of the Environment to present our issues and concerns

The health and safety of our residents is paramount.

Ross-Zuj

The township has been a participant in a county initiative to look at active transportation. We recognize the need for greater participation in alternate forms of transportation to be used to reduce our reliance on motorized vehicles. This can be a real challenge for rural areas. Using a bicycle safely in our community is a viable alternative to our dependence on the car. To facilitate this, a committee of representative from both the township and county are actively engaging in discussions about the creation of more paved shoulders on county roads for bicycle transportation. Unfortunately, many of the township roads are not wide enough for the creation of bike lanes or paved shoulders. Therefore, we are again working in partnership with the county to build and maintain trail linkages throughout our communities for pedestrians and cyclists. The work is in progress.

Ross-Zuj

Not being a part of this slate group, I cannot comment on the motivations for present actions or what they will do in the future. However, you pose legitimate questions that need to be addressed.

Ross-Zuj

Councillors do not have corporate credit cards. We have a policy and procedure for submitting expenses that was created by a citizen’s committee and adopted by council. All expense claims must follow the rules clearly outlined in the policy.

Ross-Zuj

All of these organizations contribute significantly to the growth and economic development of our community. It is essential to include them in all of our planning processes and support their efforts to strengthen our community. The contributions of the organization are to be commended and truly appreciated.

Ross-Zuj

On paper, having the man-power and machinery to complete a task in house does not necessarily mean the practical ability to meet the needs of the community. At our strategic plan meeting we put every cost and service on the table for review. In addition, we must also be mindful of Labour Law demands. One such situation is with respect to the number of hours our employees can be on the roads for snow ploughing. Our roads are a priority for transportation and more importantly, emergency services. With severe snow conditions all employees and machinery are attending to the safety of our roads. Therefore, if we were to rely solely on our in house employees and machinery, parking lots and sidewalks would not get the attention they deserve in the retail areas, fire halls, or recreation centres. However, with upcoming funding restriction, this area may be a part of future discussion if cuts to services are required.

The hiring of a consultant to do a parks master plan of all green spaces in The Township of Centre Wellington was a recommendation brought to council form the Parks and Recreation Committee, chaired by my opponent. Our green spaces are very tired and this was a massive job to conduct public consultations and create a direction for immediate budget planning to address park restoration. The recommendations have proven to be so important to budget preparation and this report will be used for many years to come as we gradually address the condition of our parks in our community.

With reference to employees using town vehicles, we currently do not have a central garage to house securely all of our vehicles. Also, many of our employees are on call for service and if they choose to have a vehicle at home it is a taxable benefit. If improprieties, such as those suggested by my opponent, are reported to councillors or the mayor, they should be immediately directed to our senior staff or in the case of a senior staff in violation to the CAO. Inquires in the reports will be made, and if necessary the appropriate disciplinary action, as defined by contract, will occur. We currently have the corporate structure in place to deal with public complaints with respect to employees and the proper policies and guidelines necessary to take appropriate action.

Ross-Zuj

Vinnie, this is a question for the Hospital Board. The funds you are referring to are not tax collected dollars and thus not under the control of Township Council. Further questions with respect to the redirection of these funds should be addressed to the Hospital Board Chair. However, as Mayor, I would be happy to take this suggestion forward for you.

Ross-Zuj

Over the past four years, council and staff HAVE been reviewing our organizational structure. At our strategic plan review meetings we worked as a council and staff team to examine every department and their organizational structure in an attempt to streamline and improve efficiency in operations. There have been numerous changes made throughout the four year term of this council; however, with the elimination of the Ontario Municipal Partnership fund, future strategic planning and organizational review will be critical. Since the elimination of the mandatory retirement age, the elimination of job positions through attrition is no longer a dependable solution. Therefore, in the next four years we will need to work on redefining job descriptions and responsibilities at the same time balancing the staffing requirements necessary for quality service delivery. Since we have made strategic planning a continual process throughout the past four years, I am very familiar with the challenges we face and have already begun the process of working towards a successful solution.

Ross-Zuj

In responding to this question it is imperative to have the correct information regarding the current debt of the Township. As of January 2010, our debt was approximately $14 million. This past council has not added ANY money to the debt. It is also important to note that a portion of this debt is NOT charged interest, examples being the expenditure for the Fergus Mill, and the Upper Grand District School Board High School servicing.

In the future, two other expenditures are planned which are growth related and will be funded entirely by development charges. These expenditures are the government mandated reconstruction of the Elora Waste Water Treatment Plant and the Fergus North Sector Water Tower. Both of these projects are growth related, essential to the health of our population, and COMPLETELY cost recoverable through development charges. When considering funding for these projects, the treasurer carefully looks at the benefit of using reserves that are drawing high interest rates of return verses borrowing at a greatly reduced rate of interest and takes the appropriate action.

In Centre Wellington we have a healthy development climate that is moving forward. The rate may be slower than in previous years but it IS happening. We receive monthly reports from the building department monitoring our progress. I regularly attend development review meetings to monitor all building activity and frequently meet with future investors waiting to commence construction. Development is present in this community and, therefore, fears of development charges not being present to fund the necessary water tower and waste water treatment plant are unfounded.
For further information, the Finance Department would be more than willing to supply a more detailed report verifying what I have said with respect to the correct current and projected debt.

Ross-Zuj

Heritage preservation is not only a priority of the Township, but also the County. In the Township we saw the renovation of the Grand Theatre, the purchase of Templin Gardens, the creation of BT Corners, and the restoration of the Elora Drill Shed. In partnership with the County we have seen the restoration of the Carnegie Library in Elora and will see the future restoration of the Carnegie Library in Fergus. As your Mayor, I will continue to seek out funding opportunities that will allow us to continue maintaining our heritage sites.

Ross-Zuj

We are continuing to work with the Province to get approval for the new hospital. The spokes person for the Hospital Board is the Chair, Gord Feniak, and I’m am sure he would be willing to give you more information on this topic. From a political perspective, I have been taking every opportunity to lobby the upper orders of government for the advancement of this project.

Ross-Zuj

90% is outrageous and you should be contacting MPAC to challenge this. Make sure to check with the Township to see if there is anything that can be done to assist you with your appeal.

Ross-Zuj

Absolutely, I think this is important. I heard a very good comment the other day with respect to this issue. When applying for a job, a resume is required including details such as previous employment, education, and references. Why should disclosure of this information be any different when running for public office?

Ross-Zuj

The Ontario Municipal Act allows for any councillor to call for a recorded vote in council meetings. I have no objection to any councillors exercising their right to a recorded vote.

Ross-Zuj

Funding is one of the three strategic focus points for council and staff as there is a continuous struggle to supply funds for all areas. Currently, council provides a budget for the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Committee and the distribution of those funds is at the discretion of the committee.

Ross-Zuj

I am very supportive of the Fair Trade concept. This issue has been presented to council on two occasions; however, discussions have not taken place to address the political implications associated with implementing this initiative. As your Mayor, I am looking forward to having this discussion in the future.

Ross-Zuj

As your Mayor, reducing the tax burden is a top priority and I am a strong advocate for strategic planning to reach that goal. Over the past four years our council and staff team have met every few months to review our funding challenges and collectively find solutions to continue service delivery without raising the tax levy. This communication is critical for results to be achieved. As your mayor, I would continue to engage council and staff in this strategic planning regime. By providing an avenue for collaborative planning, no person or department is working in isolation which will allow us to find the best possible outcome for everyone.

Ross-Zuj

One of the top industries that we have in this municipality is tourism and we will continue to fund this department. Over the past four years we have received several very prestigious marketing awards for our tourism initiatives. It is in part though these tourism projects that we will help to activate our community, promoting our local agricultural, artistic, hospitality, culinary, and retail industries.

Ross-Zuj

I completely agree. There are many roads within the municipality that are in need of attention. Unfortunately, the current list of roads in need exceeds our ability to pay. Therefore, we are prioritizing and are looking for partnerships to help us aggressively address this problem. In addition, alternate options to ‘patching’ are being investigated.

Ross-Zuj

Money received from the slot revenues has been spent as follows:

Gerrie Rd Bridge $728,500
8th Line bridge $1,779.662
Middlebrook Bridge $945,000
Bridge inspection $30,000
Bridge Waterproofing & Paving $20,000
Bridge Load Capacity Evaluations $10,000
Bridge Deck Condition Surveys $20,000
Sportsplex construction $423,000
Sportsplex upgrades & repairs $771,324
Melville Street Storm Outlet $159,000
Melville Street to Mill Street Reconstruction $270,000
Elora Street - Perth to Guelph Road $196,000
South River Road Reconstruction $106,405
4th Line W Gary $62,000
3rd line - SR5 to WR17 Reconstruction $20,000
BT Corner Project $10,000
Central Operations Facility Reserve $100,000
Space Needs Reserve $100,000
Church Street - Geddes to Queen Street Reconstruction $350,667
Elora Drill Shed Repointing $100,000
Siderd 20 - 1st Line to 6th Line $278,000
Tower Street - St. Patrick St. W to St. George St. W $30,000
Sideroad 19 - Beatty Line to Highway 6 $266,300
Gzowski St. Sidewalk - Gordon St. to Strathallan St. $160,000
Gordon St. Sidewalk - Hwy 6 to Gibbons Dr. $107,500
6th line culvert (15-WG) - SR20 to SR25 $197,000
Siderd 19 - Beatty Line to Highway 6 $50,000
Water St Reconstruction - Sidewalk construction $50,000
BT Corner Project $16,000
Civic centre generator $30,000
Tower St S to Highway 6, Widening $104,920
Templin Gardens Purchase $77,000

Total $7,651,157

Ross-Zuj

As your Mayor, I worked to reduce the Township’s operating budget and last year alone, we cut over $300,000. This year, with the reduction of the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, we will be looking to reduce approximately an additional $750,000. The salaries for Mayor and Councillors were established by an independent committee of community representatives before this Council took office. Over the past four years, this Council has not voted on any changes to the recommendations made by that committee.

Ross-Zuj

It is my intention to continue to work full time as your Mayor, suspending my work in the education field.

Ross-Zuj

The rights of property owners are currently respected. By-laws are only imposed when the health and/or safety of our residents is at risk.

Ross-Zuj

My definition of ‘sustainability’ is to protect a resource that is not renewable. We have a huge urban footprint that has manmade economic and operating systems. The surrounding environmental systems need to be protected. As your Mayor, I will continue to work with community and staff to create the necessary protection plans that need to be put in place that address woodlot, water, and trail systems. Currently, significant progress is being made with our Rural Water Quality Program. Landowners, planners, conservations, and local government are all working together to be good environmental stewards and putting best practices in place. I with also continue to work cooperatively with Greenlands Centre Wellington to identify our natural systems. With this knowledge we will be able to make better decisions on severances and future development.

Ross-Zuj

Centre Wellington has 105 bridges and 34 are in critical condition. We have managed with partnership to rebuild five of these bridges and maintain significant transportation routes without increasing the tax levy. All of our bridge replacements have been with partnership funding. As your Mayor, I will continue to network and look for partnership assistance that will be needed to afford the new walking bridge. I am confident that we can make this happen in the future, with no impact to the tax levy.

Ross-Zuj

The building of the new OPP Station was a decision made by the County of Wellington, included in the 5 year capital plan. The lands owned by the County in Aboyne are designated for public service. The current Fergus OPP office has many deficiencies and does not supply the space needed for adequate police administration. Current levels of service delivery in Centre Wellington will not be affected by the change in station location. Currently, the Police Service Board has commenced discussions about possible uses for the current police building in Fergus.

Ross-Zuj

The County of Wellington is very pleased to have come to an agreement with the Region of Peel allowing us to continue to have an excellent working relationship with our neighbour.

Ross-Zuj

The legal action taken by the County of Wellington is the right thing to do and this matter is in the courts.

Ross-Zuj

The County of Wellington is responsible for the delivery of social services. In Centre Wellington, in association with the County of Wellington, we were successful in receiving funding which allowed us to build 55 units of affordable housing. More is needed and I will continue to work towards increasing housing opportunities. At the County of Wellington, we see the need for improved accessibility to social services and are working on a plan to improve accessibility to services in Centre Wellington to address the ever increasing needs of our residents.

Ross-Zuj

As you Mayor, I recognize the need to create a cultural component to our grant structure. We have empowered our Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Committee to distribute these funds. I will continue to explore and advise on any opportunity available to access more money to keep these programs going.

Ross-Zuj

Street trees enhance not only the beauty of our streets but their canopy is very important for our health. The major issue that we have in Centre Wellington is primarily the location of underground infrastructure. We still have many water and waste water lines that until replaced could be damaged by the impact of tree roots. It is imperative to have the proper locations identified for trees to avoid the issue of trees affecting underground infrastructure. As well, we must also consider the affect street trees will have on snow removal and site triangles. With proper consultation and planning, we will be able to generate a great programme and as far as I’m concerned, the more trees the better. My term as Mayor has seen the cooperation and appreciation that Centre Wellington has for its Horticultural Societies, Neighbourwoods, and the Green Legacy programme. As your Warden, two urban forests were planted in Centre Wellington as a part of the Green Legacy programme, which equated to the planting of approximately 4000 trees. The Millionth tree for the Green Legacy programme is being planted on October 3rd at the museum. My future plans are to enhance established partnerships and work in complete cooperation with tree planting efforts.

Ross-Zuj

Two top issues defining Centre Wellington today are as follows:

Infrastructure

In Centre Wellington, we are facing serious issues with respect to our infrastructure. Inspection of our 105 bridges has shown that 34 are in critical condition needing either repair or replacement. Our water and waste water lines are aging and are in need of attention. Upgrades are needed to our waste water treatment facilities, and, as always, many of our roads are in need of resurfacing and repair. Over my past term we have started to address some of our problem areas which were made possible though the large amounts of partnership funding that we were able to secure. In the future, we will need to continue to address our infrastructure need.

Employment

The Places to Grow document produced by the Provincial Government targets a significant growth in population for Centre Wellington. Along with that population growth jobs need to be created. Currently, we have close to 7000 residents leaving our municipality each day for employment opportunities. It is imperative that we present the strengths of our Community to attract and network with potential investors. In my term I have attended numerous ribbon cuttings for new business and business expansions. We have also started a county wide initiative to expand our resources and attract more business to the area. Future work will need to continue our economic development to provide employment opportunities within our municipality.

Ross-Zuj

Dealing with the very serious infrastructure deficiencies we have in Centre Wellington will continue to be an issue face by the next council. There are 105 bridge structures in the municipality and 34 are in critical conditions. Roads, sidewalks, water, and waste water facilities are in high need of attention. Being fiscally responsible and recognizing the tax burden that we currently have, it is imperative that we use partnerships to help us strengthen our infrastructure. Over the past four years in Centre Wellington, millions of tax dollars were saved with partnership funding allowing us to built 5 new bridges thus demonstrating the success of this strategic direction. In the future, I will continue to work closely with the upper orders of government to attract investment into Centre Wellington. We must search and be prepared for funding opportunities that leverage the value of our dollar and reduce the burden placed on the tax payer.

Ross-Zuj

The Places to Grow document was produced by the Province of Ontario to illustrate their plan for future growth in the province. In response to the document, a Green Belt was created that surrounded the Greater Toronto area, protecting these agricultural lands from large urban growth. Centre Wellington is not in this area; therefore we need to develop our own plans to protect our surrounding environment. In 25 years our population is predicted to grow to approximately 40,000 people. To plan for this growth we have been actively putting together good planning practices including urban design guidelines and a comprehensive zoning by-law. Future work on sustainability plans that protect our agricultural lands, trail systems and heritage landscapes are essential and definitely need to be part of our corporate strategic plan.

Ross-Zuj

The health and vitality of the downtown areas are critical and The Township of Centre Wellington has made and will continue to make these areas a priority. This response is directed towards projects and programs for the Fergus area giving examples of what we’ve done and a small sampling of the plans for the future.

Current Results:

• Efforts are made to ensure the streets and sidewalks are in good condition and garbage is controlled.
• Beautification projects including tree planting, hanging flowers, and flower bed planting and maintenance are in place.
• Work is being conducted to stabilize the riverbank.
• The gorge observation deck has been repaired.
• BT Corner was constructed.
• The historical significance of Templin Gardens and the hard work of those who contribute to it beauty was recognized through the purchase of the gardens for the community.
• The Weigh Scale building is being maintained for the Fergus BIA office and public washrooms.
• Major renovations, made possible though funding partnerships with higher orders of government and the Cultural Spaces Canada Grant were done to the Grand Theatre.
• The area to the back of the Fergus Curling Club has been landscaped as was suggested in a previous plan to connect a walking path to downtown Fergus from the Curling Club parking lot.

Future Plans as your Mayor:

• We will develop strong partnership with the BIA and events that attract visitors and residents to the downtown such as: theatre programming, doors open, classic car show, piper on the bridge, open air movies, festival events, and other great ideas.
• The Community Improvement Plan will be implemented which contains a great opportunity for business façade improvements.
• The Parking Committee will look for input from the business community and act upon recommendations regarding parking concerns.
• Plans will be made to enhance the beauty of the boardwalk.
• The downtown Carnegie Library will be restored in partnership with the County of Wellington.
• A grant application will be submitted for the Youth Entrepreneurial Programme that will partner with business owners in the community.

Ross-Zuj

The three most important issues for the incoming council are as follows:

#1 Funding: The sole reliance on taxes is NOT an option. The tax payer is burdened with enough. Therefore, we must continue to search for funding partnerships to advance projects and lobby the upper orders of government to reduced expectations of property taxes to pay for services.

#2 Design for Future Growth: The Province sees a substantial increase in population growth for this area. We must continue to develop strong sustainability plans to accommodate this growth while maintaining environmental integrity. Our natural water and woodlot systems, heritage landscapes, and connecting train linkages within our community and the county are non-renewable systems and need to be protected.

#3 Maintain Service Delivery: Currently we deliver 99 services and we have managed, with good financial planning, to maintain these. However, operating budgets are being impacted by a reduction in the Ontario Partnership Fund. Therefore, maintaining service delivery will be a significant challenge. New technologies and programs must be implemented to improve the efficiency of service delivery and priorities set based on what we can afford.

Ross-Zuj

It is imperative for Council to work in partnership with local businesses. As your Mayor I made infrastructure in our business sections a top priority. Roads, sidewalks and parking lots are kept clean, beautification projects are continuing to be developed, garbage is controlled, lighting is maintained, and other repairs are being regularly attended to. I will continue to partner with those who meet regularly to discuss local business issues including the Chamber of Commerce, Fergus and Elora Retail Association, Fergus and Elora BIA, and Economic Development. As Mayor I will also work with the Wellington-Waterloo Futures Development Cooperation and Guelph Business Enterprise to connect our investors with opportunities for good business practices. In the next term of council I will continue to work on a Community Improvement Plan which will offer local businesses opportunities for façade improvements. Our local businesses our so important to the health of our Community and local Government must be a close partner to work towards their success.