Councillors get ready to get down to work
By Bill Rea

Ward 5 council candidate James Durbano (standing) was watching the returns come in to the Township offices. Nobleton area resident Gordon Craig was also watching.

There are mixed interpretations of the message King Township voters were trying to give to their councillors last Monday, but those who were elected are agreed in a desire to work together.

Last week's municipal elections saw Mayor Margaret Black returned for her fifth term at the head of the council table, and she will be joined by four familiar faces; Linda Pabst, Bill Cober, Jane Underhill and Jack Rupke. They are slated to share the table with newcomers Cleve Mortelliti and Jeff Laidlaw.

And they will have a number of issues to work on very early in the game.

Black said one of her priorities in the coming term will be improving communication with residents.

"We are going to need to communicate with people at many different levels," she declared, adding a lot of misinformation has been getting out to people, causing them unnecessary concerns. "People worry about things they don't need to worry about."

Cleve Mortelliti learned he was going to be councillor for Ward 1 as he watched the returns being reported to the Township offices. He was accompanied by his neighbour Gwen Curran.

She cited the example of the costs households in King City are going to have to contribute for the installation of the new sewers, observing she encountered a lot of people who didn't realize the costs could be spread over a number of years and that the municipality would work with people who might have financial trouble. She said the Township had thought this information was getting out, but a lot of people were not receiving it.

"It's very important that we don't have people upset and worried unnecessarily," she said.

Black also said work is needed on the Township's strategic plan. It's been in place since 1995, and has been consid- ered by all councils since then, but she said it needs to be looked at again. There have been concerns about rural roads, and a long-term strategy is needed to look into that, especially since they are in greater need of repair because of increased use from others in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) passing through.

In addition, Black said the Township already has community plans and urban design criteria in place, but stressed the need for councillors to be up to date on them.

She also pointed to the need to make sure the community plans are properly adhered to, but added there's not much cause for fear because of the influence of the plans covering the Oak Ridges Moraine and provincial Greenbelt. But councillors will have to make sure the development in particular areas will be what they want.

Black also observed Township staff is already working on next year's budget, and council will soon be getting involved in that.

The mayor is confident this new council will be able to work together. "I really hope so," she declared.

But she added the public can divide a community, and stressed the need for all factions and segments work together to heal the rifts.

"Let's hope some of the opposition groups give us a chance to govern well," she said, adding a lot of the really contentious issues are now in the past. Water is still an issue, but Black said they are waiting for professional reports and advice before deciding on action.

She also stated it's important that people in King understand that some 3.5 million people will be going around the township in the next 20 years, and that the municipality gets little benefit from this surrounding growth, like money for recreation or hospitals. "All we have received is traffic," she observed.

But limited growth will bring some benefits, as she pointed to the $30 million worth of amenities expected from the Slokker Canada development in Nobleton. Despite that, she said there are people living around the Slokker lands who don't want a single house going there, in spite of the positive comments from experts and the Ontario Municipal Board. She added there were similar problems with the King City sewers, with costs being driven up because of delays.

"I really hope the community will use some common sense in dealing with some of those issues," she said. "Talk to our staff. Talk to me to make sure we have the correct information."

Black had a very clear feeling on what the voters of King were saying last Monday.

"They said they were happy with their mayor, Margaret Black," she remarked. Actually, they were happy with the majority of their council."

Black also pointed to the fact almost 50 per cent of the electorate voted. "Obviously, they were not upset with government."

"It is an endorsement of the council, because five members have been reelected," she added.

Mortelliti is about to take his council seat for the first time, and he admitted to having a few butterflies at the thought of it.

"I'm looking forward to a lot of it," he commented last week. "I'm not looking forward to acrimony among council members. I hope that's not going to happen."

Mortelliti cited his campaign platform, which stressed his desire to attract the attention of his council colleagues to the financial burden King City residents are facing with getting their homes connected to the sewers. Each household will be billed $12,541 for their share of the installation. "Even that is really going to impact some people," he observed, adding the connection costs are going to be on top of that. Councillors have said they won't allow people to be put out of their homes, but Mortelliti said there's nothing in the connection bylaw confirming that.

"It's not in the bylaw," he said. "There's no wording in the bylaw that says residents will be protected."

"To me, it's a horrible thing for a person to have to be afraid to losing their home," he added.

Mortelliti said he's also going to have to learn his way around his new duties. "I'm a rookie," he observed.

Although he used to work in the Township's operations department, Mortelliti said there are a number of Kingwide issues he's going to have to get up to speed on. The budget is one of the things he's going to have to learn about.

He also pointed out large development proposals are in the works for King City. He's talked about sustainable development, but there are also conflicts between economics and the environment that have to be considered. "That's the challenge," he said.

Does he think this council can work together? "That's one thing that I'm really concerned about," Mortelliti commented.

He said there's one side that doesn't want development overrunning King, and another that's fearful that development will turn the township into another Maple.

He said he believes council will have to be able to work together. "I hate the notion that a victory for Schomberg is a loss for King City," he remarked.

He added he has guidance from the wording of the Municipal Act, when it comes to the role of a councillor and the head of council. "Our duty is to look after the best interests of our whole Township," he said.

Mortelliti did say there wasn't really a clear messages from the voters across the township. He pointed out Pabst and Underhill were the only ones who won their seats substantially. "Townshipwide, it looks like there was a split," he observed.

But he added that maybe the various platforms were close together. He had previously stated he didn't think there were many differences between the platform he and Liina Peacock put forth in Ward 1.

"I guess the councillors have to rise above . . . the differences," he commented, adding he hopes they will be able to focus on matters they agree on.

That seems to be on Laidlaw's agenda, as he said he said he plans "to work with council to achieve positive results."

"It may take some time for adjustments, but I believe it can," he added.

Laidlaw is going to be the other rookie on council, but he said he's not really nervous about the prospect.

"New situation for me on the other side of the table, as opposed to down on the floor," he said.

Pabst was also confident that five experienced councillors and two novices should be able to work together. "We should be able to build on the positive momentum we have been working toward over the past three years," she stated.

For the coming term, she said council must focus on reducing the tax burden currently placed on residents by encouraging appropriate businesses to come into King.

"Together, we can work to make King Township a healthy, sustainable community," she commented.

Cober, who was acclaimed last Monday, said there is important infrastructure work to carry on with.

He also said economic development was a common topic he heard over the campaign, along with expanding the tax base to "lighten the load" on the residents.

He also said he hopes this council will be able to work together. He expects there will be a combination of ideas, but there should be common themes within them.

"As long as everyone's willing," he said. "You've got to be willing, and I certainly am."

"I think they're happy with the governance in the municipality," he commented when asked about the message he thought the voters were sending. "I think, generally speaking, people are pleased."

Underhill said she has no startling plans for the coming term.

"I'm probably just going to proceed on the way I've been going," she remarked, adding that will include working to protect, maintain and possibly enhance the quality of life in King. She also wants to make sure the legacy of the new sewers in King City doesn't live up to her worst fears.

She's been concerned about the pipe for years, and added Ontario's environment commissioner has been worried about it since 1996. "It's not just me," she said.

Underhill also said Environmental Defence Canada has determined the aquifers around the village are at risk.

She said she thinks this council should be able to work together, even if some of the members have their own individual goals.

"We're not elected to be a cheerleader, but to represent our constituents," she observed.

"They won't always be acrimonious, but they also won't always be in agreement," Underhill commented. "Hopefully, everybody will be in agreement to protect our precious environment here and take steps to make sure that happens."

She also thought that was the message voters were sending out all over the GTA, "This environment has to be protected."

She also thought they were seeking transparency in government.

Rupke said his major plans for Ward 6 include the installation of lights at the park in Ansnorveldt, extending sidewalks on Dufferin Street further north, and reconstruction work on Millers Sideroad, "but that looks like it's going to be two or three years down the road."

He also said he wants to work on reconstruction of King Street in the Holland Marsh, and address any other concerns that his constituents raise.

Looking at broader matters involving the township, Rupke said he wants to see a continuation of the program started by the last council on issues of development and servicing in King City and eventually in Nobleton.

"I'm looking forward to working in cooperation with my fellow councillors," he said. "Hopefully, we can have a working relationship. I always look at the positive side of things."

The message from the voters presented a bit of a mixed picture for Rupke. People in rural areas seemed to be saying they were satisfied and to keep going. He also was concerned with the number of people who didn't vote, commenting that people in some areas may not support what the winning candidates stood for.

"I think there was too much apathy out there," he remarked.

"I get a little upset when they say, 'Oh I don't care. I never vote,'" Rupke added. "You can't argue with these people."