2023 Oakville Capital Budget

The Town will hold a virtual public meeting to receive comments on its 2023 Budgets. Virtual meetings are an important tool to communicate with citizens, but they are also limiting.

To that end, I felt the best vehicle would be to provide input directly to our Ward Councillors.

First, it is important to acknowledge developing rate supported, operating and capital budgets is a significant challenge.

Staff and Council have to negotiate competing and conflicting interests. On one hand is inflation and the rising cost of living in Oakville, particularly in that it is one of the most expensive places to reside in Canada.

There are also needs and wants.

Needs include the maintenance of our existing infrastructure. Second is state of good repair from a liability perspective. There is also equity in services and facilities, particularly in the new developing communities.

There are the wants. People want more and better snow removal, more parks, more recreation facilities, more cultural facilities and other things. The list is long and there are groups advocating for each of these and more.

I have spent some time reviewing the proposed 2023 Capital Budget. To be fair, it is through a very narrow lens. First, as a life long resident of Bronte, second my point of view (which maybe different than others) on what we need to make our community liveable. Third is the "election" platforms and matters put on the table by our Local and Regional Councillors. As a resident of Bronte, you have have a different set of priorities, wants or needs.

In short, there is some good news, bad news, puzzling things and disappointments.

The first group of investments I would like to focus on relate directly to the Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park. There are 4 projects scheduled for this year. A rebuild of the parking lots, improvements to the playground, gazebo and the Promenade in front of the Waterfront Centre.

As we come into the Spring, Summer and Fall, the Waterfront Park receives its greatest use. In many ways it is the beating heart of the Community.

The parking lots are old and it is likely they require a complete rebuild, including a new base. Given the existing parking issues in the Village the loss of those lots (due to reconstruction) during the summer will have significant impacts.

When you think about Lake Notes, Canada Day and Art and the Park, these spaces are critical. That said, this work needs to be done. Hopefully, the project can go ahead this year, but work not undertaken until mid-September.

The budget documents do not provide much detail on the improvements to the Gazebo, playground or Promenade. However, again I would make the comment, that the works should proceed this year, but be timed for the Fall when usage is down. This is an important area of communication by the Town to the residents.

The budget also shows dredging will occur in the inner harbour, outer harbour and a reconstruction of Berta Point. It would be helpful for the Town to provide more information on these projects. This would include impacts on public access to the Piers, truck routes, hours of operation (for example any impact (noise) during Lake Note Concerts) and removal of the dredged material.

From my personal perspective; the existing Waterfront Centre has incredible potential as a multi-use facility....a kind of Community Hall.

Having a restaurant, coffee shop, ice cream store are so important to the liveability of Bronte, but also to attract people, which then benefits existing business. Yet the future of the building remains cloudy at best.

For some reason the Town appears to have delayed (based on the budget documents) coming up with a plan for the future of the building till 2025. At that time there is funding for a Business Plan and Strategy for the building. That means we could be 3 or 4 more years before there is a plan and money is included in the budget for the building. This is at a time when the building continues to age and existing problems will grow.

Again communication is critical.

As someone familiar with the Park its origins, planning and construction I understand the complexity of land ownership issues between the Town, Province and Federal Governments. That said, they existed at the time the park was planned and built. To be very honest, I fail to see what kind of Provincial or Federal interest remains in the Park or the Harbour. For that matter we have a senior Cabinet member Federally and an influential MPP. We need to understand why a deal hasn't been done what could possibly be the barriers. I am certain the community would rally support behind Council and communicate to the Province and Federal Government to get the issue resolved.

For that matter the discussion should be focused on two points, give the Town the land and funding support to build/improve an important community facility. By way of comparison. The Town recently received a Trillium Grant of nearly $1 million for improvements to Wallace Park.

The Town needs to start a business plan and strategy for the Waterfront Centre now, not in three years. It needs that document as part of the negotiations with the Federal and Provincial Governments and to advocate for funding.

Having gone through the budget, I could find no investment in parking for Bronte.

In fact a Town wide parking demand study and strategy will not occur until 2024-25-6. Given the election discussion, this does not speak to the urgency of the problem in Bronte.

I also find it puzzling that given the studies, the Capital Budget appears to have pre-determined where the parking investment should be in the Town; as opposed to being guided by the outcome of the study. The Budget shows an investment of $70 million in 2025 for a new parking facility in Downtown. I presume this is for a new structure on the former Post Office site. Even more interesting; when I looked at the 2022 Capital Budget, the line item for the new Downtown Parking Garage was $40 million. So the cost has increased by $30 million (nearly double in one year). One of the issues, one would think the demand study would address would be the timing of a new parking facility for downtown. The Town now has the use of the parking garage at the old hospital site. Having used it, the walk to downtown is less that 7 minutes and in fact a very enjoyable stroll. Does having access to that facility delay the need for downtown? Could those capital resources ($70 million) be better used in Bronte or Kerr Street.

The parking issues in Bronte are more than just lack of spaces (real or perceived) and the impact of towing. The public discourse impacts the confidence of visitors coming to Bronte and possibly new businesses investing here. A parking demand study, is critical to developing factual information on the level of need, extent of the problem and to identify solutions. It may also help communicate to residents, visitors and business. Yet that study is at least 2 years away with funding for a solution maybe 3 or 4 years away (given the expenditures proposed in the Budget for the Post Office site). On the other hand, at $70 million for the downtown garage does that deplete the Parking Reserve Fund?

A parking study could also inform an interim strategy for peak days and special events that would be put into action for example, Lake Note Concerts, Canada Day, Art in the Park and other events. In the election there was clear communication about a permanent solution. If the solution is a structure there are questions, where is the land, how big and at what cost?

Again, during the election the idea of an outdoor artificial skating surface was on the table. A skating track was originally proposed during the planning for the park. Funds for a feasibility study had to be diverted to deal with opposition to the Park.

The concept resurfaced again in 2000 with the proposal and fundraising for the butterfly garden, which essentially fell apart leaving only the gazebo.

Bronte goes into hibernation during the winter. We have many businesses which rely on visitors and day trippers. Add to this the impact of the pandemic and high rents and the loss of existing retail space due to redevelopment proposals, Bronte is losing its vibrancy. An outdoor skating surface would bring in that people traffic.

Over the last 5 years massive investment has been made in downtown Oakville. It was needed and the benefits very clear. Everything from infrastructure, to beautification, harbour parks improved, the arena rehabilitated and two new recreation centres. There is also the new outdoor rink at the Trafalgar Park. The are additional investments planned for the Library and Town Cultural Centre.

The Capital Budget includes $800,000 for a second outdoor surface at Wallace Park. The would be two within a 15 minute walk between Kerr Street and Balsam Avenue.

While selfish, why not build the second surface in Bronte?

Recently the new "Market Square" opened with the Christmas Tree lighting. This space has considerable potential, but to be fair there are mixed reviews and visually beyond the lighting and a few chairs it is not a welcoming space. There are questions as to whether it is Town owned or private space with limitations on usage or whether there can be additional investments to make it more of a community space.

The proposed budget does not include any information to suggest additional public investments will be made on this space.

There are some additional items of note in the 2023 budget. This include electrical and other upgrades to the white Harbour Building (inner harbour). It appears the intent of this expenditure is to bring the building up to code for the existing tenant rather than preparing the building for some form of public use in the future.

There are minor capital improvements to Westbrook Park and Shell Parks, but more directed at aging infrastructure. There also appears to be some minor rehabilitation work planned for the Lakeshore Road Bridge.

In terms of the schedule for the reconstruction of Lakeshore Road through Bronte it will, based on the proposed budget, not occur until after 2025. Traffic concerns in Bronte are always front and centre. However, as champion by our Regional Councillor, the bridge crossing (Cornwall-Speers-Harvester) for Bronte Creek is the best solution.

Before Christmas, I did a quick search of the Regions Capital Budget related to any improvements at Bronte Beach. At that time I was not able to identify any investments of note.

The Capital Budget is a draft document still has to go through considerable review by staff, Council with input by the public. It will change. It is a very fluid document and while it looks out 10 years, the certainty a project will occur tends to reduce the further you go out in the 10 year period. I would also point out, that when a project is in a current year (2023) there is considerable work from further approvals, design to tenders and awards. This all takes time. There is the reality of the economy, cost and labour, so projects can ebb and flow even within a current year. This is why the proposed projects for the Bronte Heritage Park may not get into the ground till the Fall

I would also remind that our Councillors are but 2 votes on Council. Bronte's needs compete with other similar needs and wants elsewhere within the Town. That said, it is important for the Community to use its voice to express support, concern and ideas. The louder and stronger that community voice is, the more effective our Councillors can be advocating for needs in the community.