Mayor's Report
Mayor Morrison praises staff for a job well done during last weekend's storm
By Marolyn Morrison

The holidays are fast upon us and the ground is covered in a blanket of snow.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the staff in our Public Works Department. During the course of the recent winter storm, they worked around the clock plowing and sanding roads and clearing numerous walkways.

The news during the storm warned people about traveling, and most people choose to stay at home in the warmth. This was not the case for our emergency personnel and our public works crew. They braced themselves in the cold to ensure the safe passage of vehicles and provided help to residents in need. So thank you for your hard work and commitment to the residents of Caledon. Job well done!

Last Friday, the Greater Toronto Countryside Mayor's Alliance (GTCMA) held a meeting in Halton Hills to discuss the organization's workplan and direction for 2008.

The GTCMA is comprised of 14 municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area that have a mix or urban and rural landscapes. These municipalities have similar demographics and share many of the same challenges due to our proximity to larger cities and the constraints of Provincial Policy (including the Oak Ridges Moraine, the Greenbelt Plan and the Niagara Escarpment). We had a wonderful round table discussion on transportation challenges and our growing infrastructure deficit.

In 2008, GTCMA is planning to invite the Environmental Commissioner to discuss air quality and the Minister of Agriculture to discuss the sustainability of agricultural communities. There will be a focus on growth related issues; how GTCMA can support eating locally; and the 14 municipalities will be putting forth a joint application for Greenbelt funding.

Two resolutions resulted from this meeting. The first is requesting the inclusion of the Members of Parliament that represent the 14 municipalities to attend the next GTCMA meeting in February. It is the wishes of the GTCMA to have a stronger federal presence in supporting the countryside municipalities. The second addresses the financial sustainability of our communities. It requests that; the province provide financial support for infrastructure through entitlement, not by competitive applications; the provincial- municipal review recognize the financial concerns of the countryside municipalities in providing funding through Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund grants; and the current system of farm and farmland assessment and taxation be changed so that municipalities receive an appropriate level of taxation and that farmers are protected.

As Chair of GTCMA, I will be initiating a meeting with the Honourable David Caplan, minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal, to address the various concerns of the countryside municipalities.

I was extremely pleased with the outcome of this meeting and I am looking forward to the successes that

2008 will bring for the countryside municipalities.