October 8, 2010

 

Dear Municipal Candidate,

 

Sustainable food production,  and the preservation of farmland and our cultural heritage have become significant issues in communities across Ontario, as well as here in Brant County.  The large scale purchase of prime farmland by developers and landbankers in Brant County has elicited strong responses from local residents as well as media, individuals and organizations outside the city.  Brant County has also been approached by a gasification (incineration) company. In response residents have brought in speakers from other communities that successfully opposed incineration and stepped up their waste diversion efforts.

 

The following questionnaire is intended to gauge candidatesÕ positions on issues pertaining to the land use planning, agriculture and local food, the built heritage, waste diversion, campaign financing and the democratic process.  Please take the time to complete the questionnaire.  Your responses will be shared with the residents of Brant County to let them know where you stand on these important issues.  The Yes/No answers will be shared in a newsletter to Brant County residents. Your written responses will be posted at http://sustainablebrant.blogspot.com/ and will not be edited in any way.  If you do not complete and return the questionnaire, it will be noted that you have no comment on a particular issue.

 

Please return completed questionnaires by email to: sustainablebrant@gmail.com or by fax to 519-647-0307 (call first).

Please return questionnaires by: Friday, Oct. 15, 2010.

 

We appreciate your time and interest in these issues.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Sharon Terry

Sustainable Brant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Brant County Election 2010 Survey Questions:

Please return by Friday, Oc. 15 to sustainablebrant@gmail.com or by fax to 519-647-0307 (call first). Please feel free to elaborate in 150-200 words, on what steps you would take to support your position. 

 

Annexation:

1)    On Nov. 9, the Ontario Municipal Board will rule on whether it can rule on requests by Brantford to annex land in the ÒgreenbeltÓ (standstill/no build zone) that was created by provincial legislation in 1980.  Brantford is interested in annexing land in the ÒgreenbeltÓ at Hwy 403 and Garden Avenue. The original intent of this ÒgreenbeltÓ or standstill/no build zone was to protect this land for "permanent agriculture and related rural uses".  

 

As an elected official of our county would you protect this land for Òpermanent agriculture and related rural usesÓ?

 

 

I am 100% against annexation or amalgamation with the City of Brantford. Your level of understanding of this topic you reference is deeper than mine.   As such, I can only comment that I am against annexation or amalgamation of any kind.

 

Amalgamation:

2)                                                                                                                                                                                                          As an elected official of our county, would you support amalgamation of Brant County with Brantford?

 

 

No.

 

 

 

Waste and Waste Diversion:

3)                                                                                                                                                                                                           a) The ÒGreen HubÓ is being promoted by the Chamber of Commerce and some politicians, but no one is really clear about what it means.

 

As an elected official of our county, would you ensure more transparency and democratic imput on the Green Hub?

 

Again, your understanding of this topic is deeper than mine.   I find it hard to agree to ensure MORE transparency and democratic input, when I do not know the current level of transparency and democratic process on this matter.    I can comment that I believe strongly in transparency and public input on all matters.   I am on record for advocating town hall style meetings throughout the year so that I, as your mayor, and the local candidates can hear and listen to the matters are the most important to the residents.

 

b) What initiatives would you support for the ÒGreen HubÓ?

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

4)                                                                                                                                                                                                           TThe present Brant County council voted to remove Òwaste to energyÓ and gasification proposals from the Official Plan, because of concerns from residents about toxic emissions, the destruction of valuable resources and costs to municipalities.

 

As an elected official of our county, would you work to ensure that our municipal waste is not gasified (incinerated) in Brant County or in any other community (e.g. Six Nations)?

 

I am only one voice in the democratic process in Brant County.   As such, I cannot ensure to work that waste will not be incinerated in Brant County or Six Nations.   However, at the all candidates meetings your organization organized, I am on record of being 100% against incineration.     I commit to work to bring others in line with my views.  

 

 

5)                                                                                                                                                                                                           SSome Brantford business are accepting and processing toxic waste from other communities (computer waste, used tires and radioactive waste).

 

As an elected official of our county, would you work to ensure that our county does not encourage or allow industries that would import toxic waste (e.g. tires, e-waste, radioactive waste, municipal garbage, sewage sludge) from other communities, to be processed or disposed of in Brant County?

 

Please see my answer to # 4.

 

 

6)     Our landfill is quickly filling up.  Markham won awards for diverting 73% of its municipal garbage from the landfill. 

 

As an elected official of our county, would you work on efforts to match or beat Markham's 73% municipal waste diversion rate?

 

Again, you quote data that I am not privy to.   I can assure you that I believe strongly in benchmarking and learning from best in class processes.   At the all candidates meeting your organization sponsored I am on record as being the first candidate to bring up the notion of waste reduction.   I was first to acknowledge that our landfill site is quickly running out of space and we needed to take immediate action to reduce the amount of waste we generate and need to dispose of.

 

 

Agriculture and Local Food:

7)    Pennsylvania and British Columbia use different methods to ensure that local farmers can compete with the developers to buy farmland (e.g. conservation easements, land trusts and purchase of development rights). 

 

As an elected official of our county, would you support similar programs to help Brant County farmland to continue to be owned and farmed by farmers?

 

At the OFA sponsored all candidates meeting I was the only candidate to raise this matter.   Yes I am in favour of developing programs with all level of governments to ensure the survival of farmland.    In a matter of 10 years or less, China will be a massive importer of food products.   Our rich soils make farming a prime need, on a global and local level.   Providing an incentive for farming to occur, (as opposed to selling to land bankers / developers) is a key, not only for our local county, but on the global scene.

 

8)     ÒMunicipalities close to home (like Markham) and across North America cities are implementing local and sustainable food procurement policies to support farmers and the local economy.Ó

 

As an elected official of our county, would you support a local and sustainable food procurement policy?

 

Yes

 

a) Large amounts of land have been purchased in Brant County by developers and foreign investors. 

 

As an elected official of our county, are you concerned that this will give them undue influence in decision-making especially when it comes to development?

 

No.   I do not own land (outside of approximately an acre which my home resides upon).   I will have no conflict of interest in dealing with land developers.   I believe I have been clear that I believe strongly in the preservation of land, and the preservation of our small town way of life.

 

b) How would you work to ensure that this does not happen?

 

1.     Official plan designations

2.     Work with the Province and Federal governments to develop incentives to work the land, and not turn it over to developers.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

9)    Prince Edward County banned the spread of its municipal biosolids (liquid sewage sludge and dewatered sewage sludge) on farmland.

 

 As an elected official of our county, would you support a similar ban for Brant County?

 

Yes

 

10) There are 2700 signatures on a petition asking the Province to extend the provincial Greenbelt into Brant County to protect prime farmland, natural areas and the Paris-Galt moraine.  

 

As an elected official of our county, would you support extending the provincial Greenbelt into Brant County?

I am on record at the OFA all candidates meeting that I support this notion.

 

Heritage:

11) a) The Heritage Act and our Official Plan are very specific about the steps that should be taken to protect our architectural and natural heritage. 

 

Do you believe that this is important?   

 

Yes.  Protecting our heritage is very important to me.

 

b)    As an elected official of our county, are you committed to keeping our old schools and halls publicly owned and operated?

c)     No.   I do not feel we need to own all the buildings.

 

Campaign Donations:

12) a) Has your campaign office accepted any donations from the development interests which own or control land in Brant County?

Not that I am aware of.   I have received personnel donations, but unaware of your point above.

 

b) Cities such as Toronto have introduced a ban on donations from corporations and unions for election campaigns. As an elected official of our county, would you support this in Brant County?

 

Yes.   For your information, I have funded my campaign primarily out of my own pocket book.

 

Air and Water Quality:

13)  Airport residents documented a pattern of toxic emissions from brick factories in other communities.

 

As an elected official of our county, will you ensure stringent county oversight to prevent not just monitor, toxic emissions into the air and water from the proposed brick factory near the airport?

 

No.   There are federal and provincial agencies that monitor all these matters.   I will be stringent upon those elements that are within the county jurisdictions to monitor.

 

Private-Public Partnerships (P3s)

14) The Council of Canadians takes a strong stance against P3s because of the debt that municipalities eventually get left with, and the quality of construction.

 

As an elected official of our county, would you work to ensure that the Council does not turn to P3s to provide sewer and  water infrastructure for proposed development projects in the county (e.g. Cainsville,  Brant East)?

 

Water is our most precious asset.   I would entrust no one other than ourselves to handle the infrastructure for this asset.

Democratic  Process:

15) a) As an elected official of our county, would you work to ensure that residents are consulted and kept informed about issues that council deals with?

16) I am on record as promoting and using the town hall approach to garner input from residents.  I was the first candidate to promote the town hall approach. I believe it is important not to expect residents to come to us, but rather that we, the elected officials, need to go to where the residents are.

 

b) Would you support delegations to council if an issue is not resolved?

 

Yes

 

d)    c) Would you work to reduce the number of in camera meetings?

 

Absolutely!!!!   100%   I believe we have too many in camera sessions.

 

Sustainable Transportation

17) The proposed highway (commonly known as Hwy 424) from Brantford to Cambridge would cut through prime farmland and the Galt-Paris moraine. The Smart Coalition has a legal challenge of the highway, arguing that a highway in this area is not included in the provincially binding Growth Plan.

 

As an elected official of our county, will you work to plan more sustainable ways of moving people and goods, rather than building a highway?

 

Yes.   I like the phrasing of this question.     The question really is the moving of people, goods and services.   The question is not about the 424ÉÉÉ this is only one solution to the real question.    My leadership style is to request 5 solutions to a question or problem, so one does not become myopic towards one particular solution.