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 “greenbelt” (standstill/no build zone) that was created by provincial legislation in 1980. Brantford is interested in annexing land in the “greenbelt” at Hwy 403 and Garden Avenue. The original intent of this “greenbelt” 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 “permanent agriculture and related rural uses”? No. Some already rezoned employment lands.

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 “Green Hub” 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? Yes

b) What initiatives would you support for the “Green Hub”?

______Working with Six Nations and the City. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4) The present Brant County council voted to remove “waste to energy” 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)? Will look into it.

5) Some 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? Difficult to ensure – only 1 vote.

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? We already are working that way.

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? It is not my decision if a land owner wants to sell

8) “Municipalities 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.”

As an elected official of our county, would you support a local and sustainable food procurement policy? I already shop locally! Do you?

9) 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? I am not concerned. Council has final say on development.

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

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10) 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? No. Dry matter or cake Yes.

11) 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? No

Heritage:

12) 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

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

Campaign Donations:

13) a) Has your campaign office accepted any donations from the development interests which own or control land in Brant County? No.

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.

Air and Water Quality:

14) Airport residents documented a pattern of toxic emissions from brick factories in other communities. Did they go to Hanson Bricks at Hwy 5 and Appleby Line beside Bronte Creek?

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? Yes.

Private-Public Partnerships (P3s)

15) 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)? ? good question.

Democratic Process:

16) 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? Yes

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

c) Would you work to reduce the number of in camera meetings? Do you want your name in public when or if you haven’t paid taxes

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? We had bus transportation between Brantford and Paris. Not many people used it. Same for St. George to Brantford.