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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 3, 20 19 | 8 oakville.ca Oakville is committed to offering valued services and programs to residents and making strategic investments in community priorities. Each year the town's annual budget is one of the most important tasks facing Town Council, and Council has directed staff to prepare a budget that keeps the overall tax increase in line with inflation. To learn more, join us: Budget Committee meetings at Town Hall, Oakville/Trafalgar Room, 1225 Trafalgar Road • Tuesday, January 8, 9:30 a.m. - staff presentations • Thursday, January 10, 9:30 a.m. - public delegations • Thursday, January 10, 7 p.m. - public delegations • Tuesday, January 22, 9:30 a.m. - deliberations Budget Open House at Town Hall, Trafalgar Room, 1225 Trafalgar Road • Tuesday, January 8, 7 p.m. Council meeting at Halton Regional Centre, Council Chambers, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville • Monday, January 28, 7 p.m. - budget approval Those wishing to appear before the Budget Committee as a delegate can register by emailing townclerk@oakville.ca or calling 905-815-6015. Can't make the meetings? Watch them live on our YouTube channel or email your comments to budget@oakville.ca. Visit oakville.ca for details. Accessibility needs Contact Kathy Patrick at 905-845-6601, ext. 4235 (TTY 905-338-4200) or fill out the accessible online feedback form on oakville.ca. Budget 2019 Be informed. Be part of the process. Ahead of that decision, the town wants to hear what residents have to say. Share your opinion In person Attend the Planning and Development Council meeting on January 14 at 7 p.m. Halton Regional Centre , Council Chambers 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville If you want to speak to Council, please register as a delegate by emailing townclerk@oakville.ca or call the Town Clerk at 905-815-6015. By email Can't make the meeting? Email your thoughts to townclerk@oakville.ca Background The Province of Ontario has elected to allow recreational cannabis to be sold on-line through the Ontario Cannabis Store or in privately operated retail stores. The location and operation of these private stores will be under the control of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which is also responsible for regulating gaming and alcohol sales in the province. This private retail model will launch April 1, 2019. The province is allowing municipalities to make a one-time decision to opt-out of permitting physical cannabis retail stores within their boundaries by January 22, 2019. Municipalities that choose to opt-out can opt back in at any time-- but that decision is final. If the AGCO has not received written notification from a municipality by January 22, 2019, then, by default, private cannabis retail stores will be allowed within that municipality beginning April 1, 2019. Accessibility If you have any accessibility needs, please contact the Town Clerks office at townclerk@oakville.ca or call 905-815-6015 (TTY 905-338-4200) or fill out the accessible online feedback form on oakville.ca. Details For more information, visit oakville.ca Council to vote on recreational cannabis retail stores in Oakville Share your thoughts On January 14, 2019, Council will discuss and vote on whether to opt-in or opt-out of allowing retail cannabis stores in town Hydro line clearing in south west Oakville Open House TuesdayTuesdayT , January 15, 6 to 8 p.m.uesday, January 15, 6 to 8 p.m.uesday Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, 2302 Bridge Road Hydro line clearing is taking place in south west Oakville (zone 1), beginning in January. The town's professional contractor will prune trees on behalf of Oakville Hydro to ensure safe clearance around hydro lines and tominimize safety hazards and power outages. Trees are pruned on a four-year cycle to the Electrical Safety Authority's (ESA) industry standard of providing a minimum three metre (10-foot) clearance. In rare instances, trees growing too close to hydro lines may require removal when the clearance standard cannot be achieved using acceptable pruning practices. In some situations, the town must prune or remove privately owned trees if they are growing too close to hydro lines. In cases where hydro lines are located in rear yards, Oakville Hydro has an easement through the property which allows the arborist to access the tree. Be informed: Join us for a public open house where you can ask questions of Oakville Hydro staff and Town of Oakvillef and Town of Oakvillef and T Forestry Services staff. If you have any accessibility needs, please contact ServiceOakville at 905-845-6601 (TTY 905-338-4200) or email serviceoakville@oakville.ca. More information on tree pruning around hydro lines can be found at oakvillehydro.com or oakville.ca. Three Oakville residents are facing numerous drug-relatedfacing numerous drug-relatedf charges after Toronto police raid- ed a home in the Sixth Line and Leighland Avenue area on Nov. 27. Toronto police officers, with theToronto police officers, with theT assistance of Halton police, exe- cuted a search warrant at an ad- dress on Ridge Drive, making three arrests and seizing drugs and cash. Details concerning what was seized and how much have yet to be released. Police said the raid was the result of an ongoing inves- tigation. Roberto Tassone, 22, Col- leen Kelly Gibbs, 46, and Melissa Hopkins, 20, all from Oakville, were each charged with three counts of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, two counts of possession of a Schedule 1substance for the purpose of traf- ficking and two counts of posses- sion of the proceeds of crime. 3 CHARGED WITH COCAINE TRAFFICKING OFFENCES FOLLOWING POLICE RAID NEWS