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13 W ednesday , O ctober 20, 2010 O A KVILLE BEA V ER w w w .o akvillebeaver .co m By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Ward 2 residents got a look their council hopefuls Friday night during an all- candidates meeting held at the Oakville Arena. Despite it being Friday night the meeting, which was held by the West Kerr Village Residents Association, the West River Residents Association, the West Harbour Residents Association and the South Central Oakville Residents Association, drew several hundred people, many of whom asked the candidates questions about the future of their ward. For the Ward 2 Town and Regional Councillor posi- tion Ward 2 Town Councillor Cathy Duddeck and former Ward 4 Town and Regional Councillor Stephen Sparling crossed swords on a variety of topics brought forward by the audience. When asked why busi- ness licencing fees were raised from $100 to $150 Duddeck said the increase was necessary so the Town could be cost recovery neu- tral in terms of the money the Town must spend to allow a business to operate in Oakville. She also said it had to be done so taxpayers werent burdened with additional taxes. Sparling said no addi- tional services were provid- ed for this increase and stat- ed that increasing fees dur- ing this time of recession is just another example of how much council is out of touch. When asked how he would deal with outdoor field lights being proposed for local high schools, Sparling said he would con- sult with the immediate community and stakehold- ers and find out what they wanted and then act on that feedback. Duddeck said she would continue to stand behind the residents who would be affected by the installation of bright field lights and said she has already pushed council to undertake a lighting study so there will be some uniformity in Oakville regarding where large outdoor field lights can be located and how bright they can be. One audience member asked Sparling how he could be so passionate about Ward 2 when he had only moved there in 2010. Sparling pointed out that he has lived in Oakville for 31 years and has spent 12 years working at a business in Ward 2. He also said being the former president of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce has made him passionate about the many businesses in Ward 2. Duddeck listed her top priorities as working with residents in the redevelop- ment of the former Department of National Defence (DND) lands and the Oakville Arena property, the implementation of the Livable Oakville Official Plan and the revitalization of the Kerr, Lakeshore and Speers Road districts. Sparling said the most important thing Ward 2 needs is a strong voice on council so Ward 2 can get its fair share of capital invest- ment. He said his three top pri- orities are bringing resident concerns to council, creat- ing local jobs and getting the rejuvenation of Kerr Village back on track. The audience also heard from the Ward 2 Town councillor candidates Joe Giraldi, Cheryle McCullagh, Bruce Grant, Stephan Bobesich and Pam Damoff. Ward 2 Town councillor candidate John Pilcher was not present. When asked how the candidates would ensure the voices of Ward 2 resi- dents are heard at council, Bobesich said he would hold a monthly meeting to dis- cuss with residents the issues they want addressed. Damoff said it is impor- tant to meet with the resi- dents and said she would not be afraid to vote against any item that might nega- tively impact the Ward 2 community. Giraldi said he would call on council to revisit items that would cause Ward 2 problems in the hope coun- cil could come up with a better solution. Grant said his votes would be based on consulta- tion with the residents and called for an end to closed door meetings so residents could see how their repre- sentatives vote on every item. McCullagh said the back- bone of Ward 2 is the resi- dents associations. She said Ward 2 councillors should attend the residents associ- ation meetings and make sure the concerns expressed there are taken to council. When asked about the waiting list for affordable housing, Grant said the demand was huge, but noted there was no supply. McCullagh said she is well aware of the affordable housing issue. She spoke of a single mother who works a full-time job who has been on a waiting list for afford- able housing on Kerr Street for more than two years. Bobesich said there is a long waiting list for all types of affordable housing and said this is something he would definitely look into if elected. Damoff said contrary to what many believe, there are people in this communi- ty who have to use food banks and who have nowhere to live. She said as a Town coun- cillor she would not be able to tell the Region to build more affordable housing, but said she would express her views on the subject and said the lack of affordable housing is an issue that needs to be addressed. Giraldi said he would sup- port the building of afford- able housing in Ward 2. 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