27 · Friday, December 4, 2009 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Your Halton Connection Dec. `09 www.halton.ca Delivering Halton's Infrastructure by Regional Chair Gary Carr In a recent poll of Halton residents, you told us that two of the top priorities facing Halton Region are maintaining current infrastructure (e.g. Regional roads and water and waste water facilities) and planning for future infrastructure and growth. Halton Region is growing, as our high quality of life attracts new residents. As well, with the Provincial "Places to Grow" plan which mandates Halton's population to increase to 780,000 people and 390,000 jobs between 2021-2031, Regional Council remains committed to finding sustainable funding solutions that ensure the responsibility for new infrastructure to support this growth does not fall on the shoulders of Halton's existing taxpayers. I am proud to tell you about the ways we are delivering infrastructure. These recent developments help ensure Halton has what it needs to grow and that this growth pays for itself. Infrastructure Funding from Federal and Provincial Governments at Work FUNDING: $103 million for the expansion and upgrade of the Skyway Wastewater Treatment Plant in Burlington WHAT: Located at 1125 Lakeshore Road in Burlington, the Skyway Wastewater Treatment Plant provides wastewater treatment for the City of Burlington, as well as a small portion of the Town of Oakville, which comprises approximately 3 per cent of the total service requirements. The upgrades and expansion at the Skyway plant will minimize the environmental impact of the wastewater released into Lake Ontario and will create close to 1,700 jobs. The work will also improve the waterfront experience in Halton's communities. FUNDING: $33.4 million for improvements to the Oakville Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant. WHAT: Located at 1385 Lakeshore Road West in Oakville, the plant provides wastewater treatment capacity to the urban area in south Oakville bounded by Burloak Drive to the west, Reynolds Street to the east, the QEW to the North and Lake Ontario to the south, in addition to a small area just west of 16 Mile Creek north of the QEW. Improvements to the Oakville Southwest plant will ensure that wastewater entering Lake Ontario will continue to meet high standards, the lake. FUNDING: $10.6 million towards the widening of Tremaine Road between Main Street and Derry Road in Milton. WHAT: Located in the Town of Milton, Tremaine Road is a major connector for Halton Region, linking its communities to current and future employment lands. The widening of Tremaine Road from Derry Road to Main Street will Region's economic growth. Meetings at Halton Region Headquarters Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m. Dec. 2, 9:30 a.m. Dec. 3, 9:30 a.m. Dec. 14, 9:30 a.m. Dec 16, 9:30 a.m. Dec. 24 - Jan. 1 Health & Social Services Cte Planning & Public Works Cte Administration & Finance Cte Budget Review Regional Council Meeting Offices closed for Holidays Passing of the Financial and Implementation Plan for the 2008/2009 Allocation Program. On November 18, Halton Regional Council approved the Financial and Implementation Plan for the 2008/2009 Allocation Program, reconfirming Council's principle that growth must pay for itself. The Financial and Implementation Plan, ensures that there is sufficient financing to deliver the necessary infrastructure required to service growth in Halton and that developers pay for these costs, not taxpayers. I heard from over 2,000 residents on this important issue and I want to thank them for their input. Transportation Master Plan Another project related to infrastructure that is set to begin next year is Halton's Transportation Master Plan. The Plan is an extremely important document that will outline how the Region's transportation network will incorporate growth to the year 2031. Halton is committed to improving transportation and infrastructure in the Region in fact, in the next couple of years, the capital budget for transportation will increase to $137 million in 2011, up from $53 million in 2004. As the Master Plan is developed, there will be extensive public consultation, including two Public Information Centres and one Public Workshop. I encourage residents to attend these sessions to share and express your thoughts and ideas. We anticipate completing the Master Plan by late next year, or early 2011. These are just some examples of the approach Halton Region is taking to find solutions to the challenge of municipal infrastructure and the costs associated with accommodating growth. As Halton Region continues to evolve, we need to work together to ensure that Halton remains a great place to live, work, raise a family, and retire. If you have any Regional concerns or comments you would like to share, please feel free to email me at gary.carr@halton.ca. Infrastructure Funding from Federal and Provincial Governments On June 22, the federal and provincial governments announced that Halton Region would receive $103 million for the expansion and upgrade of the Skyway Wastewater Treatment Plant in Burlington, making this the largest single investment in municipal infrastructure by both levels of government in Halton's 35-year history. This amount is in addition to $44 million also announced in June 2009 from the federal and provincial governments' Infrastructure Stimulus Fund to address Halton's infrastructure needs. $33.4 million of these dollars will be used for improvements to the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant in Oakville and the remaining $10.6 million will go towards the widening of Tremaine Road between Main Street and Derry Road in Milton. This significant commitment to Halton reflects the strong collaboration between all three levels of government and ensures the support for Halton's infrastructure needs is delivered to you, the residents of Halton. We welcome your feedback. Contact Access Halton at accesshalton@halton.ca Meetings can be viewed at www.halton.ca This page has been donated by this newspaper to communicate important information to Halton residents at no cost to taxpayers.