www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, November 30, 2012 · 10 Your Halton Connection December 2012 www.halton.ca Participate! In public engagement with Halton Region by Regional Chair Gary Carr Halton Region is committed to engaging with residents in new and innovative ways to ensure we meet the needs of our growing community. During the development of the Citizens' Priorities Action Plan residents stressed the importance of Public Engagement to staff and Council and as a result, it is one of 25 priority areas for the 2011-2014 term of Council. Public participation occurs in many ways including: surveys, public meetings, feedback forums, social media, design workshops and focus groups just to name a few. Visit www.halton.ca/participate to find a list of many of Halton's public outreach initiatives including public consultation about the Region's Official Plan Guidelines and public meetings related to construction projects. The webpage has been translated into some of the emerging languages in Halton (Simplified Chinese, Punjabi and Spanish) to encourage participation from all residents. Feedback from a cross-section of residents is important as it ensures that our programs and services reflect the diverse values and needs of our growing community. The best decisions are made when citizens are engaged and involved. In October, Halton Region, the City of Burlington and the Stop the Escarpment Highway Coalition held a public meeting to raise awareness about the proposed Niagara to GTA highway. More than 500 residents were in attendance. It was great to see so many citizens actively helping to shape the future of our community. If you would like to learn more about the proposed Niagara to GTA highway, visit our website www.halton.ca/ngta. We know that our residents have busy lives, so Halton Region has launched a new program to make it easier for you to have your say. Halton MVP (my ViewPoint) is an online survey panel for residents. Members of Halton's survey panel will receive approximately eight surveys per year by email about Regional programs and services. Simply respond to the surveys and have your viewpoint heard. Recent surveys have focused on satisfaction with services and waste collection changes. You can join the MVP survey panel by completing a short demographic questionnaire at www.halton.ca/MVP. Another opportunity for public participation is the development of Halton's Active Transportation Master Plan which aims to make it easier to walk, bike and roll through the Region. In addition to traditional public meetings, an online feedback form is available at www.halton.ca/ activetransportation or you can email us at activetransportation@halton.ca with suggestions about how to keep our communities moving. Did you know that one in seven people in Ontario have a disability? Accessibility Update Halton Region is required to comply with Ontario Regulation 191/11 Integrated Accessibility Standards (IASR), under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. In order to ensure compliance, Halton Region has developed an Integrated Accessibility Standards Policy and a Multi-Year Accessibility Plan (20122017) to remove and prevent barriers to people with disabilities. Halton's Multi-Year Accessibility Plan was developed in consultation with the Region's Accessibility Advisory Committee. The draft plan was also made available online for review and comment. The nal document, approved by Council on November 14, can be found at www.halton.ca/accessiblity. Halton Region is committed to providing inclusive customer service and through the Multi-Year Accessibility Plan we will continue to work toward making it easier for people with disabilities to access Regional programs and services. If you have an accommodation need for a Halton Region event or meeting or require documents in an alternate format please contact Access Halton by dialing 311 or using TTY 905-8279833. The positive impact of public engagement can be seen in many programs. Halton Region's Community Investment Fund (HRCIF) was approved by Regional Council in March of 2012 following a community consultation process which engaged more than 150 non-profit stakeholders through community workshops and one-to-one interviews across Halton. The revised HRCIF increased the number of organizations receiving funding by introducing an annual one-time grant in addition to multi-year program funding. The consultations were also used as an opportunity to explore other ways Halton Region can help build capacity in the non-profit sector. In winter 2013 this work will continue through ongoing sessions to address the service and community issues faced by this sector. Don't forget, you can always connect with Halton Region through our social media channels. Halton's social media centre is easily located at www.halton.ca and can link you to our many programs and services on Twitter, Facebook, WordPress (blogs), YouTube, Pinterest and Flickr. www.halton.ca/participate inform learn participate consult collaborate partner Halton Region Meeting Schedule Dec 10 9:30 a.m. Budget Review Dec 12 9:30 a.m. Regional Council Dec 24 - Dec 31 Offices closed for holidays Meetings can be viewed at www.halton.ca. Access Halton at: www.halton.ca Dial 311 Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. This page has been donated by this newspaper to communicate important information to Halton residents at no cost to taxpayers. We welcome your feedback. Contact us at AccessHalton@halton.ca