Residents not impressed with winter maintenance continued from p.1 "The results tell us our strategic priorities and key areas of focus are in line with citizens' topof-mind issues." When asked about overall livability, 85 per cent of the surveyed residents said Oakville is more livable than most other GTA communities. Residents were asked to rate 11 services provided by the Town. Eight of the 11 received grades of more than 80 per cent, while parks and green spaces, recreation fields and facilities, and public libraries ratings exceeded 90 per cent. Satisfaction with Town management of taxes increased to 74 per cent, up seven per cent over 2011. Residents were less content when it came to public transit, which received a 60 per cent satisfaction rating. Still, that's up 11 per cent over 2011. Some 95 per cent of Oakvillians surveyed 5 | Thursday, May 9, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Responsible and sustainable planning is and continues to be a priority for this council. Rob Burton, Mayor of Oakville stated municipal employees are respectful when they deal with Town staff and 91 per cent believe the Town Hall staff is accessible -- 86 per cent reported timely service. Satisfaction with winter road and sidewalk maintenance dropped 11 per cent to 68 per cent over 2011. A Pollara representative noted this may be a result of different weather conditions each winter. Urban sprawl/rapid development was listed as the most important issue facing Oakville. This was followed by taxes, population growth, traffic congestion and education issues. "Responsible and sustainable planning is and continues to be a priority for this council," said Burton. "We are in the midst of updating the Town's comprehensive zoning bylaw, InZone, under our Livable Oakville Official Plan to ensure council is able to control where and how growth can occur." In the area of tax increases, 62 per cent of residents surveyed said they would support some type of tax increase if necessary to maintain or improve existing service levels. That said, when asked if property taxes or user fees should be increased to fund new programs and services, 75 per cent of residents opted for increased user fees compared to 22 per cent who listed property tax increases. The survey also asked how familiar residents were about Oakville Galleries -- 68 per cent said they were not. Ward 2 Town Councillor Pam Damoff noted, however, that residents were not asked how familiar they were about any other Town facility. To view the survey results, visit www.oakville. ca. BEd in Adult Education Information Session followed by Q and A: Tuesday, May 14 6 to 7 p.m. Sheridan College Room S231 Trafalgar Campus 1430 Trafalgar Rd., Oakville BEd in Adult Education The degree you've always wanted -- your way In cooperation with Sheridan College, Brock University offers BEd in Adult Education degree and certificate programs. Study part time to enhance your understanding and application of adult education principles and practices. Courses are offered on Saturdays at Sheridan's Trafalgar Campus or online. For further information call 905-688-5550, x5547, email: adulted@brocku.ca or visit our website at brocku.ca/education/futurestudents/adulted Applications are now being accepted for the Fall 2013 term Co m me Auto rcia ·H l·L om ife e ·T ra ve l Free Quotes AMAZING RATES! Fast Service... ADRIAN KEITH 2345 Wyecroft Road, Unit 18, Oakville L6L 6L8 905.847.0400 · akeith@all-risks.com Voted #1 Best Insurance Brokerage & #1 Insurance Broker by Oakville Beaver readers 2012