In the community section of this website is dedicated to informing Pickering residents of the issues Councillor O’Connell supports and the legislation she is working to have implemented. Issues and legislation appear as threads (often accompanied with downloads and related links) organized from the most recent date of issue to least recent date of issue.
 

Pickering council grills regional chairman
March 15, 2010
By Kristen Calis

PICKERING -- Pickering councillors questioned the
regional chairman for the good portion of an hour last
week on everything from the widening of Hwy. 407 to
the public alerting system for the nuclear plant.


Roger Anderson gave his annual address at the latest
council meeting, listing ways the Region has supported Pickering in 2009. Improvements included
the $8.3-million expansion of Brock Road from Dellbrook Avenue to Rossland Road, which will continue into 2010. He also mentioned the widening of Altona Road between Kingston Road and Sheppard Avenue, valued at $6.5 million, expected to be completed in 2010.


"In addition, the Region invested $2.9 million to rehabilitate 12.5 kilometres of regional roadways in Pickering," Mr. Anderson said. "We also invested $750,000 to install or improve traffic control systems at 10 locations in the city."
He also mentioned the Region's larges

t project ever, the $575-million Stage 3 expansion of the Duffin Creek water pollution control plant. It includes shares from York and Durham regions and $94 million in federal and provincial infrastructure programs funding. The Region has contributed almost $73 million to it this year.


He noted recent work on the Region's strategic plan, which focuses on promoting a vibrant economy, protecting and sustaining the environment, balancing growth, enabling sustainable communities and ensuring Durham is safe, healthy and inclusive.


Ward 2 City Councillor Doug Dickerson commented Mr. Anderson didn't bring up the topic of the alerting system project for the nuclear plant. The Region is provincially required to install sirens throughout a three-kilometre radius of the plant.


After years of planning and agreements between Pickering and the Region, the number of sirens has changed dramatically, and Coun. Dickerson felt the Region has ordered more sirens than is required. It's also recently asked for Pickering's support to add six more.


"Why would we want to put up more sirens than we have to?" Coun. Dickerson said.


Mr. Anderson said he'd share the concerns with staff.

Ward 3 City Councillor David Pickles mentioned concerns Greenwood residents have with plans for a bypass being put at Westney Road as part of the Hwy. 407 east expansion.


The chairman said the top priority is moving forward on the 407, and while he'd be hard pressed to ask for a delay, he'll relay the concerns to Aecon Group Inc., designers of the project.


Ward 1 City Councillor Jennifer O'Connell questioned Mr. Anderson on signing off on the change in location for a contentious odour control facility that was set to go in west Pickering. Over the summer recess, Mr. Anderson and York
Regional Chairman Bill Fisch agreed that the facility be moved just west of Pickering, over York-Durham Townline Road, without consulting council.


To Mr. Anderson, the answer was simple since Regional council had signed a resolution that if York were to move it out of Durham Region, he could sign off on it.

"I don't know why you'd think I'd go back to council when I had authority to sign off on it," he said.