Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier is proud of the progress that has been made in his ward during his term, but says there is still more work to be done.
"While we have made progress on our infrastructure issues by putting in place a new longer-term management plan as well as increased funding we can’t stop there," said Cormier in a news release.
"We need to make sure we see current and future projects carried out in a 'best practices' way. I have asked for and received support for ongoing reviews of everything from our tendering and contract processes to having staff explore new technologies and methods when it comes to road repairs. While increasing the roads budget is a positive necessity, we also need to make sure we get best value for our tax dollars on these projects."
Cormier says that maintaining public spaces to the highest standard in ward 10 is a priority, pointing to the fact that his ward is one of high traffic, encompassing Bell Park, Laurentian University area, and the downtown.
"We have made great progress in improving many of our neighbourhood areas within the ward through enhancements to our parks and public spaces, but of course there is always more to do," said Cormier.
"Improving our transportation network and including pedestrian and cycle friendly amenities will continue to be a priority."
Find the full text of Cormier's news release below:
Progress? Yes, but still more to do:
There are so many improvements in Ward 10 to be proud of: affordable housing for seniors, the Ramsey Lake Watershed study, continued improvements and accessibility enhancements for Bell Park, improved pedestrian and cycle infrastructure, the user-friendly transit system which will provide the best level of service in our city’s history, just to name a few. Of course, many investments have been made to improve our downtown, including the Place des Arts, the Green Stairs project and the re-build of the Riverside under-pass.
I am excited by the prospect and proposals for the new Library, Art Gallery and performance centre. The potential of these projects could be truly transformative for our downtown. It’s a good start to re-developing our downtown into an attractive and vibrant area. On the operational end, I will continue to work on the improvement of our infrastructure and was instrumental in decreasing the red tape that developers had been facing at city hall.
While we have made progress on our infrastructure issues by putting in place a new longer-term management plan as well as increased funding we can’t stop there. We need to make sure we see current and future projects carried out in a “best practices” way. I have asked for and received support for ongoing reviews of everything from our tendering and contract processes to having staff explore new technologies and methods when it comes to road repairs. While increasing the roads budget is a positive necessity, we also need to make sure we get best value for our tax dollars on these projects.
I know that people understand the need for taxes but what most want to see is that the tax dollars are being managed as effectively and efficiently as possible. This is something I keep in mind on every decision that I make. People want to see value for their tax dollars and I understand that.
Because Ward 10 includes so many high traffic and visible destination spots, it is important to me that we maintain our public spaces to the highest standard possible. We have made great progress in improving many of our neighbourhood areas within the ward through enhancements to our parks and public spaces, but of course there is always more to do. Improving our transportation network and including pedestrian and cycle friendly amenities will continue to be a priority. Good progress has been made in this regard and I look forward to seeing further improvements in the future.
On the residential growth side of things we have seen growth in this area especially with the new affordable housing options for seniors that are coming on line. As Chair of the Planning Committee, I made it a point to work with Planning and Building Controls staff to identify ways to streamline the development approvals process. I have also championed new technologies such as Land Management Planning Systems that will allow individuals and developers to more easily navigate their projects through the approvals processes.
This system will also give city staff the ability to be more efficient. My work on this committee also led to the creation of S.P.A.R.T (Sudbury Planning Application Review Team). This initiative allows applicants to meet directly with planning and other staff in order to advance their development projects in a more efficient way. While Chair of the Planning Committee, I also met with many developers and took the opportunity to encourage and strengthen environmental protection requirements, especially when building in environmentally sensitive areas.
It has been a great honour to serve the residents of Ward 10 this past term. I want to continue to leverage my experience and skills in order to continue implementing the improved city services our citizens want and expect.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 705-929-2002
Facebook: ferncormierforward10
Twitter: @ferncormier
