5) ENFORCE: Bylaws

BOTTOM LINE – I’ll work with Council and Township staff to:

- Address the glaring and ongoing bylaw enforcement issues in the Ward.

– Create better tools, including Community Improvement Plans to better guide how our communities are built and function.

We are proud of our villages and towns and yet we don’t always appear to be “on the same page”. Businesses and residences co-exist in close proximity in the villages. Some practices are a reminder of our past, but also difficult stumbling blocks toward the Schomberg, Pottageville and Lloydtown of the future.

Bylaws are but one tool the Township has to shape our communities. I believe that in specific cases there have been enforcement issues that have long required focused attention.

We are bound to grow and intensify in the coming years. Unless we can better control the rules governing how we use and enjoy our property, we will be in increasing stress as neighbours.

This said, not all bylaws make sense anymore and require review. Also, bylaw enforcement must be balanced against better, more effective tools to guide our community structure and functionality in key areas. These include the Schomberg Plan (currently under revision), the Township Plan, and even the York Regional Plan.

Community Improvement Plans

There is another tool that Council should consider that has been proven effective to help guide and stimulate communities: Community Improvement Plans. Caledon’s, for example, has made a dramatic impact in creating a coherent, attractive business area to the benefit of residents, business owners and visitors.  I think Schomberg, not to mention Nobleton and King City, would benefit from a serious examination of its effectiveness.

I will work closely with Council and our Economic Development Officer to look at the feasibility of this Plan for our Ward, specifically Schomberg as it possesses the highest business concentration.