Tony Leighton writes on the first 6 months of this Council

The following editorial appeared in the May 12th edition of the Guelph Mercury. 

We appear to have voted in real leaders this time

It’s time for some shameless cheerleading.

Lots of people think one government is pretty much like any other, and voting doesn’t matter much. Guelph’s new city council has already proven them wrong. Last November, we elected a mayor and council who are acting decisively on multiple fronts and with genuine vision. The former council, by unavoidable comparison, looks like a mob of meandering meanies who accomplished so little you wonder whether to scream or weep. But regret is a useless state of mind and further fault-finding is a waste of breath.

Actions speak louder than words.

Council is completely revising the city’s strategic plan through extensive public consultation in the hope it will reflect what citizens want for Guelph. The goals and objectives are specific. The language is clear and full of intent. The old Strategic Plan, developed in isolation by the former council with almost no citizen input, was murky and hollow.

The community energy plan has been endorsed by council. Developed in consultation with energy wizard Peter Garforth and many local organizations, it is one of the greener, more visionary, more realistic plans on the continent. It will be a lens through which Guelph views city design, planning and governance. It has goals, targets and teeth.

Rather than just sit back and watch the province sell the critically important York district lands to sprawl developers, this council is devising the York district land use plan, an extensive public process in collaboration with the province and guided by ex-Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray. The vision for the 600-acre one-of-a-kind parcel will include progressive community design, innovative employment opportunities, and a focus on culture — all long-term wealth-building, sprawl-stopping strategies.

The city’s coming urban design action plan will use the SmartGuelph principles — ignored by the last council — as its foundation. The goal is to determine how we want our community to look, perform and function over the next 25 years. Again, there will be extensive public consultation, visioning and 3-D visualization.

Council is completing a new development application process with protocols for formal facilitation, neighbourhood focus groups and public engagement, so development and redevelopment is better understood and supported by the community.

Other planning and design initiatives: funding has been approved to help create the first heritage district — the Brooklyn neighbourhood of the Old University area. A downtown co-ordinator has been hired and a downtown community improvement plan is coming this fall. The new civic administration building’s main square will be redesigned to be more of a “people place.” A process has been approved to come up with better design/development proposals for the Baker Street parking lot. A comprehensive plan for all downtown parking is coming. A motion has been endorsed to explore the requiring of 3-D graphic visualizations for all development applications so people can see what developers want. And, after years of waiting, we will get two new trail links along the Speed River.

Environmentally: the long-awaited pesticide bylaw has been approved. It will eliminate the use of cosmetic pesticides by 2008. Council has committed to upgrade the wet plant and reopen it as soon as possible. A costly pipeline to Lake Erie, inserted in our water supply master plan as an option by the last council, is now off the table. And in a recent letter to the province from the mayor, council and city staff — prompted by the Nestlé imbroglio — Guelph has asked the province to protect the Paris-Galt Moraine — as it has done with the Oak Ridges Moraine — because it is a critical groundwater-recharge area.

Culturally: council has created the position of manager of culture and will soon initiate a cultural master plan.

Financially: a whole new budget process has been developed based more on community needs. Council also wants to finally link the true costs of development and growth directly to budget implications, starting with the 2008 budget, a major step forward.

Other smaller but important changes: council’s standing committees have been increased to four from two — the last council had decreased them. This allows for more informed debate at the committee level and greater public access to political decision making. Council has also reinstated staff professional-development funding, which was cut by the last council. And this council is getting along with their counterparts at Wellington County, a refreshing change.

I believe almost none of this would have happened under the former council. In fact, the difference is shocking and the benefits huge. This is leadership.

The lessons? Politics matter. Voting matters. Voting knowledgeably matters a lot. Keep up the good work.

Tony Leighton is a Guelph resident.