Cilevitz, Karen

Infill building is a very important component of increasing our local housing supply, especially where affordability and attainability are concerned. However, this type of development must respect the established neighbourhoods and build according to our in-place Council-approved land-use planning policies which have undergone extensive public and stakeholder consultations.

Richmond Hill already has in-place its Affordable Housing Concierge which provides all developers with dedicated resources to navigate our respective land-use policies and ensure a quicker response-time to build quality and necessary housing infrastructure for all.

Ontario has made it legislatively clear that development must increase and housing targets must increase accordingly across all municipalities. Intensification development must take place along our major regional transit corridors, north/south and east/west. These provincially defined corridors have appropriate access to public transportation and the ability to ensure growth occurs where most needed, specifically mid and high-rise multi-use buildings to accommodate commercial, office and residential needs. Richmond Hill has no more greenfield locations to develop, therefore our only alternative “real estate” is the sky.

The need to grow our affordable housing market is a major priority to ensuring appropriate housing for all. Richmond Hill’s Affordable Housing Concierge has been very well received by the development community both to accelerate housing construction and to provide dedicated resources to assist in the planning and building processes.

Richmond Hill is beholden to follow the parking standards set by Ontario legislation and we have amended our parking standards to reflect this necessity. While there can be an obvious difference between what is wanted and what is needed, the direction is to have lower or zero parking standards on intensification corridors to promote the greater use of public transportation and reduce the number of cars on our roads which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions to support necessary climate change initiatives.

While we need to ensure greater mobility and accessibility in “15 Minute Cities”, we must also remain focused on ensuring our communities can manage increased growth and traffic. A major consideration is our weather in that one can’t bike and/or walk in sub-zero temperatures with snow. A balance must be found to serve the needs of those with cars; only using public transportation; and/or mobility restrictions. Designing and implementing new communities must include considerations of the entire range of services a sustainable city can provide.

Traffic and road safety, especially in internal established neighbourhoods which are along local streets, both vehicular and pedestrian are of primary concern to myself. Richmond Hill now has in-place the Council-approved Traffic Safety and Operations Strategy (TSOS) which guides the city in all aspects of road and traffic safety, management and planning. The improvements we have already implemented through extensive public consultations such as speed humps; digital speed boards; bollards; improved roadway markings; and stop sign attention measures, have made a positive difference in local road safety, specifically for pedestrians and cyclists.

While making decisions on walkable communities it is vitally important to also consider the commercial and economic development aspects of such, including ensuring public transportation is readily available and accessible. Our local heritage core and the designing of the new Richmond Hill Centre key development area at Yonge and Highway 7 require different approaches on many levels. As a sustainable city all entities and areas must be best-served within our abilities to achieve optimum fiscal efficiencies while looking at both current circumstances and those of the future - Our Official Plan which considers and instructs all land-use planning in Richmond Hill, must deals with the “now” as well as future needs to 2060. This can be a challenging concept for elected officials and residents.

"York Regional Police (YRP) are the entity responsible for public safety. We work very closely with them to ensure best practices across the city. I have hosted a number of Crime Prevention and a Public Safety Awareness information sessions with residents, in partnership with YRP and Bylaw Enforcement, to better inform our residents as to how they can protect themselves and their property against a rise in crime, such as break-ins and carjackings. Public safety is a top priority for me and I will continue to enlist all possible partners and allies to ensure our city is safe and secure from aberrant threats.
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All legitimate considerations must be given to this matter, both public interest and our abilities to monitor the city in such a manner. YRP is the primary partner with such and the city works collaboratively with them to identify and monitor specific areas requiring greater attention. Privacy safeguards must always be a priority as cameras and our electronic surveillance abilities increase in quality and quantity - public consultation should always be available to ensure our neighbourhoods and communities are effectively managed and protected. Neighbourhood Watch is an important component to this issue; I have worked successfully with YRP and a number of local residents groups to install Neighbourhood Watch groups throughout Ward 5.

The Region is our primary source of infrastructure growth and repair funding, approximately 50% of taxes collected go directly to the Region for such use. Development Charges (DCs) are a critical component for us to ensure appropriate communities are built which serve all
public interests - parks; community centres; fire stations; and libraries. One of our biggest concerns over the next 4 years will be how to manage these priorities against the provincial government’s legislative agenda to lower DCs as an incentive to builders. This is a double-edged sword so to speak along many channels - conforming with legislative demands and being able to appropriately manage Richmond Hill’s fiscal responsibilities to our tax-paying residents. While we must adhere to specific standards set by the province, we must also ensure our local tax-base is protected and managed appropriately. While we balance growth and housing targets we must also ensure our services and facilities are keeping up with that growth’s demands, and that our existing residents and communities continue to be well-served and supported.

The reduction of DCs must be balanced with the city and her residents’ needs. While I support managed DC reductions to incentivize growth and housing, we must always be cognizant of how that will impact our abilities as a municipality to provide adequate and sustainable services to our taxpayers. DC reductions cannot negatively impact the manner in which we manage and maintain our basic public services and requirements, these are and will be very important issues in budget discussions and decisions over the next 4 years. I am committed to ensure all stakeholders are adequately and appropriately informed through transparent and accountable fiscal responsibility.

As a city we are limited to the actuals of land-use planning - Parks and open public green spaces are a necessity but governed by how intent a private land developer is on this consideration. We can always ensure city streets have ample tree coverage and sidewalks and public rights-of-ways provide adequate public space and greenery, but it can be challenging to work with a developer who may wish to focus more on the built asset itself as their return of investment (ROI) as opposed to providing great open public space. All developers however must comply with our in-place policies and directions in order for their application to receive Council support and approval. I pride myself in having worked collaboratively over the past 12 years with developers, city staff and residents to find the best possible solutions for all requirements. This is not an easy task and requires experience and knowledge regarding all aspects of land-use planning to meet the needs of the city and the landowner. As we grow according to provincial doctrine, the former sentence is of vital significance through the next term of Council and beyond.

Climate resilience is one of my top priorities and greatest concerns. To provide the best possible solutions to any overarching climate change concerns requires cities to built and developed with the already known problems climate change brings - greater heat sinks within cities and best management of storm water systems to deal with increased natural phenomena such as downpours and local flooding. As we move though the next decades and climate change intensifies and becomes increasingly unpredictable, the governance of a city or town must prioritize the needs of a protected environment to best serve humanity’s interests. Not to do so would be incompatible with my position on this subject.

Through my years of public service it has become apparent to me that the more our residents understand the basic principles of city building and best management, the greater their ability to understand and support the sometimes daunting challenges elected officials face in their everyday work ensuring the public’s interests are best served. A good municipal Councillor is attentive of all needs and open to invaluable discussion with residents and stakeholders to find best solutions and forward progress. In 2015 I formed the Ward 5 Civic Engagement Committee which has done superb work over the past years to improve our residents’ understanding and confidence in the activities of myself as their local representative and the manner in which our professional city staff work collaboratively with members of Council to define best practices to best serve our growing, sustainable and diverse communities across the length and breadth of Richmond Hill. A good municipal Councillor must also be available and willing to work with all residents, who sometimes have differing views or interests - this requires dedication to the job and commitment to our residents to be their best voice on Council representing all constituents opinions to the very best of their abilities as per their Oath of Office. Through my 3 consecutive terms as the Ward 5 Councillor I have always strived to serve and lead in a progressive, inclusive and positive manner best serving a multitude of needs across the Ward and city. Should the residents of Ward 5 grant me the honour and privilege to serve a 4th term, my commitment to them remains the same - To be the best municipal Councillor I am able, ensuring and providing the positive growth and prosperity Ward 5 and Richmond Hill as a whole both deserve and receive.