The highlights of Monday night’s meeting included the 2023-2026 Mid-Term Achievements Report, the new King Community Climate Action Plan, the adoption of new Administrative Monetary Penalty System, and my motion seconded by Councillor Asselstine to have a traffic and safety analysis done on the 17th from highway 27 to the 12th concession.
To watch the proceedings, go to https://www.king.ca/meetings and click on the date of the meeting. The pop-up window will give you the option to watch the video which will be live for two weeks.
Quick Links
New Business
Mayor’s Comments
Welcome to Wayne Emmerson, chair of York Region who was visiting council. Mr. Emerson has championed safe and reliable transportation, a strong economy, and improved broadband access.
Council noted the sad passing of Jack Thomas Sheppard and extended thanks to staff and the fire department who helped organize his memorial service at Trisan. Two thousand people attended the event to show support for the family of this young man who brought joy, kindness and light to our community.
Safe Streets Start Here is a safety campaign that will run for four weeks and will focus on critical safety issues each week in September including pedestrian awareness, bike safety, impaired and distracted driving, and speeding. The campaign is timed to coincide with kid’s returning to school and to highlight the need for increased safety on our busy roads and sidewalks. Pick up a FREE Safe Streets Start Here lawn sign to install on your property throughout September, which will serve as a visual reminder to drive, walk and bike safely through local neighbourhoods. Signs are available at King's Municipal Centre, all three library branches, and the Trisan Centre in Schomberg, while quantities last. Learn more here.
Doctors Land and Old King Road Neighbourhood Plans had open house’s this week. You can find all the material that was presented here.
There will be an open house for our population growth strategies which will be held Monday September 16th from 6-8pm at the township office. There will be a presentation at 6:30 and an opportunity to learn about local growth trends forecast to 2051. King residents have seen the growth in the township and should know that our previous 2030 growth strategy did not increase our population or our settlement boundaries. The new plan accounts for the new 2050 targets as assigned by the province that King must adhere to. To learn more click here.
The Fall Recreation Programs start September 16th and include a variety of activities from Fencing 101 to different dancing styles to themed workshops and adult sport leagues there is something for everyone. Registration is still open.
Mayor's Youth Action Team is a great way to serve as an advisory body identifying issues that affect youth, promote positive community involvement, assist at events, and advocate for youth involvement in local government. This group counts toward high school volunteering hours. To learn more click here.
Tree planting at Saturday September 14th from 11-1 at Cold Creek. To learn more click here.
This is the last call for the first annual King Township Birds Photo Contest. Email photos to environment@king.ca for the chance to win one of three bird-friendly prizes.
King is hiring Library Assistants for Sunday’s to help with day-to-day operations. Contact King Library.
Saved by the Beep - Sept 28th test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors!
Sept. 22 at 3pm is the season opener for the Junior A King Rebellion at Nobleton Arena
Agenda Highlights
2023-2026 Mid-Term Achievements Report
To ensure transparency and accountability, this report highlights major milestones that have positively impacted the community, from fiscal responsibility to environmental sustainability.
Highlights include:
• Maintaining a 0.86% tax rate, the 12th lowest in the GTA
• 1,500lbs. of invasive species removed
• 26% increase in waste diversion from 2022
• Planting over 12,500 trees and reducing emissions by 17%
• $70,000 in Community Improvement Plan Grants for local business improvements
King Community Climate Action Plan
The King Community Climate Action Plan (KCCAP) was developed around the vision of a low carbon community. The goal is to reduce community emissions by 35% by 2030 based on the data from the 2018 community emissions inventory including current population statistics. The goal for 2050 is to achieve Net Zero community emissions.
To achieve this, King Township has developed a list of priorities (starting on page 33) and actions targeting key community sectors to reduce our community emissions. The actions are broken down by key sector and theme, and provide an approximate timeframe. Over the next year, staff will evaluate projects and will request funding as part of the 2025/2026 budget process.
The Plan includes a list of all actions including time frame, emissions impacts, and metrics of success. I was particularly happy to see a note that staff will immediately begin implementation of short-term actions and continue with the existing projects.
Administrative Monetary Penalty System
In the past, the town has pursued all by-law violations using the Provincial Offences system, but these trials are often delayed due to court backlogs. To improve processing for parking violations, council previously approved the use of Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPS) which are issued, managed, and reviewed at the municipal level. Effective September 16th, 2024, Council has approved extending AMPS to include Clean Yards Bylaw, Fence Bylaw, Fireworks Bylaw, Road Occupancy Bylaw, Noise Bylaw, Parks Bylaw, Property Standards Bylaw and Sign Bylaw.
Mirroring the processes of existing By-laws enforced through AMPS, defendants will have the option to request an appointment with a Screening Officer and/or a Hearing Officer for their issued Penalty Notice. These appointments will be scheduled within a reasonable time frame, as there is no need to wait for a scheduled court date from the province. Issuing an AMPS penalty notice doesn’t preclude the Bylaw Officer from proceeding under the POA with a Part 3 summons where offenders remain defiant and refuse to comply with provisions of a respective By-law. The decision to charge under Part III may depend on the circumstances or consequences of the offence. It is important to note that since the introduction of AMPS for Site Alteration, there has been no need to issue Part 3 summons. Penalty Notices that go unpaid can be applied to property taxes, only if issued to a resident of King Township. Penalty notices issued to non-residents will go through a collection agency if left unpaid.
The proposed fines for Clean Yards, Fireworks, Road Occupancy, Noise, and Parks mirror the Set Fines that were approved by the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Office under the Provincial Offence Act (POA). The set fines established for the Fence Bylaw, Property Standards Bylaw and Sign Bylaw were created by doing a jurisdictional scan of neighbouring N6 municipalities.
Motion for 17th Sideroad Traffic Safety
This summer the 17th sideroad between highway 27 and the 12th concession saw a number of accidents, including at least three fatalities. Council approved my motion that was seconded by Councillor Asselstine to review the accidents along that stretch of road, determine their cause and suggest appropriate solutions to improve the safety of the road. Staff expect to present the report at the end of January.
New Business:
Ward 4: September 15th there is a Corn Roast and Craft Day at the Dufferin Marsh from 2-4pm. September 21st is the 5km Schomberg Mug Run & Beer Fest. The event includes events for kids and a walking tour for non-runners followed by a lively beer festival in the heart of Schomberg. September 28th is the Schomberg Country Run a 5km run/walk in the country. Ward 5: Alison Agnew, who grew up in King City, was Ordaned and Inducted to the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in King City.
Ward 6: There is a blood donor clinic at Trisan on Wednesday September 11th.
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