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For Council - Ibbitson, Bruce

I want Elliot Lake to be regarded as a forward-thinking community that moved the yard sticks post covid, post elections on all fronts, incremental or not but moved forward not the less. I hope in Ten years that we are celebrating the opening of new Rec Center that follow the previous opening of a new Civic Center that contained the Arts Hub, Museum and Welcome Center. At least 5 major infrastructure projects would have been completed in this time frame with more Construction Ready.

 

I see the new Civic Centre being built on the current location of the E.L. Public Works Yard (to be relocated) on Hwy 108 (across from Rona). Backing on a lake, the new Civic Centre would be a state-of-the-art facility that would be the first major center people would see when they come into town. An inviting and all-encompassing facility that would be the driver of tourism in our city. The former Civic Centre location would now be the location of a major Hotel/Motel chain that was needed to meet the demands of increased tourism.

 

Partnering with our First Nation Neighbours, a scaled back version of Phase II of the Waterfront development would have started that would increase our tax base while providing building locations for Professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Technicians) to entice them to relocate here. With the City now growing, a Plan of Subdivision would have been designed/approved by the City for development by Building Entrepreneurs. A.D.S.A.B. (Algoma District Services Administration Board) with the lobbying efforts of the 4 Board Members from the City would have built at least one Rent Gear to Income Apartment Complex with RGI single family units being the next phase..

 

With a growing community, businesses in the services and tourism sectors would be on the rise.

 

There are “needs” and there are “wants”. “Needs” are typically infrastructure project (first priority) e.g. Hillside North Rebuild, without them your community will not be safe and will fail. “Wants” are projects that will grow a community, e.g. Arts Hub, Rec Hub, Housing etc. There are a lot of very good “Wants” out there. The Challenge is how to fund these projects and how to move them forward.

 

My thoughts are for the next 4 years is to prioritize current and future projects by placing them into 3 categories as follows:

  • Concept Ready: Ideas coming from the community
  • Grant Ready: complete funding applications
  • Construction Ready: fully funded by either or both Grants/Taxes (reserves)

 

There will be a process developed for the criteria to place the various projects in each category. Projects will move from category to category by following a checklist of required items that will need to be satisfied before moving up to the next category. Each category will have a different check list of items to satisfy. By categorizing the projects, the priority for them will automatically be set.

 

The above process will demonstrate responsible budgeting for what is truly needed now, infrastructure upgrades but will show that E.L. is moving forward/progressing on other fronts, Arts, Recreation, Tourism etc.

 

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