Comue MIn' support PMpo-ed--- plan ainne Bv JUlla Le an atitional 230 000 and aobs in Haltonv tw orted staff recommendationsnhat stemmed p4nl eart in CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF ,c Growh shoulti pay for itself, Ron Glenn told Halton Region's planning ani public werks Icomirmttee recently. During a presentation providing an overview of the provincial governments recent pro- poseti ameridments to the Growth Plan for Ithe Greater Golden H4orseshow, 2006, Glenn said the plan iacks a clear strategy of how it wiîl be executeti. »Growth needs to b. fully fundeti ami the. IInfrastructure relateti to it needs te be fully funded, he tolti committee menibefs. 'We at the Regional level certainly have put our Sores in the water andi put our plans in place te fund infrastructure and master plans« H e atideti local murncipalitles have aise done Stheïr part. lJnder the proposeti amentiments, the ç growth plan - which aimns at building stron- Sger, prosperous communities by better man- Iaglnqgrfowt Iln the reqon to 2031 - will be *xtended to 2041. SIt also proposes te grow the population by 80,000 ovef the 10-year period from 2031 te 2041. A relateti staff-prepared report about the growth plan criticizes the proposed amend- ments te the. plan as flot providing any policy direction on how its targets will be met. Other concerns include population and em- ploymient forecasts that dont accurately retlect the malce-up of Halton because they were based on 2006 census data rather than the more recent 2011i census data. 'The population is living longer, people are having more bables andi the number of peo- pie per houseiiold is increasing, Glenn tolti committee membeus, adding that the rium- ber cf working age people in the working class is actually shrinking. It's premature,' h. continueti on about the. amnentiments te the. growth plan. -lis toc soon te really know ttiat the policies are even working. let alone extenti the. tîme horizon out on a growth assumption te continue for- ward' Glenn's presentation was well receiveti by committee members, who unanimously sup- from a relateti report. It was approved by regional couinai recently with the endorsement of a submîission matie by the Hatton Area Planning Partnefship. which responds te the Ministry of lnfrastruc- ture's proposedi amentiments te the. growth plan. lbe Haiton Area Planning Partinership is cern- priseci of planning directors from each of Hai- ton's rnunicipalities, including Glenn. Amnong the. concemrs listeti notei eaulier are sugestions that amnie*4s be madie wiien the Province dees its next growth plan review andi that municipalities b. sheftered frorn time consurning and costl Ontario Mu- nicipal Boarc (0MB) hearings. Halton Regions officiaI plan, which was re- viseti te conform with the. Provinces Places to Grew Act, is being challenged in 41 separate appeals at the. Ontarie Municipal Board. Glenn said the. province also neetis te oo at providing munkipalities with stable. long- termn funding te ensure l4aloWîs growinq commun ities have the. heaiticare, education and infrastruictuire 0"e neeti in ordier te im- H. noteti the Developrnent Charges Act cre- ateti ini 1997 neuils to be uptiateti se &Ma mu- nicipalities have the. tools te rais. revenuies for capital planning anti projmcs relateti to accornmodating growtii. Du ring discussion courtcilior expressed their frustration with the. gi'ow plan, somne calting it mnadness'and -nsanes* 'What I'm seeinq is a province that wvamt us to grow even tbouqh the. rest of the. province is declin.ng, but is not givng ta tIr. toils. to do the. job an t.rms of developenrt charges. infrastructure funcing andi also even just the. legiWative help in ternis of 0MB defense" said Milon Local ani Regmonl Councllo Colin Best A copy of the. report whkcl lias been ap- proveti by couricil, will be sent t, tdie Minisry ef Infastructur, area MPPs anti local muinIi- palities, Regional Chasir Gary Carr w~i abo aei vise the Prernier on thiee i.R">ma stands on the growth plan arniienents issue. Juia Le con be reodi.d ar fw ~~s andaxmoen or on Tv.*re @ÀJ&boUmn- UNIT à FEUPEJI UIIESU111 *QUAL <7Y UPSCALE FIMSHMINS PARKSIOE LMING - FlTNESS ROOM INNOVATIVE DES1GNS - SJYLISH LOBBY LO4JNGE REFRESHM BREEZE WAY