190514 BIA MIN
Tillsonburg Business Improvement Area
Board Meeting – MINUTES - Tuesday, May 14th, 2019
5:00 pm – Boston Pizza – 102 Broadway, Tillsonburg (private room)
1. CALL TO ORDER: Determine if a quorum is present. Time: 5:10 p.m.
Quorum: YES Members present: C. Tomico; C. Heutinck, M. Renaud, K. Slattery, M.
Tedesco, D. Gilvesy, D. Rasokas Members absent: W. Cameron
Public/delegations present: n/a
2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA:
a. moved by: C. Heutinck seconded by: D. Gilvesy
“Carried”
3. DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF:
“none declared”
4. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: The Board of Management continued its discussion of the Ford
Government “Regional Review” and the need for the board to provide feedback via a board
resolution. After a lengthy debate, the board of management passed the following resolution:
MOTION:
Moved by: C. Heutinck and Seconded by: M. Tedesco and resolved that the BIA Board of
Management recommends a new government structure that would be more effective; cost-
efficient and responsive to the taxpayer; by creating three separated one-tier
municipalities/regions in the Oxford County. Three new, large and separated municipalities
for the purposes of this resolution are identified as East Oxford, Northwest Oxford and South
Oxford. The political boundaries for this proposal will be determined through a county-wide
consultation process. By having three separated municipalities and eliminating the upper-tier,
you would reduce the number of existing politicians by more than half. This plan would
similarly and more importantly, reduce the number of current CAO’s from 9 to 3; the number of
Chief Building Officials from 8 to 3; number of municipal clerks from 9 to 3; the number of Fire
Chief’s from 8 to 3 and the entire elimination of county operational functions & council. This
plan would deliver savings of approximately $10 million annually, beginning in 2022 – which is
a direct saving and benefit for the taxpayer. Further, the amount of red tape would be
significantly reduced by having all operating functions at one tier of government – the tier
closest to the people.
By restructuring now, to provide more effective government and to prepare for our growth
challenges for the next 50 years; this proposal addresses all of the mandate elements from
Minister Clark. The BIA believes a one-tier Oxford County would not deliver any improvement
in citizen engagement; efficiency or reduction of red-tape. The geography itself including vast
agricultural lands does not lend itself to being a one-tier government and having a one-tier
government using the existing upper-tier structure with the municipal seat in Woodstock; may
lead to a further disconnection between the various communities of interest. There are three
distinct regions in Oxford. A separated municipal structure of 3 units vs. the existing 9; would
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allow for proper alignment of services, especially with respect to emergency and protective
services on the Highway 401 and 403 corridors for example. The other distinct advantages
would be improved logistics for all facets of daily operational functions and remove obvious
obstacles with planning, for example, the CAMI plant in Ingersoll being split into two different
lower-tier municipalities. The BIA also proposes a new Oxford Services Agency; OSA; which
would be constituted as a coordination mechanism for such items as transportation planning
for example. The OSA would be operated within the confines of the existing new budget
structure of the new 3 larger communities of interest and would not add any cost or
bureaucracy. Further, the BIA recommends to Minister Clark; to expand the terms of reference
to include boundary adjustments for those areas of the existing County of Oxford where
operational pressures and growth are a challenge with respect to process; red tape; planning
and day-to-day functionality. The two specific areas are the Tavistock/north Oxford area
abutting the County of Perth and the Town of Tillsonburg-south Oxford area abutting Norfolk &
Elgin counties; which complicates and exacerbates the many facets of governance and
planning.
The BIA would avail itself to formally present our proposal to Minister Clark and the Regional
Review Committee directly.
5. DELEGATIONS: n/a.
6. ROUNDTABLE: The board directed the ED to present this above motion at the public meeting
to be held upcoming on May 16th, 2019 at the Tillsonburg Senior’s Centre Auditorium.
7. NEXT MEETING – Tuesday, May 23rd, 2019 at Carriage Hall – 7:00 am breakfast & 7:30 am
meeting
8. MOTION TO ADJOURN: C. Heutinck moved; Seconded by M. Tedesco. 6:15 pm.
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