This is the seventh in a nine-part series in which OrilliaMatters asked city councillors to reflect on the first half of their mandate, look ahead to the second half and let citizens know if they intend to see re-election.
Today, we provide the answers from Ward 4 Councillor Pat Hehn.
Question 1. What are you most proud of, personally as a councillor, that you/council have been able to accomplish in the first half of your mandate?
Most of this Council have been together for six years. Many of the projects that we started in our first term are coming to fruition now: the new Recreation Centre, the Front Street Reconstruction, the Hydro One Purchase are all excellent examples.
Hydro One agreed to build the Ontario Grid Control Centre even before the Ontario Energy Board approved the sale of the Orillia Power Distribution to Hydro One. This will provide up to 200 good paying jobs in Orillia with spinoff jobs.
We are in the process of opening up the lands in the Horne Business Park to provide more employment lands and hopefully attract more high-tech companies to our community.
Question 2. What is your biggest disappointment as it relates to a council decision/direction or issue?
There are some things I would like to see changed in the Waterfront Study, but I have been assured that this is not a plan set in stone. Before each component of the plan comes to Council there will be ample time to discuss it. I hope that the issues that concern me can be brought forward at the appropriate time.
I would have like to have seen Mississaga Street redeveloped sooner rather than later. However, when I first started on Council it wasn’t even on the ten-year plan so we have managed to push it forward. I also have to remember that we have to be fiscally responsible and people will be struggling especially after this pandemic.
Question 3. Nobody saw the pandemic coming. Specifically, as a councillor, what is the biggest challenge the pandemic has created and how have you tried to tackle that challenge?
It was necessary to completely change the way we do business at City Hall and to form an Emergency Control Group. Originally this Group met daily and now it meets several times a week. Mayor Clarke sends briefings to Councillors keeping us informed.
As a result of these meetings the decision was made to close off our waterfront parks to everyone but our own residents. Although difficult, it was the right decision.
The Mayor’s video briefings which OrilliaMatters carried were most helpful in keeping the public informed. An Economic Recovery Task Force was also set up. Their “See You on the Patio” program was a great success and is being carried over to next year. As a member of the Age Friendly Orillia Advisory Committee, we compiled a Self Assessment Tool published in the Orillia Today during the spring to help people assess how they were coping with the pandemic.
Question 4. As a result of the pandemic, many citizens are worried about the future and think council should have halted everything (ie. waterfront plan, Centennial Drive project etc.) to save money. What do you say to those people and what is your view of the future of the municipality amid the reality of a pandemic?
There is no doubt that Orillians and businesses have suffered during this pandemic and, unfortunately, we have seen the closure of some businesses, however, all in all, I believe that we have weathered the pandemic well.
We made the difficult decision during the summer to work towards a 0% increase in our 2021 taxes to help ease the burden in coming year for our citizens. The new LED streetlights will pay for themselves in six years and the ongoing cost will be considerably less than the older type and environmentally kind.
I believe that we are in a sound financial position and hope that our future will be bright.
Question 5. The recent discussion about the waterfront plan spawned a lot of debate and, despite your efforts, many seem to think there wasn’t enough public input. Are you doing enough as a council to be transparent, to encourage public input and to listen? How so? How could that be improved during the second half of your mandate?
We had articles in both papers, and notices were on the City Page in Orillia Today and it was also announced at our Council meetings. The survey was online for a period of time as well. The consultants believe that we had a high return. It can always be better.
I always listen to the feedback I receive, and then I have to make a decision. The good news is each component will come back before Council before moving forward so there will be more opportunity for the public to be heard.
Until the pandemic, Tim Lauer and I held Ward meetings every six months and issues like this were discussed. Tim and I have had between 14 and 40 people at our meetings.
I also post all the meetings and events I attend on my Facebook page to give constituents an idea of what I do as a Councillor.
Question 6. What is the biggest challenge council faces in the second half of its mandate (ie. Staff retirements, promised tax freeze, capacity) and what are your top priorities?
We have a number of retirements within our Senior Management over the next couple of years. The replacing of these key people will shape the future of City Hall for years to come. It is an exciting time, but one with a great deal of responsibility. With the new hirings, we will continue with the reorganization of City Hall in general and how it will look in the future.
When the pandemic struck, the focus at City Hall shifted to deal with it and all the problems it caused. The next two years will be determined by what happens with the pandemic and how we recover from it.
I would like us to bring forward the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Report that we had done recently and work with it.
Question 7: Lastly, do you intend to seek re-election? Why or why not?
I love what I do and I serve on 11 extremely interesting Boards and Committees. Some meet sporadically and take little time, others, like County Council meet twice a month and sometimes have heavy agendas to read.
I have learned that it is too soon to make a decision. Having a woman on Council brings a very different perspective to meetings. I find that I often bring up things that the others may not have thought of simply through my life experience.
It is certainly a major time commitment. It is not unusual to have four or five meetings a week with all the pre-reading involved and perhaps follow-up afterwards. And, of course, there are calls and/or emails from constituents to help solve problems. We will see.
