Mayor Don McIsaac and city council have been governing Orillia residents for a year. We asked the mayor and council five key questions about the first year of their four-year term. We will publish their answers, verbatim. Today is the second of the five-part series, in which they answer the following question:
What has been the biggest challenge for you, as a city politician, in your first year in office?
Ralph Cipolla (Ward 2)
The biggest challenge for me as a city politician has been ensuring that Orillia citizens are heard and their needs are considered important.
Navigating a collaborative effort and innovative solutions. Overcoming this challenge has been a learning experience, and it has reinforced the importance of effective communication and community engagement.
Luke Leatherdale (Ward 2)
I think the biggest challenge for me, as a city politician, is pleasing everybody. Let's face it, people want different things. I do my best to make decisions which helps the average person, but invariably, there may be those who aren't pleased with the decision.
Jeff Czetwerzuk (Ward 3)
The biggest challenge for me this past year was learning about all the different departments and operations that the city is responsible for. I found this to become easier over time, however, it did take some time to learn each department's function and how they manage the day-to-day operations of the city.
Learning about these departments and who was in charge of them helped me when responding to constituents and ensuring I was able to address their concerns in a timely manner. I strive to respond to all comments and concerns I receive and make sure that the right people are involved in the potential solutions.
I believe moving forward there are still some things to learn but it is very exciting for me to be able to help and assist people each and every day.
Jay Fallis (Ward 3)
Traffic calming: Addressing speeding throughout Ward 3 has been a major challenge since my first council term. In West Ridge specifically, there are many wide roads that stretch over a kilometre uninterrupted with hundreds of families living on them. Speeds need to be reduced for everyone’s safety.
While there have been some successes, there is a lot of room to improve. Since 2018, six traffic calming petitions have been submitted in Ward 3 (with more coming). Despite countless complaints from residents, every road identified in these petitions failed to meet the criteria required for permanent traffic calming solutions. That is unacceptable. Coun. Czetwerzuk and I are planning an enquiry, asking council to review the policy and criteria required to introduce traffic calming solutions.
On a positive note: Council just approved a one-time allocation of $15,000 for traffic calming throughout the city. However, more is needed consistently to meaningfully address this issue!
Janet-Lynne Durnford (Ward 4)
The biggest challenge for me has just been figuring out how everything works, and keeping up with the reading. When you’re elected, you don’t know what you don’t know.
It takes a while to learn what the issues are, how to respond to complaints, who to consult, what questions to ask, how each board and committee works, and what policy documents to read first. I’ve done my best to learn as much as I can, as quickly as I can. I’m grateful for the opportunity to attend training, conferences and symposiums, which have helped me to learn about what municipalities across Ontario are doing to address common challenges.
Tim Lauer (Ward 4)
The biggest challenge/concern I have coming out of this first year continues to be communication. As a city we have ongoing challenges connecting with the resident. Public meetings are not well attended, council meetings are not well attended and last year’s municipal election turnout was very low.
This is not a problem unique to Orillia. The disappearance of print media and the expansion of different types of social media has made meaningful dialogue with the public difficult. Hopefully the new tear will see a more focused effort in finding new and effective ways the city can re-engage with citizens.
David Campbell (Ward 1)
The first year of a new term of council is a tricky one. Everyone is getting to know one another and trying to figure out the best way to work together. This term has been no different.
Of course, we also have five new members who have never served on council before. There is a learning curve! Believe me, I know how they feel! Perhaps the biggest challenge has been trying to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. We have some very strong personalities on council and it can be difficult at times to get your point across. However, I feel that it’s getting better and I am really enjoying the enthusiasm of those new members.
Whitney Smith (Ward 1)
It's common to receive numerous calls and emails regarding the same issue, with each individual offering a distinct suggestion or perspective. While our priority is to make decisions that benefit the entire city, we also strive to ensure that every resident's voice is acknowledged and their input is taken into account. This challenge has been a positive motivator, driving us to continuously work towards making Orillia an even better place for all its residents.
Mayor Don McIsaac
Acquainting myself with the various internal policies, bylaws, and provincial legislation that govern the municipality has been a significant undertaking.
Getting Uber was easy and took an hour or so; talking about changes to transit not so much. Despite my parents' extensive experience on council and their time as mayor, I am not a seasoned politician. It has taken me some time to comprehend the internal policies and provincial laws that guide the municipality.
However, interacting and conversing with city residents has aided in overcoming this obstacle. It is critical that I have a thorough understanding of the policies and legislation that apply in order to address any issues that arise.
Watch for the third part of this five-part series tomorrow.
