IN GOOD COMPANY: Winter is on its way…

October 28, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Mayor Geoff Dawe

Time to pull out the hats, scarves, mittens and boots! Even with the weather, Aurora’s Haunted Forest was a success with many trick-o-treaters of various ages participating in the fun.
I would like to give special thanks to Town staff and the many volunteers for their hard work in putting together this spectacular event, which was voted as one of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals.
At Town Hall, we are working on several important projects to better serve our community. The Citizen Budget survey is coming to an end, with a deadline of Friday, October 30. I encourage residents to take the opportunity to complete the survey and help Aurora Town Council determine the appropriate service levels for our community. Participants will be entered to win a $250 Cineplex gift card.
Aurora Town Council and Town Staff are working together through many successful meetings to move forward a fair and balanced budget with low impact to residents. The 2016 Budget focuses on maintaining existing service levels, resulting in an approximate overall tax increase of 1.8 per cent. For up-to-date budget information, please visit www.aurora.ca/budget.
The Cultural Precinct Plan is still underway. This past Sunday, Council and I attended the public walking tour event with a number of residents and staff as Fotenn Consultants conducted the tour of the Cultural Precinct to gather ideas and community input for the future design and concept plan.
Stakeholders have also been issued a survey to gather feedback. Resident and visitor input are key to creating an effective and resilient plan. Stay tuned for the next community event in November. Details will be announced soon on www.aurora.ca/culturalprecinct and via the Town’s Notice Board.
The Highland Gate planning application is in progress. Our goal is to ensure that the community is accurately informed about this project and the stages of its development. Town staff recently created a frequently asked questions list on Highland Gate. This list is an informative reference that may answer common questions or concerns about this project. The questions are posted on www.aurora.ca/highlandgate.
Additionally, the Sport Plan and Master Parks & Recreation Plan is moving forward. We are collaborating with our community partners and residents to ensure that everyone has a chance to provide input on what type of future sporting services they would like to see.
The next public open house is on Tuesday, November 26 at Aurora Town Hall, Council Chambers from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. We encourage residents and interested stakeholders to attend and offer feedback. For more information on these two projects, please visit www.aurora.ca/sportplan or www.aurora.ca/masterplan.
The Town is also promoting pedestrian and driver safety for children traveling to and from school. Municipal lawn signs remind drivers to be alert and drive slowly in and around school zones.
Lawn signs are available for pick-up from Customer Service at Aurora Town Hall. There is one lawn sign per household with a limited quantity available, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Support pedestrian safety and get your sign today!
As residents, when undertaking a home construction project, we have a responsibility to ensure that we know if a residential or non-residential building permit is needed. Our Building & Bylaw Services department is pleased to assist residents that have questions about swimming pool enclosures, decks, finished basements and other projects. For more information on these services, please visit www.aurora.ca, click on Home and Property from the top tabs and click on Building Permits or email building@aurora.ca
Santa Claus is coming to Aurora! Don’t miss Aurora’s Santa Claus Parade on Saturday, November 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dress-up in your winter gear and stay warm with some hot chocolate while enjoying the evening parade.
If you are interested in participating in the parade, please fill out the online parade application form. The deadline to apply is Friday, November 6. Don’t delay, apply today! For more information on the parade, please visit www.aurora.ca/santaparade.
I encourage everyone to stay updated on what’s happening in our beautiful community by visiting the Town’s website, reading the local Notice Board, subscribing to our social media feeds and signing up for our monthly e-newsletter.
Stay tuned to In Good Company for more information about Aurora.