Council Chatter: find out what the Town of Newmarket is talking about

YorkRegion.com
Jan. 30, 2017
Teresa Latchford

There’s a new clerk in town.

Lisa Lyons has been appointed the new town clerk and director of legislative services for Newmarket. She will oversee council meetings, agendas and minutes, requests for information and corporate records, commissioning of oaths and a number of bylaw services including parking enforcement, elections, animal services, applications, licences and permits.

After serving as the deputy clerk for Newmarket in 2015, she took a position with the Town of Aurora as town clerk.

Corporate Asset Management Strategy gets the thumbs up.

Council recently approved the strategy that will focus on five objectives including governance, capital program decision making, data and information, maintenance management and optimizing asset management.

The aim is to allow staff to manage the town’s assets with consistency while creating a stability in financial and capital planning, more informed decision making regarding investment in new or existing assets and enhanced collaboration between departments on projects that require asset management.

A new stormwater charge is coming.

Newmarket residents will see a new stormwater charge on their June 2017 final property tax bill under the special charges section. While the charge isn’t new, it was previously collected through property tax and water bills.

Due to the new charge, the average homeowner will see a $55 decrease on their property tax bill and a $10 decrease on their water bill.

These charges will be recovered through the stormwater charge user fee, which is based on the size of your property and the run-off level group rate. The average resident will see about at $40 stormwater charge.

Community report is now available.

Those who are curious to know what Newmarket has accomplished in the 18 months from January 2015 to June 2016, can now view the community report video and print version at newmarket.ca/communityreport.

Viewers will also be asked what they think through the completion of a questionnaire.

Winterfest 2017 is to be held Feb. 18.

Celebrate winter from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex with indoor and outdoor winter-themed activities for the entire family. There will be horse and wagon rides, pancakes, magic, swimming, skating and more.

Visit newmarket.ca for more information.