6 highlights from Aurora council’s Feb. 28 meeting

Yorkregion.com
March 3, 2023

Pickleball fans and a robotics team were just a few of the community members who showed up to council’s Feb. 28 meeting at Town Hall.

Here are some highlights from the evening:

1. Town finds itself in a pickle, with few pickleball courts available to meet rising demand. Representatives from the Aurora Pickleball Group and surrounding communities expressed the need for more spaces to play, pointing to nearby municipalities that have dedicated pickleball facilities or have plans to add more. Though there was unanimous support for providing more pickleball opportunities in town, council also heard about cost, location and timing considerations. Pickleball can be a noisy sport, and the tennis community would need time to provide input if their courts would be affected. A motion adopted by council directs staff to report back with creative opportunities to increase pickleball courts for the 2023 summer season and provide recommendations and future budget considerations through the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

2. Equipe Francobotique seeks sponsors and support for upcoming competition. The all-girl robotics team, also known as “Francobotique Pikacuits,” based in Aurora, is made up of seven girls in grades 5 to 8 who attend two French-language schools in York Region. The team presented their green-energy electric-vehicle charging solution concept to council. In May, the team will be representing Canada at the international FIRST LEGO league razorback Open Invitational competition in Arkansas. Interested sponsors can contact the team at equipe.francobotique@gmail.com.

3. Aurora joins growing list of municipalities in support of Bill 5, the Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act. After deputations from integrity commissioner Jeffrey Abrams, who wasn’t in support of the legislation, and from two representatives from the Women of Ontario Say No movement, council adopted a motion to endorse the bill. If passed, Bill 5 "requires that codes of conduct for municipal councillors and members of local boards include requirements for those councillors and members to comply with workplace violence and harassment policies, and creates an integrity commissioner and judicial process to remove them from office for egregious acts of sexual, emotional and psychological misconduct.”

4. Town requests the province continue to support town’s position and Ontario Land Tribunal ruling for 672 and 684 Henderson Dr. and not permit residential development as of right on those lands. George Skoulikas, president of the Henderson Forest Aurora Rate Payers Association, gave a deputation that explained the importance of protecting this environmentally sensitive land and of respecting the town’s existing approval process.

5. Council approves motion to develop an “Affordable Housing Action Plan” to provide clarity on attainable housing options for the future. Staff will work in collaboration with the community, local partners and housing providers to create a guide that will articulate and define the town’s strategies and actions on affordable housing.

6. License for liquor at the Aurora Community Centre? Staff will explore the feasibility of a permanent liquor license for the Aurora Community Centre, which often hosts tournaments and high-level hockey games. The motion notes that other municipalities have found success in licensing certain facilities and that the move would be in line with the town’s Sport Tourism Strategy.