Opening Comments by Mayor Peter J. Malouf - Regular Meeting of Tuesday, February 20, 2024

" Good evening to everyone, thank you for joining us, be it in person or virtually.

Files have moved forward since last month and the following is a short update.

Dalle Parc

Everyone must have seen by now the advancement of work on the Dalle Parc with the installation of large structures, which will help shield users from the sun. These structures have a certain artistic flair and will surely add to the beauty of this new green space in the Town.

Major projects

Sports and Community Centre

Planning continues for the construction of the new sports and community centre. Our project manager is busy working with our professionals and staff to set up the next steps for a call for tender for proposals. A meeting is planned with council in mid-March to present the progress, so that decisions can be made on key aspects. I am confident that, at the March meeting, I will have more information to share with residents.

New 10/20 Roosevelt

Members of council have seen preliminary ideas for the future new building and have given their opinion and orientation. The proposed new building is planned to be presented to the CCU in March.

PPU Beaumont

The Beaumont area will be the subject of a PPU during 2024. This has been planned for in the budget and is necessary, due to the interest of developers in redeveloping certain properties because of the planned future reconstruction of the Rockland overpass.

A PPU is a tool by which the municipality can express a vision for a sector in a planned way. Our staff is working with urban planners to help us define the future needs of this area. We are not embarking on this behind closed doors and will not be presenting a ready-made vision; we will be working with area residents, property owners and stakeholders to hear their concerns, vision, and needs. Together, we will define what is best for the area and our community. Invitations to the first meetings will be sent out shortly.

Taxation

Without rehashing this issue, I would simply like to say that the tax increase for all residential properties for 2024 is the same, unless there is an evaluation change. Modifying the multiplier for residential properties of 6 or more dwellings would mean that the decrease in taxation revenue from this group would be borne by the single-family residential owners. We did not feel this was a fair solution and therefore have maintained the multiplier as in 2023.

Several other municipalities also use a multiplier factor, including: Beaconsfield, Côte-St-Luc, Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Kirkland, Montréal-Est, Montréal-Ouest, Sainte-Anne-De-Bellevue, and Westmount, all of which use different rates for residential buildings and those with 6 units or more.

CSSMB Schools

The director of the CSSM contacted me a few weeks ago and advised me that, based on their extensive recent studies and projections, there is no need for a new school on our territory. The expansion of Mount Royal high is also on pause. For the time being this file is now closed.

Pierre-Laporte Pool

Another important file with the CSSMB. They have now officially advised us that Pierre Laporte school will close in June and is planned for closure for 18 months, due to major repairs. This of course has an impact on our services, programs, and our community. Our recreation department is working on finding alternate locations for our residents. However, pool usage is popular and even if we do get some time slots, they will not be prime time. As soon as we can have confirmation on options for our residents, we will be advising you. This situation proves once again the importance of having our own infrastructure and not relying on an outside partner.

That summarizes recent events, wishing you all an informative evening and enjoy the meeting."