Opening Comments by Mayor Peter J. Malouf - Regular Meeting of Tuesday, January 23, 2024

" Good evening to all,

Thank you for joining us.

We have a full council agenda so I will be brief, all while touching base on a few of the highlights of files affecting our community.

SNOW REMOVAL

I will start by talking to you about snow removal. My colleagues around the table have discussed it, but I want to reiterate that, for effective and quality snow removal, the following guidelines must be followed:

• · The snow from your driveway should not be deposited on the sidewalk or in the street.
• · Your bins should not be placed in a way that hinders our operations.

Mother Nature does not always send us snow Monday to Friday during regular business hours. Our operations are therefore often done on weekends, evenings, and nights. We prioritize school zones, the Town Center, and main arteries. We would like to be everywhere, however, it is impossible to clear every street and sidewalk at once.

Our blue-collar employees take snow removal operations seriously, and I commend them for the work they have done.

TAXATION

The 2024 budget and tax rates were adopted in mid-December. The tax bills are being sent out presently. The due dates are February 21st and May 21st 2024.

Some Highlights

• 69% of your municipal tax dollars go directly to the City of Montreal's Agglomeration.

The Compounding Effect ff High Inflation Remains the Main Issue for 2024

• Recent studies have shown that the Consumer Price Index has increased by an average of 18.7% between February 2020 and October 2023.
• Sustained high interest rates and global supply disruptions continue to contribute to the multiplier effect of increased costs of goods and services, that we are all experiencing in our everyday lives.
• In order to mitigate the impact, the Town plans to use $4.4 million from its reserves to alleviate the tax burden.

SPORTS AND COMMUNITY CENTRE

I am pleased to announce that our project director, Jean-Pierre Richard, took office last week. He is already working with our professionals to finalize the revised PFT and implement the necessary actions for the next steps.

Jean-Pierre comes with extensive experience in design build with projects for the STM and the aquatic centre in Brossard.

Following the November information and presentation evening on the project, council members discussed the file at length. A consensus was reached whereby it was decided to proceed with the next steps to move the file forward. This consists of undertaking discussions with the Montreal representatives on the schema d’Aménagement de l’Agglomération, in order to then be able to start the changes required to the TMR by-laws, allowing for the redevelopment of the site. Rest assured that I will keep you informed as the file advances.

REM

Follow ups with the REM were done after residents expressed their concerns about the Lazard crossing access. Unfortunately, this access cannot be closed in a more permanent manner, as it is required for safety reasons, for emergency vehicle access and for evacuation. We have, however, asked that the fence be modified to be more opaque nature.

WEBSITE

Our new website is online since mid-december. I invite you to visit it and navigate through it. We are convinced you will find it user friendly and helpful.

VARIA

As the new year begins, so does the work on many of our projects. Please rest assured that our staff is continuing to work while keeping the best interest of our residents in mind. Many different files will be treated, such as; urban planning, zoning, construction projects, parks, infrastructure work, by-law reviews as well as many files that are more far reaching (Cavendish, Rockland overpass, Bill 96, etc.).

Thank you again for joining us."