Opening Comments by Mayor Peter J. Malouf - Regular Meeting of Tuesday, November 19, 2024

" Thank you for joining us this evening and following the events in our community.

As has been the custom, I will give you a brief update on the files that have kept us busy recently.

BUDGET

Over the past few weeks, we have been meeting with various members of the administration to work on the budget. As you can imagine, it's been a long process with many busy days. I am confident that we have prepared a budget that meets residents’ needs and expectations, all the while keeping the tax rate at a reasonable level.

The first step in the budget process was taken this evening at the special meeting, with the adoption of the PTI for the years 2025-2026-2027.

The operating budget will be adopted at a special council meeting to be held on December 10^th.

COUNCIL COMMITTEES

Several of you have talked about the creation of various Council committees. I've heard you, and I've already asked the Town Manager to look at the options. A meeting and discussions will be held with elected officials on this subject in January.

FLOODS

It is a bit of a good news, bad news file. The good news is that we have had very little rain in the past months, therefore bringing the bad news that our flow measuring devices installed have not given us much information.

The flow measuring devices are still in place and, according to the weather forecast, we'll have rain this week, which will give us the data we need to calibrate the model and make progress on this important issue. We continue to work hard to find solutions that will benefit the community.

PUBLIC SECURITY

Our Public Security department remains very active; a video on school zone safety is available on Facebook and Instagram. I invite you to take a look. Other videos on various subjects are in preparation.

Please note that we have also published, jointly with the SPVM (station 26), a note on safety tips for protecting your home and services our Public Security can offer for residents. These Safety Tips are available on our website and the Public Security social media account.

REM

According to the latest information received, the REM should be operational in our section by fall 2025. Work on the REM line and in the tunnel seem to be advancing well, and according to the latest info, the trains should be running in the fall of 2025.

The REM has therefore demobilized from the Town Center and the traffic pattern is back to the way it was 4 years ago.

We are currently working with our consultants to synchronize the traffic lights to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.

We thank you for your patience as we we work on the synchronization of the traffic lights.

COMMUNICATIONS

A word about the many ways in which all residents can stay informed about Town and Council activities.

In all, the Town has nearly twenty communication channels to reach and inform Townies directly about all local activities, events and related issues.

We're talking about an inclusive multi-channel approach, both digital and traditional. 

The Town's redesigned website has been up and running for almost a year now. It's your first source for all information, announcements and updates on municipal activities and services, from events to public notices, by laws and council meeting broadcasts. In the event of an emergency, the site will be the primary means of informing residents.

Added to this are the social networks on the Instagram and Facebook platforms, as well as the newsletter, which can be subscribed to free of charge. Residents are encouraged to follow and share this information with other members of the community.

You can even receive text messages on your phone with the free Bciti + mobile application, or receive a call in the event of an emergency by subscribing to the CodeRED system.

Recognizing that more traditional formats such as local newspapers, the municipal calendar and INFO VMR magazine still play an important role in the information habits of many of our residents, the Town also publishes information in these mediums, which are distributed door-to-door to the homes of Mont-Royal residents. You've probably also seen the information posted on the Town’s billboards on the main boulevards or on the Morris columns in the downtown area.

In addition, you can receive information about the Public Security, Library and Recreation networks as well. 

As you can see, the Town's information is available in a variety of forms and is easily accessible to all residents.

I thank you for your attention and wish you good town council."