County Overview

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County Overview

• Services and Finances

April 2008
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County of Simcoe
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County of Simcoe

• Background
• Established in 1843
• Consists of
• 7 Towns Bradford West Gwillimbury, Collingwood,
  Innisfil, Midland, New Tecumseth, Penetanguishene
  and Wasaga Beach
• 9 Townships Adjala-Tosorontio, Clearview, Essa,
  Oro-Medonte, Ramara, Severn, Springwater, Tay and
  Tiny
• The cities of Barrie and Orillia are separate
  from the County both politically and
  administratively although the County provides
  significant services to both

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County of Simcoe

• 480,000 hectares (4800 sq. km or 1,186,080 acres)
  
• make up the County of Simcoe
• Second largest County based on population and
  third largest County in Ontario based on physical
  size
• Total County population (2006 Census Canada)
• 263,515 excluding Barrie and Orillia
• 422,204 including Barrie and Orillia

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County of Simcoe

• Approximately 12,545 hectares (31,000 acres) of
  County Forests
• 500 km (311 miles) of shoreline
• 850 km of roads, 1700 lane km, over 180 bridges
  and structures and over 40 major signaled
  intersections
• Over 1,600 full and part-time employees
• Over 8 million visitors annually to Simcoe County

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County of Simcoe

• The County of Simcoe provides a range of key
  municipal services to the sixteen member
  municipalities that make up the County as well as
  the single tier municipalities of Barrie and
  Orillia including
• Mandated Services
• Ontario Works
• Social Housing
• Childrens Services
• Long Term Care
• Paramedic Services

• Environmental Services (solid waste
• management)
• Planning
• Emergency Management

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County of Simcoe

• The County of Simcoe provides a range of key
  municipal services to the sixteen member
  municipalities that make up the County as well as
  the single tier municipalities of Barrie and
  Orillia including
• Directed Services
• Roads
• Forestry Management
• Library
• Simcoe County Tourism

• Museum
• Archives
• By-law Enforcement

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County of Simcoe

• Other County Funded Services
• Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC)
• Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit
• Hospital Alliance
• 2008 Expenditures
• MPAC 4.2 M
• SMDHU 3.3 M
• HA 3 M

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County of Simcoe

• Costs (2008 Budget)
• In 2008 the cost to deliver County services
• 440 million
• 2008 County tax levy
• 90 million
• 2008 Waste Management Levy
• 18 million

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County of Simcoe

• Major issues facing the County today
• Growth
• Social Services
• Infrastructure funding roads, bridges,
  facilities
• Solid waste management
• Long term care
• Paramedic Services
• Hospital funding
• Further provincial downloading

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County of Simcoe Growth Management

• A New Way to Do Business

April 2008
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Growth Management Study
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Growth Plan, Places to Grow

• Sets objectives for 2031 for population,
  employment, and style of community
• Municipal Official Plans must comply by June,
  2009
• Must be reviewed at least every five years

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The New County Official Plan

• Population and employment allocations for the 16
  towns and townships within context of Simcoe and
  area
• Alternate density and intensification targets
• Employment nodes

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Community Structure (Allocations)

• Population growth 228,400
• Employment growth 70,500
• Factors existing Official Plan commitments,
  growth rates

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Intensification

• 30 County wide average
• 40 in New Tecumseth, Bradford West Gwillimbury,
  Innisfil, Collingwood, Penetanguishene, Midland

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Greenfield Densities

• 40 persons and jobs per hectare County wide
  average
• 50 persons and jobs per hectare for New
  Tecumseth, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Innisfil,
  Collingwood, Penetanguishene, Midland

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Healthy Communities

• Compact form/walkability
• Active transportation systems
• Transit systems
• Green space conservation
• Complete community

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Plan for Walking and Cycling

• Strategic Direction
• Encourage local policies for sidewalks/trails
• Encourage Active Transportation Plans
• Permit Active Transportation on some County Roads
• Develop standards for on road Active
  Transportation infrastructure based on roadway
  classification
• Focus on off road trail network linking to
  existing community trails
• Incorporate Active Transportation infrastructure
  into County Road improvements

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County of Simcoe

• Health Lifestyles

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Health Lifestyle Planning

• Purpose
• Identify considerations in land use Planning to
• Promote Healthy Lifestyle Choices
• Improve Health Status of Simcoe County Residents
• Provide recommendations for Policy/Framework

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Partnerships in Health Planning
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Simcoe Muskoka vs. Ontario Hospitalizations

• ? Heart Disease
• ? Diabetes
• ? Cerebrovascular Disease
• ? Motor Vehicle Collision-associated Injuries
• ? C.O.L.D.
• ? Colorectal Cancer
• ? Breast Cancer

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Health Impacts of the Built Environment

• Precursors
• Ability to be Physically Active
• Air Quality
• Access to Good Nutrition
• Access to Health Care
• Poverty Access to Social Services

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Key Features of the Built Environment

• Transportation
• Active Transportation, Design, Access
• Green Spaces
• Gardens, Recreation Areas, Playgrounds
• Public Spaces
• Recreation Centres, Concert Halls, Theatres,
  Schools Colleges
• Availability of Healthy Consumer Options
• Health Care Services

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Planning Recommendations

• 8 Key Planning Areas
• Complete Communities
• Environmental Protection
• Green Space Development
• Health Care Services
• Safety
• Transportation
• Urban Development
• Walkability

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Planning Recommendations

• 6 Categories of Responsibility
• Provincial Policy/Actions Required
• Conservation Authorities
• Local Municipal Responsibility
• Places to Grow Document
• Transportation Master Plan
• Official Plan Review - Recommendations

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Planning Recommendations

• Highlights
• Pedestrian-friendly developments
• Mixed-use neighborhoods encourage socialization
• Locate commercial/business closer to residential
• Protect Green Spaces
• Joint funding initiatives Improve Parks Green
  Spaces
• Preserve tree cover open spaces
• Natural Heritage considered in road design

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Planning Recommendations

• Highlights
• Include playgrounds, recreational facilities in
  community design
• Incorporate common areas, meeting places and open
  spaces to create social interaction
• Place parks in areas that are safe, accessible
  within 10 minutes walk away from high traffic
  areas
• Design to include open spaces such as parks,
  trails, greenways, gardens and heritage space

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Planning Recommendations

• Highlights
• Provide bike lanes on streets, bridges tunnels
• Calm traffic by narrowing streets, installing
  traffic circles, speed bumps etc.
• Include street lights
• ? cross-walks
• Integrate landscape trees into commercial/resident
  ial areas
• Preserve forest, farmland, wetlands, marshes etc.

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Planning Our Municipalities

• TO
• CREATE
• HEALTHY
• LIVEABLE
  
  COMMUNITIES