Neighbourhood groups talk funding priorities with city councillors

Four United Way-funded neighbourhood groups from the city core came together with their city councillors Wednesday night to advocate for items they want to see properly funded in the city’s upcoming budget process.

Ford City Neighbourhood Renewal, Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative, Our West End Neighbourhood Renewal and The Initiative: Glengarry to Marentette and members of the public sat down with Ward 2 Coun. John Elliot, Ward 3 Coun. Rino Bortolin, Ward 4 Coun. Chris Holt and Ward 5 Coun. Ed Sleiman at Cardinal Place on Peter Street.

“We want to make sure the voices of our community are heard and supported,” said Leo Gill of Our West End Neighbourhood Renewal, who acted as moderator along with Sarah Cipkar of Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative.

The groups conducted a survey of residents and found six main priority areas they would like to see funding maintained and increased: cycling infrastructure; coordinated strategy for substance abuse and poverty reduction; municipal infrastructure; access to parks and green space; public works; recreation and culture.

The cycling infrastructure issue kicked off the discussion, with Lori Newton of Bike Windsor Essex questioning a drop in funding coming in 2022 and 2023.

“I hope that you’re starting to see cycling isn’t just about recreation and exercise, it’s about getting to work,” Newton told councillors. “I think there are ways you can find the money and help us move forward.”

Cycling infrastructure funding is projected to drop from $600,000 to $200,000 in 2022.

Another issue that was highlighted was the cat voucher program whereby stray and owned cats can be spayed or neutered. The group expressed concern that the program’s budget was being decreased from $30,000 to $20,000.

Bortolin said the program was budgeted for $30,000 but only $17,000 was used.

“When we deal with this I will ask that if they sell out they will get more funding,” he said.

On the issue of drug strategy, the group said they would like to see an expansion of the sharps and syringe disposal bins across the city.

The group said 311 calls are indicating that syringes are being found in parks, alleys, parking lots, streets and private property in all 10 wards of the city.

The group said they would also like to see the city hire a worker to provide street outreach to people in the community who have been identified as potentially homeless, at a cost of $67,210.

The group also wants councillors to fight for the alley maintenance program, with the city having 80 kilometres of paved alleyways in the older sections.

Holt said he is going to ask for $250,000 in enhanced funding for alley maintenance in his ward.

The group also wants to see more funding for traffic calming measures. There is no funding for traffic calming in the 2018 budget, but there will be $169,000 spent next year and $106,000 in 2020.

It is also recommending that the city hire a tractor operator to maintain vacant lands, transitional properties and ditches throughout the city at a cost of $75,386.