Avery For Ward 1 Councillor

About this Barrie Area Business

My name is Avery Konda and I am running for Ward 1 Councillor in the City of Barrie Municipal Elections.
You might be wondering, what are some of my campaign promises? I worked to make them as realistic,
feasible, and actionable as possible to be able to follow through on my platform commitments.

I wanted to include a few highlights of my #FairShare platform below:

1. Prioritizing outdated, crumbling infrastructure through development, repair, and rehabilitation.
In the Proposed Developments through the City’s Development Review Process, there are only currently three development applications: 27 & 31 Blake Street (Apartment Building Complex) and 37 Johnson Street (Apartment Building Complex). Yet, in every other Ward there are 4-10 development applications that will bring much needed infrastructure repair. For example, Ward 8, has 10 development applications. An article by Simcoe.com on February 9th , 2018 showed that the City of Barrie currently sets aside $29 million for infrastructure repairs and rehabilitation. However, according to Barrie’s Asset Management Plan, they city should be investing $86 million to keep infrastructure well maintained.

There needs to be a priority put on Ward 1’s infrastructure development so that its residents can have their #FairShare of the City of Barrie’s future, and have sections of roads such as Codrington Street, Steele Street, and many other sections in the Ward repaired for safe use in our community.

2. Building a Safer Ward 1 For Our Community & Residents.
Through my door knocking and face to face interactions, residents have let me know that something needs to be done about speeding in family neighborhoods and on roads where kids are biking; housing availability and safety for our growing student populations; and a voice for seniors that are being left out of critical decision making for Ward 1’s future.

To reduce current levels of speeding on our roads, Radar Speed Signs can be a simple, yet effective solution. The SafePace 100, is a radar sign that is economically priced, and can be installed with ease, without having to change current services. The SafePace 500 is a perfect radar sign for school zones to ensure that speeds are kept within the indicated speed limit, so that children and families can feel more safe walking to school with their families. Radar speed signs have been shown to slow drivers an average of 10%, usually for several miles. This is simply creating #FairShare for our families in Ward 1, and not only the feeling of safety, but the action of making safety a top priority.

There is currently a housing shortage for our growing student population. I will work to create a General Committee between landlords, pertinent student services at Georgian College and RVH, and residents, community members, and businesses in Ward 1, to have open conversation about how we can address some of these challenges and work forward as a cohesive community.

After hosting ‘Politics Now & Then’ discussions at many of the Senior Homes/Long Term Care Communities in Ward 1 over the last couple of months, I have learned that there is a growing concern from our seniors on the impact of their voices, the desire to address challenges that matter to them, and bringing services to the area that will positively affect their lives.

One of my first actions, if elected, is to champion progressive conversation in the City of Barrie Municipal Council Meetings, to begin allocating services that are lacking in Ward 1, while bringing positive Smart Growth to our community. I will make it top of mind to respect that there is history within our Ward, but ensure that the services reflect our communities needs.

3. Smart Growth and not Forced Growth.
With many legacy projects that are happening throughout Barrie, it worries me to see that there is very little focus on Ward 1’s future development. One of my actions will be to create a Smart Growth Plan that focuses on sustainable development to foster and manage growth, build healthy communities, and prioritize Ward 1. I do not want to re-create the wheel, but would rather pull from existing plans that have shown Smart Growth success through implementation.
As an example of an efficient Smart Growth Plan, please check out the City of Markham’s Smart Growth Goals at Link #6 below.

I will work to ensure that there is prioritization on Smart Growth in our Ward, so that it does not hinder on the important history of the area, and decisions that are made are with direct input from the Wards residents.
Let’s work together to create a Smart Growth Plan for Ward 1.

These are some of my current platform goals for Ward 1. While they will develop over the next couple of months as the concerns and challenges of our residents become more vocal, I believe the core actions are reflective of the need for #FairShare for our community.

If you want to connect with me, want to volunteer for my #FairShare platform, or want to support me with a lawn sign, please send me an email through my website at the link below through the ‘Connect/Request A Free Lawn Sign’ Page.
I’m looking forward meeting you over the next couple of months.

Kindest Regards,

Avery Konda

For more information on specific facts, detailed explanations, or ways to connect with me, please see the links below:

Website: http://www.averykonda.com/
Connect With Me: http://www.averykonda.com/request-a-free-lawn-sign.html
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FairShare4Ward1/
Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/AveryKonda
Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/averykonda/
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/averykonda/

Link 1: https://www.simcoe.com/…/8123041-why-barrie-can-t-save-eno…/
Link 2: https://www.barrie.ca/City%20H…/Budget/Pages/Budget-101.aspx
Link 3: https://www.barrie.ca/…/2015/Chart-InfrastructureRenewalFun…
Link 4: https://www.simcoe.com/…/7207174-barrie-mayor-applauds-inf…/
Link 5: https://www.barrie.ca/…/Proposed-Develop…/Pages/default.aspx
Link 6: https://www.markham.ca/…/hY_JD…/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/
Link 7: http://www.transcanadatraffic.ca/DriverFeedbackSigns.html…