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Haldimand County Invites Residents to In-Person Sessions About Community & Recreation Facilities Strategy on April 4 & 5

Four in-person public consultations are scheduled for April 4 and 5 as Haldimand County continues developing its long-term Community & Recreation Facilities Strategy. The drop-in sessions are scheduled as follows:

Monday, April 4; 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Cayuga Memorial Arena, McSorley Room
Monday, April 4; 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Caledonia LIONS Community Centre
Tuesday, April 5; 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Jarvis Lions Community Centre
Tuesday, April 5; 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Dunnville Community Lifespan Centre

All sessions will be hosted in keeping with pandemic-associated public health guidelines at that time.

“Haldimand County received 2,000 responses to the community survey about this initiative,” says Mayor Ken Hewitt, “which is likely the greatest response received to any public consultation we’ve done in recent years. This just confirms to Council the importance of this issue to residents and users of our community and recreation facilities and services.”

The Strategy — which focuses on facilities that support activities such as aquatics, sports, health, wellness, arts and culture — is being developed in consultation with Monteith Brown Planning Consultants of London, ON.

“Now that we’re able to host public engagement sessions again, we’re hoping residents who may not have had an opportunity to take the survey will come out to see what might be possible and share their thoughts,” adds Hewitt.

While the Strategy will be strongly informed by public input about recreation preferences, it will also include recommendations about financial feasibility of potential locations and types of facilities. This might include repurposing existing sites or facilities or entering into partnerships to address service and programming preferences and trends.

Find out more about the project on the County’s website or contact us at RecStrategy@HaldimandCounty.on.ca if you have questions or want to provide input into the process.

Haldimand County Community Paramedic Program making a difference locally

Haldimand County’s Community Paramedic Program continues to make an impact locally, and thanks to $4.3 million from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, the program will continue – fully-funded – for the next 2.5 years.

The Community Paramedic Program was initiated in March 2021 with the goal of connecting vulnerable or homebound patients to health and community services. Since its launch, the program has grown to serve 160 clients across Haldimand who would otherwise experience challenges accessing vital services.

The program’s primary focus is helping at-risk individuals and older adults remain at home longer and maintain independence while waiting for long-term care. Without the support of community paramedics, many of these individuals would wind up in hospital due to their inability to access care.

Regular home care visits, medication checks and ongoing monitoring of medical conditions by community paramedics help mitigate medical complications for these residents and reduce the likelihood of severe conditions requiring 911 response and hospitalization.

“We are incredibly proud of our community paramedic team and grateful to the province for additional funding that will help us reach more residents in need,” stated Jason Gallagher, Haldimand County’s Manager of Emergency Services and Fire Chief.

“Whether we are visiting someone to perform a medication check, administer IV fluids, take blood, teach them how to use their glucose monitoring system or something else, community paramedics are a vital lifeline to many who lack a support system,” Gallagher noted.

Residents who feel they may benefit from the Community Paramedic Program should speak with their primary care physician and request a referral. There is no cost to eligible individuals, and at-home visits will be scheduled based on an individuals’ needs (e.g. weekly, bi-weekly, monthly).

More services will be introduced to the Community Paramedic Program in the coming months and shared with the community as they become available.

Individuals who would like to learn more about services offered may contact 905-318-5932 ext. 6113.

Haldimand County Seeking Public Input on Community Engagement with Shape Your HC Survey

Haldimand County is developing a long term Customer Experience and Communications Strategy and is asking for public input to identify priorities to improve the quality of customer service delivery.

Customer experience covers a broad spectrum of interactions with Haldimand County, including items such as calling customer service for information, registering for a program, booking a facility, making a payment, or reporting a concern.

From March 14 to April 14, 2022, Haldimand County residents are asked to complete the Shape Your HC Survey to share their feedback.

The survey will help set a baseline for current customer experience levels within Haldimand County and identify top priorities for growth and improvement. This information will allow Haldimand County to establish guidelines and key performance metrics for customer service. The strategy will be strongly informed by public and stakeholder input.

“It’s important to us that residents have a positive experience when dealing with all divisions within Haldimand County,” stated Trish Cardwell, Manager – Customer Experience and Communications. “We currently service a wide demographic of people and want to prioritize meeting their expectations, whether that means receiving a call-back within a set period of time or being able to access more information online. Knowing what is most important to our residents is the first step in designing a Customer Experience and Communications Strategy to meet their needs.”

Residents are asked to visit HaldimandCounty.ca/Connect/ShapeYourHC/ to complete the survey online, or are welcomed to fill in a physical copy at any branch of the Haldimand County Public Library or the Haldimand County Administration Building located at 53 Thorburn Street South in Cayuga.

Haldimand County introduces property tax eBilling, encourages residents to sign up and ‘go green’

Haldimand County is introducing property tax eBilling to its growing list of online services. Residents can now sign up for eBilling at www.HaldimandCounty.ca/ebills/ and get property tax bills delivered straight to their e-mail inbox starting this July.

Residents that sign up will also be the first to receive information on how to set up their online property tax account – another feature that will soon be launched.

The new eBilling service makes it more convenient for residents to access their property tax information and reduces Haldimand County’s environmental footprint by significantly decreasing the amount of paper used.

The move to eBilling will also result in significant cost savings related to printing and mailing.

The introduction of property tax eBilling was made possible through funding provided by the Provincial government through the Municipal Modernization program, which intends to help municipalities find efficiencies and implement new initiatives to digitize, streamline programs and services.

Property tax eBilling is the first initiative to be launched utilizing this funding, and others will be introduced over the coming months. Ultimately, residents will be able to access their property tax information, receive correspondence and make payments from a single point of contact, 24/7.

Digitizing the county’s popular Community Guide/PlayBook and making it easier to navigate program registration information online is another facet of the project that is currently underway.

The Province’s contribution to Haldimand’s modernization projects under the current implementation stream is approximately $94,250.

Residents who wish to learn more about the county’s online services are encouraged to visit HaldimandCounty.ca and explore the options under ‘myHC’.

Residents who need assistance signing up may also call Haldimand County Customer Service at 905-318-5932 or visit any library branch.

Haldimand County Public Library Offers Virtual Family Cooking Class with Local Chef

Learn how to make delicious no-bake date squares and a refreshing mango lassi with Chef Rabiya through Haldimand County Public Library’s virtual cooking class. On Friday, March 18 at 4:00 p.m, join Chef Rabiya from Rabi’s Grand Kitchen in Caledonia via Zoom.

Young chefs and families will be responsible for purchasing their own ingredients where they can follow along with Chef Rabiya as they create a delicious snack. Registration is required at a cost of $5.00 per family.

To register, visit your local library branch or email Katrina Krupicz at kkrupicz@haldimandcounty.on.ca.

Haldimand County Council approves 2022 Tax-Supported Capital Budget

Haldimand County Council reviewed and approved the 2022 Tax Supported Capital Budget on March 3, 2022. The Tax-Supported Capital Budget outlines $35 million of infrastructure investment in 2022, with a total tax-supported infrastructure investment of $310.4 million over the next 10 years. In total, 313 new tax-supported capital projects have been scheduled for the 2022 calendar year.

The 2022 Capital Budget is heavily focused on infrastructure renewal with notable expenditures in areas such as roadway improvements, bridge and culvert rehabilitation and enhancements to corporate, community and recreation facilities.

2022 Capital Budget Highlights:

  • $19 million towards roadway and active transportation improvements such as paving, road reconstruction, tar and chip resurfacing, gravel road conversion, sidewalk/curb replacements, street lighting as well as bridge/culvert rehabilitations, replacements and other structure-related projects (e.g. retaining walls)
  • $2.8 million towards accelerating the gravel road conversion program. All gravel roads will be converted to tar and chip by 2023 and the program will be completed in 2025 when the second coat of tar and chip is applied to the final road
  • $4 million towards fleet and equipment maintenance/replacements, including the purchase of multiple new emergency services and winter control vehicles
  • $3.8 million towards community partnership projects and enhancements to parks, trails, arenas, pools, museums and libraries
  • $855,000 towards tree conservation and reforestation initiatives

In recent years the County has deliberately increased its investment in capital to ensure that existing facilities are updated, new facilities desired by the community are added and that a funding plan is in place to minimize tax impacts. Money is set aside every year to ensure that when assets need repairs or replacing, funding is available.

“The 2022 Capital Budget balances current priorities with future needs and further positions Haldimand for growth. Through diligent asset management practices and financial planning principles, staff have developed a budget that ensures our strong financial position is maintained, and our residents and business owners continue to receive high quality programs and services,” said Haldimand County Mayor
Ken Hewitt.

“We, like many other municipalities, have faced significant financial pressures as a result of COVID-19, and I am proud of the capital program we have developed under challenging circumstances.”

Similar to past years, the capital levy, funded by property taxes, will increase by about $725,500 or about 1% of the overall municipal levy. The total municipal levy for 2022 will be determined once the 2022 Tax Supported Operating Budget is approved by Council.

The 2022 Tax Supported Operating Budget will be presented to Council on the following dates:

• March 31 & April 1*, 2022 – 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Haldimand County Administration Building Council Chamber (*if required)

More information on Haldimand County budgets can be found at HaldimandCounty.ca/Financials/Budgets/.

 

Haldimand County logo. A yellow sun rising or setting atop green and blue waves. Haldimand County in black lettering below.

Haldimand County raises Ukrainian flag at administration building

Haldimand County has raised the Ukrainian flag at its administration building to show support for the nation currently besieged by attacks from Russia.

The flag-raising request was initiated by Council in response to the events unfolding across Ukraine, and in support of community members who are personally impacted by these tragic circumstances.

“Haldimand County stands with Ukraine and wishes for a peaceful, hasty resolution. Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and their loved ones,” said Mayor Ken Hewitt.

The Ukrainian flag flies alongside the Canadian and provincial flags in front of the Haldimand County Administration Building in Cayuga.

Haldimand County Public Library offers free Community Volunteer Income Tax Program

Haldimand County Public Library, in partnership with the Canada Revenue Agency, is hosting the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, a free income tax filing service provided by trained volunteers.

This tax program will be offered by drop-off appointment only at the Caledonia, Jarvis, Cayuga, Hagersville, and Selkirk Branches of the Haldimand County Public Library. The free tax clinics will run from February 28 to April 22, 2022.

To be eligible for this free tax filing service, participants must be either:

  • Single, with an annual income of $30,000 or less;
  • Married couple, with a combined annual income of $40,000 or less;
  • Single adult with dependents, with an annual income of $35,000 or less (plus additional $2,500 per dependent);

All individuals must have less than $1,000 in investment income to be eligible.

If you would like to access this free service or have any questions, please call the Haldimand County Public Library at 289-674-0400 or visit one of the branches.

Once participants drop off materials and complete the necessary forms, all materials will be delivered to a volunteer by library staff. Upon completion of the tax files, participants will be called back to the library to pick up their prepared forms. If any questions should arise during the process, the volunteer will contact participants by phone.

Individuals seeking further information about tax clinics may contact Katrina Krupicz, Community Outreach Coordinator, Haldimand County Public Library at 905-318-5932 ext. 6552 or kkrupicz@haldimandcounty.on.ca

Haldimand County easing public health measures in facilities in alignment with province

Effective March 1, Haldimand County will be following Provincial plans to ease public health measures at County-owned facilities.

Measures include removal of proof of vaccination requirements and lifting capacity limits on remaining indoor public settings.

Masking requirements and physical distancing remain in place at this time.

For information on Haldimand County programs and services during COVID-19, visit HaldimandCounty.ca/COVID-19. 

 

Haldimand County logo. A yellow sun rising or setting atop green and blue waves. Haldimand County in black lettering below.

Residents encouraged to provide input into Community and Recreation Facilities Strategy

Haldimand County Council is encouraging all residents and users of County facilities to have their say in helping identify recreation facility needs now and in the future.

An online survey—focusing on new or repurposed facilities to support activities such as aquatics, sports, health, wellness, arts and culture—is available at HaldimandCounty.ca/RecStrategy/ until March 7.

“We are eager to hear from everyone about the kinds of recreation and community facilities they want the County to build or create in the coming years, and the input from this consultation process will guide that,” says Mayor Ken Hewitt. “If we have learned anything through this pandemic, it is that access to recreation and leisure is critical to supporting physical, mental, emotional and social well-being.

“We also want to encourage our younger residents, who we hope continue to make Haldimand County their home as they begin to work and raise their own families, to use this opportunity to tell us what kinds of recreation makes them happy.”

You can find out more about the Community & Recreation Facilities Strategy process—including the online survey and updates about in-person consultation opportunities—on the project web page.