Meet the Municipal Candidates - October 5th, 7pm Southampton Town Hall Auditorium

Hosted by  the Southampton and Port Elgin BIAs, please join us for an evening focussed on all things business, economy and BIA.

This will be an in-person meeting only, we won't be recording it.

We asked the candidates to  answer some specific questions in advance.  Their answers are in the files in the next section.

Not able to attend but have a question? You can do that here

 1. Our BIAs are both a commercial centre and a tourism destination. What role do you believe the municipality should play in supporting the BIA’s efforts to attract visitors, animate public spaces, and strengthen Main Streets through events, marketing, placemaking and beautification?   

 2. Vacant or underutilized properties can impact the vitality of a business area. How would you encourage property owners to improve, activate or redevelop these spaces? 

 3. Would you support partnering with the BIA through financial contributions, letters of support or joint grant applications to deliver events, beautification projects and public realm improvements? Please explain. 

 4. How would you strengthen the relationship and partnership between Council, municipal staff and the BIAs? 

 5. How would you ensure the BIAs are meaningfully involved in municipal planning and policy processes that affect the business area, including Official Plan reviews, transportation planning, master plans and strategic planning? 

 6. What municipal service standards do you believe are most important within the BIAs, such as cleanliness, garbage collection, landscaping, infrastructure maintenance and snow removal, and how should these service levels be measured and improved over time? 

 7. How do you see the municipality working with the BIAs to encourage meaningful participation and collaboration with First Nations, heritage organizations, arts and cultural organizations and other community partners? 

 8. What environmental or sustainability initiatives would you prioritize that could also strengthen Southampton and Port Elgins business areas, and how could the BIAs be involved? 

 9. What steps would you take to support small businesses, encourage entrepreneurship and attract investment to Southampton and Port Elgin BIAs?   

 10. What is your approach to reducing red tape, including permits, approvals and access to municipal programs or funding? 

 11. Would you support reviewing or implementing Community Improvement Plan programs that could assist with façade improvements, accessibility, lighting, safety features, upper-floor redevelopment and heritage building improvements within the BIAs? Please explain. 

 12. Saugeen Shores will continue to grow and evolve. What role should Council play in encouraging appropriate mixed-use development, investment and the activation of second-floor or upper-level commercial and residential spaces, while maintaining the character that makes Southampton & Port Elgin distinctive and supporting the long-term viability of existing businesses? 

 13. Homelessness, addiction and mental health challenges increasingly affect communities and business areas across Ontario. What role should the municipality play in addressing these challenges while balancing compassion, access to services, public safety and the economic health of business areas?   

 14.  How will you ensure Council considers potential economic impacts on local businesses before municipal policies, by-laws or major projects are finalized? 

15.  Do you support municipal investment or partnerships that improve high-speed fibre internet connectivity within the BIAs and/or provide free public Wi-Fi in key public spaces? Why or why not? 

16. When considering municipal projects or policy changes that affect the business community, how will you ensure local businesses and the BIAs are consulted early enough to meaningfully influence the outcome, rather than after key decisions have largely been made?   

17.  What commitments would you make to ensure municipal projects or policy changes affecting the business communities are well communicated, transparent and developed collaboratively with those who will be impacted? 

18.  At the end of the next Council term, what is one change or accomplishment you would like the BIAs business communities to be able to point to and say, “Council helped make this happen”?