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Councillor begins legal action against town BY ADAM MC LEAN
amclean@yrmg.com
Richmond Hill Councillor Carmine Perrelli is preparing to take legal action against the town he represents. His lawyers are drafting an application to district court to challenge a resolution passed Monday by his fellow councillors, he said yesterday. The resolution states all members of council and appropriate town staff must receive invitations to councillor-held resident meetings if they concern development applications that could impact regional infrastructure and transit. Such meetings are not regulated by the Ontario Municipal Act or council’s code of conduct. Thus, under provincial legislation, any councillor can invite whomever he chooses and hold a meeting wherever he wishes. The resolution was initially championed by Regional Councillor Brenda Hogg, who said councilwide invitations to these meetings are not only courteous, but in the best interest of the town. During a heated debate Monday night, as Mr. Perrelli was trying have the resolution rescinded, he told his colleagues he has “lots of money and lots of time” to drag the town to court should the resolution be approved. He said yesterday he seeks legal action not to benefit himself, but rather his constituents against what he sees as a bogus regulation. “My fight is not about process, whether or not other councillors should be invited to my meetings with my constituents,” he said. “It’s not even about council passing a resolution they know won’t stand up in court — I’m fighting for my constituents and their right to privacy.” His resident meetings are an opportunity See ‘THEATRICS’, page 18.
STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WITTEVEEN
Mark Wainberg (from left), Connor, 12, Tracey Wainberg and son Logan, 8, try using signs to calm traffic on Mill Street, which they say is a dangerous thoroughfare because of speeding. Residents say the situation has become worse since their street has crossed Bathurst into a new Vaughan subdivision, increasing traffic through their residential neighbourhood.
Residents beg town to stop speeders BY ADAM MC LEAN
amclean@yrmg.com
Mill Street residents are calling for the town to help calm traffic, which makes crossing the street, “like taking life into your own hands”, said one resident. Such is the concern of residents living on or near the east-west strip of road that passes Pleasantville Public School and Mill Pond that they held a street corner rally, attended by Councillor Lynn Foster. During the rally, neighbourhood children held signs, asking drivers to respect the street’s 40 km/h speed limit. In response to resident lobbying, the
town placed a speed radar display sign on the street and repainted a strip of asphalt at the stop sign. Mill Street resident Tracey Wainberg wants her street outfitted with speed bumps to force cars to slow down. “Repainting the stripe by the stop sign just doesn’t cut it,” said Ms Wainberg. “Even with the radar box, we still yell at cars to slow down and I’m tired of hearing my kids tell me that a car almost hit them as they were walking to school or the park,” she added. Ms Wainberg said she had previously been told by town officials that a solution such as speed bumps wouldn’t be possible,
as Mill Street is regarded an “emergency route” due to its proximity to York Central Hospital and York Regional Police district 2 headquarters. Ana Bassios, town commissioner of planning and regulatory services, said she’s not familiar with the subject of emergency routes and via e-mail, said the town has no such “emergency route” network. In managing traffic and roadways, the access, connectivity and flow of traffic for all vehicles, including emergency services vehicles, is considered, Ms Bassios added. In the wake of resident pleas, York See POLICE, page 2
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