Annual General Meetings provide an important opportunity for ratepayer groups to provide accountability to their members, and to the larger community. We were glad to see about 200 of you at the 2017 Leaside Property Owners’ Association AGM on November 29th, so we could fill you in on what the LPOA has been doing over the past year, and take your questions.
On the one hand, Leaside is in the lucky position of being a stable, desirable neighbourhood, convenient to good transit and shopping opportunities. On the other hand, these very advantages attract all too much attention from developers with high-density plans, increasing our traffic problems.
This is not news to you. What may be news is the kind of expense required to hire professional planners and lawyers to represent Leaside at the Ontario Municipal Board and at the new Toronto Local Appeal Board. Professional assistance has been very helpful when participating in City planning studies such as Midtown in Focus and Laird in Focus, independently and in conjunction with the Federation of North Toronto Ratepayers’ Associations (FoNTRA). LPOA’s Leaside-wide traffic study, still in progress, has required professional traffic consultation and the holding of public meetings.
LPOA directors all volunteer our time and efforts, but in the past year we’ve also needed formal legal OMB representation costing more than $16,000, and planning work totalling over $27,000, on a variety of issues. Traffic consultation, research, analysis and running public meetings added up to about $36,000. To keep you up to date, inform and represent you, we incur the costs of renting meeting rooms (about $1,200), rental of the LPOA’s post office box ($400-plus), flyer distribution (about $900 per occasion), and annual computer program charges ($300-plus). It does add up…
Which is why we urge you all to become LPOA members ($25 a year, more if possible) and to donate as you can, to permit us to stay effective and active on your behalf. It is important!
What is also important is for more of you to apply to join the LPOA board. Our bylaws and constitution are on the LPOA website (lpoa.ca), giving full details. Write us a letter telling us a bit about your interests and experience. You must own a property in Leaside, be an LPOA member, and be endorsed by two other LPOA members. We want to hear from you!
We also invite you to attend our regular monthly board meetings. They are open to all, on the first Wednesday of each month in the Trace Manes building. Our next meeting is on Wed., January 10th, at 7:30 p.m.
The LPOA sends a special thank you to Patrick Rocca and Bonnie Byford Realtors, Olde Yorke Fish & Chips, Gyro Hyundai, and Mike Tuft’s Valu-mart, who generously sponsored the flyer advertising our AGM. THANK YOU for your support.