Highlights in this edition... | | Mayor's Message On behalf of King Township council, welcome to the February edition of the King Bulletin. I’m happy to be able to report some good news this month after the seemingly endless bad news during the COVID-19 pandemic. Council passed the 2021 budget at the Jan. 25 meeting. Due to the hard work council and staff put in, we were able to pass a zero per cent increase on the Township portion of the tax bill. Although York Region and the Ministry of Education still have to set their rates, we knew we could not ask our residents to pay more this year. Many have had their work hours reduced or been laid off because of the pandemic. Best of all, despite not asking for a raise in the Township portion of the tax bill, we’ve been able to maintain all essential services and most non-essential services. We’ve also been able to add new online and virtual services with our brand new website and virtual recreation programs. There are more details about the budget in this edition of the Bulletin. Until next month, please stay safe by wearing a mask, practicing good hygiene and only leaving home for essential trips like for groceries, medicine or essential work. And please shop locally as much as possible. - Mayor Steve Pellegrini | King Township Council approves 2021 Budget with zero increase in Township portion King Township council approved a zero per cent increase in net levy requirements—the portion of the tax bill that goes to the Township—to support the 2021 operating and capital budgets at the Jan. 25 council meeting. The other two components of the tax bill are payments to the Ministry of Education and York Region. Those two components still have to be finalized by York Region and the Ministry of Education. | | “The past year has been extraordinarily difficult on all of our residents,” said King Township Mayor Steve Pellegrini. “Many of them have seen their work hours cut during the COVID-19 pandemic, while others have been laid off. We could not ask them to pay more on the Township’s portion of their tax bill.” Some of the highlights from the capital budget include: - Improvements to various Community Parks ($2 million) -- Blue Heron, Kettle Lake; Tomlinson Gardens, Nobleton Lions Community Park, Tasca Community Park, St. Andrews, OSIN Park
- Schomberg Community Hall renovation and accessibility upgrade ($1 million)
- Road-related infrastructure repairs and conversion of gravel roads ($2.5 million)
- Nobleton Sewers Phase 3 ($14.6 million)
You can read the full news release here. Read the Budget Here | Rural Area Zoning By-law Review Thank you to everyone who participated in the Virtual Public Open Houses in December 2020! For those who weren't able to participate in the Dec. 1, Dec. 3 or Dec. 9 Virtual Public Open Houses, we have now uploaded them for you to view. You can watch them on our SpeaKing page Don’t forget to take the survey too! | | Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Refresh The Community Improvement Plan for King City, Nobleton and Schomberg is an exciting action-oriented program that is being used to promote beautification, property improvements and economic development in the three communities. Using the Community Improvement Plan, the Township can make grants available to property owners and businesses. The King Township Community Improvement Plan currently focuses on making grants available to property owners and businesses in the core areas of King City, Nobleton and Schomberg. | | Now that the Community Improvement Plan is approximately 6 years old, there is a need to review its relevance and effectiveness. Learn More | Site Alteration By-law Review King will host a virtual Public Information Centre on Wed., Feb. 3 from noon - 12:30pm. There will beas part of its Site Alteration Bylaw Review a presentation followed by a question and answer session. To register for the PIC and receive information on how to watch it and ask questions, please email kingbylaw@rjburnside.com. Link to SpeaKing | | Grey-LOCKDOWN & Stay-At-Home Order The Province of Ontario has moved York Region and King Township into the Grey- LOCKDOWN level. It has also implemented a stay-at-home order. People should only leave their homes for essential trips for things like food, medicine or essential work. | | The Township has, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, been offering all administrative services to our businesses and residents virtually. King Township remains open for business. Many services—including things like building permits, planning applications, garbage bag tags and the payment of water bills—can all be accessed online. We have also introduced virtual recreation programming and will continue to offer as many outdoor recreation programs as possible in the coming weeks. You can visit our website at www.king.ca, call us at 905-833-5321 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) or email us at serviceking@king.ca. COVID-19 Information Hub Disclaimer Due to the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic, information in this edition of the King Bulletin may be outdated once published. For the latest information on facility re-openings and closures and in-person services, please visit www.king.ca/covid19. | York Region COVID-19 Update For the latest statistics on COVID-19 cases in York Region and King Township, please visit the Region’s COVID-19 information hub by clicking here. | Events, Activities & Programs | Enhanced Winter 2021 Trail Maintenance The Township of King will be maintaining some trails throughout the winter, in an effort to encourage our community to get outside and stay active during the colder months! View Trails | | Outdoor Rinks Update The Township continues to offer as many recreational activities as possible - now including outdoor rinks at: - Trisan Centre between 8:00am and 5:00pm as of January 30th.
- Cold Creek Conservation Area between 8:45m and 4:00pm as of January 23rd.
- Nobleton Arena 8:00am and 8:00pm as of January 30th.
- King City Arena between 8:00am and 8:00pm as of January 23rd.
Pre-registration is required. To keep up to date on the latest outdoor rink information, visit our Parks and Recreation social media pages: | | History at Home Have a historical experience from the comfort of your own home! The staff at the King Township Heritage and Cultural Centre have created a series of easy-to-follow videos and activities that can bring history to you. To view the videos click here. | | February is Black History Month. The King Heritage and Cultural Centre will be sharing a weekly newsletter all month to highlight Black history in Canada and in King Township. Check out the first edition | Winter Wonders The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is hosting a free "Winter Wonders" webinar! The virtual event is scheduled to take place on February 11th between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Discover the wonders of winter wildlife! Learn how wildlife survive chilly weather and how to recognize their tracks and signs. This presentation is intended for Ages 6+: - Beginner level information
- Activities and concepts that are friendly for all ages
- Intended audience includes children, youth, and adults
Register Here For more events hosted by the TRCA, visit their website at: https://trca.ca/get-involved/events/ | Frosted Footprints Discover the wonders of winter wildlife in your backyard or neighbourhood on a self-guided hike. Participants will be provided with an ID sheet to see if they can identify and find all the wildlife tracks and signs of local animals along the trail. ID Sheets will be emailed to registered participants. Registration is required at townshipofking.perfectmind.com using code 11469. The event takes place on February 13th. Register Now | How to Make Pemmican Learn how to make pemmican! Invented by North American Indigenous Peoples, pemmican was a dietary staple because it was high in calories and long lasting, making it an ideal food to bring on long trips. Later the First Nations Peoples taught the early European Settlers how to make it, and it was an important part of their survival as they explored the Canadian wilderness. The King Heritage and Cultural Centre will be uploading a video on how to make pemmican on their youtube channel on February 16th! Youtube Channel | King names new Public Works Director King Township is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Samantha Fraser, P. Eng. as Director of Public Works. Ms. Fraser has 19 years of experience in Public Works supporting Water and Wastewater Treatment, Storm Water Management and Solid Waste Management. She also has Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturing experience in the private sector. Ms. Fraser most recently held the position of Manager of Design and Construction for the Don River and Central Waterfront Unit with the City of Toronto. In this capacity she oversaw the delivery of a $2.1 billion, 10-year construction program consisting of complex projects related to wastewater and storm water infrastructure. Ms. Fraser is a licenced Professional Engineer and brings to King innovative project delivery, stakeholder management and customer service excellence. | | Stormwater Ponds Staff and by-law officers are reminding residents found using stormwater ponds for skating that this is prohibited and unsafe due to possible changing conditions. As indicated by the conservation authorities: | | - Stormwater ponds are designed to continuously collect stormwater from surrounding roads and neighbourhoods
- No matter how deep into the winter or how thick the ice may appear, temperature changes and water flowing in/out can cause major variations in ice thickness
- Air pockets are also easily formed under the surface and contaminants like salt weaken the ice
All these factors combined, create dangerous and unpredictable conditions that put your safety at risk. You can book ice and use the four open municipal ice pads (King City, Nobleton, Schomberg & Cold Creek). More details can be found at king.ca/OutdoorRinks and booking can be completed at https://townshipofking.perfectmind.com/ | King launches new website Have you been to our new website? If not, drop by www.king.ca to check it out. Some of the new features include: - Improved navigation
- Accessibility (i.e. font size, visual contrast, screen reader functionality, browser extension tool)
- Mobile friendly - easily browse from your tablet or smartphone
- Improved online payments
- Stay up-to-date with online subscriptions
- Improved online forms
| Seasonal Operations & Updates | Snow Removal and Plowing in King The Township will remove snow from roads when severe accumulations affect two-way traffic and the ability for on-street parking. This may take several days after accumulations occur and is performed on a priority basis. First priority is given to commercial areas and areas where safety is a concern. Residents are reminded to avoid parking on the street so that snowplowing and snow removal crews can operate effectively. Learn more here. | | Winter Parking Restrictions in Effect There is no parking on any roadway between the hours of 2 am and 6 am, from Nov. 1st to Apr. 15th annnually, or parking at any time to interfere with snow removal. Thank you for helping to keep our streets clear for snow plow operators and emergency vehicles! | | Interim Property Tax Due Date 1st Interim Installment Due Date: February 24, 2021 PROPERTY TAX NOTICES are due. Please contact Service King at 905-833-5321 or serviceking@king.ca immediately if you have not received your bill. | | PAYMENT OPTIONS: - Pre-Authorized Debit bank withdrawal (PAD) for installment due dates or over a 10 month period
- On-line with your financial institutions
- By Credit Card – Visit the Township Online Services Portal at www.king.ca
- By Mail (Must be stamped and mailed prior to due date and received on time)
- Drop off box located at Municipal Centre, 2585 King Road, King City
Due to COVID the Municipal office is closed and we are not accepting cash payments at this time. If paying in person at a financial institution, please present the entire tax notice. When making payments electronically, search for “King” and select Tax, enter your 15 digit roll number with no dashes (i.e. 000123456780000)
Pre-Authorized Debit Program (PAD): PAD program is available for Property Tax accounts. The enrolment form is available at www.king.ca (search for “PAD”) To ensure enrollment please apply prior to due date. The deadline to enroll for the monthly PAD program is June 1, 2021 In accordance with the Township By-law 2021-074 unpaid balances following the due date, a penalty of one and one quarter per cent (1.25%) per month, shall be levied on the first day of the next calendar month following the due date and each month until paid in full. Please visit our website for details at www.king.ca | 2020 Q4 Water Billing The due date for Q4 (Oct. 1 - Dec. 31) water bills is February 16, 2021. Payments can be paid by Pre-Authorized Debit Program options, online services or mail. Residents can sign up for a Pre-Authorized Debit Program by filling out the PAD Enrollment Form and sending it to serviceking@king.ca. Payment arrangements can be made by contacting treasury@king.ca. Please keep in mind, Due to COVID-19 the water department cannot enter homes and check meters at this time. | | 2021 Pet Licences A friendly reminder to get your 2021 pet licence(s) before April 15th. Get your licence(s) early to save the late fee of $5. Pricing: - Dog licences are $20 before April 15th.
- Service Dogs are free with documentation.
- Cat licence fees are waived.
- Seniors (65+) receive a $5 discount.
- Replacement tags are $10.
| | Any cat or dog over the age of 3 months requires a licence. Pet tags must be worn at all times. Have questions? Email clerks@king.ca | | Arts Society King MOSAiC, published quarterly, highlights arts and cultural events, festivals, and community activities in King and its surrounding neighbourhoods. | | Each issue features the work of an ASK artist on the cover including an interview and article by one of our local writers. Both new and published writers and photographers explore and report on what makes King so special. It is delivered to homes in the Township with the King Weekly Sentinel. Watch out for the spring edition to be delivered in the first week of March. Read a Digital Copy Here | Service King ServiceKing staff are available to answer any inquiries 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday. While staff are offline, our 24/7 after hour service will be available. | | You can still do business with King on our website at www.king.ca, by phone at 905-833-5321 or by email at serviceking@king.ca. Current method of payment options: | | | | |
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