City Council wishes to ensure that Westmount remain a livable city, whether in a fiscal, physical, architectural, environmental, or social context. To this end, Council has given itself four key goals to achieve over the next three years. All these goals must adhere to the principles of sustainable development in their implementation. 

1. TAXES. 
Freeze the City’s total 2011 tax revenue levied for local services. Support the mayor’s efforts to control Agglomeration spending. Freeze local expenditures for 2011 (not including borrowing costs), and work towards a similar freeze in 2012 and 2013. This spending freeze can be achieved mainly by reducing administrative costs - which have risen steeply since the merger - and by increasing administrative efficiency. There must be no concomitant reduction in the level of services provided to citizens. 

2. INFRASTRUCTURE. 
Build the Arena/pool project within budget. Conduct a detailed inventory of the condition of city infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks, parks, public buildings, and Hydro Westmount equipment. Establish minimum quality standards to be met and a schedule to bring the City’s entire public infrastructure up to those standards.

3. TRAFFIC.
Establish a Master Traffic Plan that a) favours active transportation such as walking and cycling; and, b) aims to reduce the speed, volume, and noise of vehicular traffic, especially through traffic on local streets originating from outside City limits. Attempt to minimize the impact on Westmount of the traffic generated by the MUHC and the traffic and noise generated by the rebuilt Turcot Interchange. Re-examine parking rules, zones, and tariffs.

4. URBAN PLANNING.
Streamline the building permits process while rendering it more open, consistent, and self-financing. Preserve the City’s unique architectural heritage, updating architectural guidelines where necessary. Study the implementation of the Parks Master Plan.

June 21, 2010