Minutes of Meeting 13 September 2004

Attendees:

Motion: To give $200.00 to the Community Resource Centre to bus children to a day camp. Moved by Peter Brimacombe, seconded by Fred Winters, carried.

Motion: To appoint Patrick Richter to the Board of the Hunt Club Community Organization. Moved by Shelley Parlow, seconded by Fred Winters, carried.

Fred McLennan: The Community Resource Centre asked the Hunt Club Community Organization for $200.00 to bus children to a day camp.

Peter Brimacombe: We should grant the request because of the long standing relationship between the two organizations.

Fred McLennan asked Patrick Richter to contact Peter Vasdi about improvements to our web site.

Peter Brimacombe: The Provincial Government has proposed a new Provincial Policy Statement: http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_17433_1.html The Provincial Policy Statement sets the goals and directions for land planning within the Province. Instead of "having regard for" the goals and directions, municipalities must "be consistent with" them. These goals are to protect agricultural land, to develop efficient public transit systems, to provide energy efficient buildings and to provide for a growing population. Development of the Southern Corridor advances these goals.

Art Miskew: There has been a lot of development in Riverside South and in other areas such as Barrhaven. What prompted the latest petition that opposes development?

Patrick Richter: Maria McRae found out that the National Capital Commission (NCC) was actively interested in developing the Southern Corridor west of McCarthy Woods. She wrote an article that appeared in the March 2004 edition of the News. This article prompted Patrick and Shelley to petition against development.

Maria McRae: The petition gives her extra leverage with the NCC. She met with the Chairman of the NCC, Marcel Beaudry to explain that the community opposes development in the Southern Corridor.

Art Miskew: met with Ken Morrison who is doing a Master's thesis at Carleton University. His thesis is concerned with the proposed light rail expansion in Ottawa. He asked Art for help in developing a questionnaire to be given to the municipal politicians. Art said that the O Train is always on time but the bus schedules are not coordinated with the train. Concerning public transit in general, the biggest bottlenecks are Albert and Slater Streets - there is a huge volume of buses and they are forced to go slowly because of traffic.

Patrick Richter: The cutbacks in OC Transpo service have restricted the hours he can work! He is worried about a strike at OC Transpo.

Gisèle Loiselle-Branch is concerned that visitors to homes in Centralla (the Minto development on McCarthy Road) park their cars on Twyford and visitors to her building have no place to park their cars.

Maria McRea promised to look into how the parking policies are enforced on Twyford. Three hour parking is allowed on most streets in the City but after November 1st, parking enforcement is tougher because of snow removal. There still is heavy construction equipment on the streets in Centralla. Construction should soon be completed and when the construction equipment leaves, the parking situation should improve.

Maria McRea announced that there will be a public sod-turning ceremony beside the Airport Parkway south of Walkley Road to signal the start of the Constructed Watershed. The ceremony will take place at 13:30 on September 20, 2004. The Constructed Watershed will reduce erosion, improve the water quality and reduce the flood risk along Saw Mill Creek. The former Councillor Wendy Stewart was instrumental in identifying the funds needed for construction.

Maria McRea: This summer there were problems with drug-use and a pit-bull in Cahill Park which is located at the corner of Cahill and Twyford. Because of the extra efforts of the Ottawa Police in patrolling the Park, drug-use in the Park was dramatically reduced. The Ottawa Police and the by-law enforcement officers of the City worked together to address the pit-bull. The owner was given a summons and he got rid of the dog.

Maria McRea: Residents of Hunt Club/ Riverside Park have one of highest rates of contribution to the Organic Waste Collection. The Organic Waste Collection reduces the amount of waste dumped in land-fill sites and improves the environment. We all have to do our part! There was no Leaf and Yard Waste Collection this summer but there should have been.

Maria McRea: There will be two open houses: Oct 5 at the Hunt Club/Riverside Park Community Centre and on October 21 at the Alexander Community Centre on Carlington. The Community Resource Centre, the Police and other City organizations will be there to explain their services. There will be a public consultation on the Budget on October 7, 2004 at the Jim Durrell Centre on Walkley Road.

Next meeting: Mon 4 Oct 2004 at 7:30pm