Minutes of Meeting 7 November 2016

Attendees:

Motion: To approve the agenda. Moved by Peter Brimacombe, seconded by Brian Wade, carried.

Motion: To approve the October, 2016 minutes. Moved by Sue McCarthy, seconded by Peter Foulger, carried.

Ottawa Community Housing
Riley Brockington: Barron Meyerhoffer and Julie Sarazin will present a new development for Ottawa Community Housing.
Barron Meyerhoffer: Presented drawings of the development on 3225 Uplands. There will be 7 townhouses and three triplexes.
Brian Wade: He is concerned about the ability of handicapped people to get around. The present site is used as a snow dump for neighbouring houses. Where is the snow going to go?
Barron Meyerhoffer: It will be hauled away. This will be an extra cost but the design provides for a 40% decrease in energy costs. The development provides 16 units to address a long waiting list.
David Armitage: Right now the area is a playground for the kids in the neighbourhood. The design is a warehouse design.

Councillor's Report
Riley Brockington: He is advancing the playground improvements for Paul Landry Park, including the feasibility of improved lighting. He has a budget of $150,000 for a new playground. He sought feedback from the HCCO on next steps and it was agreed that the City present three designs which will be subject to public consultation and feedback. He plans to host an open house in December. It's important to select a design sooner rather than later to assist with the many remaining stages and have the park opened some point in the summer of 2017.
There were significant upgrades to Owl Park in the summers of 2015 and 2016: traffic calming, a crosswalk on Owl Drive, a play structure, resurfaced pathways and rebuilt tennis courts. Some residents have identified concerns with off-leash dogs in the Park. This has been an on-going matter.
The pedestrian bridge over the Airport Parkway presently doesn't have an official name. He suggested that it may be time to launch a campaign to name the bridge. He stated a shortage of commemorations for Ottawa women and that the bridge may be ideal.

Member of Parliament
David McGuinty: Reported on a number of Government initiatives: Canada hopes to be given a seat on the Security Council at the United Nations. It has successfully brought 30,000 refugees from Syria into the country. It has taken a special interest in the Yazidi refugees. The Government sponsors the 150 anniversary of the founding of Canada: Ottawa will host the Grey Cup next year. The process to appointment judges is now open. Except for the Conservatives, the Senate in now non-partisan. The Government is undertaking a review of the criminal code including the mandatory minimums. It has increased the child benefit by 40%. It is reviewing National Defence. It will spend $20 million to upgrade the Ottawa railway station. MP's have organized themselves into regional groups. He is part of the National Capital Region which includes Gatineau. He wants to improve train and mass-transit across the Ottawa River. The Government has created an Oversight Committee to oversee national security and intelligence agencies.

President's Report
Christine Johnson: She graciously thanked the directors for their dedication and hard work. Three will not be returning: Vanessa Sutton, Fred McLennan and Piero Narducci. Here are the highlights of the last year:

Treasurer's Report
Peter Foulger presented the Treasurer's Report:
Sponsorships of $100 each were received from the Government of Canada (D McGuinty) and C Kroeger. $200 was received from Revera/Landmark. The latter was made out in my name so for convenience the cheque was cashed and the cash deposit to Alterna on 26 Oct. Memberships of $200 and Syrian Funds receipts of $45.75 were deposited. Interest of $0.45 from Alterna. Payments for the Festival were made to S McCarthy, $400 for the DJ & Gardening and to C Johnson, $50 for a gift card. Following the financial review, $9.00 in expenses attributed to HCCO incorrectly was transferred to the Refugee Fund. The starting balance was corrected for interest.
Sub-accounts:
Hunt Club Refugee Fund receipts $ 45.75
Hunt Club Refugee Fund disbursements - $ 9.00
Hunt Club Refugee Fund balance 1 Sep 2016 $ 2,547.15
Garden Fund balance $ 0.00
Total Sub-accounts $ 2,583.90
Members Surplus
Balance as of 1 August 2016 $ 9,172.74
Year to date receipts, HCCO $ 1,210.32
Year to date expenses, HCCO $ 1,454.94
Increase/(decrease) for year, HCCO -$ 244.62
Member's surplus, HCCO $ 8,928.12
Total funds (Members surplus+funds) $ 11,512.02
Reconciliation:
Cash not deposited $ 0.00
Alterna share , HCCO $ 15.00
Alterna Account, HCCO & funds $ 5,497.02
Alterna Term Deposit HCCO $ 6,000.00
Total all funds $ 11,512.02
Receivables & Liabilities:
We are owed two sponsorships for September and have received one for December
Brian Wade: He has been appointed to audit the financial statements. He has checked them and everything balances! He has prepared a draft expense claim form.

Newsletter
Sue McCarthy: The December issue is well underway and will be delivered by the end of November.

Membership
Christine Johnson: She encouraged everyone to become a member. You need to be a member to vote! The goal is to have 150 members by December 2017.

Buses on Plante Drive

Motion: Whereas residents along Plante Drive have complained about the disruption of their welfare, peace and quiet due to traffic-induced vibrations caused by passing OcTranspo buses, be it resolved that OC Transpo remove or redirect the 146 Route daily runs from Plante Drive, over a minimum nighttime period of 8 hours. Moved by Kristy Donali.
Kristy Donali: Buses vibrate her house. They go down Plante Drive, 95 times a day. There are about 400 people on Plante Drive living in 180 houses. At night less than five people get on or off the bus on Plante Drive. The most effective way to reduce the disruption is to reduce coverage.
Riley Brockington: He met with Kristy Donali. He agrees buses are big and heavy and they cause vibrations. He looks forward to discussion on this issue but the meeting tonight will not determine the result. He can bring the issue up with OC Transpo.
Christine Johnson: John Sankey is the past president. He couldn't be here tonight but sent an email:

I live on Uplands Drive, where the 87 bus runs from 4:30 am through to 41 minutes past midnight. There's a bus stop just outside my door, so the acceleration noise is as high as it gets. Even the standard 40' buses produce obvious structural effects on my home such as walls creaking. So, I'm certain I get as much of the downside of OCTranspo buses as anyone on Plante Drive.
However, I'm also surrounded by people whose lives would be pretty well shut down without bus service within the council-mandated 400 m radius. Parents with strollers or toddlers, oldsters with walkers or canes, people with bad hips and the like - none of them can walk much more than 400 m, especially during the winter with snow and ice on sidewalks. I'm lucky at my age to not have to worry about that, but the day's going to come.
And, don't forget staff at food stores: low-paying retail jobs, almost all for young women, that have to cover the range of 8 am to 10 pm store open hours. Very few will feel acceptably safe walking from McCarthy through to Plante after dark, let alone adding in the 500 m over the Airport Parkway bridge.
With our steadily increasing population (11,000 per year), we must break free of the assumption that everyone can afford and use a car. But, we also have to avoid replacing it with an assumption that everyone is physically able to bike or walk to work. Agreed, current diesel buses are noisy, polluting and costly, but given the built structure of our city, we will have no alternative to them for several decades. Our city needs to accommodate all its residents, and for now many of us need OCTranspo buses.
And so, despite my first hand knowledge of the downside of today's buses, I ask the HCCO to vote against any motion that would restrict OCTranspo from providing as close to 24-7 service as is practical throughout our community.
Dan Kaplansky: There is such a thing as death by a thousand cuts. This is another cut to OC Transpo. People living on Plante Drive chose to live there. He is against the motion.
Al Gullon: Energy is the square of the speed. Vibrations could be dramatically reduced by lowering the speed.
Christine Fortier: She lives on Plante Drive and rides the bus to work. OC Transpo provides good service. She is against the motion.
Peter Foulger: Vibration is also proportional to the weight.
Peter Brimacombe: He lives on Plante Drive. Some people need to take the bus to work. He is against the motion.
Ezio Subissati: He lives on Plante Drive. OC Transpo is violating the property rights of the owners. There should be a class action suit. He supports the motion.
Bob Morey: He lives on Plante Drive. The buses should be curtailed. Somebody has to do something.
Larry Swain: He lives on Plante Drive and takes the bus. It has always run in front of his house. Students and workers need the bus for safety and convenience. He is against the motion.
Peggy Hammell: She has lived on Plante Drive for 36 years. The issue is the hours that the buses run. Every morning at 5:15 she is woken up by empty buses.
Sue McCarthy: She has lived on Uplands Drive for 30 years. The bus disrupts her life. Perhaps the motion could be amended to explore ways to mitigate the disruption.
Dan Kaplansky: The bus drivers could be told to slow down. The speed of buses can be monitored.
Brian Wade: He would like to see the motion amended. He lives off Uplands and he hears the buses at all hours.
Al Gullon: The bus drivers are paid employees and they could be directed to slow down quite apart from other drivers.
Andrea Main: She lives on Sample Road off Paul Anka. She likes the idea of smaller buses.
Christine Johnson: Another strategy would be closely placed flex sticks. They would force traffic to slow down.
Dan Clavel: He lives on Plante Drive. The worst vibration happens when the bus runs over the man hole covers. The vibration goes through the sewer system and directly into his house.

Amended Motion: Whereas some of the residents along Plante Drive have complained about the disruption of their welfare, peace and quiet due to traffic-induced vibrations caused by passing OC Transpo buses, be it resolved that OC Transpo and the City look at some measures such as speed limits to mitigate noise and vibration caused by the 146 bus. Moved by Kristy Donali, seconded by Dan Kaplansky, carried.

Election of Board of Directors
David Armitage: The existing directors have agreed to serve again:
John Sankey, Past President
Christine Johnson, President
Sue McCarthy, Vice President
Peter Foulger, Treasurer
Peter Brimacombe, Secretary
Brian Wade
Ijeoma Udechukwu
Marilyn Koch
Other nominations:
Dan Kaplansky
Andrea Main
Kristy Nystrom

David Armitage: They are acclaimed.

Next meeting: Monday December 5 at 19:00