The Citizens' Panel on Local Governance has released a summary report entitled "A Capital Dilemma: Local Governance in Ottawa-Carleton". This wrap-up document reflects community views expressed prior to the Panel's decision to disband earlier this year following interference by several lower-tier municipalities.
In a list of priority issues expressed by the public during workshops held across the region, the report cites the following top concerns:
On April 29th MPP Garry Guzzo introduced Bill 9 the "Taxpayers Savings Municipal Amendment Act (Ottawa-Carleton Region), 1998" in the provincial legislature. This bill provides for a restructuring of the RMOC and its constituent municipalities by agreement of the affected municipalities or by order of a restructuring commission, to occur on or before November 1, 2000.
Savings produced by restructuring are estimated in the order of $90 million yearly. Regional Council is currently working on a single-city model that will improve local control over issues of concern to neighbourhoods while achieving a much higher level of efficiency and accountability for taxpayers.
The RMOC is beginning work on the Airport Parkway bridges at Heron Road (Confederation Heights) and Brookfield to bring the structures up to code. Currently the protective railings are inadequate. Traffic will be slowed down to one lane each way and is expected to be completed by the end of October.
The bridgework on Walkley Road at the Airport Parkway has been deferred for one year.
A report amending the Terms of Reference of the above-mentioned study will be considered on May 6 by Transportation Committee, and a copy is tabled at the HCCO for information. It is important to note that the study area will be re-defined to include the areas of Riverside Park, Hunt Club, South Keys, Greenboro, Leitrim, Kemp Park and Ridgemont. It will also consider implications of a scenario which eliminates twinning of the Airport Parkway, which will certainly have implications for these communities.
On Wednesday, May 6, the funding for the Walkley Road Ramp will come before Transportation Committee during budget deliberations. It is expected that Councillor Clive Doucet, representing the Glebe area, will attempt to remove funding for the preliminary design work and redirect it to traffic-calming in his ward (Coun. Doucet publicly stated his intent at the previous Committee meeting).
Our community has already compromised by agreeing to eliminate the proposed north-bound ramp at this location in order to spare the Bronson corridor from more traffic. However, allowing those who are already on the Airport Parkway, travelling south, to exit conveniently at Walkley Road instead of prematurely at Brookfield or after their stop at Hunt Club Road, will not impact downtown traffic at all.
I will continue to fight for the budget allocation for this roadwork (top Regional transportation priority) when the budget rises to Council for ratification.
All members of Regional Council now comprise the OC Transpo Commission, which is a change from the former 9 member committee. This committee is now called the Regional Transit Services Committee, and approved the 1998 OC Transpo and Para Transpo budgets on April 3rd. This budget will allow for the purchase of 105 new buses, the leasing of 12 buses, the purchase of two vans, refurbishing of 80 older buses, a new 560 automated telephone schedule information system, 60 new bus shelters, and a new photo identification system.
Effective May 1st, the Deep Discount Fares went into effect. This means that the ticket fare price for an adult is $1.50 (or two tickets) which is down from $1.60, while the cash fare rises to $2.25 from $1.85. The purpose of this campaign is to raise rider awareness about lowering the cost of taking the bus if tickets are prepaid in advance.
Coming soon to the entire OC Transpo fleet will be on-board electronic transfer printers. This new technology will give customers new fare options - 90 minute transfers good for unlimited travel, and day passes.
I am pleased to report that the seed funding for the South Ottawa Gloucester Community Resource Action Team has been recommended by the Community Services Committee and is expected to be approved by Council on May 13th. Thanks to Anne Brandel, Chris Cavan and other hardworking volunteers who have refused to let this community initiative die, the funding envelope has gone from "one time" into the base budget for community resource centres Region-wide. As soon as capital funding becomes available, establishing a 13th Centre to serve our community is a RMOC priority.
On the afternoon of May 12th a comprehensive speed control plan will be implemented on Riverside Drive. New technology will be introduced by the Regional Transportation Department, in cooperation with the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police Service to enforce speed zoning on this busy residential regional road.
Ottawa-Carleton Housing is the largest, and one of the longest-established providers of rent-geared-to-income housing in the region. They are the management agent for 8,600 units of public housing owned by the Ontario Housing Corporation and 1,550 Rent Supplement Units. The 1997 Annual Report of Ottawa-Carleton Housing is tabled for information. Social Housing is one of the programs proposed for devolution to Regional government.
I have also provided a copy of a report entitled "Ottawa-Carleton Housing Strategic Directions to the Millennium". It reviews the outcomes of 1995 goals, assesses changes in the environment since then, and sets out OCH's mandate, mission, objectives, guiding principles, and key strategic issues expected to be encountered over the next two years.
It has come to our attention that certain computer courses require the participant having at least a 486 computer, and this blocks out anyone who cannot afford a pretty good system.
RMOC has entered into an arrangement with two local micro recyclers that take our old hardware and after any required work passes them back out into the community. In order to access this equipment, a person should call Retro to tell them what they need (contact Brian Ouimet at 841-2681) Then a request must be made in a letter with a supporting letter from a social worker/school. The Board of Directors of Retro meets every two weeks to deal with requests. The person receiving the computer will have to sign an agreement with Retro regarding the length of the loan and so on.
In April, Council approved the establishment of the Environmental Health Advisory Group to provide policy advice and information issues affecting the municipality. The membership is comprised of 11 RMOC residents and one Regional Councillor. A public notice requesting interested citizens to submit a resume no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday 29 May, 1998 will appear in local papers in May.
If you are interested in applying for one of the eleven available positions, a letter of application and resume can be forwarded to:
Woodchips will be available to residents of Ottawa-Carleton, at no cost, while quantities last. This information will not be widely publicized.
Residents may go directly to the Trail Road Waste Disposal Facility, 4475 Trail Road, off Moodie Drive, or visit one of the Regional Depots for brush/tree branches. The Trail Road site is in operation from Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Depots will be open 7 days per week, from 7:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. until May 31, 1998.
As reported to the HCCO in April, the most convenient location for the Hunt Club area is the Conroy Road Snow Disposal Facility on Conroy Road at Thurston Drive, in Ottawa. Residents must bring their own containers. Two other depots where woodchips will be available are the Navan Depot, at 2264 Colonial Road, Navan, and the Trim Road Depot, Trim Road at Highway 17 in Cumberland.
For large quantities, the Region will undertake to make deliveries at their discretion, and again, as supplies permit. Requests should be made by calling Christine Potvin, Regional Solid Waste Division, at 560-6088, Ext. 2601.
Together with a Regional technician, last weekend local Boy Scouts planted trees near the site of the new Airport Parkway ramps at Hunt Club Road. This planting complies with discussions held with community members last year, and will not interfere with plans for the area once ramps are completed. The area in question is wet, so the white cedars the boys planted are very suitable.
In recent years the Scouts had been reforesting nearby NCC property, but the NCC would not allow the program to continue at this time.
The Region is reviewing the adequacy of official languages services currently provided by the Corporation.
The Regional Chair proclaimed the week of May 4-9 as Disaster Relief Week in the Ottawa-Carleton Region and urged residents to participate in fund raising activities.