Attendees:
Motion: To support in principal, Maria's efforts to maintain a 0% increase in municipal taxes or keep increases to a minimum. Moved by Alan Asselstine, seconded by Patrick Richter. Carried.
Motion: To accept the Board of Directors as proposed. Moved by Shelley Parlow, seconded by Patrick Richter. Carried.
Maria McRae:
Patrick Richter is concerned about cuts to OC Transpo. It took him 3 hours to get to Barhaven, including a 20 minute walk. He had a regular bus pass but had to pay extra.
Nancy Seaby: Don't cut back public transit in growth areas or residents will be forced to use private automobiles.
Peter Brimacombe: We just cannot afford urban sprawl. Development in the Southern Corridor is the only obvious way to build energy-efficient housing and provide efficient public transit systems.
Gisèle Loiselle-Branch is against development in the Southern Corridor. We don't need more housing because existing housing will be available as the owners get older and move out.
Maria McRae: The Southern Corridor is part of the Greenspace Master Plan; there will be public consultations. There are important wetlands in the Southern Corridor near McCarthy Road and to the east.
Alan Asselstine: On November 16, the Advisory Committee will meet to review North-South extension of the O Train.
Ezio Subissati: In the private sector, increases in productivity are expected to balance increases in inflation. The City should expect the same.
Maria McRae: Municipal spending is different than consumer spending: 68% of costs are tied to labour which are tied to collective agreements. We have to look for common-sense efficiencies: the needle exchange program is an effective way to prevent the spread of hepatitis but we don't need a special van to run the program. We should look for efficiencies in our ParaMedic Service: because of SARS, calls for heart attacks were reduced from 17,000 to 9,000. We are draining our capital reserves, they aren't adequate to maintain our infrastructure. Staff in the Planning Department is burning out; when people leave, they take with them the knowledge gained through years of experience. She was opposed to the construction of the new $7 million library in Greenboro.
Nancy Seaby: The library now provides access to the internet, some people go to the library just to look at pornography on the internet! On another issue, the new bus shelters are funded by private companies: They put up advertising in the bus shelters and pay a fee to OC Transpo.
Robert Jackells is on the Board of Directors of the Community Services Centre. http://www.huntclubriverside.ca/indexe.html The Centre needs to expand to run its programs. There are programs for single parents and immigrants. There should be a swimming pool and a library kiosk. The Centre is looking for $7.5 million to expand the existing Hunt Club/Riverside Park Community Centre. It wants to raise money and will get matching grants from the Federal and Provincial Governments. Robert thanked the Hunt Club Community Organization for its $200 donation to Camp Spirit. The money was used to send children on a field trip to Upper Canada Village.
Alan Asselstine provided a Statement of Revenue and Expenses. Expenses exceeded revenue by $129.70. There were assets of $8,191.58.
Fred McLennan proposed members of the Board for the coming year:
Nancy Seaby: The library now provides access to the internet, some people go to the library just to look at pornography on the internet! On another issue, the new bus shelters are funded by private companies: They put up advertising in the bus shelters and pay a fee to OC Transpo.
Next meeting: Mon 6 Dec 2004 at 7:30pm