Minutes of meeting 2 June 2008

Attendees:

Nichole Hoover: presented the Councillor's Report.

The City has drafted a Statement of Work to study the Pathway Connection between the Hunt Club Community and South Keys. The Transit Committte will consider this matter at its meeting Wednesday, June 4 at 13:30. There was complete agreement to support the Pathway Connection.
Alan Asselstine: There has always been an informal pathway between Plante Drive and Bank Street.

Peter Brimacombe: He attended the Rapid Transit Open House at the Jim Durrell Arena. He was in favour of Option 4 but thought the extension to Bowesville Road was too expensive.

Motion: To approve the May minutes. Moved by Alan Asselstine, seconded by Shelley Parlow, carried.

John Sankey: He has received no answer from City staff on the junk mail motion passed April 2008. Another motion passed May 2008 requested that the City review its property standards bylaws because they are affected by the provincial ban on pesticides. Susan Jones, Director of Bylaw Services said that the City would not take action unless public health or safety was involved. On the one hand there are the Property Standards bylaw and the Use and Care of Roads bylaw and on the other hand there is the stated enforcement policy. There is a substantial discrepancy between the bylaws and the enforcement policy.

Shelley Parlow: The OMB held mediation talks with three parties: the City, the NCC and the Greenspace Alliance over the zoning of three areas: Rochester Fields, the Nepean Corridor and the Southern Corridor. The parties have agreed not to proceed with a hearing at this time. Rather, the NCC will proceed with its Capital Urban Lands Master Plan Study. Following the completion of this study and its consideration and approval by the NCC, a re-examination of the position of the parties will be able to take place including up to one year being available to the City of Ottawa to conduct further studies should the City wish to do so. Until 2011, there will be no change in use or ownership, except sale or lease to the City, or lease to a community for uses allowed by the existing zoning. If the NCC's Urban Lands study comes out against retaining these parcels as Open Space, then the City has a year to do its own study to bolster its case for Open Space in a hearing. The mediation is adjourned without a date and a verbal agreement is in the works saying that the OMB member who did this mediation will continue to manage the case

Shelley Parlow: Greenspace Alliance is holding a benefit concert on June 24: We should renew our membership ($15)
John Sankey: We currently pay memberships to the Greenspace Alliance ($15) and the NCF ($20). We should pay these memberships as recurring annual expenses.
Alan Asselstine: We should also continue our membership in the Federation of Citizens' Associations of Ottawa-Carleton (FCAOC) ($30).
Motion: To pay our memberships in three organizations as recurring annual expenses: Greenspace Alliance, NCF, FCAOC Moved by Alan Asselstine, seconded by Shelley Parlow, carried.

Alan Asselstine: The 2003 Regional Transit Program did not go because the extension to Barhaven would have resulted in a $16 million loss and because the east-west corridor would have gone to South Keys rather than through downtown. The new proposal is to build from the centre out and is a much better proposal.
John Sankey: There will be pressure to add more stops than needed - there should be only 3 stops plus the 2 stops at both ends. John is keeping a scrapbook of items that relate to the HCCO. If anyone finds something of interest bring it to him.

John Reid: He lives on Vanhurst and is a member of the Arts, Heritage and Culture Advisory Committee. He expressed concern that River Ward does not have a library, noting the community benefit, especially to kids and immigrants. As the work plan for the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) Board includes an item on kiosk service at the Hunt Club/Riverside Community Centre, he asked that the HCCO ensure the community be consulted before such a service be implemented.
John Sankey: The OPL allows on-line ordering of books which can be picked up at the bookmobile.
Alan Asselstine: The bookmobile stops at Bayview Public School located on Owl Drive and at the A&P Shopping Plaza.
Motion: To draft a letter of inquiry to the OPL clarifying the role of the bookmobile and library kiosks. John Reid and John Sankey will draft the letter. The HCCO supports improved library service in our neighbourhood. Moved by Alan Asselstine, seconded by Shelley Parlow, carried.

Next meeting: Monday September 8, 2008 at 19:30