Minutes of meeting 8 September 2008

Attendees:

John Sankey: During the LPGA held at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, Chatsworth Crescent was jammed with cars parked along the street despite the fact that the Club provided ample parking south of Hunt Club Road and a shuttle bus. The parked cars in some cases blocked the driveways of the residents. After a resident called him, John called 311 but the City refused to send its bylaw enforcement officers to ticket the parked cars. John contacted Maria's office, he sent an e-mail expressing his frustration to the members of the Board and at the end of the week sent it to the Ottawa Sun.
Fred McLennan: This event happens only once so why get upset about it?
Peter Brimacombe: Felt that the event was a real plus for the City despite the problems with parking.
John Reid: Noticed that temporary parking restrictions were out in place on the residential streets behind the Hellenic Centre during Greek Fest.
Alan Asselstine: He saw John's e-mail and Art Miskew's comments but didn't think that John would send an e-mail to the Ottawa Sun. He noted that due to previous problems, that all external communications from the HCCO require board approval. In his view if the City was selectively refusing to enforce its bylaws that was a serious problem.

Motion: To accept the minutes of June 2008, moved by Alan Asselstine, seconded by Gisèle Loiselle-Branch, carried.

John Sankey: John sent letters asking to be included in the planning of the library kiosk which is included in the expansion of Community Centre. He sent a letter to the Ottawa Public Library Board which did not reply. He sent a letter to Jan Harder President of Library Board. She acknowledged his letter but did not address his concerns. John feels that we have a legitimate need to be included in a major community project such as the expansion of the Community Centre. There are some matters such as personnel which should not be brought before the Hunt Club Community Organization.
John Reid: referenced a copy of the Draft Capital Budget of the Ottawa Public Library which says that a library kiosk will be part of the expanded Community Centre. It will be a pilot project which would be evaluated.
It was agreed that Alan would help John Sankey and John Reid draft an email to the Chair of the Library Board to express the HCCO's approval of the Kiosk and to reaffirm our willingness to assist in this project.
Fred McLennan: Why should we be involved in the governance of the Community Centre? We should have a public meeting so that the City and the Ottawa Public Library can explain their plans.
Alan Asselstine: Maria McRea advised us in June that she has been working with the two organizations involved with the Centre's expansion: the Hunt Club Riverside Services Centre and the the Hunt Club Riverside Recreation Association. Alan feels that it is too soon for a public meeting. He is active but pragmatic which means in this case that it is best to wait.
Gisèle Loiselle-Branch: What about the idea of a library kiosk at the old Bayview Public School?
John Reid: Thinks that a library kiosk at the old Bayview School is unlikely.

John Sankey: The City plans to expand the Green Box Program to the rest of the City. The Green Box Program is the collection of organic waste such as potato peelings. To be successful, residents must separate the organic waste from the regular garbage which goes to landfill. The City plans to collect the Green Boxes every week but plans to reduce collection of the landfill garbage from every week to once every two weeks. The City thinks that 30% of the regular garbage should be diverted to the Green Box Program. On his street (Uplands Drive) there is only the regular garbage collection and no Green Box Program. John personally inspected the garbage on his street and found that only 10% of the garbage could be diverted to the Green Box Program. John feels that it is unrealistic to reduce the collection of the regular garbage.
Alan Asselstine: On his street there is a Green Box Program and it is working and effective.
Gisèle Loiselle-Branch: What about the idea of sending in all the garbage which is then sorted by paid employees at the dump?
John Reid: Something has to be done - the move to collect landfill waste once every two weeks is the motivation so that people will spend more time sorting the organic waste.
Gisèle Loiselle-Branch: Educate, educate, educate. People need to be educated and receive the message in many ways and formats. For example La Presse encourages sorting of garbage in Quebec. Gisèle recently returned from New Zealand where she was impressed with the sorting and collection of garbage.
Motion: The Board supports extension of the green box program throughout the City but feels that bi-weekly collection of landfill is unrealistic without further education. Moved by Peter Brimacombe, seconded by Gisèle Loiselle-Branch, carried.

Peter Brimacombe: has followed the mortgage crisis in the United States for three years. Mortgage default and foreclosures have a direct bearing on community safety and health. Financial stress leads to mental health problems which affect families. Foreclosures and evictions cause families to abandon their houses which become hangouts for gangs. It is in our direct interest in the Hunt Club Community that lending standards be tightened so that only people that can afford houses be given a mortgage.
John Sankey remembers when lending standards were much stricter and that you had to have a 10% down payment to get an insured mortgage (CMHC) and to get an uninsured mortgage you had to have a 25% downpayment. Lending standards have become lax.

Gisèle Loiselle-Branch: Reminds the residents of the parking by-laws in her co-op. When she spoke to a man in her co-op about parking in visitors' parking instead of in his own spot, he swore at her.
The Board felt that she was right in reminding him of the parking by-laws and felt that the co-op should hire a private company to enforce them.

Next meeting: Monday Oct 6 at 19:30
Annual General Meeting: Monday November 3