Minutes of Meeting 2 October 1996

Attendees:

Regional Councillor, Wendy Stewart, reported on the following: Presentation by Ottawa-Carleton Police Service (see below). Regional development strategy (see below). Change in stormwater discharge criteria for the Rideau River (see below). Protecting our green space (see below). Speeding (see below). Blue box collection (see below). Protecting the Experimental Farm from development (see below). Call Wendy's office for more information.

City Ward 0T8 Councillor, Karin Howard, reported on the following: Fundraising for Experimental Farm. Volunteers are needed to help sell tickets for a barn dance to raise fund to replace animals lost in the fire. Noise by-law extension. Deadline for comments from the community has been extended to 1 Nov in preparation for CSOC meeting on 13 Nov 96. Call Dave Saint at 244-5300-1-3206, fax 244-5421 for information. Friendship windmill. Proposal by Friendship Windmill Corporation (FWC) to locate the windmill at the north end of Mooney's Bay has been rejected. Future of Mooney's Bay. City is going forward with the Mooney's Bay Redevelopment Program, which involved the development of a stewardship plan. Draft Z2020 zoning bylaw (see below). For city-related issues, call Karin's office.

Presentation by Ottawa-Carleton Police Service (see below). Due to problems (intimidation and vandalism) in Owl Park: Police have increased the patrols in the area. Police have a youth squad and plainclothes officers assigned to this task. City will be installing lights around the wading pool area. May install no-trespassing signs. City by-law closes all parks between 11pm-7am, and this can be enforced. Because this seems to be a summer phenomenon, Police will make a point of getting out into the park early next summer (1997). 70-80% of the young people involved are just neighborhood kids - they are our children. According to one homeowner with 3 children in the area, the presence of the police is quite profound. Children notice and talk about these things in school. Police are working together with the City parks department to come up with solutions. Police measure the level of crime in an area based on number of "calls for service". This is any call that requires a police response. Based on "calls for service": Level in summer (July-Sep) is double that in winter. All calls are fed into a computer and program can generate map-specific statistics of type and frequency of calls (actual data is kept confidential). Fri-Sat nights result in more calls. About 20% of all calls are the result of false home alarms (systems). City may have a false alarm by-law coming into effect in mid-Oct. The general feeling in the community is that crime is increasing; however, the number of calls for service have dropped in 1996 over 1995. Break and enters are down 22% this year in the area, and down 11% in the Region. Level of crime in our area is 1/2 that in similar areas elsewhere in the Province and country. Police are concerned that people in the community hesitate to get involved: Victims often don't talk to police and to other people. Single women may feel intimidated just by the presence of teenagers in their area. When calling the police, 236-1222, to cut through the answering system, just press zero (0), or press the extension number of the person; for example, Ken Moodie at 236-1222-5841. Address of nearest station monitoring this area (the South End) is 2870 Cedarwood Dr. turning north on Walkley halfway between Bank and Heron - phone 236-1222-5812. Police have a barcoding and engraving service, which is offered free of charge. Just bring you item to the nearest police station. Keeing youth occupied: Search for constructive things to offer young people (dances, gyms, community centers). The Foxhunt Community tried to set up and fund a skateboard area in the park. Approach local businesses to offer or fund diversions for young people. There is a youth center just across the Rideau River in Nepean, which has become a model for 15 other centers across the country. There is an open youth night at the RCC every Fri. Cost is $1.50 per person. Times are 6:30-8pm for ages 10-12, and 8-10pm for ages 13-18. Police have resource officers, each assigned to several high schools. Police plan on hiring 40-60 more people for region in 1996-1998. This will bring the force up to full strength by 1997-98, and will improve community policing and response. Call Brian Ford (Chief) or Ken Moodie for more information.

Regional development strategy: Region has released its proposed 25-year Regional Development Strategy (RDS), which sets guidelines for regional development up to year 2021. Deals with future population growth, jobs, land use, transit, roads, water, and wastewater requirements. After 2 days of hearings, on 30 Sep the joint Planning and Environmental and Transportation Committee approved principles to guide the region in the next 25 years. The RDS predicts that some 157,000 new housing units will be required in the Region in the next 25 years, and balances the benefits and drawbacks of placing this housing where: The best balance is to put some 60,000-72,000 new housing units inside the Greenbelt on currently serviced land, and the remaining 85,000-90,000 in town centers outside the Greenbelt. This balance will cost taxpayers $400M less than the current plans that propose a larger percentage of new housing outside the Greenbelt. More new houses inside the Greenbelt will increase the savings but have a greater impact on the green areas inside the city. The RDS protects all areas currently designated as greenspace (protected areas, parks, etc.). This means that the Region would be forced to object, should any organization or owner want to develop on such land. The RDS principles are based on the current land designation, and therefore do not protect areas that are now green, but are zoned differently, such as the area just north of Hunt Club. The current land designations may be subject to review and change once the NOSS is completed next summer. Should the NOSS result in a change from an area now zoned for development to an area zoned for protection from development, then the RDS would be amended. Call Wendy's office for more information.

Change in stormwater discharge criteria for the Rideau River: The Region (through the Water Environment Protection Division) and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Energy are discussing the possibility of relaxing stormwater discharge standards for the Rideau River. Weaker standards would attract and allow more development, and more development would result in increased revenue. The Regional Planning and Environment Committee has deferred a decision until the public can be consulted. Wendy would like the HCCO and community members to get involved once this issue comes up for discussion. Call Wendy's office for more information.

Protecting our green spaces: An executive summary and report on "Planning for the Protection of Greenspace" was tabled and copies are now available upon request. Call Wendy's office for more information.

Speeding: Residents are concerned about speeding along Riverside Dr. and along Paul Anka. There's a request for a pedestrian control sign at Leopolds and Riverside and a stop sign at Sample (or Boone) and Paul Anka. Call Wendy's office for more information.

Blue box collection: Some blue boxes that are not picked up by the blue box program because they contain non-recyclable materials have been picked up by regular garbage. In order to educate residents about what can and can't be recycled, regular garbage operators have been instructed to tag such blue boxes so that homeowners can learn from the mistake. Call Wendy's office for more information.

Protecting the Experimental Farm from development: Region has approved a request that the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada examine a protective designation for the Experimental Farm. Call Wendy's office for more information.

Hunt Club Neighborhood Plan: Hunt Club to receive a full neighborhood plan. HCCO members indicated willingness to participate in the planning. Call Jeff Hunter for more information.

Rezoning for a better community - Z2020 bylaw and other efforts: The 0T8 Ward hearing is at City Hall: Whitton Hall, 2nd floor, Sussex Pavilion at 1:15-5pm and 7-9pm on Tue 22 Oct. This is the opportunity for members of the community to voice their concerns and make their contributions. To arrange for an appointment to speak, call Karin Howard's office before 3:30pm 21 Oct. Call Anne Ernesacks for more information.

Welcoming people to our monthly HCCO meetings: Some people in the community don't think that the HCCO represents non-members. The HCCO would like to emphasize that it represents everyone in the community. Becoming a member of the HCCO (for $3 per year) allows you to vote on community issues and therefore have a more direct influence on decisions made by the HCCO; however the issues and decisions are based on concerns raised by ANYONE and EVERYONE in the community. Call Fred McLennan for more information.

Greenway System Management Plan/Natural Open Spaces Study (NOSS): Re the Greenway System, call Anna Hercz or Paul McCann for more information. Re the NOSS, call Deborah Irwin for more information.

Access between South Keys Shopping Centre and the people living around McCarthy Rd.: Call Alan Asselstine for more information.

Annual General Meeting (AGM): Although this 2 Oct meeting was to be the HCCO's annual general meeting, in order to give Brian Ford and Ken Moodie an opportunity to present their report of regional policing in our area, and because of lower attendance than expected, it was decided to postpone the AGM to next month, 6 Nov. A motion was made, and passed, to spend $50 on an ad in The News to advertise next month's AGM.

Next HCCO meeting is the Annual General Meeting at which HCCO members elect their representatives for the year 1 Aug 96 - 31 Jul 97. To be held Wed 6 Nov at 7:30 p.m. at the Hunt Club Riverside Community Centre at the corner of Paul Anka and McCarthy. Anyone is welcome. Call Fred McLennan for more information.