KEY ISSUES
DISCUSSED AT 9 JUN 97 MEETING

ATTENDEES

• Fred McLennan, President
• Alan Asselstine, Vice-President, Treasurer
• Peter Vasdi, Memberships
• Bill Royds, Director
• Art Miskew, Director
• Nancy Seaby, Director
• Gisèle Loiselle-Branch, Director
• Anne Brandel, Director
• Warren Munroe, Director
• Karin Howard, City Ward 0T8 councillor
• Jan Duncan, The News

KEY ISSUES

The following summarizes the issues discussed at the 9 Jun 97 meeting of the Hunt Club Community Organization (HCCO) at the Hunt Club Riverside Community Centre (HCRCC).

1. Regional Councillor, Wendy Stewart, submitted a report on the following:
   • Water quality in Mooney's Bay. Ministry of Health recommends that Mooney's Bay be open for swimming in 1997 without restrictions. Water quality is being monitored daily.
   • Recycling results for blue box program. Recycled material collected in Mar 97 has increased by 43% over what was collected a year before in Mar 96. This increase both indicates that residents are reducing the amount of regular garbage they put out, and also increases the revenues generated from sale of products produced from the recycled materials.
   • Open house at Central Experimental Farm to be held 10am-4pm Sat 21 Jun in the K.W. Neatby Bldg. Hosted by Eastern Ontario Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre. Feature presentations include gene technologies, new wheat varieties, soils, insects. Admission is free.
   • OC Transpo wins North American 1996 safety record competition between some 100 companies with 600+ busses. Bus driver Barry Adair flew to Miami to pick up the award on OC's behalf.
   • RMOC recognized for excellence in financial reporting. The Gov. Finance Officers Assoc. of the US and Canada has given its Canadian award for financial reporting to the Region based on its annual report for fiscal 1996.
   • Draft Regional Official Plan and Water and Wastewater Master Plans (see below).
   • Delay in the construction of the Airport Parkway ramps (see below).
   • Speeding on Riverside Dr. (see below).
   • New environmental awareness campaign (see below).
   • Call Wendy's office for more information.
2. City Ward 0T8 Councillor, Karin Howard, reported on the following:
   • 1997 property tax payment changes. May and June 1997 property tax payments to City are still to be combined into one payment due 30 May 97. It would cost $350,000 to change these back into 2 payments again. However, Karin has lobbied for and obtained a reduction in the interest rate for late payments from 15% to 6% for those who submit this request in writing to the City treasurer. Interest rate is normally 15%; however, taxpayers can register themselves for the monthly payment plan at any time to reduce the interest payable to 6% per year.
   • Mayor's day celebration for senior citizens. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are to attend (from 4:30-5pm) a Canada Day senior citizen birthday celebration held at 2:30-7pm 1 Jul at Lansdowne Park's Aberdeen Pavilion. A limited number of tickets have been reserved for couples celebrating their 50th anniversary. The royal couple, also celebrating their 50th, intend to meet their Ottawa senior counterparts. For more information, call Lite 101.1 CFMO weekdays from 9am-5pm.
   • Bookmobile services to Hunt Club will continue.
   • City hall has acquired a bilingual registration system available from a newly installed workstation at the Client Service Centre. General public can visit the centre and make use of this system to do business name registration, obtain retail sales tax vendor permits, employer health tax, health tax for the self-employed, and worker's compensation. Available times are 8:30am-4:30pm.
   • Warning that homeowners are being pressured by unscrupulous tree "experts" into unnecessarily removing or extensively pruning trees on their property. Senior citizens should be skeptical of anyone approaching them in this regard. Free estimates and advice are available from official arborist services (listed under TREE in the yellow pages).
   • Vandalism statistics. Total cost of vandalism for Mooney's Bay Ward for 1996 was $39,577.43, and targeted areas included: the fire station on McCarthy Rd., Clifford Bowey Pool, Hunt Club Community Centre.
   • Topless swimming. In spite of everything else going on, this issue has resulted in the greatest community feedback to City Hall. Of some 80 calls to Karin, only 2 supported toplessness. The general concensus of the HCCO directors at the meeting was that public excitement would shrink with time. One comment was that: "Some bodies are temples, but others are parking lots". Criminal code specifies that "nude" is anything that offends morality.
   • Road repair backlog as of 12 May will result in 858 road repair sites (usually involving road blockages) before mid-Aug 97.
   • Security check policy. Official City-approved organizations are now required to develop a security check policy when recruiting staff and volunteers. City has a resource booklet and 1-hour presentation with useful information. Two information sessions will be held 6:30-8:30pm: one on Tue 10 June at McNabb Community Centre, 180 Percy St.; and on Wed 18 Jun at Routhier Community Centre, 172 Guiges St. To register, contact Audrey Laidlaw.
   • Hunt Club Neighborhood Plan open house held 28 May (see below).
   • Hunt Club Airport Parkway environmental assessment (see below).
   • New zoning bylaw (see "Saving the green corridor..." below).
   • 1998 budget process has begun and could effect many City services (see below).
   • For city-related issues, call Karin's office.
3. Airport Parkway ramps:
   • The debate and decision on whether to go ahead with constructing the ramps (at least for this year (summary-fall 1997)) is going to Regional Council on Wed 11 Jun.
   • HCCO passed a motion and voted unanimously to draft a (second) correspondence to encourage the construction of the ramps, without further delay. Assumptions and reasons are:
     • Existing traffic still ends up on Bronson Ave., between Carleton U and Carling Ave during rush hours. Better access for the southern communities simply means that traffic south of Careton U will no longer need to route itself through residential communities.
     • Existing Hunt Club Riverside traffic study recommended the ramps as a solution to their traffic problems.
     • If south urban areas expand or are built, they will have access to the Parkway as currently configured, and traffic will increase regardless of whether ramps are constructed or not. The current system penalizes residents of Hunt Club who are already (and have been for the last 10 years) commuting downtown.
   • Bill Royds recommended that the Region consider reconstructing the accessways where the Parkway meets Riverside to improve traffic flow between the two roads. This improved accessway might siphon cars from Bronson Ave.
   • City has returned its comments on the Regional environmental assessment in a letter titled Hunt Club Road/Airport Parkway Environmental Assessment Document, dated 22 Apr 97.
   • Bob Ridley has presented a report (Max Group report available from Wendy) to the Region that looks at downstream affect. The report indicates that the day after the Parkway ramps are open, the Parkway will be full; however, the 200 additional cars will be the same as those now using other means to get downtown, and will not impact on the traffic load on Bronson Ave. north of the bridge. Twinning the Parkway later will create more traffic; however, the traffic increase will be from cars getting on at Lester Road, accessing the Parkway from farther south than Hunt Club (which they can do, and do, right now).
   • HCCO also passed a motion, and voted to communicate with neighboring communities to research ways of meeting both their and Hunt Club's traffic requirements.
   • Region has approved an additional $50,000 to enhance the landscape at Plante and Bankview in order to minimize noise levels caused by Parkway traffic.
   • Councillor Stewart is investigating noise mitigation in the area of Ramsgate Private, and Plante and Cromwell.
   • Old Ottawa South Community Assoc (OSCA) agrees with a need to resolve traffic issues, but objects to the haste with which this ramp construction project (and other Parkway-related enhancements) is proceeding. OSCA recommends more study.
   • The Centretown Citizens Community Association recommends that the $3.5M budget reserved for the ramps be rerouted to improving cycling pathways and the N-S transit system, or at least that these alternatives be studied.
   • Current status of voting at the Region:
     • "Consider", rather than "approve" the recommended ramp design.
     • Include cycling route signs.
     • Not defer decisions until further traffic implications on other neighborhoods can be studied.
     • Consult with residential communities backing onto the Parkway re enhanced landscaping to decrease noise levels.
   • For more information, call Wendy Stewart.
4. Fighting the effects of cars speeding on Riverside Dr.:
   • Based on the Ontario Manual of Traffic Control Devices, which the Region follows, in order to erect signs warning motorists they are entering a residential area and must reduce speed, the reduction in speed must be 20 km or more; therefore, in order to reduce the speed limit to 50 km around Mooney's Bay, the speed limit between the railway overpass (at Hunt Club) and Hunt Club Rd. would need to be raised to 70 km.
   • A report about these signs will be completed soon and then circulated to those interested or who have attended public meetings.
   • Region is investigating ways to minimize noise in the vicinity of Hackett Pond.
   • Region is researching electronic radar systems that can detect and display (to drivers) cars speeds they are going with along Riverside.
   • For more information, contact Wendy Stewart.
5. Regional Official Plan, and Water and Wastewater Master Plans:
   • More than 350 groups, agencies, and individuals have submitted written comment on the draft.
   • Debate on these plans will take place on 12, 13, and 16 Jun, with final revisions going to Regional Council for approval on 9 July.
   • Region still welcomes any further comment from the community.
   • For more information, contact Wendy Stewart.
6. New environmental awareness campaign:
   • Wendy Stewart is now Chair of Conservation Ontario, a new partnership between 38 Ontario conservation authorities.
   • Dofasco has established a long-term partnership with Conservation Ontario.
   • Dofasco is donating over $1M to pay for the cost of showing Ontarians the work the Conservation Authorities have been performing in their watersheds for the past 50 years.
   • Authorities currently protect over 340,000 acres of provincial land, including Baxter, Foley Mountain, Perth Wildlife Reserve.
   • This funding will also support community-based efforts in flood plain management, lake stewardship, water quality information.
   • For more information, contact Wendy Stewart.
7. Hunt Club Neighborhood Plan update:
   • City hosted an open house 28 May at Holy Family School.
   • Some 50 people from the community attended, including new residents from west of Riverside Dr.
   • Many interest groups were also represented: NCC, RMOC, HCCPA, HCCO, community centre, the Plan's Public Advisory Committee (PAC), etc.
   • All concerns voiced by those attending were documented (resulted in some 70 points).
   • Questionnaires were distributed to solicit public feedback and concerns (blank forms available from the RCC).
   • A report on this open house is forthcoming.
   • Another public meeting is scheduled for the fall (97).
   • Plan is scheduled for completion in summer 98.
   • For more information, contact Christine Creighton.
8. 1998 budget process has begun and could effect many City services:
   • On 18 June City council will receive a report on how to obtain and address public input. A core services review will involve surveying 600 residents to find out their priorities re City services. This review will also involve focus groups and key informant interviews.
   • Because of provincial cutbacks, City will need to trim its services to essentials.
   • HCCO suggestions were:
   • License bicycles, which would help trace bicycle theft, as well as to identify bicycles that terrorize pedestrians and disabled people.
   • Per family user fees for those using library services: basic service could be free, but user fee would allow additional services such as reserving books, borrowing CDs, etc.
   • Licensing cats, which is being actively pursued by the City caused mainly by the difficulty in tracing cat owners.
   • Stewardships (such as the one currently for Mooney's Bay (Chez radio)).
9. Saving the green corridor between McCarthy Woods and the Rideau River:
   • The land corridor between the Rideau River and the Airport Parkway, which is now physically green and empty of development, is owned by NCC in part, by Hydro, and by CN.
   • It is the City (not the Region) that has zoned this land (under the existing bylaw) partly light industrial and partly for public use - the new Z2020 bylaw may change this zoning.
   • Region has designated McCarthy Woods as an environmentally significant area in its new Regional Official Plan, which will protect it from development.
   • City is to debate new zoning designations for this area at 1:15pm Tue 24 Jun at City Hall.
   • The more people who attend that meeting, the better the chance that Hunt Club community interests will be listened to.
   • Need to involve and lobby local councillors both from the City and the Region (Diane Deans, for example).
   • NOSS (Natural and Open Spaces Study (NOSS); Call Deborah Irwin or Sue Costello for more information. Does not include the open areas of the corridor.
   • In order for a natural corridor to effectively allow wildlife movement, it must be at least 300m wide (not 30m).
   • Some compromise may be necessary in order to accommodate population increase within city limits, rather than sacrificing the green belt areas farther south.
   • HCCO motioned, and voted to send letter to City Planning Committee asking for an interim control bylaw to prevent any zoning decisions (at least any that would remove protection from the corridor) until the area can be studied, and until such studies as the Hunt Club Neighborhood Plan are completed.
   • Call Peter Foulger for more information.
10. Other issues:
    • City plans to have paid off its debt by year 2014.
    • Question about who will be hosting regional and municipal election all-candidates' meeting in the fall (elections due in Nov 97) - either HCCO or The News can host this.
11. Next HCCO meeting to be held Mon 8 Sep 97 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.