From the office of the Councillor, Mooney's Bay Ward, City of Ottawa - Karin D. Howard

HUNT CLUB COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION NEWSLETTER

March 2, 1998



McCarthy Road OBE Lands

According to City staff, the OBE lands at McCarthy Road have not yet been sold, although the tendering process began in November, 1997. No applications to develop these lands have been received at City Hall.

Stop Controls - Bennett Street and Lillico Drive Approaches to Uplands Drive

Good news! The speed of traffic flow along Uplands Drive will be far better regulated thanks to the persistence of area residents. A recent site visit from City staff confirmed that drivers' sight lines are insufficient to maintain the existing yield control at the Bennett Street and Lillico Drive approaches to Uplands Drive. These will be changed to stop controls accordingly. The control for the west bound approach will also be changed from yield to stop; while sight distance is not a problem for this approach, the alteration will accommodate for the pedestrian activity at the intersection and will ensure consistency with the other intersections approaching Uplands.

Budget Document Update

As mentioned in last months' newsletter, my office will be organizing public discussion of the budget document during the period following the release of the budget document itself. I will not be taking advantage of staff's offer to hold their own budget workshops with their own workshop document for several reasons. First, I believe that consultation should be on the actual document, not on the abstract. Second, because the Council represents the public, the staff should not have a parallel consultation process to that of Councillors. Third, staff have already completed a general budget consultation through the recent EKOS survey. If you would like to attend one of my budget sessions, please let me know. They will be booked as small working groups, each person with a copy of the actual budget and will be held between April 1 and May 3, 1998.

City Creates Guidebook for Safer Neighbourhoods

The City of Ottawa has produced a booklet designed to assist community groups as they compile and submit audit results to the City for response and action. The 12-page bilingual publication functions as a guide for residents wishing to evaluate their communities in terms of safety and security. The booklet is the product of a collaborative effort between City staff and the Crime Prevention Council of Ottawa (CPCO), as well as the Women's Action Centre Against Violence (WACAV) and Community Police Centres. My office has been provided with three copies, as well as materials relevant to the issue for distribution to interested parties.

Environmental Achievement Award

The City of Ottawa's Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) is actively looking for prospective nominees for the City's annual Environmental Achievement Award. These awards will publicly recognize the valuable contributions of citizens and organizations involved with the protection or enhancement of the City's environment, and will serve to promote environmental awareness, encourage participation, and reward original ideas. They are presented by City Council to nominees deemed suitable by the Selection Committee, and will be offered in the following four categories: Individuals; Groups and Associations; Public and Private Institutions; and Business. Nominations for all four classifications must be received by Friday, April 17, 1998 to be eligible for the competition. Please note that the awards are for achievements in 1997; however, schools are exempt from this condition, as they can be nominated for projects initiated in 1997 for completion by June of this year.

Reassessment of Property Values

The Province has been assessing the property value of every residence in Ottawa as of June 30, 1996, based on '95 and '96 sales. The assessment appears on your Notice of Property Assessment, mailed February 11, 1998. Officials will discuss your assessment with you on March 2-5, 1998 from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Jim Durrell Centre on Walkley Road. Appeals must be filed by June 29, 1998. For details please call: (613) 526-3890.

2020Z Update

The City's Planning Committee heard from several members of the community with regard to the Southern Corridor. They seemed to be very supportive of the community's concerns, especially since staff were recommending the perfecting of existing zoning permitting inappropriate uses in advance of the completion of our studies. With the support of Planning Committee I presented a motion to propose an interim control by-law for the Corridor. It has not yet been voted on.

Local Governance

(a) Workshops

The Citizens' Panel on local governance has arranged community workshops to give local communities an opportunity to express their views and ideas about future governance options. The public is invited to attend one of a series of workshops. The goal of the workshops is to explore new ways for facilitating meaningful exchange on local issues, ideas and solutions. City of Ottawa residents may attend a workshop scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 1998 at the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre at 1265 Walkley Road from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

(b) Public Hearings

There will also be public hearings, again organized by the Citizens' Panel, to assist the Panel in understanding what governance system people value and why, and what their visions are for our future governance. Individuals and organizations will be restricted to a 5 to 10 minute speaking time. Each organization will be limited to one presentation. A one-page summary of your presentation would be appreciated. The public hearings for Ottawa will be held on April 14, 1998 at Ottawa City Hall in our Council Chambers, 111 Sussex Drive from 2:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. Should you wish to make a presentation, please book a time with the Citizens' Panel Office at (613) 560-1323.

Federal Support for Disaster Relief/Disaster Claims

The Honorable Alfonso Gagliano, Minister of Public Works and Marlene Catterall, M.P. for Ottawa-West, presented a cheque in the amount of over $40,000,000.00 to City Council in

advance of the due date for federal payments in lieu in order to ease the City's cash flow problem as a result of the ice storm. This gesture is much appreciated.

Lansdowne Park Public Consultation Process

The following dates have been finalized for the first set of public consultations on examining options for the future of Lansdowne Park:

Monday, March 23, 1998 Assembly Hall, Lansdowne Park, 6:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 24, 1998 Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, 6:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 25, 1998 Churchill Seniors Recreation Centre, 6:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 26, 1998 Chateau Laurier - Drawing Room, 12 noon until 2:00 p.m.

Friday, March 27, 1998 St. Laurent Complex, 6:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

The public consultation process is being facilitated by Williamson Consulting. Representation from the community is sought; questions can be directed to Howard Williamson at (613) 830-6443.

Hunt Club Neighbourhood Plan

The NCC has now presented to me and the PAC a map showing their interim proposal for future land use of the Southern Corridor. The public will be able to comment on it during the Open House to be held on March 11, 1998.

Cahill Drive

After reading the pros and cons of implementing stop signs on Cahill Drive at Twyford, I would like the community association directors to vote on whether to proceed.