This large piece of greenspace in our community seems to have received a new lease on life, at least in the short term. Ottawa South MP and Industry Ministry, John Manley, has stated publicy that as long as he is a member of cabinet, a for sale sign will not be posted on this NCC property. We also have the written commitment of NCC General Manager Marcel Beaudry that as the landlord of this property, he will not push for a re-zoning and Mayor Jim Watson also announced recently he has held talks with the NCC about a possible land swap that would see the city take ownership of the southern corridor in exchange for a piece of sought after city-owned land.
My position on municipal governance is outlined in greater detail in the attached correspondence to Glen Shortliffe, the special adviser appointed in Ottawa-Carleton to make a recommendation to the provincial government.
City council favours a one city, one tier governance structure modeled after the existing regional ward boundaries resulting in 18 elected councillors and one mayor. This was a recommendation of the city's consultant, Katherine Graham, who pointed out there is not sufficient time to review and recommend alternative ward boundaries before the 2000 election. Subsequent to the first election, electoral boundaries can be reviewed and altered as necessary. Council also preferred a ward advisory committee to a borough model.
Ward advisory committees and the region's favored borough councils are both suggested as a means of addressing concerns that under a one city model politicians will lose contact with the communities they represent. I don't believe we need to re-invent the wheel to find a method for an elected representative to stay in close contact with a community. As a new councillor, I have leaned heavily on community associations to keep me informed about issues in my ward. I don't necessarily have a problem with a ward advisory committee, providing this committee consists primarily of local community association executives. However, I stress the preservation of existing community associations is, in my opinion, far more important than the creation of a new ward advisory committee.
Cognos proposes adding approximately 180,000 sq. ft. to its headquarters at 3755 Riverside Drive, bringing the total office space to 260,000 square feet. The expansion project also includes constructing a 774-space parking garage to its existing building. The city's planning committee will vote on the proposed site plan at its Nov. 23 meeting. Planning staff is still accepting written comments on the proposal and the public is invited to speak directly to planning committee members at the Nov. 23 meeting. Under normal procedure, the site plan will not require a vote at full city council. If approval is granted by the planning committee, Cognos indicates construction is to start before year's end.
This thoroughfare is designated a collector road and as such should expect to carry a higher volume of traffic than local streets. A requested traffic study is unnecessary as staff advises me that regular traffic monitoring is already in place. Records indicate that much of the traffic is locally generated, contrary to claims of substantially increased cut through traffic since the opening of the Airport Parkway ramps and the South Keys Mall. I do not favour suggestions to extend Cahill Drive over the Parkway because of the prohibitive cost and the disruption it would cause to those living along this residential street. Further, I oppose other suggested traffic calming measures, such as restricting left hand turns from McCarthy onto Cahill, Twyford and Paul Anka, installing speed humps and reducing the speed limit to 40km/h. I would welcome other comments and suggestions from the community on this matter.
The Friendship Windmill group is now prepared to present to the community its proposal to erect a working windmill at the Hog's Back Marina. A public meeting will be held on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Riverside United Church, 3191 Riverside Drive. I remain concerned about the potential cost of this proposed project to the taxpayer. I don't agree the taxpayer should bear any of the cost and I will be looking for guarantees that the city will not be responsible for any infrastructure or ongoing operating costs. As well, there are issues surrounding access and parking that must be addressed.
I have requested a review of how municipal staff enforce this provincial legislation. Presently, when a dog bites (and there have been incidents in the Hunt Club area where children have been bitten) animal control officers, if called, can order a quarantine of the animal and a process is in place to levy a fine up to $500. The problem is that further action with respect to obtaining a permanent solution, such as seeking to have the dog destroyed, is left to the victim. In other words, under current policy, the victim must initiate court action even in cases where they recognize an ongoing danger. I am not suggesting every dog that bites should be destroyed. However, many of us have witnessed situations of a vicious dog and an irresponsible owner and I do not believe in these situations it is satisfactory to leave a solution to the victim. I will keep you informed of staffs review.