RIVER WARD CITY COUNCILLOR MARIA McRAE’S REPORT TO

HUNT CLUB COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

APRIL 3, 2006

Fireside Chats

In addition to reaching out to constituents by holding community meetings, attending public meetings, and communicating by email, letters and phone, I have scheduled several “Fireside Chats” to give River Ward residents additional opportunities to discuss their concerns with me.  I enjoyed my first two Fireside Chats on March 10, 2006 at the Carleton Heights Community Centre and on March 29, 2006 at the Mooney’s Bay Bistro.  I was pleased to welcome the residents who stopped by to talk.  Our discussions covered an array of subjects. 

My next scheduled Fireside Chat takes place on:

                                                           

                                                Friday, April 21, 2006

                                                3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

                                                Alexander Community Centre

                                                960 Silver Street

I invite all Hunt Club residents to stop by to chat over a cup of coffee or tea.  Please advise me if there are other times and locations where you would like to schedule a Fireside Chat with me in your community.

Household Hazardous Waste Depot

I am pleased to bring to your attention two upcoming Household Hazardous Waste Depots, to dispose of any corrosive, flammable or poisonous waste. 

Date:               Saturday, April 22, 2006

Time:               9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location:        2705 Stevenage Drive

 

Date:               Saturday, May 6, 2006

Time:              9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location:        The Natural Resources Canada Parking Lot,

 between 405 Rochester and 550 Booth Street.

Waste oil can be brought back to a “Take it Back!” partner retailer.  Check the City’s website at Ottawa.ca under Garbage and Recycling for the list of retailers that take back oil.

Integrated Road Safety Program

According to the Integrated Road Safety Program, in 2005, Ottawa roadways witnessed an 11 per cent drop in the number of traffic fatalities compared to 2004.

While fatalities decreased, the number of serious injuries related to collisions rose from 138 in 2004 to 164 in 2005.

 

The Integrated Road Safety Program uses education, engineering and enforcement to raise awareness on road safety, and to reach its goal in reducing traffic fatalities or serious injuries by 30 per cent by 2010.  The goal was benchmarked on Ottawa’s road safety statistics from the period 1998 to 2002.

The program combines the efforts of City of Ottawa Public Health and Public Works and Services with the Ottawa Police Service and various community partners.  Over the past two years, they have conducted several campaigns and initiatives that addressed aggressive driving, speeding and the promotion of responsible driving to young drivers.

The following are a few examples of the types of initiatives and campaigns that the Integrated Road Safety Program undertook in 2005:

·        Initiated second edition of Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP).

·        Expanded the Integrated Road Safety Program’s visual identity and traffic safety awareness campaigns by adding new road signs and new targeted messages.

·        Co-organized Collision Free Challenge with Ottawa Safety Council, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario’s Plan-It Safe, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and other community partners.  Illustrated anti-skid demonstrations.

·        Conducted second phase of “Safe Young Drivers – YOU Hold the Key” campaign, a major initiative to increase the safety of young drivers and their passengers.  Included theatre presentations at area high schools.

·        Initiated education and enforcement campaigns to increase use of seatbelts, proper use of child car seats and reduce sidewalk cycling in partnership with Ottawa Public Health, Ottawa Police, OPP, RCMP and City’s Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee.

·        Organized impaired driving enforcement (R.I.D.E.) programs in partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Ottawa and the Ottawa Alliance on Impaired Driving.

·        Conducted comprehensive enforcement at high collision intersections preceded by the presence of large mobile illuminated variable message signs stating “High Collision Location – Enforcement To Increase.”

·        Expanded Aerial Enforcement Program by doubling number of zones.

·        Re-profiled “Shift to a Nicer Gear… Share the Road” campaign.

·        Initiated “Did You Know?” series, an education campaign to inform the public of various traffic safety tips.

·        Conducted first phase of “Speeding Costs You” campaign by profiling in-vehicle geographic position based anti-speeding engineering devices and utilizing various education and enforcement techniques, a major initiative aimed at reducing collisions caused by excessive speed.  Included a two month-long Slow Down! Project in Barrhaven.

·        Launched Ottawa’s Operation Red Nose, a volunteer-based initiative to reduce the incidence of impaired driving during the holiday season.

During the month of March, under the Integrated Road Safety Program, Ottawa Police Services targetted Unsafe and Heavy Vehicles and Following-too-Close.  In April 2006, the focus will be on Vehicle Restraints (including infant/child care seats) and Red Light Running.

I will provide updates throughout the year in my future reports to the Hunt Club Community Organization.

Integrated Road Safety Program and Hunt Club/Riverside Drive Intersection

To address the high incidence of collisions at this intersection, police enforcement activity will focus on this location over the next several months. To assist in enforcement, the City was requested by the police to adjust the level of the speed limit on Riverside Drive/River Road on the approaches to Hunt Club Road to determine if this change will affect the speed of traffic, particularly in the southbound lanes.

Therefore, Traffic staff propose to extend the 60 km/h speed limit southerly to a point 450 m north of Limebank Road on a temporary basis over the next several months to determine if this action succeeds in assisting the Police in their enforcement of driver activity and reduces

collisions.  This will replace the currently posted 80 km/h speed limit on an interim basis.  Once the data is analyzed, the City will conduct a speed zone review of River Road and Riverside Drive between Limebank Road and the CNR overpass south of Leopolds Drive to determine a speed limit appropriate for this roadway.

Integrated Road Safety Program On-Line Poll

What’s the worst road for speeding in Ottawa?  I encourage River Ward residents to take part in an on-line poll to answer this question.

If you notice a certain roadway where cars constantly fly by you, hug your back bumper or make it dangerous for you to cross an intersection, the Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP) would like you to select that street as a candidate for the worst road for speeding in Ottawa.

The on-line opinion poll will be running on ottawa.ca from April 4 to 28, 2006.  The worst road will be announced at the launch of the IRSP’s 2006 Speeding Costs You campaign.

Exceeding speed limits is a prevalent problem on many of our City streets - major and minor.  In addition, speed-related collisions have taken a toll on many lives in Ottawa between 2002 and 2004 - with 40 people killed, 171 sustaining life-threatening injuries, and close to 3,000 receiving other injuries.

The Integrated Road Safety Program combines the efforts of the Ottawa Public Health, Traffic and Parking Operations Branch, Ottawa Police Service and community partners in conducting safety programs such as Speeding Costs You.  This campaign includes a police traffic enforcement component and the road selected as the worst for speeding will be one of the targeted routes.

For more information on road safety and to cast your vote for the worst road for speeding, go to Ottawa.ca/roadsafety.

Spring Cleaning the Capital 2006!

I invite all Hunt Club residents, businesses, schools and community groups to participate in the City’s 13th annual Spring Cleaning the Capital campaign between Friday, April 14 and Sunday, May 14, 2006. 

Registration is quick and easy. Select a cleanup location; it can be a park, woodlot, ravine, shoreline, bus stop, pathway or any area requiring tidying up after the winter months.  Register your cleanup project online at ottawa.ca or by calling 3-1-1.  Cleanup starter kits are available upon request (while quantities last) and include disposable vinyl gloves, garbage bags, leaf-and-yard waste bags and tips to assist your cleanup project.

Register your cleanup project on or before Wednesday, April 12 to be eligible for Early Bird prizes. Registration continues until May 14. Spring Cleaning the Capital participants who submit completed cleanup reports by Wednesday, May 31 are also eligible to win one of many prizes donated by Spring Cleaning the Capital sponsors.

Entire communities - including schools, neighbourhood organizations and associations, businesses, families, friends and individuals take up the Spring Cleaning the Capital challenge each year.  Spring Cleaning the Capital is a great opportunity for high school students to add to their Community Involvement Program volunteer hours, and for family and friends to work together on community cleanup projects to help keep Ottawa clean, green and litter-free.

 In 2005, over 50,000 participants completed over 700 registered cleanup projects.  With your help, Spring Cleaning the Capital can be bigger and better in 2006!

For more information and to register, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).

Proposed Solid Waste Utility Funding and Fire Supply Charge Rates

Please note that the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee will hear public delegations on these two matters at their meeting of April 18, 2006.  The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Champlain Room at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue W, Ottawa, Ontario.

With respect to the rates and billing mechanism of solid waste funding, the Committee will consider the curbside and bin tipping rates and billing methodology.

The Committee will also consider the rates and billing mechanism to generate revenues to finance a portion of the City’s water system costs associated with the provision of adequate water supply for fire protection.

The proposed rates are as follows:

Water Meter Size (mm)

Annual Fire Supply Charge

Water Meter Size (mm)

Annual Fire Supply Charge

15

$ 31.71

75

$   792.81

20

             $ 56.38

100

$1,409.44

25

$ 88.09

150

$3,171.24

40

$225.51

200

$5,637.77

50

$352.36

250

$8,809.01

The billing method will consist of monthly or bi-monthly billing based on the number of days in the billing cycle for all properties currently on the water billing system.

A copy of the report to the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee will be available on the City’s website at Ottawa.ca on April 12, 2006.  Residents may also contact Ms. Dawn Whelan at 580-2424, X21837 or by email at Dawn.Whelan@ottawa.ca for a copy of the report.

For more information on the proposed rates, residents may contact Lise Hartin, Program Manager, Customer Accounts, Revenue Division at 580-2424, X14090.  Background information on the rates and billing mechanism is contained in Corporate Services and Economic Development Report 40 – “Fire Supply Charge – Allocation Methodology” which was tabled at the City Council meeting of January 25, 2006.  To reach this site, go to Ottawa.ca, then to City Council & Committee Agenda & Minutes and select the January 25, 2006 City Council meeting.

City of Ottawa Easter Schedule Changes

I would like to rinform Hunt Club residents of the following schedule changes for Friday, April 14 (Good Friday), and Monday, April 17, 2006 (Easter Monday).

·    Ottawa City Hall and all six Client Service Centres will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Business will resume as usual on Tuesday, April 18, 2006.

·    The City’s Provincial Offences Court, located at 100 Constellation Crescent, will also be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Business will resume as usual on Tuesday,
April 18, 2006.

·    There will be no garbage and recycling pick-up on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Good Friday’s pick-up will now take place on Saturday, April 15, 2006 and Easter Monday’s pick-up will take place on Tuesday, April 18, 2006.  In addition, the collection of garbage and recycling materials will be delayed by one day for the entire week of April 17, 2006. 

·    On Good Friday OC Transpo buses will operate on a reduced Sunday schedule and the O-Train will operate every 30 minutes. On Easter Monday there will be minor weekday schedule reductions and the cancellation of all school routes numbered in the 600s, supplementary school trips and routes 105 and 180.  Bus arrival times may vary on all routes. Call 613-560-1000 plus your four-digit stop number for automated schedule information, 24 hours a day, up to six days in advance. For more information, holiday schedules and travel planning, phone 613-741-4390 or visit octranspo.com.

·    OC Transpo Sales and Information Centres will be closed Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday with the exception of the Rideau Centre office, which will be open Easter Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Although municipal offices are closed on Friday, April 14, and Monday, April 17, 2006, client service representatives are available by calling 3-1-1.  Information on City programs and services is available by visiting the City’s Web site at ottawa.ca. 

Streetsweeping

City of Ottawa crews recently began the annual city-wide sweeping of streets and sidewalks to remove debris and sand that accumulated over the winter months.  Winter debris and sand may pose a danger to traffic and storm water drainage.  Sweeping it up helps keep Ottawa clean, green, litter-free and safe.  Crews will be working 24/7 until sweeping is completed in mid-May.  While street sweeping is underway, there may be some noise and dust.

Economic Development in Ottawa

We welcome several new companies to the Ottawa business community – Cecen Consulting, CHiL Semiconductor, FirstComm Wireless, Lytica Inc., PyroPhotonics Corp and Ralus Inc.

Our high tech community continues to do well.  Nortel has signed a 3-year contract to provide wireless network services and equipment to Cingular Wireless, the largest wireless provider in the U.S.  Nortel is also forming a new joint venture with Huawei Technologies of China to develop ultra broadband access solutions for world markets.  Third Brigade unveiled new anti-intrusion software, and CryptoMetrics unveiled a technologically advanced fingerprint biometric ID system.  Cognos signed a global agreement with IBS AB of Sweden to include Cognos 8 Business Intelligence as part of its business system, and Telesat signed on as the exclusive satellite provider for Auroras Entertainment, a U.S.-based provider of infrastructure and content for Internet Protocol Television.  March Networks signed a deal with one of Australia’s largest banks to supply digital video surveillance products to approximately 900 branches.  As well, an Australian resort is using Mitel Internet Protocol phone equipment in its business.

Congratulations to these local high tech companies and to everyone involved in fostering economic development in the City of Ottawa.

There is also good news in respect of the unemployment rate.  The local unemployment rate decreased from 6.2% in November 2005 and 5.6% in December 2005 to 5.4% for January 2006.

For February 2006, the local unemployment rate was 5.1%.    Nationally, for February 2006, the rate was 6.4%, down from the January 2006 rate of 6.6%.  Provincially, in February, the unemployment rate fell to 6.2% from 6.6% in January 2006.  Overall, in the National Capital Region, 648,600 people were in employed.  The number of high tech workers in our area grew by 5,126 between June 2005 and January 2006.  The number of tech companies also increased from 1,740 to 1,811.

Sportsfields

The City of Ottawa asks residents to stay off sports fields and ball diamonds to allow the turf to grow for the coming season. 

 

Access to fields and diamonds is not permitted prior to May 1, 2006 for baseball diamonds, and May 15, 2006 for sports fields and softball diamonds.

 

Organizations with official City contracts can use the facilities, only on the dates specified in their contracts (weather permitting).

Accountability

Being accountable and transparent means that the City of Ottawa is committed to producing performance information that measures how the City is doing in all areas over which it has responsibility, from financial reporting to human resource management to service delivery. Council has identified improving accountability and transparency as one of its key priorities.

 

Recently, City Council was presented with the City’s first comprehensive Performance Measurement and Reporting Framework. At various times throughout the year, the City will gather and report facts and statistics to see where it is performing well and where there are areas that could be improved.  It will look at performance in relation to specific goals or targets, compare its performance to other municipalities, and monitor its progress over time.  Many performance indicators developed in concert with other Ontario municipalities will provide a good source of comparison and insights into best practices.  The public will see some of the first performance facts in the 2005 Annual Report, due to be released in May.

I am pleased that the City is now producing annual reports.  In many ways, the City operates like any other corporation.  Like all major corporations, we should be accountable and transparent to our shareholders in regard to our performance and in regard to City finances.

10-Digit Dialing

To meet growing demand for new telephone numbers, 10-digit dialing is being introduced in the Ottawa-Gatineau area and will be mandatory by October 21, 2006.  This entails adding a “6‑1‑3” or “8-1-9” in front of all telephone numbers when making a local call.  10-digit dialing is a CRTC decision.  I hope you will find the following questions and answers about 10-digit dialing helpful:

Q:        What is 10-digit dialing?

A:    10-digit dialing is dialing the area code followed by the seven-digit phone number for all local calls. This means that citizens will now have to add “613” or “819” in front of all telephone numbers when making local calls in Ottawa and Gatineau.

Q:        Does this mean that we can call anywhere in the city toll-free?

A:    No. 10-digit dialing is different than the toll-free calling initiative, which would allow all residents and businesses within the city of Ottawa to call other residents and business within the city without being charged long distance fees.  10-digit dialing does not affect what is considered a local call.

Q:        Who is behind 10-digit dialing?

A:    10-digit dialing is being implemented by the Telecommunications Alliance comprised of members such as Bell, Rogers and TELUS as a result of a decision made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). 10-digit dialing has been approved for several different area codes, including 613 and 819 (Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec), 450 and 514 (in the Montreal-area) and 519 (Southern Ontario).

Q:        What is the City of Ottawa’s role in 10-digit dialing?

A:    The City of Ottawa does not have a direct role. The decision to switch to 10-digit dialing was made by the CRTC.  The City is working to ensure that it is ready for the switch to 10-digit dialing and that employees will be able to use all systems and devices without interruption. The City will also ensure that the public understands how to use City phone numbers such as 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 in light of the change.

Q:        How does 10-digit dialing affect three-digit phone numbers like 3-1-1 and 9-1-1?

A:    10-digit dialing does not affect three-digit telephone numbers. The public will still be able to use those telephone numbers as they did previously, without adding the area code.

       

Q:        When will 10-digit dialing be mandatory?

A:    Starting on October 21, 2006, 10-digit dialing will be mandatory, which means that local calls without the area code will not be connected.  Starting on June 17, 2006, a recorded announcement reminding callers to include the area code will be used whenever a caller does not include the area code when dialing a local number.  This may result in a loss of data when using devices such as fax machines, which may hang up before the recorded message is over.

To inform Ottawa residents, the Telecommunications Alliance will include an insert in residential and business telephone bills.  Notification will also include print and radio advertisements from April to June 2006.  If you would like more information, please go to the Alliance’s Web site at www.dial10.ca.  Apart from in-depth information on 10-digit dialing, the site also contains an e-mail address for feedback and questions.

Light Rail News

I can advise that at this time, the proposals from all three proponents for the North-South Light Rail Transit (LRT) project have been ruled technically compliant with the requirements for LRT expansion by the Selection Panel.

 

The three proponents who submitted proposals to design, build and maintain the project for 15 years are:

 

·    Ottawa LRT Group(SNC-Lavalin Engineers and Constructors Inc. and Bombardier Inc.

·    Ottawa Transit Group (Kiewit-EllisDon, a Partnership, and Kinkisharyo International, and Herzog Contracting Corps)

·    The Siemens-PCL/Dufferin Team (Siemens Canada Ltd., and PCL Constructors Canada Inc., and Dufferin Construction Company)

 

The technical review teams, made up of independent experts and City staff, have completed a full analysis of the submissions received. The analysis verified technical compliance with the Environmental Assessment requirements and performance specifications outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP). The review teams also examined the value added components and alternative ideas contained in the submissions to verify technical compliance. These are unique ideas submitted by each proponent that may result in savings of money or time on the project delivery.

With all three proponents still competing for the project, the next step to build the North-South LRT line is the review of the financial submissions. This process will verify the base price of the proposals, including the 15-year maintenance cost, and incorporate adjustments for value added and alternative proposals. The result of this process is expected to be available to the Selection Panel in April. The Panel will then select a Preferred Proponent and staff will initiate negotiations.

                                                                                                                                   

After these negotiations are complete the result of the financial submission from the Preferred Partner and its proposed design will be made public.  This is expected to occur in mid-May.

 

Below are some other important dates for the North-South Light Rail project:

·         23 May 2006 - Completion of Negotiations with Preferred Proponent

·         23 May - 6 June 2006 - Public Release of Selected Design

·         20 June 2006 - Recommendations to Joint Committee of Transportation and Corporate Services and Economic Development

·         28 June 2006 - Council Decision on Contract Award

·         July 2006 - Payment of Honorarium to Unsuccessful Proponents

·         July /Aug - Release of technical design from Unsuccessful Proponents for public review and comment

·         5 Sept 2006 - Recommendations for changes to design or costing to Joint Committee of Transportation and Corporate Services and Economic Development

·         13 Sept 2006 - Council Decision on Contract Amendments

·         Fall 2006 - Start of construction