River Ward City Councillor Maria McRae's Report to Hunt Club Community Organization 6 April 2009

Annual Community Safety and Crime Prevention Meeting

You and your neighbours are invited to attend my annual Community Safety and Crime Prevention Meeting for River Ward East. This year the meetings occur during Police Week, May 11 to 17, 2009, and I am delighted that Police Chief Vern White will join me to hear directly from you. Meeting details are as follows:
Date: Monday, May 11, 2009
Time: Meet the Chief and Visit Displays 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Presentations and Q&A 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Jim Durrell Recreation Centre 1265 Walkley Road (near Bank Street) Representatives of the following organizations and City of Ottawa departments will be in attendance:

Hunt Club Riverside Community Centre Expansion - Update

I am delighted to let you know that the expansion of the Hunt Club Riverside Community Centre began on Wednesday March 25, 2009 when City of Ottawa Forestry crews were on-site to selectively remove trees. New trees, at a ratio of 2 to 1, will be planted as part of the Landscaping Plan to replace those removed. The final occupancy permit for the new addition will be issued at the end of December 2009, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The Construction Manager, McDonald Bros. Construction, will begin mobilising on-site the week of April 6, 2009. This includes the delivery of a construction trailer, storage containers, hoarding, safety fencing, etc., as well as other general site preparation.

As we know, demand for recreation and community services programs has increased in the Hunt Club and Riverside Park communities. This expansion will provide an opportunity for our community to access services provided by both the community centre and the Hunt Club/Riverside Community Services Centre, currently located in the Hunt Club Plaza off McCarthy Road, under one roof. In essence, "one-stop shopping". One-stop shopping allows the community centre and the resource centre to work collaboratively to improve services to our community, resulting in efficiencies

I am looking forward to seeing construction progress on this important community building and I will keep you updated.

Plante Drive and Impala Crescent Cliff Incident - Update

In February 2009 I asked Ottawa Police Service (OPS) to keep a close eye on the cliff at Plante Drive and Impala Crescent where youth were seen throwing snow and ice at passing vehicles. The OPS identified the two youth involved in the incident and spoke with their parents.

You are my eyes and ears in the community and if you have any concerns about safety in your area please contact me at 613-580-2486 or at Maria.McRae@ottawa.ca.

Integrated Road Safety Program

February Results: Last month, the City of Ottawa's Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP), through its Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), laid 2,806 charges for unsafe lane changing and speeding. Specifically, 116 tickets were issued for unsafe lane changing, while 2,690 charges were laid for speeding.

April Initiative In April, the City of Ottawa's Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP) will focus on motorists who operate unsafe and heavy vehicles, and those who fail to buckle up or comply with child car seat requirements. In 2007, 94 unsafe vehicles were involved in collisions on Ottawa roads. These collisions led to 33 injuries, four of which were life threatening, and two deaths. Causes of these collisions included: defective brakes, wheels and suspension, as well as tire blowouts. In addition to focussing on unsafe vehicles, this initiative will also include heavy vehicle inspections. These inspections will be done to ensure: compliance with weight restrictions, that loads are properly secured, and that heavy vehicles are not being driven on restricted load roadways. Properly maintained documentation, certificates and logs will also be inspected.

In support of the province-wide "Spring Seatbelt Campaign," Ottawa Public Health nurses and the Ottawa Police will also be setting up spot-checks at various locations throughout the city to ensure motorists are wearing their seatbelts, and that child car seats and booster seats are suitable and properly installed.

16th Annual Spring Cleaning the Capital

I would like to invite residents of all ages to participate in the City's 16th annual Spring Cleaning the Capital Campaign that runs from Wednesday, April 15 to Friday, May 15,2009. Spring Cleaning the Capital is a great opportunity for high school students to get a head start on their Community Involvement Program volunteer hours, and for families, friends, schools, neighbourhood groups or organizations and businesses to band together on a community cleanup project to help keep our communities clean, green, graffiti-free, and litter-free.

Registration is quick and easy. Start by selecting a cleanup location; it can be a park, a woodlot, ravine, shoreline, bus stop, pathway, schoolyard or any public property requiring tidying up after the winter months. Projects can include litter pick-up or graffiti removal. Register your project online at www.ottawa.ca/clean or by calling 3-1-1. Register on or before Tuesday, April 14, 2009 for your chance to win early bird prizes. Registration is ongoing until Friday, May 15, 2009 - the last official day of the campaign. While registering, participants may request a cleanup starter kit. Kits can include disposable vinyl gloves, garbage bags, leaf-and-yard waste bags, campaign posters and safety tips to assist your cleanup project. Spring Cleaning the Capital volunteers who submit completed Cleanup Reports by Sunday, May 31, 2009 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. In 2008, over 70,000 volunteers completed more than 1200 cleanup projects. With your help, Spring Cleaning the Capital can be bigger and better in 2009.

For more information and to register, visit www.ottawa.ca/clean or call 3-1-1.

Ready-To-Go Infrastructure Priority Projects

At the Monday, March 23, 2009 meeting of the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee, City staff unveiled a list of infrastructure priority projects. Once approved by Council, the list of ready-to-go infrastructure projects will be submitted to the Federal Government for funding consideration under the economic stimulus package announced in the 2009 Federal Budget.

The stimulus package provides municipalities with funding above and beyond what is currently in place with the Building Canada Fund, gas tax revenues and the GST rebate. The total project list represents approximately $637 million potential investment in Ottawa, requiring an estimated $189 million in City contributions. It would also contribute to the creation of over 7,300 jobs in the City of Ottawa.

To qualify for funding from the Federal economic stimulus package, each identified project has to be construction-ready but not previously scheduled for this year. As well, the projects that receive funding are to be completed within the next two years.

Staff developed the list after extensive consultation with the Mayor and Council as well as the Federal and Provincial governments. Projects were itemized to reflect Council's priorities, particularly in regards to transit investment, and maintenance and renewal of City-owned assets.

To view the list of ready-to-go infrastructure priority projects, please visit www.ottawa.ca.

Spring Sweep of Ottawa Streets and Sidewalks

To keep Ottawa clean and beautiful, the City is starting its annual springtime sweeping of streets and sidewalks. Residents who park in central neighbourhoods, including the downtown core, Vanier, New Edinburgh, Sandy Hill and the Glebe should note that special parking restrictions will be posted on a street-by-street basis from April 6 to April 14, 2009, except during the long weekend of April 10 to 13, 2009. The restrictions will be in effect to allow crews to complete work. Vehicles parked in restricted zones may be ticketed and towed to nearby streets.

The sweeping operations will include both daytime and nighttime operations and may result in minor noise and dust. The sweeping cleans the city's streets by removing debris that has accumulated during the winter, and prevent litter from entering into the storm sewer. For more information, please visit www.ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1.

City Warns of False Sales Pitches

The City of Ottawa has received complaints from residents who have been contacted to purchase water filtration or treatment systems by salespeople making false claims about the quality of City drinking water. There have also been reported cases of phone calls and visits by people misrepresenting themselves as City of Ottawa employees.

I would like to remind residents that Ottawa's drinking water is completely safe and of the highest quality, which is ensured through rigorous and ongoing testing. City employees do not personally contact residents to sell products or services. The City schedules in advance any visits that may require access to homes or businesses and/or provides advanced notification of projects that may impact local residents. All employees requiring access will have City-issued identification cards in cases where residents need to be contacted. Residents are asked to check identifications, and, if concerns remain, contact the City before allowing access, and to report any suspicious, unsolicited calls or visits.

The drinking water delivered to City residents exceeds all federal and provincial health-based water quality guidelines and standards. As recently as June 2008, the Chief Drinking Water Inspector for Ontario again recognized Ottawa's drinking water as being among the best in the province.

TREE Program Delivers - To the Front Door

The City's Trees, Reforestation and Environmental Enhancement (TREE) program is making it easier for residents to receive a tree to plant on their own property. Ottawa residents can now opt to have the tree delivered, at no charge, right to their front door.

Registration for the TREE program is year-round and trees will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, while quantities last. Once registration for the June 2009 tree distribution is full, registrations will be accepted for Fall 2009. Residents who have registered for the June 2009 delivery will receive a letter in May from the City confirming pickup location or delivery dates. One potted tree per household is available by registering online at www.ottawa.ca/TREE or by calling 3-1-1. A selection of species will be provided, depending on availability. Each tree measures approximately 1.5 to 2 metres in height.

The TREE program is a four-year initiative that aims to enhance Ottawa's urban and rural forests through the planting of 100,000 trees. It empowers residents, businesses, community groups and schools to plant trees to increase and maintain the city's forest cover and combat climate change. For more information on the TREE program visit www.ottawa.ca/TREE or call 3-1-1.