Councillor’s Report – River Ward
In September, Council approved the 2002 Budget Directions
report, giving City staff several directions to be used in formulating the
draft operating and capital estimates for the coming year. For the operating budget, this included that
there would be no increase in the tax rate, that the amalgamation savings
target of $22.5 million would be achieved, and that adjustments to programs
and/or spending over 2001 levels be clearly identified. The report also identified net budget
pressures of $50 million.
Since
then, more even budget pressures have been identified – significantly in excess
of the amount put forward in the budget directions report. Staff report that in preparing for this, the
first bottom up budget for the new city, they have discovered that some of the
former municipalities had unsustainable base budgets, both in terms of revenues
and expenditure recoveries. Direction
was given to make the necessary adjustments required to freeze the tax rate,
applying a hierarchy of cutting administrative costs, program support costs
unrelated to service levels, and finally, if required, service level reductions
or program eliminations. This has
resulted in a delay in tabling draft documents for Council consideration.
The revised timetable is as
follows:
The
City has also put cost containment measures in place until the final
deliberation and Council approval of the 2002 operating budget, including an
interim freeze on all external hirings.
If
you would like to receive more information on the 2002 budget, please call my
office or visit the City’s web site. Public meetings (Open House format) will be
held on Wednesday, Feb. 27th at Ben Franklin Place and Feb. 28th
at Ottawa City Hall, between 4 and 7 p.m. – if you wish to speak with City
staff one-on-one about the 2002 Budget or Official Plan review (see below).
The
draft Police Service budget documents will be tabled at a special meeting of
the Police Services Board on February 13th at 11:30 am in the
Champlain Room at City Hall, and delegations will be heard on Monday, February
25. They are available through any
police station or community police center, the Ottawa Police website or by calling
Tania Richard, Admin. Assistant to the Board at 580-2424, x21960.
In 2001, an average residential property in the urban
area with an assessed value of $150,000 paid $1,996 in municipal property taxes
(rest is education taxes remitted to the provincial government). This is how the City spent your money:
Ambulance $ 38 2 %
Fire
148 7
Police
246 12
Garbage Collection/Disposal
37 2
Public Transit 319 16
Roads/Traffic
Operations/Parks 130 7
Library 32 2
Social Housing 104 5
Health & Long Term Care
21 1
Employment & Financial
Assistance 163 8
Recreation/Child Care/Grants 91 5
Capital
352 18
Administration
192 10
Total Municipal Property Tax
Bill 1,996 100 %
In 2001, OC Transpo carried more than 80 million
customers, pushing ridership up 6% over last year. In order to keep pace with inflation, a small fare increase is
proposed, effective July 1, raising the cash fare by 25 cents and monthly
passes by $1 each (excluding seniors pass which would be raised by 50
cents). Transportation Committee will
consider this increase on March 6th during their budget review.
To watch for: In
mid-January the Canadian Urban Transit Association will join other partners to
launch a continent-wide campaign designed to build support for public transit
in Canada and the US.
City Council recently appointed a Citizens’ Task Force to
study the City’s ward structure and make recommendations on changes to ward
boundaries in time for the 2003 municipal election. Currently, the 21 wards range from 14,000 to over 60,000
residents, with one councillor to represent their interests on Council. The Task force will be guided by key
principles, including:
For more information, or to
submit views, mail to Citizens’ Task Force on Ward Boundaries, Ottawa
City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1, by Thursday, February
28th. Residents may also
attend and make a presentation at a public meeting on Monday, February 4, at
4:30 p.m. at City Hall, in the Council Chamber, or 3 other public meetings held
throughout the new City.
Experts tell us that in the next 20 years, our city will
be home to 400,000 new residents, 190,000 new homes, 300,000 new jobs and
200,000 new cars and trucks. Ottawa is
charting a new course to manage these changes, a process which began with the
Smart Growth Summit in June 2001.
The current step in the Ottawa 20/20 process is the
discussion of Charting a Course – a strategy document which sets out the
high level principles that will be used to guide the new Official Plan. At the Summit, it was suggested that these
principles include: Equilibrium (a positive balance of wealth, equity,
environment and health), Diversity, and Accessibility (universal
access to services) within the context of Sustainability (planned,
developed and managed to minimize our environmental impact).
The public is invited to participate in the first
consultation phase on Charting a Course, beginning in February. Comments can be submitted through the
website at www.ottawa2020.com which
will include an on-line survey, or mailed in to 2 Constellation Cres.,
Development Services, 4th Floor, Ottawa, ON K2G 5J9. Community organizations will be sent copies
of the report and invited to submit their comments. Town Hall sessions will also be held at each of the City’s seven
satellite locations in February, including Ben Franklin Place on February 27th
and Ottawa City Hall on February 28th, from 4 – 8 p.m.
1. Moffatt Farm: (Prince of Wales at Falaise) - DCR Phoenix
has submitted Official Plan (OP) and Zoning Amendment applications, as well as
a Draft Plan of Subdivision to the City. These items are now scheduled to go to
Planning committee for consideration February 28th. I urge
interested residents to continue to make their views known on this matter, as
any land use change on this site will have a profound impact on the community.
2. Bank Street Home Depot: Home Depot has submitted a Site Plan application to
the City for NCC and Hydro corridor land west of Bank Street near the Ledbury
turn-off. Two public meetings have been held and nearby residents raised
concerns about traffic flow and noise that could be generated from any
development. City staff is reviewing a Traffic Impact Study to determine if the
applicant’s proposals regarding traffic patterns are acceptable under City
guidelines. A noise study prepared by the applicant shows that there will be an
increase of only 1 decibel to noise levels. The Ministry of Fisheries and
Oceans has recently approved the proposed realignment of Sawmill Creek. For
further clarification regarding this application, please contact Gordon
Harrison, City planner, at 580-2424, ext. 13868.
3. 1053 Hunt Club Road (off Pattermead): More than 60
residents attended a public information meeting I hosted to review and discuss
details of this proposal. The applicant has made zoning amendment and site plan
applications for the site, which is located south of Bankview Place. The proposal
includes 25 freehold bungalows built on a private road. Written comments should
be submitted to Doug James, city planner by the end of February. For more
information, he can be reached at 580-2424, ext. 13856.
4. NCC lands Uplands Drive/Airport Parkway: NCC representatives
hosted a public meeting Jan. 22nd to present a proposal to lease
land for business park uses in the Greenbelt south of Hunt Club Road, adjacent
to the Windsor Park Community. These lands are presently zoned Ig
(Institutional government uses) and would require rezoning for the addition of
commercial uses.
5. Norberry Apartments (cash-in-lieu-of-parking): This application
is scheduled to be heard by Planning & Development Committee on Feb. 28th.
6.
Bank Medical
Centre/Oxygen Tank (Bank and
Vancouver) - A revised site plan to move the tank in order to meet zoning and
Fire Code requirements has received conditional approval. A minor variance to
reduce one parking aisle width from 6.7 metres to 6 metres in order to
accommodate three additional parking spaces will be considered by the Committee
of Adjustment Feb. 5th. The parking spaces are needed to meet
minimum parking requirements for the expansion of the medical centre
(previously approved.)
7.
2930 Albion Rd. (Kitchener and Walkley) – Claridge Homes has
submitted a zoning amendment for the single family dwellings that have been
approved along Jasper. Claridge is seeking the amendment to reduce both front
and back yard setbacks. For more information on the application, please contact
Prescott McDonald at 580-2424, ext. 13854.
8.
2930 Albion Road
(townhouses near Kitchener). The site plan for 30 townhouses fronting both public
and private streets has been approved. Visitor parking and sound attenuation
fences have been included in the approved design. For more information, contact
Prescott McDonald, at 580-2424, ext. 13854.
9.
366 Hunt Club Road
(south of Royal Route): SIL JVB
Investments Ltd proposes building a 281.5 square-metre Tim Horton’s restaurant
with a drive-through. The applicant requires a minor variance to allow front
yard parking on the site. For more information on this site plan application,
please contact Doug Bridgewater, City planner, at 580-2424, ext. 13387.
10. McCarthy/Cahill
West Development – Minto’s Official Plan, Zoning
Amendment applications and Draft Plan of Subdivision have all been approved.
Committee members also agreed to earmark a cash-in-lieu of parkland payment
from the development for the future expansion of the Hunt Club-Riverside
Community Centre.
For more information on these, or any other issues before municipal government, please do not hesitate to call me at 580-2486. I look forward to your advice and direction.