NEWS ARCHIVESMarch 7, 2008 Are you on board with Rapid Transit? The City has released four new Rapid Transit proposals, which are available on my website at www.shadqadri.com. Comprehensive information on each proposal is available on my website, as well as an option to vote on each of the proposals. This will allow me to properly represent the needs of the community around the council table. It is imperative I hear your ideas, comments and concerns so we can draft the best possible transit plan for the community, as well as the city. Do not hesitate to contact my office at 613-580-2476, or visit my website, to provide me with your insight. An open house meeting was held on March 5 to allow west-end residents to view the proposals and ask questions. Despite the snowy conditions, it was tremendous seeing so many residents voicing their concerns, as well as lending their support. A joint meeting of the transit and transportation
committees will be held on April 16 and May 21 to review the four proposals and
determine the preferred options. On May 28, Council will make a final decision
and vote on the remaining preferred options. Town Transit Tax On March 19, the City's Transit Committee will be reviewing the Transit Levy Policy, which will affect the Town Transit Tax for Stittsville. When OC Transpo service was being introduced to Stittsville, the former Councillor negotiated a transitional transit tax for Stittsville, and designated it a Town Transit Area (TTA) given the area was not receiving the same level of transit service as the Urban Transit Area (UTA). The 2007 tax rates for an average house in Stittsville
valued at $279,000 for the TTA is $305.74 and the UTA for the same value home is
$486.18. As service in Stittsville is increased through time, the transit tax
will continue to rise closer to the UTA taxation levels. Please note Kanata West
residents pay the UTA rate. The TTA was started in 2005 and would be reviewed after 3 years. The 3-year review will occur on March 19, with the matter being debated in front of Transit Committee and City Council. I request all members of the public provide their comments to my office in advance of the March 19 meeting. The report will be available on the city’s website at www.ottawa.ca at the end of this week. It is important the community provide comments, as an increase would result in an increase in your property taxes this year. We would also be pleased to receive your suggestions regarding OC Transpo service in the community including suggestions for current routes or new service areas. The public is also encouraged to attend the Transit
Committee meeting and speak to the item. This meeting will be held on March 19
starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Champlain Room (2nd Floor, Heritage Building, City
Hall, 110 Laurier Ave. W). Please contact my office for more information. Updated comprehensive zoning by-law meetings The City of Ottawa has made revisions to the proposed Comprehensive Zoning By-Law, which is being developed to harmonize all zoning by-laws in the City from former municipalities. To view the updated proposal please visit my website at
www.shadqadri.com. I encourage you to provide your comments to me on this
proposal, as it will be discussed at the City's Planning and Environment
Committee on April 8. Art Gallery meeting On March 6 I hosted a public meeting to discuss the possible development of an art gallery in Stittsville. This meeting provided the first opportunity for the community to get information on the project and hear how I hope to assist in making this long time dream a reality. I was glad to see a great turnout of artists and community members supporting this initiative. It was discussed that having an enclosed gallery may be a long-term plan. In the interim, the community would be able to use wall space in the expanded Goulbourn Recreation Complex (GRC) to informally display art. I will be reviewing possible locations for a permanent enclosed art gallery; these will include space in the third phase of the GRC or in other City facilities. The GRC is a great location to incorporate artwork as this is one of our main community centres in Stittsville and will be a very active hub once the phase two expansion is completed this fall. The next step will have interested community members work on establishing an arts committee to move this project forward. Some members of this committee have already been working hard to develop a proposal for an art gallery in Stittsville. Please visit my website to view their initial proposal. I want this project to be driven by the community, but I am more than willing to assist any way that I can. For the establishment of an enclosed gallery, funding will need to be raised to assist with the project. I am hoping the funding for this initiative will come from the public and private sector. I encourage everyone interested to participate in this initiative. This is a tremendous opportunity to greatly improve the cultural fabric of our community. If you are interested in this project please contact my
office so we can provide you with future updates. I welcome any suggestions you
may have for gallery locations or funding ideas. Granite Ridge slow down public meeting I am hosting a public meeting to discuss the Granite Ridge Neighbourhood Slow Down Sign Pilot Project on March 18 at 7 p.m. at the Granite Ridge Long Term Care, 5501 Abbott Street East in the Multi-purpose Room. The project is being implemented given the speeding and safety concerns raised by the community and is being done in partnership with the City's Traffic Department and the Ottawa Police Service. The pilot project will last for a year, launching this spring, and will involve special information signs, digital radar speed boards, community information pamphlets, and enforcement resources, which will remind drivers to slow down, follow speed limits and stop for stop signs. For this project to be successful it is essential to have the community involved in this educational campaign. I encourage residents of Granite Ridge and the larger Stittsville community to attend this meeting to hear how to address safety and speeding issues in our neighbourhood. I will be carefully following the success of this project
to determine if it may be useful in other areas of Stittsville where speeding is
a concern. Please be conscience of your driving at all times to ensure the
safety of our neighbourhoods. Goulbourn Recreation Guides The Goulbourn Recreation Complex’s Spring/Summer 2008 activity guides have been released. You can find a PDF version on my website at www.shadqadri.com, or you can pick up a hardcopy from the GRC. Registration for aquatic programs begins March 4.
Registration for all other programs, including summer day camps, commences March
6. Get it, plant it, grow it – spring tree planting is here I encourage you to take advantage of the city’s Trees, Reforestation and Environmental Enhancement (TREE) Program, which allows you to receive one free potted plant per household. You can register by logging on to the city’s website at www.ottawa.ca/TREE or by calling 3-1-1. Registration runs year-round, although the trees are only available on a first-come first-served basis while quantities last. This is a tremendous opportunity to improve the
environmental health and beauty of our community. “Always Listening and Acting on Your Concerns” As your Councillor, I always welcome your keen input and ideas on how we can sustain and improve Stittsville-Kanata West. Please contact our office anytime by phone at 613-580-2476 or by email at shad.qadri@ottawa.ca. Please note that you can also contact my ward office every Monday and Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and every Wednesday from 1 p.m.-8 p.m. at 613-580-2424 ext. 33440 or 33442. Also, feel free to stop by anytime at 1532 Stittsville Main Street. Sincerely, [ close window ] |
