NEWS ARCHIVES

July 10, 2009

Green Bin program set for launch

The Green Bin program, aimed at curbing organic waste from being deposited into landfills, is on track to be launched citywide in January.

Between September and December, the City will begin delivering green bins and kitchen containers to approximately 220,200 households. The Green Bin program will accept organic materials such as kitchen scraps (vegetable, fruits, meat, fish, bones, dairy products, coffee grounds and filters), yard waste and other organic household materials

This program will significantly reduce the more than 330,000 tonnes of residential waste that currently goes to landfills each year. The City must adopt waste diversion strategies and change the way in which we deal with garbage, and this will be an effective first step.

Rather than being sent to landfills, the organic waste will be transported to a composting facility where it will be converted into a nutrient-rich compost ideal for agricultural use.

Starting in January, residents will be able to set out their green bins for curbside pickup. The organic materials will be collected separately, similar to the blue and black box programs. The City will collect the material on a weekly basis throughout spring, summer and fall, and bi-weekly through the winter.

I have been participating in the trial version of the organics program and I have found it has made a considerable difference in the amount of garbage my family and I put curbside for regular garbage pick-up. The program has been easy to adopt and implement, which I think will ensure a large participation rate among residents.

For more information on the City of Ottawa Green Bin program, visit www.ottawa.ca/greenbin.
 

Re-consideration of Committee membership fails

A motion to re-consider the formation of the City’s Audit, Budget and Finance Committee to include Councillor Rick Chiarelli and myself was defeated at Council by a 15-8 vote.

I am perturbed by the vote, as the will of Council was to have Committee chairs form the membership of this new committee, which will not effectively achieve the goals of establishing an Audit, Budget and Finance Committee.

An Audit, Budget and Finance Committee should focus on critically examining the City’s budget and service delivery, which is a core value in our internal governance and fiscal framework. However, what we have created is an Executive Committee in a sense, which is the wrong direction for the City.
 

City moves forward with VOIP contract

Council recently approved the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) contract to a joint bid by Cisco Systems and Bell Canada, despite red flags raised by local hi-tech company Mitel.

Mitel raised concerns over the City’s procurement process, citing unfair and unequal treatment. A motion to halt the contract moving forward and review the procurement process was voted down by Council.

I felt the process should have been reviewed to ensure a level playing field; given this, I was one of the Councillors who voted in favour of the motion.
 

Proposed Community Shopping Centre

The applicant has submitted a Site Plan application to permit Phase 1 of a community shopping centre at 5649, 5705 and 5717 Hazeldean Road.

5649 and 5705 Hazeldean Road are located on the north side of Hazeldean Road and east of Huntmar Drive. 5717 Hazeldean Road is located on the north side of Hazeldean Road and west of Huntmar Drive.

Phase 1 is proposed to contain a total gross floor area of 15,328 square metres on the lands located east of Huntmar Drive. Eights buildings are proposed, and the individual buildings range in size from 495 to 6,080 square metres of gross floor area. The applicant is proposing three driveways on Hazeldean Road and three driveways on Huntmar Drive. A total of 1,085 parking spaces are proposed.

The site is subject to a subdivision application and through this application, property will be dedicated to the City on the east side of the site for a future north-south arterial road. Lands for a right-of-way widening on Hazeldean Road and the Hazeldean tributary will also be transferred to the City.

For more information and to provide comments by August 3, please contact my office and the City Planner, Burl Walker, at 613-580-2424 x27891 or Burl.Walker@ottawa.ca.
 

Community Environmental Day

On July 25, the City’s Solid Waste Services department will be holding a Community Environment Day at the Carp Farmers’ Market.

Several workshops and presentation have been scheduled throughout the day; information and display booths are also planned.

Some of the City’s waste diversion initiatives will be presented, including a workshop on the Green Bin program. Scrap metal will be collected by Cohen & Cohen for recycling, while used clothing will be collected by the Salvation Army for reuse.

City Staff from the Environmental and Waste Services departments will be on hand speaking to a variety of City programs, including the Water Efficiency program and the Travelwise program.

For more information, visit www.carpfarmersmarket.com .
 

Did you know?

Did you know there is a by-law in effect across the City limiting on-street parking to three hours between 7am-7pm where there are no signs posted?

Residents cannot park within 300 metres of a previous parking spot within one hour between 7am-7pm, within nine metres of an intersection or within three meters of a fire hydrant, in a driveway within one half metre of the sidewalk or where no sidewalk exists, within one and one half metres of the roadway, or facing the opposite direction as the adjacent lane of travel.

For other conditions on parking, please visit www.ottawa.ca/residents/bylaw.
 

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.

 Please contact our office anytime by phone at 613-580-2476 or by e-mail at Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca.

My ward office is located in the Goulbourn Recreation Complex, located at 1500 Shea Road. The hours of operation are Mondays 9-2pm, Wednesdays 3-8pm, Fridays 9-4pm, and Saturday 9-1pm. Please do not hesitate to pay us a visit.

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