NEWS ARCHIVESJune 12, 2009 Seniors’ Canada Day breakfast I would like to remind the seniors of our community to please contact my office and reserve your seat at my annual Canada Day breakfast. The volunteer fire department has once again generously opened their doors and invited us in for the festivities at the Fire Hall on Stittsville Main Street. Nate’s Delicatessen will be on hand to provide yet another delicious breakfast, while the Schmodka’s will once again delight everyone with their musical talents. The event runs from 8-10:30am. Please mark your calendars and join me for a tremendous breakfast to celebrate our nation’s birthday. Space is limited, so please contact my office at 613-580-2476
to reserve your spot. Hazeldean Road widening My office has been able to confirm some additional details concerning the widening of Hazeldean Road from Terry Fox Drive to Carp Road. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained during construction, while the road widening will be constructed on the north side of the existing roadway. The road will be constructed to urban standard, meaning it will include both sidewalks and bicycle lanes. The City will upgrade the existing sound barrier fence from the Springbook Drive intersection to east of the Stittsville Main Street intersection. I will come back to the community with the specifications of the upgrade once firmed. According to City Staff, the plan is to release the tender for Phase One (Terry Fox to just west of Iber Road) at the end of June, with a three-week timeline to obtain a tender, and a two-three week timeline to award the contract. Construction could start on Phase One in early August. The Federal and Provincial governments, through the stimulus program, have requested the majority of the work be completed by March 31, 2011. Phase Two (Iber Road to Carp Road) will be roughly one month
behind the Phase One process – the tender should go out in mid July with
construction starting in August. The deadline for this Phase is similar to Phase
One. City Council approves Official Plan amendment City Council has approved an amendment to the 2003 Official Plan, increasing the City’s urban boundary by 230 hectares. In our community, were lands located within the Fernbank Community Design Plan, between Iber and Terry Fox (areas 5 a, b) and lands south and east of Upcountry and West Winds subdivision (areas 6 a, b, and c). Intensification continues to be a priority within the Greenbelt; however, for lands outside the Greenbelt, minimum-density targets must be reached before the City considers any future urban expansion. Across the City there will be a concerted effort to intensify central areas, main street corridors and rapid transit stations. The Planning Act mandates that the Official Plan be reviewed every five years. The review began in October 2007 and has involved extensive public consultation with community groups, government agencies, businesses and other stakeholder groups. The Official Plan amendment will now be submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval. A decision is expected before the end of this year. The Official Plan provides a framework of how and where the
City will grow through to 2031. For further information, please visit
www.ottawa.ca/beyondottawa2020. Council receives report on City Governance City Council has been presented with a review of the City Governance process. One of the new recommendations was to add a Budget and Finance Standing Committee to help in the budget process for the 2010 budget and all future budgets. I have requested to be a member of the Budget and Finance committee. Also included in the report was to increase the role of Standing Committees. The objective is to shift from having a draft budget prepared by staff to one developed by the Standing Committees. The public will be able to voice their opinions on the proposed service changes and program additions to Committee. The Finance and Audit Committee will subsequently table a recommended draft budget at Council in December for consideration and approval by Council in late January. The new schedule will also allow the budget to be approved early in the first quarter based on the previous year’s actual results. This report will be discussed at the June 24 Council Meeting. Urban Tree Conservation by-law The City’s Planning and Environment committee recently approved the Urban Tree Conservation by-law, which aims to curb pre-development tree clearing, while protecting older trees in established neighbourhoods. The by-law is broken down into two categories: Development Land and Distinctive Trees. For the Development Land category, the cutting or injuring of trees on properties over one hectare is prohibited until the City approves a Tree Conservation Report (TCR). The TCR is to be submitted before or with the development application. Destruction of trees not approved in the report is considered a contravention of the by-law, and will be subject to a fine. The Distinctive Trees category regulates the cutting of distinctive trees, which are considered to have a diameter greater than or equal to 70cm, approximately the size of an SUV tire, on lots that are one hectare in size or less unless a permit has been issued by the City. The permitting process will be administered through Forestry Services, Natural Systems and the Client Service Centre. An arborist report will be required with the application form. The new by-law will take effect October 1, 2009, provided
Council ratifies the by-law at its next meeting. LRT Technology Forum will determine which path the City takes The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) that Council approved last November includes a vision for a rapid transit network that meets Ottawa’s transit needs to 2031. However, the question of what technology the City should adopt for our rapid transit network has yet to be decided. The type of light rail vehicles the City selects will have a major impact on the look and feel of the City’s rapid transit system, the design of the stations and track, and the capacity and operations of the system. The City will be holding a LRT Technology Forum on June 20 from 8:30am until 12:30pm at City Hall. I encourage those interested to participate in the discussion. The Forum will explore the major characteristics of available rail vehicles and systems and the implications of each choice. City Staff and technology providers will also make presentations followed by small group discussions. Seating is limited for the group discussions, so please register online in advance at www.ottawa.ca/lrt-forum to save your spot. In advance of the Forum, the City has prepared several technical background documents that examine the technical aspects of the new LRT system. I invite you to read these documents and to participate in the discussion by attending the Forum or by using the online form to provide your comments on these issues by July 15. For more information on the LRT Technology Forum, please visit
www.ottawa.ca/lrt-forum
or call the City’s helpline at 311. City unveils new library plans The City is hoping to write a new chapter on how it delivers library services to residents, as plans for a new downtown library were released recently. The proposed 300,000 sq. ft. facility would be constructed on a block of land bordered by Albert, Slater, Lyon and Bay Streets. While the project is still in its infancy, the ultimate vision is to modernize the services and usability of present-day libraries. Within this proposal, the library would be more technology-driven, in order to capitalize on markets such as video games and movies, along with utilizing electronic databases and other e-based resource tools. The City’s Corporate Services and Economic Development
committee will discuss the merits of allotting $26 million to purchase the land
at an upcoming meeting. $180 million was budgeted for the building as part of
the City’s 2006 long-range financial plan. Update on the novel H1N1 flu The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its pandemic alert level to 6, in recognition of the novel H1N1 virus spreading to many regions internationally. The City’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Isra Levy, has informed Councillors that local partners will continue to implement the Interagency Influenza Pandemic Plan based on the patterns found in Ottawa. Ottawa has a reported 143 confirmed cases to date, with half of those affecting individuals under the age of 15. The majority of cases have been mild, with a few individuals requiring hospitalization. To mitigate the spread of the virus, Public Health continues
to emphasize simple preventative measures, including the self-isolation of
people who are ill. Graffiti: Remove it. Report it. Prevent it. To some, graffiti is considered to be an unsightly blight on the urban landscape, requiring significant amounts of time, money and effort to address. Through the Graffiti Management Program, the City aims to raise awareness of the problem and work with stakeholders to remove and prevent graffiti year-round. Graffiti vandalism is a crime with serious consequences and residents are encouraged to help. Graffiti vandals risk being charged under the Graffiti Management By-law. Don’t ignore graffiti – report it. To report existing graffiti on any property, complete the online form at www.ottawa.ca/graffiti or call the City of Ottawa’s helpline at 311. If your property has been vandalized with graffiti, be sure to
file a police report by calling the Ottawa Police Service at 613-236-1222,
extension 7300 and remove it from your property as soon as possible. Visit
www.ottawa.ca/graffiti
or call 311 to learn more about removal and prevention. 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. |