NEWS ARCHIVESNovember 30, 2007 Service Cuts Not an Option Although Council is committed to delivering the lowest possible tax increase to Ottawa residents, cutting services will not be one of the steps we take to reach our goal. Before last week’s Council meeting Mayor Larry O’Brien, a number of my colleagues and I announced that we will not accept cuts to your important core services during this year’s budget deliberations. In addition to this, many of my colleagues and I issued a Statement of Intent in support of a motion put forward by Councillors Eli El-Chantiry and Maria McRae stating that “options to close libraries, pools, community health and resource centres, community centres, as well as the Museum Sustainability Program will not be moved for consideration during the 2008 Budget deliberation.” I feel it is crucial that we identify savings within City administration before we even evaluate the possibility of eliminating the services and programs that make Ottawa a first-class city. Please visit my website (www.shadqadri.com) to view the City staff report which includes three different tax scenarios and the report prepared by Mayor O’Brien’s consultant Gordon Hunter which identifies $97 million in savings with the least impact on Ottawa taxpayers. This week Council is listening to public delegations and
we are set to head into budget deliberations on Dec. 10. I encourage you to
provide your comments on this year’s draft budget by contacting my office either
by phone at 613-580-2476 or by email at
shad.qadri@Ottawa.ca. Laflèche Environmental Last week I put forward a motion, seconded by Planning and Environment Committee Chair Councillor Peter Hume, which I am hoping will secure additional landfill capacity for Ottawa’s waste. This motion was carried unanimously at Council and this is truly a positive step forward for our City as we look to find better solutions that do not include expansion of any landfill. I tabled this motion as a result of a report regarding the City of Ottawa’s agreement with Laflèche Environmental. In this report, staff states they are currently looking to reserve long-term capacity at Laflèche by negotiating an agreement of 30,000 tonnes per year over the next five years. However, Laflèche has a current capacity of 300,000 tonnes per year and I see this as a great opportunity to remove pressures from the Trail Road and Carp Road landfills. My motion directs staff to investigate the possibility of a 10-year agreement with Laflèche Environmental for up to 100,000 tonnes per year of both residential and IC&I waste. Please be assured I will keep all of you informed as more
information becomes available on this issue. Transit Update The City has set the wheels in motion on a long-term transit plan to better serve Ottawa residents. Last week Council approved a transit system which includes the downtown tunnel, an extension of the bus transitway which will connect our community to downtown, an expansion of the O-Train running to the south of the City and construction of the Cumberland transit line. For the west end Council approved an immediate extension of the transitway and it is anticipated that the new extension will alleviate traffic congestion for our community. In addition to this, the extension will be constructed to accommodate light rail in the future. Another piece of the puzzle that will help ease traffic congestion is the expansion of the Queensway from Carp Road to Bayshore. Many of the priorities Council has set come as a result of
the Mayor’s Task Force on Transportation, which sets out a clear path for an
improved transit system for our City. I am pleased to see that we as a City are
finally moving forward with the implementation of this plan. As always I welcome
your valuable input on this topic and encourage you to share your thoughts on
this and other issues affecting our community. Congress Centre Moves Ahead Ottawa’s downtown will be undergoing a beautiful transformation thanks to funding from all levels of government. The Ottawa Congress Centre expansion has officially been approved and Council has agreed to provide $15 million in addition to the $25 million we have already committed for the expansion. This project will expand business horizons in our City and it’s about time we look towards a more revenue generating tax base. Once built, the new Ottawa Congress Centre will bring more dollars to our City through the encouragement of other development such as the possible expansion of the Rideau Centre and construction of new hotels in the downtown core. This is great news for our City as it will certainly
attract many clients and allow us to compete with major convention centres
across the country. Congratulations to Ottawa Congress Centre President Pat
Kelly and his team for their efforts in getting this project off the ground. Concert Hall Council has given the Ottawa Chamber Music Society and extended deadline to get more funding in place for their proposed concert hall on Elgin Street. I was pleased to hear that the Federal government will contribute $8 million to this worthwhile project that is sure to enhance our City’s culture and provide great opportunities for musicians and music lovers alike. The Provincial government has also agreed to contribute $6.5 million towards construction of the facility. Provided the Music Society is able to secure the required
funds over the next three months, the City has agreed to commit $5.5 million
towards this project. It is my hope that their fundraising endeavour is
successful and we will see the construction of the new concert hall move ahead
in the New Year. Thank You Thank you to everyone in our community who attended the Christmas gathering at my ward office last weekend. It was a great opportunity for all of us to start off the
festive holiday season and we enjoyed Christmas goodies and great conversation.
Many thanks to everyone who made donations to the Stittsville Food Bank that day
as well. “Always Listening and Acting on Y our 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, by email at shad.qadri@ottawa.ca or visit my website at www.shadqadri.com. 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 ] |
