City Council Update

Your guide to what happened at City Council

April 8, 2009

City Council Meeting Highlights

Council approves list of ready-to-go priority infrastructure projects

Council approved the list of ready-to-go infrastructure projects that will be submitted to the federal government for funding consideration under the economic stimulus package announced in the 2009 federal budget. The projects reflect Council’s priorities, particularly in regard to transit investment, and maintenance and renewal of City-owned assets.

The stimulus package provides municipalities with funding above and beyond what is currently in place: the Building Canada Fund, gas-tax revenues and the GST rebate. To qualify, each identified project has to be construction-ready but not previously scheduled for this year. As well, the projects that receive funding are to be completed within the next two years.

The total project list represents approximately $729 million in potential investment in Ottawa, requiring an estimated $179 million of City funds. It would also contribute to the creation of more than 8,300 local jobs.

City releases its latest Performance Report

Council received the Quarterly Performance Report to Council for the last quarter of 2008 (October to December). The report is part of the City’s commitment to accountability and transparency. It provides performance information for a cross-section of branches that deliver services to the public and that are of high interest to Councillors.

Highlights from the fourth quarter of 2008 include:

• Solid Waste Services: A 6 per cent increase in the amount of waste recycled, while the number of tons land-filled remained relatively constant.
• Building Code Services: The total number of building permit applications declined 23.3 per cent in Q4 2008 from Q4 2007. The percentage of applications determined within legislative timeframes improved by 10 per cent from Q4 2007 and for small homeowner projects and tenant fit-ups processed within Council-approved timeframes has improved to 98 per cent and 95 per cent respectively.
• Police Services: While the total number of calls that required an immediate on-scene police presence increased by 2 per cent in 2008, emergency calls decreased by 1 per cent in Q4 2008 from Q3 2008.
• Fire Services: Between Q4 2006 and Q4 2008, the number of incidents responded to by fire services in Q4 has increased by 8.33 per cent.
• Parks and Recreation: The number of participants in registered programs per 1,000 population increased by 12.7 per cent in Q4 2008 over the same period in 2007.
• Public access through initial point of service: Ninety-one percent of all citizen interactions with the City occurred via the Internet as measured by the rate of e-service adoption, up from 87.4 per cent in Q4 2007. The number of visits to ottawa.ca continues to rise.
• Housing: The average nightly bed occupancy in emergency shelters during Q4 2008 was 118 per cent, up 2.25 per cent from Q3 2008.

The full Q4 2008 Quarterly Performance Report to Council is available at ottawa.ca.

Council approves distribution of funds for social-housing repair and renewal

Council approved the distribution of $13.5-million allotted in the 2009 budget for social-housing repair and renewal.

Since the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation has the City’s largest social-housing stock, it will receive $8.9 million (66 per cent). The remaining $4.6 million (34 per cent) will be distributed proportionally among 53 other social housing providers.

The $13.5 million social-housing repair and renewal fund was budgeted from $77 million in infrastructure renewal funding that the Province of Ontario allocated to the City.

Council confirms election of Ottawa Community Housing Corporation Chair

Council confirmed the election of Councillor Diane Holmes to the position of Chair of Ottawa Community Housing Corporation for the year 2009.

Council approves establishment of Ottawa River Co-ordinating Group

Council directed staff to establish an Ottawa River Co-ordinating Group in partnership with the National Capital Commission and the City of Gatineau.

The goals for the Ottawa River Co-ordinating Group include:

• Clarifying and supporting a common vision for the Ottawa River
• Co-ordinating City studies and projects with those undertaken by partners and stakeholders
• Achieving consistency in the preparation of planning policies and recommendations
• Facilitating co-ordinated information sharing, management and monitoring

The need for a co-ordinating group was identified in the Ottawa River Integrated Development Plan (ORIDP), Phase II Planning and Management Guide. The plan, which was developed after extensive consultation with key stakeholders and agencies, also sets out a methodology and provides tools for evaluating and prioritizing potential projects, and guides the actions of area authorities regarding the Ottawa River’s long-term planning.

Council supports expansion of mandatory installation of residential fire sprinklers

Council approved continuing Fire Services’ Wake Up! Get a Working Smoke Alarm campaign and committed support toward provincial efforts to gradually expand residential fire sprinkler regulations to low-rise dwellings and new single homes.

The support includes requesting changes to the provincial Building Code that would expand fire sprinkler regulations, making sprinklers mandatory in residential buildings that are three storeys or less. Council also endorsed Bill-72, currently before the Ontario Legislature, which will give municipalities authority to pass regulations to make residential fire sprinklers mandatory in low-rise multi-unit dwellings and new single homes.

In addition, Council supports encouraging homebuilders to offer fire sprinklers as a new-home option, and will ask the federal and provincial governments to offer incentives to encourage installation of fire sprinklers.

Council approves five new community gardens for 2009

Council approved a new Community Garden Action Plan that will see the development of five new community gardens in 2009. The City already has 19 community gardens operating as part of an initiative to keep the city green. The plan recognizes that community gardening is a valuable community activity, which revitalizes neighbourhoods, increases environmental awareness, enhances community development and contributes to a healthier lifestyle.

Enhanced Discarded Needle Syringe Pick-Up program update

The Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Isra Levy, reported to Council that the City's revitalised Enhanced Discarded Needle Syringe Pick-up program recovered more than 507,000 needles in 2008 through needle drop-off boxes, the clean needle distribution program, and recoveries made by City staff and the Needle Hunter program. The City's clean needle distribution program distributed a total of 372,136 sterile needle syringes during the same period.

Residents safely disposed of 229,400 needles in area drop-off boxes. City partners and outside agencies collected 1,517 needles, and Ottawa Public Health recovery services responded within one hour to syringe-retrieval requests made through 3-1-1. Clients of the clean needle distribution program brought approximately 273,415 needles to the program sites for disposal.

The City of Ottawa has an official Town Crier

Council approved the appointment of Daniel Richer dit La Flêche as the Town Crier for the City of Ottawa. Mr. Richer is a bilingual crier currently serving as the Town Crier representing the National Capital Region. He is internationally recognized as one of the best town criers in the world and has received numerous awards and citations including the Best International Town Crier and the Most Elegant in the World. Mr. Richer will be attending a competition on April 21 as Ottawa’s official representative.

Roadway named after Madeleine Meilleur

Council approved the use of the name Madeleine Meilleur for a private roadway in the Rideau-Vanier Ward. The naming of this roadway conforms to the Commemorative Naming Policy, which ensures that only individuals who have demonstrated excellence, courage or exceptional service to the citizens of the City of Ottawa, the Province and/or Canada are honoured.

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