City Council Update
Your guide to what happened at City Council
November 16, 2009

City Council Meeting Highlights

Council moves forward with Lansdowne proposal 

City Council voted to conditionally proceed with the Lansdowne Partnership Plan (LPP). The vote followed a three-day special City Council meeting, which provided residents and public delegations with a further opportunity to share their views on the future of Lansdowne Park.

Approval of the plan is conditional upon the following:

· Completion of a final review of financial projections, including analysis by the Office of the Auditor General.
· Completion of transportation studies and supporting Transportation Demand Management plans to determine whether or not traffic and parking can be reasonably accommodated, and that the transportation strategy will work as anticipated.
· Establish a Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel for the development of a Master Site Plan for Lansdowne Revitalization.
· Execute an independent third-party peer review of the two different market studies from Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) and the Bank Street BIA to determine whether or not the commercial plan is viable, and that retail is complementary and supportive of the existing Bank Street retail business community.
· Immediately initiate a Request for Expressions of Interest for the construction and operation of a Trade and Consumer Show facility in Ottawa.
· Initiate a competition for the design of the “front yard” including the Ottawa Farmers’ Market, Horticultural Building and the Aberdeen Pavilion and that the design competition include a detailed public consultation process, in partnership with the National Capital Commission and Parks Canada, on the proposed redevelopment of the “front yard.”
· Assisting the Central Canada Exhibition Association (CCEA) in completing the business and logistical plans necessary for the CCEA’s move to a new location on Albion Road following the exhibition in 2010.

In June 2010, staff will report back to Council with the results of the negotiations and additional studies for a final decision on the implementation of the LPP. Council will vote on whether or not to enter into a project agreement after reviewing the negotiated terms for finance, transportation, parking, market studies, heritage and the agreement framework.

Following a decision by Council to enter into a project agreement, the City and OSEG will focus on critical planning approvals, detailed design issues, completion of the project agreements, and all other approvals with external agencies and third parties. Work on the final design and construction of the project would begin in March 2011 and be completed by May 2014.

For more information on the Lansdowne Partnership Plan, visit ottawa.ca/lansdownepartnership <http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/lansdowne_partnership/index_en.html> or contact 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).

Corporate Accessibility Customer Service Policy receives Council approval

City Council approved the Accessible Customer Service Policy, the first of its kind in Ottawa, that will guide the development of procedures, practices and training throughout the corporation on issues such as; providing notice of temporary disruptions in services, providing accessible formats and accommodating support persons and service animals.

This policy complies with the provincially legislated Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) customer service standard, and other relevant legislation such as the Human Rights Act. Similar policies will be developed to comply with other standards of the AODA as they are enacted and will be used to create one comprehensive City of Ottawa Accessibility Policy.

Rural Issues

Continued commitment to rural clean water

City Council renewed funding for Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program (ORCWP) through 2010. The ORWCP, which is administered by local conservation authorities, gives grants to rural residents for projects aimed at improving the quality of surface and ground water. The program had reached the end of its five-year funding agreement from the City in 2009.

Council also directed staff to work with local conservation authorities, the ORCWP Committee, rural residents and other stakeholders to modify the program to reflect an increased focus on:

· Priority projects that result in direct improvement to water quality, including erosion control, livestock restrictions, fragile land retirement, precision farming and well decommissioning
· Increasing the amount of grants available for individual projects to provide a greater incentive to rural residents to participate in ORCWP
· Developing education and outreach tools to recruit new participants to the program
· Streamlining and simplifying program access and materials
· Developing a one-window approach to government programs targeted to farm operators
· Developing a new program to provide education and incentives for residents to properly install and maintain private well and septic systems, and phasing out the current well and septic projects

2010 will be the final year of the ORCWP in its current form. New programs will be developed. City staff will report back to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Planning and Environment Committee and City Council on the revised ORWCP in the fall of 2010.