Corporate donations should be fully transparent with no strings attached

Regular readers may recall my article earlier this year on “voluntary donations”. As a refresher: Council’s first meeting of 2024 turned acrimonious when a debate arose over a “voluntary donation” of $300,000 by a developer to the City, to be earmarked for the local ward.

The developer was offering money to support affordable housing, and new traffic calming measures in the community. Unbeknownst to us, this offer came after months of closed-door negotiations between the local councillor and the developer; all while Council was still weighing whether to approve the developer’s application.

Ontario’s Planning Act, the legislation that regulates how all development applications are processed, does not prohibit such donations or conversations; it is silent on the matter. This policy vacuum is what ultimately split members of Council. Some Councillors saw no problem soliciting donations for the community; arguing that the benefits warrant it, and it could be separate from their decisions on applications. Others, myself included, found the lack of transparency, and potential conflict of interest, a bridge too far.

Toronto closed this loophole over a decade ago. In their policy, staff are actively involved, and any conversations about donations cannot happen with anyone who has an active application, or anyone with a potential application with the City are expressly prohibited. This prohibition even extends until after any appeals period following a decision.

Toronto’s long-standing policy offers a tested solution for Ottawa. It is a compromise that allows councillors to advocate for communities and organizations to donate community benefits; but in a transparent manner completely separated from decision making.

We need unambiguous rules. Ones that allow for Councillors to still advocate for communities, but to do so transparently, and not behind closed doors with organizations looking for municipal approval on multi-million-dollar projects. Trust in politicians is at an all-time low. Rebuilding trust and integrity at City Hall is a priority.

 

Mayor’s call for fairness comes at a critical time for South Orléans

Recently, Mayor Sutcliffe made a strong statement about the need for Ottawa to receive its fair share of support from other levels of government. As the nation’s capital and Ontario’s second-largest city, we have unique needs, and I support his call to action.

Ottawa is grappling with a transit crisis, exacerbated by decisions of previous city councils, the pandemic’s impact on ridership and a historical lack of funding from higher levels of government

What I have heard from you consistently is that families in our community are stretched thin and don’t want to see property taxes raised to the degree we have seen in other municipalities (2024: Toronto +9.5%, Hamilton +7.9%, Vancouver +7.5%).

At the same time, congestion is untenable due to an inadequate and unreliable transit system. Dedicated bus lanes on Brian Coburn Blvd., a bus rapid transit system for Orléans South, or a shuttle from the Chapel Hill Park-and-Ride directly to the LRT could really improve quality of life in Ward 19. These initiatives can’t be realized without funding from the other two levels of government.

This term, our city council has found more than $153 million in savings and efficiencies, but the mayor is calling attention to the fact that the federal government has been underpaying its taxes on federally owned buildings nearly $100M over the past five years.

Coupled with its decision to reduce its footprint in downtown Ottawa by 50%, impacting our commercial tax revenue, these shortfalls impact on our ability to invest in much-needed infrastructure.

Nowhere is this more evident than in South Orléans. Our community has grown rapidly, but our transportation infrastructure has not kept pace.

The mayor’s demand for fairness isn’t just about balancing the City’s books – it’s about ensuring that communities like ours get the infrastructure we need.

 

Rash of infrastructure work in Orléans this summer is needed

You’ve probably noticed a lot of infra-structure renewal happening this summer. These are desperately needed upgrades to roads, pathways, parks and public works.

The top complaint that I get in my office is the state of our infrastructure, and over the past five years, I’ve worked tirelessly to get the investments that we need to ensure the safety and reliability of the critical infrastructure in Orléans East - Cumberland.

And because we are one of the coldest capitals in the world, that means that our asphalt plants are only open for a portion of the year. This leaves us with a very limited window to do permanent maintenance and renewal.

So yes, it has been very difficult to get around our neighbourhood this summer. It’s been especially difficult for our rural friends east of Cumberland Village, with several degraded roads receiving badly needed upgrades.

You may have also noticed that boreholes have been drilled into some of the worst streets in Cambrian Heights, and in the Taylor Creek Business Park. This is to assess the base underneath the asphalt so that we can get a proper estimation as to how much work is going to needed to resurface these roads and budget properly.

When projects happen concurrently, it leads to major frustration.

Many people think it’s for poor planning that major arteries are being worked on at the same time. I can assure you that it is not. It is because of the small window that we have as a city to do this work every year. Even if we had asphalt plants that ran year round, we still must renew curb infrastructure and sidewalks adjacent to the roads, which cannot be done in the frigid temperatures we experience.

Putting these works off for another year is not an option, and I’ll continue to work hard to ensure that we get the investments that we deserve here in the East End.

 

Residents invited to take part in Older Adult Plan survey

Hey Orleans! One thing is for certain, we are all getting older (even me). Ottawa is growing, evolving, and aging, so you may as well have your say on Ottawa’s New Older Adult Plan.

According to the 2021 Census, a significant 37% of Ottawa’s population is over 50, and this age group is rapidly increas-ing. With more older adults than children under 15 and projections showing that one in five adults will be 65 or older by 2030, it’s clear that our community’s needs are shifting.

In response to this demographic change, the City of Ottawa has been actively work-ing on an Older Adult Plan (OAP) since 2012. This plan has aimed to better integrate the needs of older adults into city planning and services. However, with evolving demo-graphics and needs, it’s time for an update.

The latest evaluation of the OAP has highlighted successes and identified areas for improvement. From infrastructure and accessibility to communication and support services, we’ve gathered valuable feedback on how we’ve been doing and how we can do better.

But, we still need your input. To create an updated Older Adult Plan that truly reflects the diverse and changing needs of our older population, we’re turning to residents who are and will be impacted. Your insights will help shape the new plan, which will be launched in 2025. Whether you’re an older adult, a caregiver, or simply passionate about this topic, your opinion matters!

The City has set up a survey to gather your thoughts and experiences. The questionnaire will take approx. 15 minutes to complete, and registered participants can save their progress and return later. Please take a moment to fill out the survey at engage.ottawa.ca/oap. The survey will be open until Sept. 30.

Your feedback will play a crucial role in shaping a plan that meets the needs of our community’s older adults. Thank you for contributing to a better Ottawa for everyone.

Wishing you all well as we enjoy the rest of the summer. Bye for now!