Marianne Wilkinson Councillor, Kanata North Ward Council is Monday, May 28th 7 pm, All Saints High School

Cafetorium, 5115 Kanata Ave.

The May Ward Council meeting will be your opportunity to hear about major changes that will impact the City of Ottawa and to provide your comments and ideas on developing policy. These include an update on the Strategic Planning Exercise that Council is working on as well as a discussion of the recommendations from the Auditor General's report and information about the City wide zoning bylaw that is before Council for approval in June. These three areas have consumed a great deal of time over the past few weeks so if you've been trying to contact me please be patient and I'll get to you as soon as possible. The Strategic Planning Exercise has three main areas of discussion: Governance, Fiscal Stability and Service Delivery. This week we are finishing discussions in small groups of 6-8 members of Council considering how we can deal with the fiscal imbalance, maintain existing services and make them more efficient and improve the ways in which Council operates. We had a very interesting presentation from Bob Plamondon analysing the financial position of the City since amalgamation. Using the City's own financial statements Bob showed us how the fiscal position has deteriorated over the past 6 years. Taxation has remained about the same but reserves have been depleted and funding for maintenance of our existing infrastructure fallen well behind what is needed. He pointed out that a 2.7% tax increase in the first four years of the City would have maintained reserves and dealt with infrastructure maintenance. If you have powerpoint on your computer I encourage you to go to the City website and look at the presentation. (http://www.city.ottawa.on.ca/city_hall/council_strategic_planning/index_en.html) and click on May 14 session, then agenda, then fiscal realities) As well as showing a potential $133 million shortfall for operations in 2008, the charts show a growing gap in meeting maintenance needs. My group has recommended that the tax bill show the amount collected for maintenance of infrastructure as a separate millrate rather than being dealt with almost as an afterthought. Unless additional funds come from other levels of government the analysis indicates that even with efficiencies in operations that a tax increase will be needed. The size of the increase would depend on meeting efficiency targets and dealing with cost-saving measures within the Auditor General's report. An interesting comparison was included on the situation in Toronto compared to Ottawa. According to the financial statements, prepared following provincial guidelines so they are equivalent, Toronto over a four year period received $1,609 more in unconditional grants compared to Ottawa ($401 per year). If payments for

social assistance are removed the difference is $844 ($211 per year) which would be worth $73 million per year if Ottawa received the same level of support per household from the province. We need to close this gap. Toronto spends $1,914 more per household than Ottawa while Ottawa has an average tax per household that is $146 less than Toronto (net $1,768). This is largely because Toronto has more taxation from commercial properties that helps to subsidize homeowners but it makes it very difficult for Ottawa to provide services. The Planning and Environment Committee will hear from the public on June 8th on the new zoning bylaw. This bylaw consolidates bylaws from all of the former municipalities. Until now Kanata has been under bylaws of the former City of Kanata. The new bylaw brings zones under common definitions. Frequently this will result in higher densities and lower parking requirements in Kanata. I will be putting forward suggestions for amendments and urge you to look at the documents (they are online at ottawa.ca and can be viewed at the Client Service Centre at 580 Terry Fox Drive). I'd appreciate suggestions from you and hope that some will be able to book a time with the Committee to make your suggestions. Each person or group has 5 minutes to make a presentation and/or can provide written comments. Call Monique Beauregard, Committee Co-ordinator at 613580-2424 ext. 21622 to scheduled a time. Written submissions will also be considered and should be forwarded to the Committee Co-ordinator, Planning and Environment Committee at 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, K1P 1J1 or by fax at 613-580-9609 or by e-mail at monique.beauregard@ottawa.ca. Other agenda items at the upcoming Ward Council include member and community forums where you can raise issues or make announcements, policing report from Constable Allard, planning issues (Campeau Drive design, Goulbourn Forced Road update, new watermain and pumping station for Campeau Drive, multi-storey commercial development, update on widening of March Road, update on Walden Park, servicing in the Kanata Town Centre and start of development at Kanata Avenue/Goulbourn Forced Road), Kanata-Stittsville Community Safety Partnership and items that may arise in the coming week.

A Pedestrian System for Ottawa

A Public Open House will be held on Tuesday, May 29th from 6 -9 pm at the Holy Trinity High School Cafetorium, 180 Katimavik Road, on the City of Ottawa Pedestrian Plan. This plan is being developed to provide a framework for pedestrian travel, planning, designing and implementing pedestrian facilities and establishing ways to encourage walking as a viable transportation system. City staff and the project consultant will be present to answer your questions and receive your feedback. If you can't attend please fill in the Pedestrian Plan Survey on the City website, www.ottawa.ca The survey is found at http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/pedestrian/survey_en.pdf

Stop Signs mean Stop!

This month police are targeting stop sign infractions. Stop signs are put in place to control traffic and reduce speeding. Within our communities they are a very important safety measure, particularly for the children and seniors in our community. Rolling through is not a stop! Please follow safety measures and stop, check for traffic and pedestrians, and only then proceed according to the posted speed limit. School buses with flashing lights are mobile stop signs and you must stop from both directions until the flashing lights go off. With the good weather cyclists, skateboarders and inline skaters will be found on the streets and pathways. Share the road to keep everyone safe.

Coming Events
May 28th, Ward Council Meeting, All Saints High School, 7 -9 pm May 29th, Pedestrian Plan Open House, Holy Trinity High School 6-9 pm June 15th, Deadline for Green Partnership Pilot Program June 16th, Morgan's Grant/Briarbrook 1st Multicultural Summer Festival June 23rd, Kanata Lake's Kids Day in the Park June 23rd, Lawn Supper, St. John's Church, 325 Sandhill June 23rd, Give-Away Day July 1st, Canada Day in Kanata at Walter Baker Park, Terry Fox and Hazeldean

Working for the residents and businesses in Kanata North

To receive the Kanata North Newsletter, to deal with a concern or make a suggestion you can contact me at City Hall at 613-580-2474 or by email Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca or through www.mariannewilkinson.com