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Council Watch 2010 Report PDF
Council Watch 2010 Report PDF
EcologyOttawa2010CouncilWatchReport
www.ecologyottawa.ca
Written and edited by the volunteers of Ecology Ottawas Council Watch committee. September 2010 Committee chair: Ian Thomson Staff coordinators: Ben Liadsky and Lori Waller Design: Shawn Thompson, www.srtdesign.net
About Ecology Ottawa We are a not-for-profit organization working to make Ottawa the green capital of Canada. We believe that Ottawa residents are concerned about issues such as pollution, waste, and global warming, and that they want a sustainable community where public transit, renewable energy, recycling, and the protection of green spaces take priority. We are working with residents and local organizations across the city to ensure that their voices are heard at city hall. Together we can make a difference, but we need your active support to move our city in the right direction. Find out more and sign up for our e-mail updates at www.ecologyottawa.ca.
Table Of Contents
Executive Summary.......................................................................................2-3 Ward Maps.........................................................................................................4 How They Scored..............................................................................................5 Track Record of This Council: 2007 - 2010...................................................6-7
the votes that counted in 2010 Clean Energy......................................................................................................8 Green Buildings.................................................................................................9 Greenspace and Natural Areas.................................................................10-11 Transportation............................................................................................12-15 Urban Growth and Land Use..........................................................................16 Water...........................................................................................................16-17 Grading Calculations 2010........................................................................19-21
Executive Summary
Executive Summary Long on Indecision, Short on Vision The current Ottawa City Council will be remembered not for their its bold vision, but rather for their its repeated moments of indecision. Flip-ops, delays, and reversals have been the order of the day. It has been no different on environmental issues. For instance, the long-awaited organic waste diversion program was approved in 2008, then deferred by Council in 2009, and nally implemented this year. Light rail transit became a political football with indecision putting Ottawa several years behind where it should be. New protections for distinctive urban trees were adopted into bylaw last year but Council failed to hire the staff to implement it. The list could go on and on. Four years at a glance A new feature in this years Council Watch Report is a four-year retrospective of City Councils key environmental decisions (see pages 5 & 6). At a glance you can see where this Council has voted green or voted grey on issues like air quality, buildings, clean energy, greenspace, transportation, urban growth, waste diversion, and water. Looking back over the past four years, it becomes clear that some environmental issues have been more divisive than others. Judging from the voting patterns, transportation and urban growth revealed a split in Council, while clean energy and waste management were more generally acceptable issues, garnering unanimous or near unanimous support around the table. Where Council has clearly failed us over the past four years is around issues of urban growth and land use. A slim majority of councillors has consistently failed to contain urban sprawl, promote reasonable intensication, or stand up to developers proposing environmentally regressive projects. How they did in 2010 The most important environmental decision of 2010 was probably the approval of the Ottawa River Action Plan. Ottawa residents have long expressed anger and shame over how the Ottawa River has been forced to act as a dumping ground for our untreated sewage. The Citys new multi-year plan involves the construction of large underground holding tanks that will eliminate virtually all sewage overows into the river. Although it took public outrage and pressure from both provincial and federal governments to get some action, Ottawa is on track to dealing with this problem in a cost-effective way.
Executive Summary
This years budget process had its high points and low points. Council made good investments in improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, but dropped the ball on other pressing issues like expanding transit service and protecting and maintaining our urban forests. Council took a shine to Hydro Ottawas plan to convert one of the Citys former landll sites into a solar energy park. (Though we did learn that at least one councillor can still vote against a bright idea like this one!) But Ottawa has only just scratched the surface when it comes to clean power generation. The City has done relatively little to capitalize on our clean energy potential, including the environmental and nancial opportunities presented by Ontarios new Green Energy Act. At present, the clean power generated by municipally-owned Hydro Ottawa amounts to only 2 per cent of Ottawas total electricity demand. Council must become more ambitious if it hopes to ramp up our clean energy portfolio and attract more clean energy jobs to our region. Although the fate of Lansdowne Park dominated headlines this year, Council Watch decided not to add it to this years report card, as the environmental dimensions are too complex. The project has some green elements, including greenspace redevelopment, improved stormwater management systems, and a highly successful farmers market providing access to local foods; its greyer side includes lack of public transit access to the site, the environmental footprint of big box superstores, and more backroom dealings with big developers In the end, it seemed that there was no single Council vote that dealt adequately with Lansdowne Parks environmental issues. Of course, Ottawa residents (and voters) will be drawing their own conclusions. Decision time Indecision may have plagued City Council over the past four years, but 2010 is a time of decision for Ottawa voters. With a municipal election on October 25, we have an historic opportunity to set our city on a new course of environmental leadership by voting for the greenest candidates in every ward. Some councillors have consistently championed the environment and seen environmental initiatives as an important investment for our community. Councillors Bdard, Bellemare, Cullen, Doucet, Feltmate, Holmes, Hume, Leadman, Legendre and McRae have a good track record on the environment. The others either have been inconsistent when environmental matters came before Council or, worse, have shown a total disregard for environmentally sensitive policy development and decision-making. Our Mayor is unfortunately in the latter category. Although Mayor OBrien avoided a failing grade in this years report, he has shown no substantial leadership on environmental issues nor offered an inspiring green vision for our city. We hope that this Council Watch Report on the environmental track record of current councillors will help voters decide which incumbents are best suited to craft a greener vision for Ottawa and win support for environmentally responsible policies at City Hall.
Ward Maps
5 20 21
19
15
Ottawa West Map
16
4 6
7 8 23
8 9 3
16
1 13 11 2 12 14 17 18 16 22 10
Ward
Average
A+ A+ A A A AB+ B+ B+ B+ B C+ C+ C C CCD D D D D D D
2010
A+ A+ AA+ AB+ B A+ A B CC B+ CCCCD CD C F CD
2009
A+ A+ A+ A+ A A B CB C C CC C D CF D F CD C F D
2008
A A AB A C B C+ B+ C+ B C+ D F C+ CC D D F F F C F
2007
A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A A+ A B A+ A+ A B B+ C D C+ D D D D C C D
Methodology
Council members were given one point for each environmentally positive motion they supported and one for each environmentally negative motion they voted against. To see the full record of votes and how these scores were translated into letter grades, see page 19-21 of this report.
AIR QUALITY
2007
Voting Green 13
Voting Grey 11
Air Quality and Climate Change Plan CLEAN ENERGY Leasing land for solar energy park GREEN BUILDINGS LEED building incentives Deferral of LEED Green Pathway Green Building Promotion Program Street lighting pilot project Green building policy loophole
2010
23
24 3 23 23 0
0 16 0 0 24
GREENSPACE AND NATURAL AREAS Protection of Tallwood Woods Continuation of Green Partnership Endorsing cosmetic pesticide ban Funding acquisition of natural features Funding for Carp River restoration Community Garden Action Plan Purchase natural areas #22 and 97 Urban natural area acquisition 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 23 24 17 24 9 24 21 20 0 0 7 0 14 0 1 4
Funding for forest maintenance 2010 Enforcement of distinctive tree bylaw 2010 Development of wildlife strategy 2010 TRANSPORTATION Anti-idling bylaw Cap transit fare hikes Funding for Citizens for Safe Cycling 7.5% transit fare hike Approval of Ottawa Cycling Plan Deferral of electric bus order Light rail transit plan Approval of Ottawa Pedestrian Plan Transit emissions reduction U-pass fee increase Expansion of urban transit area Approval of U-pass for students Funding for Ottawa Pedestrian Plan Increase transit budget Purchase of more fuel-efficient buses Costing for different transport modes Allowing hybrid taxis 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010
11 13 14 9 14 3
12 12 10 10 22 11 19 22 24 11 21 22 24 18 11 23
8 11 14 14 0 13 4 0 0 13 1 2 0 20 3 9 0
URBAN GROWTH AND LAND USE Reduction in spending on new roads 2008 Rejection of Manotick subdivision plan 2008 Removal of parking space maximums 2008 Denser housing type mix Freeze on urban boundary Approve Kanata West development Road expansions and widenings Ban corporate donations in elections 2009 2009 2009 2009 2010
Voting Green 4 15 7 6 10 7 4 10
Voting Grey 20 5 17 15 13 15 19 14
WASTE REDUCTION AND DIVERSION Establishing curbside give-away day Establishing greenbin program 2007 2007 24 23 10 23 24 0 0 1 12 1 0 24
Bi-weekly garbage collection 2008 Implementation of organics collection 2008 IC&I waste diversion strategy Organics deferral WATER Accelerated lead pipe replacement Funding to prevent sewer overflows 2008 2008 2009 2009
11 22 24 21 8
10 0 0 1 12
Funding for Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program 2010 Approval of Ottawa River Action Plan 2010 Water mobiles to promote municipal drinking water 2010
Clean Energy
LEASING LAND FOR SOLAR ENERGY PARK (PASSED)
May 26, 2010 - Planning and Environment Committee Report 70, Item 1 City Council agreed to lease 120 hectares of a former landfill site to Energy Ottawa, the green energy subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa, for the construction of the Trail Road Solar Energy Park. Consisting of two ground-mounted photovoltaic fields, the park will generate 12 megawatts of clean electricity, enough to power 1,500 homes. Over the 20 year term of the project, the City will collect $2.5 million in rent, in addition to enhanced dividends from Hydro Ottawa. In granting this land lease, the City of Ottawa has increased its investment in locally-generated renewable energy. The City will need many more such projects to capitalize fully on the Provinces Green Energy Act, and ramp up its generating capacity in order to power all municipal facilities with clean power.
Green Buildings
LOOPHOLE IN GREEN BUILDINGS POLICY (PASSED)
June 9, 2010 Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee Report 55, Item 9 This vote weakened the Citys Green Buildings Policy by allowing Council to exempt newly constructed municipal buildings from meeting the minimum LEED certification when all reasonable efforts have been exhausted. This condition is vague and could be open to various interpretations. The existing policy already set the bar fairly low by requiring new municipal buildings to meet only the certified level within the LEED system. Other levels of government, such as Public Works Canada, have committed to the higher gold standards for new federal buildings. The City will have an even harder time convincing Ottawas property developers and building owners to embrace green building standards if it is not willing to do so itself.
10
February 24, 2010 Community and Protective Services Committee Report 50, Item 3 This vote to develop a Wildlife Strategy for the City of Ottawa was a product of the growing debate over how to address coyote issues, as well as other wildlife found to be wandering into urban areas. While several Canadian cities have implemented Living with Wildlife programs over the past decade, Ottawa still has yet to do so. The strategy is expected to focus on educating the public and creating more awareness about human safety issues. As urban sprawl consumes more greenspace and pushes development deeper into natural areas, human-wildlife interactions have become a bigger problem. It is promising to see Council taking a more integrated approach to this complex issue and avoiding simple, knee-jerk reactions.
11
Transportation
FUNDING FOR OTTAWA PEDESTRIAN PLAN (PASSED)
January 25-28, 2010 (Budget Meeting) Motions 82/21 and 82/22 A motion to defer the Bank Street Reconstruction Project in the Glebe by one year allowed Council to reallocate $3.35 million of the capital budget to start implementation of the Ottawa Pedestrian Plan. The Plan is designed to facilitate walking as a year-round, comfortable, viable and well-integrated component of the transportation plan in Ottawa. The long-term goal of the Pedestrian Plan is to increase the number of walking trips residents take by 33 percent over the next 20 years. Walkable cities are desirable places to live, work, and play, and therefore a key component of smart urban growth and development. Communities that are designed to support walking promote healthy living, contribute to a cleaner environment, ease road congestion, reduce future vehicle infrastructure costs, and even increase a sense of local pride and belonging. Ottawa needs to re-establish a culture of walking, and sustained funding for the Pedestrian Plan is an important step in the right direction.
12
Transportation
COSTING FOR DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION MODES (PASSED)
April 28, 2010 - Transportation Committee Report 38A, Item 1 By adopting this motion, Council will have more information on the capital and operating costs of various modes of transportation (i.e. single occupancy vehicle, express bus, rural/suburban route, inner greenbelt transit services, walking and cycling) when considering municipal budget proposals in 2011. This information can be used to calculate the differential impact on the tax rate of the provision of these services. At present, it is difficult to calculate the hierarchy of costs or the level of subsidy provided by the City to various forms of transportation. We hope that the availability of such information will allow for more effective budget planning. Regrettably the motion did not ask, as city staff had recommended, for estimates to include the broader societal costs, such as health impacts, pollution (i.e. air, noise and water), enforcement, land value, and accidents.
13
Transportation
PURCHASE OF MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT BUSES (PASSED)
April 28, 2010 Transit Committee Report 38, Item 1 This vote approved the purchase of 226 New Flyer buses to replace 226 buses bought from New Flyer between 2001 and 2004. This purchase should increase the reliability of the OC Transpo service and, since the new models are more fuel efficient, result in significant fuel savings and reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOX) gases and carbon dioxide. The first buses are to be delivered in August 2010 and the agreement should be completed by the first quarter of 2011. While public transportation is a vital service and provides a more environmentally friendly transportation alternative to private automobile use, OC Transpo operates diesel buses that contribute to the problem of city smog and release of greenhouse gases. Fortunately the new model of New Flyer buses are 26 per cent more fuel efficient than the older 2001-2004 buses. The newer buses are also expected to be more reliable and experience less mechanical breakdown than the older models resulting in an increase in bus availability.
14
Transportation
APPROVAL OF A UNIVERSAL STUDENT TRANSIT PASS, OR U-PASS (PASSED)
January 25-28, 2010 (Budget Meeting) Motion No. 82/12 This vote approved a two-year pilot project to establish a Universal Student Transit Pass (U-Pass) for all students at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. Students in Ottawa had been lobbying the City for over 10 years for such a program. Starting in September 2010, students will be charged $145 per semester for the pass, which represents a substantial savings over the cost of a regular student pass. U-Pass programs in other Canadian cities have encouraged students to use public transportation more often, as the pass is included in their registration fees. The program can reduce the carbon footprint of the student population and broaden a public transit culture on the 2 campuses.
15
16
Water
APPROVAL OF THE OTTAWA RIVER ACTION PLAN (PASSED)
February 24, 2010 Planning and Environment Committee Report 64A, Item 11 This vote approved the Ottawa River Action Plan (ORAP), which includes 17 projects to be completed over five years, at a total cost of $251.6 million. The Plan will upgrade the Citys water and wastewater systems and improve the health of the Ottawa River. The upgrades include the construction of massive water storage tanks, which will reduce sewage overflows into the Ottawa River. The Plan aims to achieve zero overflows during the swimming season in the average year. This is a significant undertaking to improve the health of local water ecosystems. In the past, Ottawas sewer systems have been overwhelmed by the amount of water entering the systems during rain and other wet weather events such as snowmelt, resulting in the overflow of wastewater directly into the river. The combined sewer overflows resulted in shoreline pollution, beach closures, and damage to the local aquatic ecosystems. Once constructed, the storage tanks will contain excess water in times of heavy flow until it can be released more gradually at a pace that can be handled by the sewage treatment plant.
17
Water
PROMOTION OF MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER, INCLUDING MOBILE WATER STATIONS (LOST)
April 28, 2010 Motion 88/3 While debating a new strategy to promote municipal water as a source of drinking water, Council split over whether to approve the full plan that included the purchase of two mobile water stations (i.e. a water trailer and a pickup truck) to serve local events and festivals. Providing mobile water stations would reduce the consumption of bottled water at festival sites and demonstrate the benefits of municipal drinking water to hundreds of thousands of Ottawa residents each year. Funding for the stations at a cost of $200,000 was a key part of the Citys strategy and should have been noncontroversial, having already been approved in the 2010 budget. This compromise motion (88/3) would have approved the purchase of only one mobile water station instead of cancelling the program outright, but it did not pass. A subsequent motion, which did pass, resolved that the program would only proceed if a corporate sponsor could be identified. To date, no sponsor has been found.
18
19
GradingScheme: A+=91-100% A=86-90% A-=81-85% B+=76-80% B=71-75% C+=66-70% C=61-65% C-=56-60% D=50-55% F=0-49% Grade Score x/17 MayorLarryOBrien GeorgesBdard MichelBellemare RainerBloess GlennBrooks RickChiarelli AlexCullen DianeDeans SteveDesroches CliveDoucet EliEl-Chantiry PeggyFeltmate JanHarder DianeHolmes PeterHume GordHunter RobJellett ChristineLeadman JacquesLegendre MariaMcRae BobMonette ShadQadri DougThompson MarianneWilkinson Environmental/ Anti-environmental Mayor Rideau-Vanier BeaconHill-Cyrville Innes Rideau-Goulbourn College Bay Gloucester-Southgate Gloucester-SouthNepean Capital WestCarleton-March KanataSouth Barrhaven Somerset AltaVista Knoxdale-Merivale Cumberland Kitchissippi Rideau-Rockcliffe River Orleans Stittsville Osgoode KanataNorth CAB C CCA+ CD A+ CA+ D A+ A C CB+ AB F CD B+ 10/17 14/17 12/16 11/17 9/15 9/16 16/17 10/17 8/15 16/17 9/16 16/17 7/13 14/15 14/16 11/17 9/16 11/14 13/16 10/14 6/17 10/17 8/15 13/17
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 24/0 0
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 21/2 1
Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No 10/14 0
28-Jan-10 28-Jan-10
20
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 28-Jan-10 28-Jan-10 24-Feb-10 24-Feb-10 28-Apr-10 No Yes Yes No No No Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes 11/13 0 No No No No No No Yes No No Yes No Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No No 4/20 0 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 21/0 3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes 14/3 7 No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No 11/9 4
Yes Yes 28-Apr-10 28-Apr-10 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 23/0 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 18/3 3
Yes Yes No 28-Apr-10 26-May-10 9-Jun-10 No Yes No No No Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No No Yes 8/12 4 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 23/1 0 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0/24 0
Yes 23-Jun-10 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 23/0 1
Allowinglow-emission andhybridtaxis
Pilotprojectforsmart streetlighting
Leasinglandforsolar energypark
DevelopingaWildlife Strategy
Costingfordifferent transportationmodes
LoopholeinGreen BuildingsPolicy
Purchaseofmore fuel-efficientbuses
21