OSHAWA ROSEMARY - BLOG

OSHAWA ROSEMARY

City will be encouraging Oshawa residents to send in pictures for the new Strategic Plan!

11/12/2019

At last week's Special Council meeting, members of Council reviewed the proposed update to the Oshawa Strategic Plan, first deciding on the title "OUR PLAN FOR SUCCESS". Next were line-by-line suggestions and votes, Council members making amendments with many word changes, deleting some and adding other lines and phrases. At the end of the meeting I added a direction to staff that was unanimously supported: that the public be encouraged to provide pictures forming part of the document, which will be printed and online in the new 2020-2023 Oshawa Strategic Plan. Here's a link to the 2015-2019 where you can see the pictures that formed part of that document, which might help generate ideas for ones to submit for the 2020-2024 Plan. https://www.oshawa.ca/.../resources/OSP_Access_2015_2019.pdf

Below is a copy of the cover of the current 2015-2019 Oshawa Strategic Plan. Consider, with the upcoming call out to the public for new photos to be included in the updated 2020-2023 Oshawa Strategic Plan a recent picture you have taken, or may want to take, could be on the cover or published inside the soon to be revised to "OUR PLAN FOR SUCCESS" document.

Remembrance Day ceremony at Memorial Park, Mon Nov. 11th, 2019

11/11/2019

Standing among the over 1,000 Oshawa residents who attended Memorial Park on the 11th hour, the 11th day, the 11th month, to pay tribute to Canada's war veterans.

Although a cold morning, with wet snow falling throughout the ceremony, the hour long event was a very HEARTWARMING experience...with fine speeches from guest speakers from the 193 Ontario Regiment Cadets, the Salvation Army and Oshawa Mayor Carter, Deputy Mayor Chapman, Oshawa MP Carrie, MPP French, Regional Councillor Marimpietri on behalf of the Region Chair, Reverend Parker from the Columbus Community United Church, all honouring the memory of those who 'gave up their tomorrows for our todays'...and the Salvation Army band; and the Cadet band, the Bugle Taps solo; the rifle volley.

At the conclusion, it was touching to witness up close the wreaths laid at the Cenotaph and the many people on their way home, who paused to add their own poppy pins on the boxwood hedge and on the wreaths and pay personal respect.

2020 Budget review underway

11/8/2019

Oshawa staff presented their proposed 2020 Budget to Council yesterday morning. With a $3.16 million increase in the tax levy over the 2019 approved budget, it represents a proposed 2.16% tax levy increase on the City's portion of the Oshawa property tax bills.

Taking time from going over pages in the Operating and Capital Budget binders to try drafting info-graphics of some details. See my first info-graphic below:

Public invited to view Microhome Shipping Container downtown Oshawa & give comments

11/7/2019

Durham Region Non Profit Housing Corporation (DRNPHC) new pilot mircohome container in Oshawa, is in the parking lot on Albert St. between King St. E. and Athol St. E....Patti Bell , Executive Director gave me and a couple acquaintances a tour. Ms. Bell would like to raise awareness of the project and would like to give all interested a tour. The DRNPHC currently manages 19 affordable dwellings in various sizes across the Region.
The microhome is something new, a 320 sq.ft... 40 x 8 foot container with 9 foot ceilings. The DRNPHC bought it and finished the interior. Pictures of the interior are posted below. The containers can be stacked up to 9 units high. The one on display has an accessible washroom, an accessible ramp, and a combo clothes washer/dryer. If you would like to schedule a walk though email patti.bell@durham-housing.com

This one container is a pilot project to gauge the public's response. There is no commitment where they would go...and if DRNPHC were to go ahead with this project they would be rentals. Below is the DRNPHC breakdown of costs.

The interior has many upgrades that would not be standard. It is very narrow...consider 8 feet wide -take away say 6 inches for insulation and drywall....7 1/2 feet..

By the way that is Hubert Schillings of the White Feather Farms in a couple of the pictures...he had just finished dropping of chickens at the nearby St. Vincents Durham Outlook for the Needy, which he regularly does ...we got to talking on the sidewalk and then I invited him to come along on the tour, with Jeff Davis too who I'd run into at the Downtown Oshawa BIA Annual General Meeting just beforehand...so with the DRNPHC Executive Director, there were four of us inside. It seemed kind of tight...long, but narrow. I believe the expectation is they are only expected to be living quarters for one person. The patio door cutout at the side helps to make it feel more open. Behind the white door in the picture is the washroom.

Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority HOPA to become a major economic driver for the Region!

10/31/2019

HOPA - Hamilton & Oshawa Ports: Ian Hamilton, President and CEO of the amalgamated Port Authorities made a presentation to a City of Oshawa Working Group yesterday.

He and Larissa Fenn, Director of Public Affairs, both spoke with sincerity and passion and about the plan:
to develop what has been an underutilized Port in Oshawa into one which Oshawa residents can be proud of;
to collaborate with economic and development teams at the City and Region of Durham to ensure not only HOPA's operations in Oshawa are transparent, sustainable, environmentally friendly, and a huge vibrant economic driver for the area; but also to ensure commitment to communication and have the best Port-City relationship in the Country!
They spelled out priorities moving forward, the need to invest $15 - $20 million out of the gate, with focus on:
1. Road access
2. Extending the dock wall to allow two ships to load or unload concurrently
3. Dredging
4. Improve lighting
Beginning this week a survey of the Oshawa portlands
and an facility maintenance audit are underway..
After outreach in the past couple months to many City staff, Council members, agriculture and industry stakeholders, and private citizens knowledgeable about the harbour and its history, they stated their understanding of what issues are important to stakeholders:

respecting buffer zone on HOPA east boundary (the protection of it is right in the Letters Patent), and maintain open consultation with Friends of Second Marsh
compatibility of recreational boating with port operations, which they indicated will require more conversations. Although Mr. Hamilton intimated a boat launch should be doable. (Side note: The Hamilton marina is owned by the City of Hamilton, but the Port Authority has a contract to manage and maintain it. Currently the HOPA Letters Patent do not provide for HOPA to operate a marina in the Oshawa Harbour. That said, Mr. Hamilton did indicate there is the possibility the Letters Patent on this point could be altered.)
types of uses compatible with adjacent parkland and residential areas
assurance there would be no ethanol plant. to which Mr. Hamilton emphatically gave his assurance

HOPA has applied for funds split on a 50-50 basis between the Federal government and the Hamilton Port Authority's own reserves.

The Solio agricultural grain silo/elevator at the Oshawa harbour is the next big development for the Durham agricultural community. Crop farmers will no longer have to truck grain to Hamilton or Port Colborne.

In Hamilton they started with a single Silo ten years ago and have seen it grow to a Billion dollar agricultural industry.
The also spoke of engaging the community, having walking tours, boat tours, announced they will have a display at the upcoming Oshawa Downtown Business Improvement Area 'Merry and Bright' festival November 15 and 16th. Also they showed pictures of the interface where the portlands come right against the city of Hamilton parkland, where they have done landscaping, fences and murals 'to soften the interface'. They plan to introduce such measures here, so the public can see and appreciate living in a Port city.

MORE new homes with Built-In-Accessibility!

10/30/2019

For anyone to think there are CHALLENGES building a new home with these basic accessible/visitable features 1) level front entry (no steps/ramp is needed 2) wider doorways 3) accessible washroom Think Again!...The CHALLENGES faced by those who live with a disability are Far Greater....Consider suddenly not being able to live in your own home or not being able to visit family because of barriers to entry and getting to a washroom.

Why are there no accessible new houses built-ready on the market? Why are they only available if you can wait and pay for one to be customized?

The fact is, all new houses being constructed in our City today are "inaccessible". This is a problem and action addressing it is long overdue.

Some key statements copied from the attachments included in the handout to the Building Industry Liaison Team (BILT) yesterday are:

"Designers and builders must talk to and work with as many people with disabilities as possible. ..Visitable housing is an approach to house design that promotes the inclusion of a basic level of accessibility into all housing, and enables everyone to get in and out of the house and be able to use a bathroom on the entrance level.The concept of "visitability" is one of the simplest and most economical approaches to universal design that can address homeowners' and community needs over time, contributing to a more flexible and sustainable built environment."

"Single-family housing is largely unaffected by accessibility requirements. Building codes include barrier-free design requirements for public buildings, however, they do not force barrier-free requirements on single-family homes. If we build visitable housing today, the future economic benefits will be vast. Given the statistical information that we already know, what an incredible waste of resources if we build homes today, only to have them undergo unnecessary costly modifications IO years later to make them accessible for persons with disabilities."

If you want to understand the issue, I invite you to read some of the attachments presented to BILT members in Oshawa yesterday.

Build-In-Accessibility meeting today!

10/29/2019

Good meeting today, details below. But a thank you first goes out the Hon. Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility who sent this message in support: "I applaud the work of the Oshawa Accessibility Advisory Committee in helping us on our journey towards achieving accessibility in Ontario. Everyone in Ontario deserves to live in accessible communities and homes. Removing accessibility barriers is good for everyone – and it means that people with disabilities and seniors can participate in everyday life.”

It's time to find Build-In Accessibility Champions to help new home construction move in this direction. The City of Oshawa is the place to start! Time to tip the first domino!

Oshawa City Hall's lower committee meeting room was packed for the special meeting today between Oshawa City Staff, the Building Liaison Team (BLT) members, and the Oshawa Accessibility Advisory Committee (OAAC). Pictured here are five OAAC committee members including Chair Lisa Hart, and back left; OAAC policy advisor Lynda Lawson and Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter.

This meeting to discuss building in accessibility features in a portion of new home development projects came about when, at the Sept 30, 2019 Development Services Committee meeting six Council members (being both all members of the Committee, and a majority of Oshawa's 11 member Council) supported the direction by Deputy Mayor Bob Chapman that staff arrange a meeting with BILT

The OAAC is behind the Build-In-Accessibility initiative 100%. Hats off to the Committee members for their commitment to making our community more liveable. Also hats off to developer/builders members of the Building Industry Liaison Team (BILT) attending who tuned in to the opportunity advanced and accessibility goals being promoted for the new housing market in Oshawa

Oshawa Accessibility Advisory Committee (OAAC) Chair Lisa Hart spoke from the heart to the members of the Building Industry Liaison Team - starting the conversation with builders and developers in Oshawa to raise awareness of the need to build more accessible and visitable housing (new homes with level entrances (no steps, or with ramps) and wider doorways.

It is troubling the lack of awareness of the provincial legislation to remove barriers for people with disabilities, considering that the AODA, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act was unanimously passed in 2005! Time to start paying attention.

As Hon. David Onely, Ontario's Lieutenant Governor wrote this year in his Review of the AODA "Every day, in every community in Ontario, people with disabilities encounter formidable barriers to participation in the vast opportunities this province affords its residents – its able-bodied residents ...For most disabled persons, Ontario is not a place of opportunity but one of countless, dispiriting, soul-crushing barriers." https://www.ontario.ca/.../2019-legislative-review...

Oshawa Fire Master Plan, Perplexing Cost Add Ons

10/27/2019

The Latest Concerning the Oshawa Fire Master Plan.
An almost 20% Cost Add On?
After Terms of Reference were provided?
After a thorough Request for Proposal bidding/selection process, with the Consultant meeting and discussing in detail their submission with City staff?
After a contract was signed with the City and after the Consultant gave a detailed description of its work plan to Council?
Now, with only 3 months left in the Consultant's work schedule to complete the Fire Master Plan, Council is invoiced the end of October for an "expanded scope"?
The Oshawa Fire Master Plan was completed in March 2013 by Dillon Consulting.
This spring Council signed a contract with Dillon Consulting to do a new Oshawa Fire Master Plan and Risk Assessment at the cost of $156,675 + HST.
On the Agenda for tomorrow's Finance Committee Meeting there is an invoice from Dillon Consulting for additional costs of $ $27,375 plus H.S.T. for an 'expanded scope of work".
Imo this is PERPLEXING given the 'Workshop' delegation the Consultant gave to Council June 25, 2019.
(See transcription of Dillon Consultant's comments in left column of link attachment below. - in the right column are the Consultant's explanation for the additional costs, now four months later)

Task 1: Regarding a 3 hour consultation with the Fire Association President ...the Consultant has submitted an invoice for $3,100 + HST. Why invoice this when:
1) the Consultant indicates the meeting already took place "In anticipation of the City’s approval this session was completed on Friday October 11th"; and
2) the Consultant's own words to Council in June were that Dillon would "maximize every opportunity for collaboration and consultation" with the Oshawa Fire Association.
Task 3: About the request for $7,325 in Additional Fees to complete a Municipal Comparator Analysis, when again, four months ago in June the Consultant's own words to Council were: "there is no municipal comparison within our scope of work. In our past three years in working with the Office of the Fire Marshall um we’ve been informed not to continue to do community comparisons because, and I can tell you this in our own experience it is next to impossible in the fire side to compare two municipalities".

www.evernote.com/shard/s351/sh/fec3deb4-4a1d-42ce-8f24-212ef12e181e/1625a5770d11bb52b920521b8c0ecafe

Build-In-Accessibility Proposal!

10/26/2019

Spent a good part of today working on finishing a draft one page handout for a meeting this Tuesday afternoon at City Hall.

It's about new homes and accessibility and something I and the members of the Oshawa Accessibility Advisory Committee (OAAC) believe in and feel should be attainable. We say, 'it's time'. Hopefully the new home builder/developer stakeholders invited to the meeting will see all the benefits we do and come on board with the 'ask'.

What is being proposed to the Building Industry Liaison Team (BILT) is to ensure that a portion of houses built in future new home development projects in Oshawa are
1) constructed with wider doorways and
2) with no front steps (replacing steps with ramps if necessitated by grading).

The recommendation came from the OAAC (for which I am the City Council rep) and was on the Development Services Committee Sept 30th meeting agenda. All Councillors in attendance voted in support of this being investigated. Now the next step is to encourage a buy-in from the developer, new home builder community. Providing some built-ready homes with these two accessible features, if properly presented, would be both a powerful marketing tool for the BILT members and of immense importance to those people in situations where steps and narrow passages are barriers to accessing their own home.

I planned to include the picture below in the handout. I took it when I was handing out my Town Hall meeting invitation last month in Ward 1. It is of one of the streets where there are a lot of stairs to climb to the front door. It is daunting really how many new streets in Oshawa have 8 and 9 steps, even some with 14 and 15 to the front door. How did house design get this way...typically in the older neighbourhoods the majority of houses may have 3 or 4 front steps. They are barriers to residents, family and friends visiting with mobility challenges.

One side concern raised by my fellow Ward 1 Councillor at the Sept 30th Standing Committee meeting was that with the new home construction the narrow width of garages there is no room for a wheelchair to access a vehicle from the side.

Today, more than 2.5 million people, almost 20% of Ontario's population, have a disability. The numbers are fast approaching 1 in 5, which include more than 40% of people over age 65.

The AODA “Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act” is provincial legislation passed unanimously in 2005 to implement standards that achieve Accessibility with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises by 2025.

"95% of Ontarians understand the need to improve access for people with disabilities"

Phased in changes to the AODA Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) led to enhanced accessibility standards being incorporated into the Ontario Building Code effective 2015 requiring 15% of all new apartment building units be constructed with accessible visitable features.

The fact the 2015 accessibility requirements apply to new apartment building dwellings and not to houses creates an imbalance, limiting people with disabilities from being part of ALL neighbourhoods.
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There is a strong desire and goal for people to age in place. "The aging trend is not a temporary blip but a long-term reality that has been forecast to continue until 2063” Hence the need for more multi-generational accessible housing.

The new house construction stage is the most logical time to make detached, links, semis & townhouse dwellings ACCESSIBLE!

We want to encourage Oshawa builders and developers to take the first step and be Build-In-Accessibility Champions!

And say they can start with a model home and see accessible dwellings sell first!

In Ottawa at Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference

10/22/2019

Some pictures from my firstt Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa. I appreciate the wide variety of informative sessions offered, the acquaintances made and conversations I was able to have with Council members from so many different municipalities across the province!

Even with over 2,400 in attendance, there actually seemed to be a surprising commonality of priority issues. I snapped a few pictures of our local and regional members in attendance. It was specially nice to meet former Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, and Seniors and Accessibility Minister Raymond Cho. Happy to say I'm feeling inspired and believe more enlightened in a lot of ways