OSHAWA ROSEMARY - BLOG

OSHAWA ROSEMARY

City of Oshawa One-Year Pay Freeze Appropriate for 2021

10/27/2020

On tomorrow's Region Council meeting Agenda there is a motion from Ajax Mayor & Regional Councillor Shaun Collier and Ajax Regional Councillor Sterling Lee TO FREEZE REGION COUNCIL MEMBER SALARIES:

"Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact economic realities for residents and businesses, now and into the foreseeable future;

And Whereas Durham Region Council wishes to support residents and businesses throughout this crisis by continuing to provide critical municipal programs and services to the community with minimal increases to service costs and property taxes;

Now therefore be it resolved that staff be directed to freeze Council members’ salary, travel allowance, and benefits for 2021 at the approved 2020 rates."
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Although I am not on Region Council, I support this motion and hope it passes. It is called leading by example.

I made a similar motion at Oshawa Council last year that was defeated. Last week I submitted another Notice of Motion which was on yesterday's Oshawa Council’s regular monthly meeting Agenda. The Mayor referred it to next month's Council Meeting, November 23rd. It is a motion that actually goes further than the motion at Durham Region Council tomorrow. I am requesting that all City of Oshawa non-union salaries and wages be frozen for one year. This includes Council members.

I will need a seconder and hope one of my colleagues on Council seconds it. Considering the economic turmoil caused by the pandemic I believe the time is right. Many employment sectors do not receive annual increases and a one-year freeze is not a true hardship for those with job security when many businesses in the community have closed and people have lost their jobs, some permanently.

I am not the only one advocating for such a measure. See below the several municipalities who have or are in the process of agreeing to a pay freeze (Note that when Sault Ste. Marie had a salary freeze in 2017, it saved $227,000. Also consider the fact that Ontario MPPs have not had an increase in 11 years.)

The motion copied below will be voted on by Oshawa Council on Monday November 23, 2020. (But, as I said above, it will need a seconder). I have not asked anyone on Council. I did not want to be discouraged before putting this forward. There is time for them to consider it and not feel pressured. Given the past six months and the likelihood that COVID-19 may be with us into the 1st, 2nd or even 3rd Quarter of 2021, I believe it appropriate at this to approve this action.

“Whereas with this year’s world pandemic the 2021 City budget presents many operations and revenue challenges; Therefore the City 2021 budget process give serious consideration to placing a one year freeze on all City non-union salaries, wages and benefits.”

Durham Regional Police Road Safety & Crime Trends in Oshawa - Presentation Today

10/26/2020

Durham Regional Police Interim Chief Todd Rollauer and Inspector Dave Saliba made a presentation to Council this morning. They offered a number of stats, some can be seen here on the PowerPoint slides they commented on.

In the overview of community safety calls for service, from 2019 to 2020 year to date
Interim Chief Rollauer began with community safety calls:

related to violence: such as assaults, robbery, fights, sexual assaults were down 60 calls or 3.3%
related to property crime: fraud, break & enters, mischief, shoplifting, stolen vehicles down 600 calls or 12.7%
related to other: sudden death, suspicious or unwanted persons assisted ambulance were up 2300 calls or 8.3%
In 1st Q of 2020 total shooting occurrences across the Region were up to 10 compared to 7 in 2019
There has been an increase in number of guns found during routine traffic stops
In 2019 issued 9,200 tickets related to highway traffic Act, Trespass to Property Act and other Provincial Statutes
In 2020 so far there have been 8200 Provincial Offences notices issued
Motor vehicle collisions peaked in 2015 when there were 2,515 and have declined to 1,531 year to date in 2020.
In 2020 there were 2 “In the Zone” Traffic Enforcement Initiative resulting in 535 tickets + 111 cautions

Inspector Saliba spoke next about the patrols and challenges in Oshawa's downtown.
There has been an overall 19% downward trend with calls related to crime, but crimes related to disorderly conduct are up 12%. During the pandemic the greatest number of disturbance calls in the downtown were in March, July & August.

Then there was a Q & A. Interestingly the first questions from Councillors were on speeding enforcement and excessive vehicle noise.
Chief Rollauer said they hadn't received many complaints about vehicle noise. Several of us said we were surprised because we receive them regularly.
Later in the meeting I was pleased to second a motion concerning this issue, that Service Oshawa track complaints the City receives and forward them on to DRPS.

October 26th, 2020

10/26/2020

The motion voted on at Oshawa Council meeting this morning concerning the L.I.F.E. Community Project vacating Memorial Park to a new location November 1, 2020:

Council approved a location at the east end of Midtown Mall Dr. to be made available for a Hub for LIFE and Durham Dignity groups to relocate from Memorial Park, as follows:

Whereas the Life Community Project provides needed food and clothing support to those in need in our community through donations and volunteer efforts, and

Whereas Durham Dignity For The Homeless also provides such services in concert with the LIFE group, and

Whereas there have been/are other small groups and individuals also providing/have been providing such services to the point where over-supply and issues with clutter and refuse have created an environment to which many other citizens of Oshawa will not attend and have complained to the City to clean up Memorial Park (although no one group is completely responsible), and

Whereas the Gap Committee identified the need for services hubs to concentrate related services for ease of acquisition of such services by those in need (the first of which is the Mission United medical services-based hub at the Simcoe Street United Church - previously known as The Backdoor Mission), and

Whereas the City through consultation with the LIFE and Durham Dignity groups (the major food and clothing supply organizations in Memorial Park) have offered the use of the hammer head road allowance at the east end of Midtown Drive should a fully-compliant Road Occupancy Permit (ROP) be qualified for through an insurance company and all pertinent ROP fees be submitted, and

Whereas the creation of this second and different hub will concentrate such services as ODSP, OW, Service Ontario, Service Canada, and the Legal Aid Clinic in the immediate vicinity such that an enhanced public service situation is the result,

Therefore, be it resolved

1. That the LIFE and Durham Dignity groups be granted an ROP for the Midtown Mall hammer head road site (hereafter called the Midtown Mall Hub) provided all requirements of the ROP have been met subject to a form and content satisfactory to the City Solicitor and the Commissioner of Community Services, and

2. That City Staff carry out an amended snow-removal program to maintain the area of the hammerhead road and the Oshawa Creek Trail as well as the paths and bridge over the Oshawa Creek adjacent to the Robert McLaughlin Gallery clear of snow,

3. That a mobile trailer to enhance the quality and range of services - to be supplied and paid for by the LIFE and Durham Dignity groups - be placed at the MMH site for the duration of the ROP and located according to LIFE and Durham Dignity needs and in order to satisfy the snow-clearing procedures by City Staff necessary for the site, in general.

4. That once the ROP has been qualified for and agreed to by both the City and the LIFE and Durham Dignity groups these two groups relocate from Memorial Park to the MMH.

5. That the pertinent City By-law be amended to say that no unpermitted food nor clothing disbursement shall take place in an Oshawa park (including Memorial Park) and that Staff investigate and report back.

THE ABOVE IS THE MOTION THAT PASSED.
BELOW ARE SOME OF THE POINTS RAISED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS DURING THE DISCUSSION:

Councillor Nicholson objects to number 5, and wants it to be voted on separately, otherwise he supports the motion.

Councillor Marks says number 5 is the part of the motion that he supports the most. Asks what is the City's involvement with these two groups.

Mayor says it is not a partnership. The City has worked on this, it is city owned property. The Region is involved to ensure the food is safely prepared.

City lawyer Mr. Yoon answers question about insurance. It will be clearly set out what insurance will be needed.

Several questions, Councillor Gray asks about problem with food and clothing giving, with so many involved in providing food how is it an issue.

Councillor Kerr explains about the road occupancy permit, that the two organizations have insurance that can be activated by November 1st. 2020 and also have permit to have food preparation at a local restaurant Top Corner and have received the Durham Region 'Green' permit. About the food clothing dissemination that will be COVID safe.

When I posted about this on my Facebook page earlier today, someone wrote that a Chip Truck had been located in this same spot for many years. Note: The Road Occupancy Permit does not allow a permanent structure. The meals and clothes will be made available from a type of mobile unit. Below are two views of the location.

Oshawa BIA, Continuance or New Business Model?

10/25/2020

Here is a link to the webstream of the Thursday Oct 22, 2020 Special Oshawa Council meeting about the financial, management and operations of the Oshawa Central Business District Improvement Area aka (Business Improvement Area BIA).
http://video.isilive.ca/oshawa/CNCL_2020-10-22.mp4.html

The BIA Chair’s delegation begins about one hour into the long meeting, after 3 other delegations request the BIA be disbanded in light of the problems revealed in the City's Report reviewing the BIA finances, management and operations.

Here is a link to the Report that has caused much concern this past week: Report CNCL-20-169
http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/city_council/2020/10-22/report_cncl-20-169.pdf

The BIA Chair indicated at the Thursday meeting he hadn’t had time to go through the report in detail and had not called an emergency meeting of the BIA Board since the City published the Report on October 16, 2020.

Council made no actual decision to disband the Board at its meeting Thursday. Although a dissolution may be something contemplated, nothing definitive takes place either way until there is consultation.

What Council did approve was a motion that calls for a survey of the membership.

The wording of the motion is here:
‘That the matter be referred to staff to prepare a report on how to conduct a survey of the levied membership for their opinion on the motion.”

The motion it references (which was not voted on) states (in summary) that whereas the review of the OCBDIA reveals extensive governance, management and financial issues, and COVID 19 has left much indeterminable at this time, be resolved the Board and City staff complete an orderly dissolution of the OCBDIA before Dec 31, 2020 and ‘the City CAO investigate taking over the activities normally performed by the BIA.‘

The Oshawa BIA is a local board (Board of Management) of the Corporation of the City of Oshawa and like other BIAs in Ontario was set up under the provisions of the Ontario Municipal Act. At one time it was formally known as the Downtown Oshawa Board of Management (DOBOM) and now formally called the Oshawa Central Business District Improvement Area (OCBDIA). The City of Oshawa created the BIA in 1974 (the same year the Region of Durham was established), and it has gone through various transitions, as the name change indicates. There have been changes in the composition of its Board of Directors and its boundary areas.

Unlike City Chambers of Commerce which are set up and funded by membership dues and contributions, BIAs are established under the Ontario Municipal Act and must abide by its rules, and are funded by a surcharge on the BIA properties, paid for by all the commercial, office or parking lot property owners or business tenants (depending on the terms of the lease) which is levied by the municipality and paid to the BIA Board for its goal of improving the downtown.

The specific legislation for BIAs is set down in the Ontario Municipal Act under Sections 204 - 215, and Section 216 covers Local Boards (however S. 216 (2) spells out if there is a conflict with other sections of the Act or other legislation the by-law would prevail.)

Ten years ago, Oshawa's City solicitor at the time in reviewing other Oshawa BIA problems noted in Report-10-141 how the rules for a dissolution are set down in the Municipal Act:

"Dissolution of DOBOM

Council may, on its own initiative, repeal By-law 94/74, as amended.
Council must give notice of a proposed by-law to repeal By-law 94/74, as amended, if it receives a resolution from DOBOM requesting the repeal; or a request for the repeal signed by persons who are responsible for at least one third of the taxes levied for purposes of the general local municipality levy on rateable property in all prescribed business property classes in the improvement area.
If repealed, DOBOM would be dissolved and its assets and liabilities would become the assets and liabilities of the City."

2 Year Election Anniversary! + 2 Complex Issues & 3 Upcoming meetings

10/24/2020

Thursday marked the 2 year anniversary since I was elected to the City Council! Not much time for reflection right now. Since Dec 3, 2020 will be the actual halfway mark of serving the 4 year term (the swearing into office meeting was 5 weeks after the election) I hope to write down some highlights and share some thoughts about the job.

Meanwhile here are 2 of the many current issues Council members and City staff are deeply involved in, both of which are complex and have been simmering for for awhile, plus 3 City virtual meetings next week:

a) the ongoing effort to move food/clothing hand-outs from Memorial Park to a city owned property behind City Hall adjacent to Midtown Mall Court, in response to the city's obligation to act in the public interest ;

b) as a result of the investigation into the past year's finances (June 2019 to June 2020) of the BIA and ultimately the 5 hour Special Council meeting on Thurs, Oct 22, which included the Financial Transactional Audit Report by the City's Commissioner of Finance, Council is now attempting to determine the preferred option going forward of the members of the BIA. Staff was directed to come back with an appropriate method to conduct a survey of the levied membership. In summary the members will be asked to vote on whether they prefer 1) continuing with the added levy for the BIA on their taxes; or 2) dissolving the BIA and the City investigate taking over the activities normally performed by a BIA.

Mon Oct 26th @ 9:30 a.m. Regular Council meeting http://app.oshawa.ca/.../10-26/AGENDA_2020-10-26_CNCL.pdf

Wed Oct 28th @ 6:00 p.m. Committee of Adjustment with 6 applications for variances: 80 Oakes Ave; 67 Eastlawn St; a further application for 116 Verdun Rd; two applications for 225 Gibbons St; and continued review of application for 1069 Ripley Cres. http://app.oshawa.ca/.../10-28/2020-10-28%20-%20Agenda.pdf

Thurs Oct 29th @ 1:30 p.m. Special Council meeting to receive a presentation from IBI Group with respect to the Neighbourhood Traffic Management Guide Study. Unfortunately the City has not yet posted any material related to the Consultant IBI Group's study.
Side-note: I actually have a Notice of Motion on this point on Monday's Council meeting Agenda, middle of page 27: "that the City Clerk will ensure that all consultant presentations are placed on the City’s website in an accessible format when meeting Agendas are published".

Four Good News Announcements Today

10/23/2020

Children's Arena will reopen this Monday, October 26. To book space contact the City's Facility Booking Office 905-436-3311 for limited permitted use and public access for floor rentals. For more info: https://www.oshawa.ca/Modules/News/index.aspx...

Lindsey Park, our Oshawa Ward 1, Durham Riding, MPP, announced this morning that North Oshawa will be getting a new public elementary school! The new facility will include: 536 student spaces; 73 licensed child care spaces & 4 child care rooms. (Part of the $550 million to build 20 new schools & 8 permanent school additions across the province in 2020-21 - for nearly 16,000 new student learning spaces & 870 new licensed child care spaces to improve and build modern schools.)

The City's CAO Paul Ralph has extended the Temporary Expedited Sidewalk Patio Program from October 31st to end of January 2021!

The Region of Durham reports it will be funding 3 new mental health workers to be added to the Durham Regional Police Mental Health Support Unit.

BILL 218 "Supporting Ontario's Recovery and Municipal Elections Act" ANNOUNCED

10/22/2020

New Bill 218, introduced by the Province's Attorney General Doug Downey this week has TWO proposed changes to the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 : 1) changing the nomination date for municipal elections from 4th Friday in July to the 2ND FRIDAY IN SEPTEMBER in the year of the election.

(This is an interesting proposal, considering just 2 elections back the nomination date was January, which imo was a ridiculously long period (10 months) for people to campaign for local government, and for a 'lame duck council'. It was shortened last election to 13 weeks. Now shortening the election period to basically 7 weeks, a similar period to when the election signs customarily are permitted, might help prevent voter fatigue, in addition to harmonizing the time municipalities dedicate to holding elections with the time span of provincial and federal elections.

It would also cut out the overlap that has occurred in the past, when municipal election candidates and provincial election candidates are door knocking to engage the same voters at the same time or within a week or two or each other.
2) removing the option to use ranked ballots for municipal elections, moving all municipal governments to First-Past-The-Post.

If passed, Bill 218, called "Supporting Ontario's Recovery and Municipal Elections Act", will also provide targeted liability protection for health and long-term care, non-profit and private sector workers, volunteers, and organizations that make an honest effort to follow public health guidelines and laws related to limiting the exposure of Ontarians to COVID-19.

Bill 218, as well, will maintain the right of Ontarians to take legal action against those who willfully, or with gross negligence, endanger others. Municipal governments, workers, and by-laws that are aimed at protecting public health are referenced in the Bill. Similar legislation is in place in British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

DYMON DONATES 1 MILLION COMMERCIAL GRADE MASKS

10/21/2020

Canadian owned and operated DYMON Self Storage (with its soon to open facility on Ritson Rd N.) announced it is donating one million commercial grade face masks to charitable organizations, front-line workers and community groups across the GTA – one of the largest private donations of PPE in the province.

Masks are now available in the GTA, and charities and community groups across the region are encouraged to contact DYMON Self Storage to request PPE at DYMON.ca, or at (416) 844-3847.

DYMON face masks are commercial grade, individually packaged, and have a five-layer construction designed to filter at least 95 per cent of particles to help reduce the exposure to airborne contaminants, including COVID-19.

Armchair Walking Tour of Downtown Oshawa

10/20/2020

You'll find plenty of interesting information, past and recent, about Oshawa's Downtown in this video published by the Oshawa Museum!
Each month the Museum is uploading a special video on YouTube for their "Speaker Series". Here's the link to the October 2020 one, with the Museum's Community Engagement coordinator Lisa Terech speaking on a virtual walk of Downtown Oshawa, sharing its history and points of interest along the way.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjLck5CISdA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0OCnmm7oeyghAsEffuJDj4IX7TiNe0iHml9tvDxFHU9NcGX9ca-MDzrOM

The tour touches on numerous details, ex: the father of Thomas Bouckley (whose extensive collection of local photographs is a special collection at the RMG ) was an owner of Mike's Place store on King St. W., or that the downtown Murals first painted in1993 (and continued to 1997) were initiated as part of a beautification plan by the City's newly formed Downtown Action Committee. Lots of information for both newcomers to Oshawa and long-time residents.

The 'armchair' tour also mentions that the Canadian Automotive Museum has been hosting live walking tours that have a Canadian automotive flavour. You must register to ensure COVID protocols, and with the ticket you will also receive a tour of the museum's cars.

For other videos in the series, such as the History of Oshawa's Lakeview Park, or the upcoming Stories in Art with the curator of the RMG art gallery Sonya Jones go to oshawahistoricalsociety.org/2020/10/23/november-2020-speaker-series/

One Ton of Food Donated!

10/18/2020

Happy to report 2,072 lbs of food (plus monetary donations) was collected today with the Caremonger ALL TOGETHER OSHAWA Contact Free Food Drive!!

As Zachary Simmons organizer of the grassroots Oshawa Caremonger Group says that is literally ONE TON and the equivalent of 1,726 meals.

Kristine Sylvie Dandavino who first pitched the idea on the Caremonger facebook page 5 weeks ago and ran with it says she is "beyond thrilled with our community coming together".

Great Job Everyone! Donors! and Volunteers! It was a good experience and one hopefully to be repeated. Best to start thinking of reserving the Sunday after Thanksgiving next year!