The results of the May-June 2021 Downtown Safety Security and Well-Being Survey were published Thursday in Report CNCL-21-72, which is on today's Oshawa Council meeting agenda. Below are the responses from 959 individuals to the 12 Questions, and they are very telling of the public's concerns.
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Predicting tomorrow's City Council meeting will be a long one! Following Council members time sensitive motions and the Rent-A-Bench delegation, below is the list of issues to be discussed and voted on. The time sensitive motion I submitted is about returning to in-person meetings. Note that time sensitive motions require a 2/3rd vote to waive the Rules to be heard: Whereas on September 25, 2021, the Province of Ontario eased capacity limits in both indoor and outdoor select settings where proof of vaccination is required; and Whereas the Province announced Public Health and Health Care Indicators are currently stable or improving; Now therefore Oshawa Council approve a return to in-person meetings of Council and Committee beginning Oct 1st 2021, with Council members, City staff and the public choosing to participate under a hybrid model either electronically or in-person, and in-person attendance only limited by Provincial capacity COVID-19 pandemic Orders. OSHAWA PIER is temporarily closed due to a vehicle incident Saturday Sept 25th. Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) Notice says "A vessel scraped the side of pier this morning and did some damage to the railing. The pier is closed awaiting investigation and repairs."   In front of 50 Centre St S. there is a commemorative display for the residential school children with orange ribbons tied on the railing in front of City Hall. This is set up in 5 areas in the City. But what is extra special at the central location is that one very caring person took it upon herself to cut out individual orange silhouettes of t-shirts to add with the ribbons. On the back of each cut-out she printed names of the deceased children, so many names. Thank you Tobey McCool for taking the time to do this. She said it is about always remembering the children. Between now and Oct 5 2021, the City, with Bawaajigewin Aboriginal Community Circle, invites Oshawa residents to show their respect for the memory the residential school Indigenous children. At 5 locations across Oshawa, bring and tie orange ribbons to support healing in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation.
Oshawa is situated on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, which is covered by the Williams Treaties and is the present-day home of many First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. Bawaajigewin Aboriginal Community Circle (BACC) is an Aboriginal-led incorporated non-profit agency that was developed through numerous community partnerships and consultations in the Durham Region. Learn more at https://bawaajigewin.ca       Another option for more affordable housing in Durham Region. First understand that municipalities, both the upper tier Region of Durham and its 8 lower tier municipalities are registered as qualified donees under the Income Tax Act to receive donated gifts. This means they also can issue receipts to the donors for income tax purposes. Second, although the Region has been renting motel and hotel rooms for the unsheltered, and last summer approved building a new facility to accommodate 50 individuals (planned in Beaverton but not yet under construction) as well as approved temporary modular units (10 planned for Olive Avenue), the Region can accept donations of residential units for affordable housing. Therefore the option exists for developers and builders across Durham Region to gift to the Region one or more units being built in their new development projects. It would be their caring and proactive contribution to help the affordable housing crisis. (The units could be either freehold, condo ownership or long term rentals). The Region of Durham's Social Services Department has programs in place to determine individuals and families that qualify for housing assistance. However, the Region has a shortage of residential units to meet the needs of vulnerable Durham residents desperate for affordable housing. The Region is the provider for local social housing and also has the funding and responsibility to set up management and maintenance support for those individuals and families it places in its residential units. Also the Region of Durham Non-Profit Housing Corporation is responsible for the upkeep and repair of its housing units. A developer/builder ‘gifting program’ to improve affordable accommodation in Durham Region would be completely on a voluntary basis. In addition to providing additional housing, consider the benefits of gifting accommodation units to the Region of Durham — improving the well-being of the community at large, as well as good public relations for developers/ builders, the Region of Durham and the lower tier Mayors, all for being proactive and showing they care. Obviously the Region Chair and each of the Mayors have on-going business relationships with the developers and builders. Many prominent individuals in the new housing construction industry in Durham Region regularly contribute to the Region Chair and Mayors' election campaigns; Mayors' Galas and Mayors' Golf Tournaments etc. To seriously consider such a new initiative, the Region of Durham Chair and lower tier Mayors should canvass their developer contacts for an open exchange of ideas and inspire new community champions for affordable accommodation gifting.  Councillor Nicholson's motion at Finance Committee this afternoon is one for transparency —see motion below concerning the City saying no to early termination of Oshawa General Agreement. The motion was approved by the Mayor and all members of the Committee except Councillor Marimpietri who left the meeting before the vote.  Vaccine Passport regulation in effect Wed Sept 22 & Fall Recreation Program starts Sept 249/18/2021 In Ontario the proof of vaccination status comes into effect Wed. Sept 22, 2021. The City of Oshawa will be implementing this requirement for everyone 18+ to access select indoor settings that include facilities used for sports and fitness activities (with some exceptions* see below). The proof of 2 vaccination shots also applies to 12+ age, however it will not be required for those between the ages of 12 and 17 years who are actively participating in indoor organized sports, dance classes, martial arts, or swimming lessons. Individuals who cannot receive the vaccine due to a medical exemption will be permitted entry with a doctor’s note until recognized medical exemptions can be integrated as part of a digital vaccine certificate. Certain exemptions apply, including: Exemption: Those who are attending for use of a washroom only. Those who are attending the Oshawa Public Libraries, Matchpoint Tennis Pro Shop, and Hemy Pro Shop. Those who are attending the reception desk for general inquiries. Also note return of in-person recreation programs this fall...Fall Programs will be offered at various City recreation facilities beginning the week of October 12. Learn more by viewing the activeOshawa 2021 Fall Recreation Program Guide beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, September 24, 2021 at www.Oshawa.ca/activeOshawa  Many various correspondence, motions and Reports on the Monday 9:30 a.m. Community Services Committee meeting Agenda, ►lower speed limit to 40K on Grandview; ►more tennis courts in North Oshawa ►Oshawa residents desiring a cricket field as it is a fast growing sport in Durham Region; ►finally Report CS-21-89 that the trail and bridge from Arborwood parkette is to be advanced in 2022 (which should have been completed years ago); and ►Report on Rotary Park redevelopment which should naturally support the result of the public survey and approve the plan for an new accessible outdoor pool.... Then, in among the larger Agenda items, there is something small but imo worth advancing...a plan to plant tulips and pansies for early spring flowers in the downtown boulevard planters in 2022! I saw them in the City of Barrie last April and they were beautiful. Unfortunately I did not snap a picture, but incredibly Barrie has the very same large circular concrete planters that are also all around downtown Oshawa. (Adding this stock photo to give you the idea.) Oshawa always has many stunning tulip flower beds across town in the spring. The City also boasts beautiful flower displays in the downtown planters in the summertime. But Oshawa has its planters empty with just dirt from February to June. The downtown could be brightened with this splash of color! And a lovely note how the City of Barrie hosted a Tulip Planting, a vigil and parade as part of it's 2019 Remembrance Day day events. Members of the legion helped with the planting as part of the ceremonies.  There is an interesting Free Talk Tomorrow night @ 7pm, but you must register https://www.tickettailor.com/events/canadianautomotivemuseum/557960 Malcolm Bricklin will be speaking with the Oshawa Canadian Auto Museum panel discussing "the Canadian-made Bricklin SV-1, alternative energy vehicles and the future of the North American auto-market."  The 1st 2 of Monday's 3 committee meetings saw some noteworthy motions passed. At the 9:30-11:00 a.m. Corporate Services Committee meeting, Report CORP-21-43 on the Agenda, concerning Municipal Law Enforcement Operational Review, generated most of the morning discussion. The 7 Staff operational changes that the Report recommended were amended with several changes - among which were: 1) extending the prohibition of on-street parking from the current 3:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. and hiring two new enforcement officers. The afternoon Development Services Committee (DSC) meeting began with a delegation by Matthew Somerville. Mr. Somerville is a former Richmond Hill Planner and owner/operator of the Two Paddles Cidery in Port Perry. He spoke concerning the 79 page Columbus Part II Planning Study Report DS-155 indicating he was representing the Columbus area residents who are concerned about the rushed report with no public meetings since 2019. Here is a link to the webstream of the DSC meeting Mr. Somerville's delegation is near the start and then the actual discussion about Report 155 starts at approx. 1:38 http://video.isilive.ca/oshawa/DSC_2021-09-13.mp4.html Although there are many steps before water/sewer services and new street shovels are in the ground, and the time-line for the planned dwelling units and population (a maximum of 11,345 residential dwelling units and an estimated maximum population of approximately 29,243) in the 1,248 acre developable area in the Columbus Part II Planning Area Study is still years away, as a friend recently said on social media "Developers will do nothing unless Council and the Administration hold them accountable to building the right housing in our City with the right standards". Motions passed at both meetings considered:
At the evening DSC Planning Act Public Meeting there were 3 presentations, which I will publish in a separate post. Meanwhile, here are the 5 motions referred to above, all are pictures taken when they were on my computer screen. The City does not publish motions when they are approved during the meetings, only after, in the minutes, which can take days. Time to step up and be with the times and publish them on-line when they happen. I'm not sure why the City hasn't embraced this. For instance the City does not have PowerPoints available for the public to follow presentations. Imo this needs to change too. I moved a motion for this once already but was not successful obtaining the 6 votes needed. So I have had to wait for the 12 months required under the Council Procedural Rules before re-introducing the motion. |