There were a couple motions passed at the two Monday March 7, 2022 Standing Committee meetings, which will be going to the full Council meeting the end of this month. They may not be major issues, but imo are still of note.
At the morning Corporate Services Committee meeting on the Agenda was report CORP-22-12 Proposed Amendments to Responsible Pet Owners By-law containing data on the sale of rabbits in Oshawa pet stores.
The statistics collected are a surprise, that an average of 60 rabbits are given up EACH YEAR to the Oshawa Animal Services (33) and the Human Society of Durham Region (27). They are then put up for adoption
"Staff reached out to eleven (11) pet stores in Oshawa for their input on limiting of the sale of rabbits:
• Six (6) stores only sell pet food and/or supplies
• Five (5) stores sell animals
• Two (2) stores sell rabbits Both source their rabbits from Quebec
One (1) store sells approximately five (5) rabbits per month, while the other did not respond to the inquiry of how many they sell
• Three (3) provided input about limiting the sale of rabbits: One indicated yes, One no and One neutral",
The Committee passed that the sale of domestic rabbits be limited to selling rescue rabbits "sourced exclusively from a municipal shelter, the Humane Society of Durham Region and/or approved rescue groups".
* * *
At the long afternoon/evening (1:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m.) Development Services Committee meeting a Committee member made a motion late in the day concerning a matter not on the Agenda —to name the new City Park in the Treasure Hill development at Townline Rd, north of Shankel Rd, and south of Adelaide Ave after the General Motors SILVERADO truck, which is currently being assembled in Oshawa.
Sounds fine at first blush right? It's a nice name, a nice truck, and speaks positively to the automotive industry in the City, however
1) just two weeks before the March 7, 2022 Committee meeting, Dr. LeRoy Clarke made a presentation for Black History month. One of the points Dr. Clarke made made was that to follow up on the goals of inclusion and diversity the City should be including Black and Indigenous names in its facilities naming process. I said to Dr. Clarke that although the City had a Veteran's street naming policy, Council had no other naming policy. In fact Council had directed staff to prepare a report on investigating a new City Street naming policy and that I was hoping it could be expanded it to include the naming of city facilities. (Investigating a new street naming policy was a recommendation I made back in 2019, my first year on Council.)
2) then less than 2 hours before the surprise Silverado Park naming motion I had pulled from the Agenda Report DS-22-60, which is the current list of work items the Department has still outstanding. My reason to pull it was to ask staff about Item 9 on the list -concerning the 2019 direction for a staff Report on investigating a new Street Naming policy and why it had not come forward. There was no date in the Report, just To Be Determined. I said I was hopeful it could come to Committee and Council before this year's summer break. I added I would like to see the investigation for a new Street Naming policy also expanded to include the naming of all city owned assets
3) when the Silverado Park motion was made later in the meeting I made a motion that it be referred to the City's Diversity and Inclusion department for review. The motion failed 5-1.
The Silverado park motion passed 5-1 and will proceed to the March 28 Council meeting for full Council to comment and vote.
At the morning Corporate Services Committee meeting on the Agenda was report CORP-22-12 Proposed Amendments to Responsible Pet Owners By-law containing data on the sale of rabbits in Oshawa pet stores.
The statistics collected are a surprise, that an average of 60 rabbits are given up EACH YEAR to the Oshawa Animal Services (33) and the Human Society of Durham Region (27). They are then put up for adoption
"Staff reached out to eleven (11) pet stores in Oshawa for their input on limiting of the sale of rabbits:
• Six (6) stores only sell pet food and/or supplies
• Five (5) stores sell animals
• Two (2) stores sell rabbits Both source their rabbits from Quebec
One (1) store sells approximately five (5) rabbits per month, while the other did not respond to the inquiry of how many they sell
• Three (3) provided input about limiting the sale of rabbits: One indicated yes, One no and One neutral",
The Committee passed that the sale of domestic rabbits be limited to selling rescue rabbits "sourced exclusively from a municipal shelter, the Humane Society of Durham Region and/or approved rescue groups".
* * *
At the long afternoon/evening (1:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m.) Development Services Committee meeting a Committee member made a motion late in the day concerning a matter not on the Agenda —to name the new City Park in the Treasure Hill development at Townline Rd, north of Shankel Rd, and south of Adelaide Ave after the General Motors SILVERADO truck, which is currently being assembled in Oshawa.
Sounds fine at first blush right? It's a nice name, a nice truck, and speaks positively to the automotive industry in the City, however
1) just two weeks before the March 7, 2022 Committee meeting, Dr. LeRoy Clarke made a presentation for Black History month. One of the points Dr. Clarke made made was that to follow up on the goals of inclusion and diversity the City should be including Black and Indigenous names in its facilities naming process. I said to Dr. Clarke that although the City had a Veteran's street naming policy, Council had no other naming policy. In fact Council had directed staff to prepare a report on investigating a new City Street naming policy and that I was hoping it could be expanded it to include the naming of city facilities. (Investigating a new street naming policy was a recommendation I made back in 2019, my first year on Council.)
2) then less than 2 hours before the surprise Silverado Park naming motion I had pulled from the Agenda Report DS-22-60, which is the current list of work items the Department has still outstanding. My reason to pull it was to ask staff about Item 9 on the list -concerning the 2019 direction for a staff Report on investigating a new Street Naming policy and why it had not come forward. There was no date in the Report, just To Be Determined. I said I was hopeful it could come to Committee and Council before this year's summer break. I added I would like to see the investigation for a new Street Naming policy also expanded to include the naming of all city owned assets
3) when the Silverado Park motion was made later in the meeting I made a motion that it be referred to the City's Diversity and Inclusion department for review. The motion failed 5-1.
The Silverado park motion passed 5-1 and will proceed to the March 28 Council meeting for full Council to comment and vote.
