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New Edinburgh News
October 2004
The City’s 2005 Budget – A New Beginning
In the June issue of this paper, I shared with you the reasons for
my disappointment with the decisions in the 2004 Budget. It is now
time to prepare for Budget 2005.
STEP 1: On September 21st, City staff will have tabled a draft
“budget directions report”. This report is a discussion paper,
proposing broad directions that Council may wish to approve for
the preparation of the City’s next budget. That discussion and any
approval will occur on October 19th at Committee (public hearing)
and on October 27th at Council. Prior to then, up to October 15th,
there will be public information and discussion meetings scheduled
throughout the city. The dates are not available as this is being
written. I suggest that those interested should consult the City’s
web page or contact my office for times and place. I have not yet
seen what staff will suggest but I expect that the “directions
report” will propose that:
• The Official Plan form the basis for budgetary planning;
• The budget include adequate resources for maintaining City
buildings, parks and rolling stock; and,
• The budget includes a longer perspective than a one-year time
frame.
There may be other guidelines, such as provision for inflation or
a cap on any property tax increase.
STEP 2: December 15, tabling of the proposed (draft) operating and
capital 2005 Budget.
STEP 3: January 4th – 21st, 2005, public consultations on the
draft budget. A session will be scheduled for Rideau-Rockcliffe in
this time period.
Step 4: January 24th – 28th, 2005, Committee of the Whole listens
to public delegations on the draft budget. This is quite different
than previous practice. It means that, in principle, public
delegations will be able to address the entire Council on any item
of interest. There will be no committee-by-committee hearings and
debate on the budget.
STEP 5: February 1st – 4th, 2005, Council to deliberate on the
budget.
I hope that Council will have learned the right lessons for this
next budget round. Maybe this new approach will lead to more
rational decisions. As usual, your participation is very
important.
Crime Prevention – A Smarter Way of Investing in a Safer Ottawa
My office has been quite busy over the summer period preparing,
with a panel of prominent citizens, a proposal for Council. As the
title indicates, the proposal advances a strategy that has real
hope of enhancing the safety of our City as well as coming to
grips with our rapidly increasing policing costs. The idea is to
build on proven effective strategies that have been endorsed by
organizations such as the International Centre for the Prevention
of Crime, the United Nations, and World Health Organization. Here
in Canada, the Canadian Forum for Crime Prevention (CFCP) hosted
the First Forum on “What works: the power of prevention” in the
Waterloo region in December of 2003, gathering over 125
policy-makers, practitioners and researchers nation-wide. The
Forum’s final declaration urges municipal governments to create
and support a permanent local crime prevention entity with strong
ties to the City.
Based on the evidence of “what works” to cut crime, it is possible
to make specific short and long-term projections for a safer
Ottawa. By investing in an integrated crime prevention strategy –
that is by implementing best practices and incorporating
successful services and programs already underway in Ottawa -
victimization at home, on streets, at school and at work could be
lowered by up to 50% in 2 to 5 years.
In February of 2004, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM)
Big City Mayors Caucus endorsed and adopted the CFCP’s Final
Declaration. The Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario (LUMCO) did
the same in April of 2004. City leaders all over Canada are either
calling for municipally led crime prevention, or are already
investing to make it happen.
This initiative is in harmony with the City’s 20/20 Vision for
sustainable development. The City’s Growth Management Strategy
outlines 7 Guiding Principles, including A Caring and Inclusive
City characterized in part by Personal Safety and Security, where
people feel safe in their homes and communities (City of Ottawa
Official Plan, Section 1.3, p.2). The City’s Human Services Plan
outlines 5 strategic directions, including Safe and Healthy
Communities and a Focus on Prevention (p.19). An attractive City
is one where residents feel safe on their streets, in their homes,
at school, at work, and at play. The City recognizes that “it is
always easier, cheaper, and more compassionate to prevent problems
before they occur than to develop solutions after the fact” (Human
Services Plan, p.44).
Although municipal law enforcement taxes cost about $175 per
capita in Ottawa every year, the overall societal costs of crime
and victimization in Ottawa are around $1.16 billion annually.
Ottawa’s crime rates increased for most categories in 2003. The
costs of the Ottawa Police Services have climbed 26% in four
years. Ottawa may be a relatively safe city, but we still need to
address the number of people being victimized each year. And why
wait until things get worse? Now is the time to act. Ottawa needs
such a strategy. As the panel’s report, submitted for Council’s
consideration, says: “The best time to act would be 5 years ago.
The second best time is now. The worse time is 5 years from now.”
Beechwood Avenue Community Design Plan (CDP)
Many of you have been wondering about the fate of this venture.
No, it is not yet completed. In fact, it has barely started. Last
season’s intensive exercise focussed on City services (the
Universal Program Review, Opportunity Log), consumed whatever
staff resources might have been available to make any progress.
Some of you may remember that this study will examine how
Beechwood Avenue will redevelop over time. In recent years, there
was a concern among many familiar with this corridor that it was
suffering somewhat. Prior to amalgamation, control over planning,
zoning and design was divided among four municipalities – Ottawa,
Vanier, the Village of Rockcliffe Park and the Regional
Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. Each had its own objectives for
the street. We now have one municipality and one Official Plan
(OP) to guide development along this main street in the future. As
it is stated in the OP, “the main purpose of the community design
plan is to translate the principles and policies of the Official
Plan to the community scale” (Section 2.5.7). The study area
extends along Beechwood from the St. Patrick’s Bridge to Juliana
and the Beechwood Cemetery entrance. The intention is to include
the properties fronting on Beechwood and an adjacent transition
area. Stable residential areas, less affected by “mainstreet”
activity, will not be included. The project will be conducted in
collaboration with the businesses and residents within the study
area and with the nearby communities with an interest in the plan.
A web page on the City’s website will be created. Public
consultation will start this fall. The study should take one year
to complete. Please stay tuned.
Jacques Legendre
Councillor, Rideau-Rockcliffe
You can communicate with me at (please include a telephone
number):
City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON K1P 1J1
Tel: 580-2483, Fax: 580-2523
E-mail:
jacques.legendre@ottawa.ca
Web Site:
www.rideau-rockcliffe.com
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