Waste Carts and Cool Technology

It’s Year 2 and another round of Guelph residents are preparing to roll out their carts!   So far, the majority of current existing cart users are telling us they prefer the carts to the use of bags.   That’s good news.  Read more here.

Phase 2 residents – here is additional information about your carts.  Click here.

One very cool piece of waste collection technology that is worthy of note:   our collection trucks are equipped with cameras that allow an operator to see the contents of the bin as it is being emptied, and then make note of the address.  Our Solid Waste compliance staff can then follow up with the homeowner or tenant personally, to help educate them on the sorting requirements.   This is a great step forward — no more rejecting bags at the curb and a more personal approach to education on diversion….

Change to Delegation Registration

Recently, Council approved a change to the registration deadline for oral and written delegations to Council from Monday at 12 noon to Friday at 9:00 am.

There has been some feedback from the community that this change might stifle public participation in matters of municipal government. Let me explain why this is simply not the case….

Historically, the Monday noon deadline to register to speak as a delegation has been for one very good reason — because reports for Council and committee meetings were released the week before on the Thursday afternoon.  This often meant that, by the time a member of the public became aware of an issue, it was already the weekend and they had very little time to read the report and then to prepare to speak at Council. The Monday noon timeline recognized this tight turnaround.  In fact, the lack of time between reports being released and a Council meeting has been highly criticized in the past as a barrier to public awareness and good governance.

I agree. Three days is not enough time for any member of the public to get up to speed and prepare to address Council. It is also not enough time for Councillors to read reports, ask questions of staff and receive meaningful feedback from their constituents.

We’ve changed all that. Reports and agendas are now available a minimum of 11 days prior to a meeting. The public can access reports a week earlier than ever before, leaving eight days to register as a delegation (four days longer than our previous practice). This new practice has another benefit; it means councillors now have time to receive public input, read letters and emails and receive phone calls from constituents who want to comment on a report. This enables us adequate time to more thoroughly consider input, clarify information, ask for additional details from staff — in other words, we come to meetings better informed prior to making decisions. A report is less likely to be deferred or referred back to staff for additional information, which speeds the pace of city hall business.

But that’s not all we have done to open up the public input process. Our new Community Engagement Framework (CEF) is a major step forward towards enabling greater community participation in decision making.

The CEF report states that the Framework “has been developed in response to both external and  internal demands from community members and City of Guelph employees, for greater clarity, transparency and support for engaging community members in decisions made at the municipal  level. The Community Engagement Framework ….  helps all stakeholders to understand the full scope and implications of
municipal decisions. It builds trust with community members, partner organizations and
businesses.”

In other words, if we are successful with our CEF, any issue of relevance to the community will already have been fully vetted through the robust public process before it ever gets to Council.  A meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders will be embedded into the final report.  An oral delegation to Council would be the last step, and the public will know well in advance when it was coming to the horseshoe for a decision.

Given these two giant leaps forward in public engagement, a Monday noon deadline to register an oral delegation is unecessary and contrary to responsible decision making.  I would even go so far as saying it is disrespectful to Council to allow last minute delegations or written submissions on the day of a meeting, because the input is heard minutes before we begin our deliberations and debate on a recommendation.  This does not allow members of Council to carefully consider the arguments, for or against, in the larger context of the report at hand.

Note:  Please keep in mind that the Friday 9 am deadline applies to  register as an oral delegation or to submit a written submission through the Clerks office.   The public can email or phone individual councillors after Friday 9 am and up to the start of the meeting.  As well, the chair of any meeting (committee or Council) can add a delegation with consent of the majority, in cases where a member of the public was not able to register by the deadline.

Two big steps forward — let’s hope this new process helps to provide the community with the information needed to get more involved in local issues.  Early and often.    LP

Reminder Notice: All Ward 5 Residents Welcome to Shared Rental Housing Info Forum

Reminder: Hanlon Creek Neighbourhood Group is hosting a Shared Rental Housing Information Forum TONIGHT!
Wednesday, April 24th
7:00 pm
St. Matthias Church (corner of Edinburgh and Kortright)

ALL residents of Ward 5 are welcome to attend!

Saving Barns

This evening at Council, we removed the Hart Barn at 132 Harts Lane from the city’s Heritage Register. It was disheartening, but necessary. The barn was structurally unsound and the best possible future is to retain, preserve and reuse its architectural elements in the potential new subdivision that is being proposed. Thankfully, the barn’s new owner is someone who understand there is an aesthetic and economic value to integrating heritage into a community; that people respond and appreciate something out of the ordinary.

It didn’t have to be that way. If this barn had been identified for adaptive re-use many years ago and if the city and the owner had taken steps to ensure it was maintained to a minimum structural standard, perhaps the barn might have had a new chance at a new life today.

Not all heritage structures are worthy of saving. But the ones that are worthy should be protected. Allowing “demolition by neglect” is simply not acceptable for a municipality. Failing to take appropriate measures to maintain and conserve heritage assets that we, as a community, have determined are in the public interest to save, is irresponsible. Would we stand by and watch a wetland be drained, or an endangered species be removed, or the river be polluted?

We have only a handful of barns left in the city. I can think of three privately owned barns that are worthy of saving. I know that two of them are in excellent shape and lovingly cared for by both previous and current owners. The third could use some TLC, but is not too far gone to save. With appropriate incentives, the owner may see the value in future retention and adaptive re-use. There are other barns that are not likely to be saved, and while that is disappointing, I have to face reality.

To save a barn, we need three things: a) a future use, b) a community who values having a barn as part of its urban landscape, and c) an owner who understands its value.

I think we have (b) and (c) already in place in the three barns that I believe are worth saving. So let’s talk about (a) future use. What can you do with an old barn? Believe it or not, the possibilities are wide open. We already have several former barns in the city that have been successfully converted – apartments on Bagot Street, offices in the former U of G sheep barn, and the Drill Hall on Wyndham was a former industrial building — and that is just the beginning. Here’s a few other cool ideas ….

Barn Again:  New Uses for Old Barns  acorn_pg9

Public Meeting — Potential Closure of Denver Road

The City is holding a public meeting to discuss plans for the proposed permanent closure of Denver Road. The meeting will be held to provide interested parties with an opportunity to review information and provide feedback related to the proposed road closure. You are invited to attend one of the two public meeting sessions:

Wednesday, April 10, 2013
2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
Public Works Boardroom
45 Municipal Street, Guelph, ON N1G 1G8

Public input will be considered when planning for the closure of Denver Road. The City will record all comments received and the input will be presented to the Operations, Transit and Emergency Services Committee and to Council. The input will help inform the Denver Road closure and Public Works yard expansion decision.

If you are unable to attend the public meeting you can also provide your comments by completing the online survey by Friday, April 19.

 

MORE INFORMATION is available HERE.

Guelph in Mourning

This is one of the hardest days of my career as a member of city council. Guelph has lost a young on-duty police officer, as well as the daughter of one of our colleagues, Councillor Gloria Kovach. May the love and support of our community sustain Gloria and her family and the GPS family, through this senseless loss. LP

Guelph Police Service Media Release

Death of on duty Guelph police officer

On Thursday March 14th 2013 shortly after 12:30 a.m., an on duty Guelph Police Service Constable was enroute to assist at a call for service in a marked police cruiser travelling north on Imperial Road South. At that time the police cruiser crossed the center line of the roadway and struck a Guelph Transit bus near the entrance to the West End Recreational Center.

Guelph Police Service units, Guelph Wellington Emergency Medical Services and the Guelph Fire Department attended to the scene to provide emergency care and assistance for the officer and the driver of the Guelph Transit bus. The police constable was alone in her cruiser and suffered serious injuries. Guelph Fire extracted the officer from the cruiser.
The driver of the Guelph Transit bus was transported to the Guelph General Hospital where she was treated for minimal injuries and released. There were no passengers on the city bus at the time of the collision.

Sadly, 26 year old Police Constable Jennifer KOVACH was pronounced deceased at the Guelph General Hospital. Constable Kovach’s next of kin have been notified.
Members of the Guelph Police Service Traffic unit are leading the investigation into the collision with the assistance of other units including the Forensic Identification Unit and in partnership with the Coroner’s office.

This is a sad and tragic day for the Police Service and the City of Guelph. Constable Kovach exemplified the values of our service and was committed to making a difference. Jennifer was fulfilling her dream as a police officer and we will forever remember her zest for life, her strong sense of adventure and her gregarious smile that brightened all our lives.

If anyone witnessed the event or has information in relation to it, please contact Cst. Kaut at 519-824-1212, voicemail 7480.

All media inquiries related to the death of Cst. Kovach should be directed through the Guelph Police Service, Public Information Officer, Cst. Mike Gatto at extension 7253.

I Love By-Laws – Part 2

Part One click here.

The 1850 – 1880s must have been an interesting time in Guelph.  The transformation from a town of 3,000 to a city of over 10,000 came with significant financial, social and cultural change.   Guelph was given the power to enact by-laws  in 1851, the railroad arrived in 1856, major industry was booming (Raymonds Sewing Machines, Bell Organs, Guelph Wire and Spring, Colonial Dresses, Sleeman Breweries to name a few).  Agriculture was central to everything and the Ontario Agricultural College was founded in 1874.   Growth was rampant and the need to invest in infrastructure was critical.  Demand for macadamized roads, sidewalks, storm sewers, water works infrastructure, firefighting, and policing had never been greater.  Macdonell Street was nicknamed “whiskey alley” and commerce was brisk.

The by-laws enacted between 1850 – 1880 reflect this reality.  I sympathize with the Council of the day, because the only way to pay for this level of rapid growth would have been taxes and debt.  Taxes paid for annual operating expenses and debt was used to invest in capital growth-related projects.   Glancing through the book of Consolidated By-laws of the City of Guelph, it is startling how many by-laws were enacted for the purpose of issuing debentures to pay for growth.

By-law No. 14 (1851):   “for the assessment of taxes.”

By-law No. 30 (1853):   “to raise a loan of £375, repayabe in equal installments extending over three years.”

By-law No. 32 (1853):   “to authorize the raising of a loan for £1,000, redeemable in ten years.”

By-law No. 56 (1856):   “to authorize the issuing of debentures to the amount of £6,000 for the purpose of building a market house”  (Town/City Hall at 59 Carden Street)

By-law No. 59 (1856):   “to authorize the issuing of debentures to the amount of £1,750 for the purpose of purchasing a site for a market house.” (and Town Hall)

By-law No. 67 (1857):   “to authorize the issuing of debentures to the amount of £5,000 for completing the market house.” (and Town Hall)

Issuing debentures for large projects continued through the 1870-80s:

Central School:  $20,000 (1874)

Improvements to streets and highways: $30,000 (1877)

New School House: $18,000 (1878)

Guelph High School: $7,000 (1878)

Water Works: $75,000 (1878)

New Public School: $15,000 (1879)

Completion of Water Works: $25,000 (1879)

Random by-laws authorizing the issuance of debentures of $10,000 each appear throughout the 1880s without a specific project attached.

Stay tuned for the next instalment — a day in the life of the Police Chief!  

Leanne