December Newsletter 2019

December 2019 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

Happy December!

Winter is (almost) officially upon us and though the year is winding down, our office is keeping busy with consultations, winter maintenance, the 2020 budget, and so much more! As we get the first taste of this season’s snow, our number priority for winter maintenance will be to keep residents safe and the transportation network accessible.  This winter, we will be positively impacted by the City’s change of area boundaries to better address the unique needs of our community.  The City will also maintain sidewalks 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in accordance with current Council-approved maintenance quality standards and will improve communications with residents about winter maintenance.

My staff and I would like to wish you a peaceful and joyful holiday season, and a happy New Year. I’d also like to extend my thanks to everyone who has supported me over the past months as I get more comfortable in my position as City Councillor – I hope to continue to work hard for all the residents of Rideau-Rockcliffe in the new year.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since taking office in April 2019, I’ve been working hard to achieve the goals I promised when running for city councillor.  My staff and I have been working with residents, community associations, city staff, and other councillors to create change within our community.  I’m extremely proud of what we’ve managed to accomplish this year.

• Voted in favor of successful motion to declare a climate emergency in the City of Ottawa.
• Established a Ward Council that includes representatives from each community association that meets quarterly.
• Voted in favor of a successful transit fare freeze until the launch of Ottawa's new light rail system.
• Approved $246,500 to build Lola Park in Overbrook.
• Secured $40,000 in crime prevention funding to support neighbourhood safety programming in Overbrook.
• Successfully advocated for the introduction of a neighbourhood policing pilot project in Overbrook.
• Secured a $10.3 million investment in Wateridge Village for affordable housing.
• Proposed and secured the creation of an Anti-Racism Secretariat for the City of Ottawa.
• Voted in favor of successful new restrictions on short-term rental accommodations.
• Assisted with installing commemorative street signs for Lindenlea’s 100 anniversary.
• Setback zoning changes for Rockcliffe Park Conservation District scheduled for 2020.

Visit https://www.rideau-rockcliffe.ca/householder_en_2019 to see more!

We will continue to work tirelessly through 2020 to reach more of our goals.

CITY HALL UPDATES

City of Ottawa Budget 2020

I’m very happy and proud to announce that in City of Ottawa’s 2020 Draft Budget, all the key priorities that I asked for have been considered. As this is the first budget I have been a part of, this is a great accomplishment for my office, and for the community. We have been listening to you, and have been able to advocate for the things you’ve identified as important to you, your families, and your neighbourhood.

Should Council approve this budget this month, the Anti-Racism Secretariat will receive $210,000, which will help to establish a policy unit at the City of Ottawa to address systemic racism in our community. In addition, $500,000 in transition funding would be approved which will support the community funding framework, and $180,000 for Building Better Revitalized Neighbourhoods, a program to improve the health and livability of priority neighbourhoods.

Also, City-wide there would be $7.5 million investment for bus service, including 19 new buses, $2 million for increased Para Transpo service, and a three-month freeze on all transit fares.

If you are interested in the full budget, the draft is available here:

https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/budget/2020-detailed-budget-information

Rental Accommodation Study Update

At Council last week, I voted to increase regulations for short-term rental accommodations. This is a crucial step to address issues of housing affordability and availability, as well as property standards enforcement.

The new short-term accommodation framework means:

• Residents will be able to rent out their primary residence for short-term accommodation. Renting out a secondary or investment property for short-term accommodation will continue to be illegal, except in rural areas.
• In the rural areas, secondary suites, coach houses, cottages and vacation homes will be able to be rented out for short periods.
• People renting out their properties for short-term accommodation will need to get a permit from the City, provide information to the City on their listings and to their guests on legal parking, solid waste disposal and other site-related requirements. The City will use money raised through the new registration and permit fees, and from the municipal accommodations tax, to enforce the rules.
• Residents will only be able to list short-term rentals that have received a permit, and the City’s permit number will have to be included in all listings.
• Additional by-law staff will be hired to enforce the rules. The City will also look into creating a public online database of property standards violations so tenants can look up properties they are interested in renting.

Residential Fourth Density (R4) Zoning Review

To help improve housing affordability, the R4 Zoning Review will explore zoning changes to enable a wider range of low-rise, multi-unit infill housing in R4-zoned neighbourhoods, while respecting compatibility and context sensitive design.

This review will seek to fill a "missing middle" range of affordable mid-density infill housing suitable to a wide range of household types, incomes and tenures, as directed by the Official Plan.

Zoning is the main tool that cities use to guide land development. Zoning establishes how big and how tall buildings can be, where they can be located on the lot, and what uses buildings and land may be put to. The City of Ottawa is divided into different areas or "zones," where the City allows different kinds of development. The so-called Residential zones, where only housing is allowed, is further divided into several classes of residential zone (R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5,) depending on what kinds and densities of housing are intended to be allowed. The R1 zone allows only detached houses (single family homes); the R5 zone allows mid-rise and high-rise apartment buildings; and the others allow buildings. The R4 zone is the main zone intended to allow low-rise buildings (i.e., no more than four storeys) and with four or more units: in other words, walk-up apartment buildings.

The R4 Review will encourage a wider range of housing types than is practical under the current zoning. Doing so will meet the needs of a broad range of household types and budgets, including families. In particular, the new rules will encourage two- and in some cases three-bedroom units, at a cost that more families can afford.

People choose where to raise families based on their own needs and preferences, but the R4 Review will provide more housing options and make it easier for families to stay in the city if they wish to do so.  Read the latest discussion paper, and send your comments at https://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents/files/r4_zoning_bylaw_review_en.pdf

Input on Transportation Master Plan

Ottawa is a growing city, now with more than 1 million people. With growth comes the need to update the Transportation Master Plan, which is the City’s blueprint for the planning, funding, and implementation of its walking, cycling, transit and road networks over the next several decades.

The TMP update will take place in four phases over the next two-and-a-half years with many opportunities for public input.

From December 4 to January 24, you can complete a short online questionnaire about what you consider important for the master plan update.

Fill out the questionnaire and sign up for updates at www.ottawa.ca/TMPUpdate.

Get involved! Transportation planning decisions affect each and every one of us, no matter how you move through the city!

Transit

At the Transit Commission meeting in early November, it was announced that 40 additional buses would be put into service to attempt to address service gaps. The bus assignments were based on feedback and concerns heard by Councillors’ offices and OC Transpo. It was also based on operational data and observations.

In Ward 13, the bus frequency will increase during peak morning hours on routes 12, 15 and 25. During afternoon peak hours, routes 6, 7, 9, 12 and 15 will see bus frequency increases.

The bus routes will continue to be monitored to determine whether wait times and crowding will be reduced as a result of the additional bus implementation. While this remedy should temporarily help, I still believe accessible and reliable transit is critical for our city. I will continue to ask OC Transpo when reliability of transit can be expected and will bring forward your concerns and questions.

WARD UPDATES

Establishing the Rideau River Winter Trail

The Winter Trail along the Rideau River is an amazing opportunity to take advantage of the multi-use pathway year-round.

We are working to put together a team to move from the pilot phase which was in Winter 2018-2019 to make the project a sustainable reality beginning Winter 2019-2020.

This is a project led by my office, Councillor Fleury’s office, the Rideau Sports Centre, the Overbrook and Sandy Hill Community Associations.

We need your help!

Our needs include:

• Volunteer Coordinator
• Maintenance supervisor
• Volunteers (for grooming & trail monitoring)
• A snowmobile
• Equipment to groom (attached to snowmobile)

Let us know if you can help.  Learn more at: http://shorturl.at/lnpY8

Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre is moving!

The Centre is moving from Donald Street to the new Rideau Community Hub at 815 St. Laurent Blvd. This is the former Rideau High School on St. Laurent near McArthur. The centre will be closed from December 23 to January 5 and will start serving clients from the new location on January 6, 2020.

Ward 13 Official Plan Consultation

Join Councillor Rawlson King and talk about the future of our communities. Come and provide input on Ottawa's new Official Plan! Please sign up using this link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ward-13-official-plan-consultation-tickets-83817358977.

When: December 10, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Where: Rockcliffe Park Public School, 350 Buena Vista Road

EVENTS

Lindenlea Children’s Holiday Party

Free holiday party for kids, including activities, crafts and music. All donations will go toward the Robert E. Wilson Public School

When: December 15, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Lindenlea Community Association, 15 Rockcliffe Way

Rockcliffe Park Children’s Christmas Party

Santa and his elves invite all children to come to the Community Hall this Sunday afternoon for horse-drawn sleigh rides, outdoor hockey, a clown who makes balloon animals, gingerbread house decorating, crafts, snacks, hot chocolate and lots of fun. We welcome new, unwrapped toys for needy children and cheques to RRCRC

When: Sunday, December 8, 2 – 4 p.m.

Where: Community Hall, 380 Springfield Rd.

Shoebox Project

This project seeks to collect shoeboxes filled with $50 of quality, newly purchased items, to be delivered to women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Come make a shoebox for local women impacted by homelessness. Snacks and cards provided.

When: December 7^th, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Lindenlea Community Association, 15 Rockcliffe Way

**Can’t make it to the Lindenlea Community Association event? Decorate and fill your box at home, and drop off your completed shoebox between November 12 - December 14, 2019 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Manor Park Community Centre.

Fundraiser for Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre

Come support the great work the Rideau Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre. Tickets include live music, complimentary Prosecco, food and refreshments, and a silent auction.

When: December 6, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: St. Bartholomew’s Church, 125 MacKay St.

Rockcliffe Park Speaker Series

The Impeachment of Donald Trump and the 2020 U.S. Election

Award-winning journalist and best-selling author, Andrew Cohen covered the impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1998 as The Globe and Mail’s correspondent in Washington. This evening, he will reflect on the chaotic presidency of Donald Trump, the process of impeaching and removing a president from office, and what it means for the presidential election of 2020.

When: December 11, 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Where: Community Hall, 380 Springfield Rd

Christmas Tree Lighting and Carol Singing

The Christmas Tree Lighting and Carol Sing is held outside the Community Hall every December for residents and neighbours. The Elmwood choir and the Salvation Army Brass Ensemble of the Ottawa Citadel Band accompany the carol sing and a dignitary lights the huge spruce tree behind the community centre. There is usually a fundraising component to the evening, with items donated to a local charity.

When: December 4, 6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Where: Rockcliffe Park Community Hall

Mayor’s 19th Annual Christmas Celebration

Celebrate the season in the outdoors by roasting marshmallows around a campfire and visiting the eccentric baker in the Gingerbread Bakery on Marion Dewar Plaza. Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus who will arrive from the North Pole and be housed in their very own outdoor cabin. Come ice skate on the Sens Rink of Dreams, take a horse-drawn wagon ride around City Hall, then indulge in delicious BeaverTails for only $2, with all proceeds raised going directly to the Ottawa Food Bank. The fun continues inside in Andrew S. Haydon Hall with a magic show, live science experiments, and a performance from the dynamic Monkey Rock Music! Then don’t forget to stop by the café in Jean Pigott Place to enjoy hot chocolate, assorted juices, cookies, and fresh fruit before making your own craft in Santa’s Workshop.

To help those in need and to share in the spirit of the holiday season, admission to this sponsored event is a donation to the Ottawa Food Bank.

When: December 7, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West

Hot Topics, Hot Coffee at Chartwell New Edinburgh Square

Why not drop by Chartwell New Edinburgh Square’s main floor lounge if you’re in the neighbourhood? The coffee is hot and so are the topics. We have a unique and very special bistro coffee shop with exciting issues thrown in as a bonus.

We meet every Friday morning; discussions range from international news to current and local issues. Residents, guests and occasional special guest speakers follow the polls, enjoy behind-the-scenes intel, consider the latest political intrigue, and will be discussing the riveting presentations by our leaders. Well, at Chartwell New Edinburgh Square, we love stories, and we love to discuss them!

Beechwood Market Christmas Edition

Come out for a celebration with refreshments, Santa, music, hand-crafted jewellery and soaps, beautiful knitwear, handmade wares for holiday giving.  Local makers and bakers of sweet and savoury treats. Something for everyone!

When: Saturday, December 7, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Where: Chartwell New Edinburgh Square

Rally to Save Public Healthcare

The Ontario Health Coalition and the Ottawa Health Coalition are holding a regional public event to save our health care services from cuts, closures and mergers. There will be live music, speakers, noisemakers, visual presentations, hot chocolate, snacks and more!

When: Saturday, December 7, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Where: Lansdowne TD Place Arena