Next Municipal Election - Oct 27, 2014 - contenders

[S-Man]

Oh, and hat's off to McC for his apt description of Kitchissippi ward!

No one has mentioned Bay Ward here, but I'd have been happy to see Alex Cullen take back his seat (lost it by less than 500 votes). The guy is fearless and doesn't shy away from stating what he feels. It would have been good to see him be a thorn in Watson's side.

After all, who else will volunteer to take on that role, especially given how prickly Watson can get when he's 'displeased'?

[Dado]

Originally Posted by S-Man

As for Leiper, it could be true he'll have a rough go, but I think that unless we see an influx of tall condo proposals like those of a few years ago (NONE of which have been built, or probably ever will), the community's feelings for him might not switch so suddenly.

Even if they did, I'm sure he'd master the art of demonizing his predecessor, much like he did with the incumbent during the election.

On the development front, Hobbs got a raw deal. The condo influx, which started on the tail end of Leadman's reign (and contributed to her ousting, despite her failed attempts to stop anything from happening in her ward), fell mainly on the shoulders of Hobbs. No councillor has veto power, and a reasonable person could put themselves in he position and ask "What could anyone have done?"

Her "raw deal" was of her own making: she won the election on a wave of developer donations. For all intents and purposes, she was a one term sacrificial lamb for the developers who largely funded her. Her defeat in this election was practically a built-in certainty the moment that the donation list was published after the last election. That card has been played and it's not going to work ever again. It's possible someone can defeat Lieper next time around, but not with developer donations.

I would say there were a number of improvements that occurred in the ward thanks to her, and that influx of condos? Where are they? No towers going up on Parkdale, none on Somerset, just the low-to-mid rises along Wellington-Richmond. The neighbourhoods look an awful lot like it did 4 years ago.

A lot of have been approved in Westboro: the ones on McRae now under construction, a half-block sized condo development has been approved at Kirkwood and Richmond, and there's a 24 storey tower to start near the Rogers studio/Dominion Station area.

There's also the failed proposal along the Transitway between Churchill and Roosevelt (which included a proposed neighbourhood "improvement" in the form of a chicane on Roosevelt in front of a property which had already been converted into a semi and thus was unavailable for such improvement at the time it was proposed due to its driveways ). Proposals have been submitted for two more condos in Westboro, one near the LCBO and one roughly north of the MEC. I believe there's also some proposals for at least one of the used car lots at Island Park and Richmond, in addition to the one on the northeast corner in West Wellington that is before the OMB.

I don't tour the rest of the ward enough to know what's going on there, but that's a fair bit in Westboro alone. We're probably approaching saturation point in Westboro as the number of properties available is starting to dry up.

Anyway, timing is everything. In a ward that experiences no change, you can have a term-over-term dynasty. In a place that changes rapidly, you get rapid councillor turnover like we've seen in Kitchissippi.

The bus detour-LRT trench business is the most likely to affect Leiper, as those issues have not yet come to pass. If you campaign on the typical platform of 'vote for me and I'll make it better' and you can't deliver on it, the public won't care that you're a different councillor than the last.

I think Leiper has to make the case that this isn't just a Kitchissippi issue. The way we design and convert transitways is going to create these same issues elsewhere as time goes on. Kitchissippi just happens to be the first place (and second, with Phase II - just wait for the shitstorm when it comes to diverting buses around or through Westboro) where it will happen.

[1overcosc]

I sense that Leiper & Nussbaum will be irritants to Watson. Aubin, Cullen, and Patton, if elected, would have been the same.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Dado

I think Leiper has to make the case that this isn't just a Kitchissippi issue. The way we design and convert transitways is going to create these same issues elsewhere as time goes on. Kitchissippi just happens to be the first place (and second, with Phase II - just wait for the shitstorm when it comes to diverting buses around or through Westboro) where it will happen.

I do wonder how the heck they're going to do the transitway diversion between Tunney's and Dominion. They could easily have buses access Tunney's station from the north and move them onto the Parkway, resulting in:
-Dominion being moved a bit so it would stop along both sides of the parkway; the 'slip lane' would become a pedestrian crossing instead
-Westboro station would be closed. A bit problematic, but could be addressed with temporary boosts to local service in the area.

It's the simplest solution but it may massively piss off the Scott Street NIMBYs who will be infuriated that the city made the Scott Streeters east of Tunneys have a bus diversion, but those west didn't have to.

Another option which would be easy but could potentially lead to an insane NIMBY explosion would be to have buses use Scott->Churchill->Workman with a temporary extension of Workman to the Parkway but that would be so bad that the OMB probably wouldn't even allow it.

[Dado]

Since I live in that neighbourhood, I had figured out ages ago that Workman was a "viable" option to the problem they faced. It's also one of the reasons I long ago supported extending LRT in Phase I clear to Lincoln Fields because then a solution has to be found for diversion around the entire section, not half of it then the other half.

The OMB would have nothing to do with it - such a plan would have to go through an EA and the MoE is the relevant authority in that regard, as is the CEA as it touches NCC lands.

One reason I think we should very seriously look at an O-Train extension to Barrhaven via the VIA line is for the purpose of simply cutting down outright the number of buses that have to be diverted, at all. It doesn't eliminate or solve the fundamental problem, but it does make it smaller.

[S-Man]

It'll be a shitstorm all right.

Another issue Leiper must follow through on is the expenditure of extra tens of millions of dollars to completely bury a short segment of western LRT in an area with a high water table so residents backing onto the river don't freak out. It's something like the cost of an entire extra LRT line leg somewhere else to pull this off.

Hobbs told people what they didn't want to hear on that issue (given that extra money had already been allocated to it), so it's Leiper's job to convinve the city that a small group of residents in his ward are more important than entire other neighbourhoods elsewhere who would have their transit project pushed back or cancelled in order to free up the cash.

And, from what I read, the Scott street people want the transitway converted simultaneously with buses running down it, to avoid detours. So, they want LRT, but not any of the annoyances that will come with getting a transit upgrade.

I'd hate to be the person trying to keep these people happy. Frankly, it seems like a thankless chore. But, you'll net $96,000 a year doing it, so there's that perk.

[Dado]

Well, as it happens, I wrote my Master's project on how to convert the Transitway to light rail. I even got an award for it

There are definitely a few ways to minimize conversion disruption, both its extent and its duration, that the City isn't considering. In particular, it would be possible to maintain peak direction bus traffic on the Transitway for quite some time, perhaps even for the entire duration.


On the tunnelling issue, from my perspective no party in this comes off smelling roses. The local NIMBYs are backed up by the NCC on this one, unfortunately. But then the City largely opened the door on this tunnelling nonsense by (1) proposing to tunnel the line under Richmond further west and (2) dogmatically insisting on complete grade separation of what is supposedly a "light" rail line. The NCC can quite properly ask "why is it so important to bury this line under Richmond rather than having it occupy an old tramway corridor but not bury it on NCC lands?". The NCC could be forgiven for coming to the conclusion that the City regards City-owned lands as being more important than NCC-owned lands. Furthermore, the insistence on complete grade separation means that the line becomes a barrier to pedestrians if at grade, so where Calgary or Edmonton would just slap down a few pedestrian crossing gates and call it a day, here we have to argue over how many and where pricey pedestrian overpasses would go, and what they would look like, and on and on it goes.

Hobbs, unfortunately, didn't challenge the City's transportation planning engineers on either of these counts, and she herself acquiesced to NIMBYs on the Richmond tunnelling issue despite the fact that precious few people in her ward would even be affected (the ward border is like 200 m from where the line would enter the Richmond corridor, and they're all renters or condo dwellers to boot).

[rocketphish]

Taxpayers on hook for $326K in councillors' severances

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Sunday, November 09, 2014 10:04 PM EST | Updated: Sunday, November 09, 2014 10:11 PM EST

Eight outgoing councillors could collectively pocket $326,773 in severance pay when they leave City Hall at the end of the month.

The city offers a "transition allowance" for any council member not returning next term.

That goes for the six councillors who didn't seek re-election and the two who were defeated in the Oct. 27 vote.

The payout is equal to one month's salary for each consecutive year served on council to a maximum of six months.

Rainer Bloess, Steve Desroches, Diane Holmes, Peter Hume, Maria McRae and Doug Thompson are eligible to each receive $46,998.98 in severance.

Hume can collect an extra $24,500 from his days on regional council and Thompson is entitled to another $20,280 from his time on Osgoode Twp. council.

Peter Clark and Katherine Hobbs, who were defeated in the election, are entitled to $31,333.12 each, the equivalent of four months of salary.

They were elected in 2010.

The city's policy says the transition allowance doesn't apply if outgoing politicians are returning to jobs where they were employed before serving on council.

Staff of outgoing councillors are also eligible for severance pay, since their employment often ends with the changes in political offices.

The amount of severance to be paid to political staff has not yet been determined.

Staff have 45 calendar days from the end of this term to say if they want severance pay. They can't double-dip; that is, take a severance while working another job.

The new council will be sworn in Dec 1.

Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/11/09/...ors-severances

[rocketphish]

New Ottawa city council to be sworn in Monday night
7 p.m. ceremony at Centrepointe Theatre to feature 8 new faces on council

CBC News Posted: Dec 01, 2014 8:16 AM ET Last Updated: Dec 01, 2014 10:06 AM ET

A new political term begins at Ottawa city council starting Monday, as returning mayor Jim Watson and 23 city councillors will be sworn in this evening at a ceremony at Centrepointe Theatre.

The new council officially began its term at midnight on Dec. 1 and will get down to business on Wednesday for a special council meeting to approve the 2014-2018 council governance review — essentially the framework for how the council will make decisions over the next four years.

Eight councillors will begin their first term at city hall:

• Jody Mitic in Innes, who replaces Rainer Bloess.
• George Darouze in Osgoode, who replaces Doug Thompson.
• Michael Qaqish in Gloucester-South Nepean, who replaces Steve Desroches.
• Jean Cloutier in Alta Vista, who replaces Peter Hume.
• Catherine McKenney in Somerset, who replaces Diane Holmes.
• Riley Brockington in River, who replaces Maria McRae.
• Jeff Leiper in Kitchissippi, who defeated Katherine Hobbs.
• Tobi Nussbaum in Rideau-Rockcliffe, who defeated Peter Clark.

For some, like McKenney, who worked for her predecessor Holmes, as well as Alex Munter and deputy city manager Steve Kanellakos, city hall is familiar.

But she said it was only late last week, during instruction on the automated voting system in the council chamber, that her new role started to seem real.

"Just to see my name on that list of voters, I thought here we go, the training wheels are coming off," she said.
Busy December ahead

After this week's council meeting, another regular meeting is scheduled for next week, and council members will be busy sorting out committee and board memberships before Christmas.

Councillors will then have to weigh in on the budget, with mayor Watson looking for councillor support for his plan to cap property tax increases at two per cent.

Appearing on Ottawa Morning Monday, McKenney, Darouze and Cloutier all said they are willing to work with the mayor but say they want to see what that two per cent cap means to services before signing on.

On Monday evening, however, the focus will be on the ceremony.

Leiper said he's looking forward to it.

"I think it's going to be a little bit overwhelming. A lot of gratitude. I'll have something like 30 guests who are coming into the room to watch me be sworn in, and it's going to be a celebration for all of us."

Mayor Jim Watson drew jeers from some quarters four years ago when he went the frugal route and invited Tim Hortons to sponsor the after-party.

The source of Monday night's refreshments remains a closely guarded secret, even to city councillors. The ceremony begins at 7 p.m.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...ight-1.2855792

[1overcosc]

Exact numbers for ward-by-ward mayoral results are out. I calculated the % who voted Watson for each one. Watson not only won every single ward, he got an absolute majority in every single ward, too. His worst performance was in Rideau-Goulbourn and even there he got 58.6% of the vote. His biggest support was in the inner city and in Orleans. He got over 80% in every single urban ward, and in both of the main Orleans wards too.

Capital 84.1%
Kitchissippi 83.4%
Somerset 82.5%
Innes 81.9%
Rideau-Rockcliffe 80.8%
Orléans 80.7%
Rideau-Vanier 80.6%
Beacon Hill-Cyrville 79.2%
Alta Vista 79.1%
Cumberland 78.7%
River 77.8%
Kanata North 76.8%
Knoxdale-Merivale 73.6%
Gloucester-Southgate 76.5%
Bay 76.3%
Gloucester-South Nepean 74.9%
College 74.5%
Barrhaven 74.1%
Kanata South 73.8%
Stittsville 68.5%
West Carleton-March 63.0%
Osgoode 59.9%
Rideau-Goulbourn 58.6%

[rocketphish]

Deans, Harder among new committee chairs recommended

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: December 9, 2014, Last Updated: December 9, 2014 2:49 PM EST

Veteran Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder has been tapped to chair Ottawa’s planning committee.

The recommendation was among several considered when a nominating committee struck to appoint councillors to standing committees, boards and municipal organizations for this term of council met on Tuesday.

Council will vote on all the recommendations at Wednesday’s meeting.

Harder has served as vice-chair of the powerful committee since 2006 and now steps into the job held since 2003 by Peter Hume. The former Alta Vista councillor retired in November.

Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney will serve as vice-chair.

Orléans Coun. Bob Monette and Bay Coun. Mark Taylor have been named deputy mayors, a ceremonial post that automatically lands them seats on the finance committee.

Innes Coun. Jody Mitic was named the city’s first sports commissioner. Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury and Alta Vista Coun. Jean Cloutier will head up Ottawa’s organizing committee for Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017.

Fleury will also chair the board of the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation, while Cloutier, a chartered accountant, will be the vice-chair of the audit committee. Kanata South Coun. Allan Hubley will chair the audit committee.

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans will chair the community and protective services committee; River Coun. Riley Brockington will be vice-chair.

Deans previously chaired that committee from 2003 to 2010, but was most recently the chair of the transit commission. That job will now be held by Cumberland Coun. Stephen Blais (Gloucester-South Nepean Coun. Michael Qaqish will be vice-chair).

Capital Coun. David Chernushenko will chair the environment committee, with College Coun. Rick Chiarelli serving as his vice-chair.

Keith Egli will remain chair of the transportation committee; Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney will be vice-chair.

The only rookie selected to chair a committee is Tobi Nussbaum. The Rideau-Rockcliffe councillor will head up the built heritage subcommittee.

Rideau-Goulbourn Coun. Scott Moffatt will chair the agriculture and rural affairs committee.

As for various boards:

• Eli El-Chantiry (West Carleton-March) will remain chair of the Ottawa police services board.
• Tierney will chair the Ottawa Public Library Board.
• Shad Qadri (Stittsville) will chair the Ottawa Board of Health and Crime Prevention Ottawa.
• Marianne Wilkinson (Kanata North) will chair the Ottawa Community Lands Development Corp.

mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...rs-recommended

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Veteran Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder has been tapped to chair Ottawa’s planning committee.

Somebody (who needs to change their online handle) sure is bitter...get over it, you lost, the voters didn't want you. Refer to comments at the bottom of the article.


http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...rs-recommended

[silvergate]

https://www.ted.com/talks/alessandra...y_let_s_fix_it

Some food for thought on citizen engagement in municpal affairs. While the speaker is talking about Rio, I think the low voter turnout in Ottawa means we should be exploring every avenue to increase interest at all levels of politics.

[JeffB]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Somebody (who needs to change their online handle) sure is bitter...get over it, you lost, the voters didn't want you. Refer to comments at the bottom of the article.


http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...rs-recommended

Not sure why you need to have an "urban" councilor overseeing public health. Are rural people unhealthy?