GCA Board Meeting Agenda
Tuesday,April 26, 7:00 p.m. at the Glebe Community Centre
Chair: Christine McAllister
Secretary and Timekeeper: Sylvie Legros
Administrative / Speaker / Lead / TimeApproval of the agenda and March minutes / Christine McAllister / 5 minutes / 7:00-7:05
Presidents Report
- Announcements
- AGM Thursday June 16th, Scotton Hall
- Nominations update
- Updated Director’s manual
Christine McAllister
Sharon Chartier
Sharon Chartier / 25 minutes / 7:05-7:30
Comments/Issues from the community / All / 10 minutes / 7:30–7:40
Councillor’s Update / David Chernushenko / 20 minutes / 7:40-8:00
Committees with motions/seeking approval / 5motions to pass so far / 20 minutes / 8:00-8:20
Motion 1 – Planning Committee Mandate (Carolyn MacKenzie)
The GCA, as part of a larger Strategic Planning exercise, is reviewing its mandate. In that light, it is probably appropriate to review the Planning Committee mandate.
- To provide the Glebe Community with information related to the Planning Requirements of theCity of Ottawa and to act on the Community’s or members’ behalves as required.
- To participate in the City of Ottawa Planning processes related to the changes being undertaken to Zoning Regulations.
- To act as the Glebe’s expert resource for the neighbourhood implementation of the Ontario Planning Act.
Role
The Planning Committee advises the GCA board on issues related to planning and development in the Glebe.
Mandate
The mandate of the Planning Committee is to:
- Monitor development proposals for conformity with principles and policies adopted by the GCA board.
- Work proactively with residents and other stakeholders to develop community supported positions regarding proposed planning and development activities
- Recommend policy positions to the GCA board on planning issues, following community consultation, analysis, and discussion with public bodies, developers and other stakeholders;
- Communicate GCA views and positions by making representations to the City and other public bodies, development stakeholders
- Support the Glebe Community by providing information related to the Planning processes of the City of Ottawa
- Promote dialog and discussion and provide information regarding planning issues impacting the Glebe neighbourhood
Be it resolved that the GCA adopt the following mandate for the Tenants' Committee:
The GCA Tenant’s Committee seeks to represent and engage tenants within the Glebe neighbourhood and increase their involvement throughout every level of the GCA. In addition, the Tenant’s Committee seeks to educate tenants regarding tenancy and promote a liveable, sustainable neighbourhood for tenants of all economic demographics.
Motion 3 – Introduction of a new area – Lansdowne B (Christine McAllister)
Whereas there is a need to reduce the size of the current Area 5B Lansdowne Quadrant (Third to Holmwood, Bank to the Canal), for membership canvassing and resident engagement purposes;
Therefore be it resolved that the GCA establish a new area, Area 5C Lansdowne Quadrant, (south of Fifth to Lansdowne Park, Bank to the Canal) be established and that the boundaries for Area 5B are changed to Third to Fifth, Bank to the Canal).
Motion 4 – Disbanding the Lansdowne Committee (Christine McAllister)
Whereas the residents in Area 5C bear the greatest impact of the Lansdowne Park development;
Therefore be it resolved that the Lansdowne Committee now be disbanded and its responsibilities be transferred to the new Area Representative.
Committee notices, issues for input and Q&A / - Environment Committee: Environmental Stewardship – GGGS (Judith Slater) and Fossil Fuels/City of Ottawa Endowment Fund – issues briefing (Lenore Fahrig)
-Planning Committee: Beer store location (Carolyn Mackenzie)
-Planning Committee: Parklet update (Carolyn Mackenzie)
-Parks Committee: - removal of trees from Exploration Garden (Elizabeth Ballard) / 25 minutes / 8:20-8:55
Other business / All / 5 minutes / 8:55 – 9:00
Adjournment / All / 9:00
COMMITTEE REPORTS
President’s Report (Christine McAllister)
GCA’s Annual General Meeting, June 16th
This year’s AGM will take place on Thursday, June 16th in Scotton Hall at the Community Centre. In addition to the business of presenting our financial statements and electing a new Board, we also host a wine and cheese and invite the community to listen to a guest speaker. It is time to start planning the AGM for this year and so I am looking for volunteers to undertake the following tasks:
- Undertake advertising to the community through our regular channels (develop a flyer/information for email distribution, website, Facebook, Twitter and the Glebe Report);
- Organize a liquor license and purchase alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks;
- Organize food purchase or donation;
- Identify and book a guest speaker;
- Set-up and clean-up.
Revamped GCA Website-
Many thanks to Elspeth Tory who has successfully designed and launched the GCA website. Designed on Wordpress, the new website offers a great amount of functionality: committee chairs will be able to update their own pages simply, comment forms for site visitors are available (I have already received a number of comments), meetings are better positioned on the front page and there are multiple ways of finding the information visitors might be looking for. Along with the website redesign, Elspeth updated the colours on our logo and provided Wordpress training to committee chairs who were able to attend.
Not all of the information from the old website has been transferred yet (hopefully over the summer), but it is all still accessible. I suspect there will be small, evolutionary changes over the next while as we get accustomed to posting our own information and making it a vibrant website. Our next steps are to make online membership a reality. If you have any comments or suggestions, please forward them to me. Thanks Elspeth for a great tool to better engage our community!
Kayak/Canoe Launch
Many of you will have seen the GCA/Old Ottawa East Community Association letter posted on our website. This has generated a great amount of response, with news articles in Metro News and the Ottawa Citizen, a radio interview on CFRA and mention in Majic 100 news and a CTV news clip. In addition, there have been Tweets and emails received from many people supporting the idea. Catherine McKenna has stated her support publicly. I would like to congratulate the Parks Committee for their work on this initiative – it seems to be one with lots of community support.
Lansdowne Committee and Lansdowne Area – motion background
As people have begun moving into the residential areas of Lansdowne, some semblance of normalcy seems to have returned, albeit to a new normal. Board members have talked over the past few years about ensuring that new residents in Lansdowne are welcomed as part of the Glebe Community and into the GCA. One way to ensure this is through our annual membership drive, when all residents are invited to join.
These residences have until now been included as part of Area 5B Lansdowne Quadrant (Third to Holmwood, Bank to the Canal). This is one of the largest areas throughout the neighbourhood. In fact, approximately ten years ago, it used to be two areas: Third to Fifth and Fifth to Holmwood. Having consulted with Carol Macleod, current Lansdowne Quadrant Area Representative, Ken Slemko, chair of our Lansdowne Committee and some residents from Holmwood and O’Connor, I am recommending to the Board that we re-institute a second area in the Lansdowne Quadrant which would be south of Fifth Avenue to Lansdowne Park; Bank to the Canal, and that we search for an Area Representative for the 2016/17 Board.
Following discussions with Ken, and given that daily activity from Lansdowne Park is now better known, with intermittent and fewer Lansdowne-related issues, and the direct impact on residents nearest to Lansdowne Park, I also recommend that the Lansdowne Committee be disbanded and its responsibilities be transferred to the new Area Representative.
(Motions are in the Motions section)
Planning Committee (Carolyn Mackenzie)
Planning report possibly issued this weekend as public meeting on Beer Store location held on Thursday night.
GCA Environment Committee (Angela Keller-Herzog)
Report on the Thursday night meeting coming shortly
Board of Directors Manual (Sharon Chartier)
A summary of changes coming shortly.
E-MOTIONS DURING THE MONTH (for information only)
The following e-motion was passed during the month
Health and Social Services Committee (Sarah Viehbeck)
Scope of programming
Specialized programmingaimed at social participation, sport and recreation activities, applied English as a Second Language training, and development of skills relevant to re-settlement and possible future employment.
Timing
The programming would run from mid-July to mid-Augustfrom9-3pm,Mondayto Thursday.
How many families would benefit?
Approximately 10new arrival families (father; mother; assumption of average 3 children/family). These families may or may not live in the Glebe. This couldinclude the current families who arrived this winter and are living in the neighbourhood and centre town.
Would this be open to any new arrival families?
Yes.No preference will be given to families brought by any specific sponsorship group in the city.
How could this be promoted?
Several people at the GCA meeting in March offered suggestions, including through several refugee sponsorship groups and churches.
Would this be a permanent program for GNAG?
No, not likely. This is intended to meet a targeted need for new arrival families.
Would this program displace anyone from the existing GNAG subsidy waitlist?
No.
Would only Glebe families be eligible?
No. GNAG programming serves families that live within and outside of the Glebe. Sponsor families that are in the Glebe are supporting resettlement of families, though many are not likely to settle in the Glebe (mainly due to housing costs), though would know people in the Glebe.
Could the GCA funding be specifically targeted to refugee new arrival families?
Yes, GNAG has this capacity.
Would the GCA be the only funder?
No.GNAGsubsidies would benefit some families, however their subsidy program does not have sufficient resources for all. This would be where GCA support would go.
What would a GCA contribution support?
The GCA funding of $5,000 would support staffing for programming delivery and subsidies for those participating in the programming.
MOTION FROM THE GCA HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE RE: SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMMING FOR NEW ARRIVAL FAMILIES
Whereas the Glebe Community Association (GCA) has set aside funding to support community initiatives.
Whereas supporting new arrival families from Syria and other countries and their successful re-settlement is an activity consistent with the GCA interests in creating a welcoming, liveable, and more vibrant community.
Whereas the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group (GNAG) is a valued partner of the GCA.
Whereas GNAG has the ability to accept and target funds to specialized programming for new arrival families and to deliver those programs through effective and efficient means, including but not limited to programming aimed at social participation, sport and recreation activities, applied English as a Second Language training, and development of skills relevant to re-settlement and possible future employment.
The Health and Social Services Committee of the GCA moves that the GCA allocates up to $5,000 to GNAG for targeted funding aimed at fully or partially supporting the participation of new arrival families in targeted and/or integrated programming aimed at supporting their re-settlement in the Glebe or other Ottawa neighbourhoods.
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