Present: Lisa Furrie, Iain Wood, Ron Poirier, Maeve McMahon, Morris Rothman, Mary McIninch, David Perkins, Darlene Charron, Brenda Quinlan, Chris McCann, Melanie Cave
The meeting was called to order at 6:36pm.
Welcome
Iain welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Approval of the agenda
Mary put forward a motion to accept the agenda; Ron seconded the motion.
Approval of the previous meeting’s minutes
Brenda put forward a motion to accept the agenda; Melanie seconded the motion.
Business arising from previous minutes
There was no business arising from the minutes.
New business
Cash in Lieu of Parkland (CILP) Funds
Mary explained that funds are available from the city every year for communities to purchase new park equipment or fund other new park-related initiatives. After speaking to a city employee, Mary said she was directed to a representative from a company called Henderson Play Equipment. Mary met this representative at the Dalhousie South Park and they examined the existing playground equipment, which was installed in 1995. This equipment is in very poor condition, particularly the coil ride-on structures, teeter-totter and slide. The representative suggested that all of the existing equipment be replaced and that the existing excavated park area be re-engineered with wood chips. As this work would not meet the CILP criteria, Mary recommended that GACA ask the city to refurbish the park sooner than the current schedule of 2017. With this in mind, the Glebe Community Association (GCA) Parks Committee drafted a motion at its January meeting describing the current state of the park equipment and requesting a list of all the city parks currently scheduled for refurbishment in 2014. If there is one park on that list that is in better shape than Dalhousie South, GACA would be in a position to challenge the list and request that Dalhousie South be moved up the schedule. Mary added that the GCA Parks Committee has been very helpful and has embraced this issue.
Action: Mary will try to access a copy of the report from the last park inspection.
Other Park-Related Business
Mary told the group that there is a quite complicated grants process that GACA could access through the city.
Action: Anyone interested in pursuing this grant process should bring information to the next GACA Board meeting.
Graffiti Management
Graffiti is often viewed as a “gateway” crime, Mary said. She added that this issue could be raised with our Community Police Officer.
Action: Iain will discuss this issue with Peggy and bring it forward to the next Board meeting.
WISE
Action: An update on the status of the final WISE report will be brought forward to the next Board meeting.
Executive Positions
The following individuals were elected to the Board Executive at the December gathering of the Board:
- President: Sylva Milne
- Vice-President: Iain Wood
- Treasurer: Chris McCann
- Secretary: Lisa Furrie
Iain added that there are a number of existing committees that people can become involved with. Individuals can also spearhead the formation of a new committee.
City of Ottawa Planning Course
Morris, Ron and Melanie were all interested in receiving more information about the city planning course.
Action: Iain will send them the link to the course information.
FCA meeting
Iain reported on the December FCA meeting, saying that FCA will be putting pressure on the city to urge them to consult properly on the city’s master planning document.
Snow Bank/Street Reporters
The GCA has started a program where residents report on the state of individual streets throughout the winter. It is looking for volunteers.
Action: Ron will get more information and might sign up to report on McLean Street.
Darlene urged everyone to call 311 to report issues with the neighbourhood.
Skating Rink at Dalhousie South Park
Iain wondered if there was interest in asking the city about putting in a skating rink at Dalhousie South Park. It would require volunteers to maintain the ice. The city would also have to install a water source in the park and might have to improve the lighting.
Action: Iain will investigate what GACA would have to do to have a rink in the park next winter.
Upcoming Municipal Elections
Iain said that it is important for GACA to develop a statement regarding development (that we are pro development as long as it is in keeping with the neighbourhood) and to post it on the Association website. As well, as the election gets closer, GACA should develop a strategy for engaging with the candidates.
David suggested doing a media scan and posting links to related articles on the GACA website.
Lisa suggested developing a brief community-specific questionnaire for candidates and to post their responses on the GACA website. Iain added that we could ask the community to input into the development of the questions.
Fire in the Community
After discussing the recent fire on Cambridge Street, the Board said it would be good to have a Board representative who could contact affected individuals to see if there is anything that the Association could do to help. We could solicit donations through the GACA website and our mailing list, if necessary. Melanie suggested that we could contact the Red Cross or Salvation Army to see how GACA could assist these organizations in the event of fires, etc. in our community.
Action: Iain will contact the GCA to see how it handles these types of incidents. Melanie will contact the Red Cross and Salvation Army to see how GACA could be of assistance.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 7:43 p.m.
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