Term of Council Priorities Analysis Draft-V5
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Transcript of Term of Council Priorities Analysis Draft-V5
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 1 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
Term of Council Priorities – What it Means to Our City’s Environmental Protection
Context and Content
This document is an analysis of the City of Ottawa’s 2015‐2018 Term of Council Priorities as relates to
environmental commitments that the city has made in the past. In particular the priorities document is
compared with the 2014 Air Quality and Climate Change Plan. As this analysis makes clear, many of the
city’s promised actions related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, cycling, walkability, public
transit, watersheds, trees, nature conservation, waste, emergency preparedness, etc. all relate to
climate change. This is why the climate plan cuts across so many environmental files, and why the
climate plan is a lens through which a wide range of environmental issues can be advanced. As such, for
those who care about the environment in general, the full implementation of the climate plan clearly
represents the best single way to ensure that the environment is a priority in our city.
The structure of this analysis is:
Summary – Ecology Ottawa’s high‐level assessment of the priorities document
Background
Priorities document structure – a brief description
Priorities document initiatives – each proposed action
o Prior commitments included
o Prior commitments missing
o Performance measures →
o Budget allocations
Summary
This report lays out Ecology Ottawa’s initial assessment of the
proposed Term of Council Priorities, a document outlining what
the mayor and council are planning to prioritize in the coming years. The Term of Council Priorities will
guide city action on issues like healthy watersheds and clean water, trees, cycling, pedestrians and
public transit, and renewable energy and action on climate change.
The release of the city’s Term of Council Priorities has overarching promise but there are strong reasons
to avoid complacency since too many previous commitments are missing.
Unquestionably the city needs to do more.
There are large gaps in the city’s approach. For example, although the priorities document is definitely
oriented to action on climate change—and it includes specific performance objectives defined in
advance to be used to measure success—measurement of whether greenhouse gas emissions are
actually going up or down is not one of those performance
metrics.
There also remain dozens of commitments made in the past
which do not appear to be scheduled for implementation.
It is also true that the city’s climate approach is taking place
in a changing landscape that suggests even more effort is
For brevity the City of Ottawa’s 2015‐
2018 Term of Council Priorities
document will herein be called the
“priorities document” and the 2014
Air Quality and Climate Change Plan
will be called the “climate plan.”
The priorities document identifies
various metrics to be used as
performance measures. These will
be evaluated and reported twice
during the term of council in
something called a “balanced
scorecard”.
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 2 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
needed. For example in May the Ontario government announced greenhouse gas reduction targets
considerably more ambitious than the city’s. For the province to meet these goals, major cities like
Ottawa will have to reduce emissions accordingly.
The good news:
The implementation of the 2014 Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan is explicitly
identified as a strategic initiative, though many of the actions from the climate plan do not
appear.
Under transportation, public transit is strongly represented and initiatives also include cycling
and walkability, although implementation of a Complete Streets policy is not included.
Waterways will be protected through the Ottawa River Action Plan, the Water Environment
Strategy, and a stormwater management plan.
Renewable energy and energy efficiency are touched on, though not deeply.
Waste diversion is touched on, though not deeply.
Increased forest cover is included but not a Forest Management Strategy
Background
In May 2014 the city adopted the 2014 Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan.
Implementation mainly depended on funding starting with the 2015 budget. The main budget adopted
in March deferred these funding decisions to the adoption of the city’s 2015/2018 Term of Council
Priorities.
Priorities Document Structure
The priorities document sets out seven “Strategic Priorities”
Economic Prosperity
Transportation and Mobility
Sustainable Environmental Services
Healthy and Caring Communities
Service Excellence
Governance, Planning and Decision‐Making
Financial Sustainability
Within these seven broad categories there are 21 “Strategic Objectives” and
subordinate to them, 63 “Strategic Initiatives.” It is the Strategic Initiatives “which
are the concrete actions, tactical programs and services, that will advance
Council’s objectives and strategic priorities.”
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 3 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
Priorities Document Initiatives
The following topics are seen as relating to city action on climate change, in some cases strongly related.
In many cases some of the 63 “Strategic Initiatives” of the priorities document respond to a climate
related topic. However we also include topics that do not have corresponding Strategic Initiatives in the
priorities document. Each topic is treated in more detail in the sections that follow.
Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan (ES1‐20, page 83 of appendix A)
Energy
o Renewable Energy Strategy (ES1‐22, page 84 of appendix A)
o Energy Management and Investment Strategy (ES2‐25, page 86 of appendix A)
Transportation
o Completion of the O‐Train’s Confederation Line Light Rail Transit Projects (TM1‐4, page
19 of appendix A)
o Light Rail Transit Stage 2 Readiness (TM1‐5, page 20 of appendix A)
o Transportation Master Plan Phase 1 Cycling Projects (TM1‐7, page 117 of appendix A)
o Transportation Master Plan Phase 1 Pedestrian Projects (TM1‐8, page 117 of appendix
A)
o Community Pathways and Connections Program (TM3‐9, page 118 of appendix A)
o Rideau Street Streetscaping (TM3‐10, page 67 of appendix A)
o Queen Street Streetscaping (TM3‐11, page 119 of appendix A)
o Cycling Safety Improvement Program (TM4‐13, page 120 of appendix A)
o Winter Improvements for Cyclists (TM4‐14, page 121 of appendix A)
o Traffic, Pedestrian and Road Safety Enhancements (TM4‐15, page 121 of appendix A)
o Making the O‐Train’s Confederation Line an integrated part of the OC Transpo system
(TM5‐16, page 95 of appendix A)
o Bayview Yards Environmental and Geotechnical Development Assessment (ES1‐23, page
23 of appendix A)
o Improved Public Engagement in Planning Matters (GP1‐54, page 73 of appendix A)
o ByWard and Parkdale Market/Sparks Street Mall Renewal (EP2‐3, page 17 of appendix
A)
Forest Management Strategy
o Maintain a 2:1 ratio (or greater) between trees planted and trees removed annually
(ES1‐C, page 22 of appendix A)
o Increase Forest Cover (ES1‐19, page 61 of appendix A)
Greenspace Protection and Land Acquisition
Water Environment Strategy Phase 2 (ES1‐18, page 81 of appendix A)
Waste Diversion
Emergency Management
Energy East Pipeline
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 4 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
Sustainability as a Priority
A potentially important continuation from the 2011‐
2014 priorities document is that the city will “apply a
sustainability lens to decision‐making.”
The good news is that—as was the case four years
ago—this quote appears at the highest level in the
priorities document, as one of the seven top level
priorities: Governance, Planning and Decision‐Making.
However what “sustainability lens” might mean has
never been elaborated unlike other city lenses.
The city must act on these good words with an
implementation plan, education and training.
Intensification as a Priority
One of the strategic objectives from the previous
priorities document of 2011‐2014 phrased it well:
“compact neighbourhoods where residents can live,
work, shop and play close by, complete daily activities
easily, access viable transit, and support local
businesses” may be one of the most important things
the city can do. The result not only fights climate
change but saves the city services costs.
Yet intensification is not included in the 2015‐2018
priorities document.
TOPIC – Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan (ES1‐20, page 83 of appendix A)
The climate plan exists not only as a 2014 document but as one of the 63 “Strategic Initiatives” of the
priorities document. It is because it’s a “Strategic Initiative” that the climate plan can be funded for
implementation.
The priorities document describes this Strategic Initiative as follows:
The Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan (AQCCMP) sets out a Green House Gas
(GHG) emission reduction target, goals and objectives, and encompasses a variety of projects
and initiatives to be implemented by the City over the next five years to achieve more efficient
and renewable municipal operations, as well as working with community partners to reduce air
pollution and make Ottawa more resilient. A number of the strategic initiatives in the 2015‐2018
City Strategic Plan, representing investments of close to $1.8B, will contribute to the progress of
the AQCCMP, including: the Energy Management and Investment Strategy (2015‐2019), the
Increase Forest Cover initiative; Completion of the O‐Train’s Confederation Line Light Rail Transit
Projects; Water Environment Strategy Phase 2; the Stormwater Management Retrofit Master
Plan; Transportation Master Plan Cycling and Pedestrian projects; Community Pathways and
Sustainability Lens
In the past both the city’s “accessibility
lens” and “equity and inclusion lens” were
fully described and implementation
processes defined. Not so for sustainability.
A sustainability lens is equated to a “triple
bottom line” of social, environmental, and
financial accountability in the city’s 2012
Plan for Sustainability and Resilience, part
of Framing our Future, which the priorities
document says “long‐term sustainability
goals… are directly aligned with.”
The “balanced scorecard” which reports on
success of the 2011‐2014 priorities
document says:
“The target of increasing the percentage of
new urban dwelling units provided through
intensification to an average of 38 per cent
per year was exceeded in 2014, with a
result of 54 per cent.”
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 5 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
Connections Program; and Cycling safety and winter improvements programs. Other actions
falling within the AQCCMP strategic initiative include the Green Municipal Fleet Plan, Electric
Vehicle Charging Stations Pilot, Green Building Policy, Emergency Energy Plan, Subwatershed
Planning, and Source Water Protection Plans, among others.
Prior Commitments that are Included in the Priorities Document
Throughout this document we compare specific commitments that the City has made in the past
(primarily in the climate plan) with the commitments that they are making in the priorities document.
However the climate plan as a “Strategic Initiative” is unique in that it is an overarching funding priority
for the whole climate plan; it doesn’t list the climate plan elements individually. We do review the
specific listing of promises included or omitted though. These can be seen in the various topic areas
(water, energy, transportation, etc.) that follow this one.
Prior Commitments that are Missing from the Priorities Document
The climate plan promised “options for further action will be tabled early in the next term of Council and
undergo public review.” This commitment does not appear to have been satisfied to date and is not
specifically mentioned in either the 2015 budget or the priorities document. It is particularly important
because the specific actions that are already listed largely impact emissions related to city operations,
while the majority of emissions (95%) come from the community as a whole. It is “options for further
action” as relates to community emissions that are largely undefined.
The climate plan promised to “explore the development of a local GHG Inventory process that assesses
ways to potentially tailor the methodology to better reflect local Ottawa community conditions” and to
do so within existing 2014 budget resources. Any progress on this has not been reported. If it is not
being done, the lack of an improved GHG Inventory will make it harder for Ottawa to evaluate success.
Performance Measures
The City appears to be saying that it will measure progress on the implementation of the climate plan in
three ways:
20‐A: Decrease the municipal fleet’s total litres of fuel consumed per 100 kilometres for the
municipal fleet, by 3% by the end of 2015; 4% by the end of 2016, 5% by the end of 2017 and 6%
by the end of 2018. (page 83 of Appendix A)
20‐B: Decrease in kilowatt hours per square meter (ekWh/m2) purchased at City facilities by
2.67% (from 2014 values) by the end of Q4 2018. (page 83 of Appendix A)
ES1‐B: No net increase in corporate per capita Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions between 2012
and 2016. (page 22 of Appendix A)
Combined, these three performance measures make up the entire criteria for evaluation as to whether
this initiative is succeeding at the two reporting points expected during this term of council. Alone they
appear to be extraordinarily weak metrics for a city‐wide initiative that aims to reduce GHG emissions
across both city operations and the general public. One might expect a measure of overall GHG
emissions such as the city’s GHG Inventory to be cited along with an interim reduction target at least
consistent with the city 2024 target (remembering too that the recent provincial target is more
stringent). The performance measures listed are exclusively aimed at city operations although the
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 6 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
climate plan itself advocates evaluating corporate and community emissions together. Moreover,
performance measure ES1‐B “no net increase in corporate per capita GHG emissions” actually allows for
an increase in absolute GHG emissions.
Budget Allocations
The Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan initiative (ES1‐20) is allocated (page 87 of
appendix A):
$250,000 per year in 2015/16/17/18 in operating funding, and
$500,000 per year in 2016/17/18 in capital funding
TOPIC – Energy
There are two priority initiatives that relate to Energy
Renewable Energy Strategy (ES1‐22, page 84 of
appendix A) →
Energy Management and Investment Strategy (ES2‐
25, page 86 of appendix A) ↘
When compared with the commitments in the 2014 climate
plan, there appears to be more missing from the priorities
document than there is included in it.
The Renewable Energy Strategy (ES‐22) is particularly
promising, however, because it represents one of the few
initiatives that could be applicable to the greater community
beyond strictly city operations. It may be the seed of
Ottawa’s 100% renewables goal – a goal already adopted by
Vancouver and campaigned on by Councillor Chernushenko.
But there is very far to go in moving this initiative beyond
what might be as little as a “baseline analysis.”
Prior Commitments that are Included in the Priorities
Document
Change street lighting from sodium to metal Halide
to LED lighting (as strategic initiative ES2‐25 Energy
Management and Investment Strategy) – This
initiative is long overdue; cities like Edmonton,
Toronto and North Bay are well advanced in their
deployment.
Prior Commitments that are Missing from the Priorities Document
Establish a Working Group to examine opportunities and constraints to building‐use conversions
in the downtown (in advance of anticipated reductions in federal government tenancy) and
ES1‐22 Renewable Energy Strategy
description: Complete a baseline
analysis of energy supply and demand
within the City of Ottawa and assess
options, in collaboration with
community partners, for all such
partners to advance energy
conservation, energy efficiency and
renewable energy generation within
their respective areas of
control/influence.
ES2‐25 Energy Management and
Investment Strategy description: The
2015‐2019 Energy Management and
Investment Strategy will build on the
momentum and successes of the
2010‐2014 Smart Energy Program.
The goal of the program is to manage
the City's increasing growth and
demand for energy through the
implementation of various energy
conservation measures including the
installation of LED street lighting.
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 7 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
establish design requirements. (The 2014 climate plan committed the City to do this with
existing resources from the 2014 budget!)
Establish a Task Force to investigate opportunities for district heating in the downtown.
Undertake an Energy Mapping analysis (similar to Guelph) to inform program options moving
forward. (Once again, the 2014 climate plan said that the City already had the resources it
needed in 2014 to move this forward.)
Continued assessment of the Local Improvement Charge (LIC) which included
o If feasible, participate in Ministry of Energy stakeholder meetings on proposed on‐bill
financing for energy retrofits
o Further explore the US results of participation in commercial property LIC programs
o Explore ‘start‐up’ grant opportunities as obtained by Toronto and Halifax
o Continue to monitor related activities in other Ontario municipalities
o Continue to monitor Toronto’s Energy Retrofit Pilot Program (after 12 months of
activities, March 2015) and the Halifax Program
o Prepare a report with recommendations related to the use of LIC financing in Ottawa
Add co‐generation capacity as needed at the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre
Develop City policy on EV stations
Develop City policy on solar PV at City buildings
Implement green/cooling measures to reduce the ‘heat island effect’
Retrofit Ottawa community housing units. This was hailed as a major initiative when the City
adopted the 2014 climate plan and was expected to receive substantial support. Now it appears
that there is no money available to make this happen beyond existing OCH resources. Hopefully
this can change.
Work with the Ontario Power Authority (OPA), Electrical Safety Authority, Energy Ottawa and/or
others to ensure FIT installations at City facilities can be used as a back‐up energy supply.
Performance Measures
For the Renewable Energy Strategy 22‐A: Complete 100% of the project by Q4 2017
For the Energy Management and Investment Strategy ES2‐25
o 25‐A: Increase the number of streetlights converted to energy efficient LED technology
by 15,000 per year.
o 25‐B: Reduce maintenance costs per converted streetlight fixtures by 50%.
Given the importance of energy issues to tackling climate action it might be reasonable to expect more
comprehensive performance metrics across a range of initiatives.
Budget Allocations
For the Renewable Energy Strategy $100,000 per year in 2015/16/17/18 in operating funding.
This is obviously a very, very small amount of money to go beyond a “baseline analysis” even if it
can be used to leverage other funding.
For the Energy Management and Investment Strategy
o $1,000,000 per year in 2015/16/17/18 in capital funding
o $490,000 per year in 2015/16/17/18 in operating funding
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 8 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
TOPIC – Transportation
Transportation receives a lot of attention in the Term of Council Priorities document due to a large focus
on light rail as well as linking light rail to cycling and walking infrastructure. For brevity not all Strategic
Initiative descriptions are included, though their references indicate where those descriptions can be
found in the priorities document.
Ecology Ottawa must also point out that the priorities document indicates continued extensive
investment in roads but that the ongoing expansion of motor vehicle routes moves Ottawa in the wrong
direction in terms of getting off fossil fuels, paving square kilometers of land surface, reducing the
health effects of air pollution, etc.
Prior Commitments that are Included in the Priorities Document
The following transportation related actions from the climate plan are included within the priorities
document:
Implement the Transportation Master Plan, including the Cycling and Pedestrian Plans (covered
by multiple strategic initiatives as follows)
o Completion of the O‐Train’s Confederation Line Light Rail Transit Projects (TM1‐4, page
19 of appendix A)
o Light Rail Transit Stage 2 Readiness (TM1‐5, page 20 of appendix A)
o Transportation Master Plan Phase 1 Cycling Projects (TM1‐7, page 117 of appendix A)
o Transportation Master Plan Phase 1 Pedestrian Projects (TM1‐8, page 117 of appendix
A)
o Making the O‐Train’s Confederation Line an integrated part of the OC Transpo system
(TM5‐16, page 95 of appendix A)
Adopt and implement a strategy to design and build ‘Complete Streets’ (note also “Prior
Commitments Missing” below)
o Cycling Safety Improvement Program (TM4‐13, page 120 of appendix A)
o Winter Improvements for Cyclists (TM4‐14, page 121 of appendix A)
o Traffic, Pedestrian and Road Safety Enhancements (TM4‐15, page 121 of appendix A).
This appears to be a new and promising addition.
o ByWard and Parkdale Market/Sparks Street Mall Renewal (EP2‐3, page 17 of appendix
A)
o And possibly ‐ Improved Public Engagement in Planning Matters (GP1‐54, page 73 of
appendix A)
Support transit‐oriented development initiatives
o Community Pathways and Connections Program (TM3‐9, page 118 of appendix A) This
also appears to be a new and promising addition.
o Rideau Street Streetscaping (TM3‐10, page 67 of appendix A)
o Queen Street Streetscaping (TM3‐11, page 119 of appendix A)
o Bayview Yards Environmental and Geotechnical Development Assessment (ES1‐23, page
23 of appendix A)
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 9 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
Prior Commitments that are Missing from the Priorities Document
There is no mention in the priorities document of the adoption or implementation of a Complete Streets
policy. Ecology Ottawa urges this inclusion. The expression “Complete Streets” is not even used in the
priorities document.
The following actions from the climate plan are not included within the priorities document:
Implement Vehicle Telematics for Municipal Fleet (had been recommended for inclusion in 2015
budget)
Investigate opportunities to use City ‘community centre’ parking lots, outside the Greenbelt, in
proximity to transit services, to serve as Park & Ride
or designated carpooling locations
Procure buses and other Transit vehicles that meet the latest emissions standards available at the time of manufacture
Incorporate SmartDriver techniques into all driving instruction for all driver training at Transit Services
Monitor the Idling By‐law and internal related procedures
Update and implement the Green Municipal Fleet Plan, including the purchase of hybrid and electric vehicles, as appropriate
Use the ‘Eco‐Driving’ training policy/ practice
Pilot the creation of ‘bike and ride’ amenities at designated community facilities (e.g. currently being piloted at Bob MacQuarrie Complex)
Replace vehicles at their optimal life cycle dates so that the older vehicles are replaced with newer vehicles which are more fuel efficient and meet current emission standards.
Performance Measures and Budget Allocations
Transportation related Strategic Initiatives performance
measures are too numerous to list in this document. Related
budget allocations are orders of magnitude above others
noted in this analysis due to the fact that they relate to large
construction projects.
The following initiatives from the
climate plan are absent but of
secondary importance:
Provide OC Transpo services for Ottawa festivals such as Canada Day, Bluesfest, Race Weekend, Folk Fest, Winterlude and other special events
Use ‘grit’ instead of sand as an abrasive on the roads, thus reducing particulate in the air and in catch basins and rivers
Use regenerative air sweepers and proactive spring time sweeping program to reduce particulate matter in the air and out of the rivers
Use ‘Smart About Salt’ program and monitoring of pre‐wetting to reduce salt use
Implement current road operational practices that have adapted to climate change, such as location of snow disposal facilities and the installation of real‐time Weather Information Systems.
Encourage flexible working schedules/locations for city employees, where feasible.
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 10 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
TOPIC – Forest Management Strategy
The priorities document makes mention of Ecology Ottawa as a partner in planting one million trees by
2017 and Ecology Ottawa extends its appreciation for that.
Prior Commitments that are Included in the Priorities Document
The following forest management related actions from the climate plan are included within the priorities
document:
Adopt and implement a strategy that identifies ways to increase tree cover and maintain the
health of the city’s assets (covered in initiatives as follows)
o Maintain a 2:1 ratio (or greater) between trees planted and trees removed annually (not
an “initiative” but a Strategic Objective Performance Measure, ES1‐C, page 22 of
appendix A)
o Increase Forest Cover (ES1‐19, page 61 of
appendix A) →
o Ottawa 2017 Celebrations (EP1‐1, page 15
of Appendix A) includes “…planting
Canadian Native Maple trees in special
locations and/or sesquicentennial groves in
each of the city’s 23 wards”
Implement the Emerald Ash Borer strategy (covered
by strategic initiative ES1‐19 noted above)
Forest cover is also said to be funded through the
2015 budget. That funding envelope is not
considered in this analysis.
Prior Commitments that are Missing from the Priorities
Document
The following forest management related action from the climate plan are not included within the
priorities document
Complete the Forest Management Strategy that identifies ways to increase tree cover and
maintain the health of this City asset.
Performance Measures
Noted above, itself a performance measure: Maintain a 2:1 ratio (or greater) between trees
planted and trees removed annually
19‐A: Achieve the City’s tree planting target of 125,000 trees per year.
Budget Allocations
For Increase Forest Cover $5,605,000 per year for 2015/16/17/18 in operating funds
Increase Forest Cover initiative
description: Initiatives for protecting
and increasing forest cover include
tree planting in the urban, suburban
and rural areas, and rehabilitation of
parks and green spaces by partnering
with Ecology Ottawa in order to have
1 million trees planted. As well, the
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Woodlot
Management Strategy focuses on the
rehabilitation of 993 parks and 187
municipal nature features in the
management of a wood‐boring
beetle, the Emerald Ash Borer.
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 11 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
TOPIC – Greenspace Protection and Land Acquisition:
Prior Commitments that are Included in the Priorities Document
No greenspace or land related actions from the climate plan are included within the priorities
document.
Prior Commitments that are Missing from the Priorities
Document
The following actions from the Air Quality and Climate
Change Management Plan are not included within the Term
of Council Priorities:
Identify and prioritize land for protection,
acquisition, and naturalization, taking climate
change into consideration. (identified for inclusion
in the 2015 budget)
Create a new land trust for Ottawa
Increase the City’s Land Acquisition Fund Reserve
A ”Sensitive environmental land stewardship
framework” brought forward for consideration in
the 2015‐2019 Term of Council priorities
Base planning decisions for rural and urban communities on watershed and subwatershed plans that document existing conditions, assess the impacts of land use, and recommend way to protect and enhance the natural system
Implement restoration measures in consultation with conservation authorities, landowners and others
Performance Measures and Budget Allocations
None
TOPIC – Healthy Watersheds
Overall, protecting water is addressed thorough the
strategic initiative Water Environment Strategy Phase 2
(ES1‐18, page 81 of appendix A).
We are concerned, however, that that green infrastructure
and low‐impact development are not mentioned in the
priorities document. Nor is the promotion of lot‐level
stormwater management solutions.
Initiative description: Develop the
Water Environment Strategy (WES)
Phase 2 and, pending Council
approval, begin implementation.
WES‐2 will include long term goals, an
action plan, and inter‐agency
coordinating framework, building on
the Council approved Phase 1 and
input from the 2014 Water
Roundtable.
Also listed under Land Use and
Agriculture initiatives in the climate
plan but not mentioned in the
priorities document are:
Implement the Official Plan (e.g. intensification measures)
Promote green buildings through the development review process
Invest in existing roads, water, wastewater, transit facilities and other infrastructure so that it can support redevelopment
Implement the EAB Strategy
Support the community garden program
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 12 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
Prior Commitments that are Included in the Priorities Document
The following actions from the climate plan are included in the priorities document:
Implement the Ottawa River Action Plan (as strategic initiative ES1‐17 Combined Sewage
Storage Tunnel, page 81 of Appendix A)
Implement the Pinecrest‐Westboro Stormwater Retrofit Plan (within strategic initiative ES1‐21
Stormwater Management Retrofit Master Plan, page 84 of Appendix A)
Implement the Source Water Protection Plan (as above ES1‐21)
Complete and implement the Eastern Subwatersheds Stormwater Retrofit Plan (as above ES1‐
21)
Prior Commitments that are Missing from the Priorities Document
The following actions from the climate plan are not included in the priorities document:
Promote and implement low‐impact development practices (e.g. permeable pavement, grass
swales, etc.)
Implement the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan
Implement the Infrastructure Management Plan
Performance Measures
Performance measures related to water are:
ES1‐A: Maintain the number of Water Quality Index good to excellent ratings annually at 75% of
monitored locations on Ottawa’s major rivers. (Ottawa, Rideau and Mississippi).
18‐A: Complete the first annual water quality data report by Q4 2016.
18‐B: Make Baseline Water Quality monitoring data available through the City’s Open Data
initiative by 2015.
21‐A: Complete 100% of the Eastern Subwatersheds SWM Retrofit Study by the end of 2015.
21‐B: Complete 85% of City‐wide SWM Retrofit Master Plan by end of 2018.
Budget Allocations
$1,000,000 per year in 2015/16/17/18 in capital funding for Water Environment Strategy Phase
2 (ES1‐18, page 62 of appendix A)
$2,465,000 over 4 years (weighted to 2017/18) in capital funding for Stormwater Management
(SWM) Retrofit Master Plan (ES1‐21, page 62 of appendix A)
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 13 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
TOPIC – Waste Diversion
Waste management gets minimal attention in the priorities document.
Prior Commitments that are Included in the
Priorities Document
Expand recyclable collection and services
across City facilities and in key public
locations
o Waste Diversion in Parks, Buildings
and Grounds Services Operations
(ES2‐24, Page 85 of Appendix A)
Prior Commitments that are Missing from the
Priorities Document
Complete and implement the Waste Plan, looking for ways to increase diversion
Performance Measures
24‐A: Increase diversion rates in small‐scale curb‐side City facilities to: 40% by Q4 2015; 45% by Q4
2016; 50% by Q4 2017 and 55% by Q4 2018.
Budget Allocations
$24,000 in each of 2015/16/17/18 for operating
funds
TOPIC – Emergency Management
Emergency Management is not considered in the
priorities document.
In his 2012 annual report the Auditor General for
the City of Ottawa pointed out that the city does
not have a systematic and comprehensive climate
change adaptation plan, i.e., one which will help us
deal with the inevitable changes that are coming
with climate change.
Prior Commitments that are Included in the
Priorities Document
None
Prior Commitments that are Missing from the
Priorities Document
Implement Hazard Identification and
Mitigation Program and Plan.
Initiative ES2‐24 description: Since 2009, the
Parks, Buildings and Grounds Services branch
have implemented many successful waste
management programs within their
operations. With established diversion
programs in place, the focus will now be on
enhancing diversion and participation rates.
Emergency Related: Appendix B of the climate
plan was a report on progress on the
predecessor 2005 climate plan. The following
notes are extracts:
With respect to a climate change
adaptation strategy: Adaptation
measures related to stormwater
management have been carried out
each year. Various measures were
considered during update of the
Infrastructure Master Plan and
integrated into the 2014 AQCCMP.
Reduce heat island effect: Ottawa
Public Health is working with Health
Canada to assess the heat islands/cool
sinks in Ottawa with respect to
populations who are especially
vulnerable to heat.
Climate change emergency response
programs: worked with the Office of
Emergency Management on Ottawa’s
Long‐Term Risk Prevention.
Term of Council Priorities Analysis 14 DRAFT V5 – Ecology Ottawa
Continue to review and refine the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment for the Emergency
Management Program; identifying natural, human‐caused and technological hazards to the City
of Ottawa based upon provincial guidelines and industry best practices
Continue to identify corporate resources through an Emergency Energy Plan, to address
emergency energy‐related issues
Performance Measures and Budget Allocations
None
TOPIC – Energy East Pipeline
Although the climate plan did not address TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline proposal, the City of
Ottawa represents a prominent voice in this discussion which clearly relates to climate change and
protection of watersheds. For these reasons Ecology Ottawa would have wanted to see Energy East
included in some form in the discussions of Term of Council Priorities.
Conclusion
As described in this analysis Ecology Ottawa has numerous points where we’d like to see more action and effort but in summary here are our four most important recommendations to the City of Ottawa:
Mayor Watson should throw his weight behind his words and through ambitious action on the climate change plan, achieve lasting and important gains across the entire environmental portfolio.
We recommend that “green infrastructure” be explicitly included in the Term of Council Priorities.
We recommend that a new Forest Management Strategy be explicitly included in the Term of Council Priorities.
We recommend that a new Complete Streets policy be explicitly included in the Term of Council Priorities.
This analysis is released as a draft for discussion.