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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-05-05 SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MAY 5, 2011 CITY OF KITCHENER The Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee met this date, commencing at 4:05 p.m. Present: Ms. D. Ahluwalia, Chair Councillor S. Davey, Councillor F. Etherington, Councillor D. Glenn-Graham, Ms. K. Kwiatkowski and Messrs. P. Doherty, K. Euler, B. Larkin and M. Garner. Staff: S. Turner, Director of By-law Enforcement B. Sloan, Manager, Long Range Planning T. Malone-Wright, Senior Planner S. Longstaff, Policy Analyst S. Weare, Strategic Initiatives Associate D. Gilchrist, Committee Administrator OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW - PRESENTATION 1. Mr. B Sloan, Ms. T. Malone-Wright and Ms. S. Longstaff of the City’s Planning Division were in attendance to inform the Committee of the Official Plan review being undertaken by the City. Mr. Sloan advised that the Official Plan is the main, overriding land use policy document and it could have implications and impact on the safety and health of the community. Mr. Sloan also stated that the Province and the Region have updated their planning policies and our policies must be updated to incorporate their policy directions. He stated that the review will involve many players and this committee will have an opportunity for input. Ms. Longstaff gave an overview of the contents of the proposed plan which will have a new community policy structure that will include new mixed use policies, a focus on intensification nodes and corridor and will create and maintain a liveable and complete community. Ms. Longstaff advised the committee that the new draft of the Official Plan will be available by June th 30. Ms. Kwiatkowski questioned whether the Official Plan will identify areas, other than the downtown, for intensification. Ms. Malone-Wright responded that the Official Plan will identify that most intensification will take place downtown but there will be policies for the intensification of nodes. Ms. Kwiatkowski also questioned policies on secondary dwellings such as granny flats and duplexing. Staff responded that duplexing is permitted as of right, city wide. The proposed Official Plan policies will allow new build granny flats as of right but a zone change will still be required. Ms. J. Metzger questioned what is to happen with areas that are not complete communities. Ms. Malone-Wright stated that the Official Plan will provide and facilitate opportunities to have complete communities; however, it can not force a use to locate in a certain place. Mr. Sloan advised that consideration has been given to partnering safety and land use; community safety and overall safety and concepts from other municipalities have been reviewed. Ms. Kwiatkowski questioned whether “Williamsburg” would be considered a complete community. Ms. Malone-Wright advised that the new official plan will ensure that areas are walkable to retail and services and Mr. Sloan advised that the new Official Plan will be fairly consistent with the City’s current mixed use node policies. Councillor Davey questioned whether there will be policies concerning light emissions and Ms. Malone-Wright advised that there will be some policies; however, the urban design manual will have more detail. Ms. Metzer questioned policies for social housing and was advised that a mix of housing will be encouraged and social housing will be encouraged to distribute throughout the city. Mr. Sloan advised that the draft Official Plan will be available by the end of June and he requested that any comments that committee members may have be provided to Ms. Longstaff or Ms. Malone-Wright by September. OVERVIEW OF DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AND INITIATIVES 2. This item is deferred to a future meeting due to staff illness. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MAY 5, 2011 - 12 - CITY OF KITCHENER DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COMMITTEE - REPORT 3. Mr. Garner advised the committee that the last meeting of the Downtown Advisory Committee was a joint meeting with the Economic Development Advisory Committee at which Regional staff presented the strategy for and current situation of the light rail transit (LRT). Regional staff identified concerns and issues, timing, costs, traffic flow and where the trains are intended to go. REGIONAL GRAFFITI STRATEGY 4. Mr. S. Turner was in attendance to advise of the progress made to date in terms of dealing with graffiti. He stated that the program originally started in Kitchener but they found that graffiti does not end at the boarder. Staff has pursued a Regional approach which also includes the Crime Prevention Council. The goal of this group, called the Waterloo Region Anti-graffiti Alliance, is to prevent or reduce graffiti around the Region and the focus is quick removal of graffiti. Mr. Turner advised that it costs municipalities and school boards $150,000 to $200,000 each year for graffiti removal. Mr. Turner stated that in June staff will be taking a presentation to each Council and there will also be a public campaign with the main focus being that graffiti is bad. The program will include a toll free line which people can use to report graffiti; also a part of the program is that staff has developed a graffiti by-law and the by-laws will be comparable across the Cities of Cambridge, Waterloo and Kitchener. Posters will be placed in community centres and other municipal buildings and in September they will be placed in schools. The program will also include a web site, to be shared by the municipalities, the Region and the police and people will be able to report graffiti through the web site. Staff will be able to track statistics and to encourage neighbourhood clean-ups. Mr. Turner also advised of two other actions the alliance will take: developing a mural project and encouraging community clean-ups. Councillor Glenn-Graham advised that he is interested in working on community clean-ups and requested that members of Council be advised when these will take place and that they be provided with an inventory of walls appropriate for murals. KEY TO SAFER MUNICIPALITIES MODEL - OVERVIEW 5. Ms. Weare advised that the Safer Municipalities Model is the recommended model to be used to develop the strategy adopted by the Committee last year. The model asks 4 questions: Why take action? Who should take action? How to take action? and What actions should be taken? Ms. Weare also advised that residents expect their municipal councils to take a leadership role. The costs of dealing with crime are astronomical and they have not resulted in a decrease in crime. A broader vision of safety and security is needed; further, viable solutions require all stakeholders to be involved. Ms. Weare spoke of a toolkit which some members did not have and it was agreed by Ms. Weare and Ms. Metzger that they will make this tool kit available to all members. WORKPLAN 6. Ms. Wear advised that this committee’s work plan was approved by the Community and Infrastructure Services Committee earlier this week. NEW BUSINESS 7. Ms. Weare advised that Ms. Adams would like Aimee Polvoy of the Victoria Park Neighbourhood Association and Chair of their Safety Committee to join this committee. Councillor Glenn-Graham questioned whether there are still vacancies on this committee and what gaps there are. It was determined that the committee’s terms of reference need to be clarified. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MAY 5, 2011 - 13 - CITY OF KITCHENER ADJOURNMENT 8. On motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m. D. Gilchrist Committee Administrator