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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-07-04 SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES JULY 4, 2013 CITY OF KITCHENER The Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee met this date, commencing at 4:02 p.m. Present: Mr. A. Bieronski, Vice Chair Councillors S. Davey and P. Singh, Ms. N. Bird, Ms. K. Porritt, Ms. D. Chapman and Messrs. P. Doherty, M. Farwell, I. Todorovic, A. Rahimi, S. Grande, B. Sheehan, D. McKlusky and A. Darmon Staff: Ms. S. Weare, Strategic Initiatives Associate Ms. L. Korabo, Committee Administrator DEBRIEF - COMPASS KITCHENER CHAIR AND VICE CHAIRS GATHERING 1. Mr. A. Bieronski and Ms. S. Weare attended the Compass Kitchener sponsored event on June 13, 2013. Mr. Bieronski advised the event was well attended with representation from every City advisory committee. The meeting was formatted in a ‘speed dating’ style which allowed for each advisory committee to meet with three others to discover what work is being done and to look for ways to connect commonalities. Mr. Bieronski met with representatives from: the Mayor’s Advisory Council for Kitchener Seniors (MACKS) and identified the possibility of collaborating in an inclusion-based partnership; the Cycling Advisory Committee (CAC) to discuss mutual interests in the areas of physical health and encouraging safety when using cycling lanes; and, finally with Heritage Kitchener (HK). While there was no direct connection identified with HK, their representatives did agree that the safety lens used by the Safe & Healthy Community Advisory Committee (SHCAC) might be beneficial when considering some heritage matters. They agreed to consider re-directing certain matters to the SHCAC for this purpose. Mr. P. Doherty requested that representatives of the CAC be asked to attend an upcoming meeting to receive suggestions with regard to cycle rider safety during the evening hours. Ms. S. Weare advised that this could be added to the work plan but that she would also discuss the suggestion with the CAC’s Administrator. It was noted the next All Committees gathering will be held in the Fall and all members will be invited to attend. WORK PLAN 2. Ms. S. Weare advised that a template for the Committee’s 2013-2014 Work Plan was attached to the agenda to provide an outline as to format. She noted the template has been populated with the three selected strategic directions as well as the items previously agreed upon, being: a review of the Terms of Reference; development of a possible grant process; and, the annual Jane’s Walk, held earlier this year. The items in the Work Plan will show milestones, completion dates and specific actions related to each action item. Ms. Weare reminded members that they had been provided information on the mandate of other advisory committees in order to avoid duplication, and had also questioned the types of resources available to undertake action items. Ms. Weare spoke to these matters and noted that if the Committee felt additional resources were required, Mr. M. Hildebrand who is assigned to oversee the Committee’s mandate, could research other options, up to and including approaching Council. In response to a question about the limitations of the Committee’s work plan, Ms. Weare reiterated that the role of the Committee is to advise Council and make recommendations concerning safe and healthy community requirements. At a previous meeting, members were asked to consider action items for inclusion in the work plan and were asked to table any and all ideas for consideration. Ms. K. Porritt suggested that an informal method of determining what citizens want in a safe and healthy community could be planned. She suggested a community conversation using a ‘café style’ setting whereby citizens provide information regarding their connections to the community, and answer questions pertaining to when and where they feel safe. She also recommended the involvement of Rogers TV, and added that Committee members could develop questions and conduct interviews, to gather information that would then be used to develop action items for the work plan. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES JULY 4, 2013 - 14 - CITY OF KITCHENER WORK PLAN (CONT’D) 2. Councillor S. Davey suggested that, as part of its Terms of Reference review, the Committee consider changing its name and mandate to include more actionable items, in addition to its advisory role; these concrete items could then be added to the work plan. He did caution that due to the mid-2014 review of the Committee, there was a limited timeframe to accomplish action items. He also commented that consideration could be given to using some of the approved funding to action tangible items rather than use the funds to grant to other groups / organizations for events. Councillor P. Singh stated that the work plan should include projects which committee members can undertake. He suggested aligning with the City’s neighbourhood associations to gain feedback / input which can then be used to develop actionable items, to address the needs identified through those discussions. He suggested hosting a forum or working meeting to engage neighbourhood associations and gain insight regarding key issues of importance to them. Committee members felt this was a viable suggestion which could be used as a starting point to developing work plan items. Comments related to the hosting of a forum made by members included: Hold discussions on inclusion; how to get more people involved with neighbourhood associations; Pose questions about what is currently going well; attempt to identify who is not being reached by neighbourhood associations; Facilitation by Committee members so the forum does not appear to be City-driven; and, Ensure use of a central location. In terms of event timing, it was suggested that the Fall of 2013 would be optimum. Ms. S. Weare felt this was an aggressive timeline but noted it could be done with sufficient planning. A suggestion was made to invite City staff working in community centres in support of neighbourhood associations to also comment on the Committee’s questions. Ms. Weare suggested that District Facilitators be invited to attend a Committee meeting after the neighbourhood association forum. Members requested that assurances be given that all neighbourhood associations be invited, not only those with a direct affiliation to a community centre. In response to a question as to the type of event envisioned, Mr. A. Darmon suggested that the emphasis be kept on the ‘healthy’ community piece so that focus will be placed on building and nurturing those strengths already in place, and to steer clear of any discussion concerning criminal activities. Mr. A. Rahimi suggested that a questionnaire or survey be prepared in advance of the forum to help guide the discussion; this would also clarify the purpose of the meeting. Mr. D. McKlusky suggested using a round table discussion format to encourage dialogue amongst participants, with Committee members stationed at each table to facilitate the conversations. Members agreed that the planning / holding of a facilitated forum with neighbourhood associations, followed by a separate meeting with District Facilitators, be added to the 2013- 2014 work plan. In response to a prompt on the desired outcome of holding a forum, members made various comments on: the process of gathering information concerning outreach done by neighbourhood associations; identifying programs and enrollment numbers; and additional key issues that could be raised for future investigation and consideration. Ms. K. Porritt commented on the need for a follow-up process to vet forum ideas, indicating she felt it was important to clearly communicate that the purpose of the forum was not to solve issues, but rather to gather information; nevertheless, the information received may still be overwhelming. A suggestion was made to invite a finite number of reps per association to ensure equal representation. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES JULY 4, 2013 - 15 - CITY OF KITCHENER WORK PLAN (CONT’D) 2. For the information of the Committee, Ms. S. Weare advised of internal discussions ongoing concerning the establishment of a possible Neighbourhood Strategy. This might be an excellent opportunity for the Committee to become involved in some manner. She agreed to gather more information on this initiative and bring it back to the Committee. Mr. D. McKlusky suggested holding the event in October / November if at all possible, and in order to better understand their purpose and mandate, it was recommended that at the August meeting, the Committee receive an informational presentation on the nature of neighbourhood associations and their affiliations with the City. Additionally, Ms. Weare was asked to gather supplementary information and forward same to members in advance of this meeting. This information will help to inform committee members during their discussions concerning forum preparations, specifically with regard to a possible advance questionnaire. Ms. N. Bird inquired how the recently held information-gathering session for the Leisure Facilities Master Plan (LFMP) was formatted. She suggested that lessons learned from that public event could be used in the planning stages for this forum. She requested that Mr. M. Hildebrand provide information on how the LFMP session was organized. Ms. S. Weare advised that brochures from the public meeting were still available and she would obtain some copies for reference. It was generally agreed that due to tight timelines, a sub-committee would be struck to begin discussions regarding a potential forum for neighbourhood associations, regardless of the fact that the work plan has not been completed nor presented to Council. The following members volunteered for the forum sub-committee: A. Bieronski, N. Bird, K. Porritt, D. McKlusky, I. Todorovic and M. Farwell. The sub-committee agreed to meet prior to the August Committee meeting and report back at that time. As a possible second initiative, Mr. S. Grande suggested having a discussion on the topic of inclusion of citizens who are not currently engaged. The following members volunteered for an Inclusion Sub-committee and will have an initial meeting prior to the next Committee meeting, to discuss the concept: D. Chapman, S. Grande, A. Rahimi and P. Doherty. Ms. S. Weare thanked members for their discussions this date and noted the 2013-2014 work plan will need to be finalized after the Committee’s September meeting. The work plan will then be presented to Council for consideration and approval in late September. ADJOURNMENT 3. On motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m. L. Korabo Committee Administrator