Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutDowntown Advisory - 1996-06-13DAC\1996-06-13 KITCHENER DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES June 13, 1996 The Kitchener Downtown Advisory Committee met this date under the Chairmanship of Councillor Mark Yantzi with the following members present: Nancy Brawley, Deborah Budd, Denise Strong, Karen Simoneau, Karen Taylor-Harrison, Lillian Kehl, Martin de Groot, Janice Williams, Neil Carver, Lorna Van Mossel, Marianne Wasilka and Rita Westbrook. Staff Present: T. Brock Stanley, Sybil Frenette, Julie Dean, Grant Nixon, David Corks and Catherine Heal Guests Present: Councillor Berry Vrbanovic, Councillor Christina Weylie, Trudy Beaulne, Christiane Sadeler and Dr. Hetty Rose-Junius Regrets: Mayor Richard Christy, Councillor Mike Wagner, Councillor Karen Redman, Robert Braun, Doug Marchman, Marleen Guttensohn, Brian Hunsberger, Peggy Walshe, Michelle Morisetti and Regis Coladipietro 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA - May 9~ 1996 Moved by Deborah Budd. Seconded by Karen Simoneau. That the agenda for May 9, 1996 be approved. Carried Councillor Yantzi announced the resignation of two committee members, David Gowland and Karen Simoneau (see attached letters of resignation). David Gowland will still be available for short-term projects. On behalf of the Committee, Councillor Yantzi sincerely thanked them for their dedicated participation. Councillor Yantzi welcome a new member, Janice Williams, who is the Vice President of Central Frederick Neighbourhood Association. On behalf of the Committee, Councillor Yantzi also welcome the guests, Trudy Beaulne, Christiane Sadeler and Dr. Hetty Rose-Junius. Trudy and Christiane were present to talk about safety and crime prevention. Dr. Hetty Rose-Junius is a city councillor of Windhoeh, Namibia. Councillor Yantzi announced that the Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo would be holding its annual meeting on the evening of June 13, 1996. -92- 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - May 9~ 1996 Karen Simoneau pointed out that on page 74 she did suggest including related information in the information package for perspective new businesses, but she did not specifically suggest that the availability of fitness club be included. Nancy Brawley commented on the last sentence of the fourth paragraph on page 74. She felt that the statement was incorrect, and that the sentence should read: "Once the patrons leave the bars, bar operators do not control their behaviour." Moved by Nancy Brawley. Seconded by Karen Simoneau. That the minutes be approved with the above corrections. Carried. 3. MEETING ATTENDANCE OF COUNCILLORS At the meeting on May 9, 1996, David Gowland expressed disappointment about the low attendance of members of Counil. Marianne Wasilka tried to repeat what David Gowland said at the last meeting. Marianne said that David Gowland was disappointed because many members are dedicated and take the time to attend the meetings, whereas members of Council have not been showing the same level of commitment. For example, at the previous meeting, the chair changed three times which created a poor perception of Council's commitment. Councillor Yantzi apologized for having to leave early at the last meeting, he did not know that Councillor Redman also had to leave before the meeting ended. The repeated change of chairmanship at the last meeting was unanticipated. Nancy Brawley added that the main concern was the attendance of other members of Council who are on the Committee. Councillor Weylie stated that she is not on the Committee and that she attempts to attend the committee meetings as much as possible. Karen Taylor-Harrison asked for clarification on which councillors are on DAC. Councillor Yantzi replied that the clarification will be provided. Marianne Wasilka suggested that absent members be recorded in the minutes. Other members agreed to the suggestion. Councillor Vrbanovic arrived. -93- 4. DISCUSSION ON AN OPEN HOUSE EVENT FOR HOUSES NOT FOR SALE Marianne Wasilka explained the origin of this idea. Cambridge and Fergus both held an open house event. The one in Cambridge was held at christmas time in the downtown area. The one in Fergus was held in the spring and historical buildings were featured. Both events involved the real estate industry and fundraising. They were very labour intensive and required many volunteers. Nancy Brawley pointed out that the Friends of Kitchener Public Library Foundation is considering a similar event. The focus would be historical buildings, mostly residential, in Kitchener downtown. It would also be a fundraising event. Nancy did not have any specific information about the event but the idea is already being pursued. 5. UPDATE ON THE "THINK TANK TEAM" - Martin de Groot Martin de Groot suggested to combine the Think Tank Team with the Berlin Circle and the people who are involved in the Cultural Plan. The intent of the Berlin Circle is exactly the same as the Think Tank Team of this Committee. There is no membership. Everyone is welcome to attend the gatherings that take place every Thursday evening at the Walper Hotel. The intent of the Berlin Circle is to encourage interaction. Entertainment is provided in some evenings but participants are not necessarily informed of the performance in advance. The organizers want to use unannounced happenings as an incentive for people to attend the gatherings. Denise Strong added that some artwork is displayed. It is not an early evening event. The setting is very casual and flexible. She encouraged people to go and to enjoy the gatherings. 6. REPORT FROM THE THREE LOCAL SAFETY COMMITTEES REGARDING THE SAFETY LEVEL IN THE DOWNTOWN - Julie Dean, Trudy Beaulne and Christiane Sadeler Julie Dean, Co-ordinator of the Safe City Committee distributed a draft brochure which contains some general information regarding the mandate, philosophy and this year's work plan of the Safe City Committee. All participants are volunteers. The committee believes that only the community itself can make the community safe. There are currently 12 members who are divided into 4 working groups. The working groups are action oriented. The 4 working groups include the Safety Audit Group, Lighting Group, a group that is putting together a funding proposal and a group to set out the committee's priorities for the next five years. A safety audit has been done on the Cedar Hill Neighbourhood. Victoria Park might be the next one to be done. -94- There is a resource library on safety near Julie's office on the 6th floor in Kitchener City Hall. One of the priorities this year is to address the poor safety perception of the downtown. Participation in the working groups is welcome. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact the Safe City Committee. Trudy Beaulne is the Co-chair of the Safe City Committee. The committee has done some research on safety. Traditional research methods only indicate the level of reported crime. Many other elements should be taken into consideration to measure the level of safety of a community. Those elements are not included in the results of traditional research methods. The committee uses safe community indicators to provide a more complete picture of the safety level of the community. The safety indicators provide information about the level of victimization, level of community problems (information provided by school, social service agencies and organizations that deal with either offenders or victims); population risk factors such as income level, physical design and demographical information; and, the availability of community resources which can be used to deal with problems. Christiane Sadeler, Co-ordinator of Community Safety Crime Prevention Council (CSCPC), Regional Municipality of Waterloo, explained the CSCPC's mission and some of the information she has found about crime prevention (see attached brochure for more information). The CSCPC believes that in order to prevent crime, members of the community have to work together. Her role as the co-ordinator is to encourage people to think globally and to mobilize people to participate in crime prevention. The CSCPC is one of the 24 crime prevention and safety councils in Canada and this council in the Region of Waterloo is the only regional one. It is funded by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Christiane discovered two tendencies: people are usually silent about unpleasant events such as crimes; and, if given the opportunity, many people are willing to participate in crime prevention. Christiane suggested that perception should be based on research. Three elements are involved in each crime: the offender(s), the victim(s) and a situation. It is assumed that crime could be prevented if one or more of the three elements are eliminated. However, much more money ($136 billion) has been spent in remedial measures than crime prevention ($9 million). It would be much more effective to be proactive by identifying the crime factors and tackle those problems before the crime takes place. For example, the majority of the crimes were committed by youth. The CSCPC is trying to deal with the youth issue by finding a positive way to deal with youth at risk. Christiane mentioned three ways to control urban crimes: by law and order which is a necessary approach; by dealing with the roots of the problem; and by working with community groups. Research shows that when asked to rank different measures of dealing with crimes, most people believe that dealing with the roots of the problem, such as child poverty, exposure to violence, lack of -9S- alternatives or unstable family, is most effective. Christiane used young offenders as an example. Many young offenders committed crimes because of boredom. Improving the availability of social services could improve the situation dramatically. A new agency has been opened in Chicago to help high risk individuals. The crime rate was reduced by 60% in 18 months. The CSCPC has established 8 action teams. Participation is welcome. Marianne Wasilka asked if there is a correlation between the distance from the downtown core and crime rate. Christiane replied she is not aware of such analysis. Councillor Yantzi suggested that all statistics should be looked at in conjunction with other related factors. Statistics, if used in isolation, could be an incomplete representation of the reality. Marianne Wasilka stated that the number of car theft was significant in certain neighbourhoods and that there are reasons why some people feel unsafe. She would like to know if statistics show that the crime rate is higher in certain areas and deal with the problem according to what the statistics indicate. She suggested that if the committee is concerned about how to deal with unfavourable data, that concern should be addressed. Councillor Yantzi replied that he did not get the impression that the committee was concerned about how unfavourable data should be handled and that he was personally not concerned about that issue. Karen Taylor-Harrison echoed Councillor Yantzi and further clarified that the committee is not against the use of statistics; however, statistics should be used in conjunction with other related information in order to show the whole spectrum of the situation in question. Joining various groups to deal with the safety issue might be a more positive way to handle the issue. Christiane Sedeler added that in addition to statistics from the police, other research methods can provide valuable information that is often not included in statistics provided by the police. Martin de Groot stated that crime is not a concern in his neighbourhood while traffic safety is. He asked if road safety is part of what the Safe City Committee and the CSCPC deal with. Christiane replied that there is a senior action team. Traffic has been identified as an safety issue by that team. Trudy added that high traffic is correlated to high crime rate because fast traffic allows offenders to leave the scene quickly. DeNse Strong said she has heard of a city which deals with the issue of boredom by providing young people with free computers. The computers were obselete ones donated by an insurance company. The programme was very successful. It serves as an example of an innovative and inexpensive approach that lessens a serious problem. Lillian KeN agreed that that is a good idea. Lillian further -96- suggested getting skilled people to teach young people technical skills such as wood working. Deborah Budd agreed with Karen Taylor-Harrison that the focus should be put on improving the statistics rather than finding the statistics. Marianne Wasilka repeatedly raised her opinions about acquiring statistics and whether the committee has difficulty dealing with unfavourable statistics. Councillor Yantzi emphasized that statistics must be interpreted with related information to reflect a full picture of the reality because statistics alone could be very misleading and skewed. Energy would be better used in crime prevention than dealing with statistics. Nancy Brawley agreed with Councillor Yantzi. Trudy Beaulne suggested using the City's new GIS system for crime prevention. Julie Dean suggested doing a safety audit on the neighbourhood that Marianne Wasilka was concerned with. Julie felt that safety audit is an effective way to collect information about the safety level of a neighbourhood. Julie also encouraged individuals interested in participating to contact members of the Safe City Committee. 7. UPDATE ON OUTDOOR PATIOS ON THE SIDEWALKS - Brock Stanley Brock Stanley reported that there were 6 outdoor patios in operation. It has been made clear to restautant owners that chain link fencing is not acceptable. The current patios have improved aesthetically. David Corks informed the committee that some new restaurant owners have proposed two new concepts: roof-top patio and building a balcony on the second floor. These new concepts will be presented to Council for consideration. In both cases, encroachment on city property and patrons' behaviour will have to be dealt with. 8. UPDATE DOWNTOWN ACTION TEAM - Sybil Frenette Sybil Frenette introduced Grant Nixon to the committee. Grant is a landscape architect in the Parks and Recreation Department. Grant designed an entrance design for the downtown. In light of the fact that the south-west corner of King and Victoria Streets will be realigned, it is a good time to install an entrance sign for the downtown while the intersection is being reconstructed because installing a sign that size involves creating a foundation. The Downtown Action Team proposes to make this sign the focal point of the intersection. Grant explained the materials and the design of the sign. The sign would be made of bronze to symbolize the virtue and vitality of the downtown. Bronze is recommended also because of its durability and low maintenance costs. It is suggested that the installation be financed through the budget for the downtown. The installation is estimated to cost $12,000 to $15,000. -97- Martin de Groot suggested that the entrance be different from ordinary suburban signage. He further suggested using symbols such as the clock tower or the Centre In The Square. Grant Nixon felt that the focus should be to welcome visitors to the downtown. Both Nancy Brawley and Sybil Frenette found the clock tower a good symbol because it is timeless, historical. The fact that it has been resurrected recently symbolizes the revitalization of the downtown. Councillor Vrbanovic felt that the estimated cost was high for a sign. Grant Nixon explained that the estimate was realistic for that type of sign. Grant and the Downtown Action Team felt that the sign would make a major improvement to the intersection. Marianne Wasilka was concerned about the high costs but understood that the money would be coming from a designated fund so it would not be competing for limited funds. The committee decided to support the proposed downtown entrance signage. Sybil Frenette continued to report that the Adaptive Reuse Symposium was successful. Six existing downtown vacant properties were featuredat the event. The intent of the symposium was to market those properties. A number of people requested for more information. The sidewalks along King Street East between Cedar and Eby Streets will be repaired this summer. The Valhalla Inn has been taken over by the Sheraton Hotel. Discussion has taken place about the renovation of the hotel. The Downtown Action Team has met with the organizer of InterVin 1996. They were extremely pleased with the results and are interested in coming back to Kitchener in the future. However, the financial assistance that was provided by the City to salvage the event will not be an on-going fund. To organize a similar event in the future, the financial support will have to be provided by interested parties. The Community Life Magazine featured Kitchener Downtown in the latest issue. The magazine is delivered to households for freein Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Stratford. The advertisement cost $400 of the downtown budget and Sybil felt that it was money well spent. 9. KDBA REPORT - Nancy Brawley Nancy Brawley gave a KDBA report. The KDBA has gained access to the Gouldies Building. The windows will be cleaned up and displays will be put up. Nancy invited suggestions on the displays. There are 5 large windows to be filled. The displays will stay there until the building is sold so the displays should be interesting, attractive and should not have a time constraint. Canada Day Count Down will take place on June 29, 1996. Cruise Night will take place on July 12, 1996. Tuesday On The Town will be kicked off on June 18, 1996 and will last until the end of August. There will be entertainment and a theme on some of the Tuesday nights. -98- New Businesses opened recently in the downtown include Just Between Us, Alem's African Restaurant, Lickity Splitz - Ice Cream Parlour, The Little Wedding Chapel, Thomas Hinds Tobacconist, Village Saucer Coffee House, Marcado's Bistro (Mediterranean Fare), Peaches on Scott (Health, light food), Three Kretans (Greek cuisine), Moda Hair and Schilling Stained Glass Art Centre. Between January 95 and January 96, 58 businesses were opened in the downtown. Between June 95 and June 96, 86 businesses were opened. 10. NEW BUSINESS Marianne Wasilka referred to an article in Kitchener This Week, June 12, 1996, pages 1 and 14. The article discusses the region's proposal to remove 31 traffic lights in Kitchener. Marianne suggested that the issue be discussed at the next meeting. Councillor Yantzi clarified that the proposal of traffic light removal is not part of the proposal to convert Duke Street and Charles Street to two-way. 11. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at about 10:45. Submitted by Catherine Heal Acting Committee Secretary July 3, 1996 741-2310 Members of the Kitchener Downtown Advisory Committee Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Kitchener Downtown Advisory Committee will be held on THURSDAY~ July 11~ 1996 in the Conestoga Room on the 1st floor, City Hall, 200 King Street West commencing at 8:30 a.m. 5. 6. 7. 8. Approval of Agenda - July 11, 1996 Approval of Minutes - June 13, 1996 Report on First World Congress on City Centre Management held in Coventry England -David Corks Update Downtown Entrance Sign - Sybil Frenette Proposed new ward Boundaries - Randy Mattice Update Downtown Action Team - Sybil Frenette KDBA Report - Nancy Brawley August Meeting - Consideration of whether, in view of the holidays, a meeting in August is practical. New Business Information Item: Due to the unavailability if appropriate staff, the item referred to this meeting concerning the Regional Review of Inner City Traffic Signals will come forward at either the August (if held) or September DAC meeting. Submitted by, Catherine Heal, Acting Committee Secretary Kitchener Downtown Advisory Committee C~ Members of Council S. Frenette Mayor's Office (1) J. Witmer Members of Management Comm. T.B. Stanley B. Arnot G. Nixon D. Corks T. McCabe T. Boutilier L. MacDonald Press (2)2