HomeMy WebLinkAboutSafe & Healthy - 2002-01-29SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
JANUARY 29, 2002CITY OF KITCHENER
The Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee held a special meeting this date, commencing
at 5:20 p.m., Chaired by Councillor B. Vrbanovic, with the following members present: Councillor G.
Lorentz, Ms. C. Anjaria, Ms. T. Beaulne, Ms. M. Dunk, Ms. M. Sawa, Supt. A. McConnell and Messrs.
P. Doherty and D. Schnarr
Others Present:Ms. S. Adams, Ms. J. Dean, Ms. F. Fraser and Messrs. M. Hildebrand and R.
Gosse.
Councillor B. Vrbanovic welcomed and thanked everyone for attending this special strategic
workshop and explained the purpose of the meeting was to review the goals and strategic plans of
the former committees that have made up the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee,
conduct a SWAT analysis and prepare setting the goals and strategic direction for the new
Committee.
Ms. T. Beaulne gave an overview of the process taken in the establishment of Compass Kitchener
and the relevance of Strategic Direction #4 in context with the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory
Committee. With respect to directive #4 the Committee identified the following issues:
·
a process to better understand and disseminate information with respect to promoting a healthy
community
·
community facilities
·
community programs
The Committee also identified directive #2 concerning affordable housing needs of the community, as
a direct impact on the long-term strategy and goals of the committee with respect to the issue of
homelessness. The committee was informed that there are approximately 1,500 to 2,000 homeless
persons within the Region of Waterloo and with the vacancy rate of .7% and the lack of affordable
housing, this problem will grow and have a detrimental impact on the community. The Committee
identified various issues with respect to homelessness:
·
the need for affordable housing
·
support of special needs
·
prevention of the causes of homelessness
·
education and community awareness
·
senior government action and funding
·
partnering with other groups in an attempt to mitigate this problem
Councillor B. Vrbanovic and Ms. C. Anjaria provided an overview of the Ethno-Cultural Committee.
The Committee identified issues with respect to the former Ethno-Cultural Committee such as:
·
continued promotion of diversity
·
better communication
·
the need for programs and easy access to these programs for new Canadians
·
continued education and community awareness
Ms. S. Adams provided information on the Mayor's Inclusion Group which is an ad hoc committee
formed after the death of Howard Munroe. The committee was formed in response to this particular
tragic event to identify social issues and to map out a process that may assist in preventing this
tragedy from happening again.
Ms. S. Adams provided an overview of the Opportunities 2000 Program which was a program to allow
the City to address issues of poverty and to become a more caring community. Ms. Adams pointed
out that some of the issues and initiatives that came out of the Opportunities 2000 Program were:
·
subsidy for leisure and recreation access
·
Personal Attendant for Leisure Card which provides free access to attendants accompanying
residents with a disability to leisure and recreation programs delivered directly by the City
·
changes in the community and seniors centres from a recreation and leisure oriented centre to a
more holistic resource centre model
·
amendments to the City's Human Resource Policies
·
promoting economic development including the Industrial Land Strategy and the Commercial
Hierarchy Policy
SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
JANUARY 29, 2002- 5 -CITY OF KITCHENER
·
the issue regarding housing and the need for the development of affordable housing within the
City
Ms. J. Dean provided the Committee with an overview of the former Safe City Committee highlighting
some of the issues and initiatives from that committee:
·
ensuring safety concerns incorporated in Council decisions
·
the Lighten Up Campaign
·
Safety Audit Programs
·
realizing fear of crime can impact on lives almost as much as crime itself
·
the Safe City mini-conference with other municipalities
·
the need for partnership with other groups and organizations
Mr. D. Schnarr gave an overview of the City Wide Youth Committee, which was a sub-committee of
the Safe City Committee, highlighting some of the initiatives and issues:
·
more drop-in centres and longer hours
·
the Little Black Book Program which provides youths with a pocket book containing relevant and
important phone numbers and contacts
·
the Graffiti Busters Program
·
911 Annual Golf Tournament for Charity
·
the need to provide a venue where youth could express themselves through their art rather than
city-wide graffiti
Councillor G. Lorentz and Ms. M. Dunk left the meeting.
Councillor B. Vrbanovic informed the Committee that due to time constraints a SWAT analysis would
not be conducted and suggested the Committee brainstorm on issues and goals relevant to the
strategic direction for the Committee. The Committee, through a round table discussion, identified the
following issues and goals:
·
education and awareness
·
housing
·
unattended children in facilities
·
role of schools in community issues
·
reciprocal agreement use of space in respect to schools
·
potential partnership with schools
·
policing for Kitchener inconsistent
·
role of minor sports in the community
·
rinks and/or other facilities open 24 hours
·
the use of the newly formed 211 Community Info telephone number as a means of providing
important information to the community
·
communicate and work with other committees
·
fragmented citizen participation need for citizen cohesion
·
Race Relations Day
·
mentoring programs for youth
·
communication pieces, ie. safety information, community resource manual, print and websites
·
assessment of the impact of these projects and ideas as a means of benchmarking
·
role to provide a forum for community debate to assist Council
·
violence
·
social isolation
·
leadership development
·
support for new Canadians
·
family work pressures
·
diversity issues
Councillor B. Vrbanovic asked staff to take the ideas, issues and goals identified by the Committee,
develop common themes and report back to the Committee at its regular February meeting.
Ms. S. Adams provided the Committee with a draft Terms of Reference requesting that the members
review the terms and bring any comments and suggestions to the next meeting.
SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
JANUARY 29, 2002- 6 -CITY OF KITCHENER
ADJOURNMENT
On motion the meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Randy Gosse
Deputy City Clerk