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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSafe & Healthy - 2006-03-07 SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MARCH 7, 2006 CITY OF KITCHENER The Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee met this date, commencing at 4:00 p.m. Present: D. Schnarr, Co-Chair P. Doherty, S. Fohring, C. Schneider and T. Beaulne. Staff: M. Hildebrand, Interim Director, Community Programs & Services J. Dean, Safe City Co-ordinator L. Korabo, Committee Administrator 1 . WORK PLAN · Mr. D. Schnarr provided an update on the work of the Downtown Lighting Sub-Committee advising that it had met with John MacDonald, who authored the Downtown Lighting Study (1998), to review the current status of King Street lighting. Discussion took place on the following matters: lighting upgrades which have already taken place; maintenance and the lack of upkeep of same; and, the need for additional fa<;ade lighting. Some members of the Sub-Committee accompanied members of the Kitchener Downtown Business Association on a fact-finding trip to Guelph to view newly installed downtown lighting. After viewing the lighting in Guelph it was the general consensus that it was too bright and there was too much glare. It is the hope of Sub-Committee that recommendations regarding Downtown Kitchener lighting will be coming forward for consideration within the next 12 months. Mr. Schnarr advised that City staff has met with the Chief Administrative Officer and it was noted that work has been scheduled to retrofit lighting along King Street East in the Cedar - Eby Street Block. Ms. J. Dean reminded Committee members of an outstanding offer to financially assist any storeowners who wish to improve their businesses fa<;ade lighting. · There was nothing to report regarding the Youth Website. · With regard to the PACK real estate package, C. Bluhm advised that he would contact the sub-committee's co-chair and obtain an update for the Committee. · Social Isolation and Inclusion - a presentation will be made at the April, 2006 Committee meeti ng . 2. UPDATE - YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FOR SAFETY AND SUPPORT PROJECT (YESS) Ms. S. Gassim, Youth Empowerment Safety and Support Program (YESS), attended to provide a verbal report on how the Committee's 2004 grant of $2,500. was used to provide services to ethic youth in the community. Ms. Gassim advised that she had contacted English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers at Eastwood Collegiate (ECI) and Sunnyside Public School and provided them with information on programs and services offered by YESS which could help to reduce the number of crimes and violence among ethnic youth. These informational pamphlets give information on the program goals / objectives as well as workshops and recreational opportunities available to ethnic youth. Ms. Gassim advised that a large response from these students was experienced and in response to this, a workshop was developed which provided empowerment lessons as well as recreational activities. All of the work of YESS is directed toward providing a healthy active living environment. She further noted that YESS had partnered with Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) for the use of their facilities to provide programming for youth. This programming provided mentoring opportunities with a recreational component to follow. Some Master of Social Work (MSW) students from WLU assisted with the mentoring. Attendance was restricted to youth in Grades 6-9 and was split between females and males to better accommodate their different programming needs. Parents of the participants were contacted in advance as carpooling was required to transport participants to Waterloo. Additional monies were used to establish a drop-in centre for high school students in Grades 10-12, some of whom may be out of school or from split families. The drop-in provided positive role models who spok e on various pertinent topics. It was noted that approximately SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MARCH 7, 2006 - 4- CITY OF KITCHENER 2. UPDATE - YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FOR SAFETY AND SUPPORT PROJECT (YESS) (CONT'D) 21 % of the Region of Waterloo's population is immigrant; therefore, key immigrant leaders in the community were contacted to act as role models and speakers at this Centre. The drop-in has been a success with 250 participants being accommodated. Mr. D. Schnarr questioned if Ms. Gassim will be applying for additional funding to maintain and / or increase programming. She advised that the space currently being used by World Wide Opportunities for Women will be used to run programs in the future and that funding applications would be made in June of this year. In addition, plans are underway to once again approach the Cities of Cambridge and Waterloo for funding. Mr. M. Hildebrand advised that the City's Athletic Division is currently undertaking a review of services and is looking for input of which aspects of the community are under serviced. He noted that focused groups will be held on March 9 and 21 and encouraged Ms. Gassim to attend and provide input at that time. 3. DTS-06-026 - TRIPLEX DWELLING OPEN HOUSE SUMMARY REPORT Mr. C. Bluhm, Planner, gave a presentation on a study conducted by Planning staff to review the appropriateness of triplex dwellings within Kitchener's established neighbourhoods. A public consultation process was initiated whereby residents across the city who own land zoned Residential Five (allowing triplexes) were mailed information letters requesting feedback and inviting them to one of two open houses. In addition to the feedback received at the open houses, Planning staff have been directed by City Council to discuss their findings with the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee and obtain the Committee's input regarding: defining a healthy neighbourhood character; and, engaging tenants who have no financial investment in the neighbourhood. Mr. Bluhm displayed a map outlining the areas where the affects of intensification are being reviewed. Residents were asked to comment on their level of comfort with changing demographics in their neighbourhood, feelings regarding the demolition of single family residences to be replaced by multi-unit buildings and complaints regarding noise levels and on-street parking problems. He noted that the main focus of conducting this study is to determine how much growth can be handled in the central neighbourhoods and thereby control urban sprawl. At the open houses, which were well attended, the public was asked to comment on three potential options proposed by City staff: · no changes to the existing zoning or residential land use policies; · changes to the residential land use policies to prohibit additional triplex dwellings; and, · permit triplex dwellings but require greater regulations and restrictions. The following concerns were raised by residents regarding triplexes: off-street parking concerns; neighbourhood character; property maintenance; and, safety. Based on this community input, planning staff were recommending that review tools be developed to improve the design and layout of any new triplexes as well as exploring options to address current concerns over specifically identified neighbourhoods and streets and finally, to continue to solicit feedback as it is being done today from the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee. In response to Mr. Bluhm's presentation, Ms. J. Dean suggested that Planning staff review the demographics of an area to help determine neighbourhood character by defining the tenure of residents. Ms. T. Beaulne offered to speak with Mr. Bluhm in her capacity as the Executive Director of the Social Planning Council regarding the amenities required in a neighbourhood to make it family friendly. She further suggested that the City of Waterloo be contacted as they have an abundance of experience with this type of community issue. Mr. C. Schneider inquired if the design of triplexes being incorporated into established neighbourhoods would be monitored and Mr. Bluhm acknowledged that building design would be required to fit in with the surrounding area. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MARCH 7, 2006 - 5- CITY OF KITCHENER 3. DTS-06-026 - TRIPLEX DWELLING OPEN HOUSE SUMMARY REPORT (CONT'D In closing, Mr. Bluhm thanked the Committee for their input and advised that the City of Kitchener is looking at finding solutions from a long-term perspective and acknowledged that no overnight fix will work. 4 UPDATE - PRISONER RELEASE PROTOCOLS Further to information provided at the Committee's November 1, 2005 meeting, Ms. J. Dean advised that the Regional Director of the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services has indicated that the Province's prisons will work with outreach workers and will pay the cost of providing transportation for released prisoners to pick up personal belongings at a correctional facility. 5 ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:20 p.m. Linda Korabo Committee Administrator