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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGRAAC - 2007-03-22 Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC) Thursday March 22, 2007 Kitchener City Hall, Heritage Room PRESENT (MEMBERS): Taposhi Batabyal (Co-Chair),Brad Ullner,Sharon Giles, Sharon Ward-Zeller, Marybeth Hunter, Carol Moogk-Soulis, Gail Brunsdon, James Hunsberger, Chris Douglas, Frank Groenestege, Saul Herzog, Gord Cummer. PRESENT (STAFF and COUNCILLORS): Deb Bergey, Leigh Golden, Ana Popa (MSW Student), Val Hummel, Councillor Kelly Galloway, Councillor Jane Mitchell. REGRETS (MEMBERS): none. REGRETS (OTHERS): Lori Ludwig, Kelly Steiss, David Heuchert, Darryl Denny. ABSENT WITHOUT REGRETS: none. 1.0 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS Taposhi acknowledged Susan Harkins’ contribution to the community as a whole and to GRAAC in particular. A minute of silence was observed in her memory. 2.0 APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY MINUTES AND MARCH AGENDA ? A motion was made by James Hunsberger, seconded by Sharon Ward-Zeller, to accept the minutes of the February meeting with the following amendment: in the process of being installed.” section 6.1.1. (page 4) “New signage is All were in favour; carried. ? A motion was made by Sharon Giles, seconded by Sharon Ward-Zeller, to adopt the March agenda as submitted. All were in favour; carried. 3.0 BUSINESS ARISING 3.1. Snow Clearance Practices / Policies for the City of Kitchener Presented by: Gloria MacNeil, By-Law Enforcement Division. The majority of process and responsibility with regard to snow and ice complaints on sidewalks are dealt with by by-law enforcement. Once complaints are received, by-law officers inspect the addresses and look after the enforcement as well as the billing process. The only aspect they are not responsible for is the clearing of snow or ice from the sidewalks if the owner does not comply. This information is forwarded to the Operations Division; they would go out and clear the respective sidewalks. For the most part, sidewalks throughout the City of Kitchener are the responsibility of the property owner/occupant to clear. There are areas that the City clears such as the downtown core (by special levy on taxes) as well as sidewalks with bus stops. Regarding sidewalk ramps and curb cuts, the City’s position is that it is the responsibility of the property owner adjacent to the sidewalk to clear the corner as well. March 2007 – GRAAC Minutes 1 There is currently no by-law that specifically addresses access paths to buildings and through parking lots; however, there is a blanket provision regarding safety issues in the City’s property standards by-law that could be used to address these types of problems if required. The City is in the process of re-writing their by-law and will be addressing concerns of access paths and parking lots in the new by-law. Parking lots that are owned by the City are the responsibility of the City to clear after a snow fall; privately owned parking lots are the responsibility of the owner of that property to clear. The by-law currently in place for snow removal within the City of Kitchener states that an owner / occupant has 24 hours after a snowfall to clear and remove snow and ice from the sidewalks. Sidewalks should be cleared down to bare pavement and to their full width. By-Law Enforcement and Operations Division do a joint communication initiative twice a year leading up to the winter informing the public of several issues such as sidewalk safety, parked cars, plowing the streets, etc. In enforcing the snow and ice by-law the City has two options: ? Operations Division will clear the sidewalk if the owner does not look after it – the owner is then invoiced the cost of snow removal (most commonly used). ? Issue of Provincial Offence Notice (ticket) – the fine amount is $95. By-Law Enforcement519.741.2330. phone number: The process currently in place for complaints is to call the by-law enforcement department and lodge a complaint. The City is primarily reactive and generally works on a complaint basis. However, as of this year there are some parameters in place, which give the City more flexibility in being more proactive in areas where there are ongoing concerns. The City is open to any feedback or recommendations and will be doing a review at the end of the snow season to determine how things went this season and areas of improvement for next year. If a person with a disability had a question or concern about a particular municipal building or facility, whom they would contact would depend on the building or facility. If need be, the City will prepare a list of the various types of facilities and who should be contacted regarding a particular concern. The By-Law Enforcement will continue to have involvement and feedback with the accessibility plan that the City of Kitchener works on annually. They are also available to meet with GRAAC regarding a specific issue. Discussion: Curb cuts: ? The house owner closest to the curb cut is responsible for clearing it; the City will inform the owner if a complaint is received. ? Home owners are also responsible to maintain the curb cuts clear of snow or ice after the roads have been plowed. Bus stop clearance: ? Bus Stops are cleared by the Operations Division – contact them for complaints. ? Could Operations Division also clear curb cuts near bus stops? ? Not sure (Operations not present today) – will get back to GRAAC. March 2007 – GRAAC Minutes 2 Walkways near parks or other areas owned by the city: ? Not sure who is responsible for this – the City will get back to GRAAC. Budget: ? Has there been a budget cut? – light snow this season, yet snow is still not cleared. ? Not aware of any budget cuts - will find out and get back to GRAAC. TTY phones in By-Law Enforcement: ? Something is in place - most likely through Clerk’s department ? However, there should be a direct line – people who are deaf and in a wheelchair need this. Complaints: ? Could postal delivery workers be used to provide feedback on “constant offenders”? ? The City does receive regular calls from them. ? Could the Post Office refuse to deliver mail? ? City cannot speak about this. Billing: ? Could the City clean sidewalks and then add to tax bill? ? City invoices first, if it is not paid, it is then added to tax bill. 3.2. Snow Clearance Practices / Policies for the City of Waterloo Presented by: Mary George, By-Law Enforcement Division. The process and content is similar to the City of Kitchener. The owner or occupant of every residential property is responsible for removing snow and ice from sidewalks along city streets, within 24 hours after a snowfall. The City enforces this by-law both proactively and on a complaint basis. Upon complaint, the property is inspected and, if not cleared, a courtesy notice is issued (warning) to either the property owner or the occupant asking them to clear the snow / ice; if they do not comply, then the city will clear the sidewalks and the owner will be billed for the cost. The by-law also states that sidewalks need to be cleared down to bare pavement. During last year, over 2000 courtesy notices were issued and over 80 sidewalks were cleared by the City. GRAAC and other community members need to call the City of Waterloo, By-Law Enforcement, to advise of problems. Discussion: Street corners: ? Snowplows pile the snow on corner after the homeowner has cleared the sidewalk. ? The City sends out special pamphlets to reinforce cleaning of sidewalks and ramps. ? What about snow piled at street corners? ? Several days after a snow fall, the City clears the corner; but sometimes, as in right now, the snow is dumped on the corner. The City recognizes that it is a problem (more complaints received). Use of salt: March 2007 – GRAAC Minutes 3 ? Problems with snow melting and forming ice pools. ? and The City by-law clearly states that snow ice need to be cleared. ? The City promotes reduce use of salt; however, salt is still needed. ? The City will look at wording in promotion materials to advise that salt is still OK to be used in certain conditions such as ice (with the focus on reducing and not eliminating its use). ? The City might want to look at using finer salt (dog friendly!). Bus stop clearance: ? City of Waterloo cleans 562 on behalf of Region of Waterloo ? This is done usually during the night shift. ? Public Works519.886.2310 If a pedestrian route is not cleared, call department: TTYs: ? No TTY yet - a committee is looking at that. ? Deb advised the City will get TextNet – fairly extensive network. Walkways near parks or other areas owned by the city: ? The City cleans the areas that are highly used and are owned by the City; the focus is on their own sidewalks. Uptown area: ? Similar to the City of Kitchener – businesses are contributing financially, and so the City clears and loads the snow. Billing: ? The fee for clearing sidewalks is $280 – if not paid by owner, the amount is added to the taxes. The City feels this is the most effective approach as sidewalks are cleared right away. The City could lay charges but this might take longer to resolve the problem. Complaints: ? Call the City directly – The City will follow up on behalf of residents (e.g., Regional Housing, store lots, Canada Post mail boxes). Residents unable to clear the sidewalks (e.g., elderly residents): ? The City has a program in place available at a small cost. 3.3. Snow Clearance Practices / Policies for the Region of Waterloo Presented by: Deb Bergey, Region of Waterloo. The Region will contract with area municipalities as mentioned above. John Cicuttin will be available for the next GTSC meeting for more information related to the Region. If any questions arise, Deb/Ana will take it to the appropriate staff . FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION: ? Phone and complain is not the only answer – GRAAC should take a more proactive approach. ? Current process unfair to seniors – is there a break for seniors and/or people with disabilities unable to clear the snow/ice? ? GRAAC should push for the cities to clear the sidewalks – pay for it in taxes (Elmira already does this). ? Who is actually responsible: landlords or tenants? The by-laws state “owner or occupant” but there seems to be no penalty for the occupant. March 2007 – GRAAC Minutes 4 ? Homeownership comes with certain responsibilities (e.g., clearing the sidewalks of snow and ice). However, what happens when there are limited resources? There should be a recourse that is cheaper than $280. A motion was made by Gord Cummerseconded by Chris Douglas, to ask council to research clearing sidewalks of snow and ice by the municipalities and add the cost to the tax bill (cost per individual or household). All were in favour; carried. Action: GRAAC will send a letter to the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo with this proposal. 4.0 NEW BUSINESS 4.1. Waterloo Park Master Plan Presented by Eckhard Pastrik, landscape architect with the City of Waterloo. He provided a newsletter summarizing the project. The City is looking for community feedback to guide the future development of Waterloo Park. Public consultation workshop: April 21, 2007 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex. There will be key stakeholders’ discussion and case studies. There are a few ways to get involved now - accessibility is a key aspect that needs to be addressed. He said members could go to www.waterloo.ca – and click on Waterloo Park Master Plan to fill out a survey. If anybody wants a hard copy, contact Eckhard Pastrik. Discussion: ? Upgrades to existing park – complete Master Plan by December 2007. ? Create 10 yr. Capital Plan. ? Will look at trail accessibility. ? Will look at communication barriers: ? ASL interpreters at museum/special events. ? There are no TTY number currently on brochure – will look into that. ? Will contact CHS for more information. GRAAC members who would like to be involved in this project included: ? James Hunsberger ? Gord Cummer ? Saul Herzog ? Marybeth Hunter. 4.2. Election of Chair(s) Val Hummel briefly reviewed the different models and what models GRAAC has used in the past. GRAAC members addressed some of the advantages and disadvantages of the co- chair model. Some members said they would like to continue with the co-chair model. In response to a question, the co-chair explained that GRAAC the co-chairs should be committed to work out personal differences with their co-chair and/or GRAAC members. If this is not possible, these are the options: resign from being co-chair, or from GRAAC altogether. March 2007 – GRAAC Minutes 5 A motion was made by Chris Douglas, seconded by Frank Groenestege, to adopt the co- chair model. All were in favour; carried. Val reviewed the nominations received: Taposhi Batabyal and Sharon Ward-Zeller. Saul Herzog nominated Taposhi Batabyal and Sharon Ward-Zeller. There were no further nominations. Taposhi Batabyal and Sharon Ward-Zeller were acclaimed as GRAAC Co-Chairs. 5.0 OTHER BUSINESS 5.1. Co-chair report City of Waterloo - Community Consultation for Recreation and Leisure Services for Policy Review – currently in phase two – they are looking for ideas and suggestions for current policy structure. Two sessions planned: ? March 27, 2007 at RIM Park from 7-9 pm. ? March 29, Waterloo Memorial Recreational Complex, 7-9 pm. Members who are interested in attending should contact the co-chair after the meeting for more information. Self-evaluation Form for GRAACTaposhi will collect the forms. – Saul and Chris said they needed another form. On March 30, 2007 – Canada has said it will not sign a landmark treaty on protecting human rights for people with disabilities. Ottawa stated it needed to consult with the provinces further. Contact your local MP, Stephen Harper or Peter Mackay at: House of Commons Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 Or email: Harper.S@parl.gc.ca or Mackay.P@parl.gc.ca A motion was made by Sharon Ward-Zeller, seconded by Chris Douglas, to respond as a group by writing a letter to protest this decision. All were in favour; carried. Action: Sharon Giles, Chris Douglas and Taposhi Batabyal will work on drafting the letter. One of the Rapid Transit Open House sessions was attended by Saul Herzog. Two types are being considered: rapid buses and electric trains. Three proposed routes: King St., Weber St., along the existing railway tracks. Everything is preliminary – still work in progress. Discussion was held about extending GRAAC meeting times. It was suggested that GRAAC devote a one-hour segment of the meeting to a particular topic of interest. In this meeting, for example, it was snow clearance; next month – Emergency Planning/Pandemic Plan; in May, it will be Special Events; and in June, parking. March 2007 – GRAAC Minutes 6 Reasons: Liaise with appropriate staff; consolidate GRAAC position as a group. Therefore, meetings need to be extended. There were no objections. Action: Assuming that ASL interpreters are available, meeting will be extended from 3:30 to 4:00 until further notice (with two breaks during the meetings). Affordable Rental Housing Waterloo Region has healthy vacancy rate - 3.5% for private affordable housing. However, rent increases are leading to an increased lack of affordability - 31.7/% increase from 1995 to 2005. In Waterloo Region, there was 6% increase for two bedroom apartment in 2004- 2205. Region of Waterloo developed 1200 new units since 2001 – aims at developing 1500 units until the end of 2008. GRAAC members then made a farewell presentation to Deb Bergey. 5.2 SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS 5.2.1 Built Environment Subcommittee Update Brad Ullner said that staff has commented on the proposed Terms of Reference – and these should be ready for the next GRAAC meeting. 5.2.2 Transportation Subcommittee Update Minutes should be available next week. The last meeting addressed the details of items such as Taxi Scripts, limits, boundaries, scheduling, service changes, communication, etc. Transit TALK newsletter – hard copies provided by Sharon Ward-Zeller; also available on the website, and mailed to registered Mobility Plus users. Sharon Ward Zeller and Sharon Giles will continue as a Chair / Vice-Chair, unless GRAAC has any objection to Sharon Ward-Zeller chairing two committees. 5.3 Walkable Waterloo Region Presented by Deb Bergey. This project is part of the International Walk 21 to be held in Toronto later in the year. There is an opportunity to participate in the process. Public consultation will be held on April 30, 2007, in the evening – Canada Room at the Record, which is an accessible room. Ana will pass along the details as they come out. GRAAC may want to participate and provide feedback regarding accessibility. 6.0 ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned. Next meeting will be on April 26, 2007 1:30 – 4:00pm, Conestoga Room, 200 King St. W., Kitchener. Parking and bus passes will be available. March 2007 – GRAAC Minutes 7