Larry O’Brien

I indicated in my City Address last month before City Council that reaching an agreement with the federal and provincial governments on transit and infrastructure funding were our number one and number two priorities.

So where are we on these files? 

Transit

Earlier this week the City Manager and I sent a joint letter to both levels of government to formally ask for their support on our long-term transit plan and their share of the $3.2 billion cost.

We are encouraged with the level of dialogue at the staff and political levels with the province and the federal governments and we are confident that we will reach an agreement shortly.

I am also glad to report that the City will be able to apply for stimulus funding from the Government of Canada for projects that can be completed over the next two years as part of our transit plan. That means the shovels will hit the ground soon!

The City of Ottawa also received a number of endorsements from different community partners and updated its transit page on www.ottawa.ca. Click here to read the latest.

Infrastructure

On Monday City staff will be releasing and recommending to the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee a list of priority projects to request as part of our share of the $4 billion stimulus budget by the Government of Canada.

At the top of that list will be transit projects and asset renewal - we shouldn’t be building anything new until we have fixed our aging infrastructure. 

The criteria for this list was based primarily on two things. First, it has to be an incremental project - something the City wasn’t planning on doing. Second,  it has to be built and completed in two years.

Committee had directed City staff to revise the list to fit this criteria and work with both the province and the federal governments to make it happen. Councillors have also been consulted. Monday we will see the results.

Finally,  let’s not forget about our other partners - the industry. 

I have now met twice with the construction industry. Our meetings have been helpful to identify and fix some of the red tape that would have otherwise occurred.

The results of those roundtable discussions will be circulated to members of Council next week. I want to acknowledge the efforts of the industry to work with the City of Ottawa and my office to ensure we are ready to put the stimulus money to work to create jobs and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

Mayor O’Brien unveils Earth Hour bannerOttawa – Mayor Larry O’Brien unveiled a three storey high outdoor banner at City Hall today in support of Earth Hour, the world’s largest global climate change event. The banner, sponsored by Hydro Ottawa, reminds residents to turn out the lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28.”Last year, Ottawa was one of the first cities in Canada to support Earth Hour,” said Mayor O’Brien. “Once again, we are proud to be participating in this global call to action and to demonstrate our commitment to fighting climate change. As the capital city of a G8 nation, Ottawa has an important leadership role and I hope every resident and business will join me in turning off their lights on March 28.”Earth Hour is a global campaign initiated by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia in 2007. For the second year running, the City and Hydro Ottawa are encouraging Ottawans to get involved by signing up online at ottawa.ca and registering their support for the fight against climate change by participating on March 28.“Ottawa residents and businesses truly embraced Earth Hour in 2008, making a powerful statement about our commitment as a community to use electricity wisely, and do our part for the environment,” said Rosemarie Leclair, President and CEO of Hydro Ottawa. “We’re hoping that even more will participate in 2009, and we’re making a special effort to involve children and youth, who are often the agents of change.”This year, Earth Hour organizers hope to reach one billion people in more than 1,000 cities around the world. Through their participation, individuals can learn that it’s possible to make a positive difference in their environment.Earth Hour lasts only 60 minutes but the City has programs to reduce energy use in its buildings and facilities 365 days a year. The City’s energy investment strategy, adopted in 2002, has consistently decreased energy consumption per facility, and resulted in a $1.3-million reduction in the City’s annual utility bill.

I welcome Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities John Baird’s announcement today on his intention to lift the exemption of federal safety regulations for OC Transpo.

Minister Baird is taking action to enforce eights hours of rest between shifts and eliminate the option bus drivers currently have to book back-to-back 11 hour shifts.

Today’s announcement is a victory for all of us and is a reinforcement of Council’s united position on the safety of Ottawa residents and OC Transpo drivers – something we were not willing to compromise on during the transit strike.

The details of Minister Baird’s announcement can be found here. I look forward to hearing from the citizens of Ottawa on this important issue.

Please see below a press release I issued this morning.

For immediate release:
March 5, 2009

Mayor reacts to release of Taskforce Report on Governance

Mayor believes status quo isn’t good enough - changes required to bring more accountability to City Hall

Mayor launches website for public input

OTTAWA- Today the Mayor’s Taskforce on Governance, under the chairmanship of David Zussman, released its report containing recommendations on how to bring more strategic thinking, accountability and operational effectiveness to City Hall.

In June 2008 Mayor Larry O’Brien appointed this independent Taskforce, with members from the academic and business community, to review the current governance model at City Hall and identify ways to help Council become more accountable, strategic and focused on the long-term.

The Taskforce report, entitled Governing Ottawa: Strategic Thinking for a Winning City, is being released in support of the City’s mid-term governance review beginning with a series of White Papers on governance. The City Clerk and Deputy Clerk, in consultation with Councillors, are preparing a series of position papers for consideration as part of the mid-term governance review mandated by Council.

“After two years on the job, I constantly hear from the public that they want to see more accountability at City Hall and I strongly believe that the status quo is simply not good enough anymore,” said Mayor O’Brien. “Now Council has the first real opportunity since amalgamation to make immediate changes that will streamline our decision making process and change the way we do business forever.”

The City’s governance review takes place in two stages. The first is a mid-term review between March and April 2009 and the second is a full review that will occur in conjunction with the next election in 2010. Some of the Taskforce report will be considered for implementation after the next election, while the City’s White Papers support changes that can be made during the current term of Council.

“I am pleased to see City staff will be identifying changes that can be put in place immediately to transform the way we do business at City Hall,” said Mayor O’Brien. “We will be able to implement changes today that will increase accountability, in particular when it comes to our current budget process.”

One of the Mayor’s main motivators in creating the Taskforce on Governance was his belief that the current budget process at the City of Ottawa is flawed.

Both City staff and Taskforce members have endorsed the creation of a Finance and Audit Committee that will keep an eye on spending year round and see City Council develop the budget rather than leaving the heavy-lifting to City staff.

“I fully endorse this and many other positive recommendations from both the Taskforce and City Clerk’s Office including giving more delegated authority to committees on issues outside of the budget that will no longer rise to City Council,” said Mayor O’Brien. “We can no longer afford to spend numerous hours during Council meetings debating matters that do not have a city-wide implication. Committees need to be more accountable on matters within their jurisdiction while Councillors need to be directly accountable for matters in their wards.”

Mayor Launches Website

Members of the public are encouraged to visit http://www.governance-ottawa.ca/ and provide comments on the website’s online forum.

“Today we are starting the conversation and it is important that we consult with the residents of Ottawa to ensure we make changes that benefit the public,” said Mayor O’Brien. “This will be one of the most important debates we have during this term of Council and with the Zussman Report and the City’s White Papers, Council has all the tools it needs to significantly improve the way we do business at City Hall now and after the next election.”

Mayor O’Brien would like to thank members of the Taskforce on Governance for their work. For more information on members and to view the Taskforce report please click here.