Accessibility Advisory Committee
MINUTES 19
Tuesday, 18 September 2018
6:30 p.m.
Champlain Room
Note: Underlining
indicates a new or amended recommendation approved by Committee.
These
Minutes have not been confirmed and should be considered DRAFT
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Present:
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Chair:
Brian Wade
Vice-Chair: Phillip Turcotte
Members: Daniel Boyer, Victor Emerson, Murray Gallant, Peter Morel and Don
Patterson
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Absent:
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Members: Guy
Desroches, Marc Dorion, Adele Furrie and Hélène Nadeau
Councillor Shad Qadri (non-voting member)
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No declarations of interest were declared.
CONFIRMED
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
That the Accessibility Advisory Committee receive the presentation and
provide feedback as appropriate.
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Chair Wade provided some
context to this item, explaining that this initiative was created through a
motion by Council. He added that the creation of a Steering Committee was
formed and comprised of several staff from key departments, Councillor Qadri as
the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) Council Liaison and two
representatives from AAC.
Ryan Perrault, and Stacey
Turnbull, from the Emergency and Protective Services department provided an
overview of the Vehicle-for-Hire Accessibility Fund through a PowerPoint presentation,
which is held on file with the City Clerk and Solicitor.
It was noted that the
staff report would be presented to the Community and Protective Services
Committee in early 2019.
Questions and comments
were related to, but not limited to:
·
Ensure the funding be put towards accessible
cabs;
·
The termination of the taxi coupon program; and
·
The comments received through the consultation
sessions.
After discussion, the Committee RECEIVED
this item for information and advised that further questions and comments were
to be forwarded to staff through the Committee Coordinator.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
That the Accessibility Advisory Committee recommend that the Community
and Protective Services Committee receive the 2017-2018 Accessibility
Advisory Committee annual report for information.
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The Committee reviewed the draft annual
report and provided the following changes:
- add ‘Carleton Reporter’ in the first
paragraph.
- add ‘Parking Stakeholders working group’
and ‘Montreal Road Community Improvement Program’ in the Working Group section
of the report.
After discussion, the Committee approved
the following motion:
AAC Motion No. 19/1
Moved by Member P. Morel
That the Accessibility Advisory
Committee recommend that the Community and Protective Services Committee
receive the revised 2017-2018 Accessibility Advisory Committee annual
report for information.
CARRIED
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
That the Accessibility Advisory Committee receive the updates for
information.
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Members provided updates on the following
activities:
·
Parking Stakeholder Working Group
·
Connecting on Disability and Abuse (CODA)
·
Governance – consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair
·
Community Gardens
·
Coalition between the National Capital Commission (NCC) and the
City of Ottawa
Lucille Berlinguette-Saumure, Corporate
Accessibility Specialist explained that when a joint project touches on the
City of Ottawa and the NCC, they typically work together to ensure consistency
and uniformity. She suggested asking staff to make a presentation at a future
AAC meeting to explain this process.
AAC Motion No. 19/2
Moved by Member V. Emerson
That the future Accessibility
Advisory Committee receive a presentation from city staff regarding the status
of coordination of accessibility initiatives with counterparts including the National
Capital Commission and other levels of government.
CARRIED
·
Bayview Yards – site tour
The Committee then RECEIVED and CARRIED
this item as presented.
AVAILABILITY
AND PROTECTION OF ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPACES IN OTTAWA
AAC Motion No. 19/3
Moved by Member
P. Morel
That the Rules of Procedure be waived to consider the
following motion:
CARRIED
Vice-Chair P.
Turcotte read the following motion:
WHEREAS the
Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) notes that for many Ottawans with
disabilities, travelling by personal vehicle is the most accessible mode of
transportation for them; and
WHEREAS the
AAC believes that the availability and protection of accessible on-street
parking spaces is crucial to building an accessible Ottawa by 2025 and beyond;
and
WHEREAS the
AAC is particularly concerned about the availability and protection of those
on-street parking spaces available to Accessible Parking Permit (APP) holders,
and especially on-street parking spaces designated “No Parking” and “No
Stopping”; and
WHEREAS
over the course of its current term, the AAC has raised concerns about the loss
of APP on-street parking spaces in Ottawa, especially in favour of cycling
infrastructure; and
WHEREAS the
AAC believes that APP on-street parking spaces in our City are not adequately
protected; and
WHEREAS when
constructing or redeveloping existing on-street parking spaces, the City has a
statutory duty under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
(AODA) to consult with the Accessibility Advisory Committee on the need,
location and design of accessible on-street parking spaces;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED, that the AAC requests that the City of Ottawa adopt formal
policies and practices that will promote and protect the availability of APP
on-street spaces in Ottawa, by, amongst other things,
A)
Requiring that usage studies be completed
prior to the removal of APP on-street spaces to properly evaluate the impacts
of the loss of those spaces on the disability community;
B)
Requiring that lost APP on-street parking
spaces be relocated to nearby streets; and
C)
Requiring that APP on-street parking
spaces can be removed only as a last resort.
THEREFORE
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the AAC should be consulted prior to the removal of
any APP on-street parking spaces, and that such consultation should include
usage study information for the targeted APP on-street parking spaces.
Member
Patterson suggested including wording to the motion regarding: parking near
medical facilities; pay-in-lieu parking; and Park & Ride near LRT transit
stations.
The Committee
acknowledged the above suggestions, however agreed to keep the current wording
of the motion.
Ms.
Berlinguette-Saumure and the Coordinator explained that due to the timing of
this motion, being that Council is currently in ‘lame-duck’ and that this is an
election year, it was suggested to refer this motion to the future AAC.
The Committee
agreed with this approach and approved the motion as follows:
Moved by Vice-Chair
P. Turcotte
WHEREAS
the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) notes that for many Ottawans with
disabilities, travelling by personal vehicle is the most accessible mode of
transportation for them; and
WHEREAS
the AAC believes that the availability and protection of accessible on-street
parking spaces is crucial to building an accessible Ottawa by 2025 and beyond;
and
WHEREAS
the AAC is particularly concerned about the availability and protection of
those on-street parking spaces available to Accessible Parking Permit (APP)
holders, and especially on-street parking spaces designated “No Parking” and
“No Stopping”; and
WHEREAS
over the course of its current term, the AAC has raised concerns about the loss
of APP on-street parking spaces in Ottawa, especially in favour of cycling
infrastructure; and
WHEREAS
the AAC believes that APP on-street parking spaces in our City are not
adequately protected; and
WHEREAS when
constructing or redeveloping existing on-street parking spaces, the City has a
statutory duty under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
(AODA) to consult with the Accessibility Advisory Committee on the need,
location and design of accessible on-street parking spaces;
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED, that the AAC requests that the City of Ottawa adopt formal
policies and practices that will promote and protect the availability of APP
on-street spaces in Ottawa, by, amongst other things,
A)
Requiring that usage studies be
completed prior to the removal of APP on-street spaces to properly evaluate the
impacts of the loss of those spaces on the disability community;
B)
Requiring that lost APP on-street
parking spaces be relocated to nearby streets; and
C)
Requiring that APP on-street parking
spaces can be removed only as a last resort.
THEREFORE
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the AAC should be consulted prior to the removal of
any APP on-street parking spaces, and that such consultation should include
usage study information for the targeted APP on-street parking spaces; and
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED that this motion be referred to the newly appointed
Accessibility Advisory Committee in 2019.
CARRIED
OTHER BUSINESS
Chair Wade
advised the Committee that notification will be sent to members with respect to
recruitment and reminded everyone to re-apply. He also advised that AAC
members will be asked to continue as active members until the next members have
been appointed.
Member Emerson
acknowledged the huge changes in the City since 2004. He commended the work of
the Accessibility Advisory Committee and thanked members for their time, hard
work and effort throughout the years.
Chair Wade
also thanked the Committee for allowing him to be Chair of this Committee and
acknowledged everyone’s dedication and hard work through this Term of Council.
The meeting
adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
_____________________________ _____________________________
Committee
Coordinator Chair