Environment and Climate Change Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:

1

Date:

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Time:

9:30 A.m. - 10:30 A.m.

Location:

Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West, and by electronic participation

Present:

• Chair: Councillor Shawn Menard, 
• Vice-chair: Councillor Marty Carr, 
• Councillor David Brown, 
• Councillor Cathy Curry, 
• Councillor Sean Devine, 
• Councillor David Hill, 
• Councillor Theresa Kavanagh, 
• Councillor Rawlson King, 
• Councillor Matt Luloff, 
• and Councillor Tim Tierney 

Absent:

• Councillor Riley Brockington 

---

1.

Notices and meeting information for meeting participants and the public

Notices and meeting information are attached to the agenda and minutes, including: availability of simultaneous interpretation and accessibility accommodations; in camera meeting procedures; information items not subject to discussion; personal information disclaimer for correspondents and public speakers; notices regarding minutes; and remote participation details.

Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.

Except where otherwise indicated, reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on 8 March 2023 in Environment and Climate Change Committee Report 1A.

The deadline to register by phone to speak, or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4 pm on Friday, 17 February 2023, and the deadline to register to speak by email is 8:30 am on Tuesday, 21 February 2023.

2.

Declarations of Interest

No Declarations of Interest were filed.

3.

Confirmation of Minutes

3.1

SCEPWWM Minutes 25 - Tuesday, 21 June 2022

• Carried

3.2

Joint SCEPWWM and ARAC Minutes 1 - Monday, 27 June 2022

• Carried

4.

Office of the City Clerk

4.1

Environment and Climate Change Committee Terms of Reference

File No. ACS2023-OCC-CCS-0018 - City Wide

Responding to a question from Councillor Kavanagh about the possibility of holding joint meetings between Committees on subjects where there might be degrees of overlap in mandate, Chair Menard noted that in addition to the possibility of holding joint meetings, Committee Chairs could discuss options and decide where one Committee could take the lead role.

There being no further discussion, the report recommendation was put before the Committee and was ‘CARRIED’, as presented.

• Report Recommendation

  That the Environment and Climate Change Committee recommend Council approve its Terms of Reference, as outlined in this report and attached as Document 1.

  Carried

5.

Finance and Corporate Services Department

5.1

2023 Draft Operating and Capital Budget – Environment and Climate Change Committee

File No. ACS2023-FCS-FSP-0001 - Citywide

The draft budget was tabled at the Council meeting of February 1, 2023. The Environment and Climate Change Committee report on the draft budget will be considered by Council at its meeting of March 1, 2023.

The Committee received a detailed slide presentation overview of its portion of the 2023 Budget from Ms Tammy Rose, General Manager, Infrastructure and Water Services, Infrastructure and Water Services Department (IWSD) along with other members of staff.  A copy of this presentation is held on file with the Office of the City Clerk.  

Also present to respond to questions were Mr. Cyril Rogers, General Manager and Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Corporate Services Department (FCSD), Ms Marilyn Journeaux, Director, Water Services-Linear, IWSD, Ms Susan Johns, Director, Asset Management Services, IWSD, Ms Carina Duclos, Director, Infrastructure Services, IWSD, Ms Gen Nielsen, Director, Water Facilities and Treatment Services, IWSD, Ms Allyson Downs, Director, Parks Maintenance and Forestry Services, Public Works Department (PWD), Ms Shelley McDonald, Director, Solid Waste Service, PWD. and Mr. David Wise, Director, Economic Development and Long Range Planning, Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development (PRED) Department.

Prior to the receipt of public delegations, Vice-Chair Carr introduced the Committee’s two RoadMap motions (Tax- and Rate-supported).

Committee then heard from the following public delegations:

1. Ms Angela Keller-Herzog+, Executive Director, Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES)
2. Ms Phillipa MacDonald¬+, CAFES
3. Mr. Duncan Bury, Waste Watch Ottawa
4. Mr. Tom Harris, Executive Director, International Climate Science Coalition – Canada (ICSC – Canada)
5. Ms Teagen Yaremchuk, Senior Program Specialist, Ottawa Climate Action Fund (OCAF)
6. Mr. John Reid
7. Ms Jennifer Humphries*, Tree Caucus of CAFES
8. Mr. Paul Johanis, Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital
9. Mr. Raymond Leury, President, Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa

Written correspondence was also received from Ms Darlene Pearson*, Citizen Climate Counsel (C3)

[     + Slide presentations/visuals/videos held on file with the Office of the City Clerk.]

[    * Individuals / groups marked with an asterisk above either provided comments in writing or by e-mail; all submissions and presentations are held on file with the Office of the City Clerk. ]

At the conclusion of Committee’s questions to the delegations and to staff, and with discussions on the Committee’s portion of the 2023 City of Draft Ottawa Operating and Capital Budgets also being concluded, Vice-Chair Carr moved the Committee’s Budget Tax- and Rate-supported Roadmap Motions as follow:

• Report Recommendation 

  That the Environment and Climate Change Committee consider the relevant portions of the 2023 Operating and Capital Budgets and make recommendations to Council sitting in Committee of the Whole to be held March 1, 2023.

  Carried as amended
• Motion No. ECCC 2023-01-01
  Moved by M. Carr

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Environment and Climate Change Committee recommend that Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole, approve the Environment and Climate Change Committee 2023 Tax-supported Draft Operating and Capital Budget, as follows:

  1. Infrastructure and Water Services Department, Infrastructure and Asset Management Services as follows:
     
     1. User Fees (page 2);
     2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 1).
  2. Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department, Resiliency and Natural Systems Policy Operating Resource Requirement (page 5);
  3. Public Works Department, Solid Waste Services as follows:
     
     1. User Fees (pages 9-10);
     2. Operating Resource Requirements (page 8);
  4. Public Works Department, Forestry Services as follows:
     
     1. User Fees (page 13);
     2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 12).
  5. Environment and Climate Change Committee Tax-supported Capital Budget on page 14, individual projects listed on pages 30-33 (Environment), and pages 35-43 (Solid Waste).
  Carried

  With dissent from Councillor D. Brown on recommendations 2 and 5. 

  
  
• Motion No. ECCC 2023-01-02
  Moved by M. Carr

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Environment and Climate Change Committee recommends that Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole, approve the Environment and Climate Change Committee 2023 Rate-supported Draft Operating and Capital Budget as follows:

  1. Infrastructure and Water Services Department, Drinking Water Services as follows:
     
     1. User Fees (pages 3-7);
     2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 2).
  2. Wastewater Services as follows:
     
     1. User Fees (pages 10-11)
     2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 9);
  3. Stormwater, Laboratory and Municipal Drainage Services as follows:
     
     1. User Fees (pages 14-17);
     2. Operating Resource Requirements (page 13);
  4. The Environment and Climate Change Committee Rate-Supported Capital Budget, on pages 18-24, individual projects listed on pages 38-66 (Drinking Water Services), 68-71 (Integrated Water and Wastewater – Rate Portion), 73-94 (Wastewater Services) and 96-120 (Stormwater Services).
  Carried

6.

In Camera Items

There were no in camera items.

7.

Information Previously Distributed

7.1

Annual Drinking Water Source Protection Status Update - 2022

File No. ACS2023-ISW-AM-0001 - City Wide

8.

Notices of Motions (For Consideration at Subsequent Meeting)

8.1

Councillor R. King - EV Parking MeterStations

• WHEREAS On April 24, 2019, City Council declared a Climate Emergency for the purposes of naming, framing, and deepening our commitment to protecting our economy, our eco systems, and our community from climate change;

  WHEREAS this declaration provides additional direction to staff for expanded work on the Climate Change Master Plan, Energy Evolution, and the future Climate Resiliency Plan;

  WHEREAS part of this plan has included commitment to supporting the transition to electric vehicles and has installed several electric vehicle charging stations across Ottawa. Transitioning from gas and diesel vehicles to electric vehicles is one of the most important actions required to meet Ottawa’s target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050;

  WHEREAS the city launched 24 new on-street charging stations. The charging stations are at 12 locations in the urban area such as Beechwood Avenue, Daly Avenue, Wellington Street West, Cartier Street, Main Street and Laurier Avenue East; 

  WHEREAS each site is equipped with two level 2 chargers which provide 35 to 45 km per hour of charging. Users are charged $2 per hour;

  WHEREAS the charging stations are part of the City’s efforts to support the uptake of electric vehicles in Ottawa;

  WHEREAS this project was completed with support from the federal government under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, and Envari, an affiliate of Hydro Ottawa.

  WHEREAS privately-owned companies as well as organizations such as the Ottawa Airport Authority currently offer charging stations in their paid parking lots and garages;

  WHEREAS the City has also recently installed charging stations at a City-owned park and ride station at Chapel Hill Park and Ride; and 

  WHEREAS Park and Ride spaces are purchased and paid for monthly, much like paying for parking across the city. 

  WHEREAS the City continues to review locations and will be making recommendations for additional EV charging in Ottawa;

  WHEREAS the City of Peterborough approved the installation of eight parking charging stations for electric cars free to use with paid parking;

  WHEREAS the public charging stations planned for Peterborough will be free to charge with paid parking; 

  WHEREAS providing free charging aligns with the current public EV charging approach the City already offers;

  WHEREAS the gradual charging speed of EV stations may keep drivers longer in the city centre that may lead to greater economic activity for downtown businesses. 

  WHEREAS the public stations may help attract visitors to travel and spend extra time in Ottawa that otherwise may not have visited the downtown due to its limited EV charging capabilities. 

  WHEREAS on-street parking rate proposed rate for Ottawa’s 2023 Budget is set at a maximum of $4 per hour;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Staff explore the ability to use unspent dollars from the Climate Change Master Plan and Energy Evolution to fund the purchase and retrofitting that may be required to fund the cost of public-use EV chargers in already established parking metered spaces. 

  THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this project consider and ensure that:

  1. The appropriate duration and location of time for downtown metered spaces 
  2. Feasibility of locations with proximity to current electrical conduits, such as newly resurfaced Montreal Road and other complete streets in the city
  3. Local municipal parking garages are included 
  4. Parking enforcement of a 4-hour parking limit is not exceeded to allow for multiple EVs re-energizing  per day. 
  5. Parking in these spots would be restricted to electric vehicles and only while charging. 
  6. There is opportunity to align with High Performance Development Standards (HPDS), in terms of its requirements for private development, to induce developers to add EV chargers (cost recouped through a “preferred parking” fee) for resident parking and/or visitor parking at their private developments of multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs).

  THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED staff report back in Q3 2023 on the feasibility and implementation of this project.

9.

Inquiries

There were no Inquiries.

10.

Other Business

There was no other business.

11.

Adjournment

Next Meeting

21 March 2023

The meeting adjourned at 11:55 am.