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1. PROTECTIVE PLUMBING PROGRAM – USE OF RESERVES TO FUND 2010 APPLICATIONS
PROGRAMME D’INSTALLATION DE DISPOSITIFS PROTECTEURS SANITAIRES – UTILISATION DES RÉSERVES POUR FINANCER LES DEMANDES DE L’ANNÉE 2010
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Committee recommendation
That Council direct Wastewater staff, for the period up until the approval of the 2011 Capital Budget, to use transfers from reserves to ensure there is sufficient funding to allow all eligible applications made to the Protective Plumbing Program in 2010 to be processed.
Recommandation DU Comité
Que le Conseil donne l’ordre au personnel du Service des eaux usées d’utiliser, au cours de la période précédant l’approbation du budget d’immobilisations de 2011, des fonds transférés des réserves, et ce, afin d’assurer l’existence des fonds nécessaires au traitement des demandes admissibles au Programme d’installation des dispositifs protecteurs sanitaires de 2010.
Documentation
1. Committee Coordinator's report dated 8 June 2010 (ACS2010-CCS-PEC-0023).
2. Extract of Draft Minutes – Planning and Environment Committee meeting of 8 June 2010
Report to/Rapport au:
Conseil Municipal
Submitted by/Soumis par: Caitlin Salter MacDonald, Coordinator,
Planning and Environment Committee/
Coordonnatrice du Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement
Contact Person/Personne ressource : As above/tel qu’indiqué
(613) 580-2424 ext/poste 28136 – Caitlin.Salter-MacDonald@Ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That Council direct Wastewater staff, for the period up until the approval of the 2011 Capital Budget, to use transfers from reserves to ensure there is sufficient funding to allow all eligible applications made to the Protective Plumbing Program in 2010 to be processed.
recommandation du rapport
Que le Conseil donne l’ordre au personnel du Service des eaux usées d’utiliser, au cours de la période précédant l’approbation du budget d’immobilisations de 2011, des fonds transférés des réserves, et ce, afin d’assurer l’existence des fonds nécessaires au traitement des demandes admissibles au Programme d’installation des dispositifs protecteurs sanitaires de 2010.
Councillor Feltmate moved the addition of the following motion at the Planning and Environment Committee meeting of 8 June 2010. The motion was added and approved:
WHEREAS the number of homes that were flooded on July 24, 2009 has resulted in a high number of applications to the Protective Plumbing Program for funding to assist with the installation of measures to reduce the risk of future flooding; and
WHEREAS Councillors have recognized that the history of flooding in many of the communities affected by the July 24, 2009 flooding means that measures to prevent flooding should not be delayed; and
WHEREAS Council has recognized that the history of flooding in many of the communities affected by the July 24, 2009 flooding means that measures to prevent flooding should not be delayed; and
WHEREAS many of the people affected by the July 24, 2009 flooding do not have the financial means to install backflow valves without assistance through the Protective Plumbing Program; and
WHEREAS without additional funding for the Protective Plumbing Program people who are waiting for their applications to be processed will have to wait a year for reimbursement and people hoping to get the work done will be forced to wait for a year; and
WHEREAS adding to the time people must wait for reimbursement or to get backflow valves installed increases the stress and financial pressure people feel as a result of the July 24, 2009 flooding; and
WHEREAS funds exist in reserve funds to allow eligible applications for assistance to be processed; and
WHEREAS Council granted similar authority to staff last August to ensure that the City’s response to the flooding of July 24, 2010 was not unnecessarily delayed;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Committee direct Wastewater staff, for the period up until the approval of the 2011 Capital Budget, to use transfers from reserves to ensure there is sufficient funding to allow all eligible applications made to the Protective Plumbing Program in 2010 to be processed.
Committee approved that the matter would rise to Council at its meeting of 9 June 2010.
CONSULTATION
Environmental Services staff were consulted on the motion, and expressed their support at the Committee meeting.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Funds exist in reserve funds to allow eligible applications for assistance to be processed.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
No legal/risk management implications have been identified.
Staff will be available at the Council meeting to provide further information with respect to legal or financial implications, as required.
Staff in Environmental Services, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability, are to implement Council’s decision.
PROTECTIVE PLUMBING PROGRAM – USE OF RESERVES TO FUND 2010 APPLICATIONS
PROGRAMME D’INSTALLATION DE DISPOSITIFS PROTECTEURS SANITAIRES – UTILISATION DES RÉSERVES POUR FINANCER LES DEMANDES DE L’ANNÉE 2010
ACS2010-CCS-PEC-0023 CITY-WIDE/À L’ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE
Chair Hume advised that Councillor Feltmate had requested suspension of the rules to consider an additional item with respect to backwater protection valves, and that the motion was being brought forward because there was a need to add more resources to the program to allow more reimbursements to take place.
Moved by Councillor P. Feltmate:
That the Planning and Environment Committee approve the addition of this item for consideration by the Committee at today’s meeting, pursuant to section 84(3) of the procedure by-law
CARRIED
Councillor Feltmate introduced her motion, and asked for Committee’s support. She emphasized the importance of the Protective Plumbing Program and noted that, while some applications had been approved and gone ahead, payment has been stopped due to the question of resources. She noted City staff had been gaining the trust of the residents who had started installing the devices, and suggested the stopping of funding the program had become a real issue for those residents. In conclusion, she asked Committee to approve the motion, noting that the issue affected other west-end wards, in addition to her own, that had been affected by flooding.
Dixon Weir, General Manager of Environmental Services and Michael Burt, Manager of Customer Service, were present from staff. Mr. Weir confirmed that staff supported the motion, and that there was money available in the reserves.
In response to questions from Councillor Quadri, Mr. Burt confirmed that to date, in 2009 the City paid out $1.18 million in grants, and in 2010 they had paid out $775,000. He further confirmed that staff had consulted with the Treasurer’s office, which had confirmed that there were sufficient funds within the reserve fund.
Committee then approved Councillor Feltmate’s motion, as presented:
WHEREAS the number of homes that were flooded on July 24, 2009 has resulted in a high number of applications to the Protective Plumbing Program for funding to assist with the installation of measures to reduce the risk of future flooding; and
WHEREAS Councillors have recognized that the history of flooding in many of the communities affected by the July 24, 2009 flooding means that measures to prevent flooding should not be delayed; and
WHEREAS Council has recognized that the history of flooding in many of the communities affected by the July 24, 2009 flooding means that measures to prevent flooding should not be delayed; and
WHEREAS many of the people affected by the July 24, 2009 flooding do not have the financial means to install backflow valves without assistance through the Protective Plumbing Program; and
WHEREAS without additional funding for the Protective Plumbing Program people who are waiting for their applications to be processed will have to wait a year for reimbursement and people hoping to get the work done will be forced to wait for a year; and
WHEREAS adding to the time people must wait for reimbursement or to get backflow valves installed increases the stress and financial pressure people feel as a result of the July 24, 2009 flooding; and
WHEREAS funds exist in reserve funds to allow eligible applications for assistance to be processed; and
WHEREAS Council granted similar authority to staff last August to ensure that the City’s response to the flooding of July 24, 2010 was not unnecessarily delayed;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Committee direct Wastewater staff, for the period up until the approval of the 2011 Capital Budget, to use transfers from reserves to ensure there is sufficient funding to allow all eligible applications made to the Protective Plumbing Program in 2010 to be processed.
CARRIED
Councillor Feltmate requested that the item be brought forward to Council at their meeting of 8 June 2010, and Committee agreed.