Memoranda issued by Public Works

October 31, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council

From: Alain Gonthier, General Manager Public Works Department

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Mayor and Members of Council with an update on the Public Works Department’s review of its Winter Maintenance Quality Standards.

Background

As directed by Council, the Public Works Department has undertaken a comprehensive review of its winter maintenance operations over the past five years, with updates provided to members of Council annually. During this time, the Department completed a Service Delivery Review, a municipal scan of comparative winter operations, and an in-depth review of its Winter Maintenance Quality Standards that was presented to the Transportation Committee and Council in November 2023. The review found that the City of Ottawa provides a high level of service for residents and exceeds the Minimum Maintenance Standards set by the province. These findings were further bolstered by resident engagement feedback, which found that residents were generally satisfied with the current level of service for the City’s winter maintenance operations, with some recommendations for improvements to residential roadway clearing and sidewalk maintenance.

At the April 17^th Council meeting staff were directed to report on Winter Maintenance Quality Standards Review alongside a response to Councillor Brown’s Private Laneway Plows Motion (Motion No. 2024-34-05) at a Joint meeting of Transportation Committee and Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee.

Continuous Improvements to Winter Maintenance Operations

Over the past five years, the Public Works Department has implemented several service enhancements to its current operational practices to increase efficiency and improve services based on Council direction and resident feedback, including:

• ​Responding more proactively and aggressively to all types of winter events, specifically smaller events earlier in the winter season to prevent significant snowpack on sidewalks and residential streets, which leads to ice buildup and rutting.
• Reassigning staff and equipment to sidewalk and pathway routes to create a stronger balance with road maintenance operations. Approximately 250 of the 540 winter maintenance resources are now clearing the City’s 2,500 km of sidewalks and pathways.
• Introducing 24/7 deployment for sidewalk and pathway clearing across the city, resulting in less snowpack and ice build-up both during and after winter events – specifically within residential areas and school zones.
• Collaborating with the Corporate Accessibility Office to develop a training video for front line operators highlighting specific challenges and barriers on the sidewalks, pathways, and other pedestrian facilities for people with disabilities. 

Furthermore, staff have implemented several continuous improvement measures in the areas of winter maintenance operations, service delivery and communications, for example:

• Communicating proactively with Councillors and residents before, during and after winter events.
• Sharing GPS tracking and route completion information with Councillors (Geotab – Citizen Insights).
• Replacing all steel plow blades with rubber blades which helps the plow follow the contours of the road better and allows for improved snow and ice removal.  
• Alternating starting points of residential beats to make plowing more equitable. 
• Establishing set times to declare both day- and nighttime parking bans: 
  • Nighttime winter weather parking bans are called by 9 am on the day the ban is scheduled to go into effect. During a nighttime ban, street parking is prohibited between 7 pm and 7 am.
  • Daytime winter weather parking bans are called by 3:30 pm on the day before the ban is scheduled to go into effect. During a daytime ban, street parking is prohibited between 10 am and 7 pm.
• Providing additional off-street parking during parking bans at City recreation facilities, OC Transpo park-and-rides, and City parking garages.
• Continuing to allow paid parking during winter parking bans in designated business areas.  

Winter Maintenance Quality Standards Review – Next Steps

The Public Works Department has completed its review of the Winter Maintenance Quality Standards. While staff have identified several opportunities to increase service standards, particularly for the active transportation network, there are operational and financial implications associated with these improvements for the 2024-2025 winter season. In addition to requiring enough lead time to prepare for any changes in route deployment, the Public Works Department recognizes that any increase to its service standards would add to the City’s current financial challenges. Given that the City currently provides a high level of service for residents and that Council has approved more than $10M in additional investments for winter operations over the last three years, staff are deferring making any recommendations in 2024-2025. In the interim, staff will continue to leverage Councillor and resident feedback to identify further improvements and efficiencies, such as shortening residential and sidewalk beats and addressing windrow issues. At this time, staff will also continue to use effective operational judgement to manage winter conditions as necessary. While the Winter Maintenance Quality Standards are the guideline upon which winter events are planned, real-time execution is based on the operations required to keep the City’s transportation network safe, passable, and accessible.

With the Maintenance Quality Standards Review report being deferred, staff will still proceed with bringing forward an information report in response to Councillor Brown’s Private Laneway Plows Motion (Motion No. 2024-34-05) in Q1 2025. This report will be presented at both Transportation Committee and Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee as outlined in the original motion.

Planning for the 2024-25 Winter Season

The Public Works Department continues its preparations for the upcoming winter season. Equipment is being prepared and staff are getting ready to transition to their winter operations positions. As part of the Department’s pre-winter outreach activities, Roads and Parking Services will engage with members of Council in the coming weeks.

Should members of Council have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Quentin Levesque, Director of Roads and Parking Services or myself.

Thank you,

Original signed by 

Alain Gonthier
General Manager
Public Works Department

c.c.       Senior Leadership Team

Public Works Departmental Leadership Team

Andrea Lanthier-Seymour, Chief Communications Officer

September 5, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council 

From: Alain Gonthier, General Manager, Public Works Department 

The purpose of this memo is to update Council on the Springhill Landfill. Further to the memo sent to Council on June 13, 2024, the City submitted an application for a related amendment to the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) for the Springhill Landfill.

The previous ECA amendment is seeking approval from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to lift the suspension of accepting waste at the Springhill Landfill site for the exclusive receipt of excess waste soils from projects within the limits of the City of Ottawa to exhaust the remaining landfill capacity. While we await approval of this ECA amendment, the City is advancing a related amendment which will ultimately allow the environmental remediation, cap and closure of the site.    

This latest amendment, submitted August 30, 2024, seeks approval from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to authorize the remedial action plan, including a final cover system and stormwater management system, and the closure plan for the site. This amendment is also seeking approval for a post-closure inspection, monitoring, maintenance, and care plan.

As was done with the previous ECA amendment in June, the City will again send a letter to neighbours within a 500 metre radius of the Springhill Landfill, approximately 30, to notify them of this amendment and provide details on how they can submit comments to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks on the application. A copy of the letter to the nearby residents is attached for Council’s awareness.

Members of Council will continue to be informed of related applications, application outcomes and updates on the remedial action plan. In the meantime, if you have questions, please contact me directly by phone at 613-580-2424, extension 21197, or by email at Alain.Gonthier@ottawa.ca.  

Thank you,

Original signed by 

Alain Gonthier
General Manager
Public Works Department

c.c.       Senior Leadership Team

Public Works Departmental Leadership Team

Andrea Lanthier-Seymour, Chief Communications Officer

August 30, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council

From: Alain Gonthier, General Manager, Public Works Department

The purpose of this memo is to inform you that after 32 years of service, Phil Landry, Director of Traffic Services, has announced his retirement from the City. His last day of work will be October 18, 2024.   

Phil started as a co-op student at the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton in 1992 and has since held various technical and management roles related to Traffic Services. Over the last 10 years as director of Traffic Services, Phil has been a strong partner with his colleagues across the organization. This strength extends to his ability to work with all Members of Council, residents and external stakeholder groups to find solutions that addressed transportation and traffic concerns in each of your communities. Through his leadership, Traffic Services has implemented many leading edge and innovative road safety, traffic operations and traffic management policies and guidelines that have enhanced the safety for all users of the City’s transportation network.   

Following Phil’s retirement announcement earlier this summer, and to ensure a smooth and seamless transition, a competition for the Director position was initiated. I am pleased to announce that Krista Tanaka was the successful candidate in this competition.   

Krista has been working as a professional engineer in the field of traffic engineering and road safety for over 20 years. Before joining Ottawa in 2010, Krista worked in consulting in Ottawa and North Carolina. Krista spent her first 11 years at the City leading the Road Safety and Traffic Investigations Unit and was responsible for the delivery of a number of key initiatives, including the Temporary Traffic Calming program, the Automated Speed Enforcement program and updating the Road Safety Strategic plan. In her role as Manager, Traffic, Safety & Mobility (2021 to 2023), Krista was responsible for overseeing the various programs and initiatives delivered by the City’s Road Safety, Traffic Management and Traffic Investigations units. Since the fall of 2023, Krista has been the Associate Director in Traffic Services where she has worked closely with Phil to gain a better understanding of the skills, knowledge and competencies required for the Director of Traffic Services position.   

Krista, who is bilingual, will be confirmed in the Director position on October 7, 2024, after completion of her term as Associate Director. I am confident that we have positioned Krista to successfully transition into her new role as director of Traffic Services. Until then, she will continue to work closely with Phil.   

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.  

Original signed by 

 Alain Gonthier  

General Manager 

Public Works Department  

CC:      Senior Leadership Team  

Public Works Departmental Leadership Team  

Chief Communications Officer

June 13, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council

From: Alain Gonthier, General Manager, Public Works

The purpose of this memo is to advise Members of Council that the City is seeking an amendment to the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) at Springhill Landfill. As part of the ECA process, neighbours within a 500m radius of the site will be notified and provided the opportunity to share comments with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). A copy of that letter is attached for Council’s awareness.

Springhill is a City-owned landfill located in the former Township of Osgoode that is operated by Tomlinson Waste Management under a pre-amalgamation agreement. The site has been suspended from accepting waste since 2018 due to Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (now the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, or MECP) findings of groundwater contamination at an adjacent provincially significant wetland.

Since this temporary suspension, the City and Tomlinson have been engaged in the development of a Remedial Action and Closure Plan. As a first step, the City has submitted an application to the MECP requesting an ECA amendment to lift the suspension for the exclusive receipt of excess waste soils from projects within the limits of the City of Ottawa to exhaust the remaining landfill capacity, ultimately allowing the second step to proceed being the environmental remediation, cap and closure of the site.   

The proposed approach sets a course for the environmental remediation required to bring the site to closure.

Staff are preparing a fulsome update on the Remedial Action and Closure Plan for Springhill, which will be provided to Council following the MECP’s consideration of this ECA amendment application. As part of the MECP process, the City will be submitting another ECA later this year for the Remedial Action and Closure Plan, at which time another neighbour letter will be sent.

Council will continue to be informed of related applications and public notifications. 

Thank you,

Alain Gonthier

General Manager

Public Works Department

c.c.       Senior Leadership Team

Manager, Corporate Communications

Program Manager, Media Relations and Legislative Support

Public Works Departmental Leadership Team

May 15, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council

From: Alain Gonthier, General Manager, Public Works Department

As of May 15, 2024, Public Works is concluding its operations related to the spring freshet. As a result, the Public Works Freshet Task Force is standing down and returning to normal operations.

The Public Works Freshet Task Force has actively monitored conditions throughout this year’s freshet. Relying on flood mapping and experience, we understand that residents are affected at differing water elevations. Due to the uncertainty of how significant flooding may become, people require time to prepare if sandbags are to be used for flood protection in any year. In 2024, the Ottawa River met and slightly exceeded the 1:2 level (a 50% chance of occurring in any given year) in most areas of Ottawa between Vydon Acres and Cumberland. The unknown impact of additional precipitation during the spring freshet requires ongoing vigilance by residents and city operations between the end of February and until conditions stabilize.

The following is a summary of Task Force actions taken in 2024:

• Early monitoring of snow, water and forecasts began in January
• The Freshet Task Force was established on February 26 and met 13 times to plan and initiate actions
• Task Force members met with Ottawa Power Generation, the three local conservation authorities (Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and South Nation Conservation Authority), Parks Canada, the Ottawa River Regulation Secretariat, and other external groups as part of annual preparations
• Outreach to local partners such as the NCC was completed
• Information was made available to residents and Councillors through the flood page on ottawa.ca, and the City’s Flood 2024 group Facebook page.
• Nine sandbag filling stations were deployed in community-based locations of known early impact for early access by residents. Eight filling stations were deployed between West Carleton, North Gower, Cumberland, and one made available at the downtown Hurdman Works Yard.

Look Ahead

As we close operations for this year, the following actions are being taken. Sandbag filling locations are being decommissioned this week. Assets will be returned to inventory for use in future freshets, or for seasonal operations where appropriate. The City will continue to maintain an inventory of materials at the former Woodlawn Works Yard location for use in future years.

Although the 2024 freshet is behind us, we will continue to work with internal and external partners including local conservation authorities to improve our processes and operational responses for future events.

Even in a year characterized by minor impacts, it is important that we take time to assess our actions and strategies. Some Councillors may have received additional outreach this year as part of an initiative to enhance general flood awareness. I am interested in receiving feedback on this outreach for future years.

Please contact Jim Lethbridge at jim.lethbridge@ottawa.ca with any questions related to freshet and the Public Works Freshet Taskforce.

Original signed by,

Alain Gonthier

General Manager

Public Works Department

CC: Senior Leadership Team

Public Works Department Leadership Team

Chief Communications Officer

Manager, Corporate Communications

Manager, Council and Committee Services

March 26, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council

From: Alain Gonthier, General Manager Public Works Department

Spring is officially here! Following an atypical winter season, this memo provides an overview of the spring and summer operations of the Public Works Department, including links to key content and contact information for the respective Managers or Directors. Many of our spring activities have begun much sooner than normal and our teams are up to the task. During the transition period between winter and spring weather, our teams align their work to ensure that our roadways and green spaces are clean and safe.

As a part of our seasonal transition, Roads and Parking Services, Traffic Services, Solid Waste Services, and Parks Maintenance and Forestry Services coordinate their resources and staff to allow us to adapt and respond to uncommon weather patterns. Public Works follows a yearly operational plan to transition to spring and summer operations. The following highlights some of the key activities taking place and we remain committed to keeping you informed throughout the year.

Keeping our City Moving

Operational crews are working to improve spring road and sidewalk conditions. Teams were dispatched as soon as the snow began melting to fill potholes on the roadway. We use a Cold Patch and Warm Mix asphalt to temporarily patch over the hole, creating a smoother and safer driving surface until asphalt plants open and we can use regular asphalt. Staff typically fill over 250,000 potholes annually and potholes can be reported online and they will be triaged and addressed on a priority basis.

Spring grading of our more than 500 kilometres of gravel roads begins as soon as the weather and local conditions permit. A fresh layer of gravel and dust suppressant are applied to approximately 140 kilometres of gravel roadway each spring to improve the driving surface. While performing this work, crews also mitigate potential flooding by opening ditches, culverts and catch basins where required.  

Staff have begun maintenance operations including ongoing road and sidewalk sweeping, asphalt, concrete and ironworks repairs. Street sweeping of our communities with year-round on-street parking and city-wide street sweeping activities have already gradually begun as weather permits and will be fully deployed as soon as the temperature consistently remains above zero.

Following completion of road sweeping, our pavement marking program begins. All existing pavement markings are refreshed annually, including intersections, longitudinal roadway lines, cycling facilities, traffic calming measures and more. Various locations with irregularities and safety concerns are prioritized for completion as early as the season permits, along with cycling lanes and pedestrian crossovers, followed by high-volume roads and intersections, and then lower-volume streets.

Parking Services provides and maintains an appropriate supply of affordable, secure, accessible, convenient, and appealing public parking that supports local businesses, institutions, and tourism. Parking Services manages on-street paid parking spaces as well as off-street spaces in five multi-story parking structures and 11 year-round surface parking lots. The City offers summer seasonal beach parking passes for Petrie Island Beach (789 Trim Road).

Keeping our City Clean and Green

Spring and summer maintenance activities commence in early spring with lawn reinstatement, repairing areas confirmed as damaged by winter operations equipment. Lawns are repaired using topsoil and seed – not sod. Residents aware of locations requiring repair should report them online as soon as possible to be added to the Spring Maintenance List. When a property is repaired, staff will leave maintenance instructions in the form of a door knocker.

Cleaning and litter pick-up has resumed across the city, in our parks, Business Improvement Areas and the ByWard Market. This includes an increase in resources and patrolling of the ByWard Market and Rideau Street during the spring/summer seasons and peak periods to improve overall cleanliness. Staff will continue many litter-related duties not associated with waste receptacles in parks, such as collecting litter prior to grass cutting or beach grooming.

The Waste Diversion in Parks Program will expand in 2024. An additional 24 parks have been added to the program for a total of 57 parks with 3-stream bins. Staff consider the field conditions when placing bins and collecting waste as not to damage paths and/or fields, so the timing of placement could vary across the City. Our staff coordinate the removal of vandalism and collection of waste in City parks. Vandalism can be reported online or via 3-1-1.

Spring tree planting begins the last week of April and runs until late June, weather permitting. Over 7,500 newly planted trees are watered weekly between May and September. Seasonal tree maintenance activities are ongoing and include lifecycle, reactive tree pruning and the removal of dead or hazardous trees. Tree stumping operations will begin in early May and continue through the fall. Forestry inspection staff continue to respond to service requests for City trees that include assessing storm damage, monitoring tree and forest health, and enforcing tree protection and permitting under the Tree Protection By-law. 

This coming season, park maintenance staff will continue to pilot electric small equipment across the city. Council can expect a fulsome electric equipment information report later this year.

Keeping our City Active and Safe

The City of Ottawa offers several options for parking bicycles, including ring-and-post racks at various locations throughout the city, and seasonal on-street bike corrals. The Council-approved Public Bike Parking Strategy is being implemented and staff continue to work towards expanding

the bike corral program and introducing three secure bike parking lockers in centralized locations coming online this spring.

The reinstallation of traffic calming flex stakes typically begins by mid-April and should be completed by June 15 with installation of new locations to follow. The installation of bicycle bollards should be installed by mid-May once bike lane pavement markings have been refreshed. Damaged or missing flex bollards can be reported online or via 3-1-1.

As temperatures climb, the number of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle users on our roads also rises. We continue to implement strategies to reduce fatal and major injuries due to collisions on our roads through education, enforcement and engineering practices, as part of the Road Safety Action Plan (RSAP). Some initiatives in 2024 include:

• Pop-up events and digital ‘Think Safety, Act Safely’ awareness campaigns.
• Piloting cyclist detection bollards at signalized intersections and crossings.
• Installation of 20 new automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras.

The 2024 Road Safety Action Plan Report will be coming to Council later this year and will provide more information on the implementation of these and other initiatives to increase road safety.

Additionally, our seasonal traffic signal re-lamping program occurs from April to October. Traffic signals at over 1,200 intersections, flashing beacons, and school zone flashers across the city are inspected and cleaned/repaired as required to maintain reliability.

Many spring park maintenance activities are already underway and will continue over the coming months, including the removal of rink boards and temporary lights, the deployment of seasonal waste receptacles, litter clean-up in parks and the activation of water services for garden plots, fountains, spray pads, wading pools and irrigation systems. Our seasonal transition activities also include the preparation of ball diamonds, tennis courts, the installation of volleyball nets and seasonal docks and the activation of sports field lighting controls to support outdoor recreation amenities, such as skate parks and tennis and basketball courts.

Our ongoing park maintenance services that typically start after spring preparations will continue throughout the summer season. These services include parks inspections, grass cutting, the completion of integrated turf maintenance practices on sports fields, play structure inspection and maintenance, parks pathway repairs, sand tilling, grooming of public beaches, baseball diamond maintenance, removal of vandalism, tree pruning and repairs of broken or hazardous items noted through inspections and service requests.

The Wild Parsnip Management Strategy includes mapping Wild Parsnip infestation levels, raising public awareness, and applying herbicides at select locations. A memo providing an update on the strategy and a map of the spray areas will be circulated to members of Council in the coming weeks.

Resident-Supported Spring Cleaning

Registration for Cleaning the Capital’s spring campaign began on Friday, March 15 and will remain open until Friday, May 3. We have already seen significant community interest in the campaign. The campaign will run from Monday, April 15 to Friday, May 31. In response to public interest and the early arrival of spring weather, program staff have accelerated their work to support registered cleanup projects two weeks earlier than usual, starting Monday, April 1. Participants can register their cleanup projects by using the online form available at ottawa.ca/clean.

The City will host nine Household Hazardous Waste events, which provide a way for residents to dispose of corrosive, flammable or poisonous materials for free. A memo on Household Hazardous Waste events will be sent to Council in the next few weeks. Residents don’t have to wait for a Household Hazardous Waste event; the City’s Waste Explorer identifies retailers where many items can be returned daily.

As always, residents can receive curbside collection reminders and alerts by e-mail or phone by signing up at Ottawa.ca/Collectioncalendar. Residents may also download the free Ottawa Collection Calendar mobile app for Apple and Android devices.

For residents who are eager to get back to their gardens, starting in the spring, potting soil is available for purchase at the Trail Road Waste Facility while quantities last. Please visit ottawa.ca for updates on availability.

District Boundaries

Many of the Public Works Department’s services are delivered through a geographic area model, using a number of the yards located across the city. 

For more information, to request services or to report an emergency related to operational maintenance, the community and your offices are encouraged to create a service request online.

Keeping You Informed

As the season progresses, we are committed to keeping you informed on matters that impact you and your community. Be it through Spring Freshet monitoring updates, Cleaning the Capital updates, street sweeping reports, pothole status reports, and updates on our operations, our focus is ensuring you are kept informed.

Original signed by,

Alain Gonthier
General Manager
Public Works Department

CC:     Senior Leadership Team

Public Works Department Leadership Team

Chief Communications Officer

Manager, Corporate Communications

Manager, Council and Committee Services

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information to Members of Council on a project taking place at the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre (CRRRC) located on Boundary Road, across from Mitch Owens Road.

The CRRRC project is a joint venture between Taggart Investment Inc and Miller Waste Systems Inc and is not yet operational. The project has received approval from the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP). While this is a private facility with no involvement with the City from a waste perspective, staff want to ensure Members of Council are aware of pending changes as this facility is located within the limits of the City of Ottawa.

From the project’s website, the facility has existing approval for the following:

A materials recovery facility for commercial waste; construction and demolition waste processing; hydrocarbon contaminated soil treatment, surplus soil management; a drop off for separate materials or separation of materials, anaerobic digestion of organic waste from commercial sources and, leaf and yard waste compost. The CRRRC also includes a landfill for non-recyclable waste. Space will also be available for other new waste diversion processes and technologies as they become proven and economically viable.

Plan to Accept Residential Waste

The City was recently informed of the Project’s leadership plan to seek approval from the MECP to expand the types of waste accepted at the site to include residential waste. According to the project team, the MECP has advised that this is considered a technical amendment to their current approval. The facility is already approved to accept commercially collected residential waste from multi-residential buildings.  No changes are required to the approved design or environmental monitoring program for the facility. Additionally, there are no proposed modifications to the daily, annual, or total waste limits for the facility, which is approved to receive 450,000 tonnes of waste per year. The service area for the facility is restricted to the Capital Region and an adjacent portion of Eastern Ontario.

The project team for the private facility will undertake all necessary notifications to inform local residents and stakeholders about their application in consultation with the MECP.    

Original Signed by:

Alain Gonthier

CC:    Senior Leadership Team

          Director, Public Information and Media Relations

          Program Manager, Media Relations and Outreach

          Public Works Leadership Team

March 20, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council

From: General Manager Public Works Department and General Manager, Recreation, Cultural, and Facility Services

The purpose of this memo is to provide Council with an update on the status of the Chief William Commanda Bridge. We are anticipating opening the bridge early next week and will provide an official communication when it has opened. The opening of the bridge is weather dependent, and staff are watching forecasts closely. During this time, we ask that residents respect the barriers and refrain from using the bridge to maintain public safety.

The Chief William Commanda Bridge multi-use pathway opened during the summer of 2023, offering pedestrians and cyclists scenic views and access to pathways through Gatineau and Ottawa. The bridge has been closed since November 21, 2023, as it was not designed for winter pedestrian or cycling use and the structure of the bridge does not allow for safe plowing, salting or grit operations.

The 2023/2024 winter season saw below average snowfall and higher than normal temperatures across the city. As a result of these atypical weather patterns, staff were unable to accurately assess the feasibility of alternate winter maintenance activities, as well as the potential use of the bridge for recreational activities (e.g: cross-country skiing). Staff will continue to explore the potential for winter use of the bridge and will provide Council with an update.

The planned re-opening of the bridge remains weather dependent. Even when the bridge is reopened early next week, in the event of a weather event or drop in temperature causing snow and/or ice accumulation on the bridge deck, staff may be required to temporarily close the bridge until conditions allow for safe pedestrian and cycling access.

Original signed by,

Alain Gonthier                                          Dan Chenier

General Manager                                     General Manager

Public Works Department                      Recreation, Cultural, and Facility Services Department

cc: 
Senior Leadership Team

Public Works Departmental Leadership Team Director, Infrastructure Services

Chief Communications Officer, Public Information and Media Relations Manager, Corporate Communications

Manager, Council and Committee Services

March 7, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council

From: Alain Gonthier, General Manager – Public Works Department

The purpose of this memo is to update Members of Council on 2024 spring freshet planning and flood preparedness.

Background

The term freshet is commonly used to describe a significant increase of water discharged into rivers during spring months due to snowmelt. Spring freshets may be influenced by precipitation events during and after snow melting. This can lead to seasonal flooding in low lying areas along rivers. The Ottawa River watershed, at approximately 146,000 km2, is an extremely large river system that experiences flooding to some degree every spring. The Ottawa River watershed conveys water from many rivers including the Rideau River. The Rideau River spring freshet typically peaks in advance of the Ottawa River.

2024 Spring Freshet Task Force, Planning and Flood Preparedness

The City of Ottawa has established a Spring Freshet Task Force each year since the 2017 freshet. The goal of the taskforce is to prepare for, monitor, and respond to the needs of residents in flood vulnerable areas across the city. Much of the planning and operational response focuses on communities and City assets known to be impacted by seasonal flooding along the various rivers within the city, but especially along the Rideau River and Ottawa River.

Each year, sandbag filling stations are established for the benefit of residents who experience flooding on their properties. These stations are installed in locations that are convenient to affected communities. Updates on sandbag stations will be provided on both the Water pooling and flood control and Flooding pages of ottawa.ca.

The Public Works Spring Freshet Task Force has been established and is working with internal and external partners to continue monitoring of water levels and snowpack. Members of Public Works and Infrastructure and Water Services have been working on flood planning and monitoring of snow and river conditions since early January. The Infrastructure and Water Services teams have reviewed their flood preparedness plans and are prepared for the annual freshet.

The Task Force includes interdepartmental liaisons to ensure potentially impacted City services remain aware of Task Force activities. Internal partners include Infrastructure and Water Services -for the protection of critical infrastructure including the Lemieux Island and Britannia water purification plants and assets which it is responsible to monitor, inspect, and maintain, as well as members from Public Information and Media Relations, Ottawa Public Health, the Corporate Real Estate Office, and Emergency Protective Services.

Current Situation

Currently, the snowpack across the larger Ottawa River catchment area and in Ottawa is reported as being below average. The local Conservation Authorities have issued Flood Outlook or Water Safety Statements related to the recent melt and potential rain events. There is no major river flooding in the forecast right now, however, it is premature to predict water levels through to the end of the typical freshet return period.

In preparing for the possibility of seasonal flooding, the Task Force is leveraging the lessons learned from previous freshet years. The work of the 2024 PW Freshet Task Force will include:

• Completion of the Rideau River Flood Control program.
  • The 2024 Rideau River Flood Control (RRFC) season was unique and something we have never seen before. For the first time, there was no need to blast the ice, nor a requirement to deploy the amphibious excavator because the river is flowing with isolated sections of ice remaining along the shoreline. At this time in a typical year, the RRFC team would be blasting the ice to get the river water flowing. However, this year, the amount of ice buildup on the river did not reach the level of thickness to deploy our resources. The 2024 Rideau River Flood Control operations have now concluded, and the team is in the process of being demobilized.
• Implementation of a communications plan in partnership with Public Information and Media Relations (PIMR) to ensure the Water pooling and flood control and Flooding webpages and freshet X account (formerly known as Twitter) are updated and shared with the public.
•  Ensuring interdepartmental monitoring and collaboration results in departments are prepared to initiate plans for the protection of critical assets including the Water Purification Plants; and updating and implementation of operational and tactical procedures for the appropriate deployment of assets into communities for ease of access and early support as required.

Public Works will continue to deliver on all core services which include early freshet response activities.

Next Steps

Communication is a priority, and regular updates will be provided to residents through ottawa.ca and affected Councillors via task force outreach. Key objectives for these updates will be to provide information to assist residents in creating or refining their personal flood preparedness plans; increase awareness of the City’s operational activities; and share other resources available to residents living in flood prone areas. Where impacts occur, Traffic Services will issue updated Emergency Road Closure notifications regarding closures due to flooding using established practices and will be posting updates on the interactive traffic web page (traffic.ottawa.ca).

With support from our partners in PIMR, Ottawa residents will be encouraged to follow the City’s social media channels for updates, and to visit the Spring Flooding 2024 page for timely information. The Spring Flooding 2024 Facebook group will be activated at a strategic time to provide subject-specific information to its 3,000 members. I also encourage Councillors to join the Spring Flood 2024 Facebook page when it opens as a means of staying connected with residents who are concerned about flooding issues.

Respectfully,
Alain Gonthier General Manager, Public Works

Cc: Senior Leadership Team
Emergency Operations Centre
Public Works Departmental Leadership Team
Chief Communications Officer
Manager, Corporate Communications
Manager, Council and Committee Services
Area Manager, PW Emergency Planning and Response

The purpose of this memorandum is to seek nominations from Member of Council for parks to be included in the 2024 Waste Diversion in Parks Pilot, formerly the Recycling in Parks Pilot program.

Background

The City operates and maintains roughly 4,300 hectares of parkland at more than 1,300 sites. The location and number of waste receptacles per park are determined during the park development phase by the City’s Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Department and are subject to fluctuate based on year-over-year observations by staff. Many sites have garbage receptacles that require collection on a summer seasonal basis between mid-April to mid-November. A reduced number of locations and receptacles are serviced through the alternate winter season months due to the decreased demand, accessibility issues in the winter and number of visitors to the site.

Since 2017, Solid Waste Services has conducted a program formerly called the Recycling in Parks Pilot, to inform the best way to roll-out a future comprehensive recycling program for City parks. The current pilot program includes the placement and signage of 3-stream bins, designed to decrease contamination between streams and allow for ease of collection. The name of the pilot program has been changed from Recycling in Parks to Waste Diversion in Parks to reflect the potential to divert more than just recycling material.  See Appendix 1 for a complete history of the pilot program.

Influences of Individual Producer Responsibility and the Solid Waste Master Plan

The initial pilot program was put in place 2017 to test bin configuration and collection scenarios to be able to offer residents the option to recycle while in City Parks. This work was on-going through 2018 and 2019.  At the same time – the Provincial Blue Box Program was being drafted which included language around public spaces and parks.  

In 2021, the final Blue Box Regulation was released, and producers were provided a formula of how many public space bins would be needed per capita. However, they did not need to meet those requirements until 2026.  That meant there was still great uncertainty on how producers would service public spaces including parks. With this in mind, staff sought and received Council approval for the budget to expand on the pilot program to one park per ward and to include one destination park in order to continue to provide an expanded recycling service to residents while waiting for details from the producers on fulfilling their provincial requirements.  These additional parks allow City staff to gather more data to inform future program design.

In December 2023, Council received the Draft Solid Waste Master Plan.  Amongst many other initiatives, the plan considers Recycling in Parks and Public Spaces. Objective 2 – Maximizing the Recycling of Waste – Action Suite 7 describes the initiative to implementing a broad-scale, comprehensive waste diversion program, with recycling and organics bins in parks and public spaces across the City with a proposed timing of 2025 – 2028, pending approval of the final Solid Waste Master Plan.

2024 Expanded Waste Diversion in Parks Pilot

As part of the 2024 budget process, Council approved the expansion of the Waste Diversion in Parks Pilot program. The funding includes the expansion to 1 additional part per ward. Parks to be selected for this pilot are to be selected from locations across the city, with a goal of even distribution per ward and consist of different park types and sizes. Staff are seeking Council’s input on parks they would like included in the pilot. When considering which parks would be suitable for a pilot in your Ward, please consider the following:

• Parks that are well used and would benefit from recycling and organics programs;
• Parks of different sizes and types;
• Parks that are situated closer to main access roads (compared to a park deep inside a community);
• Parks that are accessible by a truck (the size of a large delivery van).

Over the next couple of weeks, staff will be reaching out to your offices to see which parks in your Ward, two (2) or three (3) options, that you would like to be considered for the 2024 Waste Diversion in Parks expanded pilot. Staff are also exploring other temporary waste diversion options in our parks that will help inform an overall permanent program should the Solid Waste Master Plan receive approval.  Leveraging our operational experiences and insight from our partners in Recreation, Culture and Facility Services (RCFS), staff will review the parks submitted and confirm back to Council by way of memo in March,  the final list of parks to be included in the 2024 expansion and the temporary waste diversion options for greater recycling and organics capture in our park spaces.

The results from the pilot program will inform the development of a future city-wide Waste Diversion in Parks program as an option in the Solid Waste Master Plan, as well as adapting to the system to be put in place by producers to be compliant with the Blue Box regulations starting in 2026.

Should you have any questions on the Waste Diversion in Parks pilot please contact Andrea Gay Farley at andrea.gayfarley@ottawa.ca or by phone at 613-878-3108.

Original Signed by:

Shelley McDonald

CC:     Senior Leadership Team
Director, Public Information and Media Relations
Program Manager, Media Relations and Outreach
Public Works Leadership Team

Appendix - History of the Recycling in Parks Pilot (2017 – 2023)

Phase 1 (Summer 2017)

The initial phase of the recycling in parks pilot consisted of the installation of large recycling carts in the parking lots of seven (7) parks across the city. The placement of carts in parking lots was an operational requirement due to the carts being serviced by full-size, Front End Loader trucks under the City’s Multi-Residential (MR) contract, which were unable to gain access to the inner parkland. The decision to utilize the City’s MR contractor provided the City with financial efficiencies, as the addition of these locations were considered an add-on to the existing contract.

While this initial pilot was well-intentioned and did help inform subsequent pilots, staff noted several issues that contributed to the first pilot being deemed unsuccessful. As noted in Inquiry EC 04-17 (Collection of Recyclables in City Parks / City Festivals), staff reported that bins were often under-utilized and highly contaminated with entire bins becoming contaminated and disposed of as garbage. Possible contributing factors to these issues included that the recycling carts were often not being paired with garbage bins, as well as unclear labelling which relied on wording only. Both items were considered and addressed as part of the Phase 2 Pilot the following year.

Phase 2 (Summer 2018)

During the spring of 2019 the planning for the phase 2 pilot began with 50 parks being selected that were a variety of Park types. For this phase, containers were placed close to the garbage bins and had 3 different container lids in order to test if lid size and colour affected capture and contamination rates.

As the pilot progressed, it was determined that the best lids for preventing contamination had restrictive openings. However, these lids were also easy to clog, which gave the impression of overflowing bins, and they proved challenging to use from an accessibility lens.

This pilot determined that the large recycling carts did not need to be emptied as frequently which assisted in operational efficiencies. The program saw less contamination overall and had good uptake by residents.

Phase 3 (2019 - 2020)

In 2019 and 2021, the recycling streams were expanded to include Organics and Dog Waste. Existing waste receptacles were removed, and large wheeled collection carts were installed in 10 parks for Garbage, Blue Box Recycling, and Organics (including dog waste). Four seasonal waste audits were conducted between Fall 2019 and Summer 2020 to determine the composition, capture rates, contamination rates, and overall diversion rates for these parks during the different seasons.

Overall, the pilot saw 72 per cent of waste from the 10 parks, that would have otherwise been landfilled, diverted to the recycling and organics bins. Further analysis of the recycling streams indicated that 75 per cent of what could be recycled (also known as capture rate) was placed in the recycling bin, and 79 per cent of organics material was placed correctly in the green bins. Both diversion and capture rates for all 10 parks remained relatively consistent throughout the four seasonal waste audit sessions.

The data from this pilot continued to demonstrate that recycling in parks was successful in increasing diversion among the parks as well as capture rates for the recycling and organics stream.

Phase 4 (2021 – 2023)

In the Spring of 2021, the City of Ottawa expanded the Recycling in Parks pilot. SWS engaged with Councillors to expand the existing pilot to 33 parks of different sizes and locations throughout the city. In addition, SWS staff are planning to work with their counterparts in West Parks Operations to include one (1) destination park, Mooney’s Bay Park, in this phase. The inclusion of a destination park required different planning and waste collection methodologies and increased effort for servicing. For these reasons, only one destination park was included in this phase. See Table 1 below for a complete list of parks currently included in the Recycling in Parks Pilot.

Since the last expansion, Solid Waste Services has gained valuable experience in both the placement and number of receptacles needed to service a park as well as the collection frequencies needed to minimize any resident dissatisfaction. 

List Current Parks in the Waste Diversion in Parks Pilot

A total of 33 parks are serviced as part of the current Waste Diversion in Parks pilot program.

February 7, 2024

To: Mayor and Members of Council

From: Shelley McDonald, Director, Solid Waste Services, Public Works Department

Purpose

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide members of Council with an overview of Engagement Series 3, the third and final round of engagement for the City of Ottawa’s new Solid Waste Master Plan.

Background

The City of Ottawa (City) is developing a new Solid Waste Master Plan (SWMP) to guide how Ottawa will reduce, divert, and manage waste over the next 30 years. The development of the new SWMP started in 2019 when Council approved the Roadmap report (ACS2019-PWE-GEN- 0007). Though the Roadmap report, Council approved a three-phased approach to community and stakeholder engagement to take place throughout the development of the SWMP, with each phase being based on research, data, best practices and extensive consultations with key stakeholders and the public:

Engagement Series 1 launched immediately following the approval of the SWMP Phase 1 report (ACS2020-PWE-SWS-0001) and involved consulting with residents and stakeholders on the current level of satisfaction and desired future state of Solid Waste. Additionally, staff leveraged Engagement Series 1 to develop the SWMP vision statement, guiding principles and goals which were thoroughly validated by residents and stakeholders before being recommended to Council for approval through the SWMP Phase 2 report.

In 2021, Council’s approved the SWMP Phase 2 report (ACS2021-PWE-SWS-0003). In addition to identifying the SWMP’s vision statement, guiding principles, and goals, this report also involved identifying future waste management needs, providing the long list of options to be considered to meet future waste management needs and presenting the evaluation methodology to evaluate each option on the high-level list. This methodology was then used to develop a recommended short list of actions for consultation and future consideration, which was done though Engagement Series 2.

Engagement Series 2 launched in Q1 2022 and sought feedback on the proposed short-listed options that were generated as a result of the evaluation process developed. This series allowed staff to gather as much information as possible around how much change residents are willing to undertake and how much the community is willing to pay to cover the financial costs of the new integrated waste management system.

To date, feedback from over 4,790 participants through public surveys, online dialogue sessions, and focus groups has been received and used to develop the Draft Solid Waste Master Plan (ACS2023-PWD-SWS-0005), which was received by Committee and Council in Q4 of 2023. As the Solid Waste Master Plan reaches completion, staff are excited to launch the third and final round of public and stakeholder engagement on the SWMP; Engagement Series 3. Details of which can be found below.

Engagement Series 3

Engagement Series 3 is set to launch today, February 7, and will end on March 7, 2024. There are three main objectives of Engagement Series 3:

1. Share the details of the Draft SWMP and demonstrate how feedback has been incorporated into the SWMP’s development to date;
2. Seek feedback on the Draft SWMP; and,
3. Create a forum for residents and stakeholders to have their questions on the draft plan raised and answered.

Building off the success and lessons learned from the previous two engagement series, this engagement series includes a mix of opportunities for residents to share their feedback, including in-person open houses, through virtual information sessions, online through a survey and through participating in focus group sessions geared towards seeking feedback from members of equity deserving groups. As did Engagement Series 1 and 2, Engagement Series 3 will continue to support and prioritize Equity, Diversity and Inclusion through multi-lingual translation of communications materials and surveys and engaging with equity deserving audiences through focus groups with audiences including newcomers to Canada, older adults, persons with disabilities, women and youth.

Staff have scheduled six open houses/information sessions:

• Wednesday February 7: Virtual launch of Engagement Series 3, surveys and virtual information session registration opens ottawa.ca/wasteplan
• Thursday February 15: Open-House Nepean Sportsplex: 7 pm to 9 pm
• Friday February 23: Open-House Cardel Recreation Complex: 7 pm to 9pm
• Monday February 26: Open-House Tom Brown Arena: 7 pm to 9 pm
• Thursday February 29: Virtual information session: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
• Monday March 4: Open-House Ray Friel Recreation Complex: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
• Wednesday March 6: Virtual information session: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
• Thursday March 7: Online surveys close, engagement series concludes.

Additionally, staff will meet with key SWMP stakeholder groups and manage any ad hoc requests for meetings based on staff availability.

Alongside this memorandum, the SWMP team has included a tool kit with helpful information for Councillors to use to promote sessions and online engagement opportunities within their Wards. Councillors are also encouraged to attend the open house sessions closest to their communities, if interested and available.

In addition to promotion through Councillors Offices and channels, Engagement Series 3 will be promoted through various City owned advertising assets, digitally through sponsored posts on the City’s social media channels, through print outlets, including Community newspapers, academic news outlets, and traditional media outlets.

Next Steps

Engagement Series 3 is scheduled to launch today, on Wednesday February 7, 2024, and last approximately five weeks. The engagement received is intended to provide Council with confidence that the community understands and supports the City’s new Solid Waste Master Plan. Insight and feedback learned from Engagement Series 3 will be analyzed by staff and used to develop recommendations for the Final Solid Waste Master Plan.

Once recommendations are solidified, staff will again meet with key project stakeholder groups, including the project’s Council Sponsors Group and Stakeholder Sounding Board, to seek additional feedback and concurrence on the Final Solid Waste Master Plan. In Q2 2024, the results of Engagement Series 3 and final recommendations will be presented to Council through the Final Solid Waste Master Plan.

Should you have any questions concerning the contents of this memorandum, please contact myself or Nichole Hoover-Bienasz, Program Manager, Long Term Planning for Solid Waste, by phone at 613-580-2424 x25145 or by email.

Original signed by

Shelley McDonald, P.Eng
Director, Solid Waste Services Public Works Department

CC:     Senior Leadership Team
Public Works Department Leadership Team
Chief Communications Officer, Public Information and Media Relations Manager, Corporate Communications
Manager, Council and Committee Services

December 14, 2023

To: Mayor and Members of Council

From: Alain Gonthier, General Manager, Public Works Department

Later today, we will launch our new ‘Time is Precious’ road safety ad campaign with a focus on high risk driving behaviour (impaired driving). As part of my commitment to inform Members of Council prior to releasing the ads, I am sharing the content with you in advance of the social media launch. I also appreciate the input that many of you provided on earlier iterations.

The “Time is Precious” ad campaign supports the goals and objectives of the 2020-2024 Strategic Road Safety Action Plan (RSAP). The implementation of education, along with engineering and enforcement measures are important to achieve RSAP’s vision of making Ottawa road safer for all users. 

Below are key messages regarding impaired driving:

• Between 2017-2021, there were 25 fatal or major injury collisions in Ottawa related to impaired driving
• We all know suitable alternatives to impaired driving, but here is a reminder:   
  • Have a designated driver who is not consuming 
  • Call a taxi or ride-sharing service 
  • Take public transit 
  • Walk if the distance permits (and wear bright clothing after dark) 
• Minimum consequences for drivers convicted of impaired driving, driving with a .08 BAC or more, driving with over 5ng of THC, or refusing to provide a breath sample include:  
  • One-year driver's license suspension (reducible to three months under certain circumstances) 
  • One-year ignition interlock condition upon reinstatement (up to three years for repeat offenders) 
  • $550 penalty 
  • Back on Track program (alcohol assessment and education) 
  • Criminal record 
  • Repeat offenders face greater consequences and longer license suspensions  

 In the new year, the campaign will continue with ads addressing the other emphasis areas: high risk drivers (aggressive and distracted), rural roads, intersections, and vulnerable road users (including motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians). We will share those with Members of Council in advance of releasing those ads.

Original signed by,

Alain Gonthier

General Manager

Public Works Department

CC:    Senior Leadership Team

Public Works Departmental Leadership Team

Chief Communications Officer, Public Information and Media Relations Manager, Corporate Communications

Manager, Council and Committee Services